1. THE DOCTRINE OF THE NEW JERUSALEM REGARDING FAITH

Faith is an Internal Acknowledgment of Truth

Faith today is taken to mean no more than the thought that a thing is so because it is something the church teaches, and because it is not evident to the intellect. For we are told, "Believe and do not doubt." If we reply, "I do not understand," we are told that that is why it should be believed.

Faith today is therefore a faith in the unknown and may be termed a blind faith. Moreover, because it is one person’s assertion received by another, it is an inherited faith. We will see in what follows that that is not a spiritual faith.

345. [337.] On Foods

There were some in the lowest heaven whose atmosphere above had the appearance of water. I spoke with them, and they said that they have choice foodstuffs, and that they take these from the table and save them till evening, and so eat them at their pleasure, but that they are not allowed to hoard them till morning. This prohibition is what is meant in the Lord's prayer by the phrase, "Give us our daily bread," and by what is said of the manna, that worms bred in it when it was kept; ¹ also by the people's being commanded to burn the remainder of the passover lamb, ² neither to leave any remnant from the sacrifices, ³ and to set out new loaves of bread in the Tabernacle every day. ⁴

The reason is apparent from this, namely, that everyone is provided with spiritual bread daily by the Lord, and that it is not given him as something his own, thus that people should have no concern for tomorrow as to what they will eat or drink. ⁵

In this way and in no other are spirits kept in their employments and in their life and faith. Nothing is given to the evil, but only to those who have been engaged in work. In this way, too, are all held in bonds. It is how every useful endeavor is rewarded.

[Marginal Note]

Some are fed at the tables of others, but those who are evil and idle sit at the table and do not see the food.

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