An 'Own' that is Innocent

Selection from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

Then said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then He shall reward every man according to his works. (Matthew 16:24-27)

In all good there must be innocence in order that it may be good. Charity without innocence is not charity; and still less is love to the Lord possible without innocence. For this reason innocence is the very essential of love and charity, consequently of good.

An own that is innocent is to know, acknowledge, and believe, not with the mouth but with the heart, that nothing but evil is from one's self, and that all good is from the Lord

and therefore that what is man's own is nothing but blackness; that is to say, not only the own of his will, which is evil, but also the own of his understanding, which is falsity. When man is in this confession and belief from the heart, the Lord flows in with good and truth, and insinuates into him a heavenly own, which is white and lustrous.

No one can ever be in true humility unless he is in this acknowledgment and belief from the heart; for he is then in annihilation of self, nay, in the loathing of self, and thus in absence from self; and in this manner he is then in a state capable of receiving the Divine of the Lord.

It is by this means that the Lord flows in with good into a humble and contrite heart.

And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me anything; if thou wilt do this word for me, I will return, and feed and keep thy flock. I will pass through all thy flock this day, removing from thence every small cattle that is speckled and spotted, and every black one among the lambs, and the spotted and speckled among the goats, and these shall be my reward. And my righteousness shall answer for me on the morrow, because thou comest upon my reward before thee; every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and black among the lambs, stolen is this by me. (Genesis 30:31-33)

Such is the own that is innocent, which is here signified by the "black among the lambs" that Jacob chose for himself; but the white among the lambs is the self-merit that is placed in goods. (That "white" is merit) This Jacob did not choose, because it is contrary to innocence; for he who places self-merit in goods, acknowledges and believes that all good is from himself; because in the goods he does he has regard to himself, and not to the Lord, and accordingly demands recompense on account of his merit. Such a one therefore despises others in comparison with himself, and even condemns them, and consequently in the same proportion recedes from heavenly order, that is, from good and truth. From all this it is now evident that charity toward the neighbor and love to the Lord are impossible unless there is innocence within them; consequently that no one can come into heaven unless there is something of innocence in him; according to the Lord's words:

Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein (Mark 10:15; Luke 18:17);

by a "little child" here and elsewhere in the Word is signified innocence. (Infancy is not innocence, but that innocence dwells in wisdom.)

That "lambs" signify innocence may be seen from many passages in the Word, of which the following may be adduced in confirmation. In Isaiah:

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them (Isa. 11:6);

where the subject treated of is the Lord's kingdom and the state of peace and innocence therein. The "wolf" denotes those who are against innocence; and the "lamb," those who are in innocence. Again in the same Prophet:

The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent's bread. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all the mountain of My holiness (Isa. 65:25);

where the "wolf" as above denotes those who are against innocence; and the "lamb," those who are in innocence. As the "wolf" and the "lamb" are opposites, the Lord also said to the seventy whom He sent forth:

Behold I send you forth as lambs in the midst of wolves (Luke 10:3).

In Moses:

He maketh him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock; butter of the herd, and milk of the flock, with the fat of lambs and of rams, the sons of Bashan (Deut. 32:13-14);

here in the internal sense the celestial things of the Ancient Church are treated of, and the "fat of lambs" denotes the charity of innocence.

In the original language "lambs" are expressed by various names, by which are signified the different degrees of innocence; for as before said, in all good there must be innocence to make it good; consequently there must be the same in truth. "Lambs" are here expressed by the same word that is used for "sheep" (as in Lev. 1:10; 3:7; 5:6; 17:3; 22:19; Num. 18:17); and it is the innocence of the faith of charity that is signified. Elsewhere they are expressed by other words, as in Isaiah:

Send ye the lamb of the ruler of the land from the rock toward the wilderness, unto the mount of the daughter of Zion (Isa. 16:1).

By still another word in the same prophet:

The Lord Jehovih cometh in strength, and his arm shall rule for him; he shall feed his flock like a shepherd, he shall gather the lambs in his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that give suck (Isa. 40:10-11);

where to "gather the lambs in his arm, and carry them in his bosom," denotes those who are in charity in which there is innocence.

In John:

When Jesus showed Himself to the disciples, He said to Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me more than these? He saith unto Him, Yea, Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee. He saith unto him, Feed My lambs. He saith to him a second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me? He saith unto Him, Yea, Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee. He saith unto him, Feed My sheep (John 21:15-16).

"By Peter" here and elsewhere is signified faith, and as faith is not faith unless it is from charity toward the neighbor, and thus from love to the Lord; and as charity and love are not charity and love unless they are from innocence, for this reason the Lord first asks Peter whether he loves Him, that is, whether there is love in the faith, and then says, "Feed My lambs," that is, those who are in innocence. And then, after the same question, He says, "Feed My sheep," that is, those who are in charity.

As the Lord is the innocence itself which is in His kingdom, the all of innocence being from Him, He is called the "Lamb"; as in John:

The next day John the Baptist seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29, 36).

And in the Revelation:

These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them; for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and they that are with Him are called, and chosen (Rev. 17:14, and elsewhere, in Rev. 5:6; 6:1, 16; 7:9, 14, 17; 12:11; 13:8; 14:1, 4; 19:7, 9; 21:22-23, 26-27; 22:1, 3).

That in the supreme sense the paschal lamb is the Lord is well known; for the passover signified the Lord's glorification, that is, the putting on of the Divine in respect to the Human; and in the representative sense it signifies man's regeneration; and the paschal lamb signifies that which is the essential of regeneration, namely, innocence; for no one can be regenerated except by means of the charity in which there is innocence.

As innocence is the primary thing in the Lord's kingdom, and is the celestial itself there, and as the sacrifices and burnt-offerings represented the spiritual and celestial things of the Lord's kingdom, therefore the very essential of the Lord's kingdom, which is innocence, was represented by lambs. For this reason a perpetual or daily burnt-offering was made of lambs, one in the morning, and another in the evening (Exod. 29:37-39; Num. 28:3, 4), and a double one on the sabbath days (Num. 28:9, 10), and of still more lambs on stated festivals (Lev. 23:12; Num. 28:11, 17, 19, 27; 29). The reason why a woman who had given birth, after the days of her cleansing were accomplished, was to offer a lamb for a burnt-offering, and the young of a pigeon or a turtle-dove (Lev. 12:6), was that the effect of conjugial love might be signified (for that conjugial love is innocence, and also because innocence is signified by "infants."

(from Arcana Coelestia 3994)

All Doctrinal Things Serve as Vessels for Celestial Things

Selection from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

In the Jewish Church for the sake of this representation and signification the birds were not divided, is evident in Moses:

If his offering to Jehovah be a burnt-offering of birds, then he shall bring his offering of turtle-doves or of the sons of the pigeon. And he shall cleave it with its wings, he shall not divide it (Lev. 1:14, 17).

And the same in the case of the sacrifices for sin:

And if he be not able to bring a lamb, then he shall bring for his trespass, which he hath committed, two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, unto the Lord; one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering. And he shall bring them unto the priest, who shall offer that which is for the sin offering first, and wring off his head from his neck, but shall not divide it asunder: And he shall sprinkle of the blood of the sin offering upon the side of the altar; and the rest of the blood shall be wrung out at the bottom of the altar: it is a sin offering. (Lev. 5:7-9).

And the birds he did not divide. That this signifies spiritual things, and that in them there is not such a parallelism and correspondence, is evident from the signification of "birds," as being what is spiritual, as distinguished from what is celestial. . . By spiritual things are signified all the things of faith, consequently all doctrinal things, for these are called things of faith, although they are not of faith until they have been conjoined with charity. Between these and the Lord there is not a parallelism and correspondence-

for they are such things as do not flow in by internal dictate and conscience, as do those which are of love and charity, but they flow in by instruction, and so by hearing, thus not from the interior, but from the exterior, and in this way they form their vessels or recipients in man.

The greater part of them appear as if they were truths, but are not truths, such as those things which are of the literal sense of the Word, and are representatives of truth and significatives of truth, and thus are not in themselves truths; some of them even being falsities, which however can serve as vessels and recipients. But in the Lord there are none but truths that are essentially such; and therefore with these there is no parallelism and correspondence on the part of those apparent truths, but still they may be so adapted as to serve as vessels for the celestial things which are of love and charity. These apparent truths are what constitute the cloud of the intellectual part into which the Lord insinuates charity, and so makes conscience.

For example: with those who remain in the sense of the letter of the Word, and suppose that it is the Lord who leads into temptation and who then torments man's conscience, and who suppose that because He permits evil He is the cause of evil, and that He thrusts the evil down into hell, with other similar things: these are apparent truths, but are not truths; and because they are not truths that are such in themselves, there is no parallelism and correspondence. Still the Lord leaves them intact in man, and miraculously adapts them by means of charity so that they can serve celestial things as vessels.

So also with the worship, the religious teachings and morals, and even with the idols, of the well-disposed Gentiles; these likewise the Lord leaves intact, and yet adapts them by means of charity so that they also serve as vessels.

The case was the same in regard to the very numerous rites in the Ancient Church, and afterwards in the Jewish Church; which in themselves were nothing but rituals in which there was not truth, but which were tolerated and permitted, and indeed commanded, because they were held as sacred by parents, and so were implanted in the minds of children and impressed upon them from infancy as truths.

For the things that are once implanted in a man's opinion, and are accounted as holy, the Lord leaves intact, provided they are not contrary to Divine order; and although there is no parallelism and correspondence, still He adapts them. These same things are what was signified in the Jewish Church by the birds not being divided in the sacrifices; for to divide is to place the parts opposite to each other in such a manner that they may adequately correspond; and because the things which have been spoken of are not adequately in correspondence, they are obliterated in the other life with those who suffer themselves to be instructed, and truths themselves are implanted in their affections of good.

(from Arcana Coelestia 1832)

Love of The Neighbor and Love of Self are Opposite Loves

Selection from Divine Providence Emanuel Swedenborg

• Love of the neighbor wishes well to everyone from itself, while love of self wishes well to itself alone from everyone.
• Love of the neighbor wishes to serve everyone, while love of self wishes everyone to serve it.
• Love of the neighbor regards everyone as its brother and friend, while love of self regards everyone as its servant, or as its enemy, if he does not serve it; in a word, it regards itself only, and others scarcely as men, holding them in heart in less estimation than its horses and dogs. And because it regards them as of so little account it thinks nothing of doing evil to them; and this is the source of hatred and revenge, adultery and whoredom, theft and fraud, lying and defamation, violence and cruelty, and other such evils. Such are the evils in which man is from birth.

(from Divine Providence 276)

The Acknowledgments In True Worship

Selection from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

All true worship consists in adoration of the Lord, adoration of the Lord in humiliation, and humiliation in one's acknowledgment that in himself there is nothing living, and nothing good, but that all within him is dead, yea, cadaverous; and in the acknowledgment that everything living and everything good is from the Lord. The more a man acknowledges these things, not with the mouth, but with the heart, the more he is in humiliation; and consequently the more he is in adoration, that is, in true worship, and the more he is in love and charity, and the more in happiness. The one is in the other, so conjoined as to be inseparable.

(from Arcana Coelestia 1153)

Doubting During Temptation

Selection from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

In all temptation there is somewhat of doubt concerning the Lord's presence and mercy, and concerning salvation and the like things.

Those who are in temptation are in interior anxiety, even to despair; in which they are for the most part kept, to the end -

that they may be at length confirmed in the fact that all things are of the Lord's mercy;
that they are saved by Him alone
that with themselves there is nothing but evil

in respect to which -

they are confirmed by means of conflicts in which they overcome.

After the temptation there remain from it many states of truth and good to which their thoughts may afterwards be bent by the Lord, which would otherwise rush into insane things, and draw away the mind into opposition to what is true and good.

(from Arcana Coelestia 2334)

The Word Being Opened to the Churches, and Afterwards Closed

Selection from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. 

And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.  (Matthew 22:35-40)

As regards the Word being opened to the churches, and being afterwards closed, the case is this:

In the beginning of the setting up of any church, the Word is at first closed to the men of it, and is afterwards opened, the Lord so providing; and thus they learn that all doctrine is founded on the two commandments — that the Lord is to be loved above all things, and the neighbor as themselves.  When these two commandments are regarded as the end, the Word is opened; for all the Law and the Prophets, that is, the whole Word, so depend on these commandments that all things are derived from them and therefore all have reference to them.  And whereas the men of the church are then in the principles of truth and good, they are enlightened in everything they see in the Word; for the Lord is then present with them by means of angels, and teaches them (although they are unaware of this), and also leads them into the life of truth and good.

This may be seen also from the case of all churches, in that they were such in their infancy, and worshiped the Lord from love, and loved the neighbor from the heart.

But in process of time churches withdraw from these two commandments, and turn aside from the good of love and charity to the so-called things of faith, thus from life to doctrine; and insofar as they do this, so far the Word is closed.

(Arcana Coelestia 3773)

Performing Offices of Charity

Selection from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

Then shall the righteous answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw we Thee hungry and fed Thee? or thirsty and gave Thee drink? When saw we Thee a stranger and gathered Thee? or naked and clothed Thee? When saw we Thee sick, or in prison, and came unto Thee? But the King shall say to them, Verily I say to you, Insofar as ye did it to one of the least of these My brethren, ye did it to Me. (Matt. 25:44-45).

Lord, when saw we Thee hungry and fed Thee? or thirsty and gave Thee drink? When saw we Thee a stranger and gathered Thee? or naked and clothed Thee? When saw we Thee sick, or in prison, and came unto Thee? signifies that if they had seen the Lord Himself, everyone of them would have performed these offices; yet not from love toward Him, but from fear because He was to be the judge of the universe; thus not for His sake, but for the sake of themselves; thus not from within or from the heart, but from without and in act only.

This is as when one sees a king whose favor he desires to gain, in order that he may become great or rich, and therefore bears himself submissively toward him. It is similar with those who are in holy external worship, in which they, as it were, see the Lord, and submit themselves to Him, believing that in this way they will receive eternal life; and yet they have no charity, and do no good to anyone except for their own sake, thus only to themselves. They are like persons who in outward form pay court to their king with much respect, and yet deride his commands because at heart they disregard him. These and similar things are what are signified by those on the right hand so answering; and as the evil also do the like things in outward form, therefore they who were on the left made nearly the same answer.

As therefore the Lord cares not for external but for internal things, and as man testifies to his internal things, not by worship only, but by charity and its acts, the Lord answered:

Verily I say to you, Insofar as ye did it to one of the least of these My brethren, ye did it to Me;

those are called "brethren" who are in the good of charity and of life; for the Lord is with them, because they are in good itself; and it is they who are properly meant by the neighbor. In these also the Lord does not manifest Himself, for in respect to Him, they are vile; but the man manifests himself before the Lord, in that he worships Him from within.

(from Arcana Coelestia 5066 - 5067)

To receive Divine truth is not only to have faith, but also to practice it, that is, to cause that which is of doctrine to become of the life. (n. 5068)