Blaspheming Truth Divine, that is, of The Word and Its Derivative Doctrine

Selection from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

Truth Divine is the Word, and the doctrine of the church is the truth thence derived.

A few words may be said about the blaspheming of truth Divine. Truth Divine is the Word, and is doctrine from the Word. Those blaspheme who at heart deny these, even though with the mouth they may praise the Word, and preach it. The blasphemy is hidden in the denial, and it emerges when they are left by themselves, especially in the other life; for there hearts speak, after outward things have been removed.

Those who blaspheme, that is, deny the Word, are unable to receive anything of the truth and good of faith; for the Word teaches the existence of the Lord, of heaven and hell, of the life after death, of faith and charity, and of many other things, which without the Word, that is, without revelation, would be quite unknown —

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It is believed in the world that a man is able to know from the light of nature, thus without revelation, many things that belong to religion; as that there is a God, that He is to be worshipped, and also that He is to be loved, likewise that man will live after death, and many other things that depend upon these; and yet these things being such as are from self-intelligence. But I have been instructed by much experience that of himself, and without revelation, man knows nothing whatever about Divine things, and about the things that belong to heavenly and spiritual life. For man is born into the evils of the love of self and of the world, which are of such a nature that they shut out the influx from the heavens, and open influx from the hells; thus such as make man blind, and incline him to deny that there is a Divine, that there is a heaven and a hell, and that there is a life after death. This is very manifest from the learned in the world, who by means of knowledges have carried the light of their nature above the light of others; for it is known that these deny the Divine, and acknowledge nature in place of the Divine, more than others; and also that when they speak from the heart, and not from doctrine, they deny the life after death, likewise heaven and hell, consequently all things of faith, which they call bonds for the common people. From this it is plain what is the quality of the light of nature without revelation. It has also been shown that many who have written upon natural theology, and from the light of their nature have skillfully confirmed those things which belonged to the doctrine of their church, in the other life at heart deny these same things more than others do; and also deny the Word itself, which they attempt utterly to destroy; for in the other life hearts speak. It has also been shown that the same can receive nothing of influx out of heaven, but only from the hells. Hence it was plain what is the quality of the light of nature without revelation; consequently what is the quality of that which comes from man's own intelligence.

But two considerations have arisen which bring the mind into doubt upon this subject:

• first, that the ancients who were Gentiles nevertheless knew that there is a Divine, that this is to be worshiped, and that man as to the soul is immortal

• second, that these things are known also to many nations at this day, with whom there is no revelation.

But as regards the ancients, they did not know these things from the light of their own nature, but from revelation, which had spread from the church even unto them; for the Lord's church had been in the land of Canaan from the most ancient times. From this source such things as pertained to Divine worship spread to the nations round about, and likewise to the neighboring Greeks, and from these to the Italians or Romans. From this source both Greeks and Romans had knowledges about the Supreme Deity, and the immortality of the soul, of which their learned men wrote.

As regards the nations at this day who also know that there is a Divine, and that there is a life after death, these have not had this knowledge from the light of their own nature, but from a religiosity derived by them from ancient times, which had been founded on such things as had spread in various ways from the church, which had revelation. This was of the Lord's Divine Providence. Moreover, those of them who from their religiosity acknowledge a Divine over all things, and from their religiosity perform the duties of charity to their neighbor, when instructed in the other life receive the truths of faith, and are saved. (Arcana Coelestia 8944)

and therefore those who deny the Word cannot receive anything of what the Word teaches; for when they either read or hear it, a negative attitude presents itself, which either extinguishes the truth, or turns it into falsity.

Wherefore the very first thing with the man of the church is to believe the Word; and this is the chief thing with him who is in the truth of faith and the good of charity. But with those who are in the evils of the love of self and of the world, the chief thing is not to believe the Word, for they reject it the moment they think about it, and likewise blaspheme it. If a man were to see the magnitude and the nature of the blasphemies against the Word that exist with those who are in the evils of these loves, he would be horrified. While the man himself is in the world he is not aware of this, because these blasphemies are hidden behind the ideas of that active thought which with men passes into speech. Nevertheless they are revealed in the other life, and appear horrible.

Blasphemies are of two kinds—

• there are those which come forth from the understanding and not at the same time from the will

• those which come forth from the will through the understanding.

It is these latter blasphemies which are so horrible; but not the former. Those which come forth from the will through the understanding are from evil of life; but those which come forth from the understanding only, and not at the same time from the will, are from falsity of doctrine, or from the fallacies of the external senses, which deceive a man who is held fast in ignorance. These things have been said in order that it may be known how the case is with the blaspheming of truth Divine, that is, of the Word and its derivative doctrine, which is signified by "cursing God and execrating a prince of the people."

(from Arcana Coelestia 9222)

Being Affected by Instruction

Selection from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

It is believed that charity toward the neighbor consists in giving to the poor, in helping the needy, and in doing good to everyone without exception. Nevertheless genuine charity consists in acting prudently, and to the end that good may come thereby. He who helps any poor or needy rogue, does evil to his neighbor through him, for by the help which he affords he confirms him in evil, and supplies him with the means of doing evil to others. It is otherwise with him who gives assistance to the good.

But charity toward the neighbor extends much more widely than to the poor and needy. Charity toward the neighbor consists in doing right in every work, and one's duty in every office.

If a judge does what is just for the sake of justice, he exercises charity toward the neighbor; if he punishes the guilty and acquits the guiltless, he exercises charity toward the neighbor, for he thus consults the welfare of his fellow-citizen, of his country, and also of the Lord's kingdom. By doing what is just for the sake of justice he consults the welfare of the Lord's kingdom; by acquitting the guiltless, he consults that of his fellow-citizen; and by punishing the guilty, that of his country.

The priest who teaches truth, and leads to good, for the sake of truth and good, exercises charity; but he who does such things for the sake of himself and the world does not exercise charity, because he does not love his neighbor, but himself. (Arcana Coelestia 8120, 8121)

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TO RECEIVE TRUTH FROM SOME OTHER SOURCE THAN ONE'S SELF

The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: But the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth. (Psalms 37:21)

"Borrowing" has this signification because in the spiritual world there are no other goods that are asked from others, and given, than those which are of intelligence and wisdom. There are indeed many other things offered to view, nay, things innumerable, but they are appearances arising from those things which are of intelligence and wisdom.

From this it is evident that "to borrow" denotes to be instructed by another, and thus to receive truths, or knowledges of truth and good, from some other source than one's self.

How this is shall be further explained.

A man is said to receive truths from himself when he infers them from the truths he has with him. In this case he conjoins them with those he formerly possessed. But in doing this he admits only those truths which agree together under the same good; for it is good that disposes truths into series and connects them together. Good is like the soul in man, and truths are like those things with which the soul clothes itself, and by means of which it acts. It is well known that each and all things in man live from his soul; and so also do the truths of faith live from the good of love to the Lord and of love toward the neighbor. If this good is not the soul of a man, but the good of the love of self or the love of the world, then the man is not a man, but a wild beast, and in the other life in the light of heaven he also appears as a wild beast; though in his own light, which at the approach of the light of heaven becomes thick darkness, he appears as a man. It is, however, to be understood that the Lord disposes truths into order in accordance with the good of the man's life.

A man is said to receive truths from some other source, when he is instructed by another; and if these truths do not agree together under the good in which he is, they are indeed stored up in his memory among memory-knowledges; but they do not become his - that is, of his faith - because they are of another stock.

When "borrowing" and "lending" are mentioned in the Word, there is signified to be instructed and to instruct from the affection of charity; as in Matthew:

Give to everyone that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away (Matt. 5:42);

it is evident that "asking" here does not mean asking, for it is said, "Give to everyone that asketh"; and that neither by "borrowing" is meant borrowing; for if a person were to give to everyone that asketh, and also to everyone that would borrow, he would be stripped of all his goods. But as the Lord spoke from the Divine, by "asking," and "wishing to borrow;" and by giving and receiving a loan, is meant the communication of heavenly goods, which are those of the knowledges of good and truth; for in regard to such a communication the fact is that the more an angel gives to another from the affection of charity, the more there flows in with him of the general good from heaven, that is, from the Lord.

When an angel does good to anyone, he also communicates to him his own good, good fortune, and bliss, and this with the desire to give the other everything, and to retain nothing. When he is in such communication, then good flows in unto him together with good fortune and bliss much more than he gives, and this with continual increase. But as soon as the thought occurs that he desires to communicate what he has for the sake of obtaining in himself this influx of good fortune and bliss, the influx is dissipated; and still more so if any thought comes in of recompense from him to whom he communicates his good. This it has been given me to know from much experience; and from this also it may be seen that the Lord is in every single thing, for the Lord is such that He wills to give Himself to all, and hence good fortune and bliss are increased with those who are images and likenesses of Him. (Arcana Coelestia 6478)

Thus by "giving to him that asketh," an angel is not deprived of goods, but is enriched with them. The case is the same with a man, when he does good to another from the affection of charity; but charity consists in giving to the good, and it is not charity to give to the evil what they ask and desire; according to these words in David:

The wicked borroweth, and restoreth not; but the righteous showeth mercy and giveth (Ps. 37:21).

And in Luke:

If ye lend to them from whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? Rather love your enemies, and do good, and lend, hope for nothing again; then shall your reward be great, and ye shall be the sons of the Highest (Luke 6:34-35).

Here also by "lending" is meant doing good from the affection of charity, and thus communicating the goods of heaven; and also the goods of the world, but the latter for the sake of the former as the end in view.

The affection of charity consists in communicating goods without any recompense as the end in view; but there is no affection of charity in communicating goods for the sake of recompense as the end in view.

The affection of charity consists in loving one's enemies, and in benefiting the evil; but enemies are loved and are benefited when they are instructed, and also when they are corrected by suitable means.

The exercise of charity is also signified by "lending," in Moses:

If thou shalt obey the voice of Jehovah, and shalt observe to do His commandments, thou shalt lend to many peoples, but thou shalt not borrow (Deut. 28:1, 12);

"to lend to many peoples" denotes to abound in the goods of intelligence and wisdom, and to communicate them to others out of this abundance; and not to be in need of the goods of others, because all things are given him by the Lord.

So in David:

A good man who hath mercy and lendeth, will maintain his words in judgment; for he will never be moved (Ps. 112:5-6);

by "having mercy and lending" is described the state of those who are in genuine charity.

ALL THE TRUTHS IN THE GENERAL FORM ARE DISPOSED UNDER THEIR GOOD

Truths "borrowed," that is, received from others  either have their good with them, or they have it not. The truths that have their good with them, are those which when heard affect the man; but those which have it not, are those which do not affect him. The truths which have their good with them, are meant by the borrowed things that are broken or die when their lord is with them. But the truths which have not their good with them, are meant by the borrowed things that are broken or die when their lord is not with them.

These latter truths can indeed be described, but not to the apprehension, except that of those who are in the light of heaven from the Lord. All others, who see only by the light of this world, that is, by natural light, will fail to comprehend them, because in respect to heavenly things they are in thick darkness; and if they seem to themselves to comprehend them, it is nevertheless from fallacies and things material, which rather cause obscurity and envelope in shadows, than impart light.

TRUTHS OF FAITH CONJOINED WITH THEIR GOOD, AND NOT CONJOINED WITH IT

Truths not conjoined are those learned from others, which enter no further than into the memory, and abide there as memory-knowledges, and are not perceived among those truths which are set in order in a general form under good. From all this it can in some measure be known in what angelic wisdom consists; for the angels not only comprehend how the case is with these things, but also at the same time countless things about them; and thus things of which a man does not even know that they exist, and still less what they are; for the angels are in the light of heaven, and the light of heaven has within itself infinite things, because the light of heaven is the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord. (from Arcana Coelestia 9174, 9176)

How Infinite are the Contents in Everything of the Word

Selections from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg
— SUCH AS IS A MAN'S QUALITY,
SUCH THE LORD APPEARS TO HIM —

Ye have heard that it has been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy; but I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that injure and persecute you, that ye may be the sons of your Father who is in the heavens. (Matt. 5:43-45)

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. (Matt. 6:13)

They who are not acquainted with the arcana of the Lord's kingdom suppose that the Lord casts the wicked into hell, or into such fire, which, as before said, is that of hatreds; but the case is very different, for it is the man himself, or the diabolical spirit himself, who casts himself down. But because it so appears it has been expressed in the Word according to the appearance, and indeed according to the fallacies of the senses; and especially was this necessary in the case of the Jews, who were unwilling to accept anything at all unless it were in accordance with the senses, whatever might be the fallacies thus involved. On this account the sense of the letter, especially in the prophecies, is full of such things. (Arcana Coelestia 1861:12)

The Lord is indeed present with everyone; for life is from no other source, and He governs the most minute things of it, even with the worst of men, and in hell itself; but in various ways according to the reception of life: —

• With those who receive the life of the love of His good and truth in a wrong manner, and pervert it into loves of evil and falsity, the Lord is present, and overrules their ends as far as possible for good; but His presence with them is called absence, and indeed in the same degree in which evil is distant from good, and falsity from truth.

• But with those who receive the life of the love of the Lord's good and truth, He is said to be present, and indeed according to the degree of reception.

It is with the Lord's presence as with that of the sun, which is present with its heat and light in the vegetation of the world also according to the reception. (from Arcana Coelestia 2706)

Good does not even know what hatred is, being the direct opposite thereof, and opposites are never possible in the same subject; but instead of hatred, good, or they who are in good, feel a kind of aversion; hence it is that "hatred" here in the internal sense denotes to be averse to; for the internal sense is principally for those who are in heaven, wherefore when it descends thence, and is derived into the literal sense, then, the historicals being of this nature, the affection of aversion falls into the expression "hatred," but yet in such a way that with those who are in heaven there is no idea of hatred. This case is like that which was related from experience in, Arcana Coelestia 1875 (below), concerning the words in the Lord's prayer, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil"; in that temptation and evil are rejected until what is purely angelic, that is, good, remains without any idea of temptation and of evil, and this with the adjunction of a species of indignation and aversion, in regard to evil being thought of when the Lord is thought of.

The case is the same when we read in the Word concerning Jehovah or the Lord "hating."

As in Zechariah:

Let none of you think evil in your heart of his neighbor; and love no lying oath; for all these are things that I hate, saith Jehovah (Zech. 8:17).

In Moses:

Thou shalt not set thee up a pillar, which Jehovah thy God hateth (Deut. 16:22).

In Jeremiah:

Mine heritage is become unto Me as a lion in the forest; she hath uttered her voice against Me, therefore I have hated her (Jer. 12:8).

In Hosea:

In Gilgal I hated them; because of the wickedness of their works I will drive them out of Mine house; I will love them no more (Hos. 9:15).

In these passages "hatred," predicated of Jehovah or the Lord, in the internal sense is not hatred, but mercy, for the Divine is mercy; but when this flows in with a man who is in evil, and he runs into the penalty of evil, it then appears as hatred and because it so appears, in the sense of the letter it is likewise so called.

It is in the same way that "anger," "wrath," and "fury" are in the Word predicated of Jehovah or the Lord.

Above all other peoples the Jewish and Israelitish people were such that as soon as they observed anything unfriendly, even in their associates, they believed it lawful to treat them cruelly, and not only to kill them, but also to expose them to wild beasts and birds; and therefore because the inflowing mercy of the Lord was turned with them into such hatred, not only against their enemies, but also against their companions, they could not believe otherwise than that Jehovah also entertained hatred, was angry, wrathful, and furious, and for this reason it is so expressed in the Word according to the appearance; for such as is a man's quality, such the Lord appears to him. But what the quality of hatred is with those who are in love and charity, that is, who are in good, is evident from the words of the Lord in Matthew:

Ye have heard that it has been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy; but I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that injure and persecute you, that ye may be the sons of your Father who is in the heavens (Matt. 5:43-45).

(from Arcana Coelestia 3605)

ANGELIC IDEAS ABOUT THESE WORDS IN THE LORD'S PRAYER:

"LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION, BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL."

Temptation and evil were rejected by the nearest good spirits, by a certain idea perceptible within me, and this even until what is purely angelic, namely, Good, remained, without any idea of temptation and evil; the literal sense thus perishing altogether. In the first rejection innumerable ideas were being formed respecting this Good — how good may come from man's affliction while the affliction still is from the man and his evil, in which there is punishment, and this with a kind of indignation joined with it that it should be thought that temptation and its evil come from any other source, and that anyone should have any thought of evil in thinking of the Lord. These ideas were purified in the degree of their ascent. The ascents were represented by rejections spoken of in this passage —

Communications are also effected in a wonderful way by means of removals, the nature of which cannot be perceived by man. Sad and troublesome things are removed in an instant, and thus things that give delight and happiness are presented without any hindrances; for when these have been removed, the angels flow in, and communicate their happy feelings. (Arcana Coelestia 1393)

which were made with a rapidity and in a manner that were inexpressible, until they passed into the shade of my thought. They were then in heaven, where there are only ineffable angelic ideas concerning the Lord's good. (from Arcana Coelestia 1875)

That there are so many things in one idea has also been made evident to me from the fact that when I heard spirits speaking with me, I could perceive from the mere tone of their speech whether they were speaking from pretense, from sincerity, from a friendly feeling, or from the good of love. A man can see this from the expression of the face of another man, and can also in some measure hear it from his speech; for when a man sees a glad expression shown him, and hears fair-spoken words, he can perceive whether there is in it pretense, or deceit, whether a gaiety that is natural or accidental, whether modesty, or friendliness, or insanity, and so on; which also is a sign that there are countless things in every idea. When I have spoken with spirits on this subject, some of them were incredulous, and they were therefore taken up into a higher region, and speaking with me from thence they said that they saw countless things in every idea of my thought; and so they believed.

That there are countless things in one idea, has also been made evident to me from the fact that the angels perceive in a moment the life of a spirit and of a man by merely hearing him speak, or by looking into his thought; the angels of a lower heaven can see this, and still more the angels of a higher one. A certain good spirit was taken up into the first heaven, and speaking with me from thence he said that he saw infinite things in what I was then reading in the Word; when yet I myself had only a simple thought on the subject. Afterward he was taken up into a more interior heaven, and he said from thence that he now saw still more things, and so many that what he had seen before were comparatively gross to him. He was next taken up into a heaven still more interior, where the celestial angels are, and he said from thence that what he had before seen was scarcely anything compared with the things he now saw. While this continued, various things flowed in, and I was affected with the various things that came from thence.

Certain spirits boasted that they knew all things. In the Grand Man these spirits bear relation to the memory. But they were told that there are illimitable things which they do not know, nay, that one idea can be filled with illimitable ideas and still appear simple; and also that if their ideas were to be filled with many things every day to all eternity, they could not know even all the general things; and that from this they might conclude how much there is which they do not know. This was also shown them, so that they acknowledged it. An angel spoke with them by changes of state, but they could not understand what he spoke; and then they were told that every change contained illimitable things, which nevertheless were not even noticed by them, for besides not understanding, they were not even affected with them.

That there are countless things in the ideas of thought, and that those which are in order within them are there from things more interior, was also evident to me while I read the Lord's Prayer morning and evening. The ideas of my thought were then always opened toward heaven, and countless things flowed in, so that I observed clearly that the ideas of thought taken from the contents of the Prayer were filled from heaven. And such things were also poured in as cannot be uttered, and also could not be comprehended by me; I merely felt the general resulting affection, and wonderful to say the things that flowed in were varied from day to day. From this I was given to know that in the contents of this Prayer there are more things than the universal heaven is capable of comprehending; and that with man there are more things in it in proportion as his thought has been opened toward heaven; and on the other hand, there are fewer things in it in proportion as his thought has been closed; for with those whose thought has been closed, nothing more appears therein than the sense of the letter, or that sense which is nearest the words.

From all this it may be known how infinite are the contents also in everything of the Word (for the Word descends from the Lord through heaven), although it appears to those whose ideas have been closed, as a very simple thing. On this subject I once talked with spirits who denied that anything lies hidden in the Word; and I said that there are infinite and unutterable things therein, which cannot be perceived by those whose ideas are closed, and who admit nothing but the literal sense, which they interpret in favor of their own principles and cupidities, and thereby close to themselves access to what is stored within, and they either empty out their own ideas, or else close them tight. There was then also shown how an idea of thought appears when it has been enclosed, and how when it has been opened, for this can be easily shown in the light of heaven: the closed idea appeared like a black point, in which nothing was visible; but the opened idea appeared like a light in which there was something as of flame, and toward which everything there looked. The flame represented the Lord, and the things that looked to Him represented heaven; and it was said that in every idea which is from the Lord, there is an image of the whole heaven, because it is from Him who is heaven. (from Arcana Coelestia 6616 - 6620)