1144. And silk and scarlet.- That these signify truths and goods from a spiritual origin, profaned, is evident from the signification of silk, which denotes truth from a spiritual origin, of which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of scarlet, which denotes good from a spiritual origin (concerning which see above, n. 1142) - this good coincides with truth from a celestial origin, and therefore this is also signified in the Word by scarlet. But silk and scarlet here signify those truths and goods profaned by Babylon; and they are profaned in this way, that they have perverted spiritual love, which is love towards the neighbour. For those who are in the love of self, such as the Babylonians, cannot have any love for their neighbour; if they do love him it is for the sake of themselves, so that the end is still the man himself and the love of the neighbour the means; and the end loves the means so far as they are subservient to itself, and if they are not subservient it rejects them; this is also evident from every one of their works. The love of the neighbour, in the spiritual sense, is the love of uses; and when uses are for the sake of self, then it is not a love of uses, but a love of self. That silk signifies truth from a spiritual origin, is evident from the passage in Ezekiel (16:10, 13), explained just above (n. 1143). It derives this signification from its shining quality; for silk shines with light, and light signifies Divine Truth, which is also called the spiritual Divine.

[2] Continuation concerning the Athanasian Creed.- We have said that the love of self and the love of the world constitute hell; the origin of those loves shall now be shown. Man was created to love himself and the world, his neighbour and heaven, and also the Lord. For this reason, when he is born, he first loves himself and the world, then as he grows wise, he loves his neighbour and heaven, and as he grows still wiser, he loves the Lord. When this is the case, he is then in Divine Order, and is led by the Lord actually, and by himself apparently. So far, however, as he is not wise, so far does he stop short in the first degree, which is that of loving himself and the world; and if he loves his neighbour, heaven, and the Lord, it is for the sake of himself in the eyes of the world. But if he is altogether without wisdom, he then loves himself alone, and the world and his neighbour for the sake of himself; and with respect to heaven and the Lord, he either makes light of them, denies them, or even hates them, if not in words, still in heart. These are the sources of the love of self and of the love of the world, and because these loves are hell, the origin of hell is evident.

[3] When a man has become a hell, he is then like a tree cut down, or like a tree whose fruits are hurtful; he is also like sandy soil, in which no seed will strike its root, or like soil out of which springs nothing but the prickly thorn and the stinging nettle. When a man has become a hell, then the interior or higher things of his mind are closed, and the exterior and lower opened; and because the love of self directs everything of thought and will to itself, and immerses them in the body, it therefore inverts and twists back the exteriors of the mind, which, as was observed, are open; for this reason they incline, tend, and are borne downwards, that is, to hell.

[4] But because a man has still the faculty of thinking, willing, speaking, and acting - a faculty which is in no case taken from him, since he is born a man - and is at the same time in this inverted state, receiving no longer any good or truth from heaven, but only evil and falsity from hell, he therefore procures for himself a kind of light (lumen) by confirmations of evil from falsity, and of falsity from evil, in order that he may be pre-eminent above others. He imagines that this is rational light (lumen), although it is nevertheless infernal light, in itself full of foolish delusions, producing a vision like that of a dream in the night, or a craziness of imagination, by reason of which, things which are appear as if they were not, and things which are not, as if they were. But these things will be more clearly seen from a comparison between a man-angel and a man-devil.

1142. Precious stone and pearl.- That these signify the knowledges of truth and good from the Word, profaned, is evident from the signification of precious stone, which denotes the knowledges of truths from the Word (concerning which see above, n. 717); and from the signification of pearl, as denoting the knowledges of good (concerning which see above, n. 1044). And because those knowledges are (vera scientifica) truths scientific, or truths of the natural man, therefore precious stones signify truths, by means of which goods are procured, and pearls goods, by means of which truths are procured; for in every part of the Word there is a marriage of truth and good. The reason is, that truth is not truth unless it has regard to good, or proceeds from good, and good is not good unless it is regarded from truths or exists by means of truths, for thus truths and goods are conjoined as it were in a marriage, and goods and truths exist as if from marriage. This is why here, as well as in other parts of the Word, things are mentioned in pairs, one of which signifies good, and the other truth, as gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and crimson, silk and scarlet, vessels of ivory and vessels of precious wood, brass, iron, and marble, where gold, pearls, crimson, scarlet, precious wood and brass, signify goods of various kinds, and silver, precious stones, fine linen, silk, ivory, iron, and marble, signify truths, also of different kinds; and so in other places. But all these things here signify goods and truths profaned, thus evils and falsities, as stated just above in treating of the signification of gold and silver.

[2] Continuation concerning the Athanasian Creed.- First, then, it shall be shown of whom hell consists. Hell consists of spirits, who, while they were men in the world, denied God, acknowledged nature, lived contrary to Divine Order, loved evils and falsities, although, for the sake of appearance, such was not their conduct before the world. These were, consequently, either insane in regard to truths, or they despised and denied them, if not with the mouth, still at heart - of those who have been of this description since the creation of the world, hell consists. All such are there called either devils or satans; devils, if the love of self predominated in them, satans, if the love of the world predominated in them. The hell where devils are is meant in the Word by the Devil, and the hell where satans are is meant by Satan. The Lord also so conjoins the devils, that they are as it were one, in like manner the satans; for this reason the hells are called, in the singular, the Devil and Satan.

[3] Hell does not consist of spirits created such at once, neither does heaven consist of angels so created; but hell consists of men born in the world, who of themselves became devils or satans, and, similarly, heaven consists of men born in the world, who were there made angels by the Lord. All men, as to the interiors which belong to their minds, are spirits, clothed in the world with a material body, which is subject to the control of the thought of the spirit and to the decision of their affection; for the mind, which is spirit, acts, and the body, which is matter, is acted upon. Every spirit, after the rejection of the material body, is a man, in a form similar to that which he had when he was a man in the world. From these things it is evident of whom hell consists.

1044. And pearls. That this signifies the appearance in externals as if they were in the knowledges of good and truth, although, in internals, they are in the knowledge of evil and falsity, is evident from the signification of pearls, as denoting the knowledges of good and truth, of which we shall speak presently. Hence, in the opposite sense, by pearls is signified the knowledge of evil and falsity, whence came their craftiness and malice.

That the Babylonian nation is such, namely, that they are desirous to appear holy, and thence to possess all good and truth, and the knowledges thereof, consequently, to be intelligent above all others in the world, although they have neither the good nor the truth, nor the knowledges thereof, and thence have no intelligence and wisdom in spiritual things. That they have not these, indeed, that they are insane as to these things, is plainly seen in the spiritual world, where the interiors of every man are opened and thence made manifest. These in the case of the monks, and even the Jesuits, who were reputed to be more intelligent than others, appeared so empty and void, that they did not know even a single truth that leads to heaven. They have been examined, and were found to be such.

[2] The reason why they appear in externals to be in goods, in true knowledges, intelligence and wisdom is, that they have subjected to their dominion all the holy things of the Word, of the church, and of worship; and because they consequently speak from authority with the common people, persuading them that the mysteries of heaven are in their hands, and that their Pope utters his edicts from inspiration just as the Prophets and Apostles did. And this, also, they can declare in a haughty manner, because they speak from the authority of dominion over souls, and over heaven and hell. And this also is believed by the common people from a belief in the sanctity of their instructors, without repugnance of heart, since they are kept, for that end, in gross darkness about spiritual things; in this darkness they impart to them spurious goods, and unmeaning truths, which they call Divine and heavenly. Indeed, so great is the darkness in which the common people are kept, that they are able to breathe into them diabolical and infernal evils and falsities, and cause such to believe them to be celestial and spiritual goods and truths. For in this and no other way could they be worshipped as deities, and subject the earth and the possessions thereof to their rule and disposal. Such are the things that lie concealed inwardly in them, while outwardly they appear to be clothed in crimson and scarlet, and decked with gold, precious stone, and pearls.

[3] That pearls signify the knowledges of good and truth, is evident from the following passages. In Matthew:

"The kingdom of the heavens is like unto a merchantman seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one precious pearl, went and sold all that he had, and bought it" (13:45, 46).

By the kingdom of the heavens is meant both heaven and the church. By the merchant-man are meant those who procure to themselves the goods and truths, by which heaven and the church [may be attained]. By pearls are signified the knowledges of good and truth; for these are the truths of the natural man. By one precious pearl is meant knowledge concerning the Lord and concerning His Divine. And by his going and selling all that he had, and buying it, is signified that he put away the proprium in order to receive life from the Lord.

[4] In the same:

"Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample on them with their feet, and turn again and rend you" (7:6).

By dogs are signified lusts and appetites. By swine are signified filthy loves, such as are those in the hells of adulterers. These being in the infernal marriage, which is that of falsity and evil, altogether reject goods and truths, and the knowledges thereof, and, moreover, treat them with ignominy and contempt. Therefore it is said, "Cast not your pearls before swine, lest they trample on them with their feet, and turn and rend you." To trample with the feet, denotes to reject altogether as dirt; and to turn and rend, denotes to treat with ignominy and contempt.

[5] By pearls are signified the knowledges of good and truth also in the following passages in the Apocalypse:

"The merchants of the earth shall weep and wail over Babylon, that no one buyeth their merchandise any more; merchandise of gold and silver, and of precious stones and pearls" (18:11, 12).

Also:

"The twelve gates" of the wall of the New Jerusalem were "twelve pearls; each gate was one pearl" (21:21).

Because by the gates for the New Jerusalem are signified those things pertaining to doctrine from the Word that introduce a man into the church, and these are the knowledges of truth and good from the Word, therefore the gates were seen to be of pearls.