9174. And when a man shall borrow from his companion. That this signifies truth and good from another stock, is evident from the signification of “borrowing,” as being to receive truth from some other source than one’s self, and thus truth from another stock. “Borrowing” has this signification because in the spiritual world there are no other goods that are asked from others, and given, than those which are of intelligence and wisdom. There are indeed many other things offered to view, nay, things innumerable, but they are appearances arising from those things which are of intelligence and wisdom. From this it is evident that “to borrow” denotes to be instructed by another, and thus to receive truths, or knowledges of truth and good, from some other source than one’s self. How this is shall be further explained. A man is said to receive truths from himself when he infers them from the truths he has with him. In this case he conjoins them with those he formerly possessed. But in doing this he admits only those truths which agree together under the same good; for it is good that disposes truths into series and connects them together. Good is like the soul in man, and truths are like those things with which the soul clothes itself, and by means of which it acts. It is well known that each and all things in man live from his soul; and so also do the truths of faith live from the good of love to the Lord and of love toward the neighbor. If this good is not the soul of a man, but the good of the love of self or the love of the world, then the man is not a man, but a wild beast, and in the other life in the light of heaven he also appears as a wild beast; though in his own light, which at the approach of the light of heaven becomes thick darkness, he appears as a man. It is, however, to be understood that the Lord disposes truths into order in accordance with the good of the man’s life.

[2] A man is said to receive truths from some other source, when he is instructed by another; and if these truths do not agree together under the good in which he is, they are indeed stored up in his memory among memory-knowledges; but they do not become his—that is, of his faith—because they are of another stock. These are the truths which are treated of in this verse and the following one.

[3] When “borrowing” and “lending” are mentioned in the Word, there is signified to be instructed and to instruct from the affection of charity; as in Matthew:

Give to everyone that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away (Matthew 5:42);

it is evident that “asking” here does not mean asking, for it is said, “Give to everyone that asketh”; and that neither by “borrowing” is meant borrowing; for if a person were to give to everyone that asketh, and also to everyone that would borrow, he would be stripped of all his goods. But as the Lord spoke from the Divine, by “asking,” and “wishing to borrow;” and by giving and receiving a loan, is meant the communication of heavenly goods, which are those of the knowledges of good and truth; for in regard to such a communication the fact is that the more an angel gives to another from the affection of charity, the more there flows in with him of the general good from heaven, that is, from the the Lord, (n. 6478). Thus by “giving to him that asketh,” an angel is not deprived of goods, but is enriched with them. The case is the same with a man, when he does good to another from the affection of charity; but charity consists in giving to the good, and it is not charity to give to the evil what they ask and desire (n. 8120); according to these words in David:

The wicked borroweth, and restoreth not; but the righteous showeth mercy and giveth (Psalms 37:21).

And in Luke:

If ye lend to them from whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? Rather love your enemies, and do good, and lend, hope for nothing again; then shall your reward be great, and ye shall be the sons of the Highest (Luke 6:34-35).

[4] Here also by “lending” is meant doing good from the affection of charity, and thus communicating the goods of heaven; and also the goods of the world, but the latter for the sake of the former as the end in view. The affection of charity consists in communicating goods without any recompense as the end in view; but there is no affection of charity in communicating goods for the sake of recompense as the end in view (n. 2373, 2400, 3816, 3956, 4943, 6388-6390, 6392, 6393, 6478, 8002). The affection of charity consists in loving one’s enemies, and in benefiting the evil; but enemies are loved and are benefited when they are instructed, and also when they are corrected by suitable means (n. 8121).

[5] The exercise of charity is also signified by “lending,” in Moses:

If thou shalt obey the voice of Jehovah, and shalt observe to do His commandments, thou shalt lend to many peoples, but thou shalt not borrow (Deuteronomy 28:1, (Deuteronomy 28:1) 12);

“to lend to many peoples” denotes to abound in the goods of intelligence and wisdom, and to communicate them to others out of this abundance; and not to be in need of the goods of others, because all things are given him by the Lord. So in David:

A good man who hath mercy and lendeth, will maintain his words in judgment; for he will never be moved (Psalms 112:5-6);

by “having mercy and lending” is described the state of those who are in genuine charity. In like manner, Psalm 37:21; and other passages.

8002. A lodger and a hired servant shall not eat of it. That this signifies that they who do what is good from mere natural disposition, and those who do it for the sake of their own advantage, are not to be with them, is evident from the signification of “a lodger,” as being those who do what is good from mere natural disposition (of which below); from the signification of “a hireling,” as being those who do what is good for the sake of their own advantage (of which also below); and from the signification of “not to eat of it,” as being not to be with them (of which just above, n. 8001). That a “lodger” denotes what is good from mere natural disposition, is because lodgers were those who came from other peoples, and were inhabitants, and dwelt with the Israelites and the Jews in one house; and “to dwell together” signifies to be together in good. But because, as before said, they were from peoples out of the church, the good which is signified is not the good of the church, but is a good not of the church. This good is called “natural good,” because it is hereditary from birth. Moreover, some have such good in consequence of ill health and feebleness. This good is meant by the good which they do who are signified by “lodgers.”

[2] This good is utterly different from the good of the church, for by means of the good of the church conscience is formed in man, which is the plane into which the angels flow, and through which there is fellowship with them; whereas by natural good no plane for the angels can be formed. They who are in this good do good in the dark from blind instinct; not in the light of truth by virtue of influx from heaven; and therefore in the other life they are carried away, like chaff by the wind, by everyone, as much by an evil man as by a good one, and more by an evil one who knows how to join to reasonings something of affection and persuasion; nor can they then be withdrawn by the angels, for the angels operate through the truths and goods of faith, and flow into the plane which has been formed within the man from the truths and goods of faith. From all this it is evident that those who do what is good from mere natural disposition cannot be consociated with the angels (concerning them and their lot in the other life, see n. 3470, 3471, 3518, 4988, 4992, 5032, 6208, 7197).

[3] That “lodgers” are those who do not stay in their own land or in their own house, but in a foreign land, is evident in Moses:

The land shall not be sold in perpetuity; for the land is Mine; but ye are sojourners and lodgers with Me (Leviticus 25:23).

Hear my prayer, O Jehovah, be not silent at my tear; for I am a sojourner with Thee, a lodger, as all my fathers were (Psalms 39:12).

Abraham said unto the sons of Heth, I am a sojourner and a lodger with you; give me a possession of a sepulcher (Genesis 23:3-4).

By a “sojourner” equally as by a “lodger,” is signified a comer and inhabitant from another land, but by a “sojourner” are signified those who were being instructed in the truths of the church and who received them; and by “lodgers” were signified those not instructed in the truths of the church, because they were not willing to receive them.

[4] As regards “hirelings,” they were such as labored for hire, being servants, but not bought; that these were called “hirelings” see Leviticus 19:13; 25:4-6; Deuteronomy 24:14-15. As “hirelings” were those who labored for hire, by them in the internal sense are meant those who do what is good for the sake of their own advantage in the world; and in a sense still more interior, those who do what is good for the sake of reward in the other life; thus who desire to merit by works.

[5] They who do what is good merely for the sake of their own advantage in the world, cannot possibly be consociated with angels, because the end regarded by them is the world, that is, wealth and eminence; and not heaven, that is, the blessedness and happiness of souls. The end is what determines the actions, and gives them their quality. Concerning those who do what is good merely for the sake of their own advantage, the Lord thus speaks in John:

I am the good Shepherd; the good Shepherd layeth down His life for the sheep. But he that is a hireling, and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and deserteth the sheep, and fleeth, and the wolf seizeth them, and scattereth the sheep. But the hireling fleeth because he is a hireling (John 10:11-13).

Egypt is a very beautiful heifer; destruction out of the north is come. Her hirelings are like calves of the fatting stall; for they also have turned back, they have fled away together, they did not stand, because the day of their destruction is come upon them (Jeremiah 46:20-21).

[6] That lodgers and hirelings were not to be consociated in respect to holy things with those who were of the church, is evident from this in Moses:

There shall no alien eat of the holy thing: a lodger of the priest, and a hireling, shall not eat of the holy thing (Leviticus 22:10).

And that from the sons of lodgers were to be bought servants who should serve forever, in the same:

Of the nations that are round about you ye shall buy manservant and maidservant; and also of the sons of the lodgers that do sojourn with you, of these shall ye buy, and of their family that is with you, although they have brought forth in your land; and that they may be your possession, and that ye may hand them over for an inheritance to your sons after you, to inherit for a possession; ye shall rule over them forever (Leviticus 25:44-46).

By the “sons of the lodgers” are signified memory-knowledges which are from mere natural light; that spiritual truths shall rule over these is signified by “servants being bought of the sons of the lodgers for a perpetual possession.”

[7] But they who do what is good for the sake of reward in the other life, who also are signified by “hirelings,” differ from those just now spoken of, in that they have as the end life and happiness in heaven. But as this end determines and converts their Divine worship from the Lord to themselves, and they consequently desire well to themselves alone, and to others only so far as these desire well to them, and accordingly the love of self is in every detail, and not the love of the neighbor, therefore they have no genuine charity. Neither can these be consociated with the angels, for the angels are utterly averse to both the name and the idea of reward or recompense. That benefits must be imparted without the end of reward, the Lord teaches in Luke:

Love your enemies, and impart benefits, and lend, hoping for nothing again; then shall your reward be great, and ye shall be sons of the Most High (Luke 6:32-35; 14:12-14).

(Concerning meritorious goods and their quality, see n. 1110, 1111, 1774, 1835, 1877, 2027, 2273, 2340, 2373, 2400, 3816, 4007, 4174, 4943, 6388-6390, 6392, 6393, 6478)

[8] That it is so often said by the Lord that they who do what is good shall “have their reward in heaven” (as in Matthew 5:11-12; 6:1-2, 16; 10:41-42; 20:1-16; Mark 9:41; Luke 6:23, 35; 14:14; John 4:36) is because before he is regenerated a man cannot but think of reward; but it is otherwise when he has been regenerated; he is then indignant if anyone thinks that he benefits his neighbor for the sake of reward, for he feels delight and blessedness in imparting benefits, and not in recompense. (That in the internal sense “reward” denotes the delight of the affection of charity, see n. 3816, 3956, 6388, 6478)