763. And the serpent cast out of his mouth after the woman water as a river.- That this signifies crafty reasonings in abundance concerning justification by faith alone from those who think sensually and not spiritually, is evident from the signification of a serpent, as denoting those who are sensual, and in an abstract sense the sensual, which is the ultimate of the natural in man (concerning which see above, n. 70, 581, 739; that dragons also denote the sensual may be seen above, n. 714); from the signification of the woman, as denoting the church, which will be the New Jerusalem, and is treated of above; from the signification of mouth, as denoting thought, from which speech flows (concerning which also see above, n. 580); from the signification of water, as denoting the truth of faith, and, in the opposite sense, falsity (concerning which see above, n. 483, 518, 537, 538); from the signification of a river, as denoting intelligence from the understanding of truth, and, in the opposite sense, reasoning from falsities (concerning which also see above, n. 518); therefore by casting out water as a river is signified reasoning from falsities in abundance. Crafty reasonings about justification by faith alone by those who think sensually and not spiritually, are here meant, because by the dragon are meant those who defend justification by faith alone, and who are sensual, and therefore think and reason sensually and not spiritually (that the dragon signifies those who defend justification by faith alone may be seen above, n. 714). This is meant because dragons and serpents signify the sensual, and because sensual men are crafty beyond others, and reason keenly from fallacies and falsities. That the dragon and serpent, in an abstract sense, signify craftiness, may be seen above (n. 715, 739, 581). It is evident then from these things what is signified by the dragon casting out of his mouth after the woman water as a river.

[2] Because such things are signified, something shall also be said about the crafty reasonings of such in favour of justification by faith alone. Their dogma is, that man is justified and saved by faith alone without the works of the law, which are goods of charity. But because in the Word of both Testaments they find works and deeds so frequently mentioned, as well as doing and loving, they cannot help saying that a man ought to live well; but because they have separated works or deeds from faith, as of no justifying or saving value, therefore they craftily bring these and faith together, but in such a manner that they rather separate than conjoin them. But their reasonings are too abundant and too crafty to be stated in a few words, they shall therefore be referred to in detail in a small work on Spiritual Faith, and be so presented as to be accommodated to the apprehension of even the simple. It is commonly believed - and they themselves who defend justification by faith alone also believe it - that these think and reason spiritually, because cleverly and craftily. But let it be understood that none can think and reason spiritually but those who are enlightened by the Lord, and who, therefore, are in the spiritual affection for truth; for such only are in the light of truth, and the light of truth is the light of heaven, from which the angels have intelligence and wisdom; it is that light which is called spiritual light, and consequently those who are in it are spiritual. But those who are in falsities, however acutely and subtly they may think and reason, are not spiritual, but natural, in fact they are sensual, for their thoughts, and the reasonings therefrom, are for the most part from the fallacies of the senses, which some adorn with eloquence, embellish with the flowers of rhetoric, and corroborate by appearances from nature alone; while others adduce facts (scientifica) and adapt them to their reasonings, and proclaim them from a fire of self-love and from the pride which they have in their own intelligence, thus with an intonation that seems like affection for truth. In such things does their craftiness consist, which appears like wisdom to those who cannot or dare not enter from any understanding into the things that pertain to the church and the Word. Sensual men have the ability to think, speak, and act, with so much craftiness, because all evil resides in a man's Sensual, and in it cunning is as predominant as intelligence is in the spiritual man. This has been made evident to me from the cunning of the infernals, which is of such a nature, and so great, that it cannot possibly be described; and in the hells all are sensual. This is the meaning of the Lord's words in Luke:

"The sons of this age in their generation are wiser (prudentiores) than the sons of light" (16:8);

and by these words concerning the serpent in Moses:

"The serpent was more crafty than any wild beast of the field, which Jehovah God made" (Genesis 3:1);

the serpent signifies man's Sensual. ¹

Poznámky pod čarou:

2930. 'If you are willing' means if on account of an affection for truth coming from the heart. This is clear from the meaning of 'soul' in the internal sense. The expression 'with heart and soul' or 'with all the heart and with all the soul' occurs in various places in the Word where with all the will and all the understanding is meant. The fact that man possesses the dual powers of will and understanding, and also that the will is separated from the understanding may be well known to everyone, for we are all able to understand what is good and true but nevertheless will what is evil and false. From the beginning the human being was created in such a way that will and understanding with him were to make one, so that he would not think anything other than what he willed, nor will anything other than what he thought. Such is the state with celestial people and such it was in the celestial Church which was called Man or Adam. But with spiritual people, that is, in the spiritual Church, the first ability is separated from the second, that is to say, that of the understanding is separated from that of the will. A spiritual person is reformed by the Lord as to the former, namely the understanding part of his mind, and then within this there is formed a new will and a new understanding, 863, 875, 895, 897, 927, 928, 1023, 1043, 1044, 2256.

[2] The new will there, which is received from the Lord, is what is called 'the heart', while the new understanding is what is called 'the soul'. And when the expression 'with all the heart and with all the soul' is used, with all the will and with all the understanding is meant. This is what is meant by 'heart and soul' in Moses,

This day Jehovah your God is commanding you to observe these statutes and judgements - that you may keep and observe them with all your heart and with all your soul. Deuteronomy 26:16.

You shall love Jehovah your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. Deuteronomy 6:5.

In the same author,

Now Israel, what does Jehovah your God require of you except to fear Jehovah your God, to go in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul? Deuteronomy 10:12; 11:13.

In the same author,

In the Book of Kings,

David said to Solomon, Jehovah will establish His Word which He spoke concerning me, saying, If [your] sons take heed to their way to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there will not fail you a man on the throne of Israel. 1 Kings 2:4.

In Matthew,

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:29-30.

[3] The same is also said of Jehovah or the Lord because with the member of the Church He is the source of affection for good, which belongs to the will, and of the affection for truth, which belongs to the understanding; as in Samuel,

I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest, [who will do] according to what is in My heart and in My soul. 1 Samuel 2:35.

And in Jeremiah,

I will rejoice over them to do good to them, and I will plant them in this land in truth, with all My heart, and with all My soul. Jeremiah 32:41.

And there are still other places in the Word where 'soul' means the affection for truth, as in Isaiah,

With my soul I desired You in the night; even with my spirit within me I sought You early. For insofar as Your judgements are in the earth the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness. Isaiah 26:9.

Here 'soul' stands for an affection for truth, 'spirit' for an affection for good. 'Judgements' has reference to truths, and 'righteousness' to good, see 2235.

[4] In the same prophet,

The fool speaks folly, to make empty the hungry soul, and causes the [soul] thirsting for drink to fail. Isaiah 32:6.

'The hungry soul', which 'the fool makes empty', stands for the desire for good, while 'the soul thirsting for drink', which 'the fool causes to fail', stands for the desire for truth. In Jeremiah,

Their soul will become like a watered garden, and I will water the weary soul, and every sorrowful soul I will replenish. Jeremiah 31:12, 25.

'The soul' stands for the affection for truth and good. In the same prophet,

All its people groan as they search for bread. They have given their desirable things for food, to revive the soul. A comforter is far from me, one to revive my soul; my sons have been made desolate. They sought food for themselves to revive their soul. Lamentations 1:11, 16, 19.

'The soul' stands for the life of the affection for good and truth, 'food' stands for wisdom and intelligence.

[5] It has been said that 'the soul' means the affection for truth coming from the heart, because some affections for truth exist which do not come from the heart, such as those which come from self-love, which is the desire to be above others; from love of the world, which is the love of gain; and from love of merit. Affections for truth spring in a similar way from these loves, but they are not genuine affections. They come from the will of the flesh, not from the heart. That which comes from the heart comes from the Lord. Furthermore 'the soul' in the Word means in the universal sense all life, see 1000, 1005, 1040, 1742. Indeed in the universal sense the soul constitutes that from which another thing has its being and life. Thus the soul of the body is its spirit, since it is from this that the body has life. The soul of the spirit however is its still more interior life from which it derives its wisdom and intelligence.