Arcana Coelestia # 39
39. Verse 20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth creeping things, living creatures; and let birds fly above the earth, upon the face 1 of the expanse of the heavens.
After the great lights have been kindled and lodged in the internal man, from which the external man receives its light, a person starts to live for the first time. Till then he can hardly be said to have lived, for he had imagined that the good he had done he had done from himself, and the truth he had uttered he had spoken from himself. And since man functioning from himself is dead - there being nothing in him that is not evil and false - therefore whatever he brings forth from himself is not living. So true is this that of himself he is incapable of doing any good deed that is in itself good. The fact that man cannot begin to think about good or to will it, and so cannot do good, unless the Lord is the source, is clear to everyone from the doctrine of faith, for the Lord says in Matthew,
He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. Matthew 13:37.
Nor can good come from anywhere else than the one fount itself of all good, as yet again He says,
Nobody is good but one, God. Luke 18:19.
[2] Nevertheless when the Lord is revitalizing a person, or regenerating him, He does allow him, to begin with, to imagine that good and truth originate in himself, for at that point a person cannot grasp anything else, or be led to believe and finally perceive, that all good and truth come from the Lord alone. As long as he held the former opinion his truths and goods were comparable to 'a tender plant', then 'a plant bearing seed', and after that 'a fruit tree', which are inanimate. But once he has been brought to life by love and faith and believes that the Lord is at work in every good deed he does and in every truth he utters, he is compared first to creeping things from the water and to birds which fly above the earth, and then to beasts, all of which are animate and are called 'living creatures'.
Poznámky pod čarou:
1. literally, the faces
2 Corinthians 5
1
For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
2
For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:
3
If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.
4
For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.
5
Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.
6
Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:
7
(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
8
We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
9
Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.
10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
11
Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.
12
For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance, and not in heart.
13
For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause.
14
For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:
15
And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
16
Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.
17
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
18
And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
19
To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
20
Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
21
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
