Sight from Within

Selection from Arcana Coeletia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

A man sees in himself whether what he thinks and wills, and consequently what he says and does, is good or evil, and consequently whether it is true or false. This is quite impossible unless he sees from within.

Seeing from within is seeing from the sight of the internal man in the external.

The case is the same as with the sight of the eye: the eye cannot see the things which are within it, but only those which are outside of it. From this then it is that a man sees the good and the evil that are in himself. Nevertheless one man sees this better than another, and some do not see it at all.

They who see it, are they who have received from the Lord the life of faith and charity, for this life is the internal life, or the life of the internal man.

Such persons, being from faith in truth, and from charity in good, can see the evils and falsities in themselves; for evil can be seen from good, and falsity from truth; but not contrariwise. The reason is that good and truth are in heaven, and in its light; whereas evil and falsity are in hell, and in its darkness. From this it is evident that those who are in evil and thence in falsity cannot see the good and truth, nor even the evil and falsity, which are in themselves, consequently neither can they see from within.

But be it known that to see from within is to see from the Lord; for it is the same with sight as with everything that exists, in that nothing exists from itself, but from that which is prior to or higher than itself, thus finally from the First and Highest.

The First and Highest is the Lord!

He who apprehends this can also apprehend that everything of life with man is from the Lord; and that as charity and faith constitute the veriest life of man, everything of charity, and everything of faith, are from the Lord. He who excels others in the gift of thought and perception, can from this also apprehend that the Lord sees each and all things - even the most minute - that are with man. But evil and falsity do not come forth from what is higher than themselves; but from what is lower. Consequently they do not come forth from the Lord, but from the world; for the Lord is above, and the world is beneath. Wherefore with those who are in evil and thence in falsity, the internal man is closed above and open beneath.

From this it is that they see all things upside down; the world as everything, and heaven as nothing. It is also for this reason that before the angels they appear upside down; with the feet upward, and the head downward. Such are all in hell.

(Arcana Coeletia 9128:2, 3)

Spiritual Life

Excerpt from a passage in Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

[I]t is not known what spiritual life is, thus neither that spiritual life is an interior life distinct from the natural life, which is exterior.

Spiritual life is given by the Lord to man through the reception of the truth of faith in the good of charity. ...

[W]hen a man of the church who is in the good of faith reads the Word, angels adjoin themselves to him, and are delighted in the man, because of the wisdom which then inflows to them through the Word from the Lord.

From this is the conjunction of heaven with man, which would not be possible without the Word. For the Word is such that there is not even a point or a jot in its original tongue which does not affect the angels, and conjoin them with man.

(Arcana Coelestia 9152)

The Steps to Heaven

Selection from True Christian Religion ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

The Divine Energy and Operation, which are meant by the Holy Spirit, are, in general -

• reformation and regeneration

and in accordance with these -

• renovation, vivification, sanctification and justification

and in accordance with these latter -

• purification from evils, forgiveness of sins -

and finally salvation.

These in their order are the energies made operative by the Lord in those who believe in Him, and who adjust and dispose themselves for His reception and indwelling; and this is done by means of Divine truth, and with Christians by means of the Word; for the Word is the sole medium through which man draws near to the Lord, and into which the Lord enters

The Lord is Divine truth itself, and whatever goes forth from Him is Divine truth.

But Divine truth from good must be understood, which is the same as faith from charity, since faith is nothing but truth, and charity is nothing but goodness.

It is by means of Divine truth from good, that is, by means of faith from charity, that man is reformed and regenerated, and also renewed, vivified, sanctified, justified, and according to the progress and growth of these is purified from evils; and purification from evils is remission of sins.
...
It must be understood that these saving graces are continually made operative by the Lord in every man; since they are the steps to heaven, and the Lord desires the salvation of all.

Thus the salvation of all is His end; and he who wills an end wills also the means.

The Lord's coming, redemption, and the passion of the cross were for the sake of man's salvation (Matt 18:11; Luke 19:10). And as man's salvation was and eternally is the Lord's end, it follows that the above mentioned operations are mediate ends, and salvation the final end.

(True Christian Religion 142)