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'.
Footnotes:
1. literally, the faces
Psalms 86
1
Hear, Yahweh, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.
2
Preserve my soul, for I am godly. You, my God, save your servant who trusts in you.
3
Be merciful to me, Lord, for I call to you all day long.
4
Bring joy to the soul of your servant, for to you, Lord, do I lift up my soul.
5
For you, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive; abundant in loving kindness to all those who call on you.
6
Hear, Yahweh, my prayer. Listen to the voice of my petitions.
7
In the day of my trouble I will call on you, for you will answer me.
8
There is no one like you among the gods, Lord, nor any deeds like your deeds.
9
All nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord. They shall glorify your name.
10
For you are great, and do wondrous things. You are God alone.
11
Teach me your way, Yahweh. I will walk in your truth. Make my heart undivided to fear your name.
12
I will praise you, Lord my God, with my whole heart. I will glorify your name forevermore.
13
For your loving kindness is great toward me. You have delivered my soul from the lowest Sheol.
14
God, the proud have risen up against me. A company of violent men have sought after my soul, and they don't hold regard for you before them.
15
But you, Lord, are a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth.
16
Turn to me, and have mercy on me! Give your strength to your servant. Save the son of your handmaid.
17
Show me a sign of your goodness, that those who hate me may see it, and be shamed, because you, Yahweh, have helped me, and comforted me. A Psalm by the sons of Korah; a Song.
