Divine Providence Continually Leads to Good

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

Divine Providence of the Lord

The government of the Lord in the heavens and on earth is called Providence.

And as all the good which is of love, and all the truth which is of faith, are from Him, and absolutely nothing from man, it is evident from this that the Divine Providence of the Lord is in each and all things that conduce to the salvation of the human race. This the Lord thus teaches in John:

I am the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).

As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, so neither can ye, except ye abide in Me: without Me ye can do nothing (John 15:4, 5).

Moreover the Divine Providence of the Lord is over the veriest singulars of man's life; for there is one only fountain of life, which is the Lord, from whom we live and act and have our being.

Those who think about the Divine Providence from worldly things, conclude from these that it is only universal, and that the singulars appertain to man. But these persons are not acquainted with the arcana of heaven, for they form their conclusions solely from the loves of self and of the world and their pleasures; and therefore when they see the evil exalted to honors, and gaining wealth rather than the good; and also that the evil succeed in accordance with their skill, they say in their hearts that it would not be so if the Divine Providence were in each and all things. But these persons do not consider that the Divine Providence does not look to that which is fleeting and transitory, and which comes to an end together with the life of man in the world; but that it looks to that which remains to eternity, thus which has no end. That which has no end is; but that which has an end, relatively is not.

Everyone who duly reflects is able to know that eminence and wealth in the world are not real Divine blessings, although from the pleasure in them men so call them; for they pass away, and likewise seduce many, and turn them away from heaven; but that life in heaven and happiness there are the real blessings which are from the Divine. This the Lord also teaches in Luke:

Make for yourselves treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where thief draweth not near, nor moth destroyeth. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also (Luke 12:33, 34).

The reason why the evil succeed in accordance with their skill, is that it is according to order that everyone should do what he does from reason and also from freedom; and therefore unless it were left to a man to act in freedom according to his reason, and thus also unless the consequent arts succeeded, the man could not possibly be disposed to receive eternal life, because this is instilled when the man is in freedom, and his reason is enlightened. For no one can be compelled to good, because nothing compulsory cleaves to the man, for it is not his. That becomes the man's own which is done from freedom, for that which is from the will is done from freedom, and the will is the man himself; and therefore unless a man is kept in the freedom to do evil also, good from the Lord cannot be provided for him.

To leave man in his freedom to do evil also, is called permission.

To be led to happiness in the world by means of his skill, appears to the man as if it were done from his own sagacity. Nevertheless the Divine Providence continually accompanies by permitting and by constantly withdrawing from evil. But to be led to happiness in heaven is known and perceived not to be of man's own sagacity, because it is from the Lord, and is effected from his Divine providence by disposing and continually leading to good.

That this is the case a man cannot apprehend from the light of nature, for from this light he does not know the laws of Divine order.

Be it known that there is providence and there is foresight. Good is that which is provided by the Lord, but evil is that which is foreseen by the Lord. The one must be with the other, for that which comes from man is nothing but evil; but that which comes from the Lord is nothing but good.

(Arcana Coelestia 10773-10781)

Two Suns — One Spiritual, One Natural

Selection from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg
TO UNDERSTAND AND THENCE TO PERCEIVE AND ALSO TO HAVE FAITH

NATURAL LIGHT is from the sun of the world, and SPIRITUAL LIGHT is from the sun of heaven, which is the Lord. All the truths of faith that man learns from infancy are apprehended by means of such objects and derivative ideas as are from the light of the world, thus all and each are apprehended naturally; for all the ideas of man's thought, so long as he lives in the world, are founded upon such things as are in the world; and therefore if these were taken away from him, his thought would utterly perish. The man who has not been regenerated is wholly ignorant that there is SPIRITUAL LIGHT, or even that there is in heaven a light that has nothing in common with the light of the world, still less does he know that it is this light that enlightens the ideas and objects which are from the light of the world, and enables man to think, infer, and reflect. That SPIRITUAL LIGHT can do this is because this light is the wisdom itself that proceeds from the Lord, and this is presented as light before the sight of the angels in heaven. From this light appear all and each of the things that are below, or that are in man from NATURAL LIGHT; but not the converse, unless the man has been regenerated, in which case the things of heaven, that is, of good and truth, by enlightenment from SPIRITUAL LIGHT appear in the NATURAL as in a representative mirror.

From this it is evident that the Lord, who is light itself, sees all things and each that are in the thought and will of man, nay, that are in universal nature, and that nothing whatever is hidden from Him.

(from Arcana Coelestia 5477)

In regard to "seeing" as denoting to understand and thence to perceive and also to have faith, be it known that there are two things with man which make his life, namely, SPIRITUAL LIGHT and SPIRITUAL HEAT.

SPIRITUAL LIGHT makes the life of his understanding, and SPIRITUAL HEAT the life of his will. SPIRITUAL LIGHT is from its first origin - Divine truth from the Divine good of the Lord, and hence is the truth of faith from the good of charity. And SPIRITUAL HEAT is from its first origin - the Divine good of the Divine love of the Lord, and hence is the good of celestial love, which is love to the Lord, and the good of spiritual love, which is love toward the neighbor. These two, as before said, constitute the whole life of man.

As regards SPIRITUAL LIGHT, it is with this in the understanding of man as it is with NATURAL LIGHT in his external sight; namely, in order that the eye may see, it is necessary that there be light to illumine, and then the eye sees in the light all things which are round about outside of it. So the intellectual mind, (which is man's internal eye), in order that this eye may see, it is necessary for the light of heaven, which is from the Lord, to illumine it; and when this eye is illumined by this light, it then sees the things which are round about outside of itself; but the objects which it sees are spiritual, namely, memory-knowledges and truths. But when this light does not illumine, the intellectual mind or internal eye of man, like the external or bodily eye, is in darkness and sees nothing, that is, from memory-knowledges nothing of truth, and from truths nothing of good.

The light which illumines the intellectual mind is in very truth LIGHT, and such light that it a thousand times surpasses the midday light of the world, which I bear witness to because I have seen it.

By this light all the angels in the heavens see the things which are round about outside of themselves, and also by the same light they see and perceive the truths which are of faith, and their quality. Hence then it is that by "seeing" is signified in the spiritual sense not only the understanding, but also whatever is of the understanding, as thought, reflection, observation, prudence, and many such things; likewise not only faith, but also whatever is of faith, as truth, doctrine from the Word, and the like.

But as regards SPIRITUAL HEAT, it is with this in the will of man as it is with NATURAL HEAT in the body, in that it vivifies. But in its first origin, which origin is from the Lord, SPIRITUAL HEAT is nothing else than the Divine love toward the universal human race, and from this the reciprocal love of man to Him and also toward the neighbor.

And this SPIRITUAL HEAT is in very truth HEAT, which gladdens the bodies of the angels with heat, and at the same time their interiors with love.

Hence it is that by "heat," "flame," and "fire" in the Word are signified in the genuine sense those things which are of love, as the affections of good and of truth, and also good itself.

(from Arcana Coelestia 6032)

The Influx and Operation of The Divine of the Lord

Selection from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg
THERE MUST BE INFLUX AND OPERATION INTO EACH AND ALL THINGS OF WORSHIP

It is believed by those who are not acquainted with the arcana of heaven that worship is from man, because it proceeds from the thought and affection which are in him; but the worship which is from man is not worship, consequently the confessions, adorations, and prayers which are from man, are not confessions, adorations, and prayers which are heard and received by the Lord; but they must be from the Lord Himself with man. That this is so is known to the church, for it teaches that nothing that is good proceeds from man, but that all good is from heaven, that is, from the Divine there. From this also is all the good in worship; and worship without good is not worship; consequently in holy worship the church prays that God may be present and lead the thoughts of the discourse. The case herein is this. When a man is in genuine worship, then the Lord flows into the goods and truths which are with him, and raises them to Himself, and with them the man, insofar and in such a manner as he is in them. This elevation does not appear to the man unless he is in the genuine affection of truth and good, and in the knowledge, acknowledgment, and faith that everything good comes from above, from the Lord.

That it is so may be comprehended even by those who are wise from the world, for they know from their learning that natural influx, which is called by them physical influx, is not possible, but only spiritual influx; that is, that nothing can flow in from the natural world into heaven, but only from heaven into the world. From all this it can be seen how it is to be understood that the influx and operation of the Divine of the Lord are into each and all things of worship. That it is so has frequently been given me to experience; for it has been given me to perceive the very influx, the calling forth of the truths which were with me, their application to the objects of prayer, the affection of good that was adjoined, and the elevation itself.

Nevertheless a man must not let down his hands and await influx, for this would be to act like an effigy devoid of life; in spite of all he must think, will, and act as of himself, and yet must ascribe to the Lord everything of thought of truth and of endeavor of good; by so doing there is implanted in him by the Lord the capability of receiving Him and the influx from Him.

For man was created no otherwise than to be a receptacle of the Divine; and the capability of receiving the Divine is formed in no other way. When this capability has been formed, he afterward has no other will than that it should be so; for he loves the influx from the Lord, and is averse to any working from himself; because the influx from the Lord is the influx of good, whereas any working from himself is the working of evil. In such a state are all the angels in heaven; therefore by "angels" in the Word are signified truths and goods which are from the Lord, because the angels are receptions of these.

(from Arcana Coelestia 10299)