AC 3382
..."keeping My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws,"
involve all things of the Word; namely,
"charge," all things of the Word in general;
"commandments," the internal things;
"statutes," the external things;
and "laws," all things specifically.
The law of Jehovah is perfect, restoring the soul;
the testimony of Jehovah is sure, making wise the simple.
The precepts of Jehovah are right, rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of Jehovah is pure, enlightening the eyes.
The fear of Jehovah is clean, standing forever;
the judgments of Jehovah are truth and righteous altogether.
(Psalm 19:7-9)
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
AC 3380 - "being blessed"
AC 3380
... the signification of "being blessed,"
as being to be made fruitful in good
and to be multiplied in truths....
... the signification of "being blessed,"
as being to be made fruitful in good
and to be multiplied in truths....
Monday, July 30, 2007
AC 3364 - doctrinal things
AC 3364
... there is no doctrinal thing,
nor the smallest part of one,
that is not from the Lord,
because the Lord is doctrine itself.
Hence it is that the Lord is called the "Word,"
because the "Word" is doctrine...
... there is no doctrinal thing,
nor the smallest part of one,
that is not from the Lord,
because the Lord is doctrine itself.
Hence it is that the Lord is called the "Word,"
because the "Word" is doctrine...
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Saturday, July 28, 2007
AC 3330 - the spiritual person in the beginning
AC 3330
That in the spiritual person, in the beginning truth, has the dominion,
is chiefly because in his first state there are delights
of the love of self and of the world which he believes to be good,
and which apply themselves to his truths,
and for the most part produce the affection of truth in him;
for he thinks that truths may be serviceable to him
either for honor, or for gain, or for reputation in the world,
or even for merit in the other life.
All these things excite this affection of truth in him,
and also enkindle it;
and yet they are not good, but evil.
Nevertheless the Lord permits
that such things should influence him in that first time,
because otherwise he could not be regenerated.
Intelligence and wisdom come in time;
in the meanwhile
through these truths the person is introduced into good,
that is, into charity;
and when he is in this,
then for the first time
he perceives what is good, and acts from good,
and then judges and draws conclusions from this good concerning truths;
and those which do not accord with this good he calls false, and rejects.
Thus he rules over truths as a master over his servants.
That in the spiritual person, in the beginning truth, has the dominion,
is chiefly because in his first state there are delights
of the love of self and of the world which he believes to be good,
and which apply themselves to his truths,
and for the most part produce the affection of truth in him;
for he thinks that truths may be serviceable to him
either for honor, or for gain, or for reputation in the world,
or even for merit in the other life.
All these things excite this affection of truth in him,
and also enkindle it;
and yet they are not good, but evil.
Nevertheless the Lord permits
that such things should influence him in that first time,
because otherwise he could not be regenerated.
Intelligence and wisdom come in time;
in the meanwhile
through these truths the person is introduced into good,
that is, into charity;
and when he is in this,
then for the first time
he perceives what is good, and acts from good,
and then judges and draws conclusions from this good concerning truths;
and those which do not accord with this good he calls false, and rejects.
Thus he rules over truths as a master over his servants.
AC 3325 - slaying the firstborn
AC 3325 [12]
... when a person enters into the arcana of faith,
and no longer believes anything
but that which he can apprehend
in accordance with the senses and memory-knowledge -
he then perverts and extinguishes the things of the doctrine of faith,
and especially the things of charity.
This is what is represented in the internal sense by
the firstborn of men and the firstborn of beasts in Egypt being slain...
... when a person enters into the arcana of faith,
and no longer believes anything
but that which he can apprehend
in accordance with the senses and memory-knowledge -
he then perverts and extinguishes the things of the doctrine of faith,
and especially the things of charity.
This is what is represented in the internal sense by
the firstborn of men and the firstborn of beasts in Egypt being slain...
Friday, July 27, 2007
AC 3316 [3] - spiritual ideas of natural things
AC 3316 [3]
It is the same with other things in the Word; as for example when a person reads of bread, the angels have no perception of bread, but instantly instead of bread they perceive celestial love and all that belongs thereto, that is, to love to the Lord; and when wine is read of in the Word, they do not perceive wine, but instead of wine spiritual love and all that belongs thereto, that is, to love toward the neighbor. So when pottage is read of, they do not perceive pottage, but doctrinal things not yet conjoined with good, thus an inordinated mass of them.
This shows the nature and quality of the angelic thought and perception, and how remote it is from the thought and perception of a person. If a person thought in like manner when he is in a holy state, as when he attends the Holy Supper, and instead of bread perceived love to the Lord, and instead of wine love toward the neighbor, he would be in thought and perception like that of the angels, who would then approach nearer to him, till at last they could consociate their thoughts, but only so far as the person was at the same time in good.
It is the same with other things in the Word; as for example when a person reads of bread, the angels have no perception of bread, but instantly instead of bread they perceive celestial love and all that belongs thereto, that is, to love to the Lord; and when wine is read of in the Word, they do not perceive wine, but instead of wine spiritual love and all that belongs thereto, that is, to love toward the neighbor. So when pottage is read of, they do not perceive pottage, but doctrinal things not yet conjoined with good, thus an inordinated mass of them.
This shows the nature and quality of the angelic thought and perception, and how remote it is from the thought and perception of a person. If a person thought in like manner when he is in a holy state, as when he attends the Holy Supper, and instead of bread perceived love to the Lord, and instead of wine love toward the neighbor, he would be in thought and perception like that of the angels, who would then approach nearer to him, till at last they could consociate their thoughts, but only so far as the person was at the same time in good.
AC 3316 & 3318 - doctrinal mess & the Lord's love
AC 3316
And Jacob boiled pottage. (Genesis 25:29)
... this signifies a chaotic mass of doctrinal things...
[2] The first state of the person who is being regenerated, or in whom truth is being conjoined with good, is that first of all in his natural person, or in its storehouse called the memory, there are amassed the doctrinal things of truth without any certain order. The doctrinal things at that time may be compared to some undigested and uncompounded mass, and to a kind of chaos. But this is to the end that they may be reduced to order, for whatever is to be reduced to order is at first in this state of confusion; and this is what is signified by the pottage which Jacob boiled....
These doctrinal things are not reduced to order by themselves,
but by the good which flows into them,
and the good reduces them into order
in exact proportion to the amount and the quality of its action upon them.
AC 3318 [2]
Good itself,
which has life from the Lord,
or which is life,
is that which flows in and disposes. (or orders, acts upon)
[3] ...temptations remove all that is of the love of self
and of contempt for others in comparison with self,
consequently all that is of self-glory,
and also of hatred and revenge on this account.
When therefore the vessels have been somewhat
tempered and subdued by temptations,
they begin to become yielding to, and compliant with,
the life of the Lord's love,
which continually flows in with a person.
And Jacob boiled pottage. (Genesis 25:29)
... this signifies a chaotic mass of doctrinal things...
[2] The first state of the person who is being regenerated, or in whom truth is being conjoined with good, is that first of all in his natural person, or in its storehouse called the memory, there are amassed the doctrinal things of truth without any certain order. The doctrinal things at that time may be compared to some undigested and uncompounded mass, and to a kind of chaos. But this is to the end that they may be reduced to order, for whatever is to be reduced to order is at first in this state of confusion; and this is what is signified by the pottage which Jacob boiled....
These doctrinal things are not reduced to order by themselves,
but by the good which flows into them,
and the good reduces them into order
in exact proportion to the amount and the quality of its action upon them.
AC 3318 [2]
Good itself,
which has life from the Lord,
or which is life,
is that which flows in and disposes. (or orders, acts upon)
[3] ...temptations remove all that is of the love of self
and of contempt for others in comparison with self,
consequently all that is of self-glory,
and also of hatred and revenge on this account.
When therefore the vessels have been somewhat
tempered and subdued by temptations,
they begin to become yielding to, and compliant with,
the life of the Lord's love,
which continually flows in with a person.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
AC 3310 - doing good from doctrine
AC 3310 [3]
The case here is as with one who by nature inclines to adulteries, thefts, and murders, but who learns from the commandments of the decalogue that such things are of hell, and so abstains from them. In this state he is affected by the commandments because he is afraid of hell, and from these and likewise from many things in the Word he learns how he ought to direct his life; and in this case when he does what is good, he does it from the commandments.
But when he is in good, he begins to be averse to the adulteries, thefts, and murders to which before he had been inclined; and when he is in this state, he no longer does what is good from the commandments, but from good, which then is in him. In the former state he learns good from truth; in the later state he teaches truth from good.
The case here is as with one who by nature inclines to adulteries, thefts, and murders, but who learns from the commandments of the decalogue that such things are of hell, and so abstains from them. In this state he is affected by the commandments because he is afraid of hell, and from these and likewise from many things in the Word he learns how he ought to direct his life; and in this case when he does what is good, he does it from the commandments.
But when he is in good, he begins to be averse to the adulteries, thefts, and murders to which before he had been inclined; and when he is in this state, he no longer does what is good from the commandments, but from good, which then is in him. In the former state he learns good from truth; in the later state he teaches truth from good.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
AC 3304 - reading the Word
AC 3304 [3]
In every one who is in a holy state while reading the Word,
there is a union of his external man which is on the earth,
with his internal man which is in heaven.
In every one who is in a holy state while reading the Word,
there is a union of his external man which is on the earth,
with his internal man which is in heaven.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
AC 3293 - natural good and truth
AC 3293
The natural, like the rational, consists of good and truth;
the good in the natural is all that which is of natural affection,
and is called delight;
but the truth is all that which is of the memory,
and is called memory-knowledge....
In order therefore for the natural to be human
it must consist of both,
the one being perfected by the other;
but it has its real life from the good.
The natural, like the rational, consists of good and truth;
the good in the natural is all that which is of natural affection,
and is called delight;
but the truth is all that which is of the memory,
and is called memory-knowledge....
In order therefore for the natural to be human
it must consist of both,
the one being perfected by the other;
but it has its real life from the good.
Monday, July 23, 2007
AC 3267 - the person who is in charity
AC 3267 [3]
He who is in charity loves his neighbor,
and when the neighbor differs from him in matters of belief,
he excuses it
provided that his neighbor lives in good and truth.
He also does not condemn the well-disposed Gentiles,
although they are ignorant of the Lord,
and do not know anything of the faith.
For he who is in charity, that is, who lives in good,
receives from the Lord truths of such a quality as agree with his good,
and Gentiles receive such truths
as in the other life may be bent into truths of faith.
He who is in charity loves his neighbor,
and when the neighbor differs from him in matters of belief,
he excuses it
provided that his neighbor lives in good and truth.
He also does not condemn the well-disposed Gentiles,
although they are ignorant of the Lord,
and do not know anything of the faith.
For he who is in charity, that is, who lives in good,
receives from the Lord truths of such a quality as agree with his good,
and Gentiles receive such truths
as in the other life may be bent into truths of faith.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
AC 3245 - Isacc & Jacob and the Divine Human
AC 3245 [2]
There are two things which properly constitute the Human,
namely, the rational and the natural;
the Lord's rational was represented by Isaac,
and His natural by Jacob;
the Lord made them both Divine;
how He made the rational Divine
is contained in what was said of Isaac,
but how He made the natural Divine
is contained in what was said of Jacob....
There are two things which properly constitute the Human,
namely, the rational and the natural;
the Lord's rational was represented by Isaac,
and His natural by Jacob;
the Lord made them both Divine;
how He made the rational Divine
is contained in what was said of Isaac,
but how He made the natural Divine
is contained in what was said of Jacob....
Saturday, July 21, 2007
AC 3241 - in the other life
AC 3241
... in the other life
every one receives from the Lord a lot
in accordance with his good of life,
and not in accordance with his truth of doctrine
separated from the good of life.
... in the other life
every one receives from the Lord a lot
in accordance with his good of life,
and not in accordance with his truth of doctrine
separated from the good of life.
Friday, July 20, 2007
AC 3236 - What is spiritual good?
AC 3236 [2]
Spiritual good in a person is, in general,
what is called the good of faith,
and this is no other than charity toward the neighbor;
but in order that it may be charity,
it must come from the new will
with which the spiritual man is gifted by the Lord.
Spiritual good in a person is, in general,
what is called the good of faith,
and this is no other than charity toward the neighbor;
but in order that it may be charity,
it must come from the new will
with which the spiritual man is gifted by the Lord.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
AC 3225 - ?????
AC 3225
... there is correspondence
between those things which are of the light of heaven
and those which are of the light of the world,
that is,
between those things which are of the internal or spiritual person
and those which are of the external or natural person;
and there is representation in regard to
whatever comes forth in the things which are of the light of the world
(that is, in regard to whatever comes forth in the external or natural man),
relatively to those which are of that light of heaven,
that is, which are from the internal or spiritual person.
... there is correspondence
between those things which are of the light of heaven
and those which are of the light of the world,
that is,
between those things which are of the internal or spiritual person
and those which are of the external or natural person;
and there is representation in regard to
whatever comes forth in the things which are of the light of the world
(that is, in regard to whatever comes forth in the external or natural man),
relatively to those which are of that light of heaven,
that is, which are from the internal or spiritual person.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
AC 3207 - What are appearances of truth?
AC 3207 [5]
In order that some idea may be formed of what appearances of truth are,
let the following examples serve for illustration:
I. A person believes that he is reformed and regenerated
through the truth of faith;
but this is an appearance;
he is reformed and regenerated through the good of faith,
that is toward charity toward the neighbor and love to the Lord.
II. A person believes that truth enables us to perceive what good is,
because it teaches;
but this is an appearance;
it is good that enables truth to perceive,
for good is the soul or life of truth.
III. A person believes that truth introduces to good
when he lives according to the truth which he has learned;
but it is good which flows into truth,
and introduces it to itself.
IV. It appears to a person that truth perfects good,
when yet good perfects truth.
V. Goods of life appear to a person to be the fruits of faith;
but they are the fruits of charity.
In order that some idea may be formed of what appearances of truth are,
let the following examples serve for illustration:
I. A person believes that he is reformed and regenerated
through the truth of faith;
but this is an appearance;
he is reformed and regenerated through the good of faith,
that is toward charity toward the neighbor and love to the Lord.
II. A person believes that truth enables us to perceive what good is,
because it teaches;
but this is an appearance;
it is good that enables truth to perceive,
for good is the soul or life of truth.
III. A person believes that truth introduces to good
when he lives according to the truth which he has learned;
but it is good which flows into truth,
and introduces it to itself.
IV. It appears to a person that truth perfects good,
when yet good perfects truth.
V. Goods of life appear to a person to be the fruits of faith;
but they are the fruits of charity.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Monday, July 16, 2007
AC 3166 - What is good? What is truth?
AC 3166
There is nothing in the universe that does not refer to good and truth;
whatever is of use, and of life,
refers to good;
but whatever is of doctrine and memory-knowledge,
especially concerning use and life,
refers to truth;
or what is the same,
whatever is of the will, is called good or evil,
but whatever is of the understanding is called truth or falsity...
There is nothing in the universe that does not refer to good and truth;
whatever is of use, and of life,
refers to good;
but whatever is of doctrine and memory-knowledge,
especially concerning use and life,
refers to truth;
or what is the same,
whatever is of the will, is called good or evil,
but whatever is of the understanding is called truth or falsity...
AC 3158 - freedom & liberty
AC 3158 [2]
... in order that truth may be received by the good which is of the will,
it is necessary that there be a free state.
All that is of the will appears free;
the very state of willing is liberty;
for that which I will,
that I choose,
that I long for,
because I love it and acknowledge it as good.
All this shows that truth,
which is of faith,
never becomes a person's as his until it has been received by the will...
... in order that truth may be received by the good which is of the will,
it is necessary that there be a free state.
All that is of the will appears free;
the very state of willing is liberty;
for that which I will,
that I choose,
that I long for,
because I love it and acknowledge it as good.
All this shows that truth,
which is of faith,
never becomes a person's as his until it has been received by the will...
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