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1 Halljátok meg az Úrnak beszédét Izráel fiai, mert pere van az Úrnak a földnek lakóival, mert nincs igazság és nincsen szeretet és nincsen Istennek ismerete a földön.

2 Hamisan esküsznek és hazudnak és gyilkolnak és lopnak és paráználkodnak, betörnek és egyik vér a másikat éri.

3 Azért búsul a föld és elerõtlenül minden, a mi azon lakik, a mezõ vada és az ég madara egyaránt, bizony a tenger halai is elveszíttetnek.

4 Mindazáltal senki se perlekedjék, és senki se feddõzzék! hiszen a te néped olyan, mint azok, a kik a pappal czivódnak.

5 De elesel nappal, és elesik veled a próféta is éjjel; anyádat is elveszítem.

6 Elvész az én népem, mivelhogy tudomány nélkül való. Mivelhogy te megvetetted a tudományt, én is megvetlek téged, hogy papom ne légy. És mivelhogy elfeledkeztél Istened törvényérõl, elfeledkezem én is a te fiaidról.

7 Mennél számosabbak lettek, annál inkább vétkeztek ellenem; [de ]gyalázatra fordítom dicsõségöket!

8 Népem vétkébõl élõsködnek õk és bûneik után áhítozik lelkök.

9 De úgy jár a pap is, mint a nép; megbüntetem õket az õ útaikért, és megfizetek néki cselekedeteiért.

10 Esznek majd, de meg nem elégesznek; fajtalankodnak, de nem szaporodnak, mert megszüntek az Úrra vigyázni.

11 Paráznaság, bor és must elveszi az észt!

12 Népem az õ bálványát kérdezi, és az õ pálczája mond néki jövendõt; mert a fajtalanság lelke megtéveszt, és paráználkodnak az õ Istenök megett.

13 A hegyek tetején áldoznak és a halmokon füstölnek: a cserfa, a nyárfa és a tölgyfa alatt, mert kedves annak az árnyéka. Ezért paráználkodnak a ti leányaitok, és házasságtörõk a ti menyeitek.

14 Nem büntetem meg leányaitokat, hogy paráználkodnak, menyeiteket sem, hogy házasságtörõk, mert õk magok is félremennek a paráznákkal és áldoznak a kurvákkal. De az értelmetlen nép elbukik.

15 Ha te paráználkodol is Izráel, csak a Júda ne vétkezzék! És ne járjatok Gilgálba, és ne menjetek fel Beth-Avenbe! és ne esküdjetek így: Él az Úr!

16 Mert szilajkodik Izráel mint a szilaj üszõ; most tágas földön legelteti õket az Úr, mint a bárányt.

17 Bálványokkal szövetkezett Efraim; hagyd [hát ]magára!

18 Ivásuk elfajult, untalan paráználkodnak; igen szeretik pajzsaik a gyalázatot.

19 Szárnyaihoz köti õt a szélvész, és megszégyenülnek áldozataik miatt.

   

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Apocalypse Explained # 250

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250. And open the door, signifies reception in the heart or the life. This is evident from the signification of "opening the door," as being to admit, for "door" signifies admission (See above, n. 208); but here "opening the door" signifies reception in the heart or the life, for it follows, "I will come in to him." It is said, "if he open the door," as if man opened it, when yet it is the Lord Himself who opens, as was said and shown just above n. 248. It is so said, however, because it so appears to man, by reason of the freedom given him by the Lord. Moreover, in the sense of the letter of the Word many things are said according to appearances; but those appearances are put off in heaven, where the internal or spiritual sense of the Word is. The sense of the letter of the Word is in many places according to appearances, in order that it may serve as a basis for the spiritual sense; otherwise it would have no basis or foundation. That many things in the Word are said according to appearances can be seen from this, that it is said in the Word that evil is from God, that wrath, anger, and revenge pertain to God, and other like things; when yet God does evil to no one, nor does any anger or revenge pertain to Him; for He is good itself and love itself; but because such is the appearance when man does evil and is punished, it is so said in the sense of the letter; but still in the spiritual sense of the Word the meaning is different. So is it with this "if man open the door."

[2] It shall moreover be explained what is meant by "opening the door," when this is said to be done by man, as here. The Lord is always present with good and truth in man, and strives to open his spiritual mind; this is the door which the Lord wishes to open, and to endow man with heavenly love and faith; for He says, "I stand at the door and knock." But of this endeavor or this perpetual desire of the Lord man has no perception; for he supposes that he does good from himself, and that this endeavor or this wish is in himself. It is sufficient then for man to acknowledge from the doctrine of the church that all good is from God, and nothing thereof from man. This is not perceived by man, in order that there may be reception by man, and by reception appropriation, for otherwise man cannot be reformed.

[3] This shows how much in error those in the doctrine of faith alone are in saying and believing that it is faith and not the good of life that saves, that is, that man is justified by faith alone, thus excluding man's application to receive. They know that man must examine himself, must see and acknowledge his evils, not only those of his works but also those of thought and intention, and that he must afterwards abstain from them and shun them and lead a new life, which must be a life of good; and that unless he does this there is no forgiveness for him, but damnation. This the doctors and leaders of the church teach when they preach from the Word, and this they teach everyone who comes to the Holy Supper; this they then teach as if from faith; but as soon as they go back and look to their doctrine of justification by faith alone they no longer believe these things, but say that all are led from evil to good by God after they have received faith; and some of them, that they may connect their principles of falsity with truths, say that after they have been justified by faith they are led by God to examine themselves, to confess their sins before God, to abstain from them, and so on. This, however, takes place with no one who believes in justification by faith alone, but it does take place with those who live a life of charity. By that life man is conjoined with heaven, but no man is so by faith alone. He who is conjoined with heaven by a life of charity is led by the Lord to see his evils, both the evils of thought and the evils of will. Man sees evils from good, because evils are contrary to good. But he who believes in salvation by faith alone says in heart, "I have faith, since I believe the things that are said; nothing condemns me; I have been justified;" and one who so believes can in no way be led by the Lord to examine himself and to repent of evils. Thus do they teach truths before the people, who from this believe that living well and believing well are meant by being justified by faith, neither do they look any deeper into the arcana of their doctrine. These are the ones who are saved; but the former are the ones who are condemned. That they are condemned they themselves might see if they were willing, for they believe from doctrine that the goods of life, which are works, contribute nothing to salvation, but faith alone; when yet works are abstaining from evils and living a new life, without which there is condemnation.

[4] That such preachings as are not from the arcana of their doctrine, and also the prayers received in the church teach this, can be seen from what is read before all the people who come to the altar to enjoy the Sacrament of the Supper, which shall be quoted here in the vernacular in which they are written [in English], as follows:

The way and means to be received as worthy partakers of that holy table is, first, to examine your lives and conversations by the rule of God's commandments; and whereinsoever ye shall perceive yourselves to have offended, either by will, word, or deed, there to bewail your own sinfulness, and to confess yourselves to Almighty God, with full purpose of amendment of life. And if ye shall perceive your offenses to be such as are not only against God but also against your neighbors, then ye shall reconcile yourselves unto them; being ready to make restitution and satisfaction according to the uttermost of your power, for all injuries and wrongs done by you to any other; and being likewise ready to forgive others that have offended you, as ye would have forgiveness of your offenses at God's hand; for otherwise the receiving of the holy communion doth nothing else but increase your damnation. Therefore if any of you be a blasphemer of God, a hinderer or slanderer of His Word, an adulterer, or be in malice or envy, or in any other grievous crime, repent you of your sins, or else come not to that holy table; lest after the taking of that holy sacrament the devil enter into you, as he entered into Judas, and fill you full of iniquities, and bring you to destruction both of body and soul.

Judge therefore yourselves, that ye be not judged of the Lord; repent ye truly for your sins past; have a lively and steadfast faith in Christ our Savior; amend your lives, and be in perfect charity with all men.

Ye that do truly and earnestly repent of your sins, and are in love and charity with your neighbors, and intend to live a new life, following the commandments of God, and walking from henceforth in His holy ways, draw near with faith, and take this holy sacrament to your comfort; and make your humble confession to Almighty God.

[5] From this it can now be seen that the doctors and leaders of the church know, and yet do not know, that this way, and not the way of faith apart from this, is the way to heaven; they know when they pray and preach before the people what is here quoted; but they do not know when they teach from their doctrine. The former way they call practical religion, but the latter the Christian religion; the former they believe to be for the simple, but the latter for the wise. But I am able to affirm that those who live according to the doctrine of faith alone and of justification by faith have no spiritual faith at all, and after the life in this world they come into damnation. But those who live according to the doctrine drawn from the above exhortations have spiritual faith, and after the life in the world come into heaven. This also perfectly agrees with the faith received throughout the Christian world, called the Athanasian Faith, in which are these words respecting the Lord:

At whose coming all men shall give account for their own works. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting; and they that have done evil into everlasting fire: this is the catholic faith.

[6] That these things are in perfect agreement with the Word is evident from the following passages:

The Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then he shall render unto everyone according to his works (Matthew 16:27).

They that have done good shall go forth unto the resurrection of life, but they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation (John 5:28, 29).

Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord; yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; their works do follow them (Revelation 14:13).

I will give unto each one of you according to his works (Revelation 2:23).

I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and books were opened; and the dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and death and hell gave up the dead that were in them, and they were judged everyone according to their works (Revelation 20:12, 13).

Behold, I come quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give everyone according to his works (Revelation 22:12).

In what is written to the seven churches it is said to each, "I know thy works." Thus:

To the angel of the Ephesian church write, These things saith He that holdeth the seven stars in His right hand, I know thy works (Revelation 2:1, 2).

To the angel of the Church of the Smyrneans write, These things saith the First and the Last, I know thy works (Revelation 2:8, 9).

To the angel of the church in Pergamum write, These things saith He that hath the sword, I know thy works (Revelation 2:12, 13).

To the angel of the church in Thyatira write, These things saith the Son of God, I know thy works and charity (Revelation 2:18, 19).

To the angel of the church of Sardis write, These things saith He that hath the seven spirits of God, I know thy works (Revelation 3:1).

To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, These things saith the Holy, the True, I know thy works (Revelation 3:7, 8).

To the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, I know thy works (Revelation 3:14, 15).

In Jeremiah:

Requite 1 them according to their work, and according to the doing of their hands (Jeremiah 25:14).

In the same:

Jehovah, whose eyes are open upon all the ways of men, to give every man according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings (Jeremiah 32:19).

In Hosea:

And I will visit upon him his ways, and render his doings to him (Hosea 4:9).

In Zechariah:

Jehovah according to our ways and according to our doings doeth with us (Zechariah 1:6).

So in the following passages.

In John:

If ye know these things, blessed are ye if ye have done them (John 13:17).

In Luke:

Why call ye Me lord, and do not the things that I say (Luke 6:46).

In Matthew:

Whosoever doeth and teacheth, he shall be called great in the kingdom of the heavens (Matthew 5:19).

In the same:

Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be hewn down, and cast into the fire. Not everyone that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but he that doeth the will of My Father who is in the heavens. Whosoever heareth My words and doeth them, I will liken him unto a prudent man. But whosoever heareth My words and doeth them not, I will liken him unto a foolish man (Matthew 7:19-27).

In the same:

He that was sown into the good earth, this is he that heareth the Word and understandeth, who beareth fruit and bringeth forth (Matthew 13:23).

These are they that were sown into the good earth who hear the Word and receive it, and bear fruit (Mark 4:20).

The seed that fell into the good earth are such as in a simple and good heart hear the Word, hold fast, and bring forth fruit (Luke 8:15).

When the Lord had said these things. He cried, saying, He that hath ears to hear let him hear (Matthew 13:9; Mark 4:9; Luke 8:8).

In Matthew:

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul. This is the first and great commandment. The second is like unto this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 22:37-40).

"The Law and the Prophets" means the Word in its whole complex.

[7] That to love the Lord God is to obey His words or precepts He Himself teaches in John:

He that loveth Me keepeth My words; and My Father will love Him, and We will come unto him and make our abode with him. But he that loveth Me not keepeth not My words (John 14:21, 23-24).

Also in Matthew:

The Lord said to the goats who were on His left hand that they should go away into everlasting fire; and to the sheep who were on His right hand that they should go into eternal life (Matthew 25:31-46).

That "goats" are those who do not do the good things of charity, and "sheep" those who do, is clear from the words there; they both said that they did not know that doing good to the neighbor is doing it to the Lord; but they are taught at the day of judgment, if not before, that to do good is to love the Lord. "The five foolish virgins who had no oil in their lamps" also mean those who are in faith, and not in the good of charity; and "the five prudent virgins who had oil in their lamps" mean those who are in the good of charity also; for "lamp" signifies faith, and "oil" the good of charity:

It is said of them that the prudent virgins were admitted; but the others who said, Lord, Lord, open to us, received the answer, Verily, I say unto you, I know you not (Matthew 25:1-12).

That in the last time of the church there would be no faith in the Lord because no charity, was signified by:

Peter's denying the Lord thrice before the cock crew (Matthew 26:34, 69-74).

The like is signified by:

The Lord's saying to Peter, when Peter saw John following the Lord, What is that to thee, Peter? Follow thou Me, John; for Peter had said of John, What of this man? (John 21:21-22).

For "Peter" in a representative sense signifies faith, and "John" the good of charity; and because John signified the good of charity, therefore he reclined on the Lord's breast (John 21:20).

[8] That this good is what makes the church is signified by the Lord's words from the cross to John:

Jesus saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by; and He said unto His mother, woman, behold thy son! And He said to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto himself (John 19:26-27).

"Mother" and "woman" here mean the church; and "John" the good of charity, and thus these words signify that the church will be where there is the good of charity. (But these things may be seen more fully explained in the passages quoted inThe Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 122; moreover, that there is no faith where there is no charity, see in the small work on The Last Judgment 33-39; and that man after death is such as his life was in the world, and not such as his faith was, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 470-484; also what charity is, and what faith is in its essence, see The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 84-122.)

[9] From what has now been presented let it be considered whether having faith is anything else than living it; and whether living it is not merely knowing and thinking, but also willing and doing; for faith is not in man when it is only in his knowing and thinking, but when it is also in his willing and doing. Faith in man is the faith of the life, but faith not yet in man is the faith of the memory and of thought therefrom. The faith of the life means believing in God; but believing those things that are from God, and not believing in God, is historical faith, which is not saving. Who that is a true priest and good pastor does not wish that men should live aright; and who does not know that the faith of knowledges, based on what another has said, is not the faith of the life, but historical faith?

[10] Faith of the life is the faith of charity, for charity is life. But even though this be so, still I foresee that those who have confirmed themselves in the doctrine of faith alone and of justification by faith will not recede from it, because they connect falsities with truths; for they teach truths when they teach from the Word, but falsities when they teach from doctrine; and they therefore confound these things by saying that the fruits of faith are the goods of life, and that these follow from faith, and yet that the goods of life contribute nothing to salvation, but that faith alone saves. Thus they both join and separate the two; and when they join the two they teach truths, but only before the people, who do not know that they are inverting things, and that they say these things of necessity, in order that their doctrine may cohere with the Word; but when they separate the two they teach falsities, for they say that faith saves, and not the goods of charity which are works, not knowing then that charity and faith act as one, and that charity is acting well and faith is believing well, and that believing well apart from acting well is impossible; thus that there can be no faith apart from charity; as also that charity is the esse of faith and its soul; consequently faith alone is faith without a soul, thus a dead faith; and as such faith is not faith, so justification by such faith is a thing of naught.

Poznámky pod čarou:

1. For "requite" the Hebrew has "I will requite."

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for their permission to use this translation.

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The Last Judgement # 39

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39. Because the Christian world does not know that there can be no faith without charity, or what charity towards the neighbour is, not even that it is the will which is the real person, and his thought contributes only so far as it is inspired by the will, I should like, so as to shed some intellectual light on these matters, to add here my collected notes of passages in ARCANA CAELESTIA, which may be of use as illustration.

ON FAITH

If anyone does not know that all things in the universe relate to truth and to good and that they have both to be linked for anything to be produced, he also does not know that all things in the church relate to faith and to love and to their linking (7752-7762, 9186, 9224).

All things in the universe relate to truth and good and to their linking (2451, 3166, 4390, 4409, 5232, 7256, 10122, 10555).

Truths belong to faith, and kinds of good to love (4352, 4997, 7178, 10367).

[2] If anyone does not know that every detail in the make-up of a human being relates to the intellect and the will and to their linking, which must happen for the person to be human, neither do they know that everything in the church relates to faith and love and to their linking, which must happen for the church to be present in a person (2231, 7752-7754, 9224, 9995, 10122).

A person has two faculties, one called the intellect, the other the will (641, 803, 3623, 3539).

The intellect is assigned to the reception of truths, and so of things to do with faith; the will is assigned to the reception of kinds of good, and so of things to do with love (9300, 9930, 10064).

Hence it follows that it is love or charity which makes a church and not faith alone, that is, faith separated from love and charity (809, 916, 1798, 1799, 1834, 1844, 4766, 5826).

[3] Faith separated from charity is no faith (654, 724, 1162, 1176, 2049, 2116, 2343, 2349, 2417, 3419, 3849, 3868, 6348, 7039, 7342, 9783).

A faith of this kind is lost in the other life (2228, 5820).

Teachings about faith alone destroy charity (6353, 8094).

Those who separate faith from charity are represented in the Word by Cain, Ham, Reuben, by the first-born of the Egyptians and by the Philistines (3325, 7097, 7317, 8093).

The further charity is withdrawn, the stronger becomes the dogma of faith alone (2231). A church in course of time turns aside from charity to faith, and finally to faith alone (4683, 8094).

In the final period of a church there is no faith because there is no charity (1843, 3489, 4689).

If anyone regards faith alone as offering salvation, he is excusing wickedness of life; and those who lead wicked lives have no faith, because they have no charity (3865, 7766, 7778, 7790, 7950, 8094).

These people are inwardly subject to the falsities of their own evil, although they do not know it (7790, 7950). Consequently good cannot be linked to them (8981, 8983).

In the other life too they oppose good and those who have good in them (7097, 7127, 7317, 7502, 7545, 8096, 8313).

Those who are simple at heart know better than the wise what constitutes goodness of life, and so charity, but not what faith is separately (4741, 4754).

[4] Good is being and truth is coming into existence from this being. Thus the truth of faith has its being in life from the good of charity (3049, 3180, 4574, 5002, 9154).

Consequently the truth of faith is given life by the good of charity; so the life of faith is charity (1589, 1947, 1997, 2571, 4070, 4096, 4097, 4736, 4757, 4884, 5147, 5928, 9154, 9667, 9841, 10729).

A person's faith is not alive when he merely knows and thinks about matters to do with faith, but only when he wills them and by willing does them (9224).

The Lord is not linked with a person by faith, but by the life of faith, which is charity (9380, 10143, 10153, 10578, 10645, 10648).

Worship based on the good of charity is true worship; but if it is based upon the truth of faith without the good of charity it is only an external act (7724).

[5] Faith alone, that is, separated from charity, is like light in wintertime when everything on earth is sluggish and no growth takes place. But faith with charity is like light in spring and summertime, when everything flowers and grows (2231, 3146, 3412, 3413). Winter light, that given by faith separated from charity, is in the other life turned into thick darkness, when light pours in from heaven.

Those whose faith is of that kind are then reduced to blindness and stupidity (3412, 3413).

Those who separate faith from charity are in darkness, or in ignorance of the truth, so they are subject to falsities; for these are darkness (9186).

They plunge themselves into falsities and so into evils (3325, 8094); the errors and falsities into which they plunge (4721, 4730, 4776, 4783, 4925, 7779, 8313, 8765, 9224).

The Word is a closed book to them (3773, 4783, 8780).

They do not see or pay attention to all the Lord's many statements about love and charity (1017, 3416).

Neither do they know what good or heavenly love or charity are (2057, 3603, 4136, 9995).

[6] Charity makes the church, not faith separated from charity (809, 916, 1798, 1799, 1834, 1844)

How much good there would be in the church, if charity were regarded as its primary concern (6269, 6272).

If charity were its essential element, there would be one church, not a division into many; and it would then not matter if their teachings about faith and external forms of worship were different (1285, 1316, 2385, 2853, 2982, 3267, 3445, 3451, 3452).

Everyone in heaven is seen from the point of view of charity, and no one from that of faith without charity (1258, 1394, 2364, 4802).

[7] The Lord's twelve disciples represented the church as regards the whole of faith and charity taken together, in the same way as the twelve tribes of Israel (2129, 3354, 3488, 3858, 6397).

Peter, James and John represented respectively faith, charity and the good works of charity (3750). Peter stands for faith (4738, 6000, 6073, 6344, 10087, 10580); John the good works of charity (AC preface to chapters 18, 22 of Genesis).

There being in the final periods no faith in the Lord because there is no charity was represented by Peter's thrice-repeated denial of the Lord before the cock crew the second 1 time; for Peter in the representative sense there is faith (6000, 6073).

Cock-crow and twilight mean in the Word the final period of a church (10134).

Three or thrice means final completion (2788, 4495, 5159, 9198, 10127).

There is a similar meaning in the Lord's words to Peter, when he saw John follow the Lord, 'What is it to you, Peter? Follow me, John.'

For Peter said about John 'What of him?' John 21:21-22 (10087).

John reclined on the Lord's breast, because he represented the good works of charity (3934, 10081).

All personal and place names in the Word stand for abstract qualities (768, 1888, 4310, 4442, 10329).

ON CHARITY

[8] Heaven is divided into two kingdoms, one called the celestial kingdom, the other the spiritual kingdom. Love in the celestial kingdom is love to the Lord, called celestial love, and love in the spiritual kingdom is charity towards the neighbour, called spiritual love (3325, 3653, 7257, 9002, 9835, 9961).

The division of heaven into those two kingdoms is described in HEAVEN AND HELL 20-28. The Lord's Divine in the heavens is love to Him and charity towards the neighbour (13-19).

[9] There is no knowledge of what good and truth are without knowledge of what love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour are, since all good has to do with love and charity, and all truth has to do with good (7255, 7366).

Knowing truths, willing truths and having affection for truths for truths' sake, that is, because they are true, is charity (3876, 3877).

Charity consists in an inward affection for doing what is true, and not in an outward affection without an inward one (2439, 2442, 3776, 4899, 4956, 8073).

Charity equally consists of performing services for their own sake and its nature depends upon the services performed (7078, 8253).

Charity is a person's spiritual life (7081).

The whole of the Word is a lesson in love and charity (6632, 7261).

There is ignorance to-day about what charity is (2417, 3398, 4776, 6632).

Still one can know even by the light of one's own reason that it is love and charity that make one a person (3957, 6273); also that good and truth are in harmony, and belong each to the other, and so do charity and faith (7627).

[10] In the highest sense the Lord is the neighbour, because He is to be loved above all. Consequently everything that proceeds from Him and in which He is present, and so good and truth, are the neighbour (2425, 3419, 6706, 6819, 6823, 8124).

The difference between one neighbour and another depends upon the nature of good, and so on the Lord's presence (6707-6710).

Every person and every community, as well as one's country and one's church, and in the universal sense the Lord's kingdom, are the neighbour. Loving the neighbour is doing good to them appropriately to their condition. So the neighbour is the good of those for whom one should take thought (6818-6824, 8123).

Civic good, which is justice, and moral good, which is goodness of life in the community, are the neighbour (2915, 4730, 8120-8122).

Loving the neighbour is not loving a person, but what he possesses which gives him his nature, so his good and truth (5025, 10336).

Those who love a person, and not what he possesses and which gives him his nature, love evil as much as good (3820).

These people do good to wicked as much as to good people, yet doing good to the wicked is doing harm to the good; and this is not loving the neighbour (3820, 6703, 8120).

A judge, who punishes the wicked to reform them and to prevent the good being infected by their evil, is loving the neighbour (3820, 8120, 8121).

[11] Loving the neighbour is doing good, behaving fairly and correctly in every task and in every office (8120-8122).

Thus charity towards the neighbour extends to every single thing a person thinks, wills and does (8124).

Doing what is good and true for the sake of goodness and truth is loving the neighbour (10310, 10376).

Those who do this love the Lord, who is in the highest sense the neighbour (9210).

A life of charity is living in accordance with the Lord's commands, so living in accordance with Divine truths is loving the Lord (10143, 10153, 10310, 10578, 10645).

[12] True charity seeks no reward (Arcana Caelestia 2027, 2273, 2 2380, 2400, 3887, 6388-6393), because it comes from inward affection, so from the pleasure of doing good (2273, 2400, 3887, 6388-6393).

In the other life, those who separate faith from charity regard faith and what seem outwardly like good deeds they have done as deserving reward (2273).

[13] The teaching of the Ancient Church was about how to live, which is teaching about charity (2385, 2417, 3419, 3420, 4844, 6628).

The ancients who belonged to the church reduced the good deeds of charity to an order and divided them into classes, giving each its name. This was the source of their wisdom (2417, 6629, 7259-7262).

The wisdom and intelligence of those who have lived a charitable life in the world increase immeasurably in the other life (1941, 5849).

The Lord fills charity with Divine truth, because this is the real life of a person (2363).

A person resembles a garden when charity and faith are linked in him, a desert when they are not (7626).

In so far as a person departs from charity he equally departs from wisdom (6630). Those who lack charity are ignorant about Divine truths, however wise they think themselves (2417, 2435).

The life of angels consists in performing the good deeds of charity, which are services (454).

Spiritual angels are models of charity (553, 3804, 4735).

ON THE WILL AND THE INTELLECT

[14] A person has two faculties, one called the intellect, the other called the will (35, 641, 3539, 10122).

Those two faculties constitute the true person (10076, 10109, 10110, 10264, 10284).

The nature of those faculties determines the person's nature (7342, 8885, 9282, 10064, 10284).

These faculties serve to distinguish man from animals, because the human intellect can be uplifted by the Lord so as to see Divine truths; and likewise the will can be uplifted so as to perceive Divine kinds of goodness. Thus a person can be linked to the Lord by the two faculties which constitute him.

But the case is different with animals (4525, 5114, 5302, 6323, 9231).

Because man is superior to animals in having that ability, he is unable to die as regards the interiors which belong to his spirit, but he lives for ever (5302).

[15] All things in the universe relate to good and truth; so all things in a person relate to the will and the intellect (803, 10122), because the intellect receives truth and the will receives good (3332, 3623, 5835, 6065, 6125, 7503, 9300, 9930).

It comes to the same thing whether you speak of truth or of faith, since faith has to do with truth and truth with faith. It comes to the same thing whether you speak of good or of love, since love has to do with good and good with love.

A person calls true what he believes and he calls good what he loves (4353, 4997, 7178, 10122, 10367).

It follows from this that the intellect is a receiver for faith and the will for love (7179, 10122, 10367).

Because a person's intellect is capable of receiving faith in God and his will is capable of receiving love to God, he can by faith and love be linked to God; and being capable of this, he cannot ever die (4525, 6323, 9231).

[16] A person's will is the real being of his life, because it serves to receive love or good. His intellect is the coming-into-existence of his life from this source, because it serves to receive faith or truth (3619, 5002, 9282).

Thus it is the life of the will which is the chief element in a person's life, and the life of the intellect is derived from it (585, 590, 3619, 7342, 8885, 9282, 10076, 10109, 10110); similarly light comes from fire or flame (6032, 6314).

A person makes his own what enters into the intellect and at the same time into the will, but not what only enters into the intellect (9009, 9069, 9071, 9128, 9182, 9386, 9393, 10076, 10109, 10110).

What is received by the will becomes part of a person's life (3161, 9386, 9393).

It follows from this that what makes a person human depends on his will and on his intellect derived from it (8911, 9069, 9071, 10076, 10109, 10110).

It is also true that every individual is loved and esteemed by others in proportion to the good of his will, and thus of his intellect. Anyone who wishes well and understands well is loved and esteemed, and anyone who understands well but does not wish well is rejected and criticised (8911, 10076).

After death a person remains in the state of his will and intellect derived from it (9069, 9071, 9386, 10153).

Matters of the intellect which are not at the same time matters of will then fade away, because they are not in the person (9282).

To put it another way, a person's state after death remains such as was his love and thus his faith, or such as was his good and thus his truth. Matters which have to do with faith, but not also with love, or matters to do with truth, but not also with good, then fade away, because they are not in the person or part of him (553, 2363, 10153).

A person can grasp intellectually what he does not willingly do; that is, he can understand what he cannot will, because it opposes his love (7539).

The reason why people have difficulty in making the distinction between thinking and willing (9995).

[17] How perverse is the state of those whose intellect and will do not act as one (9075).

This state is found in hypocrites, tricksters, toadies and charlatans (3573, 4327, 4799, 8250).

[18] All willing of good and thus understanding of truth is from the Lord; but not the understanding of truth separated from the willing of good (1831, 3514, 5482, 5649, 6027, 8685, 8701, 10153).

It is the intellect which is enlightened by the Lord (6222, 6608, 10659).

This enlightenment occurs to the extent that a person receives truth in his will, that is, to the extent that he wishes to act in accordance with truth (3169).

The intellect depends upon light from heaven, just as sight depends on light from the world (1524, 5114, 6608, 9128).

The nature of the intellect is determined by the nature of the truths derived from good by which it is formed (10064).

The intellect is properly formed by truths derived from good, but not by falsities derived from evil (10675).

It is the function of the intellect on the basis of experience to see truths, causes, connexions and logical consequences (6125).

It is the function of the intellect to see and perceive whether a thing is true before it is proved, not to be able to prove anything whatever (4741, 7012, 7680, 7950, 8521, 8780).

The ability to see and perceive whether a thing is true before it is proved is only possible for those who have an affection for truth for truth's sake, those, that is, who enjoy spiritual light (8521).

The light afforded by proofs is natural light, which even the wicked may possess (8780).

All dogmas, however false, can be proved to the point where they appear to be true (2482, 2490, 5033, 6865, 7950 3 ).

Poznámky pod čarou:

1. [The first edition has 'the third time'.]

2. [The first edition gives the references 2340, 2373. The numbers in the text seem most likely to have been intended.]

3. [The first two references appear to be incorrect.]

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.