182. Verse 1. And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, signifies those who live a moral but not a spiritual life, because they have little regard for the knowledges of spiritual things and for intelligence and wisdom therefrom. This is evident from what is written to the angel of this church, from which, when viewed in the internal or spiritual sense, it can be seen that those who live a moral but not a spiritual life, because they have little regard for the knowledges of the spiritual things and for intelligence and wisdom therefrom, are here treated of. But before unfolding the things that follow as to their spiritual sense, it is necessary to explain and open what moral life is and what spiritual life is, also what moral life from spiritual life is, and what moral life apart from spiritual life. Moral life is acting well, sincerely, and justly with one's companions in all the affairs and occupations of life; in a word, it is the life that is apparent before men, because it is the life lived with them. But this life has a two-fold origin; it is either from the love of self and the world, or it is from love to God and love towards the neighbor.

[2] Moral life from the love of self and the world is not in itself moral life, although it seems to be moral; for the man acting thus acts well, sincerely, and justly for the sake of self and the world only, and what is good, sincere, and just serves him as means to an end, which is, either that he may be raised above others and rule over them, or that he may gain wealth; and of these things he thinks in his spirit, or when he is by himself secretly; but these things that he thinks he does not dare to avow openly, because they would destroy the good opinion others have of him, and thus destroy the means by which he wishes to attain his ends. From this it can be seen that there lies within the moral life of such a man nothing else than to acquire all things in preference to others, thus that he wishes to have all others to serve him, or to gain possession of their goods; from which it is evident that his moral life is not in itself a moral life; for if he should gain what he aims at, or what he has as an end, he would subject others to himself as slaves, and would deprive them of their goods. And as all means savor of the end, and in their essence are of the same quality as their ends, for which reason they are also called intermediate ends, therefore such a life, regarded in itself, is merely craftiness and fraud. And this also becomes clearly evident in the case of those with whom these external bonds are released, as takes place, when engaged in lawsuits against their fellows, when they desire nothing so much as to subvert justice, and secure the good will of the judge or the favor of the king, and this secretly, that they may deprive others of their goods; and when they obtain this, they rejoice in spirit and in heart. This is still more evident in the case of kings who place honor in wars and victories, that they find the highest joy of their hearts in subjugating provinces and kingdoms, and where resistance is made, in depriving the vanquished of all their goods, and even of life. Such also is the delight of many who engage at such times in military service. This becomes still more evident with all of this character when they become spirits, which is immediately after the death of the body. As they then think and act from their spirit, they rush into every wickedness according to their love, however morally they may have lived in appearance while in the world.

[3] But spiritual life is wholly different, because it has a different origin; for it is from love to God and love towards the neighbor. Consequently, the moral life also of those who are spiritual is different, and is a truly moral life; for these, when they think in their spirit, which takes place when they are thinking secretly by themselves, do not think from self and the world, but from the Lord and heaven; for the interiors of their minds, that is, of their thought and will, are actually elevated by the Lord into heaven, and are there conjoined to Him; thus the Lord flows into their thoughts, intentions, and ends, and governs them and withdraws them from their proprium [what is their own], which is solely from the love of self and of the world. The moral life of such persons is, in appearance, like the moral life of those described above, and yet their moral life is spiritual, because it is from a spiritual origin. Their moral life is simply an effect of spiritual life, which is the efficient cause, thus the origin. For they act well, sincerely, and justly with their fellows from fear of God and from love of the neighbor; in these loves the Lord keeps their mind and disposition [mentem et animum]; consequently when they become spirits, which takes place when the body dies, they think and act intelligently and wisely, and are elevated into heaven. Of these it may be said, that with them every good of love and every truth of faith flows in out of heaven, that is, through heaven from the Lord. But this is not true of those described above; for their good ¹ is not the good of heaven, nor is their truth the truth of heaven; but what they call good is the delight of the lust of the flesh, and it is falsity therefrom that they call truth; these flow into them from self and from the world. From this it can also be known what moral life from spiritual life is, and what moral life apart from spiritual life is; namely, that moral life from spiritual life is truly moral life, which may be called spiritual, since it has its cause and origin in the spiritual; but that moral life apart from spiritual life is not moral life, and may be called infernal, for so far as the love of self and of the world reign in it, so far it is fraudulent and hypocritical.

[4] From what has now been said, the quality of external sanctity may also be inferred (by which is meant worship in churches, prayers, and gestures then), with such as are in the love of self and of the world, and yet live an apparently moral life, namely, that nothing of these is elevated to heaven and is heard there, but that they flow out from some thought of the external or natural man, and thus from their mouth into the world. For the interior thoughts of such, which are of their very spirits, are full of craftiness and fraud against the neighbor; and yet it is through interiors that there is elevation into heaven. Moreover, their worship in churches, and prayers, and gestures at such times, are either the result of habit from infancy, and are thence become familiar, or they are from a principle that such external things contribute everything to salvation, or they are a consequence of there being no business for them at home and abroad on holy days, or of a fear of being regarded as irreligious by their companions. But worship with those who live a moral life from a spiritual origin is altogether different, for it is truly a worship of God, for their prayers are elevated to heaven and are heard, for the Lord leads their prayers through heaven to Himself. (But more may be seen on these subjects in the work on Heaven and Hell, n. 468, 484, 529, 530-534; and above, in the Explanation of the Apocalypse, n. 107.) These things are premised, because what is written to the angel of this church treats of those who live a moral but not a spiritual life, for the reason that they have little regard for the knowledges of spiritual things.

Bilješke:

167. And all [the churches] shall know that I am He that searcheth the reins and hearts, signifies the acknowledgment of all who are of the church, that the Lord alone knows and explores the exteriors and interiors, and the things that are of faith and love. This is evident from the signification of "searching," as being, in reference to the Lord, that He alone knows and explores; also from the signification of "reins" as being the truths of faith and their purification from falsities (of which in what follows); also from the signification of "hearts," as being the goods of love. "Heart" signifies the good of love, because there are two things that rule in man, and from these is the whole life of his body, namely the heart and the lungs. And as all things in man's body correspond to the things that are in his mind, there are two things also that rule there, namely the will and the understanding. These two kingdoms of the mind correspond to the two kingdoms of the body, namely the will to the heart and its pulse, and the understanding to the lungs and their respiration. Without this correspondence the body could not live, not even a particle of it. As the heart corresponds to the will, so it corresponds to the good of love; and as the lungs correspond to the understanding, so they also correspond to the truths of faith. It is from this correspondence that "heart" signifies love, and "soul" signifies faith. It is from this that the expression "from the heart and soul" is so often used in the Word, by which is meant from love and faith. (As this correspondence is much treated of in the Arcana Coelestia, these things may be seen more fully explained there, namely, that "heart" in the Word signifies love; and because it signifies love, it also signifies the will, n.2930, 3313, 7542, 8910, 9050, 9113, 10336. That the heart corresponds to the things that are of love with man, and the lungs to the things that are of faith with him, n. 3883-3896. That in heaven there is a pulse such as that of the heart, and a respiration such as that of the lungs, n. 3884, 3885, 3887. That the pulse of the heart there is in accordance with the state of love, and the respiration of the lungs in accord with the state of faith, n. 3886-3889. That the influx of the heart into the lungs is like the influx of good into truth, and like the influx of the will into the understanding; it is also according to the influx of love into faith, and there are like communications and conjunctions, n. 3884, 3887-3889, 9300, 9495. Of the influx of heaven into the heart and into the lungs, from experience, n. Arcana Coelestia 3884. That from this the correspondence in the Word, "from the heart and soul" signifies from love and faith, n. 2930, 9050. That the conjunction of man's spirit with his body is by means of the respiration of the lungs and the pulse of the heart, and that therefore when these cease man dies as to the body, but lives as to the spirit, see in the work on Heaven and Hell [n. 521]; and that when the pulse of the heart ceases the spirit is separated, because the heart corresponds to love, which is the vital heat, n. 447, in the same work. Many other things respecting this correspondence, see n. 95.) "Reins" signify the truths of faith, and their purification from falsities, because the purification of the blood is performed in the reins and "blood" in the Word signifies truth (as may be seen in Arcana Coelestia 4735[1-15], 9127). The like is signified by the organ that purifies; and all purification from falsities is effected by truths. From this it is clear what is signified in the Word by the expression, that Jehovah, or the Lord, "searcheth the hearts and reins," namely, that He explores the truths of faith and the goods of love, and separates them from evils and falsities.

[2] This is signified by "reins" in the following places. In Jeremiah:

Jehovah Zebaoth, Judge of righteousness, trying the reins and the heart (Jeremiah 11:20).

In the same:

Thou hast proved ¹ them, yea, they have taken root; they grow, yea, they bring forth fruit: Thou art near in their mouth, and far from their reins. But thou, O Jehovah, Thou shalt see me, and shalt prove my heart (Jeremiah 12:2, 3).

"Near in the mouth and far from the reins" is truth in the memory only, and in some thought therefrom when man speaks, but not in the will and from that in act. Truth in the will and from that in the act is what separates and dissipates falsities. Truth in the will and from that in the act is willing and doing what a man knows and thinks to be true; such truth is what is especially meant by "reins."

[3] In the same:

I, Jehovah, search the heart, I prove the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruits of his works (Jeremiah 17:10).

"Searching the heart" is purifying good by separating evil from it; "proving the reins" is purifying truth by separating falsity from it; it is therefore said "to give to every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his works;" "ways" are the truths that are of faith, and "the fruit of works" are the goods that are of love. (That "ways" are truths that are of faith, see above, n. 97[1-2]; and that "the fruit of works" are the goods that are of love, n. 98, 109, 116.)

[4] In the same:

Jehovah Zebaoth, that provest the righteous, that seest the reins, and the heart (Jeremiah 20:12).

And in David:

Establish Thou the righteous; for Thou that provest the hearts and the reins art a righteous God (Psalms 7:9);

"the righteous" are those who love to do what is true and good, their goods and truths are purified by the Lord, which is meant by "seeing" and by "proving the reins and the hearts."

In David:

Prove me, O Jehovah, and try me, explore my reins and my heart (Psalms 26:2).

Because truths are separated from falsities and goods from evils by means of temptations, it is said, "Try me." In the same:

My heart is in a ferment, and I am pricked in my reins, but I am foolish and know not (Psalms 73:21, 22).

The infestation of good by evil and of truth by falsity is described by these words. In the same:

Behold, thou desirest truth in the reins and in the hidden part thou makest wisdom known to me (Psalms 51:6).

Here there is another word in the original for "reins," that includes the separation both of falsities from truths and of evils from goods. This shows that the "reins" signify purification and separation.

[5] In the same:

I will bless Jehovah, who hath given me counsel; also my reins chastise me in the night (Psalms 16:7).

"Night" signifies the state of man when falsities rise up; the consequent combat of truths with falsities is signified by "my reins chastise me." In the same:

Even the darkness doth not make darkness before Thee, but the night is lucid as the day; as the darkness so is the light. For thou possessest my reins, my bone was not hidden from Thee when I was made in secret (Psalms 139:12, 13, 15).

"Darkness" means falsities, and "light" truths; to "possess the reins" is to know falsities and truths with man; therefore it is said, "my bone was not hidden from Thee when I was made in secret," which signifies that no falsity that was made was hidden. (That "darkness" means falsity and "light" truth, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 126-140; and that "bone" means truth in the ultimate of order and in the contrary sense, falsity, Arcana Coelestia 3812, 5560, 5565, 6592, 8005.)

[6] As "the reins" signified truths purified from falsities, so:

In the sacrifices, the fats and reins alone were offered up (as may be seen in Exodus 29:13; Leviticus 3:4, 10, 15; 4:9 and elsewhere).

Fats and reins alone were offered upon the altar because "fats" signified the goods of love, and "reins" the truths of faith. (That "fats" or "fatnesses" signify the goods of love, see Arcana Coelestia 353, 5943, 6409, 10033. That the "reins" signify the truths of faith, examining, purifying, and rejecting from themselves falsities, is from correspondence; for each and every thing of the body corresponds, as can be seen in the work on Heaven and Hell, where this is shown in its chapter entitled, There is a Correspondence of all things of Heaven with all things of Man, n. 87-102; and on the Reins, n. 96, 97.) Unless it be known that there is such a correspondence, who could ever know why it is so often said of Jehovah or the Lord in the Word, that "He searcheth and proveth the reins and the heart?" (On the correspondence of the reins, of the ureters, and of the bladder, see further in Arcana Coelestia 5380-5386.) To "search the reins and the heart" signifies also to explore the exteriors and the interiors of man, because truth is without and good is within; and spiritual good, which in its essence is truth, and in particular is signified by the "reins," is exterior good; while celestial good which in particular is signified by the "heart," is interior good. (This can be seen more fully from what is shown respecting The Spiritual Kingdom and the Celestial Kingdom, in the work on Heaven and Hell 20-26.)

Bilješke: