8478. 'Let no one leave any of it until the morning' means that they must not be anxious to acquire it of themselves. This is clear from the fact that the manna was given every morning and that worms bred in what was left over, meaning that the Lord provides people's requirements every day and that for this reason they ought not to be anxious to acquire them of themselves. The same thing is meant by daily bread in the Lord's Prayer and also by the Lord's words in Matthew,

Do not be anxious for your soul, what you are going to eat or what you are going to drink, nor for your body, what you are going to put on. Why be anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they do not toil, nor do they spin. Do not therefore be anxious, so that you say, What shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or What shall we wear? For all these things the gentiles seek. Does not your heavenly Father know that you have need of all these things? Seek first the kingdom of God ¹ and its righteousness, then all these things will be added to you. Do not therefore be anxious about the morrow; for the morrow will take care of the things that belong to it. Matthew 6:25-end.

Similar words occur in Luke 12:11-12, 22-31.

[2] The present verse and the one that follows refer in the internal sense to concern for the morrow, a concern which was not only forbidden but also condemned. The forbiddance of it is meant by their being told not to leave any of the manna till the morning, and the condemnation of it is meant by worms breeding in any they did leave and its becoming putrid. Anyone who does not view the matter from anywhere beyond the sense of the letter may think that all concern for the morrow is to be avoided, which being so, people should then await their requirements every day from heaven. But a person who views it from a position deeper than the literal meaning, that is, who views it from the internal sense, may recognize what concern for the morrow is used to mean - not concern to obtain food and clothing for oneself, and also resources for the future; for it is not contrary to order to make provision for oneself and one's dependents. But people are concerned about the morrow when they are not content with their lot, do not trust in God but in themselves, and have solely worldly and earthly things in view, not heavenly ones. These people are ruled completely by anxiety over the future, and by the desire to possess all things and exercise control over all other people. That desire is kindled and grows greater and greater, till at length it is beyond all measure. They grieve if they do not realize the objects of their desires, and they are distressed at the loss of them. Nor can they find consolation, for in times of loss they are angry with the Divine. They reject Him together with all belief, and curse themselves. This is what those concerned for the morrow are like.

[3] Those who trust in the Divine are altogether different. Though concerned about the morrow, yet are they unconcerned, in that they are not anxious, let alone worried, when they give thought to the morrow. They remain even-tempered whether or not they realize desires, and they do not grieve over loss; they are content with their lot. If they become wealthy they do not become infatuated with wealth; if they are promoted to important positions they do not consider themselves worthier than others. If they become poor they are not made miserable either; if lowly in status they do not feel downcast. They know that for those who trust in the Divine all things are moving towards an everlasting state of happiness, and that no matter what happens at any time to them, it contributes to that state.

[4] It should be recognized that Divine providence is overall, that is, it is present within the smallest details of all, and that people in the stream of providence are being carried along constantly towards happier things, whatever appearance the means may present. Those in the stream of providence are people who trust in the Divine and ascribe everything to Him. But those not in the stream of providence are people who trust in themselves alone and attribute everything to themselves; theirs is a contrary outlook, for they take providence away from the Divine and claim it as their own. It should be recognized also that to the extent that anyone is in the stream of providence he is in a state of peace; and to the extent that anyone is in a state of peace by virtue of the good of faith, he is in Divine providence. These alone know and believe that the Lord's Divine providence resides within every single thing, indeed within the smallest details of all, as has also been shown in 1919 (end), 4329, 5122 (end), 5894 (end), 6058, 6481-6486, 6490, 7004, 7007, as well as that Divine providence has what is eternal in view, 6491.

[5] Those with the contrary outlook are scarcely willing to allow any mention of providence. Instead they put every single thing down to prudence; and what they do not put down to prudence they put down to fortune or to chance. Some put it down to fate, which they do not ascribe to the Divine but to natural forces. They call those people simple who do not attribute all things to themselves or to natural forces. From all this one may again see what those people are like who are concerned for the morrow, and what those are like who are not concerned for the morrow.

Footnotes:

82. Of the proprium of man, spoken of above (n. 70), that it is the love of self and of the world.

The proprium of man is nothing but dense evil (n. 210, 215, 731, 874-876, 987, 1047, 2307-2308, 3518, 3701, 3812, 8480, 8550, 10283-10284, 10286, 10731). The proprium of man is his will (n. 4328). The proprium of man consists in loving himself more than God, and the world more than heaven, and in making his neighbor of no account respectively to himself, thus it is the love of self and of the world (n. 694, 731, 4317, 5660). Not only every evil, but also every falsity, springs from the proprium of man, and this falsity is the falsity of evil (n. 1047, 10283-10284, 10286). The proprium of man is hell with him (n. 694, 8480). Therefore he who is led by his proprium cannot be saved (n. 10731). The good which man does from the proprium is not good, but in itself is evil, because done for the sake of self and the world (n. 8478).

The proprium of man must be separated, in order that the Lord may be present with him (n. 1023, 1044). And it is actually separated when man is reformed (n. 9334-9336, 9452-9454, 9938). This is done by the Lord alone (n. 9445). Man by regeneration receives a heavenly proprium (n. 1937, 1947, 2881, 2883, 2891). This appears to man as his own proprium, but it is not his, but the Lord's with him (n. 8497). They who are in this proprium are in liberty itself, because liberty consists in being led by the Lord, and by His proprium (n. 892, 905, 2872, 2886, 2890-2892, 4096, 9586-9587, 9589-9591). All liberty is from the proprium, and its quality according thereto (n. 2880). What is the quality of the heavenly proprium (n. 164, 5660, 8480). How the heavenly proprium is implanted (n. 1712, 1937, 1947).

825. So that he even maketh fire to come down from heaven unto the earth before men, signifies the love of falsity from evil, arising from the pride of self-intelligence, as if it were the love of truth from good, which is in the church from ¹ the heavens. This is evident from the signification of "fire," as being love in both senses, namely, love to the Lord and love towards the neighbor; and in the contrary sense, the love of self and the love of the world (See above, n. 504, 539), consequently both the love of good and truth and the love of evil and falsity; for all goods and truths therefrom flow forth from love to the Lord and from love towards the neighbor; and on the other hand, all evils and falsities therefrom flow from the love of self and the love of the world. Therefore those who are in the love of self and of the world are in the love of all the evils that arise therefrom, and in the love of the falsities from those evils. (On these loves and the evils and falsities arising therefrom, see the New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrine, n. 65-83.) The above is evident also from the signification of making it, namely, the fire, "to come down from heaven," which is said because this is done in the spiritual world, by means of arts there known, by those who are in faith separate; and it means that the appearance that the love of falsity from evil is the love of truth from good, is from the confirmation of faith separated from the life by means of the sense of the letter of the Word; since what is confirmed from the Word is confirmed from heaven; but when a falsity is confirmed from the Word it is not confirmed from heaven, but only appears to be confirmed from heaven. So also from the signification of "before men," as being especially before those who are in the pride of self-intelligence, and who confirm in themselves this heretical dogma by their writings and preachings. From these it passes to the simple-minded, who have no pride of self-intelligence; but these do not confirm it with themselves, but suppose that it is so because it is declared and affirmed by a man of learning and consequent authority. But these merely hold the dogma in the memory, while the others implant it in their life, especially if they have lived according to it; and that which is implanted in the life inheres to eternity; but not what is merely in the memory.

[2] The pride of self-intelligence is with all who confirm falsities even to the destruction of the Divine truth, in which the angels of heaven are; for those are in that pride who regard self only, that is, their reputation, in their writings and preachings. For such are in the love of self, and everyone who is in the love of self when he writes and preaches is in pride; and pride derives all things from man's own [proprium], consequently it is called the pride of self-intelligence. The love of self has its seat in the will, and the pride of self-intelligence in the thought therefrom; consequently when they think anything from self they can think nothing but what is false, for one's own [proprium] which is of the will and therefore of the love, is what rules, and this, viewed in itself, is nothing but evil. It is otherwise with those who are in the love of uses, and thence in the love of truth for the sake of truth.

[3] Because those who are in the pride of self-intelligence remove works from faith, and therefore do not know what is meant by works, nor indeed what is meant by charity and by the neighbor, and even, when they have confirmed themselves, are not willing to know, it shall here be told what is meant by good works. Good works are all things that a man does, writes, preaches, and even speaks, not from self but from the Lord; and he acts, writes, preaches, and speaks from the Lord when he is living according to the laws of his religion. The laws of our religion are that one God is to be worshiped; that adulteries, thefts, murders, false witness, must be shunned; thus also frauds, unlawful gains, hatreds, revenge, lies, blasphemies, and many other things that are mentioned not alone in the Decalogue but everywhere else in the Word, and are called sins against God and also abominations. When man shuns these because they are opposed to the Word, and thence opposed to God, and because they are from hell, then man lives according to the laws of his religion, and so far as he lives according to his religion is he led by the Lord; and so far as he is led by the Lord are his works good; for he is then led to do goods and to speak truths for the sake of goods and for the sake of truths, and not for the sake of self and the world; uses are his enjoyments, and truths his delights. Moreover, he is daily taught by the Lord what he must do and what he must say, also what he must preach or what he must write; for when evils are removed he is continually under the Lord's guidance and in enlightenment. Yet he is not led and taught immediately by any dictate, or by any perceptible inspiration, but by an influx into his spiritual delight, from which he has perception according to the truths of which his understanding consists. When he acts from this influx, he appears to be acting as if from himself, and yet he acknowledges in heart that it is from the Lord. All angels are in such a state; and all infants in heaven are being led by that way to heaven.

[4] But it is otherwise with man when he refrains from evils and shuns them on account of the civil laws or the damage to his reputation; he does not then shun evils from any spiritual origin, but from a natural origin; consequently he indeed does works that appear outwardly as if good yet inwardly they are evil. They are like pictures composed of filthy mire, but overlaid with colors beautiful to the sight; or like harlots who appear comely in form, and adorned in white raiment, with diadems upon their foreheads and in their ears, and yet within are full of foulness. Consider, then, what the Christian world is at this day; how many there are who shun adulteries, frauds, unlawful gains, hatred, revenge, lies, and blasphemies, not because they are opposed to the Word and thus to God, but because they are opposed to the civil laws, and for the sake of reputation and from a fear of the loss of honor and gain in the world; then search interiorly into the reason, and you will perceive that it is because they do not believe that there is a heaven and a hell or a life after death. From this it is clear that whatever a man does, be it small or great, is a good work when it is done from religion, and in the church when it is done from the Word, when the man has come to detest evils because they are sins, and in themselves are infernal; on the other hand, that whatever a man does, be it small or great, is an evil work when it is not done from religion, and with us, from the Word. (For more about this see above, n. 803).

[5] It must be known, however, that he who shuns evils because they are opposed to the Divine laws in the Word also shuns them because they are opposed to civil and moral laws in the world, for a man thinks from civil and moral laws when he is in a natural state, but from the Divine laws when he is in a spiritual state. From this it follows, that to shun evils and do goods for the sake of reputation and one's own honor is not hurtful, provided the Word and religion therefrom hold the higher place and constitute the head, and self and the world hold the lower place and constitute the feet. But otherwise religion is trampled down with the feet, and the world is worshiped with the head.

Footnotes: