936. (Verse 3) And they sang the song of Moses, the servant of God; and the song of the Lamb. That this signifies acknowledgment and confession of the precepts in the Word of both Testaments, also the acknowledgment and confession of the Divine of the Lord in His Human, is evident from the signification of singing a song, as denoting confession from acknowledgment, and from joy of heart (concerning which see n. 326, 857); and from the signification of Moses, as denoting the Word of the Old Testament, of which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of the Lamb, as denoting the Lord as to Divine truth (see (n. 297, 343, 460, 482); thus, as to the Word, for this is Divine truth. Therefore, because it is said, Moses and the Lamb, the Word of the Old and New Testament is signified.

That the song of Moses and of the Lamb signifies the acknowledgment of the precepts in the Word of both Testaments, also the acknowledgment of the Divine in the Human of the Lord, is evident from the things that follow in these two verses; for they are those things that they sang, or that belong to the song. In the first verse the works of the Lord and His ways are glorified, by which the precepts are signified. In the following verse the Lord is glorified; and [it is enjoined that He is] to be feared by all, because He alone is holy. And because these are the subjects of the two songs, and by songs are signified the acknowledgment and confession of those things, it is evident that by, they sang the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, is signified acknowledgment and confession of the precepts contained in the Word of both Testaments, also the acknowledgment and confession of the Divine of the Lord in His Human. By these two also victory is obtained over the beast, which is the subject there treated of, namely, by keeping the precepts and acknowledging the Divine of the Lord. Without these two the beast conquers.

Continuation: -

[2] In the preceding article the evils to be shunned were recounted from the Decalogue. But I know that many think in their hearts that no one can shun them of himself, because man is born in sins, and therefore has no power from himself of shunning them. But let such know that every one who thinks in his heart that there is a God; that the Lord is the God of heaven and earth; that the Word is from Him, and consequently holy; that there are a heaven and a hell, and that there is a life after death, is able to shun them. But he who despises these things and rejects them from his mind is not able, and certainly not he who denies them. For who can think that anything is a sin against God, when he does not think of God? And who can shun evils as sins, when he thinks nothing of heaven, of hell, and of the life after death? Such a man does not know what sin is. Man is placed in the midst between heaven and hell. From heaven goods continually inflow, and from hell evils. And because he is in the midst, he has freedom to think goods, and to think evils. This freedom the Lord never takes away from any one; for it constitutes his life, and is the means by which he is reformed. So far, therefore, as a man from this freedom thinks of shunning evils because they are sins, and supplicates the Lord for aid, so far the Lord removes them, and gives man the power to desist from them as of himself, and afterwards to shun them.

[3] Every one, from natural freedom, is able to shun these same evils because they are contrary to human laws. Every citizen of a kingdom does this who fears the penalties of the civil law, and the loss of life, fame, honour, wealth, and thence of office, gain, and pleasures. Even the wicked man does the same; and his life appears in the external form to be entirely like the life of him who shuns those evils because they are contrary to the Divine laws; but in the internal form it is quite unlike. The one acts from natural freedom only, which is from man; and the other acts from spiritual freedom, which is from the Lord. Both act from freedom. When a man is able to shun the same evils from natural freedom, why cannot he shun them from spiritual freedom, in which he is constantly kept by the Lord? Only let him think that he desires to do so, because there are a heaven, a hell, a life after death, punishment, and reward, and let him supplicate the Lord for aid.

It must be observed, that every man who commences the spiritual life because he desires to be saved, is afraid of sins on account of the punishments of hell; but afterwards, on account of the sin itself, because it is horrible in itself; and at last, on account of the truth and good which he loves, thus for the sake of the Lord. For so far as any one loves truth and good, thus the Lord, so far he is averse to their opposite, which is evil.

From these things it is clear that whoever believes in the Lord shuns evils as sins, and, on the other hand, that whoever shuns evils as sins also believes. Wherefore to shun evils as sins is the sign of faith.