936. Verse 3. And they were singing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, signifies the acknowledgement and confession of the commandments in the Word of both Testaments; also the acknowledgment and confession of the Lord's Divine in His Human. This is evident from the signification of "singing a song," as being confession from acknowledgement and from joy of heart (See n. 326, 857); also from the signification of "Moses," as being the Word of the Old Testament (of which presently); also from the signification of "the Lamb," as being the Lord as to the Divine truth (See n. 297, 343, 460, 482), thus as to the Word, for that is the Divine truth; but here, since it is said "Moses and the Lamb," the Word of the Old Testament and of the New is signified. It is evident from what follows in these two verses that "the song of Moses and of the Lamb" signifies the acknowledgment of the commandments in the Word of both Testaments, also the acknowledgment of the Divine in the Lord's Human, since these are what they were singing, or what constituted their song. In the first verse the Lord's works and His ways, which signify His commandments, are glorified. In the following verse the Lord is glorified, and an injunction that all must fear Him, because He alone is holy; and as these are the subjects of the two songs, and "songs" signify acknowledgments and confessions of these things, it is clear that "they were singing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb," signifies the acknowledgment and confession of the commandments in the Word of both Testaments, also the acknowledgment and confession of the Lord's Divine in His Human. Moreover, by these two victory is had over the beast (the subject here treated of), namely, by keeping the commandments and by acknowledging the Lord's Divine. Without these two the beast conquers.

[2] In the previous article the evils that must be shunned were enumerated from the Decalogue. But many, I know, think in their heart that no one can shun these of himself, because man is born in sins and has therefore no power of himself to shun them. But let such know that anyone 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 is therefore holy, that there is a heaven and a hell, and that there is a life after death, is able to shun these evils. But he is not able who despises these truths and casts them out of his mind, and not at all he who denies them. For how can one who never thinks about God think that anything is a sin against God? And how can one who never thinks about heaven, hell, and the life after death, shun evils as sins? Such a man does not know what sin is. Man is placed in the middle between heaven and hell. Out of heaven goods unceasingly flow in, and out of hell evils unceasingly flow in; and as man is between he has freedom to think what is good or to think what is evil. This freedom the Lord never takes away from anyone, for it belongs to his life, and is the means of his reformation. So far, therefore, as man from this freedom has the thought and desire to shun evils because they are sins, and prays to the Lord for help, so far the Lord removes them and gives man the ability to refrain from them as if of himself, and then to shun them.

[3] Everyone is able from natural freedom to shun these same evils because of their being contrary to human laws; this every citizen of a kingdom does who fears the penalties of the civil law, or the loss of life, reputation, honor, wealth, and thus of office, gain, and pleasure; even an evil man does this. And the life of such a man appears exactly the same in external form as the life of one who shuns these evils because they are contrary to the Divine laws; but in internal form it is wholly unlike it. The one acts from natural freedom only, which is from man; the other acts from spiritual freedom, which is from the Lord; both acting from freedom. When a man is able to shun these same evils from natural freedom, why is he not able to shun them from spiritual freedom, in which he is constantly held by the Lord, provided he thinks to will this because there is a hell, a heaven, a life after death, punishment, and reward, and prays to the Lord for help?

[4] Let it be known that every man when he is beginning the spiritual life because he wishes to be saved, fears sins on account of the punishments of hell, but afterwards on account of the sin itself, because it is in itself heinous, and finally on account of the truth and good that he loves, thus for the Lord's sake. For so far as anyone loves truth and good, thus the Lord, he so far turns away from what is contrary to these, which is evil. All this makes clear that he that believes in the Lord shuns evils as sins; and conversely, he that shuns evils as sins believes; consequently to shun evils as sins is the sign of faith.