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Memorable Occurrences in Swedenborg's Writings

This list of Memorable Occurrences in Swedenborg's Writings was originally compiled by W. C. Henderson in 1960 but has since been updated.

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Doctrine of the Sacred Scripture #26

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26. 5. The Word’s spiritual meaning is granted after this only to someone who possesses genuine truths from the Lord. The reason is this: because no one can see the spiritual meaning unless he is enabled to do so by the Lord alone, and unless he possesses genuine truths from Him. For the Word’s spiritual meaning deals with the Lord alone and His kingdom, and that sense is the one possessed by His angels in heaven. It is, indeed, His Divine truth there. It is possible for a person to violate that truth if he has a knowledge of correspondences and tries to use it to explore the Word’s spiritual meaning in accord with his own intelligence. Applying some of the correspondences he knows, he may twist its meaning and use it to confirm even falsity, which would be to do injury to Divine truth, and to heaven as well. If someone tries to lay open that sense on his own, therefore, and not from the Lord, heaven is closed, and when heaven is closed, a person either sees nothing, or he becomes spiritually irrational.

[2] There is also another reason. Because the Lord teaches everyone by means of the Word, and teaches him in accordance with the truths the person already possesses and does not infuse new truths directly, therefore if the person is without any Divine truths, or if he possesses only a few truths and is caught up at the same time in falsities, it would be possible for him to use those falsities to falsify the truths — as is also commonly known to be the case with every heretic as regards just the Word’s literal sense.

Consequently, to keep people from entering into the Word’s spiritual meaning, or from twisting the genuine truth found in that sense, the Lord has set protections, meant in the Word by cherubim.

[3] That protections have been set was represented to me in the following way:

I was given to see large purses, looking like sacks, which had stored away in them a great deal of silver. Since they were open, it seemed as if anyone might take some of the silver deposited in them, even to make off with it. However, next to the purses two angels were sitting as guards. The place where the purses rested looked like a manger in a stable. In the next room I saw modest maidens, together with a chaste wife. Near that room were two little children, and I heard it said they were not to be played with in a childish way, but wisely. Afterward a harlot appeared, then a horse lying dead.

4] On seeing these images I was informed that they represented the literal meaning of the Word, which has a spiritual meaning within. The large purses full of silver symbolized concepts of truth there in great abundance. The purses’ being open and yet guarded by angels symbolized that anyone might draw concepts of truth there, but that people should take care not to falsify the spiritual meaning, which contains only truths. The manger in the stable where the purses were sitting symbolized spiritual instruction for the intellect. (A manger has this symbolism, because a horse, which feeds from it, symbolizes the intellect.)

5] The modest maidens I saw in the next room symbolized affections for truth, and the chaste wife the conjunction of truth and good. The little children symbolized the innocence of the wisdom in it (they were angels from the third heaven, all of whom appear like little children). The harlot together with the dead horse symbolized the falsification of the Word by many people today, by which all understanding of the truth has been extinguished. (A harlot symbolizes falsification, and a dead horse no understanding of truth.)

  
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Thanks to the General Church of the New Jerusalem, and to Rev. N.B. Rogers, translator, for the permission to use this translation.

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True Christian Religion #566

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566. The natural man makes a person like an animal; he takes on the likeness of an animal through the life he leads. So such people appear in the spiritual world surrounded by animals of all kinds, which are correspondences. A person's natural regarded in essence is nothing but animal, but he can become a human being because he has the extra gift of being spiritual. If this does not happen as a result of his ability to become one, he can pretend to be human, though he is nothing but an animal that can talk. For his speech comes from his natural rationality, but his thought from spiritual madness; his actions come from natural morality, but his love from spiritual lust. His actions viewed by a spiritually rational person are hardly different from the movements of a person stung by a tarantula, what is called St Vitus' dance 1 .

[2] Is anyone unaware that a hypocrite can talk about God, a robber about honesty, an adulterer about chastity, and so on? But unless a person had the gift of being able to shut off or open up the door which connects thoughts and utterances, and intentions and actions, and had prudence or cunning there to act as door-keeper, he would rush into crime and cruelty more fiercely than a wild beast. But after death everyone has that passage opened, and then it is clear what sort of person he was. However, he is kept under restraint by punishments and imprisonment in hell. Therefore, kind reader, look into yourself and fish out one or two evils in yourself, and turn away from them for religious reasons. If you do so with any other intention or for any other purpose, your rejection will be simply to hide these evils from the world's gaze.

Bilješke:

1. This term is now only applied to a different condition.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.

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