Innocence in the Will and Understanding

Selection from Heaven and Hell ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Matthew 18:1-6

Innocence is a receptacle of all things of heaven, and thus the innocence of little children is a plane for all affections of good and truth.

The innocence of angels in heaven — a willingness to be led by the Lord and not by oneself.

Consequently, so far as a man is in innocence he is separated from his proprium, [his self-will] and so far as anyone is separated from his proprium he is in the Lord's proprium. The Lord's proprium is what is called His justice and merit. But the innocence of little children is not genuine innocence, because as yet it is without wisdom.

Genuine innocence is wisdom.

For so far as anyone is wise he loves to be led by the Lord, or what is the same, so far as anyone is led by the Lord he is wise. Therefore little children are led from the external innocence in which they are at the beginning, and which is called the innocence of infancy, to internal innocence, which is the innocence of wisdom. This innocence is the end that directs all their instruction and progress. Therefore, when they have attained to the innocence of wisdom, the innocence of infancy, which in the meanwhile has served them as a plane, is joined to them.

The innocence of little children has been represented to me as a wooden sort of thing, almost devoid of life, which becomes vivified as they are perfected by cognitions of truth and affections of good. Afterwards, genuine innocence was represented by a most beautiful child, naked and full of life; for the really innocent, who are in the inmost heaven and thus nearest to the Lord, always appear before the eyes of other angels as little children, and some of them naked; for innocence is represented by nakedness unaccompanied by shame, as is said of the first man and his wife in Paradise (Gen. 2:25). So when their state of innocence perished they were ashamed of their nakedness, and hid themselves (chap. 3:7, 10, 11).

In a word, the wiser the angels are the more innocent they are, and the more innocent they are, the more they appear to themselves as little children. This is why in the Word "infancy" signifies innocence.

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The innocence of wisdom is genuine innocence, because it is internal, for it belongs to the mind (mens) itself, that is, to the will itself and thence to the understanding. And when there is innocence in these there is also wisdom, for wisdom belongs to the will and understanding. This is why it is said in heaven that innocence dwells in wisdom, and that an angel has as much wisdom as he has innocence. This is confirmed by the fact that those who are in a state of innocence attribute nothing of good to themselves, but regard all things as received and attribute them to the Lord. Also they wish to be led by Him and not by themselves. They love everything that is good and they delight in everything that is true, because they know and perceive that loving what is good, that is, willing and doing it, is loving the Lord, and that loving truth is loving the neighbour. They live contented with what they have, whether it be little or much, because they know that they receive just as much as is good for them - those receiving little for whom little is useful, and those receiving much for whom much is useful. They also recognize that they themselves do not know what is good for them, the Lord alone knowing this, for in all things that He provides He looks to eternal ends.

Neither are they anxious about the future. Anxiety about the future they call care for the morrow, which they define as grief on account of losing or not receiving things that are not necessary for the uses of life. With companions they never act from an evil end but from what is good, just, and sincere. Acting from an evil end they call cunning, which they shun as the poison of a serpent, since it is wholly antagonistic to innocence. As they love nothing more than to be led by the Lord, attributing to Him all things that they receive, they are removed from their own proprium. [self-will]; and to the extent that they are so removed from their own proprium the Lord inflows. In consequence of this, whatever they hear from Him, whether by the Word or by means of preaching, they do not store it up in the memory, but instantly obey it, that is, will it and do it, their will being itself their memory. For the most part these outwardly appear simple, but in internal things they are wise and prudent. These are meant by the Lord in the words,

Be ye prudent as serpents and simple as doves. Matt. 10:16.

Such is the innocence that is called the innocence of wisdom.

Because innocence attributes nothing of good to itself, but attributes all good to the Lord, and because it thus loves to be led by the Lord, and the reception of all good and truth, from which wisdom comes, is derived therefrom - therefore man has been so created that during his childhood he is in innocence, though external, and when he becomes old he is in internal innocence, to the end that he may come by the former into the latter, and from the latter return into the former. For the same reason, when a man becomes old he dwindles in body and becomes again like a little child, but like a wise child, that is, an angel, for an angel is a wise child in an eminent sense. This is why, in the Word, "a little child" signifies one who is innocent, and an old man" signifies one who is wise in whom is innocence.

(from Heaven and Hell 341; 278)

Miracles Divine and Miracles Not Divine

Passages from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

The men of Jericho said unto Elisha, Behold the situation of this city is good; but the waters are evil, and the land is barren. Then Elisha said that they should put salt in a new cruse, and should cast the salt therefrom at the outlet of the waters; and the waters were healed, neither came there any more death or barrenness (2 Kings 2:19-21).

No one can know what these words infold within them except from the internal sense; for all the miracles related in the Word infold within them such things as are in the Lord's kingdom, or in the church; and therefore it is necessary to know what was represented by Elisha, what was signified by the city of Jericho, what by the evil waters and the barren land, what by a new cruse and the salt in it, and also what by the outlet of the waters into which they were to cast the salt.

• Elisha represented the Lord as to the Word
• waters signify the truths of faith; thus evil waters signify truths without good
• a barren land signifies the good of the church consequently not alive
• a new cruse that is, a new vessel, signifies knowledges of good and truth
• salt signifies the longing of truth for good
• the outlet of the waters signifies the natural of man which receives the knowledges of truth and good, and which is amended by the longing of truth for good.

From all this it is evident that this miracle infolded within it the amendment of the church and of the life by the Lord through the Word, and through the consequent longing of truth for good; which amendment is effected when from such a longing the man's natural receives truths from the Word. That this took place near the city of Jericho, was because this city was situated not far from the Jordan; and by "the Jordan" is signified that in the man of the church which first receives truths, thus the natural.

That it is man's natural which first receives truths out of the Word from the Lord, and that it is the last to be regenerated, and that when it has been regenerated, the whole man is regenerated, was signified by the Lord's words to Peter, when He washed the disciples' feet:

Jesus said, He that is washed needeth not save to have his feet washed, and is clean every whit (John 13:10)

that the "feet" denote the things of the natural man, and in general the natural itself; that for a man to be regenerated, the natural or external man must be in correspondence with the spiritual or internal man; thus that he is not regenerate until the natural has been regenerated.

~~~

And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the LORD had said. (Exodus 7:20-22)

And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments. That this signifies that their falsifiers fashioned the like, is evident from the signification of the Egyptian magic and enchantments, as being abuses of Divine order.  As regards miracles, be it known that Divine miracles differ from magical miracles as heaven does from hell. Divine miracles proceed from Divine truth and advance according to order, the effects in ultimates being miracles when it pleases the Lord that they be presented in this form. Hence it is that all Divine miracles represent states of the Lord's kingdom in the heavens, and of the Lord's kingdom in the earth, that is, of the church. This is the internal form of Divine miracles. Such is the case with all the miracles done in Egypt, and also with all others that are mentioned in the Word.

All miracles which the Lord Himself wrought when He was in the world signified the coming state of the church; thus that the eyes of the blind were opened and the ears of the deaf, that the tongues of the dumb were loosed, that the lame walked, and the maimed and also the lepers were healed, signified that such men as are represented by the blind, deaf, dumb, lame, maimed, and leprous, would receive the gospel and be spiritually healed, and this through the coming of the Lord into the world. Such are Divine miracles in their internal form.

But magical miracles involve nothing at all, being wrought by the evil to acquire power over others; yet they appear in the external form like Divine miracles, and this for the reason that they flow from order, and order appears alike in the ultimates where miracles are presented.

For example: the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord has in it all power, and hence it is that even in truths in the ultimates of order there is power; and therefore the evil acquire power and rule over others by means of truths.

Take also as an example the fact that in the other life it is according to order that states of affection and thought cause the idea of place and distance; and that the inhabitants appear distant from one another, so far as they are in a diverse state. This order is from the Divine, to the intent that all who are in the Grand Man may be distinct from one another.  Magicians in the other life abuse this order, for they induce on others changes of state, and in this way at one time transport them on high, and at another into the deep, and also cast them into societies where they may serve them as subjects; and so in countless other ways.

From all this it is evident that magical miracles, although in outward form similar to Divine miracles, nevertheless have within them a contrary end, namely, that of destroying the things of the church; whereas Divine miracles have within them the end of building up the things of the church. The case herein is like that of two beautiful women, one of whom is inwardly wholly rotten from whoredom, and the other absolutely pure within from chastity or genuine conjugial love. Their outward forms are alike, but their inward forms differ as do heaven and hell.

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And Moses said, Behold, I go out from thee, and I will intreat the LORD that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, to morrow: but let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD. (Exodus 8:29)

That He may remove the noisome fly from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people. That this signifies that there may be an end of this state in respect to the falsities of malevolence, is evident from the signification of "the noisome fly," as being falsities of malevolence; from the representation of Pharaoh, as being those who are in falsities from evils and infest; and from the signification of "his servants and his people," as being all and each. To remove these falsities of malevolence from all and each who infest, is to put an end to this state.

Be it known that each miracle done in Egypt signifies a peculiar state into which those come who are in falsities and infest in the other life. There are ten states into which they successively come before they are entirely stripped of all truth, thus before they are cast into hell. For they who are in the knowledge of faith, but in evil of life, are not after death at once brought into hell, but successively. They are first convinced that they are in evil, and afterward the knowledge of faith is taken away from them, and at last they are left to the evil of their life. This is effected by means of many successive states, and these states are what are described by the miracles done in Egypt, consequently by the evils which befell the Egyptians before they were immersed in the sea Suph. These secrets cannot be known without revelation, but with the angels they are among things well known.

For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. (Matthew 13:12)

~~~

And the LORD will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee. (Deuteronomy 7:15)

All the disease that I have put on the Egyptians, I will not put upon thee. That this signifies that they are to be withheld from the evils that pertain to those who are in faith separate and in a life of evil, is evident from the signification of "disease," as being evil (of which below); from the representation of the Egyptians, as being those who are in faith separate and in a life of evil; and from the signification of "not to put upon thee," when said of disease, by which evil is signified, as being that they are to be withheld from evil; for Jehovah, that is, the Lord, does not take away evil; but withholds man from it, and keeps him in good. From this it is that by "not to put disease upon them" is signified that they are to be withheld from evils.

That "disease" denotes evil, is because in the internal sense are signified such things as affect the spiritual life. The diseases which affect this life are evils, and are called cupidities and concupiscences. Faith and charity make the spiritual life. This life sickens when falsity takes the place of the truth which is of faith, and evil takes the place of the good which is of charity; for these bring this life unto death, which is called spiritual death, and is damnation, as diseases bring the natural life unto its death. Hence it is that by "disease" is signified in the internal sense evil; and by "the diseases of the Egyptians," the evils into which those cast themselves who had been in faith separate and in a life of evil, whereby they had infested the upright, which evils have been treated of in what precedes, where the plagues in Egypt were treated of.

Evils are also meant by "diseases" in other passages in the Word, as in Moses:

If thou wilt keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, Jehovah will remove from thee all sickness, and will not put upon thee all the evil weaknesses of Egypt, which thou hast known; but will give them upon thy haters (Deut. 7:11, 15).

If thou wilt not obey the voice of Jehovah thy God, by keeping to do all His commandments and His statutes, Jehovah will send on thee the curse, the disquiet, and the rebuke, in every putting forth of thy hand which thou doest, until thou be destroyed, because of the wickedness of thy works, whereby thou hast forsaken Me. Jehovah shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee, until He has consumed thee from upon the land; Jehovah shall smite thee with consumption, and with a hot fever, and with a burning fever, and with a raging fever, and with drought, and with blasting, and with jaundice, which shall pursue thee until thou perish: Jehovah shall smite thee with the ulcer of Egypt, and with the hemorrhoids, and with the scab, and with the itch, that thou canst not be healed. Jehovah shall smite thee with fury, and with blindness, and with amazement of heart. Thou shalt become mad from the look of thine eyes. Jehovah shall smite thee with a sore ulcer, upon the knees, and upon the thighs, whereof thou canst not be healed, from the sole of the foot unto the crown of thy head. He will throw back on thee all the weakness of Egypt, also every disease, and every plague, which is not written in the book of this law. Jehovah shall give thee a trembling heart, consumption of eyes, and grief of soul (Deut. 28:15, 20-22, 27, 28, 34, 35, 60, 61, 65).

By all the diseases here named are signified spiritual diseases, which are evils destroying the life of the will of good, and falsities destroying the life of the understanding of truth; in a word, destroying the spiritual life which is of faith and charity. Moreover natural diseases correspond to such things, for every disease in the human race is from this source, because from sin.

Moreover every disease corresponds to its own evil; the reason is that everything of man's life is from the spiritual world; and therefore if his spiritual life sickens, evil is derived therefrom into the natural life also, and becomes a disease there. (See what has been said from experience about the correspondence of diseases with evils, n. 5711-5727.)

Like things are signified by "diseases" in other passages, as in Moses:

Ye shall worship Jehovah your God, that He may bless thy bread, and thy waters; and I will take disease away from the midst of thee (Exod. 23:25).

If ye shall reject My statutes, and if your soul loathe My judgments, so that ye will not do all My commandments, while ye make My covenant vain, I will enjoin terror upon you, with consumption, and with burning fever, that shall consume the eyes, and torment the soul (Lev. 26:15, 16)

signifying the decrease of truth, and the increase of falsity; "burning fever" denotes the cupidity of evil. Further in these passages:

Wherefore will ye add a going back? the whole head is diseased, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wound, and scar, and flesh blow, not pressed out, and not bandaged, and not mollified with oil (Isa. 1:5, 6)

that here by "disease," "wound," "scar," and "blow," are meant sins, is hidden from no one.

Woe to the shepherds of Israel, the feeble sheep have ye not strengthened, the sick one have ye not healed, and the broken one have ye not bandaged (Ezek. 34:2, 4).

Mine iniquities are gone over my head, my wounds have putrefied, they have consumed away, because of my foolishness, for my bowels are filled with burning, and there is no soundness in my flesh (Ps. 38:4, 5, 7).

As by "diseases" are signified the corruptions and evils of spiritual life, therefore by the various kinds of diseases are signified also the various kinds of corruptions and evils of that life. (That by "pestilence" is signified the vastation of good and truth; and by "leprosy," the profanation of truth.)

That in general by "diseases" are signified sins, can also be seen in Isaiah:

A man of sorrows, and known of disease; whence is as it were a hiding of faces from Him. He was despised, and we esteemed Him not: nevertheless He hath borne our diseases, and hath carried our griefs, and through His wounds health hath been given us (53:3-5)

speaking of the Lord.

As diseases represented the hurtful and evil things of the spiritual life, therefore by the diseases which the Lord healed is signified liberation from various kinds of evil and falsity which infested the church and the human race, and which would have led to spiritual death.

For Divine miracles are distinguished from other miracles by the fact that they involve and have regard to states of the church and of the heavenly kingdom. Therefore the Lord's miracles consisted chiefly in the healing of diseases. This is meant by the Lord's words to the disciples sent by John:

Tell John the things which ye hear and see: the blind see, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead rise again, and the poor hear the gospel (Matt. 11:4, 5).

Hence it is that it is so often said that the Lord "healed all disease and weakness" (Matt. 4:23; 9:35; 14:14, 35, 36; Luke 4:40; 5:15; 6:17; 7:21; Mark 1:32-34; 3:10).

(from Arcana Coelestia 9325:9, 10; 7337; 7465; 8364)

The Back Parts of God

Selection from True Christian Religion ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight.

Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.

And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.

And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.

And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.

And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.

And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.

And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.

And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: and it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: and I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen. (Exod. 33:12-23)

God is Infinite because He is Being and Existence in Himself, and because all things in the universe have their being and existence from Him.

God is One — He is the Itself, that He is the primal Esse of all things, and that all things in the universe that have being, existence, and subsistence, are from Him, and consequently that He is infinite. That human reason is able from very many things in the created universe to recognize this. But although the human mind is able from all this to acknowledge that the primal Being or primal Esse is infinite, it is nevertheless unable to comprehend what that Being is, and therefore can only define it as the infinite All and the Self-subsistent, and hence as the very and the only substance; and since nothing can be predicated of substance unless it has form, it is the very and only Form. But what does this mean? It does not make clear what the infinite is; for the human mind itself, even when in the highest degree analytical and exalted, is finite; and its finiteness is inseparable from it; and for this reason the human mind is wholly incapable of seeing the infinity of God as it is in Itself thus of seeing God; although it can from behind see God obscurely, as was said to Moses when he prayed to see God:

That he should be placed in a cleft of the rock, and should see His back parts (Exod. 33:20-23);

"the back parts of God" meaning what is visible in the world, and especially what is perceptible in the Word. All this shows how vain it is to wish to comprehend what God is in His Esse, or in His substance; and that it is sufficient to acknowledge Him from finite things, that is, from things created, in which He is infinitely. The man who is not content with this may be likened to a fish out of water, or to a bird under an air pump, which, as the air is withdrawn, gasps and finally dies. Or he may be likened to a vessel which, overcome by a storm and failing to obey its helm, is carried upon rocks and quicksands. So it is with those who wish to comprehend from within the infinity of God, and are not content with being able to acknowledge it in its manifest indications from without. It is related of a certain philosopher among the ancients that not being able to see or comprehend the eternity of the world in the light of his own mind he threw himself into the sea. What if he had wished to see or comprehend the infinity of God!

(from True Christian Religion 28)