The Lord Works Through Charity

Selection from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

It is utterly useless for a man to know many things if he does not live according to what he knows...

"Japheth" is signified a corresponding external church — an external church, namely, external worship, and thus those who do not know what the internal man is, nor anything that belongs to the internal man, and yet live in charity. With these the Lord is equally present, for the Lord works through charity, wherever charity exists.

The case in this respect is the same as it is with little children, with whom, although they do not know what charity is, still less what faith is, the Lord is nevertheless much more present than with adults, especially when the little children live together in charity. And the case is the same with the simple who have innocence, charity, and mercy.

It is utterly useless for a man to know many things if he does not live according to what he knows. For knowing has no other end than that the man may thereby become good. When he has become good, he has much more than one who knows innumerable things and yet is not good; for what the latter seeks by much knowledge, the former already has. Very different, however, is the case with one who knows many truths and goods, and at the same time has charity and conscience; for such a one is a man of the internal church, or "Shem."

Those who know little and yet have conscience are enlightened in the other life, insomuch that they become angels, and possess wisdom and intelligence inexpressible. These are signified by "Japheth."

(from Arcana Coelestia 1100)

Worship that Goes Back from What is Holy

Selection from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

WHAT IS BENEATH THE MOUNTAINS
THAT IS
WHAT IS LOWER IN WORSHIP

EXTERNAL WORSHIP WHEREIN IS WHAT IS PROFANE

And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. Genesis 11:2

THE DECLINE OF THE CHURCH
JOURNEY — THE MODES AND ORDER OF LIFE

They journeyed from the east, that is, they began to go back from charity; for insofar as the church, or a man of the church, goes back from charity, so far his worship goes back from what is holy, or in other words, so far his worship approaches what is unclean and profane. That their having found a valley in the land of Shinar signifies the decline of the church, or of worship, to what is profane, is because a valley is a low place between mountains, by which are signified the holy things of love or of charity in worship.

~~~

WHEN FALSITIES HAD BEGUN TO REIGN
AND IN FACT FROM CUPIDITIES

There are two beginnings of falsities, one from ignorance of truth, the other from cupidities.

Falsity from ignorance of truth is not so pernicious as falsity from cupidities. For the falsity of ignorance arises either from one's having been so instructed from childhood, or from having been diverted by various occupations so that one has not examined whether what professes to be true is really so, or from not having had much faculty of judging concerning what is true and what is false. The falsities from these sources do not inflict much harm, provided the man has not much confirmed and thus persuaded himself, being incited thereto by some cupidity so as to defend the falsities; for by doing this he would make the cloud of ignorance dense, and turn it into darkness so that he could not see the truth.

But the falsity of cupidities exists when the origin of the falsity is the cupidity or love of self and of the world; as when one seizes upon some point of doctrine and professes it in order to captivate minds and lead them, and explains or perverts the doctrine in favor of self, and confirms it both by reasonings from memory-knowledges, and by the literal sense of the Word. The worship derived from this is profane, however holy it may outwardly appear; for inwardly it is not the worship of the Lord, but the worship of self. Nor does such a man acknowledge anything as true except insofar as he can explain it so as to favor himself. Such worship is that which is signified by "Babel."

But the case is different with those who have been born and brought up in such worship, and who do not know that it is false, and who live in charity. In their ignorance there is innocence, [a willingness to be led by the Lord and not by oneself, Heaven and Hell 281; 341] and in their worship there is good from charity. The profanity in worship is not predicated so much from the worship itself, as from the quality of the man who is in the worship.

(selections from Arcana Coelestia 1289-1295)

What are your works?

Selection from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

That this signifies about services and uses, is evident from the signification of "works," as being goods —

What are your works? That this signifies, and to know your goods, is evident from the signification of "works," as being goods. That "works" are goods is because they are from the will, and things from the will are good or evil, but things from the understanding, such as discourse, are true or false.

The works of the sons of Jacob, and also the works of their fathers, were to pasture cattle, thus to act as shepherds. These works also signify goods, specifically goods from truths. That they have this signification is from correspondences, for lambs, sheep, kids, and goats, which are of the flock, correspond to the goods of charity; in like manner bullocks and oxen, which are of the herd. That they correspond is evident from the fact that when from heavenly affection the angels are conversing together about the goods of charity, there appear in some places in the world of spirits, and also in the first or ultimate heaven, flocks and herds-flocks, when they are speaking of the interior goods of charity; and herds when of the exterior goods.

For this reason it is that in the Word such things are signified by "flocks and herds." In general be it known that every significative in the Word derives its origin from representatives in the other life, and these from correspondences. The reason is that the natural world is from the spiritual world as an effect from its cause, to the end that the spiritual world may flow into the natural world and there act as the causes. In this way also all things of this world are held together in their tenor and in order.

(That universal nature is a theater representative of the Lord's kingdom, that is, of the spiritual and heavenly things therein.) (n. 6048)

thus services and uses, for these are goods.

All the goods which are called goods of charity are nothing but uses, and uses are nothing but works for the neighbor, for our country, for the church, for the Lord's kingdom. Moreover regarded in itself charity itself does not become charity until it comes into act and becomes work. For to love anyone, and not do him good when we have the power, is not to love him — but to do him good when we have the power, and to do it from our hearts, this is to love him; and then all things of charity toward him are contained within the very deed or work; for a man's works are the complex of all things of his charity and faith, and are what are called spiritual goods, and indeed become goods by exercise, that is, by means of uses.

As the angels who are in heaven are in good from the Lord, they long for nothing more than to perform uses. These are the very delights of their life, and it is also according to uses that they enjoy bliss and happiness, which likewise the Lord teaches in Matthew:

The Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then shall He render to everyone according to his works (Matt. 16:27);

by "works" here are not meant works such as they appear in the outward form, but such as they are in their inward form, namely, such as is the charity contained in them; the angels regard works in no other way.

And because a man's works are the complex of all things of his charity and faith, and the life causes charity to be charity and faith to be faith, thus good, therefore the Lord loved John more than the rest of His disciples, and he lay on His breast at supper (John 21:20); for by him were represented the goods or works of charity; for which reason also the Lord said unto him, "Follow Me," and not to Peter, by whom was represented faith. Wherefore faith, which is "Peter," said with indignation, "Lord, what shall this man do? Jesus said unto him, If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou Me" (John 21:21-23). By this was also foretold that faith would despise works, and yet that these are near the Lord, as may also be clearly seen from the Lord's words to the sheep and to the goats (Matt. 25:34-46), wherein nothing but works are recounted. And that faith would reject the Lord is evident from the representation by Peter when he denied Him thrice; that he did this at night, signifies the last time of the church, when there is no longer any charity; that he did it thrice signifies that this condition is then complete; that it was before the cock crew, signifies before newness of the church would arise, for the twilight and morning which follow the night signify the first of the church.

(from Arcana Coelestia 6073)

Through the Faith of Charity

Selection from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

Through the church those are saved who are out of the church. No others are in the faith of charity than those within the church, for the faith of charity is truth of doctrine adjoined to good of life. The case is this: The Lord's kingdom on earth consists of all those who are in good, who though scattered over the whole earth, are still one, and as members constitute one body. Such is the Lord's kingdom in the heavens, where the whole heaven represents one man, which is therefore also called the Grand Man, and what is wonderful and hitherto unknown, all parts of the human body correspond to societies in heaven.

THE SOCIETIES WHICH CONSTITUTE HEAVEN

There are three heavens: the First is the abode of good spirits, the Second of angelic spirits, and the Third of angels. And one heaven is more interior and pure than another, so that they are most distinct. Each heaven, the first, the second, and the third, is distinguished into innumerable societies; and each society consists of many individuals, who by their harmony and unanimity constitute as it were one person; and all the societies together are as one man. The societies are distinct from one another according to the differences of mutual love, and of faith in the Lord. These differences are so innumerable that not even the most universal genera of them can be computed; and there is not the least of difference that is not disposed in most perfect order, so as to conspire most harmoniously to a common unity, and the common unity to unanimity of individuals, and thereby to the happiness of all from each, and of each from all. Each angel and each society is therefore an image of the universal heaven, and is as it were a little heaven.     (n. 684)

And therefore it is sometimes said that some societies belong to the province of the head, some to the province of the eye, others to that of the chest, and so on, which correspondence will of the Lord's Divine mercy be spoken of by itself.

The case is the same with the Lord's church on earth, where the church is like the heart and lungs; while those outside the church answer to the parts of the body which are supported and live from the heart and lungs. Hence it is manifest that without a church somewhere on the earth the human race could not subsist, as the body could not without the heart and lungs. From this cause it is that whenever any church is consummated, that is, becomes no church because there is no longer any charity, a new one is of the Lord's providence always raised up; as when the Most Ancient Church called "Man" perished, a new one was created by the Lord, which was called "Noah," and was the Ancient Church that was after the flood; and when this degenerated and became none, the Jewish and Israelitish representative Church was instituted; and when this became altogether extinct, the Lord then came into the world, and set up again a new one; and this for the purpose that there might be conjunction of heaven with the human race through the church.

(from Arcana Coelestia 2853)

Knowing whether Faith is a belief in Truth and Love a love of Good

Selection from Apocalypse Explained ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

WHEN FAITH SEPARATED FROM THE LIFE, CORROBORATED
AND ESTABLISHED BY REASONINGS FROM THE NATURAL MAN
IT FOLLOWS THAT TO SUCH A FAITH DOMINATION IS GIVEN
OVER ALL THINGS OF THE CHURCH AND ITS DOCTRINE

It is evident that domination was given to this faith, since faith alone is the universal prevailing principle in the churches; for it has been taken to be the essential means of salvation, as is clearly evident from the doctrines of the churches, as well as from the verbal profession of the men of the church, and in general from their lives; also from this, that they do not know what charity and love are, consequently what works are. And as such is the domination of faith separate, so it has domination over all the truths and goods of the church, and extinguishes them by falsifying, perverting, and adulterating them; for where that faith rules there is no longer anything good, and thence no truth.

It is known that faith from love is the essential means of salvation, and thus is the principle of the doctrine of the church; but since it is important to know how a man can be in such enlightenment as to learn the truths that must constitute his faith and in such affection as to do the goods that must constitute his love, and thus can know whether his faith is a belief in truth and his love a love of good, this shall be told in its proper order, as follows:

(1) Let him read the Word every day, one or two chapters, and learn from a master and from preachings the dogmas of his religion; and especially let him learn that God is one, and that the Lord is the God of heaven and earth (John 3:35; 17:2; Matt. 11:27; 28:18), that the Word is holy, that there is a heaven and a hell, and that there is a life after death.

(2) Let him learn from the Word, from a master, and from preachings, what works are sins, and that they are especially adulteries, thefts, murders, false witness, and the others mentioned in the Decalogue; likewise that lascivious and obscene thoughts are also adulteries, that frauds and illicit gains are also thefts, that hatred and revenge are also murders, and that lies and blasphemies are also false witness; and so on. Let him learn all these things from childhood to youth.

(3) When man begins to think for himself, which is the case after he has grown up, it must be to him the first and chief thing to refrain from doing evils for the reason that they are sins against the Word, thus against God, and for the reason that if he does them he will gain, not life eternal, but hell; and afterwards as he grows up and becomes old he must shun them as damned, and must turn away from them in thought and intention. But in order to so refrain from them and shun and turn away from them, he must pray to the Lord for help. The sins he must refrain from and must shun and turn away from are chiefly adulteries, frauds, illicit gains, hatreds, revenges, lies, blasphemies, and elation of mind.

(4) So far as man detests these evils because they are opposed to the Word, and thence opposed to God, so far there is granted him communication with the Lord, and conjunction is effected with heaven. For the Lord enters, and with the Lord heaven enters, as sins are removed; since these and their falsities are the sole hindrances. The reason is because man has been placed in the midst between heaven and hell, wherefore hell acts from the one side, and heaven from the other; therefore so far as evils that are from hell are removed, so far goods from heaven enter; for the Lord says:

Behold I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hear and open the door, I will come in to him (Rev. 3:20).

But if man refrains from doing these evils for any other reason than because they are sins, and are opposed to the Word and because thence to God, no conjunction of heaven with him is effected, because his refraining is from self, and not from the Lord. The Lord is in the Word, even so that He is called the Word (John 1:1-4), because the Word is from Him; consequently the conjunction of heaven with the man of the church is by means of the Word.

(5) So far, then, as man detests these sins so far good affections enter. Then so far as he detests adulteries so far chastity enters; so far as he detests frauds and unlawful gains so far sincerity and justice enter; so far as he detests hatred and revenge so far charity enters; so far as he detests lies and blasphemies so far truth enters; and so far as he detests elation of mind so far humility before God and love of the neighbor as oneself enter; and so on. From this it follows that to shun evils is to do goods.

(6) So far as a man is in these good affections he is led by the Lord and not by self; and so far as he acts from them so far he does what is good, because he does this from the Lord and not from self; and then he acts from chastity, from sincerity and justice, from charity, from truth, in humility before God; and from these no one can act from self.

(7) The spiritual affections that are granted by the Lord to him who is in them and who acts from them, are the affection of knowing and understanding the truths and goods of heaven and the church, together with the affection of willing and doing them; also the affection of combating with zeal against falsities and evils and dispersing them, both with himself and with others. From this man has faith and love, and from this he has intelligence and wisdom.

(8) Thus and in no other way is man reformed; and so far as he knows and believes truths, and wills and does them, so far is he regenerated, and from natural becomes spiritual. The like is true of his faith and his love.

If evils have not been removed because they are sins nothing that a man thinks, speaks, wills, and does, is good or true before God, however it may appear as if good and true before the world. The reason is that they are not from the Lord but from man, since it is the love of the man and of the world from which they are, and which is in them. Most people at this day believe that they will come into heaven if they have faith, live piously, and do goods; and yet they do not turn away from evils because they are sins, consequently they either do them or believe them to be allowable; and those who believe them to be allowable do them when opportunity is given. But let them know that their faith is not faith, that their pious things are not pious, and that their goods are not goods; for they flow from the impurities that lie inwardly concealed with man; and externals derive everything that they are from internals. For the Lord says:

Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup and of the platter, that the outside may become clean also (Matt. 22:26).

From this it can now be seen that if a man were able to fulfill all things of the law, if he should give much to the poor, if he should do good to the fatherless and the widow, and if he should also give bread to the hungry and drink to the thirsty, take in the strangers, clothe the naked, visit the sick, and go to them that are bound in prison, if he should earnestly preach the Gospel, convert the Gentiles, frequent temples, listen devoutly to preachings, observe the sacrament of the Supper often every year, spend his time in prayer, and other things; and his internal has not been purified from hatred and revenge, from craftiness and malice, from insincerity and injustice, from the filthy delight of adultery, from the love of self and the consequent love of rule, and the pride of self-intelligence, from contempt of others in comparison with oneself, and from the other evils and their falsities; still all these works would be hypocritical and from the man himself, and not from the Lord.

And yet these same works, when the internal has been purified, are all good, because they are from the Lord with man, and since the man is in the faith and in the love of doing these works he will do them as a matter of course. This has been proved to me by a thousand examples in the spiritual world. I have there heard that it has been granted to many to recall the actions of their life in the world, and to enumerate the goods they had done; but when their internal was opened it was found to be full of every evil and the falsity therefrom; and it was then disclosed to them that the goods they had enumerated had been done from self, because for the sake of self and the world, and that they were full of evils from their interiors; and on this account they appeared either as if scorched with fire, or as if sooty.

But it was otherwise with those who from the Word had abstained from doing evils, and had afterwards shunned them and turned away from them because they were sins and were opposed to love to God and to charity towards the neighbor. Although there was a similar perception to them that their works were done as if from self, yet they were all good, and appeared in the light of heaven like white snow and wool (Isaiah 1:12-18). These are the works that are meant in the Word by the works that can in no wise be separated from faith; for faith separated from them is dead, and a dead faith is a faith in falsity from an evil love; or it is the thought that a thing is true, while the life is still evil.

That abstaining from evils for any reason whatever except from the Word does not purify the internal man is evident from the origin of evil works and from the origin of good works. For example, he that abstains from adulteries from fear of the civil law and its punishments, from fear of the loss of reputation and thus of honor, from fear of deprivations arising from poverty, parsimony, or avarice, from fear of consequent illness, from fear of brawls at home with the wife and the consequent intranquility of life, from fear of chastisement by the servants of the injured husband, from infirmity arising from abuse, or age, or impotence, or even from natural goodness and consequent moral goodness, that is, as not being proper and honorable, and so on, and if for such reasons only he lives chastely still he is interiorly unchaste and an adulterer, so long as he does not abstain from these evils from spiritual faith, which is a belief that adulteries are infernal because they are contrary to the Divine Law, and thus contrary to the fear of God and to love of the neighbor. And so in all other cases.

From what has now been presented it can be seen what the internal and the external are, also what faith and love are, namely, that faith and love are with man when his internal has been purified from evils in the manner just described, and that they are not in him if it be not purified, and that where faith and love are, there is heaven, and where faith and love are not, there is hell.

(from Apocalypse Explained 803)

A Ratio Between 'The Finite' and 'The Infinite' Provided

Selection from Divine Providence ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. John 15:4-12

The Infinite and Eternal in itself must needs look to what is Infinite and Eternal from Itself in things finite. By the Infinite and Eternal in itself the Divine Itself is meant, — [the Infinite in itself and the Eternal in itself is the Divine is in accord with the angelic idea, the angels understanding by the Infinite nothing else than the Divine being (esse), and by the Eternal the Divine manifestation (existere)]; by things finite all things created by the Divine, especially men, spirits, and angels, are meant, and to look to what is Infinite and Eternal from Itself is to look to the Divine, that is, Itself, in these, as a man looks at his image in a mirror.

IN THE CREATED UNIVERSE THERE IS AN IMAGE OF MAN, AND THIS IS AN IMAGE OF WHAT IS INFINITE AND ETERNAL, THUS AN IMAGE OF GOD THE CREATOR, THAT IS, THE LORD FROM ETERNITY. BUT LET IT BE UNDERSTOOD THAT THE DIVINE IN ITSELF IS IN THE LORD, WHILE THE DIVINE FROM ITSELF IS THE DIVINE FROM THE LORD IN CREATED THINGS.

In all forms of uses there is a kind of image of man.

That all uses, from firsts to outmosts and from outmosts to firsts, have relation to all parts of man and have correspondence with them, consequently that man is, in a kind of image, a universe, and conversely that the universe viewed as to uses is in image a man.

In all forms of uses there is a kind of image
of the Infinite and the Eternal.

The image of the Infinite in these forms is plain from their conatus and power to fill the spaces of the whole world, and even of many worlds, to infinity. For a single seed produces a tree, shrub, or plant, which fills its own space; and each tree, shrub, or plant produces seeds, in some cases thousands of them, which, when sown and grown up, fill their own spaces; and if from each seed of these there should proceed as many more, reproduced again and again, in the course of years the whole world would be filled; and if the production were still continued many worlds would be filled; and this to infinity. Estimate a thousand seeds from one, and multiply the thousand by a thousand ten times, twenty times, even to a hundred times, and you will see.

There is a like image of the Eternal in these forms; seeds are propagated from year to year, and the propagations never cease; they have not ceased from the creation of the world till now, and will not cease to eternity.

These two are standing proofs and attesting signs that all things of the universe have been created by an Infinite and Eternal God.

Beside these images of the Infinite and Eternal, there is another image of the Infinite and Eternal in varieties, in that there can never be a substance, state, or thing in the created universe the same as or identical with any other, neither in atmospheres, nor in lands, nor in the forms arising out of these. Thus not in any of the things which fill the universe can any thing the same be produced to eternity. This is plainly to be seen in the variety of the faces of human beings; no one face can be found throughout the world which is the same as another, nor can there be to all eternity, consequently not one mind, for the face is the type of the mind. (Divine Love and Wisdom 317, 318)

But that this may be more fully understood it shall be illustrated. The Divine can look only to the Divine; and it can look to this nowhere but in things created by Itself. That this is true is evident from this, that one can look to another only from what is his own in himself. He that loves another looks to him from his own love in himself; and he that is wise looks to another from his own wisdom in himself. He may see that the other loves him or does not love him, and is wise or not wise, but this he sees from the love and wisdom in himself; and therefore he conjoins himself with the other so far as the other loves him as he loves the other, or so far as the other is wise as he is wise; for thus they make one.

It is the same with the Divine in itself, for the Divine in itself is not able to look to itself from another, that is, from a man or a spirit or an angel; for there is nothing in them of the Divine in itself from which [all things are], and to look to the Divine from another in whom there is nothing of the Divine would be to look to the Divine from what is not Divine, which is not possible. For this reason the conjunction of the Lord with a man or a spirit or an angel is such that every thing that has relation to the Divine is not from them, but from the Lord. For it is known that all the good and all the truth that any one has is from the Lord and not from himself, and that no one can even mention the Lord, or His names, "Jesus," and "Christ," except from Him.

From this, then, it follows, that the Infinite and Eternal, which is the same as the Divine, looks to all things in the finite infinitely, and conjoins Itself with them in accordance with the degree of reception of wisdom and love in them. In a word, the Lord can have an abode in man or angel and dwell with them, only in His own, and not in what is their own (proprium), for that is evil; and if it were good it would still be finite, which in itself and from itself cannot contain the Infinite. All this makes clear that it is impossible for a finite being to look to the Infinite; but it is possible for the Infinite to look to what is Infinite from Himself, in finite beings.

There is an appearance that the Infinite cannot be conjoined with the finite, because there is no possible ratio between them, and because the finite cannot contain what is Infinite; nevertheless, such a conjunction is possible, both because the Infinite created all things from Himself —

THE LORD FROM ETERNITY, WHO IS JEHOVAH, CREATED THE UNIVERSE AND ALL THINGS THEREOF FROM HIMSELF, AND NOT FROM NOTHING.

It is known throughout the world, and acknowledged by every wise man from interior perception, that God, who is the Creator of the universe, is One; and it is known from the Word that God the Creator of the universe is called "Jehovah," which is from the verb to be, because He alone is. That the Lord from eternity is that Jehovah is shown by many statements from the Word in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Concerning the Lord. Jehovah is called the Lord from eternity, since Jehovah assumed a Human that He might save men from hell; He then commanded His disciples to call Him Lord. Therefore in the New Testament Jehovah is called "the Lord;" as can be seen from this:

Thou shalt love Jehovah thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul (Deut. 5:5);

but in the New Testament:

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul (Matt. 22:35).

It is the same in other passages in the Gospels, taken from the Old Testament.

Every one who thinks from clear reason sees that the universe was not created out of nothing, for he sees that not anything can be made out of nothing; since nothing is nothing, and to make anything out of nothing is a contradiction, and a contradiction is contrary to the light of truth, which is from Divine Wisdom; and whatever is not from Divine Wisdom is not from Divine Omnipotence.

Every one who thinks from clear reason sees also that all things have been created out of a Substance that is Substance in itself, for that is Esse itself, out of which every thing that is can take form; and since God alone is Substance in itself, and therefore Esse itself, it is evident that from this source alone is the formation of things.

Many have seen this, because reason causes them to see it; and yet they have not dared to confirm it, fearing lest they might thereby be led to think that the created universe is God, because from God, or that nature is from itself, and consequently that the inmost of nature is what is called God. For this reason, although many have seen that the formation of all things is from God alone and out of His Esse, yet they have not dared to go beyond their first thought on the subject, lest their understanding should become entangled in a so-called Gordian knot, beyond the possibility of release. Such release would be impossible, because their thought of God, and of the creation of the universe by God, has been in accordance with time and space, which are properties of nature; and from nature no one can have any perception of God and of the creation of the universe; but every one whose understanding is in any interior light can have a perception of nature and of its creation out of God, because God is not in time and space. ...

Although God has created the universe and all things thereof out of Himself, yet there is nothing whatever in the created universe that is God; and other things besides, which will place this matter in its proper light. (Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom 282-283)

And because the Infinite in things finite can look only to what is Infinite from Himself, and with finite beings this Infinite from Himself can appear as if it were in them, whereby a ratio between the finite and the Infinite is provided, not from the finite, but from the Infinite in the finite; and by this also the finite being becomes capable of containing what is Infinite, not the finite being in himself, but as if in himself from what is Infinite from itself in him.

(from Divine Providence 52-54)

The Spiritual Idea of Good and Truth

Selection from Charity ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

THE NEIGHBOR THAT IS TO BE LOVED, IN THE SPIRITUAL IDEA, IS GOOD, AND TRUTH

It is said, in the spiritual idea, because this is the idea in which the spiritual man is, inwardly; and the angels are in the same idea. This idea is abstract from matter, space, and time, and especially is abstract from person.

Man is man not from his form, but from the good and truth in him, or what is the same, from will and understanding. It is known that the will and understanding are the very man, and not his form, which appears in the face and body as a man. Some are foolish and insane, and yet appear as men; some are so natural that they are like animals, save that they can speak; others are rational and spiritual. The human form of these last may appear less beautiful, and yet they are men more than the others. Take away the good and truth from them, and the human form remains, in which there is no man; they are as pictures and sculptured forms, and as apes.

It is said, good and truth, that is, will and understanding, because good is of the will and truth is of the understanding; for the will is the receptacle of good, and the understanding is the receptacle of truth.

And yet good and truth cannot be except in their subject. Nothing can be separated from its subject. Therefore man is the neighbor; but in the spiritual idea good and truth, from which man is man.

Therefore the good and truth in a man is the neighbor that is to be loved. Set before your eyes three or ten persons, whom you are choosing for some domestic employment. Do you choose otherwise than according to the good and truth in them, whence man is man?

If you are choosing one among ten for the performance of some service, do you not inquire into his will and understanding?

The one who is chosen is your neighbor who is loved. A man devil may appear with a similar face as a man angel. Should not the man angel be loved, and not the man devil? You show favor to the man angel, on account of the good and truth in him, but not to the man devil. It is charity that he should be punished if he does evil, and that the man angel should be rewarded.

If you observe ten virgins, among whom five are harlots and five are chaste, and would choose one for a wife, do you not choose one of the chaste, according to her good, which accords with your good?

The quality of the neighbor is according to the quality of the good in a man; or such as the man is, such is the neighbor. That all men are not equally the neighbor, the Lord's parable of the man wounded by robbers teaches, —

And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?

And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise. Luke 10:29-37

"he is neighbor who showed mercy on him."

Whoever does not distinguish the neighbor according to the quality of good and truth in him may be deceived a thousand times, and his charity become confused and at length no charity. A man devil may exclaim, "I am a neighbor: do good to me." And if you do good to him he may kill you or others. You are placing a knife or a sword in his hand.

The simple act thus. They say every man is equally a neighbor, and that they deem it no business of theirs to search into his quality; but God looks to that; I may only render assistance to a neighbor. But this is not loving the neighbor. He who from genuine charity loves the neighbor inquires what the quality of a man is, and does good to him discreetly, and according to the quality of his good.

Such simple ones are withdrawn and separated in the other life; for if they come among diabolical spirits they are allured to do good to them, and to do evil to the good. These spirits cry out, "Set me free! Help me!" This is the greatest strength which the evil acquire. Without help from and, as it were, conjunction with them, they have no power at all; but with them whom they have deceived by the name of neighbor, they are strong.

Genuine charity itself is prudent and wise. Other charity is spurious, because it is of the will or of good alone, and not at the same time of the understanding or of truth.

The degree of neighbor is according to the degree of good and truth in a man; consequently, one man is not neighbor in the same degree as another. Good is distinguished, according to degrees

• civil good

• moral good

• spiritual good

The neighbor which a man will love from charity will be spiritual good. Without this good there is no charity; for the good of charity is spiritual good, since it is according to this good that all in the heavens are conjoined.

Moral good, which is actual human good (for it is the rational good according to which man lives with man, as a brother and associate), is neighbor so far as it is derived from spiritual good; for moral good without spiritual is external good, is of the external will, and is not internal good. It may be evil, which is not to be loved.

Civil good is the good of a life in accordance with the civil laws; and its first and fundamental principle, is not to act contrary to those laws on account of the penalties. If within this good there is not moral good, and within this, spiritual good, it is none other than the animal good which beasts have, when kept shut up or chained, towards those who give them food, or who punish or caress them.

These goods a man learns in his early infancy from the Decalogue. The laws of the Decalogue first become civil laws, afterwards moral, and finally spiritual; and then first do the goods become goods of charity, according to their degree.

Charity itself regards first the good of man's soul; and loves that because conjunction is effected by it. Next to that it regards his moral good; and loves it, just in proportion as he lives a moral life according to the perfection of reason. And, lastly, it regards civil good, according to what the man is in his interaction with the world. Through his civil good the man is a man of the world; according to his moral good he is a man above the world, and lower than heaven; and according to his spiritual good he is a man of heaven, or an angel. The consociation of man with man is effected by this good, and then by goods of the lower degrees, according to their degree. For example: There is the spiritual man who wills well and does not understand well, and he who does not understand well does not act well; he is, therefore, scarcely a rational moral man. And there is the man who understands well and does not will well. Such a man is not the neighbor according to his understanding; but he who does not will well is not the neighbor, however well he may understand.

In a word, the will constitutes the neighbor, and the understanding so far as it is of the will.

The good of the internal will is the neighbor that is to be loved, and not the good of the external will, unless this makes one with the other. There is an internal will and an external will; likewise an internal and an external understanding.

The internal will has conjunction with heaven, and the external will with the world.

All good is of the will, and the very good of charity is good of the internal will.

These are wont to be separated in a man; and are most widely separated in hypocrites, dissemblers, and flatterers for the sake of gain.

But when these wills make one then the goods of both make one good, which is the neighbor. These principles may be illustrated by examples and comparisons.

Truth is the neighbor as far as it makes one with good; and it makes one as do form and essence. Every form derives its quality from an essence. Therefore whatever the quality of the essence is, such is that of its form.

This may be illustrated by the fact that such as the will is such is the understanding, in itself regarded.

It may also be illustrated by sound and speech, and by many other things.

That truth is good in form may be seen in the Apocalypse Explained.

It is clear, then, that in the spiritual idea good is the neighbor that is to be loved, or the man according to his good.

(from Charity 42-71)