80. Every Single Constituent of the Word Contains a Marriage of the Lord and the Church, and So a Marriage of Goodness and Truth

The idea that every single constituent of the Word contains a marriage of the Lord and the church, and so a marriage of goodness and truth, is something not seen previously, nor could it have been seen, because the Word’s spiritual sense was not disclosed before, and the marriage can only be seen by means of that sense. For lying concealed within the Word’s literal sense are two other senses, a spiritual one and a celestial one. In the spiritual sense expressions in the Word relate mainly to the church, and in the celestial sense, mainly to the Lord. In the spiritual sense they relate also to Divine truth, and in the celestial sense to Divine goodness. Hence the aforesaid marriage in the Word’s literal sense.

But this marriage is not apparent to anyone unless he knows from the Word’s spiritual and celestial senses the symbolic meanings of the words and names. For some words and names refer to goodness, and some to truth, and some encompass both. Without that knowledge, therefore, the aforesaid marriage in every constituent of the Word cannot be seen.

It is for this reason that this arcanum has not been disclosed previously.

91. Heresies May Be Seized On from the Word’s Literal Sense, But It Is Harmful to Affirm Them

We showed above that the Word cannot be understood apart from doctrine, and that doctrine serves as a lamp in whose light genuine truths may be seen. And the reason is that the Word was written solely in terms of correspondences. As a result, the Word contains many appearances of truth that are not naked truths, and much was accommodated to the comprehension of natural people, even of sensual people, yet at the same time it was written in such a way that simple people can understand it in simplicity, and wise people wisely.

Now because that is the nature of the Word, the appearances of truth, which are truths clothed, may be seized on as naked truths. And when these are affirmed, they become falsities.

People who do this, however, are people who believe themselves wiser than others, even though they are not wise. For it is the part of wisdom to see whether something is true before affirming it, and not to affirm whatever one pleases. People who do the latter are people who possess a talent for defending their affirmations and are caught up in a conceit in their own intelligence. But those who do the former are people who love truths, who are affected by them because they are true, and who apply them to useful life endeavors. For they are enlightened by the Lord and see truths in the light of those truths, in contrast to the first people who create their own enlightenment and see falsities also in the light of those falsities.