AC 1150 - Adoration of the Lord

AC 1150

External worship is said to correspond to internal
the worship has what is essential within it.
This essential is the adoration of the Lord from the heart;
which is by no means possible
unless there is charity, or love to the neighbor.
In charity or love toward the neighbor
the Lord is present,
and then He can be adored from the heart.
Thus the adoration is from the Lord,
for the Lord gives
all the ability and all the being
in the adoration.
Hence it follows that such as is the charity in a person,
such is his adoration or worship.
All worship is adoration,
because the adoration of the Lord
must be in it for it to be worship.

AC 1121 - All Laws

AC 1121

. . . all laws,
human as well as Divine,
are founded in love to the Lord
and charity toward the neighbor . . ..

. . . those who live in the world at this day,
who love the Lord and the neighbor,
also have the law written upon them,
and are acceptable citizens everywhere on earth . . ..

AC 1096 - "Blessed Be Jehovah"

AC 1096

It was customary among the ancients to say,
"Blessed be Jehovah;"
by which they meant
that from Him is every blessing, that is, every good;
and the same was also a formula of thanksgiving
because the Lord blesses, and has blessed . . ..

AC 1088 - The Sounds of Charity

AC 1088

. . . those who are in charity
think nothing but good of their neighbor
and speak only well of him,
and this not for their own sake
or the favor of another who they flatter,
but from the Lord thus working in charity.

AC 1076, 1079 - Conscience and Charity

AC 1076

. . . conscience cannot possibly exist except from charity.
Charity is what makes conscience,
that is, the Lord through charity.
What else is conscience than not to do evil
to any one in any way;
that is, to do well to all in every way?
Thus conscience belongs to charity,
and never to faith separated from charity.

AC 1079

Where there is no charity,
there is the love of self,
and therefore hatred against all who do not favor self.
. . . but they who are in charity
scarcely see the evil of another,
but observe all his goods and truths,
and put a good interpretation on what is evil and false.
Such are all the angels,
which they have from the Lord,
who bends all evil into good.

AC 1071, 1072 - The Mysteries of Faith

AC 1071

. . . for spiritual and celestial things
infinitely transcend human comprehension,
and this is why reasoning enters in.
But the person who refuses to believe
those things until he comprehends them
is never able to believe . . ..

AC 1072 [1, 2]

Those people are called drunk
who do not believe anything
except that of which they have a mental grasp,
and who for that reason probe into mysteries of faith.
And because they probe into them
by means of knowledge,
either factual or philosophical,
acquired through the senses,
a person being what he is
inevitably sinks as a consequence into errors.
A person's thought is
altogether earthly, bodily, and material
because it is born of things
that are earthly, bodily, and material
which cling to it all the time
and which the ideas comprising his thought
are based on and encompassed by.
Consequently to think and reason
about Divine matters from such things
is to run into errors and perversities,
and from that position
it is as impossible to acquire faith
as it is 'for a camel to go through the eye of a needle'.

Those who possess such faith
do not engage in reasoning about the truths of faith.
Instead they immediately declare them to be true,
and also confirm them, so far as they are able,
by means of sensory evidence, factual knowledge,
and analytical arguments.
But as soon as something obscure comes up
which they do not perceive
they lay it aside and never allow anything like that
to lead them into doubt.
They say that the things they are able to grasp
are very few
and that therefore to think
that something is not true
because they themselves do not grasp it
would be madness.
These people are those who are governed by charity.
But those who do not possess
faith inhering in charity
have no other desire than to reason
whether a thing is true and to know how it is so.
They say that if they cannot know how it is so,
they are unable to believe that it is so.
From this attitude of mind alone
they are instantly recognized
as those who have no faith at all,
and it is a sign
not only that they entertain doubts about everything
but also that at heart they are deniers.
And even when they are informed
as to how something is so
they remain unmoved and raise all kinds of objections,
and would never give up even if this went on for ever.

~ The Face of the Lord and the Face of Moses ~

Moses said to the Lord,
"You have been telling me, 'Lead these people,'
but You have not let me know
whom You will send with me.
You have said, 'I know you by name
and You have found favor with Me.'
If You are pleased with me,
teach me Your ways
so I may know You
and continue to find favor with You.
Remember that this nation is Your people."

The Lord replied,
"My Presence will go with you,
and I will give you rest."

Then Moses said to Him,
"If Your presence does not got with us,
do not send us up from here.
How will anyone know
that You are pleased with me and with Your people
unless You go with us?
What else will distinguish me and Your people
from all the other people on the face of the earth?"

And the Lord said to Moses,
"I will do the very thing you have asked,
because I am pleased with you
and I know you by name."

Then Moses said, "Now show me Your glory."

And the Lord said,
"I will cause all My goodness to pass in front of you,
and I will proclaim My name, the Lord,
in your presence.
I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy,
and I will have compassion
on whom I will have compassion.
But, "He said, "you cannot see My face,
for no one may see Me and live."

Then the Lord said, "There is a place near Me
where you may stand on a rock.
When My glory passes by,
I will put you in a cleft in the rock
and cover you with My hand until I have passed by.
Then I will remove My hand and you will see My back;
but My face must not be seen."

. . . When Moses came down from Mount Sinai
with the two tablets of the testimony in his hands,
he was not aware that his face was radiant
because he had spoken with the Lord.
When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses,
his face was radiant,
and they were afraid to come near him.
But Moses called to them;
so Aaron and all the leaders of the community
came back to him, and he spoke to them.
Afterward all the Israelites came near him,
and he gave them all the commands
the Lord had given him on Mount Sinai.

When Moses finished speaking to them,
he put a veil over his face.
But whenever he entered
the Lord's presence to speak with Him,
he removed the veil until he came out.
And when he came out
and told the Israelites what he had been commanded,
They saw that his face was radiant.
Then Moses would put the veil back over his face
until he went in to speak with the Lord.

(Exodus 33:12-23; 34:29-35)

AC 1068 - "Ground" and "Earth"

AC 1068

"Ground" is distinguished from "earth"-
which . . . also means the church --
as faith is distinguished from charity.
Just as charity is the containant of faith,
so is "earth" the containant of "ground."
When therefore the church is treated of in general,
it is called "earth;"
and when specifically,
 it is called "ground" as in this verse;
for the general is the complex
of the things derived from it.

The doctrinals possessed
by the people of the Ancient Church were . . .
from the revelations and perceptions
of the Most Ancient Church,
which had been preserved;
and in these they had faith
as at this day we have in the Word.
These doctrinal things were their Word.
Noah's beginning to be "a man of the ground"
means therefore
a person instructed in the doctrinals of faith.

AC 1047 - Dark Clouds; AC 1049, 1054 - To "Remember" and to "See"

AC 1047

. . . the loves of self and of the world --
which are of a person's will --
are nothing but hatred.
For in so far as anyone loves himself,
so far he hates the neighbor.

. . . Falsity beclouds truth
just as a dark cloud does the light of the sun.
And because falsity and truth cannot be together,
just as darkness and light cannot,
it plainly follows
that the one departs as the other comes.

AC 1049

. . . with the Lord,
to "remember" is to have mercy.

AC 1054

. . . to "see" any one,
when predicated of the Lord,
means to know his quality.

. . . As regards the Lord
the case is the same with "seeing"
as it is with "remembering,"
which in the internal sense means to have mercy.

AC 1042, 1043, 1044 - "I Have Set My Bow In the Cloud."

AC 1042 [1, 2]

I have set My bow in the cloud.
(Genesis 9:13)

This means the state of the regenerated spiritual person,
which is like a rainbow.

. . . Spiritual angels, who have all been
regenerated people of the spiritual church,
when presented to sight as such in the other life,
appear with as it were a rainbow about the head.
But the rainbows seen
are in accordance with their state,
and thus from them their quality
is known in heaven and in the world of spirits.
The reason that the appearance of a rainbow is seen
is that their natural things
corresponding to their spiritual
present such an appearance.
It is a modification of spiritual light from the Lord
in their natural things.
These angels are those
who are said to be regenerated "of water and the spirit"
but the celestial angels
are said to be regenerated "with fire."

There is in the regenerate spiritual person
an own/proprim of the understanding
into which the Lord insinuates
innocence, charity and mercy.
According to the reception of these gifts
by the person is the appearance of his rainbow
when presented to view --
beautiful in proportion to the degree
in which the own/proprim of his will is removed,
subdued, and reduced to obedience.

AC 1043 [2]

For many are regenerated by the Lord in every dogma,
and when they have been regenerated
they do not receive any immediate revelation,
but only what is insinuated into them
through the Word and the preaching of the Word.
But because they receive charity,
the Lord works through charity upon their cloud,
from which there springs light,
as when the sun strikes a cloud,
which then becomes more luminous
and is variegated with colors.
Thus also there arises in the cloud
the likeness of a bow.
The thinner the cloud, that is,
the more numerous
are the intermingled truths of faith of which it consists,
the more beautiful is the bow.
But the denser the cloud, that is,
the fewer the truths of faith of which it consists,
the less beautiful is the bow.
Innocence adds much to its beauty,
giving as it were a living brightness to the colors.

AC 1044 [3]

The "token" or "sign" of the covenant is this,
that in proportion as there is the presence of the Lord
in the own/proprim of the understanding,
in the same proportion the own/proprim of the will
will be removed.
The case herein is exactly as it is with heaven and hell.
The intellectual part of the regenerated person,
from charity,
in which the Lord is present,
is heaven;
his will part is hell.
So far as the Lord is present in this heaven,
so far is this hell removed.
For of himself a person is in hell,
and of the Lord is in heaven.
And a person is being continually uplifted
from hell into heaven,
and so far as he is uplifted,
so far his hell is removed.
The "sign" therefore, or indication,
that the Lord is present,
is that a person's will part is being removed.
The possibility of its removal is effected by
means of temptations,
and by many other means of regeneration.

AC 1038 - A "Covenant" Is

AC 1038 [1,4]

That a "covenant" is
the presence of the Lord in love and charity,
is evident from the nature of a covenant.
Every covenant is for the sake of conjunction,
that is,
for the sake of living in mutual friendship, or love.
Marriage also is for this reason called a covenant.
There is no conjunction of the Lord with a person
except in love and charity;
for the Lord is love and mercy itself.
He wills to save everyone
and to draw him with mighty power to heaven,
that is, to Himself.
From this everyone may know and conclude
that no one can ever be conjoined with the Lord
except through that which He Himself is,
that is, except by becoming like
or making one with Him --
in other words,
by loving the Lord in return
and loving the neighbor as himself.
By this alone is the conjunction effected.
. . . When there is conjunction from this,
it then follows manifestly that the Lord is present.
There is indeed the very presence of the Lord
with every person,
but it is nearer or more remote
exactly according to the approach to love
or the distance from love.

Jehovah thy God, He is God;
the faithful God,
who keeps covenant and mercy
with them that love Him
and keep His commandments,
to the thousandth generation.
(Deuteronomy 7:9, 12)

AC 1032 - The Lord's Mercy

 AC 1032

The Lord has mercy toward the whole human race,
and wills to save and draw to Himself
all who are in the universe.

 

 

AC 1023 - His Covenant

 AC 1023 [2-2]

And I, behold,
I establish My covenant.
(Genesis 9:9)

The heavenly marriage
with the member of the Most Ancient Church
existed in the area of his own will,
but the heavenly marriage
with the member of the Ancient Church
came into existence
in the area of his own understanding.
Actually when the will part of man's mind
had become utterly corrupted,
the Lord in miraculous fashion
separated the area of his own understanding
from that corrupted will part,
and within the area of man's own understanding
He formed a new will, which is conscience.
Into conscience He infused charity,
and into charity innocence,
and in this manner joined Himself to man,
or what amounts to the same,
established a covenant with him.

To the extent that the area of a person's own will
can be separated from this understanding part
the Lord is able to be present with him,
that is,
to join Himself or establish a covenant with him.
Temptations and similar means of regeneration
render inactive the area of a person's own will,
so that it is reduced to nothing
and so to speak dies.
To the extent that this happens
the Lord can operate within charity
by means of conscience implanted
in the area of a person's own understanding.
This is what is called 'a covenant' here.

AC 1016, 1018 - Be Fruitful and Multiply

 AC 1016

What a person loves
he freely learns, retains, and cherishes --
thus all things that favor any affection.
Those which do not favor,
the person cares nothing for,
regards as nothing,
and even rejects.
But such as the affection is,
such is the multiplication.
With the regenerate person
the affection is that of good and truth
from the charity that is given by the Lord.
Whatever therefore favors that affection of charity
he learns, retains, and cherishes,
and thus confirms himself in goods and truths.
This is signified by,
"And you, be fruitful, multiply;
Bring forth abundantly in the earth,
and multiply therein."

AC 1018

The reason why it is here said again,
"And you, be fruitful, and multiply"
as in the first verse of the chapter,
is that here is the conclusion,
and that all things will go well,
and will be fruitful and multiply,
if people shun what is meant by
eating blood and by shedding blood,
that is, if they do not extinguish charity
by hatreds and profanations.

AC 1013 - A Likeness and An Image

AC 1013 [1-2, 3]

A likeness of the Lord means love to Him.

An "image" means spiritual love,
that is, love to the neighbor, or charity . . ..
That charity is the "image of God"
is most clearly evident from
the very essence of love, or charity.
Nothing else than love and charity
can make an image and likeness of anyone.
It is the essence of love and charity
to make of two as it were one.
When one person loves another as himself,
and more than himself,
he then sees the other in himself,
and himself in the other.
This may be known to everyone
if he only directs his attention to love,
or to those who love each other --
the will of the one is the will of the other,
they are interiorly as it were joined together,
and only in body distinct the one from the other.

Love to the Lord
makes a person one with the Lord,
that is, a likeness of Him.
So does charity, or love toward the neighbor,
make him one with the Lord, but as an image.

. . . the Lord has His abode with him who loves Him,
and also with him who loves his neighbor,
for this is love of the Lord.

~ Around Instead of Straight ~

When Pharaoh let the people go,
God did not lead them
on the road through the Philistine country,
though that was shorter.
For God said, "If they face war,
they might change their minds and return to Egypt."
So God led the people around
by the desert road toward the Red Sea.

(Genesis 13:17-18)

AC 1000, 1005, 1006 - 'Soul' Means Life

AC 1000

In general 'soul' in the Word means life in its entirety,
the internal life, or that of the internal person,
as well as the external, or that of the external person.
And because it means life in its entirety
it means the nature of the life present
in the one to whom 'soul' has reference.
In this case it has reference to
the life of someone who is regenerate,
which is separate from the merely human will.
For as stated already,
the new life
which a regenerate spiritual person receives from the Lord
is completely separate
from the person s own will or proprium,
that is, from the life that is his own,
which though called such
is not really life but death
because it is the life belonging to hell.
This is why 'flesh with its soul which they were not to eat'
means flesh together with its soul,
that is, they were not to mix together
this new life which is the Lord's
with the evil or putrid life that is a person's,
that is, with his own will or proprium.

AC 1005

. . . such as a person is
such is his life . . ..

AC 1006

A person is a person from love and charity,
but he is a wild beast
from hatred, revenge, and cruelty.

AC 997 - With Regard to Use

AC 997

With regard to use:
those who are in charity,
that is, in love to the neighbor
(from which is the delight in pleasures that is alive),
pay no regard to the enjoyment of pleasures
except on account of the use.
For there is no charity apart from works of charity;
it is in its practice or use that charity consists.
He who loves the neighbor as himself
perceives no delight in charity
except in its exercise, or in use;
and therefore a life of charity is a life of uses.
Such is the life of the whole heaven;
for the kingdom of the Lord,
because it is a kingdom of mutual love,
is a kingdom of uses.
Every pleasure therefore which is from charity,
has its delight from use.
The more noble the use, the greater the delight.
Consequently the angels have happiness from the Lord
according to the essence and quality of their use.

AC 988 - Birds; AC 989, 990 - The Lord Alone

AC 988

And upon every bird of heaven.
(Genesis 9:2)

. . . In the Word "birds" mean intellectual things:
those which are gentle, useful, and beautiful,
meaning intellectual truths;
and those which are fierce, useless, and ugly,
meaning intellectual falsities, or falsities of reasoning.

AC 989

As regards dominion over falsities,
it is the same as with dominion over evils:
a person cannot of himself
have the least dominion over them.

. . . no one can ever say that he is regenerate
unless he acknowledges and believes
that charity is the primary thing of his faith,
and unless he is affected
with love toward the neighbor,
and has mercy on him.
Of charity his new will is formed.
Through charity the Lord brings about good,
and thereby truth,
but not through faith without charity.
There are some
who perform works of charity from obedience alone,
that is, because it is so commanded by the Lord,
and yet are not regenerate.
These, if they do not place righteousness
in their works
are regenerated in the other life.

AC 990

. . . there is nothing of good and truth
except from the Lord.

(Something the Lord has to tell us, oh so many times.)

~ The Lord Instructs Moses ~

Then the Lord said to Moses,
"See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh,
and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.
You are to say everything I command you,
and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh
to let the Israelites go out of his country.
But I will harden Pharaoh's heart,
and though I multiply
My miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt,
he will not listen to you.
Then I will lay My hand on Egypt
and with mighty acts of judgment
I will bring out My divisions,
My people the Israelites.
And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord
when I stretch out My hand against Egypt
and bring the Israelites out of it."

(Exodus 7:1-5)