Selections from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg
He that hath bathed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is wholly clean (John 13:10)."He that hath bathed" signifies one who is inwardly clean; and "needeth not save to wash his feet" signifies that then he must be cleansed outwardly, for "the feet" signify the external or natural man.
FOR A MAN TO BE PURIFIED
BOTH THE INTERNAL OR SPIRITUAL AND THE EXTERNAL OR NATURAL MUST BE PURIFIED
AND THE EXTERNAL BY MEANS OF THE INTERNAL
. . . the man who is being regenerated is conceived and born anew, wherefore regeneration is called a new birth, but spiritual. Man is indeed born of his parents as a man, but he does not become a man until he is reborn of the Lord. Spiritual and heavenly life is that which makes a man, for this distinguishes him from brute animals. (AC 3860)
. . . Advancement is said to be made from what is external toward things more interior, when it is made from the memory-knowledge which is of the understanding, to the will; or, speaking spiritually, when it is made from the truth which is of faith, to charity. For the understanding is that which proceeds from the will, and which manifests the will in a certain visible form; in like manner, faith proceeds from charity, and manifests charity in a certain form. From this it is evident that the understanding is the external of the will; and that faith is the external of charity; or what is the same, that the will is the internal of the understanding, and charity the internal of faith. Thus to advance from what is external to things more interior, is to advance from faith in the understanding to faith in the will, consequently from faith to charity .... Be it known that by faith, when distinguished from charity, is meant truth, such as the truth of doctrine, or such as there is in the confession called the Apostles' Creed; and this is according to the general sense in the church; for to have faith in truths is believed to be the faith by which is salvation. Few know that faith is trust and confidence, and among these few, still fewer know that trust or confidence is from charity, and is not possible with anyone who has not lived the life of charity. (AC 3868)
And she conceived again, and bare a son, and said, Because Jehovah hath heard that I was hated, and hath given me this one also; and she called his name Simeon. (Genesis 29:33)
I was hated. That this signifies a state of faith if the will be not correspondent thereto, is evident from the signification of "being hated," as being not loved, for such is the state of faith if the will does not correspond to it.
In the internal sense the subject treated of is the progress of man's regeneration from external to internal; that is, from the truth of faith to the good of charity. The truth of faith is external, and the good of charity is internal. In order that the truth of faith may live, it must be introduced into the will, that it may there receive life; for truth does not live from knowing, but from willing. Life flows in from the Lord through the new willing that He creates in man.
• The first life manifests itself by obedience, which is the first of the will
• The second by the affection of doing the truth, which is the progression of the will, and which exists when delight and bliss are perceived in doing the truth.
Unless there takes place such a progress of faith, truth does not become truth, but becomes a separate affair from life, sometimes confirmative of falsity, and sometimes persuasive of it, thus a foul affair; for it couples itself with the man's evil affection, or cupidity; that is, with his own proper will, which is contrary to charity. Such is the faith that by many at this day is believed to be faith, and to save without the works of charity.
But this faith, which is separate from charity, and therefore contrary to charity, is represented in what follows by Reuben, in that he lay with Bilhah his father's concubine (Gen. 35:22), and concerning which Jacob, then Israel, expresses his detestation in the words:
. . . the second during man's regeneration and when he is becoming a church; namely, obedience, or the will of doing the truth of faith; into which obedience, and in which will, charity is implanted, which next succeeds ....(AC 3872)
. . . The successive state that is here signified by the "three sons," is that charity now arrives; for while man is being regenerated, that is, being made a church, the first thing must be for him to know and understand what the truth of faith is; the second must be to will and to do it; and the third is to be affected with it. And when man is affected with truth, that is, when he perceives delight and bliss in acting according to truth, he is then in charity or mutual love. (AC 3876)
. . . with respect to charity is that it contains within itself the willing of truth; and through this it contains within itself the understanding of truth; for whoever is in charity has these. But before man comes to charity, he must first be in the external, namely, in the understanding of truth; next in the willing of truth; and lastly in being affected with truth, which is charity. And when man is in charity, he then looks to the Lord .... (AC 3877)
In the internal sense the subject treated of is the progress of man's regeneration from external to internal; that is, from the truth of faith to the good of charity. The truth of faith is external, and the good of charity is internal. In order that the truth of faith may live, it must be introduced into the will, that it may there receive life; for truth does not live from knowing, but from willing. Life flows in from the Lord through the new willing that He creates in man.
• The first life manifests itself by obedience, which is the first of the will
• The second by the affection of doing the truth, which is the progression of the will, and which exists when delight and bliss are perceived in doing the truth.
Unless there takes place such a progress of faith, truth does not become truth, but becomes a separate affair from life, sometimes confirmative of falsity, and sometimes persuasive of it, thus a foul affair; for it couples itself with the man's evil affection, or cupidity; that is, with his own proper will, which is contrary to charity. Such is the faith that by many at this day is believed to be faith, and to save without the works of charity.
But this faith, which is separate from charity, and therefore contrary to charity, is represented in what follows by Reuben, in that he lay with Bilhah his father's concubine (Gen. 35:22), and concerning which Jacob, then Israel, expresses his detestation in the words:
Reuben, my firstborn, thou art my might, and the beginning of my strength; light as water thou shalt not excel, because thou wentest up on thy father's bed, then defiledst thou it; he went up on my couch (Gen. 49:3-4).The will and affection of this faith, namely, that which is separated from charity, as being contrary to charity, is also described in the same chapter by Simeon and Levi in these words:
Simeon and Levi are brethren; weapons of violence are their swords; let not my soul come into their secret; into their assembly let not my glory unite itself; for in their fury they slew a man, and in their will they unstrung an ox. Cursed be their fury, for it was fierce; and their anger, for it was cruel; I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel (Gen. 49:5-7).That it is faith separate from charity. which is here described by "Simeon and Levi." .... (AC 3870)
WHAT IS SUCCESSIVE, NAMELY, FAITH IN OBEDIENCE OR IN THE WILL, AS SUCCEEDING FAITH IN MEMORY-KNOWLEDGE OR IN THE UNDERSTANDING
. . . the second during man's regeneration and when he is becoming a church; namely, obedience, or the will of doing the truth of faith; into which obedience, and in which will, charity is implanted, which next succeeds ....(AC 3872)
. . . The successive state that is here signified by the "three sons," is that charity now arrives; for while man is being regenerated, that is, being made a church, the first thing must be for him to know and understand what the truth of faith is; the second must be to will and to do it; and the third is to be affected with it. And when man is affected with truth, that is, when he perceives delight and bliss in acting according to truth, he is then in charity or mutual love. (AC 3876)
. . . with respect to charity is that it contains within itself the willing of truth; and through this it contains within itself the understanding of truth; for whoever is in charity has these. But before man comes to charity, he must first be in the external, namely, in the understanding of truth; next in the willing of truth; and lastly in being affected with truth, which is charity. And when man is in charity, he then looks to the Lord .... (AC 3877)