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Luke Chapter 11

Chapter 11	THE INTERNAL SENSE.
AND it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, one of His Disciples said to Him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught His Disciples. But He said to them, when you pray say, Father of us which [are] in the heavens, hallowed be your name; your kingdom come; your will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.	THAT in supplication, the affections and thoughts of the supplicant ought to be open inwards to the reception of the Divine Good, and to acknowledge the Divine Human principle of the Lord to be that good, and to receive thence Truth Divine, that so the external man may be brought into conformity with the internal, vs 1, 2.
Give us our daily bread for the day.	And thus to incorporate the goods and truths of the Word into the love and life, vs 3.
And remit to us our sins, for we also remit to every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil.	That so all evil may be removed through admission of the Divine mercy, and defence may be had against the powers of darkness, and that thus may be effected final separation from the influence of those powers, vs 4.
And He said to them, which of you shall have a friend, and shall go to him at midnight, and say to him, friend, lend me three loaves. For a friend of mine is come out of the way to me, and I have nothing to set before him: And he from within answering shall say, trouble me not; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give you.	Mankind therefore ought to keep their affections and thoughts continually open to the divine being, since the communication of heavenly good and truth cannot otherwise be effected, vs 5, 6, 7, 8.
I say to you, though he will not rise and give him because he is his friend, yet because of his shameless importunity he will arise and give him as many as he needs.	For the Divine mercy is always in the desire to open such communication, but unless man exerts his freewill for a similar purpose, it is impossible it can be opened, vs 8.
And I say to you, ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened.	It is therefore an eternal law, that the who desire good shall receive good, and also that they who desire truth shall receive truth, and that thus communication with heaven and the lord will be opened, vs 9, 10.
If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? And if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall the father that [is] from heaven give the holy spirit to them that ask him?	That natural affection is kind to its offspring, and provides all things necessary for their instruction and comfort; how much more the Divine love in regard to its offspring! v, 11, 12, 13.
And he was casting out a daemon, and it was dumb, but it came to pass, when the daemon was gone out, the dumb spoke, and the multitudes wondered.	That through the omnipotence of the Lord's Divine Human principle, internal falses are removed which obstruct the confession of Divine power, so that the Divine Human principle is acknowledged, vs 14.
But some of them said, He casteth out daemons in Beelzeboul the prince of the daemons. But others tempting sought of him a sign from heaven.	But these effects are imputed to infernal agency by some, whilst others still remain in doubt, and require further proof of Divine agency, vs 15, 16.
But he knowing their thoughts, said to them, every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house [divided] against a house falls. But. if Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? Because you say, that I cast out daemons in Beelzeboul.	Although it is an eternal truth, that dominion grounded in what is evil and false is altogether contrary to dominion grounded in what is good and true, and that no dominion can stand, unless there be unanimity in its constituent principles. vs 17, 18.
But if I in Beelzeboul cast out demons, in whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore shall they be your judges.	And if the lord's Divine Human principle exercised power over infernal falses, in consequence of its connection with infernal agency, then every other power of truth exercised over falses must be in the same connection, vs 19.
But if I cast out daemons in the finger of God, truly the kingdom of God is suddenly come to you.	As on the other hand, if the lord's Divine Human principle act from its own proper Divine power in extirpating falses, then it is an evident proof that Divine power is present with man, vs 20.
When the strong one armed keeps his palace, the things belonging to him are in peace; But when a stronger than him coming overcometh him, he takes away from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divides his spoils.	And that it is present for the purpose of removing infernal influence from man, by removing false principles, vs 21, 22.
He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathers not with me scatters.	Therefore whoever is not conjoined with the lord in the good of love, must of necessity be disjoined in the opposite evil, and whoever is not conjoined with Him in the truth of faith, must of necessity be disjoined in the opposite false principle, vs 23.
When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he passes through dry places, seeking rest, and not finding he says, I will return to my house whence I came out; And when he comes, he finds it swept and garnished. Then he goes and takes [ to him] seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and entering in they dwell there; and the last things of that man are worse than the first.	And however, in such case, the evils of the natural man may appear externally removed, yet the internal man is without faith and charity, and full of evils, whence comes profanation of holy things, which is a more dangerous state than that of no faith. vs 24, 25, 26.
But it came to pass as he said these things, a certain woman lifting up her voice from the multitude said to him, blessed is the womb that bare you, and the paps which you have sucked. But he said, rather blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it.	For the regeneration of man can only be effected by the joint operation of the affection of truth and the affection of good, vs 27, 28.
But when the multitudes crowded, he began to say, this is an evil generation; they seek a sign, and a sign shall not be given to it except the sign of Jonas the prophet. For as Jonas was a sign to the Ninevites, so shall also the son of man be to this generation.	That it is not allowable to seek testifications of truth in any thing but the genuine effect of truth, which, with the Lord, was the glorification of His Human principle, and with man is regeneration. vs 29, 30.
The Queen of the south shall rise up in the judgement with the men of this generation, and condemn them; for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold more than Solomon is here.	That the more interior the truths are, which are made known to man's understanding, so much the greater is his condemnation, if he is not more interiorly affected with the love of truth, vs 31.
The men of Nineveh shall rise up in judgement with this generation, and shall condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonas, and behold, more than Jonas is here.	And if he does not shun evils accordingly, vs 32.
But no one lighting a candle puts it in a secret place, nor under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they who come in may see the light.	For the light of truth ought not to be subjected to the things of man's natural will, but to be exalted by affection in the intellectual mind, and thus to direct the things of the will, vs 33.
The candle of the body is the eye; therefore since if the understanding of truth be grounded in the when your eye is single, your whole body also is light some; but when it is evil, your body also is darksome:	will of good, man becomes enlightened with true wisdom, but it is otherwise if the understanding of truth be grounded in the love of evil, vs 34.
Take heed therefore lest the light that is in you be darkness.	For in this case truth is falsified, which is a worse state than that of mere ignorance, vs 35.
If then your whole body be lightsome, having no part dark, the whole shall be lightsome as when the candle enlightens you with brightness.	Whereas if truth be exalted over all things of the natural will, in this case both the internal and external man are under its guidance, vs 36.
But as He spoke, a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him; but He going in sat down. But the Pharisee seeing, wondered that He had not first washed before dinner. But the Lord said to him, now do you Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but your inside is lull of ravening and wickedness. You fools, did not he who made that which is without make that which is within also.	That the who are in hypocritical worship are more attentive to the things of the external man, than to those of the internal, when yet they ought to be attentive to both, vs 37 to 41.
Nevertheless give the things that are within for alms, and behold, all things are clean to you.	In which latter case both the internal man and the external would be under the influence of charity, and would thus be purified, vs 41.
But wo to you Pharisees! because you tithe mint, and rue, and every herb, and pass by the judgement and the love of God; the latter ought you to have done, and not to have omitted the former.	external things of the church, whilst at the same time they are careless about internal things, or such as relate to love and charity, vs 42.
Wo to you Pharisees! For you love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.	And seek pre-eminence in holy things, and to be thought better and wiser than others, vs 43.
Wo to you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are as sepulchres that appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware.	And make evils to appear externally like goods, and falses like truths, so as to deceive the unwary, vs 44.
But one of the lawyers answering, said to Him, Teacher, so saying you reproach us also. But, he said, Wo to you also you Lawyers, because you load men with burdens hard to be borne, and you yourselves touch not the burdens lightly with one of your fingers.	That they also are accursed, who, by mis-interpretation of the Word, lead others into infestations by falses, when yet they themselves have no concern about the truth. vs 45, 46.
Wo to you! For you build the sepulchres of the prophets, but your fathers killed them. Truly you bear witness to and approve the works of your fathers, for they indeed killed them, but you build their sepulchres.	So that all truth perishes under what is false, and all good under what is evil, thus proving that their understandings are formed of mere falses destructive of truths, and that those falses are filled with evils, vs 47, 48.
For this also said the wisdom of God, I will send to them Prophets and Apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute;	And that they thus extinguish every truth of doctrine, and destroy every good of doctrine, and wander from one false doctrine to another, vs 49.
That the blood of all the Prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation. From the blood of Abel to the blood of Zacharias, who perished between the altar and the house: truly I say to you it shall be required of this generation.	And adulterate all good, and falsify all truth of the Church, by all manner of rejection of the lord, vs 50. 51.
Wo to you lawyers! for you have taken the key of knowledge; you entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in you forbid.	They are therefore accursed, because they neither enter themselves into heavenly truth, nor encourage others to enter, vs 52.
But as He said these things to them, the Scribes and the Pharisees began to urge Him vehemently, and to provoke Him to speak of many things; Laying wait for Him, and seeking to catch something out of His mouth that they might accuse Him.	That this manifestation of the interior evils of those, who are in hypocritical worship, excites in them bitter animosity against the lord, with a desire to pervert every truth of His Word, vs 53, 54.

Translation

AND it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, one of His Disciples said to Him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught His Disciples.
But He said to them, when you pray say, Father of us which [are] in the heavens, hallowed be your name; your kingdom come; your will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
Give us our daily bread for the day.
And remit to us our sins, for we also remit to every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil.
And He said to them, which of you shall have a friend, and shall go to him at midnight, and say to him, friend, lend me three loaves.
For a friend of mine is come out of the way to me, and I have nothing to set before him:
And he from within answering shall say, trouble me not; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give you.
I say to you, though he will not rise and give him because he is his friend, yet because of his shameless importunity he will arise and give him as many as he needs.
And I say to you, ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you.
For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened.
If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? And if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?
Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
If you then being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall the father that [is] from heaven give the holy spirit to them that ask him?
And he was casting out a daemon, and it was dumb, but it came to pass, when the daemon was gone out, the dumb spoke, and the multitudes wondered.
But some of them said, He casteth out daemons in Beelzeboul the prince of the daemons.
But others tempting sought of him a sign from heaven.
But he knowing their thoughts, said to them, every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house [divided] against a house falls.
But. if Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? Because you say, that I cast out daemons in Beelzeboul.
But if I in Beelzeboul cast out demons, in whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore shall they be your judges.
But if I cast out daemons in the finger of God, truly the kingdom of God is suddenly come to you.
When the strong one armed keeps his palace, the things belonging to him are in peace;
But when a stronger than him coming overcometh him, he takes away from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divides his spoils.
He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathers not with me scatters.
When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he passes through dry places, seeking rest, and not finding he says, I will return to my house whence I came out;
And when he comes, he finds it swept and garnished.
Then he goes and takes [ to him] seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and entering in they dwell there; and the last things of that man are worse than the first.
But it came to pass as he said these things, a certain woman lifting up her voice from the multitude said to him, blessed is the womb that bare you, and the paps which you have sucked.
But he said, rather blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it.
But when the multitudes crowded, he began to say, this is an evil generation; they seek a sign, and a sign shall not be given to it except the sign of Jonas the prophet.
For as Jonas was a sign to the Ninevites, so shall also the son of man be to this generation.
The Queen of the south shall rise up in the judgement with the men of this generation, and condemn them; for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold more than Solomon is here.
The men of Nineveh shall rise up in judgement with this generation, and shall condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonas, and behold, more than Jonas is here.
But no one lighting a candle puts it in a secret place, nor under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they who come in may see the light.
The candle of the body is the eye; therefore since if the understanding of truth be grounded in the when your eye is single, your whole body also is light some; but when it is evil, your body also is darksome:
Take heed therefore lest the light that is in you be darkness.
If then your whole body be lightsome, having no part dark, the whole shall be lightsome as when the candle enlightens you with brightness.
But as He spoke, a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him; but He going in sat down.
But the Pharisee seeing, wondered that He had not first washed before dinner.
But the Lord said to him, now do you Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but your inside is lull of ravening and wickedness.
You fools, did not he who made that which is without make that which is within also?
Nevertheless give the things that are within for alms, and behold, all things are clean to you.
But wo to you Pharisees! because you tithe mint, and rue, and every herb, and pass by the judgement and the love of God; the latter ought you to have done, and not to have omitted the former.
Wo to you Pharisees! For you love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.
Wo to you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are as sepulchres that appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware.
But one of the lawyers answering, said to Him, Teacher, so saying you reproach us also.
But, he said, Wo to you also you Lawyers, because you load men with burdens hard to be borne, and you yourselves touch not the burdens lightly with one of your fingers.
Wo to you! For you build the sepulchres of the prophets, but your fathers killed them.
Truly you bear witness to and approve the works of your fathers, for they indeed killed them, but you build their sepulchres.
For this also said the wisdom of God, I will send to them Prophets and Apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute;
That the blood of all the Prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation.
From the blood of Abel to the blood of Zacharias, who perished between the altar and the house: truly I say to you it shall be required of this generation.
Wo to you lawyers! for you have taken the key of knowledge; you entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in you forbid.
But as He said these things to them, the Scribes and the Pharisees began to urge Him vehemently, and to provoke Him to speak of many things;
Laying wait for Him, and seeking to catch something out of His mouth that they might accuse Him.

Chapter XI. Extracts from the Theological Writings

OF

THE HON. EMANUEL SWEDENBORG.

VERSE 2. Hallowed be your name, &c. In the Lord's Prayer, where it is said, hallowed be Your name; Your kingdom come; Your will be done, as in heaven so also in earth, by name is not meant name, but all things which are of love and faith, for those things are of God or of the Lord, and are from him; inasmuch as these things are holy, when they are accounted holy, the kingdom of the Lord comes, and his will is done in the earths as in the heavens. That name has such a signification, is manifest from all the passages in the Word of the Old and New Testament, wherever it is mentioned. AC 2009.

Verse 3. Give us our daily bread for the day. That daily and today signify what is perpetual, is manifest from the sacrifice which was offered every day, and which by reason of the signification of day, of daily, and of today, was called the daily or perpetual sacrifice, Numb 28:3, 23. Dan 8:13. This is still more evident from the manna, which rained from heaven, concerning which it is thus written in Moses, "Behold I cause bread to rain from heaven, and the people shall go forth, and shall gather the thing by day today, and there shall not be left of it until the morning," Exod 16:4, 19. This was done by reason that manna signified the Divine Human [principle] of the Lord. John 6:31, 32, 49, 50, 58. And because the Divine Human [principle] of the Lord signified celestial food, which is no other than love and charity with the goods and truths of faith; this food in the heavens is given every moment to the angels by the Lord, thus perpetually and to eternity; this likewise is what is meant in the Lord's prayer by the words, Give us today our daily bread, that is, every instant to eternity. AC 2838.

Verses 9, 10. I say to you ask, and it shall be given you, &c. That they who are in the Lord, and the Lord in them, are in all power, so that whatever they will they are able to do, the Lord Himself says in John, "He that abides in Me and I in him, the same bears much fruit, for without Me you cannot do any thing: If you abide in Me, and my words in you, you shall ask whatever you will, and it shall be done to you," John 15:5, 7; in like manner concerning power, Matt 7:7; Mark 11:24; Luke 11:9, 10; yea in Matthew it is written, "Jesus said, if you had faith, and should say to this mountain, be you lifted up and cast into the sea, it shall be done; yea, all things whatever you shall ask, believing you shall receive," Matt 21:21, 22; by these words is described the power of those who are in the Lord, since they do not will any thing, and thus do not ask any thing, but from the Lord, and whatever they will and ask from the Lord, this is done, for the Lord says, without Me you cannot do any thing; abide in Me and I in you; the angels in heaven have such power, that if they only will any thing, they obtain it; nevertheless they do not will any thing but what is of use, and this they will as from themselves, but still from the Lord, AR 951.

Hence it may be manifest, that the Divine love is in every man, whether he be evil or good, consequently that the Lord, who is Divine Love, cannot act otherwise with them, than as a father on earth with his children, and infinitely more so, because Divine love is infinite; also that He cannot recede from any one, because the life of every one is from him. It appears as if He recedes from the wicked, but the wicked recede, when yet he leads them from love; wherefore the Lord says, "Ask and it shall be given you, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you; if you then being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall the Father that is from heaven give the holy spirit to them that ask Him!" DP 330.

By the above words is to be understood, that they who ask from the faith of charity have what they ask for, because they do not ask from themselves, but from the Lord, for whatever any one asks from the Lord, and not from himself, he receives. AE 411.

Verse 13. How much more shall the father that is from heaven give the holy spirit to them that ask him! To give the holy spirit is to illustrate by Divine Truth, and to gift with the life thence derived, which is the life of intelligence and wisdom. AC 9818.

Verse 16. But others tempting Him sought of Him a sign from heaven. That by a sign is meant testification that they might be persuaded and believe that the Lord was the Messiah and the Son of God, who was to come, is evident; for the miracles, which the Lord had done in abundance, and which they saw, were not to them signs, by reason that miracles are not signs except with the good. The reason why Jonas was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, and this was taken for a sign, was because it signified the burial and resurrection of the Lord, thus the glorification of His Human [principle] to the full; three days and three nights also signify to the full. AE 706.

Verse 17. Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls. House in the internal sense is the natural mind, for the natural mind, as also the rational mind, is like a house, the husband therein being good, the wife truth, the daughters and sons being the affections of good and of truth, likewise the goods and truths which are from them as parents; the maid-servants and men-servants are the pleasures and scientifics which minister and confirm. The mind of man is thus understood where it is written, "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls." AC 5023.

Verse 24. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, &c. By these words is described the profanation of truth from the Lord; by the unclean spirit when he goes out, is meant the acknowledgement and faith of truth; and by the house swept, a life contrary to truths; by his return with seven others, a state of profanation. AC 8882.

By the unclean spirit going forth from a man is meant the removal of evils and falses from the man, who does the work of repentance; by the dry places through which he passes seeking rest, are signified states of evil and of the false, which are of his life. AE 731.

The subject here treated of is concerning profanation, and by the seven unclean spirits are signified all falses of evil, thus the plenary destruction of good and of truth.

Verse 25. And when he comes he finds it swept and garnished. The man himself, from the good which is in him, is called a house, and by sweeping the house, is meant to prepare and to fill it; hence it is that nothing else is required of man but to sweep the house, that is, to reject the lusts of evil and the persuasions of what is false, in which case he is filled with goods, for good from the Lord is continually flowing in, but into the house, or into the man purged from such things as impede influx, that is, which reflect, or pervert, or suffocate, the influent good. Hence came a form of speaking amongst the ancients, to sweep or purge the house, also to sweep or prepare the way. To sweep the house also in the opposite sense signifies a man, who deprives himself of all goods and truths, and is thus filled with evils and falses, as in Luke 11:24, 25, 26. AC 3142.

Verses 27, 28. A certain woman lifting up her voice from the multitude said to Him, blessed is the womb that bare you, and the paps which you have sucked. But he said, rather blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it. From the Lord's reply it is evident what is signified by a blessed belly and paps, namely that they signify those who hear the word of God, and keep it, thus the affections of truth, belonging to those who hear the word of God, and the affections of good belonging to those who keep or do it. AC 6432.

Inasmuch as to carry in the belly, and to give suck with the paps, signify the regeneration of man, as was above said, therefore the Lord replies, blessed are they who hear the Word of God and keep it, by which words is described regeneration, which is effected by truths from the Word, and by a life according to them; by hearing the Word of God is signified to learn truths from the Word, and by keeping it, is signified to live according to them. AE 710.

Verse 34. The candle of the body is the eye; therefore when your eye is single your whole body also is lightsome; by eye is here meant the understanding, the spiritual principle of which is faith, which also may be manifest from the explication, take heed therefore lest the light that is in you be darkness. AC 2701.

The Church at this day is almost ignorant, that in all will and thought, and the consequent action and speech of man, there is an internal and an external, and that man from infancy has been taught to speak from the external, notwithstanding the dissent of the internal; hence comes simulation, flattery and hypocrisy; consequently that he is two-fold, and he only is simple, whose external thinks and speaks, also wills and acts from the internal; these likewise are meant by the simple in the Word, as Luke 11:34, and other places. TCR 147.

By eye in the above passage is not meant eye, but the understanding of the truth of faith; hence the eye is called the candle or lamp of the body, and it is said, if the light which is in you be darkness, how great is the darkness, for darkness in the spiritual sense, denotes the falses of faith, AC 9051.

By eye in the above passage is not meant eye but understanding, by a simple eye the understanding of truth, by an evil eye the understanding of what is false; darkness denotes falses; the whole body is the whole spirit, for the quality of this is wholly according to its will and understanding; if he has the understanding of truth, grounded in the will of good, he is an angel of light, but if he has the understanding of what is false, he is a spirit of darkness. By the above words is described the reformation of man by the understanding of truth; hence it is evident, that he who knows what is signified by the eye may know the arcanum contained in those words. AE 152.

By the eye is here signified the understanding, and by the pure or simple eye the understanding of truth derived from good; but by the evil eye is signified the understanding of what is false derived from evil; by the body, which is either lucid or dark, is meant the whole man; hence it may be concluded what is meant by the above words in a series, namely that the whole man is such as the understanding is grounded in will, for every man is his own truth and his own good, because he is his own love or his own affection, wherefore he is altogether such throughout as he is in understanding grounded in will, for all truth is of the understanding, and all good is of the will, for the body is merely obedience, since if is the effect of an efficient cause, and understanding grounded in will is the efficient cause, hence such as the latter is, such is the former, for the effect derives all that it has from its efficient cause. That caution is required lest truth once perceived in the understanding and received in the will be turned into what is false, which is effected by evil, is meant by the words, take heed therefore lest the light that is in you be darkness, For hence falses become more mischievous, wherefore in Matthew, in the passage above cited, it is said, "If the light which is in you be darkness, how great is that darkness." AE 526.

Verse 39. But the Lord said to him, now do you Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, &c. By cup is here meant in the internal sense the truth of faith, to cultivate which without its good is to cleanse the outside of the cup, and especially when the interiors are full of hypocrisy, deceit, revenge, cruelty, for in such case the truth of faith is only in the external man, and nothing at all of it in the internal; and to cultivate and imbue the good of faith, makes truths to be conjoined with good in the interior man, in which case also fallacies are accepted instead of truths, which is signified by purging first the inside of the cup, and the outside becoming also clean. AC 5120.

From these considerations it is again evident that the things instituted amongst the Israelites were external things, which represented internal, and that the internal things were the holy things themselves of the Church belonging to them, and not the external things without them. Nevertheless that that nation still placed all sanctity in things external, and nothing in things internal, is manifest from the Lord's words in Matthew, "Wo to you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, you cleanse the outside of the cup and platter, but the interiors are full of plundering and intemperance: You blind Pharisee, cleanse first the internal of the cup and platter, and the external also will become clean. You make yourselves like whitened sepulchres, which outwardly indeed appear beautiful, but within are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness," Matt 23:25, 26, 27; see also Mark 7:2-8, and Luke 11:39. AC 10234.

Mention is made of the outside of the cup and platter, also of their inside, because by the cup is meant the like as by wine, and by the platter the like as by food, and by wine is signified truth, and by food is signified good. It is said also at verse 41, give alms, and by alms is signified love and charity; from these considerations it is evident, that whatever a man does from an external principle only, is unclean, but whatever he does by the external from the internal purified is clean, for the latter is from the Lord, but the former from man. To illustrate this case by examples; what is internal consists in doing good for the sake of good, in speaking truth for the sake of truth, in acting sincerely for the sake of sincerity, and in doing what is just for the Sake of what is just; he who does good for the sake of good, does good from good, thus from the Lord, who is good itself, and from whom is all good. He who speaks truth for the sake of truth, speaks truth from truth, thus from the Lord, who is truth itself, and from whom is all truth; in like manner he who acts sincerely for the sake of sincerity, and does what is just for the sake of what is just, for sincerity is moral good and truth, and what is just is civil good and truth, and all good and truth is from the Lord, and not from man, because they are done from the internal by the external. But if man does and speaks what is good, what is true, what is sincere and just for the sake of himself and the world, he does and speaks those things from himself, because from the external man without the internal, and those deeds or works are all evil, and if heaven be regarded in them, they are meritorious, because they are all iniquitous. Whether those works are from the Lord, or from man, cannot be discerned by any one in the world, since both appear alike in the external form, but they are only discerned by the Lord; yet after the life of man in the world, it is opened from what origin they are, Matt 10:26, 27. Mark 4:22. Luke 8:17; 12:2, 3, 8, 9. But in what manner an internal principle is given to man, and an external from an internal, may be seen above, AE 790. From these considerations it may now be manifest, that if man fulfilled all things of the law from himself, as if he gave much to the poor, if he did good to orphans and widows, afforded help to the needy, yea if he gave meat to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, gathered together sojourners, clothed the naked, visited the sick, and those who are bound in prison, preached and taught the Gospel, converted nations, frequented temples, listened devoutly to preaching, often in the year celebrated the Sacrament or the supper, gave much time to prayer, and several things of a like nature, whilst, his internal was not purified from the love of dominion, and from the pride of his own intelligence, from contempt of others, from hatred and revenge, from cunning and malice, from insincerity and injustice, from the lasciviousness of adultery, and from other evils and consequent falses, still all those works are hypocritical, being done from the man himself, and not from the Lord. Nevertheless those same works, when the internal is purified, are all good, because they are from the Lord with man. Of this I have been convinced by a thousand examples in the spiritual world, where I have heard that it was granted to several to recollect the actions of their life in the world, and to enumerate the good things which they had done, but when their internal was opened, it was discovered to be full of every evil and the false thence derived, and it was then revealed to them, that the good things which they enumerated were done from themselves, because for the sake of self and the world. But it is otherwise with those who abstained from doing evils in consequence of reading the Word, and have afterwards shunned and held them in aversion because they were sins, both contrary to love to God and contrary to charity towards the neighbour; their works therefore, although in the external form they appeared similar to the works of those above spoken of, and also in like manner were perceived as it done from themselves, were all good. These are the works, which in the Word are understood by works which make man spiritual, and happy to eternity; these also are the works, which cannot in any wise be separated from faith, since faith, if they were, separated from it, would become dead, and dead faith in the faith of what is false grounded in evil. AE 794.

Verse 42. But wo to you Pharisees! Because you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and pass by the judgement and the love of God. To pass by the judgement of God denotes to pass by Divine Truth, and to pass by the love of God denotes to pass by Divine Good, and a life from both; since life is also is understood, it is said, those things you ought to have done. AC 9857.

Verse 47. Wo to you! For you build the sepulchres of the prophets, &c. They who think evilly concerning God and the neighbour, and yet speak well, and who think insanely concerning the truths of faith and the goods of love, and yet speak sanely, are interiorly sepulchres whitened without, according to these words of the Lord, "Wo to you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you make yourselves like whitened sepulchres, which indeed outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of the bones of the dead, and of all uncleanness," Matt 23:27, 29. Luke 11:47, 48. AE 659.

Verses 49, 51. I will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute: From the blood of Abel to the blood of Zachariah the prophet, it shall be required of this generation. Prophets and apostles, in the spiritual sense, denote the truths and goods of the Church; to slay denotes to extinguish those truths and goods; the blood of Abel denotes the extinction of charity; that prophets denote the truths of doctrine derived from the Word, may be seen, AC 2534, 7269; that the blood of Abel denotes the extinction of charity, AC 374. AC 8902.

The like is understood by the blood of the prophets which was shed on the earth from the blood of just Abel even to the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom they slew between the temple and the altar, Matt 23:30, 34, 35. Luke 11:50, 51; in the spiritual sense by Abel are meant those who are in the good of charity, and abstractedly from person that good itself, and by Cain those who make faith alone the only medium of salvation, and the good of charity of no account, and hence reject and slay it; and by Zachariah are meant those who are in the truths of doctrine, and abstractedly from person the truth itself of doctrine; hence by the blood of each is signified the extinction of all good and truth; by their slaying him between the temple and the altar is signified, in the spiritual sense, every mode of rejection of the Lord, for the temple signifies the Lord as to Divine Truth, and the altar signifies Him as to Divine Good, and between them is signified both together. AE 329.

By the above words is not meant that the blood of all the Prophets from the foundation of the world will be required of the Jewish nation, for blood is not required of any one but of him who has shed it; but by those words is meant that by that nation every truth has been falsified, and every good adulterated; for the blood of all the Prophets shed from the beginning of the world signifies the falsification of every truth which has been at any time in the Church, blood denoting falsification, prophets denoting the truths of doctrine, and from the foundation of the world denoting which has ever been in the Church, the foundation of the world being the establishment of the Church; from the blood of Abel even to the blood of Zacharias slain between the altar and the temple signifies the adulteration of every good, and hence the extinction of the worship of the Lord; the blood of Abel even to Zacharias denoting the adulteration of every good; to be slain between the altar and the temple is to extinguish every good and every truth in worship, for altar signifies worship from good, and temple worship from truth, as was also said above, between both denotes where there is conjunction, and where there is not conjunction, there is neither good nor truth. The altar was out of the tent of Assembly and out of the temple, what therefore was done between both signified communication and conjunction, see Arcana Coelestia, AC 10001, 10015; and that Abel signifies the good of charity, AC 342, 374, 1179, 9325; that neither Abel nor Zacharias are here meant, in the spiritual sense, is manifest from this consideration, that names in the Word signify things. AE 394.

In the above passage it appears as if by prophets are only meant prophets, by whom Jehovah, that is, the Lord, spoke, consequently that by killing the prophets the Lord meant only the taking away of their bodily life; but it is to be considered, that He meant at the same time the killing and extinction of Divine Truth in consequence of the falsification and adulteration of the Word; for by a person and his function, in the spiritual sense is meant the very thing about which the person is employed, and which he speaks, thus by a prophet is meant the Divine Truth or Word, also doctrine thence derived. Inasmuch as the function of a person is in unity of action with the person himself, therefore the very thing which the prophet teaches is understood by him. By shedding of blood is also meant to adulterate the truths of the Word, and whereas the Jewish nation was of such a quality, therefore it is said, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kill the prophets, and stone them that were sent to you, by which words in the spiritual sense is meant, that they extinguish all Divine Truth belonging to them from the Word. AE 624. Verse 52. Wo to you Lawyers, &c. They are called lawyers, who searched the scriptures, and taught how the things contained therein were to be understood; and whereas the sacred scripture or Word is the [instrument] by which communication and consequent conjunction with heaven is effected, as was said in the preceding article, and whereas truths are what open communication, and the goods of truth what effect conjunction, whereas truths falsified, which in themselves are the falses of evil, are what effect disjunction, therefore it is said, that they take the key of knowledge, that is, that by truths they can open communication with heaven to those whom they teach; but whereas they have perverted the Word by applications to their own loves, and thence to false principles, therefore it is said, that they did not enter in themselves and that they forbid those who were entering in. AE 536.

Chapter XI. Translator's Notes and Observations.

VERSE 13. How much more shall the Father that [is] from heaven, &c. This is a literal translation of the original Greek o omater o ex agaia, in which passage it is remarkable, that the same Divine Being, who at verse 2 was called the Father which is in the heavens, is now called the Father that is from heaven. Is it not probable that the latter appellation has respect to the assumed Humanity in the person of the great saviour, Who with the utmost propriety might be called the Father (or the Divine Good) from heaven, and from whom also proceeds the holy spirit (or Divine Truth), which is here referred to?

Verse 17. Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house [divided] against a house falls. The enlightened reader will not fail to note in this passage a reference to the infernal marriage of evil and the false, kingdom having relation to what is false, and house having relation to what is evil.

Verse 20. Truly the kingdom of God is suddenly [or unexpectedly] come to you. The force of the original term, which is here rendered, is suddenly [or unexpectedly] come, has not been attended to in the common version of the New Testament, where it is merely said, the kingdom of God is come upon you. But the original term is ephbasen, from phthano, which signifies, not merely to come, but to come suddenly, or sooner than was expected.

Verse 34. The candle of the body is the eye. In the common version of the New Testament, what is here rendered candle is called light, but the original Greek is luchnos, which properly signifies a lamp, or candle, and is therefore fitly identified with the eye, or with the intellect of man, since as a lamp, or candle, has no light but what is imparted to it, in like manner the human eye, or intellect, has no light but what it receives from a source above itself. It is further to be noted that the Greek term, which properly signifies light, is phos, which occurs at verse 35, which immediately follows.

Verse 41. Nevertheless give the things that are within for alms, &c. In the common English version of the New Testament, this passage is rendered, "But rather give alms of such things as you have," when yet the original Greek is Plen ta enonla dote eleemosunen which literally means. Nevertheless give the things that are within for alms, alluding most probably to the things within the cup and platter, thus to the things within what is signified by the cup and platter, namely the human understanding and will. It accordingly follows, and behold all things are clean to you, which is a certain consequence, provided that the things within are given for alms, in other words, provided that good be done from the interior affection of good, thus from the Lord, and not from the external affection of worldly and selfish love.

Verse 42.. And pass by [neglect] the judgement and the love of god. The Wo here denounced against, the Pharisees appears to be grounded in this just judgement, that they exalted other things above the Divine wisdom and love, and of course separated themselves from that wisdom and love.

Verse 51. From the blood of Abel to the blood of Zacharias, who perished between the altar and the house. What is here rendered between the altar and the house, is expressed, in the common version of the New Testament, by between the altar and the temple. But the original Greek term, in that version rendered temple, is oichos, which properly signifies a house. In the corresponding passage in Matt 23:35, it is expressed, between the temple [nas] and the altar, so that the two Evangelists differ as to the literal expression, when yet there is every reason to believe that, as to the internal sense and meaning, they are perfectly agreed.

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