Seriatim Remarks on the Doctrine of Charity and Faith (Pt. 29)

Selection from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg
— Doctrinal Things of Charity —
Love Truly Conjugial

Few know from what origin comes forth conjugial love. They who think from the world believe that it comes forth from nature; but they who think from heaven believe that it comes forth from the Divine in heaven.

Love truly conjugial is the union of two minds, which is a spiritual union; and all spiritual union descends from heaven. From this it is that love truly conjugial is from heaven, and that its first being is from the marriage of good and truth there. The marriage of good and truth in heaven is from the Lord; wherefore in the Word the Lord is called the "Bridegroom" and "Husband," while heaven and the church are called the "bride" and "wife;" and therefore heaven is compared to a marriage.

From all this it is evident that love truly conjugial is the union of two persons in respect to their interiors, which belong to the thought and the will, thus to truth and good; for truth belongs to the thought, and good to the will. For one who is in love truly conjugial loves what the other thinks and what the other wills; thus he also loves to think as the other does, and he loves to will as the other does; consequently to be united to the other, and to become as one man. This is what is meant by the Lord's words in Matthew:

"And they twain shall be one flesh, therefore they are no more twain, but one flesh" (Matt. 19:4-6; Gen. 2:24).

The delight of love truly conjugial is an internal delight, because it belongs to the minds, and is also an external delight from this, which belongs to the bodies. But the delight of love not truly conjugial is only an external delight without an internal one, and such a delight belongs to the bodies and not to the minds. But this delight is earthly, being almost like that of animals, and therefore in time perishes; whereas the first-mentioned delight is heavenly, as that of men should be, and therefore is permanent.

No one can know what love truly conjugial is, and what is the nature of its delight, except one who is in the good of love and in the truths of faith from the Lord; because, as has been said, love truly conjugial is from heaven, and is from the marriage of good and truth there.

That which is done from love truly conjugial is done from freedom on both sides, because all freedom is from love, and both have freedom when one loves that which the other thinks and that which the other wills. From this it is that the wish to command in marriages destroys genuine love, for it takes away its freedom, thus also its delight. The delight of commanding, which follows in its place, brings forth disagreements, and sets the minds at enmity, and causes evils to take root according to the nature of the domination on the one side, and the nature of the servitude on the other.

From all this it can be seen that marriages are holy, and that to injure them is to injure that which is holy; consequently that adulteries are profane; for as the delight of conjugial love descends from heaven, so the delight of adultery ascends from hell.

Therefore those who take delight in adulteries can no longer receive any good and truth from heaven. From this it is that those who have taken delight in adulteries, afterward make light of and also at heart deny the things of the church and of heaven. The reason of this is that the love of adultery is from the marriage of evil and falsity, which is the infernal marriage.

(Arcana Coelestia 10167-10175)
(series to be continued)

Seriatim Remarks on the Doctrine of Charity and Faith (Pt. 28)

Selection from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg
— Doctrinal Things of Charity —
Merit and Reward

Those who believe that they merit heaven by the goods which they do, do goods from themselves, and not from the Lord.

Therefore those who place merit in works love themselves, and those who love themselves despise the neighbor, and even are angry with God Himself if they do not receive the hoped-for reward, for they do the works for the sake of the reward.

From this it is evident that their works are not from heavenly love, thus not from true faith; for the faith which regards good from self, and not from God, is not true faith. Such cannot receive heaven into themselves, for heaven with man is from heavenly love and true faith.

Those who place merit in works cannot fight against the evils which are from the hells, for no one can do this from himself; but the Lord fights and conquers for those who do not place merit in works.

The Lord alone had merit, because He alone, from Himself, has conquered and subdued the hells. Hence the Lord alone is merit and righteousness.

Moreover, from himself man is nothing but evil; thus to do good from self is to do it from evil.

That good must not be done for the sake of a reward, the Lord Himself teaches in Luke:

If ye love those who love you, what thanks have ye? If ye do well to those who do well to you, what thanks have ye? For sinners do the same. Rather love your enemies, and do well, and lend, hoping for nothing; then shall your reward be great, and ye shall be sons of the Most High (Luke 6:32-35).

That a man cannot from himself do good that is good; but only from the Lord, the Lord also teaches in John:

A man can receive nothing unless it be given him from heaven (John 3:27).

Jesus said, I am the vine, ye are the branches; he that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit; for without Me ye can do nothing (John 15:5).

To believe that they will be rewarded if they do what is good, is not hurtful to those who are in innocence, as is the case with little children and with the simple; but to confirm themselves therein when they are grown up is hurtful; for a man is initiated into good by looking for a reward, and he is deterred from evil by looking for a punishment. But insofar as he comes into the good of love and of faith, he is removed from having regard to merit in the goods which he does.

To do good that is good must be from the love of good, thus for the sake of good. They who are in this love abhor merit, for they love to do, and perceive satisfaction from it; and on the other hand, they are saddened if it is believed that it is done for the sake of something of self. The case herein is almost as it is with those who do what is good to friends for the sake of friendship, to a brother for the sake of brotherhood, to wife and children for their own sake, to their country for their country's sake; thus from friendship and from love. They who think well also say and insist that they do not do well for the sake of themselves; but for the sake of those to whom they do it.

The delight itself which is in the love of doing what is good without any end of recompense, is the reward which remains to eternity; for every affection of love remains inscribed on the life. Into this there is insinuated by the Lord heaven and eternal happiness.

(Arcana Coelestia 9974-9984)
(series to be continued)

Seriatim Remarks on the Doctrine of Charity and Faith (Pt. 27)

Selection from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg
— Doctrinal Things of Charity —
The Understanding of Truth and the Will of Good

When it is known what the internal man is, and what the external man, the source of the Understanding of Truth, and of the Will of Good, can then be known.

In proportion as the internal man has been opened toward heaven, thus to the Lord, in the same proportion a man is in the light of heaven, thus in the same proportion he is in the understanding of truth. The light of heaven is the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord; to be enlightened by this light is to understand truth.

In proportion as the internal man has been opened to the Lord, and the external man subordinated to it, in the same proportion a man is in the fire of heaven; thus in the same proportion he is in the will of good. The fire of heaven is the Divine love that proceeds from the Lord; to be kindled by this fire is to will good.

Therefore the understanding of truth is to see truths from the Word by virtue of enlightenment from the Lord; and the will of good is to will these truths from affection.

They who are in love and faith in the Lord, and in charity toward the neighbor, are in the understanding of truth and in the will of good, for with them there is a reception of the good and truth which are from the Lord.

On the other hand, in proportion as the internal man has been closed toward heaven and to the Lord, in the same proportion a man is in cold and thick darkness in respect to the things of heaven. And then in proportion as the external man has been opened toward the world, in the same proportion the man thinks what is false, and wills what is evil, and thus is insane; for the light of the world extinguishes in him the light of heaven; and the fire of the life of the world extinguishes the fire of the life of heaven.

They who are in the love of self, and in the persuasion of self-derived intelligence and wisdom, are in such cold and thick darkness.

From this it is evident that to be intelligent and wise does not consist in understanding and being wise about many things of the world; but in understanding and willing the things of heaven. For there are those who understand and are wise about many things of the world, and yet do not believe or will the things of heaven; thus are insane. These are they of whom the Lord says:

I speak by parables; because seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand (Matt. 13:13).

The world cannot receive the Spirit of truth, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him (John 14:17).

(Arcana Coelestia 9796-9803)
(series to be continued)