963. Upon the men that had the mark of the beast and that adored his image, signifies those who acknowledge faith alone and its doctrine, and who live according to it. This is evident from the signification of "the beast," as being those who are in faith alone, or in faith separated from goods of life, and who confirm this by reasonings from the natural man (See in the preceding thirteenth chapter, from beginning to end). It is evident also from the signification of its "mark," as being acknowledgment, reception, and attestation thereof (See above, n. 838, 886). Also from the signification of its "image," as being doctrine, and of "adoring" it, as being to acknowledge it in heart and life (See n. 827, 833). That to such belong evil works and falsifications of the Word has been shown in the chapters that treat of the dragon and of the two beasts of the dragon, and is clearly evident from this, that such exclude good works from saving or justifying faith, teaching that faith justifies and saves without these, and as they are unnecessary they are omitted. It is from an eternal statute or from the Divine order that where there are not good works there are evil works; therefore these evil works are what are signified by "the great 1
and noxious sore in the earth," that is, in the church, with those who are in faith alone both in doctrine and in life.
(Continuation respecting the Second Commandment)
[2] He who abstains from profaning the name of God, that is, the holiness of the Word, by contempt, rejection, or any blasphemy, has religion; and such as his abstinence is such is his religion. For no one has religion except from revelation, and with us revelation is the Word. Abstinence from profaning the holiness of the Word must be from the heart, and not merely from the mouth. Those who abstain from the heart live from religion; but those who abstain merely from the mouth do not live from religion, for they abstain either for the sake of self or for the sake of the world, in that the Word can be made to serve them as a means of acquiring honor and gain; or they abstain from some fear. But of these many are hypocrites who have no religion.
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