THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE (pt. 102)

THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
for the
NEW JERUSALEM
FROM THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
Emanuel Swedenborg
— Doctrinal Series —
(pt. 102)
A MAN OUGHT TO SHUN EVILS AS SINS
AND FIGHT AGAINST THEM AS OF HIMSELF

The Lord loves man and wills to dwell with him, yet He cannot love him and dwell with him unless He is received and loved in return. From this alone comes conjunction. For this reason the Lord has given man freedom and reason — freedom to think and will as of himself, and reason in accordance with which he may do so.

To love and to be conjoined with one in whom there is nothing reciprocal is not possible, nor is it possible to enter in and abide with one in whom there is no reception.

As there are in man, from the Lord, reception and reciprocation, the Lord says:
• Abide in Me, and I in you (John 15:4).
• He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit (John 15:5).
• At that day ye shall know that ye are in Me, and I in you (John 14:20).

The Lord also teaches that He is in the truths and in the goods that a man receives, and that are in him:
• If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you. If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love (John 15:7, 10).
• He that hath My commandments, and doeth them, he it is that loveth Me and I will love him, and will make My abode with him (John 14:21, 23).

So that the Lord dwells in a man in what is His own, and the man dwells in those things which are from the Lord, and thus dwells in the Lord.

(LIFE 102)

THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE (pt. 101)

THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
for the
NEW JERUSALEM
FROM THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
Emanuel Swedenborg
— Doctrinal Series —
(pt. 101)
A MAN OUGHT TO SHUN EVILS AS SINS
AND FIGHT AGAINST THEM AS OF HIMSELF

It is in accordance with Divine order that man should act in freedom according to reason, because to act in freedom according to reason is to act from himself. And yet these two faculties, Freedom and Reason, are not proper to man, but are the Lord's in him; and in so far as he is a man they must not be taken away from him, because without them he cannot be reformed, for without them he cannot perform repentance, he cannot fight against evils, and afterwards bring forth fruits worthy of repentance. Now as it is from the Lord that man possesses freedom and reason, and as man acts from them, it follows that he does not act from himself, but as from himself.

(LIFE 101)

THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE (pt. 98-99)

THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
for the
NEW JERUSALEM
FROM THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
Emanuel Swedenborg
— Doctrinal Series —
(pt. 98-99)
NO ONE CAN SHUN EVILS AS SINS
SO AS TO BE INWARDLY AVERSE TO THEM
EXCEPT BY MEANS OF COMBATS AGAINST THEM

The Christian Church is called the church militant, and it cannot be called militant except as against the devil, and thus against the evils that are from hell. Hell is the devil. And the temptation that the man of the church undergoes is this warfare.

Battlings against evils, which battlings are temptations, are treated of in many places in the Word. They are meant by these words of the Lord:—
• I say unto you, Except a grain of wheat fall into the earth and die, it abideth by itself alone; but if it die, it beareth much fruit (John 12:24).

And also by these:
• If any man would come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whosoever would save his life shall lose it and whosoever shall lose his life for My sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it (Mark 8:34-35).

The "cross" means temptation (as also in Matt. 10:38; 16:24; Mark 10:21; Luke 14:27).

By his "life" is meant the life of man's Own (as also in Matt. 10:39; 16:25; Luke 9:24; and especially in John 12:25), which is also the "life of the flesh that profiteth nothing" (John 6:63).

In regard to battlings against evils, and victories over them, the Lord speaks in the Revelation to all the churches:—
• To the church in Ephesus: To him that overcometh, to him will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God (Rev. 2:7).
• To the church in Smyrna: He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death (Rev. 2:11).
• To the church in Pergamos: To him that overcometh, to him will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written, which no one knoweth but he that receiveth it (Rev. 2:17).
• To the church in Thyatira: He that overcometh, and that keepeth My words unto the end, to him will I give power [potestas] over the nations; and the morning star (Rev. 2:26, 28).
• To the church in Sardis [He that overcometh shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels (Rev. 3:5).
• To the church in Philadelphia:] He that overcometh I will make a pillar in the temple of My God, and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, of the New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from My God, and My new name (Rev. 3:12).
• To the church in Laodicea: He that overcometh I will give to him to sit down with Me in My throne (Rev. 3:21).

(LIFE 98-99)

THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE (pt. 96-97)

THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
for the
NEW JERUSALEM
FROM THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
Emanuel Swedenborg
— Doctrinal Series —
(pt. 96-97)
NO ONE CAN SHUN EVILS AS SINS
SO AS TO BE INWARDLY AVERSE TO THEM
EXCEPT BY MEANS OF COMBATS AGAINST THEM

A man who fights against evils cannot but do so as of himself, for one who does not fight as of himself does not do so at all, but stands like an automaton that sees nothing and does nothing, and from evil he is continually thinking in favor of evil, and not against it. But be it well known that it is the Lord alone who fights in a man against his evils, and that it only appears to the man that he fights of himself, and also that the Lord wills that it should so appear to him, because without this appearance no combat takes place and therefore no reformation.

This combat is not severe except in the case of those who have given free rein to their concupiscences [strong desires], and have indulged them of set purpose, and also in the case of those who have stubbornly cast off the holy things of the Word and of the church. With others it is not severe; let them even once in a week, or twice in a month, resist the evils they are inclined to, and they will perceive a change.

(LIFE 96-97)

THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE (pt. 95)

THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
for the
NEW JERUSALEM
FROM THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
Emanuel Swedenborg
— Doctrinal Series —
(pt. 95)
NO ONE CAN SHUN EVILS AS SINS
SO AS TO BE INWARDLY AVERSE TO THEM
EXCEPT BY MEANS OF COMBATS AGAINST THEM

In proportion ... as anyone battles with and thus removes evil, in the same proportion good takes its place, and from this good the man in the same proportion looks evil in the face, and sees that it is infernal and horrible, and on this account he not only shuns it, but feels averse to it, and at last abhors it.

(LIFE 95)

* The Latin word proprium is the term used in the original text that in this and other places has been rendered by the expression "Own." The dictionary meaning of proprius, as an adjective, is "one's own," "proper," "belonging to one's self alone," "special," "particular," "peculiar." The neuter of this which is the word proprium, when used as a noun means "possession," "property;" also "a peculiarity," "characteristic mark," "distinguishing sign," "characteristic." The English adjective "own" is defined by Webster to mean "belonging to," "belonging exclusively or especially to," "peculiar;" so that our word "own" is a very exact equivalent of proprius, and if we make it a noun by writing it "Own," in order to answer to the Latin proprium, we effect a very close translation. [TR.]

THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE (pt. 94)

THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
for the
NEW JERUSALEM
FROM THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
Emanuel Swedenborg
— Doctrinal Series —
(pt. 94)
NO ONE CAN SHUN EVILS AS SINS
SO AS TO BE INWARDLY AVERSE TO THEM
EXCEPT BY MEANS OF COMBATS AGAINST THEM

. . . this root is not removed and a new one set in its place unless the man regards the evils that constitute the root as injurious to his soul, and on this account desires to rid himself of them.  But as these evils belong to man's Own*, and are therefore delightful to him, he cannot do this except against his will, with a struggle, and therefore with battling.

Everyone does this battling who believes in the existence of hell and of heaven:— that heaven is eternal happiness, and hell eternal unhappiness; and that those who do evils go to hell, and those who do goods to heaven.

And one who thus fights acts from within, and against the concupiscence [strong desire] itself which constitutes the root of the evil, for one who fights against anything does not will it, and to desire is to will. This shows that the root of evil is not removed except by means of combat.

(LIFE 94)

* The Latin word proprium is the term used in the original text that in this and other places has been rendered by the expression "Own." The dictionary meaning of proprius, as an adjective, is "one's own," "proper," "belonging to one's self alone," "special," "particular," "peculiar." The neuter of this which is the word proprium, when used as a noun means "possession," "property;" also "a peculiarity," "characteristic mark," "distinguishing sign," "characteristic." The English adjective "own" is defined by Webster to mean "belonging to," "belonging exclusively or especially to," "peculiar;" so that our word "own" is a very exact equivalent of proprius, and if we make it a noun by writing it "Own," in order to answer to the Latin proprium, we effect a very close translation. [TR.]

THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE (pt. 93)

THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
for the
NEW JERUSALEM
FROM THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
Emanuel Swedenborg
— Doctrinal Series —
(pt. 93)
NO ONE CAN SHUN EVILS AS SINS
SO AS TO BE INWARDLY AVERSE TO THEM
EXCEPT BY MEANS OF COMBATS AGAINST THEM

And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. (Matt 3:10)

Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. (Matt 7:19)

As this Own* of man constitutes the first root of his life, it is evident what kind of a tree a man would be unless this root were plucked up, and a new root planted in its place. He would be a rotted tree, of which it is said that it must be cut down and cast into the fire (Matt. 3:10; 7:19). And this root is not removed and a new one set in its place unless the man regards the evils that constitute the root as injurious to his soul, and on this account desires to rid himself of them.  But as these evils belong to man's Own, and are therefore delightful to him, he cannot do this except against his will, with a struggle, and therefore with battling.

(LIFE 93)

* The Latin word proprium is the term used in the original text that in this and other places has been rendered by the expression "Own." The dictionary meaning of proprius, as an adjective, is "one's own," "proper," "belonging to one's self alone," "special," "particular," "peculiar." The neuter of this which is the word proprium, when used as a noun means "possession," "property;" also "a peculiarity," "characteristic mark," "distinguishing sign," "characteristic." The English adjective "own" is defined by Webster to mean "belonging to," "belonging exclusively or especially to," "peculiar;" so that our word "own" is a very exact equivalent of proprius, and if we make it a noun by writing it "Own," in order to answer to the Latin proprium, we effect a very close translation. [TR.]