THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE (pt. 19)

THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE

for the

NEW JERUSALEM

FROM THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

Emanuel Swedenborg

— Doctrinal Series —

(pt. 19)

IN PROPORTION AS A MAN SHUNS EVILS AS SINS,
IN THE SAME PROPORTION HE DOES GOODS,
NOT FROM HIMSELF BUT FROM THE LORD.

So long as a man is in this world, he is midway between hell and heaven: hell is below him, and heaven is above him, and he is kept in freedom to turn himself to either the one or the other; if he turns to hell he turns away from heaven; if he turns to heaven he turns away from hell.

Or what is the same, so long as a man is in this world he stands midway between the Lord and the devil, and is kept in freedom to turn himself to either the one or the other; if he turns to the devil he turns away from the Lord; if he turns to the Lord he turns away from the devil.

Or what is again the same, so long as a man is in this world he is midway between evil and good, and is kept in freedom to turn himself to either the one or the other; if he turns to evil he turns away from good; if he turns to good he turns away from evil.

(LIFE 19)

THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE (pt. 18)

THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE

for the

NEW JERUSALEM

FROM THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

Emanuel Swedenborg

— Doctrinal Series —

(pt. 18)

IN PROPORTION AS A MAN SHUNS EVILS AS SINS,
IN THE SAME PROPORTION HE DOES GOODS,
NOT FROM HIMSELF BUT FROM THE LORD.

Who does not or may not know that evils stand in the way of the Lord's entrance to a man? For evil is hell, and the Lord is heaven, and hell and heaven are opposites.

In proportion therefore as a man is in the one, in the same proportion he cannot be in the other. For the one acts against the other and destroys it.

(LIFE 18)

THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE (pt. 16-17)

THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE

for the

NEW JERUSALEM

FROM THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

Emanuel Swedenborg

— Doctrinal Series —

(pt. 16-17)

NO ONE CAN FROM HIMSELF DO WHAT IS GOOD THAT IS REALLY GOOD.

In the following pages [articles], those who do what is good from themselves will be called natural men, because with them the moral and the civic is in its essence natural; and those who do what is good from the Lord will be called spiritual men, because with them the moral and the civic is in its essence spiritual.

That no one can from himself do any good that is really good, is taught by the Lord in John:

• A man can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven (John 3:27).
• He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit; for without Me ye can do nothing (John 15:5).

"He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit," means that all good is from the Lord; "fruit" means what is good. "Without Me ye can do nothing," means that no man can from himself do anything.

Those who believe in the Lord, and from Him do what is good, are called -

• Sons of light (John 12:36; Luke 16:8);
• Sons of the bridechamber (Mark 2:19);
• Sons of the resurrection (Luke 20:36);
• Sons of God (Luke 20:36; John 1:12);
• Born of God (John 1:13);
• It is said that they shall see God (Matt. 5:8);
• That the Lord will make His abode with them (John 14:23);
• That they have the faith of God (Mark 11:22);
• That their works are done from God (John 3:21).

These things are all summed up in the following words:

• As many as received Him, to them gave He power [potestas] to be sons of God, to them that believe in His name; who were born, not of bloods, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:12-13).

To "believe in the name of the Son of God," is to believe the Word and to live according to it; "the will of the flesh," is what is proper to man's will, which in itself is evil; "the will of man," is what is proper to his understanding, which in itself is falsity from evil; those "born of" these, are those who will and act, and also think and speak, from what is proper to themselves; those "born of God," are those who do all this from the Lord. In short: that which is from man is not good; but that which is good is from the Lord.

(LIFE 16-17)