866. (Verse 5) And in their mouth was found no guile. That this signifies that they were averse to think of and persuade to falsities, is evident from the signification of the mouth, as denoting thought and speech therefrom; consequently also persuasion; concerning which see above (n. 580, 782, 794); and from the signification of guile, as denoting deliberately to deceive and lead astray, thus from an intention of the will; consequently, from the mind (animus), to think and persuade to falsities, which destroy a man for ever. That such things have no existence with those who are led by the Lord, or follow Him, is signified by no guile being found in their mouth. For the Lord is Divine truth united to Divine good; and in both of these are all those who are in the Lord; and these are they who acknowledge His Divine Human and do His precepts. And because to think falsities is to be in opposition to Divine truth, and to desire to persuade to belief in them is contrary to Divine good, therefore they are averse to so doing.

[2] What guile in the Word signifies besides is evident from passages where it is mentioned. As in the following:

In John:

Jesus said of Nathanael as he was coming to him, "Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile" (John 1:47).

By an Israelite is signified one who is in the good of charity, and, by virtue of this, is in truths; thus one who is in truths from good. These also are meant by the hundred and forty and four thousand who follow the Lord, in whose mouth is found no guile; by guile therefore in that place the same things are signified.

[3] In Zephaniah:

"The remnant of Israel shall not do perversity, nor speak a lie, neither shall a tongue of guile be found in their mouth" (3:13).

By the remnant of Israel are meant those who are in spiritual faith, because in the good of charity; similarly by the true Israelite. By speaking a lie is signified to teach falsity from ignorance of the truth; but by guile is signified falsity, not from ignorance, but from a deliberate purpose to deceive; as is the case with the impious.

[4] Similarly in the following passages:

"He did no violence, neither was guile in his mouth" (Isaiah 53:9).

This is spoken of the Lord:

"He shall redeem their soul from guile and violence" (Psalm 72:14).

"The rich men are filled with violence, and the inhabitants thereof speak a lie, and as to their tongue, guile is in their mouth" (Micah 6:12).

"They fill their master's house with violence and guile" (Zeph. 1:9).

"Men of bloods and of guile shall not live out half their days" (Psalm 55:23).

"Thou shalt destroy them that speak a lie; the man of bloods and of guile Jehovah will abhor" (Psalm 5:6).

By violence and blood is signified the perversion of truth and the falsification of the Word; and by guile doing these things from a deliberate purpose.

"Jehovah, turn an ear to my prayers, which are apart from lips of guile" (Psalm 17:1).

"Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile" (Psalm 34:13).

"If my lips should speak iniquity, and my tongue should speak guile" (Job 27:4).

"Jehovah, deliver my soul from lying lips, from the tongue of guile; what shall he give to thee, what shall he add to thee, thou tongue of guile?" (Psalm 120:2, 3).

"Thou openest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth guile" (Psalm 50:19).

"The mouth of the wicked, the mouth of the guileful, have opened against me; they have spoken against me with a lying tongue" (Psalm 109:2).

"Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs as a sharp razor, working guile" (Psalm 52:2, 4).

"They mock every one his companion, and they speak not truth; they have taught their tongue to speak a lie; thy dwelling is in the midst of guile, by reason of guile they have refused to know me" (Jeremiah 9:5, 6).

By the lips and tongue with which they speak a lie and guile, is signified thought with the intention to persuade to falsities against truths, and of leading astray; for the lips and the tongue signify the same as the mouth.

"Blessed is the man to whom Jehovah imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile" (Psalm 32:2).

"The words of his mouth are iniquity and guile; he ceaseth from understanding and doing good" (Psalm 36:3).

"To speak iniquity, and talk guile" (Job 13:7).

Here iniquity refers to evil, and guile to falsity therefrom.

"From the man of guile and perversity, deliver me, O Jehovah" (Psalm 43:1).

"He that is clean in hands and pure in heart, who lifteth not up his soul to vanity, and sweareth not with guile" (Psalm 24:4).

"Against the quiet in the land they think words of guile; they opened their mouth exceedingly against me" (Psalm 35:20, 21).

"Wickedness is in the midst thereof; fraud and guile depart not from her street" (Psalm 55:11).

"Thou hast trodden down all them that err from thy statutes; for their guile is a lie" (Psalm 119:118).

"This people turneth itself away; Jerusalem continues averse; they retain guile; they refuse to return; I have attended and heard, but they speak not right" (Jeremiah 8:5, 6).

Guile in these passages does not mean guile in the natural sense, which consists in fraudulent contrivances and malicious falsehood against another; but guile in the spiritual sense, by which is meant thought from the intention of the will, or from a deliberate purpose of speaking and persuading to falsities, and thereby destroying the soul.

[5] To the same purpose it is said of the prophets in Jeremiah:

"Is it not in the heart of the prophets that prophesy a lie; and of the prophets of the guile of their own heart?" (23:26).

In the same:

"The prophets prophesy unto you a vision of falsehood and divinations, and a thing of nought, and the guile of their own heart" (14:14).

By prophets, in the spiritual sense, are meant those who teach truths from the Word, and doctrine; and hence in the abstract sense, the Word itself as to doctrine is signified by them. Therefore, in the opposite sense, as in these passages, they signify those who teach falsities, thus those who falsify the truths of the Word; and to do this from a deliberate purpose is meant by the guile of their heart.

[6] That by guile, in the spiritual sense, is meant the falsification of the truths of the Word from a deliberate purpose, also from the lust of leading astray, is evident in Hosea:

"Ephraim hath compassed me about with a lie, and the house of Israel with guile" (Hosea 11:12).

By Ephraim is signified the understanding of the truths of the church, and by the house of Israel the church itself; whence by guile and a lie is signified to persuade to falsities from a deliberate purpose and desire.

[7] In the same:

"They are become as deceitful bows; their princes shall fall by the sword, from the rage of their tongue" (Hosea 7:16).

And in David:

"They are turned aside as deceitful bows" (Psalm 78:57).

They are compared to a deceitful bow, because by a bow is signified doctrine combating, in both senses; that is, the doctrine of falsity fighting against truth, and of truth against falsity. For arrows and darts signify falsities or truths, by which combat is maintained. That such things are signified by bow and by darts, may be seen above (n. 357). From these things it is again evident that by guile is meant, in the spiritual sense, guile, which is in opposition to the truths and goods of the Word and of the church, thus it is the will and lust to destroy them.

[8] That the will and lust to destroy the truths and goods of the Word, of doctrine, and of the church, thus of destroying them from a deliberate purpose, is signified by guile, is evident in Jeremiah:

"They speculate as he that setteth snares; they set a trap that they may catch men; as a cage full of birds, so their houses are full of guile" (5:26, 27).

In Moses:

"If a man have a purpose against his neighbour to slay him with guile, thou shalt take him away from mine altar" (Ex. 21:14).

And because it was so grievous a sin, therefore it is said in Jeremiah:

"Cursed is he who doeth the work of Jehovah with guile (48:10).

The reason why guile was so grievous a crime is, that deliberate purpose is of the will; and whatever is of the will is of the man himself, and is called the evil of his heart. For the will is the man himself; but the thought before consent, which is of the will, is not in man, but external to him; because the things that flow into the thought are as objects which flow from the world into the sight, some of which are pleasing and some not; and those which do please enter the delight of his life, but those which do not please are rejected. This is the case with every thing that flows into man's internal sight, which belongs to the understanding and the thought therefrom. If it is pleasing it enters the will, and adds itself to its life; but if it is not pleasing, it is rejected.

[9] It must be observed that all evil persons have the intention and lust, and therefore the will, to destroy the truths of heaven and the church by falsities. The reason is, that they are conjoined to hell; and the infernals, from the delight of their love, burn with the lust to destroy all things of heaven and the church, and this by the most crafty devices, which they artfully contrive, and carry out in a wonderful way; if I should describe these from experience, they would fill many pages. It was made evident therefore that guile in general signifies all evil of intention to destroy truths by means of falsities.

In addition to this, see what is written concerning guile in the Arcana Coelestia; where it is shown that guile destroys everything pertaining to the spiritual and interior life in man (n. 9013); that guile, fraud, and simulation were regarded by the ancients as monstrous crimes (n. 3573); that the deceitful, when viewed by the angels, appear like serpents and vipers (n. 4533); that they are also meant by serpents and vipers, in the Word (n. 9013); that poison, in the Word, signifies guile (n. 9013).

Concerning the punishments of those who have insidiously deceived others by guile, see in the same work (n. 831, 957, 958, 959, 960, 1273); concerning their hells (n. 830, 831, 947, 4951).

794. (Verse 5)) And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies. That this signifies doctrine destroying the goods of the Word, and its truths utterly, is evident from the signification of mouth, as denoting doctrine, from which is instruction, preaching, and reasoning (concerning which see above, n.782). The reason why doctrine is signified by the mouth of the beast is, that in the verse just preceding it was said that they worshipped the dragon and his beast; and this signified the acknowledgment of that dogma, and its reception in doctrine; and because it was also said above, that the mouth of that beast was as the mouth of a lion; and this signified instruction, preaching, and reasoning, which are from doctrine received; and from the signification of speaking great things, as denoting to teach evils which are destructive of the goods of the Word. For great, in the Word, is said of good, and, in the opposite sense, of evil; but much is said of truth, and, in the opposite sense, of falsity (as may be seen above, n. 336, 337, 424). Because by the beast are meant those who, by reasonings, separate faith from life, and those who do this destroy the goods of the Word; and since by his mouth is signified their doctrine, therefore, by speaking great things is signified to destroy the goods of the Word; and from the signification of speaking blasphemies, as denoting to falsify the truths of the World (concerning which see above, n. 778).

From these things it is clear that by a mouth being given to him speaking great things is signified doctrine destroying the goods of the Word, and falsifying its truths utterly. The reason why it is said, falsifying its truths utterly is, that the falsification of the Word, even to the destruction of Divine truth, such as it is in the heavens and in the spiritual sense of the Word, is signified by blasphemy (as may be seen above, n. 778); and this is meant by falsifying truths utterly.

[2] It is said, that by the mouth of the beast speaking great things, is signified doctrine, and thence instruction, preaching, and reasoning, destroying the goods of the Word; therefore it shall be explained by what means this destruction is effected. They are principally destroyed by this, that they teach that faith without good works justifies and saves, and this they confirm by the following reasoning. No one can do good of himself; and the good which a man does of himself cannot be other than merit-seeking. And this they also establish from the Word, especially from the parable concerning the Pharisee and publican praying in the temple, saying, that

The latter was justified merely by saying, "God be merciful to me a sinner."

And that the Pharisee was not justified who said that

He was not an extortioner, unjust, an adulterer, as others were, and that he fasted twice in the week, and gave tithes of all that he possessed (Luke 18:10-14).

And also from these words of the Lord:

"Doth the master thank the servant for doing those things which were commanded him? I trow not; so likewise ye, when ye shall have done all things which are commanded you, say, Truly we are unprofitable servants, for we have done that which it was our duty to do" (Luke 17:9, 10).

Those, however, who conclude from these words that there is nothing of justification and salvation in good works, but in faith alone, err greatly; they do not know what good works are. For there are works done by man that are not good; and there are works done by the Lord through man that are good. Both, however, appear similar in the external form, but in the internal they are entirely dissimilar. The works which the Pharisee enumerated were works done by himself, and thence also merit-seeking. The works which servants do from command are similar; and nevertheless they are called useless and unprofitable.

[3] It shall now therefore be explained, how works are done by man himself, and how they are done by the Lord in man; also how the latter are distinguished from the former. It was shown above (n. 790) that man has two minds, one spiritual, the other natural. The spiritual mind is what is called the internal and spiritual man, and the natural mind is what is called the external and natural man. And because man has a spiritual internal and a natural external, and since the internal is conjoined with heaven and the external with the world, it follows, that whatever a man does from this internal through the external he does from heaven, that is, through heaven from the Lord. On the other hand, whatever a man does by the external without the internal, he does of himself. This is meant by the Lord's words in Luke:

"Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and platter, but your inward part is full of extortion and wickedness. Ye fools; did not he who made that which is without, make that which is within also? But rather give alms of such things as ye have, and behold all things are clean unto you" (11:39, 40, 41).

It is said, the outside of the cup and platter, and the inside thereof, because by the cup is meant the same as by wine, and by the plate the same as by food; wine also signifies truth, and food signifies good. It is said, also, give alms, and this signifies love and charity.

From these things it is clear that whatever man does from the external alone is unclean, but whatever he does from a purified internal through the external is clean. For the latter is from the Lord; but the former from man. A few examples may serve to throw light on this point.

The internal is the same thing as to do good for the sake of good, to speak truth for the sake of truth, to act sincerely for the sake of sincerity, and to do justice for the sake of justice. He who does good for the sake of good does good from good, thus from the Lord, who is Good itself, and from whom all good is derived. Thus also, he who speaks truth for the sake of truth, speaks truth from truth, thus from the Lord, who is the Truth itself, and from whom all truth comes. Similarly he who acts sincerely for the sake of sincerity, and acts justly for the sake of justice. For sincerity pertains to moral good and truth, and justice to civil good and truth; and all good and truth is from the Lord, and not from man, because they proceed from the internal by way of the external. If, on the other hand, man does and speaks what is good, true, sincere, and just, for the sake of himself and the world, he acts and speaks from himself, because from the external man without the internal. Such deeds or works are all evil. And if heaven is regarded in them, they are merit-seeking, and all consequently iniquitous.

Whether works are from the Lord or from man, cannot be distinguished by any one in the world, because both appear alike in the external form; but they are distinguished solely by the Lord, and after man's life in the world is ended, it is discovered from what origin they are

(Matthew 10:26, 27; Mark 4:22; Luke 8:17; 12:2, 3, 8, 9).

But how an internal is given to man, and an external from the internal, may be seen above (n. 790).

[4] From these considerations it is now evident, that were man to fulfil all things of the law from himself; for example, were he to give much to the poor, do good to widows and orphans, assist the needy, in fact, were he to give food to the hungry, and drink to the thirsty, take in strangers, clothe the naked, and visit the sick and those who are in prison; if he should preach and teach the gospel, convert the gentiles, frequent temples, hear preaching devoutly, attend the sacrament of the Supper frequently in the year, implore [God] in prayers, and other things of a like nature, and his inner man be not purified from the love of ruling and from the conceit of his own intelligence, from contempt of others, from hatred and revenge, from craftiness and malice, from insincerity and injustice, from the lasciviousness of adultery, and from other evils and the falsities therefrom; still all these works would be hypocritical, and from the man himself and not from the Lord. On the other hand, these same works, when the internal is purified, are all good, because they are from the Lord in man. This has been testified to me from a thousand examples in the spiritual world. I have there heard several who were permitted to call to mind their actions during their life in the world, and to enumerate the good deeds they had done; but when their internal was opened, it was discovered to be full of every kind of evil, and the falsity arising therefrom; and it was then revealed to them, that the good deeds which they had enumerated they had done from themselves, because for the sake of themselves and the world.

The case, however, is different with those who have abstained from doing evils, from the Word; and have afterwards shunned and become averse to them on account of their being sins, and contrary to love to God, and to charity towards their neighbor; the works of such persons, although, in the external form, they appeared similar to the works of those who have been treated of above, and also were in like manner perceived as if they were done from themselves, were all good. These are the works that are meant by works in the Word, which make man spiritual, and happy to eternity. It is these which cannot by any means be separated from faith. For faith, if these should be separated, would be dead; and a dead faith is a faith of falsity from evil.