1. A Brief Exposition of the Doctrine of the New Church Signified by the New Jerusalem in the Apocalypse

As several works and tracts have been published by me during the past few years concerning the NEW JERUSALEM, by which is meant a New Church to be established by the Lord, and as the Apocalypse has now been revealed ¹ , I have decided to bring to light the Doctrine of that Church in its fulness, thus as a whole. This, however, is a work which will take some years to complete; wherefore I have thought it advisable to produce some sort of a sketch of it, in order that a general idea of this Church and its Doctrine may first be obtained. For, when general things precede, then each and everything stands out clearly in the light; for particulars enter into generals as things homogeneous into their own receptacles. This brief exposition, however, is not designed for critical examination, but is only offered to the world for information; its contents will be fully proved in the major work itself. Yet the doctrinal tenets of today concerning Justification are to be set forth first, on account of what follows concerning the disagreement between the doctrines of the present Church and those of the New Church.

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117. The Faith of the New Heaven and the New Church in its particular form is this: Jehovah God is Love itself and Wisdom itself, or Good itself and Truth itself. As to Divine Truth which is the Word, and which was God with God, He came down and assumed the Human in order that He might bring into order all things in heaven and all things in hell, and all things in the Church; since, at that time, the power of the devil, that is, of hell, prevailed over the power of heaven; and on earth the power of evil prevailed over the power of good; in consequence of which a total damnation was at hand, threatening every creature.

[2] This impending damnation Jehovah God removed by His Human, which was Divine Truth, and thus He redeemed angels and men. Afterwards He united Divine Truth with Divine Good in His Human, and thus returned into His Divine, in which He was from eternity, together with His glorified Human. This is meant by these words in John: The Word was with God, and the Word was God ...and the Word was made flesh. John 1:1, 14. And by these words: I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world; again I leave the world and go to the Father.John 16:28. From these considerations it is manifest that without the advent of the Lord into the world, no one could have been saved. It is the same at this day; wherefore, unless the Lord comes again into the world in Divine Truth, which is the Word, no one can be saved.

[3] The particulars of faith on man's part are as follows:

1. There is One God, in Whom is the Divine Trinity, and He is the Lord God the Saviour Jesus Christ.

2. A saving faith is to believe on Him.

3. Evil actions ought to be shunned because they are of the devil and from the devil.

4. Good actions ought to be done because they are of God and from God.

5. And these should be done by man as of himself, yet it ought to be believed that they are from the Lord, with him and through him.

The first two are matters of faith; the next two of charity. The fifth concerns the conjunction of charity and faith, thus of the Lord and man. See also concerning these at44 above.