Spiritual Experiences #1974
1974. As for the meaning of "evening and morning," in all phases of regeneration, both general and particular, the progression starts from evening, and tends toward morning. In general, the evening of those who are being regenerated is misery, temptations, despair, but they arrive at the morning. So also in detail, in all phases of regeneration one begins from evils, which are turned into good. And it is worth remembering that evil spirits begin, out of their own fantasies and passions, to arouse the person, but that these evils are turned into good in various ways. This has been revealed to me by experience lasting 3 years. So that is "evening and morning," and it applies to every least phase. Therefore it is the process not only of regeneration, but also of the perception of goodness. 1748, 16 May.
Heaven and Hell #523
523. The Lord never does anything contrary to order, because He Himself is Order. The Divine Truth that goes forth from the Lord is what makes order; and Divine truths are the laws of order. It is in accord with these laws that the Lord leads man. Consequently, to save man as a result of immediate mercy is contrary to Divine order, and what is contrary to Divine order is contrary to the Divine. Divine order is heaven with man. Man has perverted this in himself by a life contrary to the laws of order, which are Divine truths. Into this order man is brought back by the Lord out of pure mercy by means of the laws of order; and so far as he is brought back into this order he receives heaven in himself; and he who receives heaven in himself comes into heaven. This again makes clear that the Lord's Divine mercy is pure mercy, and not immediate mercy. 1
Footnotes:
1. [Swedenborg's footnote] Divine Truth going forth from the Lord is the source of order, and Divine Good is the essential of order (Arcana Coelestia 1728, 2258, 8700, 8988).
Thus the Lord is order (Arcana Coelestia 1919, 2011, 5110, 5703, 10336, 10619).
Divine truths are the laws of order (Arcana Coelestia 2447, 7995).
The whole heaven is arranged by the Lord in accordance with His Divine order (Arcana Coelestia 3038, 7211, 9128, 9338, 10125, 10151, 10157).
Therefore the form of heaven is a form in accord with the Divine order (Arcana Coelestia 4040-4043, 6607, 9877).
So far as a man lives in accordance with order, that is, so far as he lives in good in accordance with Divine truths, he receives heaven in himself (Arcana Coelestia 4839).
Man is the being in whom are brought together all things of Divine order, and by creation he is Divine order in form, because he is a recipient of Divine order (Arcana Coelestia 3628, 4219-4220, 4223, 4523-4524, 5214, 6013, 6057, 6605, 6626, 9706, 10156, 10472).
Man is not born into good and truth but into evil and falsity, thus not into Divine order but into the opposite of order, and for this reason he is born into pure ignorance; consequently it is necessary for him to be born anew, that is, to be regenerated, which is effected by the Lord by means of Divine truths, that he may be brought back into order (Arcana Coelestia 1047, 2307-2308, 3518, 8480, 8550, 10283-10284, 10286, 10731).
When the Lord forms man anew, that is, regenerates him, He arranges all things in him in harmony with order, that is, in the form of heaven (Arcana Coelestia 5700, 6690, 9931, 10303).
Evils and falsities are contrary to order; nevertheless those who are in them are ruled by the Lord not in accordance with order but from order (Arcana Coelestia 4839, 7877, 10777).
It is impossible for a man who lives in evil to be saved by mercy alone, for that would be contrary to Divine order (Arcana Coelestia 8700).
