THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE (pt. 78-79)

THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
for the
NEW JERUSALEM
FROM THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
Emanuel Swedenborg
— Doctrinal Series —
(pt. 78-79)
IN PROPORTION AS ANYONE SHUNS
ADULTERIES OF EVERY KIND AS SINS,
IN THE SAME PROPORTION HE LOVES CHASTITY.

That to "commit adultery" means also to do obscene things, to speak lascivious things, and to think about filthy things, is evident from the Lord's words in Matthew:

Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery but I say unto you that whosoever looketh on the woman of another to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart (5:27, 28).

That to "commit adultery" in the spiritual sense means to adulterate the good of the Word and to falsify its truth, is evident from the following passages:

Babylon hath made all the nations drink of the wine of her fornication (Rev. 14:8).

The angel said, I will show thee the judgment of the great harlot that sitteth upon many waters, with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication (Rev. 17:1, 2).

Babylon hath made all the nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her (Rev. 18:3).

God hath judged the great harlot who did corrupt the earth with her fornication (Rev. 19:2).

"Whoredom" is predicated of Babylon, because "Babylon" means those who arrogate to themselves the Lord's Divine sovereign power, and profane the Word by adulterating and falsifying it; and for this reason Babylon is called:

The mother of the whoredoms and of the abominations of the earth (Rev. 17:5).

The same is signified by "whoredom" in the prophets, as in Jeremiah:

In the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible obstinacy in committing adultery and walking in lying (23:14).

And in Ezekiel:

Two women, the daughters of one mother, committed whoredom in Egypt; they committed whoredom in their youth; the one committed whoredom when she was Mine, and doted on her lovers the Assyrians her neighbors; she bestowed her whoredoms upon them, yet she forsook not her whoredoms in Egypt; the other corrupted her love more than she, and her whoredoms were more than the whoredoms of her sister; she added to her whoredoms, she loved the Chaldeans, the sons of Babel came to her to the bed of loves, and defiled her with their whoredom (23:2-17).

These things are said of the Israelitish and the Jewish Church, here called the "daughters of one mother." Their "whoredoms" mean adulterations and falsifications of the Word, and as in the Word "Egypt" signifies memory-knowledge, "Assyria" reasoning, "Chaldea" the profanation of truth, and "Babel" the profanation of good, it is said that they "committed whoredom" with them.

The same is said of "Jerusalem," by which is signified the church in respect to doctrine:

Thou didst trust in thy beauty, and didst commit whoredom because of thy renown, so that thou pouredst out thy whoredoms on everyone that passed by; thou hast committed whoredom with the sons of Egypt thy neighbors, great of flesh, and hast multiplied thy whoredom; thou hast committed whoredom with the sons of Asshur; and when thou wast not satisfied with those with whom thou didst commit whoredom, thou hast multiplied thy whoredoms unto the land of traffic, to Chaldea. An adulterous woman that receiveth strangers instead of her husband! All give hire to their harlots, but thou hast given hire to all thy lovers that they may come unto thee on every side in thy whoredoms. Wherefore, O harlot, hear the word of Jehovah (Ezek. 16:15, 26, 28-29, 32-33, 35).

That "Jerusalem" means the church may be seen in the Doctrine of the Lord (n. 62-63).

(The like is signified by "whoredoms" in Isa. 23:17, 18; 57:3; Jer. 3:2, 6, 8, 9; 5:1, 7; 13:27; 29:23; Micah 1:7; Nahum 3:4; Hos. 4:10, 11; Lev. 20:5; Num. 14:33; 15:39; and elsewhere.)

For the same reason the Lord called the Jewish nation:

An adulterous generation (Matt. 12:39; 16:4; Mark 8:38).

(LIFE 78-79)

THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE (pt. 77)

THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
for the
NEW JERUSALEM
FROM THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
Emanuel Swedenborg
— Doctrinal Series —
(pt. 77)
IN PROPORTION AS ANYONE SHUNS
ADULTERIES OF EVERY KIND AS SINS,
IN THE SAME PROPORTION HE LOVES CHASTITY.

We can conclude and see, in no dubious manner, whether a man is a Christian or not, and even whether a man has any religion or not.

If from his faith and from his life a man does not regard adulteries as sins, then he is not a Christian, and neither has he any religion.

On the other hand, if a man shuns adulteries as sins, and especially if on that account he feels aversion for them, and still more especially if on that account he abhors them, then he has religion, and if he is in the Christian Church he is a Christian.

(LIFE 77)

THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE (pt. 76)

THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
for the
NEW JERUSALEM
FROM THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
Emanuel Swedenborg
— Doctrinal Series —
(pt. 76)
IN PROPORTION AS ANYONE SHUNS
ADULTERIES OF EVERY KIND AS SINS,
IN THE SAME PROPORTION HE LOVES CHASTITY.

No one can know the nature of the chastity of marriage except the man who shuns as a sin the lasciviousness of adultery.

For a man may know that in which he is, but cannot know that in which he is not. 

If from description or from thinking about it a man knows something in which he is not, he nevertheless knows of it merely as of something in the dark, and there remains some doubt about it, so that no one sees anything in the light and free from doubt until he is actually in it. This last therefore is to know, whereas the other is both to know and not to know. The truth is that the lasciviousness of adultery and the chastity of marriage stand toward each other exactly as do hell and heaven, and that the lasciviousness of adultery makes hell in a man, and the chastity of marriage makes heaven. But the chastity of marriage exists solely with the man who shuns as sin the lasciviousness of adultery.

There are various and many causes that make a man moral in the outward form, but unless he is moral in the inward form also, he is nevertheless not moral.

For example: if a man abstains from adulteries and whoredom from the fear of the civil law and its penalties; from the fear of losing his good name and esteem; from the fear of the consequent diseases; from the fear of his wife's tongue in his home, and the consequent inquietude of his life; from the fear of the husband's vengeance, or that of some relative; from poverty, or avarice; from disability caused either by disease, abuse, age, or impotence; nay, if he abstains from such things on account of any natural or moral law, and not at the same time on account of the spiritual law, he nevertheless is inwardly an adulterer and whoremonger, for nonetheless does he believe that such things are not sins.

As toward God, therefore, he in his spirit makes them not unlawful, and so in spirit he commits them, although not in the body in the sight of the world; and therefore after death, when he becomes a spirit, he speaks openly in favor of them. From all this it is evident that an ungodly man is able to shun evils as injurious, but only a Christian can shun them as sins. ( n. 111.)

(LIFE 76)

THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE (pt. 75)

THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
for the
NEW JERUSALEM
FROM THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
Emanuel Swedenborg
— Doctrinal Series —
(pt. 75)
IN PROPORTION AS ANYONE SHUNS
ADULTERIES OF EVERY KIND AS SINS,
IN THE SAME PROPORTION HE LOVES CHASTITY.

In proportion as anyone shuns adultery, in the same proportion he loves marriage; or what is the same, in proportion as anyone shuns the lasciviousness of adultery, in the same proportion he loves the chastity of marriage, is because the lasciviousness of adultery and the chastity of marriage are two opposite things, and therefore in proportion as anyone is not in the one, he is in the other.

(LIFE 75)

THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE (pt. 74)

THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
for the
NEW JERUSALEM
FROM THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
Emanuel Swedenborg
— Doctrinal Series —
(pt. 74)
IN PROPORTION AS ANYONE SHUNS
ADULTERIES OF EVERY KIND AS SINS,
IN THE SAME PROPORTION HE LOVES CHASTITY.

To "commit adultery," as mentioned in the sixth (or as it is usually called, the seventh) commandment, means—

• In the natural sense, not only to commit whoredom, but also to do obscene things, to speak lascivious things, and to think about filthy things
• In the spiritual sense to "commit adultery" means to adulterate the goods of the Word, and to falsify its truths
• In the highest sense to "commit adultery" means to deny the divinity of the Lord, and to profane the Word.

These are the "adulteries of every kind."

The natural man is able to know from rational light that to "commit adultery" includes in its meaning the doing of things obscene, the speaking of things lascivious, and the thinking of things that are filthy; but he does not know that to commit adultery means also to adulterate the goods of the Word and to falsify its truths, and still less that it means to deny the divinity of the Lord and to profane the Word. Consequently neither does he know that adultery is so great an evil that it may be called diabolism itself, for he who is in natural adultery is also in spiritual adultery, and the converse. That this is so will be shown in a separate little work entitled Conjugial Love.* But those who from their faith and their life do not regard adulteries as sins, are in adulteries of every kind at once.

(LIFE 74)

THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE (pt. 73)

THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
for the
NEW JERUSALEM
FROM THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
Emanuel Swedenborg
— Doctrinal Series —
(pt. 73)
IN PROPORTION AS ANYONE
SHUNS MURDERS OF EVERY KIND AS SINS
IN THE SAME PROPORTION
HE HAS LOVE TOWARD THE NEIGHBOR.

The Lord teaches the good of love in many places in the Word. He teaches it in Matthew by what He says about reconciliation with the neighbor:

If thou art offering thy gift upon the altar, and there remember that thy brother hath aught against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way, first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Be well-minded to thine adversary quickly, while thou art in the way with him; lest the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, thou shalt not come out thence, till thou hast paid the last farthing (Matt. 5:23-26).

To be "reconciled to one's brother" is to shun enmity, hatred, and revenge; that it is to shun them as sin is evident. The Lord also teaches in Matthew:

All thing whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them; for this is the Law and the Prophets (7:12);

thus that we should not do evil. He teaches the same in many other places. The Lord also teaches that to be angry with one's brother or the neighbor rashly, and to hold him as an enemy, is also to commit murder (Matt. 5:21-22).

(LIFE 73)

THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE (pt. 72)

THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
for the
NEW JERUSALEM
FROM THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
Emanuel Swedenborg
— Doctrinal Series —
(pt. 72)
IN PROPORTION AS ANYONE
SHUNS MURDERS OF EVERY KIND AS SINS
IN THE SAME PROPORTION
HE HAS LOVE TOWARD THE NEIGHBOR.

When a man is no longer in the evil of murder, but in the good of love toward the neighbor, whatever he does is a good of this love, and therefore it is a good work.

• A priest who is in this good does a good work whenever he teaches and leads, because he acts from the love of saving souls.
• A magistrate who is in this good does a good work whenever he delivers a decision or a judgment, because he acts from the love of taking care of his country, of the community, and of his fellow-citizen.
• The same with a trader: if he is in this good, everything of his trading is a good work; there is in him the love of the neighbor; and his country, the community, his fellow-citizen, and also the members of his household, are the neighbor whose welfare he has care for in providing for his own.
• A workman also who is in this good, works faithfully from it, for others as for himself, fearing his neighbor's loss as he would his own.

The reason why the doings of these men are good works, is that in proportion as anyone shuns evil, in the same proportion he does good, ... and he who shuns evil as sin, does good not from himself but from the Lord. The contrary is the case with him who does not regard as sins the various kinds of murder, which are enmities, hatred, revenge, and many more.

Whether he be priest, magistrate, trader, or workman, whatever he does is not a good work, because every work of his partakes of the evil that is within him; for his internal is what gives it birth. The external may be good, but only as regards others, not as regards himself.

(LIFE 72)