AC 1594 - Reflecting on the Love of Self and Mutual Love

AC 1594 [2, 3-4]

The reason why man does not know,
and if told, does not believe,
that there is an internal man,
is that he lives in corporeal and sensuous things,
which cannot possibly see what is interior.
Interior things can see what is exterior,
but never exterior things what is interior.
 
The reason why man does not know this
is that he lives in no charity,
and when he is living in no charity
it cannot be apparent to him
that a life of the love of self and its cupidities
is so contrary to heavenly love.
There is also in the love of self and its cupidities
something glowing, and consequently delightful,
which so affects the life
that the man hardly knows otherwise
than that therein consists eternal happiness itself;
and therefore many place eternal happiness
in becoming great after the life of the body,
and in being served by others, even by angels;
while they themselves desire to serve no one,
except for the sake of self,
with a hidden view to being served themselves.
Their saying that they desire to serve the Lord alone is false,
for they who are in the love of self
desire to have even the Lord serve them,
and so far as this is not done they fall back.
Thus they carry in their heart
the desire to become lords themselves,
and to reign over the universe.
It is easy to conceive what kind of government this would be,
when many, nay, when all, were like this.
Is not that government infernal
in which everyone loves himself more than any other?
This lies hidden in the love of self.
From this we can see the nature of the love of self,
and we can see it also from the fact
that there is concealed within it hatred against all 
who do not subject themselves to it as slaves;
and because there is hatred,
there are also revenge, cruelties, deceits,
and many other wicked things.

But mutual love, which alone is heavenly,
consists in a man's not only saying of himself,
but acknowledging and believing,
that he is utterly unworthy,
and that he is something vile and filthy,
which the Lord from His infinite mercy
continually withdraws and holds back from hell,
into which the man continually strives,
even longs, to precipitate himself.
His acknowledging and believing this,
is because it is true;
not that the Lord, or any angel, desires him
to acknowledge and believe it for the sake of his submission;
but that he may not exalt himself,
seeing that he is even such;
for this would be as if excrement should call itself pure gold,
or a fly of the dunghill should say that it is a bird of paradise.
So far therefore 
as a person acknowledges and believes himself
to be such as he really is,
he recedes from the love of self and its cupidities,
and abhors himself.
So far as he does this,
he receives heavenly love from the Lord,
that is, mutual love,
which consists in the desire to serve all.
These are they who are meant by "the least,"
who become in the Lord's kingdom the greatest
(see Matt. 20:26-28; Luke 9:46-48).  

On My Holy Mountain

They will neither harm nor destroy on My holy mountain,
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.

(Isaiah 11:9)

** "Is It Lawful to Heal on the Sabbath?" **

On Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat
in the house of a prominent Pharisee,
He was being carefully watched.
There in front of Him was a man suffering from dropsy.
Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law,
"Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?"
But they remained silent.
So taking hold of the man,
He healed him and sent him away.

The He asked them,
"If one of you has a son or an ox
that falls into a well on the Sabbath day,
will you not immediately pull him out?"
And they had nothing to say.

(Luke 14:1-6)

AC 1590 - The Beauty of Heaven Is an Image of the Lord

AC 1590

What the beauty of the external man is
when conjoined with the internal cannot be described,
because it does not exist with any human being,
but with the Lord alone.
What exists in man and angel is from the Lord.
Only in a small degree can this appear,
from the image of the Lord
as to His external man
that is presented in the heavens.
The three heavens are images of the Lord's external man;
but their beauty can never be described by anything
so as to present to anyone's comprehension
an idea of what it is.
As in the Lord everything is infinite,
so in heaven everything is indefinite (or unlimited).
The indefinite of heaven
is an image of the infinite of the Lord.
 

Isaiah Sees the Lord

In the year that King Uzziah died,
I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted,
and the train of His robe filled the temple.
Above Him were seraphs, each with six wings:
With two wings they covered their faces,
with two they covered their feet,
and with two they were flying.
And they were calling to one another:

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
the whole earth is full of His glory."

At the sound of their voices
the doorposts and thresholds shook
and the temple was filled with smoke.

"Woe to me!" I cred.
"I am ruined!
For I am a man of unclean lips,
and I live among a people of unclean lips,
and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty."

Then one of the seraphs flew to me
with a live coal in his hand,
which he had taken with the tongs from the altar.
With it he touched my mouth and said,
"See this, has touched your lips;
your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
"Whom shall I send?
And who shall go for us?"

And I said, "Here am I.  Send me!"

He said, "Go and tell this people:
"'Be ever hearing,
but never understanding;
be ever seeing,
but never perceiving.'
Make the heart of this people calloused;
make their ears dull and close their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts,
and turn and be healed."

(Isaiah 6:1-10)

** O Jerusalem, Jerusalem **

At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to Him,
"Leave this place and go somewhere else.
Herod wants to kill You."

He replied, "Go tell that fox,
'I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow,
and on the third day I will reach My goal.'
In any case, I must keep going
today and tomorrow and the next day --
for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you,
how often I have longed to gather your children together,
as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings,
but you were not willing!
Look, your house is left to you desolate.
I tell you,
you will not see me again until you say
'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.'"

(Luke 14:31-35)

AC 1577, 1580 - The Workings of the External and Internal Man

AC 1577

Let there be no contention, I pray, between me and thee.
(Genesis 13:8)

With no man
have the internal man and the external ever been united;
nor could they be united,
nor can they be,
but with the Lord only,
for which cause also He came into the world.
With men who have been regenerated,
it appears as if they were united;
but these belong to the Lord;
for the things which agree are the Lord's,
but those which disagree are man's. 

AC 1580

Is not the whole land before thee?
(Genesis 13:9)

That this signifies all good,
is evident from the signification of "land" in a good sense,
and here of the land of Canaan,
which is the celestial,
and therefore also good.
The internal man here addresses the external,
but those things in the external man which disagree;
as a man is wont to do
when he perceives some evil in himself
from which he desires to be separated,
as is the case in temptations and combats.
For it is known to those
who have been in temptations and combats,
that they perceive in themselves things which disagree;
from which, so long as there is combat,
they cannot be separated;
but still they desire separation,
and sometimes to such a degree
that they are angry with the evil, and desire to expel it.
These are the things that are here signified.

In That Day

In that day the Branch of the Lord
will be beautiful and glorious,
and the fruit of the land
will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel.
Those who are left in Zion,
who remain in Jerusalem,
will be called holy,
all who are recorded among the living in Jerusalem.
The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion;
He will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem
by a Spirit of Judgment and a Spirit of Fire.
Then the Lord will create over all of Mount Zion
and over those who assemble there
a cloud of smoke by day
and a glow of flaming fire by night;
over all the glory will be a canopy.
It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day,
and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain.

(Isaiah 4:2-6)

** Walking in the Light **

Then He said to His disciples,
"Let us go back to Judea."

"But Rabbi," they said,
"a short while ago the Jews tried to stone You,
and yet You are going back there?"

Jesus answered,
"Are there not twelve hours of daylight?
A man who walks by day will not stumble,
for he sees by this world's light.
It is when he walks by night that he stumbles,
for he has no light."

(John 11:8-10)

AC 1571 - Strife and Worship

AC 1571

There was strife between
the herdsmen of Abram's cattle
and the herdsmen of Lot's cattle.
(Genesis 13:7)

That this signifies that the internal man and the external
did not agree,
is evident from the signification of
the "herdsmen [or shepherds-pastores] of cattle,"
as being those who teach,
and thus things that are of worship . . ..

As worship is here treated of, namely,
that of the internal man and of the external,
and as these did not yet agree,
it is here said that "there was strife between the herdsmen;"
for Abram represents the internal man,
and Lot the external.
In worship the nature and quality of the disagreement
between the internal man and the external
are especially discernible,
and this even in every single thing of worship;
for when in worship the internal man
desires to regard the ends
that belong to the kingdom of God,
and the external man
desires to regard the ends that belong to the world,
there thus arises a disagreement
which manifests itself in the worship,
and that so plainly
that the smallest bit of such disagreement
is noticed in heaven.

The Lord Is

The Lord is faithful to all His promises
and loving toward all He has made.
The Lord upholds all those who fall
and lifts up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to You,
and You give them their food at the proper time.
You open Your hand
and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

The Lord is righteous in all His ways
and loving toward all He has made.
The Lord is near to all who call on Him,
to all who call on Him in truth.
He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him;
He hears their cry and saves them.
The Lord watches over all who love Him,
but all the wicked He will destroy.

My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord.
Let every creature praise His holy name
for ever and ever.

(Psalm 145:13.5-21)
 

** The Jews Question Jesus**

Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem.
It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple area
walking in Solomon's Colonnade.
The Jews gathered around Him, saying,
"How long will You keep us in suspense?
If You are the Christ, tell us plainly."

Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe.
The miracles I do in My Father's name speak for Me,
but you do not believe because you are not My sheep.
My sheep listen to My voice;
I know them, and they follow Me.
I give them eternal life,
and they shall never perish;
no one can snatch them out of My hand.
My Father, who has given them to Me,
is greater than all;
no one can snatch them out of My Father's hand.
I and the Father are One."

(John 10:22-30)

AC 1562, 1568 - Why Lot Needed to Leave Abram

AC 1562

And Lot also, who went with Abram,
had flock and herd, and tents.
(Genesis 13:5)

"And Lot also, who went with Abram,"
signifies the external man that was in the Lord;
"had flock and herd, and tents,"
signifies those things in which the external man abounds;
"flock and herd"
are the external man's possessions;
"tents" are his worship:
these things were separating themselves
from the internal man.

AC 1568

The land was not able to bear them
that they might dwell together.
(Genesis 13:6)

This signifies
that the things belonging to the internal celestial things
could not be together with the others,
that is, with those here signified by "Lot."
Abram, as before said, represents the Lord,
here His internal man;
but Lot represents His external man,
here the things that were to be separated
from the external man,
 with which the internal things could not dwell. 

There are many things in the external man
with which the internal man can dwell,
such as affections of good,
and the delights and pleasures originating from them;
for these are the effects of the goods of the internal man,
and of its joys and happiness;
and when they are the effects,
they altogether correspond;
and they are then of the internal man
and not of the external.
. . . for example,
the charity which shines forth from the face
is not of the face, but is of the charity that is within,
and which so forms the face, and presents the effect;
or as the innocence of little children
that shows itself in their looks, gestures,
and play with each other,
is not of the countenance or the gesture,
but is of the innocence of the Lord
that flows in through their souls;
so that the manifestations of innocence are effects;
and it is the same in all other cases. 

[2] From this it is evident that there are many things
in the external man that can dwell together
and agree with the internal man.
But there are also very many which do not agree,
or together with which the internal man cannot dwell;
this is the case with all things
that spring from the love of self,
and from the love of the world,
for all such things regard self as the end,
and the world as the end.
With these the celestial things which are of love to the Lord
and love toward the neighbor cannot agree;
for these look to the Lord as the end,
and to His kingdom
and all things that are of Him and His kingdom as the ends.
The ends of the love of self and the love of the world
look outward or downward;
but the ends of love to the Lord
and love toward the neighbor
look inward or upward;
from all which it is evident that they disagree so much
that they cannot possibly be together. 

A Prayer

Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord;
keep watch over the door of my lips.
Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil,
to take part in wicked deeds
with men who are evil doers;
let me not eat of their delicacies.

(Psalm 141:3-4)

** The Man Born Blind and the Pharisees **

They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind.
Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud
and opened the man's eyes was a Sabbath.
Therefore the Pharisees also asked him
how he had received his sight.
"He put mud on my eyes," the man replied,
"and I washed, and now I see."

Some of the Pharisees said,
"This man is not from God,
for he does not keep the Sabbath."

But others asked,
"How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?"
So they were divided.

They they hurled insults at him and said,
"You are this Fellow's disciple!
We are disciples of Moses!
We know that God spoke to Moses,
but as for this Fellow,
we don't even know where He comes from."

The man answered,
"Now that is remarkable!
You don't know where He comes from,
yet He opened my eyes.
We know that God does not listen to sinners.
He listens to the godly man who does His will.
Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes
of a man born blind.
If this man were not from God,
He could do nothing."

To this they replied,
"You were steeped in sin at birth;
how dare you lecture us!"
And they threw him out.

(John 9:13-15, 28-34)

AC 1554 - Journeys; AC 1561 - Worship

AC 1554

He went according to his journeys. 
(Genesis 13:3)

That this signifies according to order,
is evident from the signification of "journeys,"
as being further progressions;
and as these were made according to order,
"journeys" here signify nothing else.

From His earliest infancy the Lord advanced
according to all Divine order to celestial things,
and into celestial things;
and in the internal sense,
the nature of this order is described by
what is said concerning Abram.
According to such order, also, are all led
who are being created anew by the Lord;
but this order is various with men,
according to the nature and genius of each one.
But the order by which a man is led
while being regenerated
is known to no man,
and not even to the angels, except obscurely,
but to the Lord alone.

AC 1561

And there Abram called on the name of Jehovah.
(Genesis 13:4)

. . . for worship itself is nothing but a certain activity
coming forth from the celestial which is within.
The celestial itself cannot possibly exist without activity.
Worship is its first activity;
for it puts itself forth in this way,
because it perceives joy in it.
All the good of love and of charity is essential activity itself.

Hear My Voice, O Lord

Hear my voice in accordance with Your love;
preserve my life, O Lord, according to Your laws.
Those who devise wicked schemes are near,
but they are far from Your law.
Yet You are near, O Lord,
and all Your commands are true.
Long ago I learned from Your statutes
that you established them to last forever.

(Psalm 119:149-152)

** Sparrows and Ravens **

"Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies?
Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.
Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
Don't be afraid;
you are worth more than many sparrows."

"Consider the ravens:
They do not sow or reap,
they have no store room or barn;
yet God feeds them.
And how much more valuable you are than birds!"

Luke 12:6-7, 24)

AC 1535, 1547 - Abram and Lot

AC 1535

This chapter treats of the external man in the Lord
which was to be conjoined with His internal man.
The external man is the Human Essence,
the internal is the Divine essence.
The former is here represented by Lot,
but the latter by Abram. 

AC 1547

And Lot with him.
(Genesis 13:1)

. . . as Lot is here specifically treated of,
it must be known what it is in the Lord that he represents.
Pharaoh represented the memory-knowledges
that at last sent the Lord away;
but Lot represents sensuous things,
by which is meant the external man and its pleasures
that pertain to sensuous things,
thus those things which are outermost,
and which are wont to captivate man in his childhood,
and draw him away from goods.
For so far as a man indulges
the pleasures that originate from worldly desires,
he is drawn away from
the celestial things that are of love and charity;
because in those pleasures
there is love from self and from the world,
with which celestial love cannot agree. 
There are, however,
pleasures that agree perfectly with celestial things,
and that likewise appear similar in external form.
But the pleasures that originate from worldly desires
are to be restrained and wiped out,
because they block the way to celestial things.
It is these pleasures, and not the others,
that are treated of in this chapter-by Lot,
in that he separated himself from Abram;
and here it is said that such pleasures were present,
which are signified by "Lot with him."
But in general by "Lot" is signified the external man,
as will be evident from what follows.

Teach Me, O Lord

Teach me, O Lord, to follow Your decrees;
then I will keep them to the end.

Give me understanding,
and I will keep Your law
and obey it with all my heart.

Direct me in the path of Your commands,
for there I find delight.

Turn my heart toward Your statutes
and not toward selfish gain.

Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to Your Word.

Fulfill Your promise to Your servant,
so that You may be feared.

Take away the disgrace I dread,
for Your laws are good.

How I long for Your precepts!
Preserve my life in Your righteousness.

(Psalm 119:33-40)