186. Further particular concerning regeneration.

Man is regenerated by the truths of faith, and by a life according to them (n. 1904, 2046, 9088, 9959, 10028). This is meant by the words of the Lord:

Unless a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God (John 3:5).

"Water" signifies the truth of faith, and "spirit" a life according thereto (n. 10240). "Water" in the Word signifies the truth of faith (n. 2702, 3058, 5668, 8568, 10238). Spiritual purification, which is from evils and falsities, is effected by the truths of faith (n. 2799, 5954, 7044, 7918, 9088, 10229, 10237). When man is regenerated, truths are inseminated and implanted in good, that they may become of the life (n. 880, 2189, 2574, 2697). What the quality of truths must be that they may be implanted in good (n. 8725). In regeneration truth is initiated and conjoined to good, and good reciprocally to truth (n. 5365, 8516). How this reciprocal initiation and conjunction is effected (n. 3155, 10067). Truth is implanted in good when it becomes of the will, since it then becomes of the love (n. 10367).

There are two states of the man who is regenerated; first, when he is led by truth to good; second, when he acts from good, and from good sees truth (n. 7992-7993, 8505-8506, 8510, 8512, 8516, 8643, 8648, 8658, 8685[1-2], 8690, 8701, 8772, 9227, 9230, 9274, 9736, 10048, 10057, 10060, 10076). The quality of man's state when truth is in the first place, and good in the second (n. 3610). Hence it appears that when man is regenerating, he looks to good from truth; but when regenerated, he regards truth from good (n. 6247). Thus a turning over as it were takes place, in that the state of man is inverted (n. 6507).

But it is to be known, that when man is regenerating, truth is not actually in the first place and good in the second, but only apparently; but when man is regenerated, good is in the first place and truth in the second, actually and perceptibly (n. 3324-3325, 3330, 3336, 3494, 3539, 3548, 3556, 3563,3570, 3576, 3603, 3701, 4243, 4245, 4247, 4337, 4925-4926, 4928, 4930, 4977, 5351, 6256, 6269, 6273, 8516, 10110). Thus good is the first and last of regeneration (n. 9337). Since truth appears to be in the first place and good in the second, when man is regenerating, or, which is the same thing, when man becomes a church, on account of this appearance it was a matter of controversy among the ancients, whether the truth of faith or the good of charity is the first-born of the church (n. 367[1-2], 2435).

The good of charity is actually the first-born of the church, but the truth of faith only apparently (n. 3325, 3494, 4925-4926, 4928, 4930, 8042, 8080). "First-born" in the Word signifies the first of the church, to which priority and superiority belongs (n. 3325). The Lord is called the first-born, because in Him and from Him is all the good of love, of charity, and of faith (n. 3325).

Man ought not to return from the latter state wherein truth is regarded from good, to the former state, wherein good is regarded from truth, and why (n. 2454, 3650-3655, 5895, 5897, 7857, 7923, 8505-8506, 8510, 8512, 8516, 9274, 10184[1-6]). Where these words of the Lord are explained:

Let not him who is in the field return back to take his garments (Matt. 24:18);

also,

Whosoever shall then be in the field, let him not return to those things which are behind him. Remember Lot's wife (Luke 17:31, 32);

for this is signified by those words.

The process of the regeneration of man described, and how it is effected (n. 1555, 2343, 2490, 2657, 2979, 3057, 3286, 3310, 3316, 3332, 3470, 3701, 4353, 5113, 5126, 5270, 5280, 5342, 6717, 8772-8773, 9043, 9103, 10021, 10057, 10367). The arcana of regeneration are innumerable, since regeneration continues during the whole life of man (n. 2679, 3179, 3584, 3665, 3690, 3701, 4377, 4551-4552, 5122, 5126, 5398, 5912, 6751, 9103, 9258, 9296-9297, 9334). Scarcely any of these arcana come to the knowledge and perception of man (n. 3179, 9336). This is what is meant by the words of the Lord:

The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but knowest not whence it cometh and whither it goeth; so is everyone that is born of the Spirit (John 3:8).

Concerning the process of the regeneration of the man of the spiritual church (n. 2675, 2678-2679, 2682). And concerning the process of regeneration of the man of the celestial church, with the difference (n. 5113, 10124).

The case of the regenerate man is similar to that of an infant, who first learns to speak, then to think, afterwards to live well, until all those things flow from him spontaneously, as from himself (n. 3203, 9296-9297). Thus he who is regenerated is first led by the Lord as an infant, then as a boy, and afterwards as an adult (n. 3665, 3690, 4377-4379, 6751). When man is regenerated by the Lord, he is first in a state of external innocence, which is his state of infancy, and is afterwards successively led into a state of internal innocence, which is his state of wisdom (n. 9334-9335, 10021, 10210). The nature and quality of the innocence of infancy, and of the innocence of wisdom (n. 1616, 2305-2306, , 34944563, 4797, 5608, , 930110021). A comparison between the regeneration of man, and the conception and formation of an embryo in the womb (n. 3570, 4931, 9258). Therefore "generations and nativities" in the Word signify spiritual generations and nativities, which belong to regeneration (n. 613, 1145, 1255, 2020, 2584, 3860, 3868, 4070, 4668, 6239, 10204). The regeneration of man illustrated by the germinations in the vegetable kingdom (n. 5115-5116). The regeneration of man represented in the rainbow (n. 1042-1043, 1053).

The internal or spiritual man, and the external or natural man, must each of them be regenerated, and the one by means of the other (n. 3868, 3870, 3872, 3876-3877, 3882). The internal man must be regenerated before the external, since the internal man is in the light of heaven, and the external man in the light of the world (n. 3321, 3325, 3469, 3493, 4353, 8746, 9325). The external or natural man is regenerated by means of the internal or spiritual (n. 3286, 3288, 3321). Man is not regenerate before the external or natural man is regenerated (n. 8742-8747, 9043, 9046, 9061, 9325, 9334). The spiritual man is shut unless the natural man is regenerated (n. 6299). And it is as it were blind as to the truths and goods of faith and love (n. 3493, 3969, 4353, 4588). When the natural man is regenerated the whole man is regenerated (n. 7442-7443). This is signified by "the washing of the disciples' feet," and by these words of the Lord:

He that is washed hath no need to be washed except as to his feet, and the whole is clean (John 13:9, 10; n. 10243).

"Washing" in the Word signifies spiritual washing, which is purification from evils and falsities (n. 3147, 10237, 10241). And "feet" signify those things that are of the natural man (n. 2162[1-16], 3761, 3986, 4280, 4938-4952). Therefore "to wash the feet," is to purify the natural man (n. 3147, 10241).

How the natural man is regenerated (n. 3502, 3508-3509, 3518, 3573, 3576, 3579, 3616, 3762, 3786, 5373, 5647, 5650-5651, 5660). The quality of the natural man when it is regenerated, and when it is not regenerated (n. 8744-8745). So far as the natural man does not combat with the spiritual man, so far the man is regenerated (n. 3286). When a man is regenerated, the natural man perceives spiritual things by influx (n. 5651).

The sensual, which is the ultimate of the natural man, is not regenerated at this day, but man is elevated above it (n. 7442). All who are regenerated are actually elevated from the sensual into the light of heaven (n. 6183, 6454). The nature and quality of the sensual man may be seen in the extracts above (n. 50).

Man is regenerated by influx into the knowledges of good and truth which he has (n. 4096-4097, 4364). When man is regenerated, he is introduced through mediate goods and truths into genuine goods and truths, and afterwards the mediate goods and truths are left, and the genuine succeed in their place (n. 3665, 3686, 3690, 3974, 4063, 4067, 4145, 6384, 9382). Then another order is induced amongst truths and goods (n. 4250-4251, 9931, 10303). They are disposed according to ends (n. 4104). Thus according to the uses of spiritual life (n. 9297). They who are regenerated undergo many states, and are continually brought more interiorly into heaven, thus nearer to the Lord (n. 6645). The regenerate man is in the order of heaven (n. 8512). His internal is open into heaven (n. 8512, 8513). Man by regeneration comes into angelic intelligence, which, however, lies concealed in his interiors so long as he remains in the world, but is opened in the other life, and his wisdom is then like that of the angels (n. 2494, 8747). The states as to enlightenment of those who are regenerated described (n. 2697, 2701-2704). By regeneration man receives a new understanding (n. 2657). How the case is with respect to the fructification of good, and the multiplication of truth, with those who are regenerated (n. 984). With a regenerate person truths from good form as it were a constellation by successive derivations, and continually multiply themselves round about (n. 5912). With a regenerate person, truths from good are disposed into such order, that the genuine truths of good, from which, as their parents, the rest proceed, are in the middle, whilst the rest succeed in order according to their relationship and affinities, even to the ultimates, where there is obscurity (n. 4129, 4551-4552, 5134, 5270). With a regenerate person truths from good are arranged in the form of heaven (n. 3316, 3470, 3584, 4302, 5704, 5709, 6028, 6690, 9931, 10303); and in the work on Heaven and Hell, under the article Concerning the Form of Heaven, according to which are the consociations and communications there (n. 200-212); and Concerning the Wisdom of the Angels of Heaven (n. 265-275).

With a regenerate person, there is a correspondence between spiritual things and natural things (n. 2850). His order of life is altogether inverted (n. 3332, 5159, 8995). He is altogether a new man as to his spirit (n. 3212). He appears like the unregenerate man as to externals, but not as to internals (n. 5159). Spiritual good, which is to will and to do good from the affection of the love of good, can only be given to man by means of regeneration (n. 4538). Truths, which enter with affection, are reproduced (n. 5893). Truths, so far as they are deprived of life from the proprium of man, are so far conjoined to good, and receive spiritual life (n. 3607, 3610). So far as evils from the love of self and the love of the world are removed, so far there is life in truths (n. 3610).

The first affection of truth with the man who is regenerated is not pure, but is purified successively (n. 3089, 8413). Evils and falsities, with the man who is regenerated, are removed slowly, and not quickly (n. 9334-9335). The evils and falsities of the proprium of man still remain, and are only removed by regeneration (n. 865, 868, 887, 929, 1581, 2406, 4564, 8206, 8393, 8988, 9014, 9333-9336, 9445, 9447-9448, 9451-9454, 9938, 10057, 10060). Man can never be so far regenerated as to be called perfect (n. 894, 5122, 6648). Evil spirits dare not assault the regenerate (n. 1695). They who believe the justification taught in the church, know little of regeneration (n. 5398).

Man must have freedom, to be capable of being regenerated (n. 1937, 1947, 2876, 2881, 3145-3146, 3158, 4031, 8700). Man is introduced into heavenly freedom by regeneration (n. 2874-2875, 2882, 2892). There is no conjunction of good and truth by compulsion, and thus no regeneration (n. 2875, 2881, 4031, 8700). Other particulars respecting freedom as it regards regeneration, may be seen in the doctrine above, where it treats of Freedom.

He who is regenerated, must necessarily undergo temptations (n. 3696[1-5], 8403). Because temptations take place for the sake of the conjunction of good and truth, and also on account of the conjunction of the internal and the external man (n. 4248, 4272, 5773).

868. 'Until the waters dried up from over the earth' means the apparent dispersal of falsities. This is clear from a person's state when he is being regenerated. Nowadays everyone imagines that evils and falsities with a person are totally dispersed and done away with when he is being regenerated, so that when he has been regenerated no evil or falsity is left, and he is therefore clean and righteous, like someone washed and made clean with water. But this is completely false. Not a single evil nor a single falsity is ever dispersed so as to be done away with. Instead everything fixed in him by heredity since infancy and everything he has acquired through his own actions remains. As a consequence, even though he has been regenerated a person is still nothing but evil and falsity, as is forcibly demonstrated to souls after death. From this it also becomes quite clear that no one has any good or any truth at all unless it derives from the Lord, and that all a person's evil and falsity derive from the proprium, and that man, a spirit too, and even an angel, if left in the smallest degree to himself, of himself rushes headlong towards hell. This also is why in the Word it is said that heaven is not pure. ¹ This the angels acknowledge, and anyone who does not do so cannot be among them. It is the Lord's mercy alone which gives them freedom, indeed it raises them up from hell, and withholds them from it and from rushing back there if left to themselves. The fact that they are withheld by the Lord to prevent them rushing into hell, angels perceive clearly, as also do good spirits to a limited extent. Evil spirits however, like men, do not believe this, even though they have been shown it many times, as in the Lord's Divine mercy will be described from experience further on.

[2] Man's state therefore being such that no evil or falsity can possibly be so dispersed as to be done away with, because the life which is his own consists in evil and falsity, the Lord in His Divine mercy so subdues a person's evils and falsities by means of temptations while He is regenerating him that they do seem to be dead. They are not dead however, only subdued so that they are unable to fight against the goods and truths that have been derived from the Lord. At that time by means of temptations the Lord also gives him a new ability to receive goods and truths. He does so by granting him ideas of and affections for good and truth towards which evils and falsities can be turned, and by instilling into his general concepts of things - dealt with already - the details and the finer points to such details, which have been stored away in the individual and of which he knows nothing at all, since they are interior to the sphere of his comprehension and perception. The nature of these things is such that they are able to serve as receptacles or vessels, so that charity can be instilled in them by the Lord, and innocence in charity. Through the remarkable combination of these things with a man, spirit, or angel, a kind of rainbow can be represented, and this is why the rainbow became a sign of the covenant, see Chapter 9:12-16, to be dealt with, in the Lord's Divine mercy, when those verses are explained. When a person has been so formed he is said to be regenerated. All his evils and falsities still remain, as also do all his truths and goods that have been preserved. In the case of an evil person, all his evils and falsities, exactly as these existed with him during his lifetime, reappear in the next life and are converted into delusions and hellish punishments. But in the case of a good person, all his states of good and truth, such as those of friendship, charity, and innocence, together with their joys and delights - now increased and multiplied immensely - are recalled in the next life. These are the things meant by 'the waters drying up', namely the apparent dispersal of falsities.

Сноски: