The Rebirth of Man by Means of Memory-knowledges

Selection from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

In Mark 4:26-29, the comparison with the blade, the ear*, and the corn, involves the rebirth of man by means of memory-knowledges, truths of faith, and goods of charity:

Jesus said, So is the kingdom of God, as when a man casteth seed upon the earth; then sleepeth and riseth night and day, but the seed germinates and grows while he knoweth not. For the earth beareth fruit of itself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come (Mark 4:26-29);

the "kingdom of God," which is compared to the blade, the ear, and the corn, is heaven in man through regeneration; for one who has been regenerated has the kingdom of God within him, and becomes in image the kingdom of God or heaven. The "blade" is the first memory-knowledge; the "ear" is the memory-knowledge of truth thence derived; the "corn" is the derivative good.

Moreover, the laws enacted in regard to gleanings (Lev. 19:9; 23:22), and in regard to the liberty of plucking the ears from the standing corn of the neighbor (Deut. 23:25), and also in regard to eating no bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the offering of God was brought (Lev. 23:14), represented such things as are signified by "ears."
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* The reason why "ears" or spikes of corn signify memory-knowledges, is that "corn" signifies the good of the natural, because memory-knowledges are the containants of the good of the natural, as the ears are of the corn; for in general all truths are vessels of good, and so also are memory-knowledges, for these are lowest truths.

Lowest truths, or truths of the exterior natural, are called memory-knowledges, because they are in man's natural or external memory, and because they partake for the most part of the light of the world, and hence can be presented and represented to others by forms of words, or by ideas formed into words by means of such things as are of the world and its light.

The things in the inner memory, however, insofar as they partake of the light of heaven, are not called memory-knowledges, but truths; nor can they be understood except by means of this light, or expressed except by forms of words, or ideas formed into words, by means of such things as are of heaven and its light.
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The memory-knowledges into which the things of faith and of charity can be applied are very many, such as all the memory-knowledges of the church which are signified by "Egypt" in a good sense; and consequently all those memory-knowledges which are truths about correspondences, representatives, significatives, influx, order, intelligence and wisdom, and the affections; and also all truths of inner and outer nature, both visible and invisible, because these correspond to spiritual truths.

(from Arcana Coelestia 5212 - 5214)

HOW [MY] WRITINGS SEEM TO BE RECEIVED BY MEN

Selection from Swedenborg's Spiritual Diary ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

I spoke with spirits [as to] how my writings concerning these things seem to be received when they become public; for evil spirits sometimes infused that no one would perceive these things, but that [men] would reject them. Now while in the street and talking with spirits, it was given to perceive that there are five kinds of reception:

• First, [those] who wholly reject, who are in another persuasion, and who are enemies of the faith. These reject; for it cannot be received by them, since it [can] not penetrate their minds.

• Another class, who can receive these things as scientifics*, and are delighted with them as scientifics, and as curious things.

• A third class, which receives, intellectually, so that they receive with sufficient alacrity (Cheerful willingness; eagerness), but still remain [in respect to] life as before.

• A fourth class [receives] persuasively, so that it penetrates to the improvement of their lives; they recur to these in certain states, and make use of them.

•A fifth class, who receive with joy, and are confirmed. - 1748, August 27.

(Spiritual Diary 2955)

* Scientifics. Scientifica. All the things which are learned and stored up in the memory, and which can be called forth from it for the use of the sight of the mind, are called scientifics, and in themselves are the things which constitute the intellectual part of the natural or external man. ... In the Natural, there are scientifics of various kinds: there are scientifics relating to earthly, corporeal and worldly things; these are the lowest, for they are immediately from external sensual things or the things of the body: there are scientifics relating to the civil state, its government, statutes, and laws; these are a little more interior: there are scientifics relating to the things of moral life; these are more interior still; but those which relate to spiritual life, are the most interior of all. These are the truths of the Church, which, so far as they are only from doctrine, are nothing more than scientifics; but when they are from the good of love, then they ascend above scientifics, for then they are in spiritual light, from which light they view scientifics in their order beneath them. Man, by such degrees of scientifics, ascends to intelligence; for scientifics, through those degrees open the mind so that light from the spiritual world can flow in. - (Glossary of Terms and Phrases Used by Swedenborg John Stuart Bogg)

The truths of the Church in the natural —
In the natural there are memory-knowledges of various kinds: there are memory-knowledges about earthly, bodily, and worldly things, which are the lowest, for these are immediately from the things of the external senses, or of the body; there are memory-knowledges about the civil state, its government, statutes, and laws, which are a little more interior; there are memory-knowledges about the things of moral life, which are more interior still. But the memory-knowledges which belong to spiritual life are more interior than all the former. These latter are truths of the church, which insofar as they are only from doctrine with a man, are nothing but memory-knowledges; but when they are from the good of love, they then rise above memory-knowledges, for they are then in spiritual light, from which they look at memory-knowledges in their order beneath them. By means of such degrees of memory-knowledges a man mounts to intelligence, for by means of these degrees memory-knowledges open the mind so that light from the spiritual world can flow in. From all this it is now evident what is meant by the presence of truths in the natural.

(from Arcana Coelestia 5934)

Heaven and Earth Joined

Selection from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

It has been necessary that of the Lord's Divine Providence some revelation should come into existence, for -

a revelation or Word is the general recipient vessel of spiritual and celestial things, thus conjoining heaven and earth; and that without it they would have been disjoined, and the human race would have perished.

And besides, it is necessary that there should be heavenly truths somewhere, by which man may be instructed, because he was born for heavenly things, and, after the life of the body, ought to come among those who are heavenly; for -

the truths of faith are the laws of order in the kingdom in which he is to live forever.

(Arcana Coelestia 1775)

When Man From Internal Becomes External

Selection from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

The Doctrine of Charity was the doctrine in the Ancient Churches, and that this doctrine conjoined all the churches, and so made one out of many; for they acknowledged as men of the church all who lived in the good of charity, and called them brethren, however greatly they might be at variance in the truths which at this day are called the truths of faith. In these, [truths of faith], one instructed another, and this was among their works of charity; nor were they indignant if one did not accede to the opinion of another, knowing that everyone receives truth in proportion as he is in good.

Such being the character of the Ancient Churches, they were more interior men, and being more interior they were more wise; for-

those who are in the good of love and of charity are as to the internal man in heaven, and in an angelic society there which is in like good.

From this they have an elevation of mind to interior things, and consequently to the things of wisdom; for -

wisdom can come from no other source than heaven, that is, through heaven from the Lord; and in heaven there is wisdom, because there they are in good.

But in course of time this ancient wisdom decreased; for insofar as the human race removed itself from the good of love to the Lord and of charity toward the neighbor, so far it also removed itself from wisdom, because so far it removed itself from heaven. From this it is that man from internal became external, and this successively.

And when man became external, he also became worldly and corporeal; and when he is of this character he no longer cares for the things of heaven; for they have been so far removed as not to be believed to exist; because the delights of earthly loves, and with these all evils which from these loves are delightful to him, then take complete possession of the whole man; and then all that he hears about the life after death, about heaven, and about hell, is like chaff in the wind, which flies away as fast as it is seen.

From this also it is that the Doctrine of Charity, which was so precious among the ancients, is at this day one of the lost things; for who at this day knows what in the genuine sense charity is, and what in the genuine sense the neighbor is? when yet this doctrine abounds in arcana so many and so great that it cannot be described as to a thousandth part. The whole Sacred Scripture is nothing else than the doctrine of love and of charity, as the Lord also teaches, saying, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God from all thy heart, and in all thy soul, and in all thy mind; this is the first and great commandment: the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself; on these two commandments hang the law and the prophets (Matt. 22:37-40). "The law and the prophets" are the Word in all and each of its parts.

(Arcana Coelestia 6628 - 6632)

Of Charity — A New Will is Formed

Selection from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

No one can ever say that he is regenerate unless he acknowledges and believes that

• charity is the primary thing of his faith

and unless

• he is affected with love toward the neighbor, and has mercy on him.

Of charity his new will is formed. Through charity the Lord brings about good, and thereby truth, but not through faith without charity.

There are some who perform works of charity from obedience alone, that is, because it is so commanded by the Lord, and yet are not regenerate. These if they do not place righteousness in their works are regenerated in the other life.

(Arcana Coelestia 989)

In Its Practice or Use ~ Charity Consists

Selection from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

Those who are in charity, that is, in love to the neighbor (from which is the delight in pleasures that is alive), pay no regard to the enjoyment of pleasures except on account of the use. For there is no charity apart from works of charity; it is in its practice or use that charity consists.

He who loves the neighbor as himself perceives no delight in charity except in its exercise, or in use; and therefore a life of charity is a life of uses. Such is the life of the whole heaven; for the kingdom of the Lord, because it is a kingdom of mutual love, is a kingdom of uses. Every pleasure therefore which is from charity, has its delight from use. The more noble the use, the greater the delight. Consequently the angels have happiness from the Lord according to the essence and quality of their use.

And so it is with every pleasure — the more noble its use, the greater its delight.

For example, the delight of conjugial love: because this love is the seminary of human society, and thereby of the Lord's kingdom in the heavens, which is the greatest of all uses, it has in it so much delight that it is the very happiness of heaven.

It is the same with all other pleasures, but with a difference according to the excellence of the uses, which are so manifold that they can scarcely be classed in genera and species, some having regard more nearly and directly, and some more remotely and indirectly, to the kingdom of the Lord, or to the Lord. From these things it is further evident that all pleasures are granted to man, but only for the sake of use; and that they thus, with a difference from the use in which they are, partake of heavenly happiness and live from it.

(Arcana Coelestia 997)

Impossible to Convince

Selection from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

They who are within the church and have confirmed themselves against Divine truths, especially against these -

• that the Lord's Human is Divine
• that the works of charity contribute to salvation

- if they have confirmed themselves against them, not only by doctrine but also by life, they have reduced themselves to such a state as to their interiors that afterwards they cannot possibly be brought to receive them, for what is once confirmed by doctrine, and at the same time by life, remains to eternity.

Those who do not know the interior state of man may suppose that anyone, no matter how he has confirmed himself against these truths, can yet easily accept them afterwards, provided he is convinced. But that this is impossible has been granted me to know by much experience in regard to such persons in the other life.

For whatever is confirmed by doctrine is absorbed by the intellectual part, and what is confirmed by life is absorbed by the will part; and that which is inrooted in both man's lives, the life of his understanding and the life of his will, cannot be rooted out.

The very soul of man which lives after death is formed thereby, and is of such a nature that it never recedes therefrom. This is also the reason why the lot of those within the church with whom this is the case, is worse than the lot of those who are out of the church; for those who are out of the church, who are called Gentiles, have not confirmed themselves against these truths, because they have not known them; and therefore such of them as have lived in mutual charity, easily receive Divine truths, if not in the world, yet in the other life.

For this reason when any new church is being set up by the Lord, it is not set up with those who are within the church, but with those who are without, that is, with the Gentiles. These things are often treated of in the Word.

(from Arcana Coelestia 4747)