Logopraxis

From the work, Arcana Coelestia 4849

4849. Verses 12-14. And the days were multiplied, and Shua's daughter died, the wife of Judah; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto the shearers of his flock, he and his companion Hirah the Adullamite, to Timnah. And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father-in-law goeth up to Timnah to shear his flock. And she put off from upon her the garments of her widowhood, and covered herself in a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gate of the fountains which is upon the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she was not given to him for a woman. "And the days were multiplied," signifies a change of state; "and Shua's daughter died," signifies as to evil from falsity; "the wife of Judah," signifies the religiosity with the nation descended from Jacob, specifically that from Judah; "and Judah was comforted," signifies rest; "and went up unto the shearers of his flock," signifies some elevation to take counsel for the church; "he and his companion Hirah the Adullamite," signifies that it was still in falsity; "to Timnah," signifies the state; "and it was told Tamar, saying," signifies some communication with a church representative of spiritual and celestial things; "Behold thy father-in-law goeth up to Timnah to shear his flock," signifies that the Jewish Church wished to take counsel for itself; "and she put off from upon her the garments of her widowhood," signifies a simulation of the truth that is from good; "and covered herself in a veil," signifies truth obscured; "and wrapped herself," signifies thus not acknowledged; "and sat in the gate of the fountains which is upon the way to Timnah," signifies what is intermediate to the truths of the church and to falsities; "for she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she was not given to him for a woman," signifies discernment that it could not otherwise be conjoined with the religiosity in which was the posterity of Jacob, specifically that from Judah.

From the work, Arcana Coelestia 4863

4863. Verses 15-18. And Judah saw her, and thought her to be a harlot, because she had covered her faces. And he turned aside unto her to the way, and said, Grant I pray that I may come to thee; for he knew not that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come to me? And he said, I will send thee a kid of the goats from the flock. And she said, If thou wilt give a pledge till thou send it? And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy kerchief, and thy staff that is in thy hand. And he gave them to her, and came to her; and she conceived to him. "And Judah saw her," signifies how the religiosity of the Jewish nation at that time regarded the internal things of the representative church; "and thought her to be a harlot," signifies no otherwise than as falsity; "because she had covered her faces," signifies that interior things were hidden to them; "and he turned aside unto her to the way," signifies that it adjoined itself because it was such; "and said, Grant I pray that I may come to thee," signifies lust for conjunction; "for he knew not that she was his daughter-in-law" signifies that it did not perceive it to be the truth of the representative church; "and she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come to me?" signifies the reciprocal of conjunction with a condition; "and he said, I will send thee a kid of the goats from the flock," signifies a pledge of conjunction; "and she said, If thou wilt give a pledge till thou send it?" signifies the reciprocal if there is certainty; "and he said, What pledge shall I give thee?" signifies that it was certain; "and she said, Thy signet," signifies a token of consent; "and thy kerchief," signifies by means of truth; "and thy staff that is in thy hand," signifies by means of its power; "and he gave them to her," signifies that thus it was certain; "and came to her,

From the work, True Christian Religion 287

287. The literal sense of the Ten Commandments contains general instructions on doctrine and life; but their spiritual and celestial senses contain universal instructions.

It is well known that the Ten Commandments are called in the Word the Law par excellence, because they contain everything concerning doctrine and life, not only everything which concerns God, but also everything which concerns man. That is why the law was written on two tablets, one dealing with God, the other with man. It is also well known that the whole of doctrine and life relate to love to God and love towards the neighbour. The whole of these loves is contained in the Ten Commandments. This is the teaching of the whole Word, as is evident from these words of the Lord:

Jesus said, You are to love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself. The law and the prophets depend upon these two commandments. Matt. 22:35-37, 40.

The law and the prophets mean the whole Word. And further:

A lawyer testing Jesus said, Master, what must I do to inherit everlasting life? And Jesus said to him, What is written in the law? What is your reading of it? And he in answer said, You are to love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself. And Jesus said, Do this, and you will live, Luke 10:25-28.

[2] Now since love to God and love towards the neighbour are the whole of the Word; and since the first tablet of the Ten Commandments contains in summary form the whole of love to God, and the second tablet contains the whole of love towards the neighbour, it follows that they contain the whole of doctrine and life. A look at the two tablets makes it plain that they are so linked that God from His tablet has man in view, and man in his turn from his has God in view. Thus there is a reciprocal viewing, such that on God's part He never fails to keep man in view and perform the actions needed for his salvation; and if a person accepts and does the things laid down in his tablet, the link becomes reciprocal. Then, as the Lord's words promised to the lawyer, 'Do this, and you will live.'

From the work, Arcana Coelestia 7933

Behold, we are going up into Jerusalem where all things will be accomplished that have been written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man. Luke 18:31.

And in Matthew,

Do not think that I came to destroy the Law and the Prophets; I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. Truly I say to you, Even until heaven and earth pass away, one lot or one little horn [on a letter] will not pass away in the Law till all things are done. Matt. 5:17, 18.

[3] In these statements and in those which the Lord makes elsewhere about the fulfilment of the Law or Scripture He means, as has been stated, the things foretold about Himself in the internal sense. Every single detail in that sense, even to each jot or each smallest tittle, has to do with the Lord. This is why He says that 'one jot or one little horn will not pass away in the Law till all things are done'. And in Luke,

It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the Law to fall. Luke 16:17.

Anyone who does not know that every detail even to the smallest of all has to do in the internal sense with the Lord and His kingdom, and that for this reason the Word is most holy, cannot begin to understand what this may mean, that not one tittle will fall, that not one jot or little horn will pass away, and that it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away. For although the details that present themselves in the outward sense do not seem to be so important, the continuity of the text inwardly is such that not a part of a word c...

From the work, Arcana Coelestia 2189.2

[2] The primary thing of the rational with man is truth (as before said, n. 2072), consequently it is the affection of truth, to the end that man may be reformed, and so regenerated. This is effected by means of knowledges [cognitiones et scientifica] that are of truth, which are continually being implanted in good, that is, in charity, that so the man may receive the life of charity. It is on this account that the affection of truth in man is predominant in his rational. For it is the case with the life of charity (which is the heavenly life itself) that with those who are being reformed and regenerated it is continually being born and growing up and receiving increments, and this by means of truths; therefore the more of truth there is insinuated, the more is the life of charity perfected; wherefore according to the quality and quantity of truth, so is the charity with a man.

Fron the work, Arcana Coelestia 9336

9336. 'Little by little I will drive them out from before you' means a removal effected gradually according to order. This is clear from the meaning of 'little by little' as gradually, thus slowly; and from the meaning of 'driving out' - when it has reference to falsities and evils, meant by the nations of the land of Canaan - as a removal, dealt with just above in 9333. The words 'gradually according to order' are used because everything with a person who is being regenerated is rearranged in accordance with heavenly order. For a person who has been regenerated is a miniature heaven, 9276, and therefore also within that person order exists akin to that which obtains in heaven.

[2] When a person is born he is, so far as his hereditary evils are concerned, a miniature hell. He also becomes an embodiment of hell to the extent that he draws on hereditary evils and adds his own to them. This being so, the order of a person's life which exists by reason of what he receives at birth, and by reason of his own acts in life, is the opposite of heavenly order. For what is a person's own leads him to love self more than the Lord and to love the world more than heaven, whereas the life of heaven consists in loving the Lord above all things and the neighbour as oneself. From this it is evident that the first life, which is that of hell, must be completely destroyed, that is, evils and falsities must be removed, in order that the new life, which is that of heaven, may be implanted, see 4551, 4552, 4839, 6068. This cannot possibly be done hurriedly, for every deep-rooted evil, together with its falsities, is interconnected with all other evils and their falsities. Such evils and falsities are countless, and their interconnection is so complex that it cannot be comprehended, not even by angels, only by the Lord. From this it is evident that the life of hell with a person cannot be destroyed suddenly; for if it were destroyed suddenly the person too would perish. Nor can the life of heaven be implanted suddenly, for if this were implanted suddenly the person would again perish.

From the work, True Christian Religion 586

586. That man can only be regenerated gradually, may be illustrated by each and all things that come into existence in the natural world. A tree cannot reach its full growth in a day, but there is first growth from the seed, then from the root, and then from the shoot, which becomes the trunk, and from this go forth branches and leaves, and finally blossoms and fruit. Wheat or barley does not ripen for the harvest in a day; a house is not built in a day, nor does a man acquire his full stature in a day, still less wisdom; a church is not established and perfected in a day, nor is there any progression to an end except from a beginning. Those who have a different conception of regeneration know nothing of charity and faith, nor of the growth of either according to man's cooperation with the Lord.

From the work, Arcana Coelestia 392

392. Verse 15. And Jehovah said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And Jehovah set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should smite him. By "vengeance being taken sevenfold on anyone who slays Cain" is signified that to do violence to faith even when thus separated would be a sacrilege; "Jehovah set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should smite him" signifies that the Lord distinguished faith in a particular manner, in order that it might be preserved.

From the work, Apocalypse Explained 427

[6] That Jehovah set a mark upon Cain lest he should be slain, signifies that he distinguished him from others, and preserved him, because saving faith cannot exist, unless historical faith precede, which is the knowledge of the things of the church and of heaven derived from others, in a word, the knowledge of such things as shall afterwards pertain to faith. For unless a man from his infancy received truths from the Word, from the doctrine of the church, or from preaching, he would possess none, and the Lord cannot act upon such a man, nor can he receive influx out of heaven from the Lord, for He operates and inflows by means of good into the truths which a man possesses and conjoins them, and thus makes charity and faith one. From these considerations it is evident what is signified by Jehovah setting a mark on Cain, lest any one should slay him, and by him that should slay him being avenged sevenfold. Besides, those who are only in historical faith, that is, in the knowledge of such things as belong to faith, - and such persons and faith are signified by Cain, - are also preserved, because they can teach others truths from the Word, for they teach from the memory.

From the work, True Christian Religion 260

260. Moreover it should be known that the sense of the Letter is a guard for the genuine truths lying within it, lest they should suffer injury. It is a guard in this respect that it may be turned this way and that, and interpreted according to one's own apprehension, without its interior content being injured or violated. It does no harm that the sense of the Letter is understood differently by different persons; but harm results when falsities are introduced which are contrary to Divine truths. This, however, only happens in the case of those who have confirmed themselves in falsities. In this way violence is inflicted on the Word; and to prevent this, the sense of the Letter acts as a guard with those who are in falsities from their religion, but who do not confirm its falsities. The sense of the Letter of the Word as a guard is signified and also described in the Word by cherubim. This guard is signified by the cherubim which, after the expulsion of Adam and his wife from the Garden of Eden, were placed at the entrance. Of these it is written, when JEHOVAH God drove out the man,

"He placed at the east of the garden of Eden cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life." Gen. iii. 23, 24.

[2] No one can know what these words signify unless he knows the signification of cherubim, the garden of Eden, the tree of life therein, and also the flaming sword which turned every way. These particulars are explained under this chapter in the work, "Arcana Caelestia," published in London, as follows: cherubim signify a guard; the way of the tree of life signifies access to the Lord, which men obtain by means of the truths of the spiritual sense of the Word; and the flaming sword turning every way signifies Divine Truth in ultimates which, like the Word in the sense of the Letter, can be so turned.

From the work, Arcana Coelestia 6097

All temptations appear evil, for the reason that they are interior anxieties and griefs, and as it were damnations; for the man is then let into the state of his evils, consequently among evil spirits, who accuse him, and thus torment the conscience; nevertheless the angels defend him, that is, the Lord through angels, for the Lord keeps him in hope and trust, which are the forces of combat from within whereby he resists. Especially is the natural let into temptations when it is receiving the spiritual, because in the natural reside evils of life and falsities of doctrine.

From the work, Spiritual Experiences 4067

WHAT IT IS TO BE NOTHING.

It was perceived that when the most deceitful spirits above the head spoke among themselves, wishing even to destroy me, they said they could not do it, because there was nothing of me to be found, but if there had been anything, they could have done it. It was then perceived, and so represented, that for one to be anything, so as to have a proprium, was to present something which they could assault and destroy, as the most deceitful would then have it in their power. But when it was represented that I was, as it were, nothing, then they seemed to themselves, to have no power over that which thus appeared as nothing, for they would then have nothing to assault. Thus he is safe who in true faith believes himself to be nothing. - 1748, November 25.

From the work, Arcana Coelestia 10219.3

[3] But so long as a man believes that he does all things of himself, both goods and evils, so long goods do not affect him, and evils adhere to him; but the moment that he acknowledges and believes that goods flow in from the Lord, and not from himself, and that evils are from hell, then goods affect him and evils do not adhere to him; and, moreover, insofar as goods affect him, so far evils are removed, thus he is purified and liberated from them. But so long as the state of man is such that he cannot perceive and be sensible of the influx of goods from the Lord, so long he does goods as from himself, and yet ought to acknowledge and believe that they are from the Lord. When this is the case, he also is liberated from evils; but in order that he may be liberated from evils this acknowledgment must be the confession of the heart itself, and not of the lips only.

From the work, Divine Providence 312.4

[4] Evil spirits have often injected evils and falsities into my thought, and these evils and falsities have appeared to me to be in me and to be produced by me, as though I myself were thinking them. But because I realized that they were evils and falsities, I looked to see what spirits had injected them, and having discovered them drove them away, and they were at a considerable distance from me.

It can be seen from this that every evil with its accompanying falsity flows in from hell, while every good with its accompanying truth flows in from the Lord, and that both appear to be contained in the person.

From the work, Divine Providence 24

24. The Lord provides for the union of goodness and truth in others through contrast. For goodness is not recognized in its true character except by contrast with the less good and by the opposition of evil to it. All discrimination and awareness spring from this, because from it comes their character. For every delight is thus perceived and sensed in comparison with what is less delightful, and in contrast to what is not delightful; everything beautiful in comparison with what is less beautiful, and in contrast to what is not beautiful; likewise every good having to do with love in comparison with what is less good, and in contrast to what is evil; and every truth having to do with wisdom in comparison with what is less true and in contrast to what is false.

Variety inevitably exists in everything from the greatest to the least of it; and when the variety exists also in its opposite from the least to the greatest of it, and there is between them an equilibrium, then a contrast exists between the two by degrees, in accordance with which the perception and sensation of a thing either increases or diminishes.

It must be known, however, that an opposite may either take away or heighten perceptions and sensations. It takes them away when it commingles itself, and it heightens them when it does not commingle itself. Therefore the Lord carefully separates the good and evil in a person to keep them from commingling, even as He separates heaven and hell.

From the work, Arcana Coelestia 3283.2

It is the rational in fact that coordinates everything in the natural, and in accordance with that coordination fittingly regards the things that are there. Indeed the rational is like a higher faculty of seeing which, when it looks at facts belonging to the natural man, is like someone looking down on to a plain below him. The light of that faculty of seeing is the light of truth, but the origin of that light rests with the good present in the rational.

From the work, Arcana Coelestia 4394

When a person in faith and life is governed by interior truths he is within the Lord's kingdom and experiences the state of serenity, at which time his vision of exterior truths is like that of a person looking down from a tall hill onto a boisterous sea.