2707. And he grew. That this signifies increase, is evident without explication.
Matthew 3
1
In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
2
And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
3
For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
4
And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.
5
Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,
6
And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.
7
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8
Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
9
And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
10
And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
11
I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
12
Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
13
Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
14
But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
15
And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
16
And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
17
And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Arcana Coelestia #337
337. THE INTERNAL SENSE
As this chapter treats of the degeneration of the Most Ancient Church, or the falsification of its doctrine, and consequently of its heresies and sects, under the names of Cain and his descendants, it is to be observed that there is no possibility of understanding how doctrine was falsified, or what was the nature of the heresies and sects of that church, unless the nature of the true church be rightly understood. Enough has been said above concerning the Most Ancient Church, showing that it was a celestial man, and that it acknowledged no other faith than that which was of love to the Lord and toward the neighbor. Through this love they had faith from the Lord, or a perception of all the things that belonged to faith, and for this reason they were unwilling to mention faith, lest it should be separated from love, as was shown above n. 200, 203).
[2] Such is the celestial man, and such he is described by representatives in David, where the Lord is spoken of as the king, and the celestial man as the king’s son:
Give the king Thy judgments, and Thy righteousness to the king’s son. The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the hills in righteousness. They shall fear Thee with the sun, and toward the faces of the moon, generation of generations. In his days shall the righteous flourish, and abundance of peace, until there be no moon (Psalms 72:1, 3, 5, 7).
By the “sun” is signified love; by the “moon” faith; by “mountains” and “hills” the Most Ancient Church; by “generation of generations” the churches after the flood; “until there be no moon” is said because faith shall be love. (See also what is said in Isaiah 30:26.)
[3] Such was the Most Ancient Church, and such was its doctrine. But the case is far different at this day, for now faith takes precedence over charity, but still through faith charity is given by the Lord, and then charity becomes the principal. It follows from this that in the most ancient time doctrine was falsified when they made confession of faith, and thus separated it from love. Those who falsified doctrine in this way, or separated faith from love, or made confession of faith alone, were then called “Cain;” and such a thing was then regarded as an enormity.
