763. And the serpent cast out of his mouth after the woman water as a river.- That this signifies crafty reasonings in abundance concerning justification by faith alone from those who think sensually and not spiritually, is evident from the signification of a serpent, as denoting those who are sensual, and in an abstract sense the sensual, which is the ultimate of the natural in man (concerning which see above, n. 70, 581, 739; that dragons also denote the sensual may be seen above, n. 714); from the signification of the woman, as denoting the church, which will be the New Jerusalem, and is treated of above; from the signification of mouth, as denoting thought, from which speech flows (concerning which also see above, n. 580); from the signification of water, as denoting the truth of faith, and, in the opposite sense, falsity (concerning which see above, n. 483, 518, 537, 538); from the signification of a river, as denoting intelligence from the understanding of truth, and, in the opposite sense, reasoning from falsities (concerning which also see above, n. 518); therefore by casting out water as a river is signified reasoning from falsities in abundance. Crafty reasonings about justification by faith alone by those who think sensually and not spiritually, are here meant, because by the dragon are meant those who defend justification by faith alone, and who are sensual, and therefore think and reason sensually and not spiritually (that the dragon signifies those who defend justification by faith alone may be seen above, n. 714). This is meant because dragons and serpents signify the sensual, and because sensual men are crafty beyond others, and reason keenly from fallacies and falsities. That the dragon and serpent, in an abstract sense, signify craftiness, may be seen above (n. 715, 739, 581). It is evident then from these things what is signified by the dragon casting out of his mouth after the woman water as a river.
[2] Because such things are signified, something shall also be said about the crafty reasonings of such in favour of justification by faith alone. Their dogma is, that man is justified and saved by faith alone without the works of the law, which are goods of charity. But because in the Word of both Testaments they find works and deeds so frequently mentioned, as well as doing and loving, they cannot help saying that a man ought to live well; but because they have separated works or deeds from faith, as of no justifying or saving value, therefore they craftily bring these and faith together, but in such a manner that they rather separate than conjoin them. But their reasonings are too abundant and too crafty to be stated in a few words, they shall therefore be referred to in detail in a small work on Spiritual Faith, and be so presented as to be accommodated to the apprehension of even the simple. It is commonly believed - and they themselves who defend justification by faith alone also believe it - that these think and reason spiritually, because cleverly and craftily. But let it be understood that none can think and reason spiritually but those who are enlightened by the Lord, and who, therefore, are in the spiritual affection for truth; for such only are in the light of truth, and the light of truth is the light of heaven, from which the angels have intelligence and wisdom; it is that light which is called spiritual light, and consequently those who are in it are spiritual. But those who are in falsities, however acutely and subtly they may think and reason, are not spiritual, but natural, in fact they are sensual, for their thoughts, and the reasonings therefrom, are for the most part from the fallacies of the senses, which some adorn with eloquence, embellish with the flowers of rhetoric, and corroborate by appearances from nature alone; while others adduce facts (scientifica) and adapt them to their reasonings, and proclaim them from a fire of self-love and from the pride which they have in their own intelligence, thus with an intonation that seems like affection for truth. In such things does their craftiness consist, which appears like wisdom to those who cannot or dare not enter from any understanding into the things that pertain to the church and the Word. Sensual men have the ability to think, speak, and act, with so much craftiness, because all evil resides in a man's Sensual, and in it cunning is as predominant as intelligence is in the spiritual man. This has been made evident to me from the cunning of the infernals, which is of such a nature, and so great, that it cannot possibly be described; and in the hells all are sensual. This is the meaning of the Lord's words in Luke:
"The sons of this age in their generation are wiser (prudentiores) than the sons of light" (16:8);
and by these words concerning the serpent in Moses:
"The serpent was more crafty than any wild beast of the field, which Jehovah God made" (Genesis 3:1);
the serpent signifies man's Sensual. 1
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