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

Fußnoten:

580. For their power was in their mouth. ¹ - That these words signify that sensual thoughts and reasonings thence are very powerful with them, is evident from the signification of their power, which denotes to be powerful, in this case, to be very powerful; and from the signification of the mouth, which denotes sensual thought and reasoning thence, for the mouth, and the things pertaining to it, signify such things as pertain to the understanding and to thought and speech thence, because these correspond to the mouth. For all the organs which designated by one word are called the mouth, as the larynx, the glottis, the throat, the tongue, the palate, the lips, are organs serviceable to the understanding for expression and utterance; for this reason the mouth signifies thought, and reasoning thence. But because the man's thought is interior and exterior, or spiritual, natural, and sensual, therefore by the mouth is signified the thought of the man to whom the subject refers; in this case, sensual thought, because the subject treated of is the man who has become sensual through the falsities of evil. Sensual thought is the lowest of all, and is material, and corporeal. In such thought are all those who are in evils of life, and thence in falsities of doctrine, however learned and clever they may be supposed to be, and although they can arrange their falsities attractively, and clothe them in choice and eloquent language.

[2] That the mouth, from correspondence, thus in the spiritual sense, signifies thought, but in the natural sense, utterance, is evident from the following passages.

Thus in David:

"The mouth of the just meditateth wisdom" (Psalm 37:30).

The mouth here signifies thought from affection, for from that a man meditates wisdom, but not from the mouth and its speech.

In Luke, Jesus said:

"I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to resist" (21:15).

Here the mouth signifies speech from the understanding, thus thought from which man speaks.

So in Matthew:

"Not that which entereth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. Whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth out of the heart. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications (stupra), thefts, false witness, blasphemies" (15:11, 17-19).

Those things which enter into the mouth mean, in the sense of the letter, food of every kind, which, after having performed its use in the body, passes through the belly into the draught. But, in the spiritual sense, that which entereth into the mouth, means all things that enter into the thought from the memory, and also from the world, and these things also correspond to food. Those things that enter into the thought, and not at the same time into the will, do not defile a man, for the memory, and the thought therefrom, are to man only as it were the entrance to him, since the will is the man himself. Those things also which enter the thought and proceed no further, are cast out as it were through the belly into the draught. The belly, from correspondence, signifies the world of spirits, whence thoughts flow in with man, while the draught signifies hell.

[3] It must be observed, that man cannot be purified from evils, and the falsities thence, unless the unclean things that are in him come forth even into the thought, and are there seen, acknowledged, discerned, and rejected. From these things it is evident, that that which enters into the mouth, signifies, in the spiritual sense, that which enters into the thought from the memory and from the world; but that which comes out of the mouth, in the spiritual sense, signifies thought from the will, or from the love. For the heart, from which it comes out into the mouth, and from the mouth, signifies the will and love of man; and since the love and will constitute the whole man, for as is the love so is the man's quality, therefore those things which proceed therefrom into the mouth, and out of the mouth, make the man unclean. That these are evils of every kind, is evident from the things there enumerated. In this way is this saying of the Lord understood in the heavens. That the heart signifies the will and love, may be seen above (n. 167).

So in Isaiah:

"Then flew one of the seraphim unto me, having a live coal from off the altar in his hand; and he touched my mouth and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; therefore thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin expiated" (6:6, 7).

By one of the seraphim touching the mouth and lips of the prophet with a live coal from off the altar, is signified his interior purification, which is that of the understanding and will, and inauguration thence into the function of teaching. The live coal from off the altar signifies the Divine Love, from which is all purification, and the mouth and lips signify thought and affection, or what is the same thing, the understanding and the will, these being purified, a man is removed from iniquity and sin; it is therefore said, "therefore thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin expiated." That iniquity is not taken away by the application of a live coal to the mouth and lips, must be evident to every one. That the things pertaining to the mouth correspond to things intellectual, because from them the voice and speech proceed, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 8068, 9384), That "from the mouth and from the heart," denotes from the understanding and the will; in the same (n. 3313, 8068).

Fußnoten: