THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK

verse 1. The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Gospel (evangelium) signifies glad tidings; wherefore by preaching the Gospel, or glad tidings, is signified to announce the Lord's advent; hence by the Gospel, in this supreme sense, is signified the Lord Himself as to His advent, as to Judgement, and as to the Salvation of the faithful. This is evident from various passages, see Mark 8:3, 9:29, 30; 16:15. AE 612. See also Exposition, verse 14.

Jesus Christ.—When these names are pronounced, few have any other idea than that they are proper names, and almost like the names of another man, but more holy. The learned indeed know that jesus signifies saviour, and christ the anointed, and hence they conceive some more interior idea. But still this is not what the angels in heaven perceive from those names, their perceptions extending to things still more divine; for by jesus, when the name is pronounced by a man in reading the Word, they perceive the Divine Good, and by christ the Divine Truth; and by both the divine marriage of Good and Truth, and of Truth and Good, consequently of all that is Divine in the heavenly marriage, which is heaven. That jesus in the internal sense denotes Divine Good, and that christ denotes Divine Truth, may be evident from many passages in the Word. The ground and reason why Jesus denotes Divine Good is, because it signifies safety, salvation, and Saviour; and, in consequence of such signification, it signifies Divine Good, inasmuch as all salvation is from Divine Good, which is of the Lord's love and mercy, and thus by the reception thereof. The ground and reason why Christ denotes Divine Truth is, because it signifies Messiah, Anointed, and King, for that these terms denote Divine Truth, will appear from what follows. AC 3004—3006.

The Lord is called a Priest from Divine Good, and a King from Divine Truth; the latter, namely. Divine Truth, is involved in the name Christ, and Divine Good in the name Jesus. AC 8625.

Son of God.—No other opinion is held by the church than that the "Son of God "is a separate Person of the Godhead, perfectly distinct from the Person of the Father; which has given rise to the belief that the Son of God was born from eternity. In consequence of the general prevalence of this notion, and because it relates to God, no liberty is allowed, in thinking about it, to make use of the understanding, not even upon the meaning of the expression, "born from eternity." And indeed were any one intellectually to reflect upon it, all that he could say would be—" It transcends my powers of comprehension, but still I affirm and believe it, because others do the same." Let it however be well noted, that there is no Son from eternity, yet that the Lord is from eternity. When an accurate knowledge of the Lord and of the Son is obtained, then, and not before, can we think intellectually of the Triune God.. That the Human principle of the Lord, conceived of Jehovah the Father, and born of the Virgin Mary, is the "Son of God," is very manifest from the following passages, as in Luke:—" The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, &c., and said to her. You shall conceive in your womb, and shall bring forth a Son, and shall call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest. But Mary said to the angel, How shall this thing be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answering said to her, the holy spirit shall come upon THEE, AND THE power OF THE highest SHALL OVERSNJHDW you; therefore also the holy thing which shall be born of you shall be called the son of god." (Luke 1:26-35.) It is here said, "You shall conceive and bring forth a Son, He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest;" and again, "The Holy Thing which shall be born of you shall be called the Son of God," whence it is evident that the Human principle, conceived of God, and born of the Virgin Mary, is what is called the Son of God. So in Isaiah, "The Lord Himself gives a sign, behold a virgin shall conceive and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name, god with us." (Is 7:14.) That the Son born of the virgin, and conceived of God, is He who shall be called "God with us," thus who is the Son of God, is evident. So again in the same prophet,—"A Child is born to us, a son is given to us; upon whose shoulder is the government; and He shall call His name Wonderful, Counsellor, God, Hero, the father of eternity, the Prince of Peace;" (Is 9:5, 6.) where the same thing is asserted, for it is said, "A Child is born to us, a Son is given to us," who is not a Son from eternity, but the Son born in the world, which is also evident from the words of the prophet at verse 6, and from the words of the angel Gabriel to Mary, (Luke 1:32, 33.) which are of like import. So in David, "I will announce concerning the statute, Jehovah has said, you are my son, today have I begotten You. Kiss you the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way." (Psalm 2:7, 12.) In which passage is not meant a Son from eternity, but the Son born in time, for it is a prophecy concerning the Lord who was about to come, wherefore it is called "a statute," concerning which Jehovah announced to David; "today" does not denote from eternity, but in time. From these passages it is manifest that Jesus was conceived of Jehovah God, and born of the Virgin Mary; so that the Divinity was in Him, and was His soul. Since, then. His soul was the very Divinity of the Father, it follows that His body or Humanity must have been made Divine also; for where the one is Divine, the other must necessarily be so too: thus, and no otherwise, can the passages be true which say that the "Father and the Son are one." D. L. 19 and 29. See also AC 2798.

Verse 2. As it is written in the Prophets, &c.—By the Testimony of Jesus being the spirit of Prophecy, (Rev 19:10.) is signified that it is the all of the Word and of Doctrine deduced from it. For the Word in a universal sense treats only of the Lord, and of a life according to His commandments. Hence it is that the Lord is the Word, (John 1:14.) because the Word is from Him, and, in the supreme sense, treats of Him alone. AR 819.

Verse 3. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, &c.— By these words is signified that the church, at that time, was altogether vastated, so that there was no longer any thing good, nor any thing true, which is manifest from this consideration, that no one knew, at that time, that man has any internal principle, nor that there is any internal principle in the Word;

thus neither that the Messiah, or Christ, was about to come to save them for ever. Hence also it is evident what is signified by John being in the "deserts" till the day of his appearing to Israel, (Luke 1:80.) and by preaching in the "wilderness of Judea," (Matt 3:1, and following verses.) and by baptizing "in the wilderness," (Mark 1:4.) for thereby he also represented the state of the church. From the signification of a wilderness it may also be manifest why the Lord so frequently retired into a "wilderness," as Matt 4:1; 15:32, to the end. Mark 1:12, 13, 35-40, 45; 6:31-36. Luke 4:1; 5:16; 9:10, and following verses. John 11:54. AC 2708.

Prepare you the way of the Lord, &c.—That the church, which acknowledges faith alone, has extinguished the essential truths respecting the Divine Human of the Lord, is a known thing, for what member of that church believes the Lord's Human to be Divine? Does he not rather hold such a tenet in aversion? When yet in the ancient churches it was believed that the Lord, who was to come into the world, was a Divine Man, and He likewise, when seen by them, was called Jehovah, as is evident from several passages in the Word. For the present, however, let the following passage from Isaiah suffice:—" The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare you the way of [or for] Jehovah, make smooth in the desert a path for our God." (Is 40:3.) That these things were said concerning the Lord, and that a way was prepared, and a path smoothed for Him by John the Baptist, is manifest from the Evangelists, Matt 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4; John 1:2, 3; and moreover from the Lord's words themselves, that "He was One with the Father," and that "the Father was in Him, and He in the Father;" also that "all power was given to Him in the heavens and on earth;" and likewise that "judgement is committed to Him;" for a very slight knowledge concerning power in heaven and on earth, and concerning judgement, may be sufficient to convince any one that they are nothing, unless He was Divine even as to His Human. AC 4727. See also D. L. 30.

Verse 4. John was baptizing in the wilderness, and preaching the doctrine of repentance, &c.—Inasmuch as with the Jewish nation all things of the Word were adulterated, and there was no longer any Truth amongst them, because there was no longer any Good, therefore John the Baptist was in the wilderness, by which was represented the state of that church, concerning which it is thus written in the Evangelists, "John the Baptist was in the deserts until the days of his appearing to Israel;" (Luke 1:80.) that "he preached in the wilderness of Judea;" (Matt 3:1-3; Mark 1:2-4; Luke 3:2, 4, 5.) and in Isaiah, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare a way for Jehovah, make smooth in the desert a path for our God." (Is 40:3.) On which account the Lord said concerning Jerusalem, "Your house shall be left desolate," [or desert] (Luke 13:35.) where a desert house signifies a church without truths, because without goods. AE 730.

From what is said in the Word of the Old Testament concerning washing, it is evident what was signified by John's "baptizing in Jordan;" (Matt. iii.; Mark 1:4-13.) and what by the following words of John concerning the Lord—" He shall baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire;" (Luke 3:16; John 1:33.) and concerning himself, that "he baptises with water;" (John 1:26.) by which is to be understood, that the Lord washes or purifies man by Divine Truth and Divine Good, and that John by his baptism represented those things; for the Holy Spirit is Divine Truth; fire is Divine Good; and water is a representative of those principles; for water signifies the truth of the Word, which truth is made good by a life according to it. AR 378.

John the Baptist being sent before to prepare a people for the reception of the Lord, was by baptism, for baptism represented and signified purification from evils and falses, and likewise regeneration by the Word from the Lord, and unless this representation had preceded, the Lord could not have manifested Himself, taught, and tarried in Judea and Jerusalem; because the Lord was the God of heaven and the God of earth under a human form, who could not dwell together with a nation which was in mere falses as to doctrine, and in mere evils as to life; wherefore unless a representative of purification from evils and falses by baptism had prepared that nation for the reception of the Lord, the nation would have perished by diseases of every kind at the presence of the Divine Being Himself; this, therefore, is what is signified by, "Lest I come and smite the earth with a curse;" (Mal 4:6.) that this would have been the case, is very well known in the spiritual world, for in that world all who are in falses and evils are dreadfully tormented, and spiritually die, at the Lord's presence. The reason why the baptism of John could produce that effect was, because the Jewish church was a representative church, and all conjunction of heaven with members of that church was by representatives, as may likewise be manifest from the washings enjoined in that church, as that all who were made unclean should wash themselves and their garments, and hence they were reckoned as clean; in like manner that the Priests and Levites should wash themselves before they entered the tent of assembly, and afterwards, when they entered into the temple to perform holy duties; in like manner that Naaman was cleansed of his leprosy by washing in Jordan; the washing itself and the baptism did not indeed purify them from falses and evils, but only represented and thence signified purification from them, which yet was accepted in heaven, as if themselves were purified; thus heaven was conjoined with the people of that church by the baptism of John, and when heaven was so conjoined with them, the Lord, who was the God of heaven, could there manifest Himself, teach, and abide. AE 724.

Verse 4. And "preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.—As to the necessity of repentance, it is received as a doctrine in all Christian churches, that a man, before he approaches the Holy Supper, should examine himself, should see and acknowledge his own sins, and should perform repentance, desisting from his sins, and rejecting them, because they are from the devil, or from hell, and that no otherwise can his sins be remitted, and that unless he does this, he is in a state of damnation. The English, although in the doctrine of Faith only, do, nevertheless, in their address at the Holy Communion, openly teach the necessity of examination, and the acknowledgement and confession of their sins, also of repentance and newness of life, and they threaten those who do not do this, in these words, that otherwise the devil will enter into them as he entered into Judas, and fill them with all iniquity, and destroy both their body and their soul. The Germans, Swedes, and Danes, who are also in the doctrine of Faith only, in their address at the Holy Communion, teach similar things, threatening also that otherwise they will make themselves guilty of infernal punishments, and of eternal damnation, because of mixing together what is holy and profane. These things are read by the clergyman with a loud voice before all those who come to the Holy Supper, and are heard by them in the full acknowledgement that it is so. Notwithstanding all this true plain declaration, the very same persons when, on the same day, they hear a sermon on Salvation by Faith only, and that the Law does not condemn them, because the Lord has fulfilled it for them, and that of themselves they can do no good except what is meritorious, and that works have consequently nothing of salvation within them, but faith only, they return home with an entire forgetfulness of their former confession, and reject it in so far as they think from the sermon on Faith only. Which now is true, this or that? Two things contrary to each other cannot be true, as that without examination, knowledge, acknowledgement, confession, and rejection of sins, thus without repentance, there can be no remission of sins, consequently no salvation, but eternal damnation; or that such things contribute nothing to salvation, because a plenary satisfaction for all the sins of mankind has been made by the Lord through the passion of the cross, for those who are in the faith, and that those who are in the firm belief that it is so, and in confidence respecting the Lord's merit, are without sin, and that they appear before God as being washed and their faces shining. From this it is evident that the common religion of all churches in the Christian world is—that a man should examine himself, should see and acknowledge his sins, and afterwards should desist from them, and that otherwise there can be no salvation, but damnation. That this is also the Divine Truth itself, is evident from those passages in the Word where man is commanded to repent, as from the following: —Jesus said, " Bring forth fruit worthy of repentance; and now also the axe is laid 10 the root of the trees, every tree therefore which brings not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire." (Luke 3:8, 9.) "Jesus said, Except you repent, you shall all likewise perish." (Luke 13:3, 5.) "Jesus preached the Gospel of the kingdom of God, saying, Repent you, and believe the Gospel." (Mark 1:14, 15.) "Jesus sent forth His disciples, who went forth and preached that men should repent." (Mark 6:12.) Jesus said to the apostles that they should "preach repentance and remission of sins in His name, among all nations." (Luke 24:47.) John preached the "baptism of repentance for the remission of sins." (Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3.) Think (my reader) of this from some degree of intellect, and if you have any religion, you will see that repentance from sins is the way to heaven, and that faith separate from repentance is no faith, and that those who are in no faith from no repentance, are on the way to hell. DP 114.

The sins which man commits are inscribed on his very life, and constitute it; on which account no one is delivered from them unless he receives new life from the Lord, which is effected by regeneration. That man from himself cannot do what is good, nor think what is true, but from the Lord, is manifest from these words—" A man cannot receive any thing unless it be given him from heaven;" (John 3:27. "He that abides in Me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit, since without Me you cannot do any thing." (John 15:5.) Hence it is evident that no one can withdraw a man from sins, thus remit them, but the Lord alone. The Lord continually flows in with man with the good of love and with the truths of faith, but they are received differently by different persons; by those who are regenerated, well, but otherwise by those who do not suffer themselves to be regenerated. They who are regenerated, are held continually by the Lord in the good of faith and of love, and in this case are withheld from evils and raises; but they who do not suffer themselves to be regenerated by the Lord, are withheld also from evil, and held in good, for from the Lord there is a continual influx of good and truth with every one; but the infernal loves, which are the loves of self and of the world, in which the unregenerate are principled, oppose and turn the influx of good into evil, and of truth into the false. From these considerations it is manifest, that remission of sins consists in the ability of being held by the Lord in the good of love and the truths of faith, and of being withheld from evils and falses; and that to shun, on this occasion, what is evil and false, and to hold it in aversion, is repentance. But such remission and repentance are not given, except with those who by regeneration have received new life from the Lord. AC 9444—9449.

Verse 5. Judea.—That Judea, in the internal sense of the Word, does not signify Judea, may appear from many passages in the Word. In the Word it is not so often named Judea, as the land of Judah, and by the "land of Judah," as by the "land of Canaan," is signified the Lord's kingdom, consequently also the church, for the church is the Lord's kingdom in the earth. AC 3654.

In the opposite sense, as in Matt. xxiv. 16, Judea signifies the church devastated. AC 795.

Jerusalem.—By Jerusalem is understood the church with respect to doctrine, inasmuch as at Jerusalem in the land of Canaan, and in no other place, there was the temple, the altar, the sacrifices, and of consequence all divine worship. Wherefore those festivals were likewise celebrated there every year, to which every male throughout the land was commanded to go. This then is the reason why by "Jerusalem," in the spiritual sense, is signified the church with respect to worship, or, what is the same thing, with respect to doctrine; for worship is prescribed by doctrine, and is performed according to it. NJHD 6.

Verse 5. And were all baptized by him in Jordan, &c.—By "Jordan "is signified initiation into the knowledges of truth and good, the ground of which signification is, because it was a boundary of the land of Canaan; and that all the boundaries of that land signified those principles which are the first and last of the Lord's kingdom, also which are the first and last of the church, thus which are the first and last of things celestial and spiritual, which constitute the Lord's kingdom and church, may be seen, AC 1585, 1866, 4116, 4240; hence "Jordan," as being a boundary, signified initiation into the knowledges of good and truth, these being the first principles, and at length, when man becomes a church or kingdom of the Lord, they become the last. That "Jordan" has this signification, may be manifest also from other passages in the Word, as from David—" My God, my soul bows itself upon me, therefore I will remember You from the land of Jordan, and from the little mountain of Hermon;" (Psalm 42:7.) where to "remember from the land of Jordan" denotes from what is last, or ultimate, thus from what is lowly. So again, "Judah was made his sanctuary, Israel his dominion; the sea saw and fled, Jordan turned itself backwards;" (Psalm 114:2, 3, 5.) where "Judah" denotes the good of celestial love, and "Israel" the good of spiritual love, AC 3634; "the sea" denotes the knowledges of truth, AC 28; "Jordan" denotes the knowledges of good, which are said to turn themselves backwards when the good of love obtains the dominion, for in such case knowledges are viewed from that good, but not good from them, as has been often shown above. So in the Book of Judges, "Gilead abode in the passage of Jordan, and why shall Dan sojourn in ships?" (Judges 5:17.) where "Gilead" denotes sensual good, or what is pleasant, by which man is first initiated when he is regenerating, AC 4117, 4124; to "abide in the passage of Jordan" denotes in those things which are initiaments, thus which are the first and last of the Lord's church and kingdom, These things were also represented by Jordan, when the sons of Israel entered into the land of Canaan; (Joshua 3:14, to the end; 4:1, to the end;) for by "the land of Canaan" was represented the Lord's kingdom, and by "Jordan being divided, and the sons of Israel passing through on the dry [ground]," was signified the removal of evils and falses, and the admission of those who are principled in goods and truths. The like was signified by the waters of Jordan being divided by Elijah, when he was taken up into heaven, (2 Kings 2:8.) and by Elisha, when he entered upon the prophetic office in the place of Elijah, (5:14.) Naaman being cured of his leprosy, by "washing seven times in Jordan according to the command of Elisha," (2 Kings 5:1-14.) represented baptism, for baptism signifies initiation into the church, and into those things which are of the church, thus regeneration and the things of regeneration; not that any one is regenerated by baptism, but that it is a sign of regeneration which ought to be remembered. And whereas those things which relate to the church are signified by "baptism," and the like by "Jordan," as was said above, therefore John baptized in Jordan, (Matt 3:6; Mark 1:5.) and the Lord also was willing that Himself should be baptized there by John. (Matt. iii. 13—17.) Inasmuch as "Jordan" signifies those things which are the first and last of the Lord's kingdom and church, such as are the knowledges of good and truth, for by them man is introduced; therefore also "Jordan" is mentioned as the boundary of the new earth, or holy land, in Ezek 47:18. AC 4255.

Verse 5. Confessing their sins.—To "confess sins" is to become acquainted with evils, to see them in one's self, to acknowledge them, to make one's self guilty, and to condemn one's self on account of evils; when this is done before God, confession of sins is made. AC 8388.

It is not sufficient therefore for any one to say in general, "I am a sinner, I was born in sins; there is nothing sound in me from head to foot; I am nothing but evil; O good God! be merciful to me, pardon me, purify me, save me; make me to walk in purity, and in the way of what is just," and the like; since if he does not explore himself, and consequently does not know any evil, he is still in his sins, inasmuch as no one can shun, still less fight against, what he does not know; thus, however he believes himself after confession to be clean and washed, he is still unclean and unwashed from the crown of the head to the soles of the feet; for general confession is general drowsiness, which terminates in blindness, being like a whole destitute of parts, which has no existence. DP 278. See also TCR 510.

Verse 6. But John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins, and he did eat locusts and wild honey.—Inasmuch as John the Baptist represented the Lord as to the Word, which is Divine Truth in the earth, in like manner as Elias, AC 2762, 5247, therefore he was the Elias who was to come before the Lord; (Mal 4:5; Matt 17:10-12; Mark 9:11-13; John 1:17.) on which account his clothing and food were significative. "Raiment of camel's hair" signified the Word, such as is its literal sense as to truth, which sense is a clothing for the internal sense, as being natural, for what is natural is signified by "hair," also by "camels;" and the food, which was "locusts and wild honey," signified the Word, such as is its literal sense as to good; its delight is signified by "wild honey." AC 5620.

By "clothing," or "garment," when predicated of the Word, is signified Truth Divine therein in the ultimate form; by a "leathern girdle" is signified an external bond connecting and holding in order all interior things; by "food" is signified spiritual nourishment derived from the knowledges of truth and of good from the Word; by "locusts" are signified ultimate or most general truths, and by "wild honey" their pleasantness. AC 9372. See also AC 7643.

John the Baptist represented the like with Elias, wherefore also it is said that "Elias was come," by whom is meant John. Elias represented the Lord as to the Word, or the Word which is from the Lord, in like manner John; and whereas the Word teaches that Messiah, or the Lord, was to come, therefore John was sent before, to preach concerning the coming of the Lord, according to the predictions in the Word. And whereas John represented the Word, therefore the ultimates of the Word, which are natural, were represented by John by his clothing, and also by his food, namely, by clothing of camel's hair, and by a leathern girdle about his loins; "camel's hair" signifying the ultimates of the natural man, such as are the exteriors of the Word, and "a leathern girdle about the loins" signifying their external bond and connection with the interiors of the Word, which are spiritual. Similar things are signified by "locusts" and "wild honey;" by locusts the truth of the natural man, and by wild honey the good thereof; whether we say the truth and good of the natural man, or natural truth and good, such as the Word is in its ultimate sense, which is called the sense of the letter, or natural sense, it is the same thing, for John represented it by his clothing and food. AE 619.

Verse 7. And preached, saying, There comes one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose.—In the Word, the "sole of the foot" and "the heel" signify the ultimate natural principle, as was shown above, AC 259; the shoe is what invests the sole of the foot and the heel, wherefore the "shoe" signifies the natural principle still lower, thus the very corporeal principle, and this being the signification of a shoe, it was hence adopted in common language to express the least and vilest of all things [or principles], since the ultimate, natural, and corporeal principle is the vilest of all things belonging to man, which was meant by John the Baptist, when he said, "There comes one mightier than I, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose." AC 1748.

Verse 8. I indeed have baptized you in water, but He shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit.—That the Lord regenerates man by means of faith and charity, is signified by these words of John the Baptist, "I baptize you in water to repentance, but He that comes after me shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit and with fire." (Matt 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16.) To "baptize in the Holy Spirit and with fire," is to regenerate by Divine Truth which is of faith, and by Divine Good which is of charity. The same is signified by these words of the Lord—" Except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." (John 3:5.) By "water" here, as in other parts of the Word, is signified truth in the natural or external man, and by "spirit," truth derived from good in the spiritual or internal man. TCR 144.

By the above words is meant, that John only inaugurated them into knowledges derived from the Word concerning the Lord, and thereby prepared them to receive the Lord, but that the Lord Himself regenerates man by the Divine Truth and the Divine Good proceeding from Him; for John represented the like as Elias, namely, the Word; the 'waters with which John baptized," signified truths introducing, which are knowledges concerning the Lord derived from the Word; the "Holy Spirit" signifies the Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord, and "fire" signifies the Divine Good proceeding from Him, and "baptism" signifies regeneration effected of the Lord, by Divine Truths derived from the Word. He who believes that baptism contributes any thing to the salvation of man, unless he be, at the same time, principled in the truths of the church, and in a life according to them, is much mistaken; for baptism is an external ceremony, which, without an internal principle, is of no effect to salvation, but is of effect where what is external is conjoined with what is internal. The internal of baptism is, that by truths derived from the Word of the Lord, and by a life according to them, falses and evils may be removed by the Lord, and thereby man may be regenerated, as the Lord also teaches, Matt 23:26, 27. AE 475.

To "baptize" is to regenerate; "with the Holy Spirit" is by Divine Truth, and "with fire" is from the Divine Good of the Divine Love. AC 9818.

Verse 9. And it came to pass in those days, [that] Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptised by John in Jordan.—The reason why the Lord Himself was baptized by John was, that He might not only institute baptism as a future rite, and establish it by His own example, but also because He glorified His Humanity and made it Divine, as He regenerates man, and makes him spiritual. TCR 684.

Verse 10. And straightway coming out of the water. He saw the Heavens rent, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him.—The reason of this was, because "baptism" signifies regeneration and purification, as does also a "dove." Who cannot perceive that the Dove was not the Holy Spirit, nor was the Holy Spirit in the Dove? Doves often appear in heaven, and the angels know, when they observe them, that they are correspondences of the affections and thoughts relating to regeneration and purification in some persons not afar off. Wherefore when they approach those persons, and converse with them on a subject foreign to what was in their thoughts when that appearance was presented, the doves instantly vanish. The case was the same with respect to many things which appeared to the prophets, as when John saw a lamb on Mount Sion, (Rev. xiv.) and in other places. How plain is it to see that the Lord was not that lamb, nor was He in the lamb, but the lamb was a representative of His innocence. Hence the error of those is manifest, who, from the appearance of the Dove, when the Lord was baptized, and from the voice then heard from heaven, "This is my beloved Son," conclude that the Trinity consists of three Persons. TCR 144.

That by a "dove" are signified the truths and goods of faith belonging to a person about to be regenerated, is manifest from the signification of a dove in the Word, especially from the dove which appeared over Jesus when He was baptized, on which occasion the "dove" signified nothing else but the holy principle of faith, "baptism" itself denoting regeneration. Hence in the New Church, which was to be established, it signified the truth and good of faith, which was to be received by regeneration from the Lord. Similar things were represented by and involved in the young doves or turtles, which were offered in sacrifice, and for burnt-offerings, in the Jewish church, concerning which see Lev 1:14, to the end; Lev 5:7-10; 12:6; 14:21, 22; 15:15, 29, 30; Numb 6:10, 11; Luke 2:22-24; which may be manifest from each of those passages. That such things were significative, may be obvious to every one from this single consideration, that they must of necessity be representative of something, since otherwise, they would have no meaning, still less any divine meaning: the external of the church is somewhat inanimate, but it derives life from what is internal, and what is internal derives life from the Lord. That a "dove" in general signifies the intellectual things of faith, is also manifest from the prophets, as in Hosea, "Ephraim shall be as a foolish dove, without heart; they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria;" (Hosea 7:11.) again in the same prophet, "Ephraim shall be afraid, as a bird out of Egypt, and a dove from the land of Assyria;" (11:11.) where "Ephraim" denotes one who is intelligent, "Egypt" one who is scientific, "Assyria" one who is rational; "dove" denotes those things which regard the intellectuals of faith; where, also, the regeneration of the spiritual church is treated of. So in David, "Oh Jehovah, give not the soul of your turtle dove to the wild beast," (Psalm 75:19.) where "wild beast" denotes those who have no charity; the "soul of a turtle dove" denotes the life of faith. AC 870.

Verse 11. And there was a voice from the Heavens, [saying] You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.—In the Jewish church, by the Son of God was meant the Messiah, whom they expected, and of whom they knew that He was to be born in Bethlehem. That by the "Son of God" they understood the Messiah, is evident from the following passages:

" Peter said, we believe; and acknowledge that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God;" (John 6:69.) again, in the same Evangelist, "You are the Christ the Son of God, who was to come into the world;" (11:27.) and in Matthew, "The high Priest asked Jesus, whether He was the Christ the Son of God? Jesus said, I am." (Matt 26:63, Mark 11:27.) And in John, "These things are written, that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God." (John 20:31; also Mark 1:1.) Christ is a Greek word, and signifies anointed; in like manner Messiah in the Hebrew tongue; wherefore John says, "We have found the Messiah, which is, being interpreted, the Christ," (John 1:41.) and in another place, "The woman said, I know that Messias comes, who is called Christ." (John 4:25.) That the law and the prophets, or the whole Word of the Old Testament, treats of the Lord, was shown in the first article, wherefore no other can be meant by the "Son of God who was to come," than the Human [principle] which the Lord assumed in the world. Hence it follows, that this principle was meant by Him who was called Son by Jehovah out of heaven, at the time of the Lord's baptism, when it is said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased;" (Matt 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22.) for His Human [principle] was baptized; and when He was transfigured, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, hear you Him." (Matt 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35; see also other passages, as Matt 8:29; 14:33; 27:43, 54; Mark 3:11; 15:39; John 1:18, 34, 50; 3:18; 5:25; 10:36; 11:4.)

Inasmuch as by the "Son of God" is meant the Lord as to the Human which He assumed in the world, which is the Divine Human, it is evident what is meant by what the Lord so often said, that He was "sent of the Father into the world," and that He "came forth from the Father." By being "sent of the Father into the world," is meant, that He was conceived of Jehovah the Father. That nothing else is meant by being "sent of the Father," is manifest from all the passages, where also it is said, that He did the will of the Father and His works, which will and works were, that He overcame the hells, glorified His Humanity, taught the Word, and established a New Church; which things could not have been done but by the Humanity conceived of Jehovah, and born of a Virgin, that is, unless God had been made a Man.

Many at this day entertain no other thought concerning the Lord, than as of a common man, like themselves, because they think only of His Human and not of His Divine [principle] at the same time, when yet His Divine and Human [principles] cannot be separated; for the Lord is God and Man, and God and Man in the Lord are not two, but one Person, so altogether one as soul and body are one man, according to the doctrine received throughout the Christian world, which is derived from councils, and is called the Athanasian Creed. Lest therefore man, now on, should separate in thought what is Divine and Human in the Lord, let him read, I pray, the passages above adduced from Luke, also these words from Matthew—" The birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: when His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with Child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph, her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, fear not to take to you Mary, your wife, for that which is begotten in her is of the Holy Spirit: and she shall bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins. And Joseph, being raised from sleep, did as the angel had bidden him, and took to him his wife: and knew her not until she had brought forth her first-born Son, and he called His name Jesus." (Matt 1:18-25.) From these words, and from what is written in Luke concerning the Lord's Nativity, it is manifest, that the "Son of God" is Jesus conceived of Jehovah the Father, and born of the Virgin Mary, of whom the prophets and the law prophesied even to John. D. L. 19—22.

Verses 12 and 13. And immediately the spirit sends Him forth into the wilderness: and He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan, and was with the wild beasts, and the Angels ministered to Him.—By a "wilderness" is signified a place uninhabited and uncultivated; in a spiritual sense, a mind destitute of Good and of Truth, also a mind in which Truth is not yet conjoined with Good; thus, by a "wilderness" is signified the state of those with whom conjunction will be effected; and whereas conjunction is not effected except by temptations, these are also signified, but only when the number forty is added, whether they be forty years, or forty months, or forty days; for "forty" signifies temptations, and their duration however long. These things are signified by the journeys of the sons of Israel in the wilderness forty years; the temptations also which they underwent, are described. That they were led into the wilderness, to the intent that they might undergo those temptations, and might thus represent them, is evident from these words of Moses— "You shall remember all the way in which Jehovah your God led you these forty years in the wilderness, that He might afflict you, that He might try you, that He might know what was in your heart. He fed you with manna in the wilderness, which your fathers knew not, that He might afflict you, that He night try you, to do you good in your latter end." (Deut. viii. 2, 16.)

Inasmuch as by forty were signified temptations and their durations, and by a wilderness the state of those who undergo them, therefore also the Lord when He was tempted, "went out into a wilderness, and was there forty days." (Matt 4:1, 2, and following verses; Luke 4:1, 2, and following verses; Mark 1:12, 13.) AC 8098.

The Lord, by being in the wilderness forty days, represented the duration of all the temptations which He Himself underwent, and sustained to a degree of intensity far surpassing the temptations of all men in the universal earth; for by "forty days" is signified the entire period and duration of temptations, thus, not that He was tempted only at that particular time, but that He was tempted from childhood, even to the last period of His life in the world. AE 650.

And He was with the wild beasts.—The last temptation which He underwent was in Gethsemane, for by temptations He subdued all the hells, and also glorified His Human [principle]; and whereas temptations exist by evil spirits and genii who are from hell, thus, by the hells, whence arise evils and false principles, with their lusts and cravings, therefore by the wild beasts in the wilderness, with whom He was, are not meant "wild beasts," but the hells and evils thence arising. AE 650.

Tempted of Satan.—Hell is called the devil and Satan, and by the hell which is called the "devil," are meant those who are in evils, properly those who are principled in self-love; and by the hell which is called "Satan," are meant those who are in false principles, properly those who are in the pride of their own intelligence. AR 97.

Those who are in evil by derivation from the understanding, are called Satans, but those who are in evil by derivation from the will, are called devils; it is on account of this universal distinction that mention is made in the Word of Satan and the devil. CL 492.

And Angels came and ministered to Him.—By the "Angels who ministered to Him" are not meant Angels, but Divine Truths, by which, from His own proper power, He conquered and subdued the hells. That by "Angels" in the Word are signified Divine Truths, may be seen above, AE 130, 200, 503, 593. AE 650.

After every spiritual temptation come illustration and affection, thus pleasantness and delight; pleasantness by illustration of Truth, and delight by the affection of Good; the reason is, because by temptations, Truths and Goods are implanted and conjoined; hence man, as to his spirit, is introduced more interiorly into heaven, and to the heavenly societies with which he had before been associated. When temptation is finished, communication with heaven is opened, which before had been in part closed; hence come illustration and affection, consequently pleasantness and delight, for on such occasions the Angels, with whom communication is given, enter in by the influx of Truth and of Good. AC 8367.

The Lord's combat with hell may be compared, but yet imperfectly, with a combat against all the wild beasts throughout the whole world, and with their slaughter and complete subjugation, so that not one of them dares to stir out of his den, and attack any man that is in the Lord: the consequence is, they are afraid to show their teeth, and suddenly check in themselves every hostile attempt, as if they felt a vulture at their bosom, endeavouring to eat his way to their hearts. Infernal spirits are also described in the Word by wild beasts, and are signified particularly by those amongst which the Lord is said to have been forty days. (Mark 1:13.) It may be compared also with an opposition to the whole body of the ocean, when it defies all restraint, and deluges whole countries and cities with its waves. The reducing of hell to subjection by the Lord, is also signified by His power over the sea, when He said—" Peace, be still;" (Mark 4:38, 39; Matt 8:26; Luke 8:23, 24.) for by the sea there, as in other passages, is signified hell.

The Lord, by the same divine power, fights at this day against hell, in every particular person who is made regenerate; for hell rises up against every such person, with all its diabolical fury, and unless the Lord opposed and subdued it, man must of necessity fall an easy prey to its tyranny. For hell is like a single gigantic monster, or like a huge lion, with which it is also compared in the Word; and consequently, unless the Lord kept that lion, or that monster, bound hand and foot, it must of necessity come to pass that man, though rescued from one evil, would of himself fall into another, and so on into an infinity, without end or number. T. C.R. 123.

Verses 14 and 15. But after that John was delivered to custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God; and saying. That the time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is near. Repent you, and believe the Gospel.—That redemption and the passion of the cross are two distinct things, which ought by no means to be confounded together, and that the Lord, by both, acquired the power of regenerating and saving mankind, was shown in the chapter on Redemption. From the prevailing faith of the present church concerning the passion of the cross, as constituting the sum and substance of redemption, have arisen legions of horrible falsities, respecting God, Faith, Charity, and other subjects connected with those three in a regular chain, and dependent upon them; as for instance, respecting God, that He passed the sentence of condemnation on all the human race, and was willing to become again merciful and propitious towards them, in consequence of that sentence being laid on His Son, or received by the Son, in Himself, and that they alone are saved who are gifted with the merit of Christ, either by the Divine Providence, or predestination. This fallacy has also given birth to another tenet belonging to that faith, that all such as are gifted with that faith, are instantly regenerated, without any regard to their own cooperation, yea, that they are thus delivered from the curse of the law, and are no longer under the law, but under grace, notwithstanding what the Lord declared, that "He would not take away one jot or tittle from the law;" (Matt 5:18, 19; Luke 16:17.) and also that He commanded His disciples to "preach repentance for the remission of sins;" (Luke 24:47; Mark 6:12.) and likewise Himself said,— "The Kingdom of God is at hand; repent you, and believe the Gospel." (Mark 1:15.) By the Gospel is meant, that they had the power to be regenerated, and thereby saved, which power they could not have had, unless the Lord had worked redemption, that is, unless He had deprived hell of its power, by His combats against it, and victories over it; and unless He had glorified His Human [principle], that is, had made it Divine.

Consult your own reason, and tell me what sort of creatures, in your opinion, would men become, supposing the faith of the present church were to continue, which teaches that they were redeemed solely by the passion of the cross, and that such as are gifted with the merit of Christ, are not under the curse of the law; and further, that this faith, of whose abiding in him, man is altogether ignorant, remits sins, and regenerates, and that man's cooperation in its act, that is,. whilst it is given, and enters into him, would destroy that faith, and make salvation void, inasmuch as man, in such case, would mix his own merit with the merit of Christ. Consult, I say, your own reason, and tell me whether the whole Word must not of necessity be thus rejected, which insists principally on regeneration, by a spiritual cleansing from evils, and by exercises of charity. Supposing this faith alone to regenerate man, without any regard to repentance and charity, what then is the internal man, which is his spirit that lives after death, but like a city reduced to ashes, the rubbish of which forms the external man? Or like a field or a garden, eaten up by canker-worms and locusts? Such a man appears in the sight of the angels like a person who cherishes a serpent in his bosom, whilst he covers it with his garments to prevent its being seen; or like a person who lies down to rest under a fine worked coverlid, in a garment worked of spider's webs. TCR 581, 582.

The time is fulfilled.—The "fullness" [or fulfilling] of the states and times of the church signifies their end; the church resembling, in this respect, the ages of man, the first of which is infancy, the second is youth, the third is adult age, the fourth is old age, which last is called the fullness or end. It resembles also the times and states of the year, the first of which is spring, the second is summer, the third is autumn, and the fourth is winter, which last is the end of the year; it resembles also the times and states of the day, the first of which is morning, the second is mid-day, the third is evening, and the fourth is night, and when this last comes it is the fullness or end. In the Word, the states of the church are compared both to the former and the latter, and are signified by the same, because by "times" are signified states, AC 2625, 8788, 2837, The principles of goodness and truth, belonging to those who are of the church, are thus wont to decrease, and when there is no longer any Good and Truth, or as it is said, any faith, that is, any charity, then the church conies to its old age, or to its winter, or to its night; and its time and state, in such case, is called [in the Word] decision, consummation, and fulfilling: see AC 1857. When it is said of the Lord, that He came into the world in the "fullness of time," or when there was fullness, the same thing is signified, for then there was no longer any Good, not even natural Good, consequently not any Truth. AC 2905.

The providence of the Lord is principally exercised in preventing the profanation of Divine Good and Truth, and this prevention is especially effected by this, that the man who is of such a quality that he cannot be withheld from profanation, is withheld, as far as possible, from the acknowledgement and belief of what is True and Good; for, as was said, no one can profane what he has not first acknowledged and believed. This was the reason why internal truths were not discovered to the posterity of Jacob, the Israelites and Jews, nor was it even openly said that there was any internal principle in man, thus that there was any internal worship, and scarcely any thing concerning a life after death, and concerning the heavenly kingdom of the Lord, or of the Messiah whom they expected. The reason was, because they were of such a quality that it was foreseen, in case those things had been discovered to them, they could not have been restrained from profaning them, since earthly things were the sole objects of their affection. This likewise was the reason why the Lord did not come into the world, and reveal the internal things of the Word, until no Good whatever, not even natural Good, remained amongst them, for, in this case, they could no longer receive any Truth, even to internal acknowledgement, since the principle of Good is what receives: thus they could no longer profane. Such was the state which is meant by the fullness of times, and by the consummation of the age, also by the last day, so frequently spoken of by the prophets; the same also is the reason why the Arcana of the internal sense of the Word are now revealed, because at this day there is scarcely any faith, in consequence of there being no charity, thus in consequence of its being the "consummation of the age," on which occasion those Arcana may be revealed without danger of profanation, because they are not interiorly acknowledged. AC 3398.

There have existed on this earth several churches, all of which, in process of time, have come to their consummation, and then have been succeeded by new ones, and so on to the present time. The consummation of the church comes to pass when there remains no Divine Truth but what is falsified and rejected, in which case there cannot remain any genuine Good, inasmuch as the whole quality of good is formed by truths, good being the essence of truth, and truth being the form of good, and no quality can exist without a form. Good and truth can no more be separated than will and understanding, or what is the same thing, than affection of love and thought thence originating; wherefore whenever truth comes to its consummation in the church, good also comes to its consummation at the same time, and when this is the case, the church is at an end, that is, comes to its consummation. TCR 753.

And the Kingdom of God is near.—By the "Kingdom of God," in the universal sense, is meant the universal heaven; in a sense less universal, the true church of the Lord; in a particular sense, every one who is of a true faith, or who is regenerated by the life of faith, wherefore he also is called heaven because heaven is in him; he is called also a kingdom of God, because the kingdom of God is in him, as the Lord Himself teaches in Luke:—"Jesus being asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God comes, answered them and said, The Kingdom of God comes not with observation: neither shall they say, Lo here! or, Lo there! for, behold, the Kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:20, 21.) AC 29.

Every regenerate man is a kind of little heaven, or an effigy or image of the universal heaven, wherefore also, in the Word, his internal man is called heaven, such is the order in heaven, that the Lord, by things celestial rules things spiritual, and by these, things natural, and thus the universal heaven, as one man, wherefore heaven is also called the Grand Man. Such order also has place with every one who is in heaven, when man likewise is in such a quality, then in like manner he is a little heaven, or what is the same thing, is a kingdom of the Lord, because the kingdom of the Lord is in him. AC 911.

Repent you.—To repent [or to do the work of repentance] is to desist from sins, and to lead a new life, according to the precepts of faith, when confession has been made respecting sins, and supplication has been offered up from an humble heart for their remission. He who only acknowledges in general that he is a sinner, and makes himself guilty of all evils, and does not explore himself, that is, discover his sins, makes confession, bat not the confession of repentance, for he lives afterwards as before. He who leads an active life. of faith, does daily the work of repentance, for he reflects on the evils belonging to himself, he acknowledges them, he is watchful against them, he supplicates the Lord for help; for man, of himself, is continually falling, but is continually raised up by the Lord; of himself he falls, when his will inclines him to think what is evil, and he is raised up by the Lord, when he resists evils, and in consequence of such resistance does not commit evil: such is the state of all who are principled in good. But they who are principled in evil, are continually falling, and likewise are continually elevated by the Lord, but the elevation is only into a milder hell, and thus to prevent their falling into the deepest hell, into which, of themselves, they are continually plunging with all their might. Repentance of the lips, and not of the life, is not repentance; by repentance of the lips, sins are not remitted, but by repentance of the life. Sins are continually remitted to man by the Lord, for He is mercy itself; but sins adhere to man, however he thinks they are remitted, nor are they removed from him, except by a life according to the precepts of faith; so far as he lives according to those precepts, so far sins are removed; and so far as they are removed, so far they are remitted. For man is withheld from evil by the Lord, and is held in good; and he is so far capable of being withheld from evil in the other life, as he had resisted evil in the life of the body; and he is so far capable of being held in good at that time, as, during his life in the body, he had done good from affection; hence it may be manifest what the remission of sins is, and what is its source. He is much mistaken who believes that sins are remitted in any other way. When a man has explored himself, and acknowledged his sins, and done the work of repentance, he must remain steady in good even to the end of life; for if he relapses thence to his former life of evil, and cherishes it, in such case he is guilty of profanation, for in such case he conjoins evil with good; hence his latter state becomes worse than his first, according to the Lord's words,—" When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walks through dry places, seeking rest, but does not find; then he says, I will return to mine house whence I came out; and when he is come, and finds it empty, swept, and garnished, then goes he and adjoins to himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and entering in they dwell there: and the latter things of that man are worse than the first." (Matt 12:43-45.) AC 8389—8394. See above, verse 4, Exposition.

And believe the Gospel.—By "preaching the Gospel" is meant the preaching of all things which in the Word treat of the Lord, and all things which represented Him in worship; for preaching the Gospel is annunciation concerning the Lord, concerning His Advent, and concerning those things from Him which relate to salvation and eternal life. And since all things of the Word in its inmost sense, treat of the Lord alone, and also things of worship represented Him, therefore the whole Word is the Gospel, in like manner all worship which was performed according to those things which are commanded in the Word. AC 9925.

And I heard a great voice saying in heaven. Now is come salvation and power, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ.—By these words is signified that mankind are now saved by the Divine power of the Lord, because the Lord alone reigns in heaven and in the church. This is meant by the Gospel of the Kingdom, and by the Kingdom of God. AR 553.

Mention is made of believing in God, and of believing those things which are from God. To believe in God is the faith which is saving, but to believe the things which are from God is a faith which, without the former, is not saving; for to believe in God, is to know and to do; but to believe the things which are from God, is to know and yet not to do. They who are true Christians both know and do, thus they believe in God; but they who are not true Christians, know and do not; the latter are called by the Lord foolish, but the former prudent. (Matt 7:24, 26.) The faith [or belief], which is meant by believing those things which are from God, that is, the truths which are derived from the Word, has no place with those who are in evils grounded in the love of self or of the world; for the love of self or of the world either rejects, or extinguishes, or perverts the truths of faith. AC 9239—9244.

Verses 16—21. But walking near the sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishers. And Jesus said to them, Come you after Me, and I will make you to become fishers of men, &c.—When it is known that there is an internal man and an external, and that truths and goods from the Lord flow in from the internal man, or through the internal man to the external man, although it does not so appear, then those truths and goods, or the knowledges of truth and good which appertain to man, are stored up in his memory, and have their place among scientifics; for whatever is insinuated into the memory of the external man, whether it be natural, or spiritual, or celestial, remains there as a scientific, and is thence called forth by the Lord; those knowledges are the waters gathered together to one place, and are called seas. That "waters" signify knowledges and scientifics, is an idea most generally prevalent in the Word, and hence that "seas" signify their gathering together, as in Isaiah:—"The earth shall be full of the knowledge of Jehovah, as the waters which cover the sea," (Is 11:9.) and in the same prophet, speaking of the defect of knowledges and scientifics,— "Waters from the sea shall fail, the river shall be dried up and wasted, and the streams shall recede, (Is 19:5, 6.) AC 27, 28.

The reason why the creatures of the sea, or "fishes," signify scientifics, is, because the "sea" signifies the natural man; hence "fishes in the sea" signify the scientifics themselves, which are in the natural man. The reason why "fishes" have this signification, is grounded in correspondence; for spirits who are not principled in spiritual truths, but only in natural truths, which are scientifics, appear in the spiritual world to be in seas, whilst they are viewed by those who are above them, thus they appear as fishes, since the thoughts which proceed from the scientifics belonging to them, present such an aspect. For all the ideas of thought, both of angels and spirits, are turned into various representatives of objects out of them. When they are turned into objects of the vegetable kingdom, they assume the aspect of trees and fruits of various kinds; but when into objects of the animal kingdom, they assume the aspect of animals of the earth, and birds of various kinds, thus the aspect of lambs, of sheep, of goats, of heifers, of horses, of doves, and of several species of beautiful birds; but the ideas of the thought of those who are natural, and who think from mere scientifics, are turned into the forms of fishes; hence also in the seas there appear several species of fishes, which it has frequently been given me to see. It is from this ground that by "fishes" in the Word are signified scientifics, as in the following passages:—"At my rebuke I dry up the sea, 1 make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinks, because there is no water, and dies for thirst;" (Isaiah 50:2.) where by the "rebuke of Jehovah" is meant the destruction of the church, which takes place when there is no longer any knowledge of Truth and of Good, or no longer any living knowledge, because no perception. By "drying the sea," is signified to deprive the natural man of scientific truths, and hence of natural life, grounded in spiritual life. By "making the rivers a wilderness," is signified to deprive the rational man in like manner, whence there is no longer any intelligence. By "their fish stinking because there is no water, and dying of thirst," is signified that there is no longer any living scientific, because there is no truth; "fish" denotes what is scientific; "water" denotes truth; to "stink" denotes to die as to spiritual life. So in Ezekiel,—" Thus says the Lord God, Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh, king of Egypt, the great whale that lies in the midst of his rivers, which has said, My river is mine own, and I have made myself; therefore I will put hooks in your jaws, and I will cause the fish of your rivers to stick to your scales, and I will bring you up out of the midst of your rivers, and all the fish of your rivers shall stick to your scales; and I will leave you in the wilderness, you and all the fish of your rivers." (Ezek 29:3-5.) By "Pharaoh" is here signified the same thing as by "Egypt," since king and people have a similar signification, denoting the natural man and the scientific principle in that man; wherefore also he is called a "great whale," for by a '' whale," or a large sea-fish, is signified the scientific principle in general, on which account it is said that he "should be drawn out of the river," and in such case "the fish shall stick to his scales," by which is signified that all intelligence will perish, and that science, which shall succeed in its place, will be in the sensual man without life; for in the sensual man, which is the lowest natural man, most nearly connected with the world, there are fallacies, and consequently false principles, which is signified by "the fish sticking to the scales of the whale." That the natural man, and the scientific principle therein, will be without life derived from any intelligence, is signified by the words, "I will leave you in the wilderness, and all the fish of your rivers;" and that such effects will come to pass because the natural man attributes to himself all intelligence, is signified by the words, "Because he said, My river is my own, I have made myself;" where the "river" denotes intelligence. Again in Isaiah,—" The fishes shall mourn, and all they that cast a hook into the river shall lament, and they that spread nets upon the waters shall languish;" (Is 19:8.) in which passage by "fishers casting a hook into the river, and spreading out a net," are meant those who are willing to procure to themselves knowledges, and by them intelligence, denoting in this case that they are not able to procure them, because the knowledges of truth are not any where to be found. So in Habakkuk,—"Why make you a man like the fishes of the sea, as the creeping thing which has no ruler? Let every man draw it out, and gather it into his net. Shall he therefore empty his net, and not spare continually to slay the nations?" (Hab 1:14, 15, 17.) These words were spoken of the nation of Chaldea, wasting and destroying the church; by which nation is signified the profanation of truth and the vastation of the church. To "make men as the fishes of the sea, and as the creeping thing which has no ruler," signifies to make man so natural that his scientifics are without spiritual truths, and his delights without spiritual good; for in the natural man there are scientifics which are the materials of thought, and delights which give birth to affections, over which, if there be no spiritual principle to rule, both the thoughts and affections are vague, and thus man is without intelligence to guide and rule him; that in such case every false and evil principle may draw them aside, and thus altogether destroy them, is signified by the words, "Let every one draw and gather them into his net, and afterwards let him slay;" where "to draw," is to draw away from good and truth; "into his net," denotes into what is false and evil; and "to slay," is to destroy. And in Amos,—" The day shall come in which they shall draw you out with prickles, and your posterity with fishhooks;" (Amos 4:2.) by which is signified, that by acute reasonings grounded in false principles and fallacies, they will be led away and alienated from truths; those words are spoken of those who abound in knowledges, because they have the Word and the prophets. AE 513.

From the above passages it may now be manifest what is meant by fishers, by fishes, and by nets, which are so often mentioned in the New Testament, as in the following passages:— "Jesus seeing two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishers, said to them, Come after Me, and I will make you fishers of men;" (Matt 4:18, 19; Mark 1:16, 17.) and in another place,—"Jesus entered into the ship of Simon, and taught the multitude; and after said to Simon, that he should let down his nets for a drain, and they enclosed a great number of fishes, and they were ready to sink: and all were astonished at the drain of the fishes; and Jesus said to Simon, Fear not, from now on you shall catch men." (Luke v. 3—10.) In these words also there is a spiritual sense, similar to that which is in the other parts of the Word; for by the Lord choosing those fishers, and saying that they should "become fishers of men," was signified that they should gather men together to the church; by the "nets which they spread out, and in which they enclosed a great number of fishes, so that the ships were ready to sink," was signified the reformation of the church by them; for by "fishes" are there signified the knowledges of truth and good by which reformation was effected, also the multitude of men who were to be reformed. Similar things are also signified by the fishes caught by the disciples after the Lord's resurrection, on which subject it is thus written in John:—"Jesus said, on manifesting Himself to the disciples who were fishing, that they should cast their net on the right side of the ship, and they cast it, so that they were not able to draw the net for the multitude of fishes. Afterwards they went to land, where they saw a fire of coals and a little fish lying upon it, and bread; and Jesus gave them the bread and also the little fish." (John 21:2-13.) The reason why the Lord manifested Himself to the disciples when they were fishing, was, because "to fish" signified to teach the knowledges of Truth and of Good, and thus to reform. By His commanding them to "cast their net out on the right side of the ship," was signified that they should do all from the good of love and charity, for the "right side" signified that good under the influence of which they were to act; for in proportion as knowledges are grounded in good, in the same proportion they live and are multiplied. The disciples also said that "they had laboured all the night and taken nothing," by which was signified that nothing can be effected by man himself, or by what is proper to himself, but all from the Lord; the like was also signified by the "fire of coals, on which was a little fish," and by "bread;" for by "bread" was signified the Lord, and the good of love from Him; and by the "little fish on the fire of coals," the knowledge of truth grounded in good; by a "little fish" the knowledge of truth; by "fire" the principle of good. AE 514.

Verse 21. And they went to Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbaths He went into the synagogue, and taught.— The "Sabbath" amongst the children of Israel was the Holy of Holies, because it represented the Lord, six days being significative of His labours and combats with the hells, and the seventh of His victory over them, and of the rest which He thereby attained; and whereas that day was representative of the close and period of the whole act of redemption which the Lord accomplished, therefore it was esteemed very and essential holiness. But when the Lord came into the world, and in consequence thereof made all representations of Himself to cease, that day was then made a day of instruction in Divine things, and thus also a day of rest from labours, and of meditation on subjects which concern salvation and eternal life, and also a day for the exercise of love towards our neighbour. That it was made a day of instruction in Divine things, is evident from this circumstance, that the Lord on that day taught in the temple and in the synagogues; (Mark 1:21; 6:2; Luke 4:16, 31, 32; 13:10.) and that He said to the man that was healed—"Take up your bed and walk," and to the Pharisees, that "it was lawful for His disciples on the Sabbath day to gather the ears of corn and eat;" (Matt 12:1-9; Mark ii. 23, to the end; Luke 6:1-6; John 5:9-19.) by which particulars are signified, in a spiritual sense, to be instructed in doctrinals. That that day was also made a day for the exercise of love towards our neighbour, is evident from what the Lord both did and taught on the Sabbath day. (Matt 12:10-14; Mark 3:1-9; Luke 6:6-12; 13:10-18; 14:1-7; John 5:9-19; 7:22, 23; 9:14, 16.) From these and the foregoing passages it is evident why the Lord said that He is "Lord also of the Sabbath;" (Matt 12:8; Mark 2:28; Luke 6:5.) and from this His declaration it follows, that the Sabbath day was representative of Him. TCR 301.

Synagogues.—By a "synagogue" is signified doctrine, because doctrine was taught in the synagogues, and also because differences in doctrinal subjects were there decided. AE 120.

Verse 22. And they were astonished at His doctrine, for He taught them as one that had power, and not as the Scribes.— By "power" is signified salvation, inasmuch as all Divine Power has respect to salvation as an end; for man, by virtue of Divine Power, is reformed, and is afterwards introduced into heaven, and is there withheld from what is evil and false, and kept in what is good and true, which cannot be effected by any one but by the Lord alone. They who claim to themselves that power, are altogether ignorant of what salvation means, for they do not know what reformation is, nor what heaven is, as belonging to man: to claim to themselves the power of the Lord, is to claim power over the Lord Himself, which power is called the "power of darkness." (Luke 22:53.) That power, when predicated of the Lord, principally respects salvation, is manifest from the following passages:—"Jesus said. Father, You have given to the Son power over all flesh, that He may give eternal life to those whom You have given Him." (John 17:2.) Again in the same Evangelist,—" As many as received, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, believing in His name." (John 1:12.) Again,—" I am the vine, you are the branches: he that abides in Me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit, since without Me you cannot do any thing." (John 15:5.) And in Mark,—" They were astonished at His doctrine, for He taught them as one that had power" (Mark 1:22.) And in Luke,—" With power and authority He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out;" (Like 4:36.) besides other passages. The Lord also has power over all things, because He is the only God; but the salvation of the human race is the chief power, since on that account the heavens and the worlds were created, and salvation is the reception of the Divine proceeding [principle], AE 293.

Verse 23. And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, &c.—An "unclean spirit" denotes the uncleanness of life belonging to man, and it likewise denotes the unclean spirits attendant on him, for unclean spirits dwell in the uncleanness of the life of man. AC 4744.

Verse 24. Jesus of Nazareth.—The Nazarites represented the Lord as to the divine natural principle, which is the external divine Human. The Nassariteship, in Hebrew, is hair; hence it was that the Nazarites had this representation. AC 6437. [Hence also it was that the Lord dwelt in Nasareth, and was called a Nazarene. Matt 2:23.]

Verse 24. The Holy One of God.—As Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord is understood by the term Holy, therefore in the Word the Lord is called the "Holy One," the "Holy One of God," the "Holy One of Israel," the "Holy One of Jacob." AC 204.

Verse 30. Sick of a fever.—A "burning fever" denotes the lust of evil. AC 8364.

All the internals induce diseases, but with a difference, by reason that all the hells are in the lusts and cravings of evil, which was thus confirmed by experience:—There exhaled from hell a molesting heat, arising from lusts of various kinds, as from haughtiness, lasciviousness, adulteries, hatreds, revenges, and contentions; when this heat acted into my body, it occasioned in a moment a disease like that of a burning fever, but when it ceased to flow in, instantly the disease ceased. There are also spirits who infuse unclean colds, such as are those of a cold fever [or ague], which it has been granted also to know by experience. AC 5713, 5715, 5716.

Verses 32 and 34. And when it was evening, when the sun did set, they brought to Him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with demons; and He healed many that were sick of diverse diseases, &c.—By "disease" is signified evil, and the reason is, because "diseases," in the internal sense, signify such things as affect spiritual life, which things are evils, and are called lusts and cravings. Faith and charity constitute spiritual life, which life sickens when what is false takes place of the truth which is of faith, and when evil takes place of the good which is of charity; for what is false and evil brings that life to death, which is called spiritual death, and is damnation, as diseases bring natural life to its death; hence it is, that by "disease," in the internal sense, is signified evil.

Inasmuch as diseases represented the iniquities and evils of spiritual life, therefore by the "diseases which the Lord healed," is signified deliverance from the various kinds of evil and false principles which infested the church and the human race, and which were about to produce spiritual death; for divine miracles are distinguished from other miracles by this, that they involve and have respect to states of the church and of the kingdom of heaven. On this account the Lord's miracles consisted principally in the healings of diseases; this is what is meant by the Lord's words to the disciples sent by John,—" Tell John the things which you hear and see; the blind see, and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up, and the poor hear the Gospel." (Matt 11:4, 5.) Hence it is, that it is so often said that the Lord "healed every disease and sickness." (Matt 4:23; 9:35; 14:14, 85, 36; Luke 4:40, V. 15; 6:17; 7:21; Mark 1:32, 34;3:10.) AC 8364.

Verses 40—43. And there came a leper to Him, beseeching Him, and kneeling down to Him, and saying to Him, If You will. You can make me clean, etc.—in the historical Word, much mention is made of the leprosy, of its various appearance in the skin, of the judgement thence to be formed of its quality, of the leper, that he was either to be shut up, or excluded from communion, or to be liberated, and of the leprosy in garments, in vessels, and in the very houses. The reason why so much mention is made of the "leprosy," is not on account of the leprosy, as a disease, but because it signified the profanation of truth, thus on account of the spiritual sense, and because the Jews and Israelites were capable of profaning truth more than other people; for if they had been acquainted with the internal things of the Word, and with the essential truths, represented by the rituals of the church belonging to them, and had believed therein, and yet had lived according to their own inclinations, namely, in the love of self and the world, in hatred and revenge one amongst another, and in cruelty towards other nations, they must of necessity have profaned the truths in which they had once believed. For to believe truths, and to live contrary to them, is to profane them; wherefore also they were withheld, as far as was possible, from the knowledges of internal truth, insomuch that they did not know that they were to live after death; neither did they believe that the Messiah was to come to save souls to eternity, hut only to exalt that -nation above all others in the universe; and whereas that nation was of such a quality, and likewise is of such a quality at this day, they are therefore still withheld from a true faith, although they live in the midst of Christendom: hence now it is, that the leprosy was so particularly described as to its quality. That the "leprosy" signifies the profanation of truth, is evident from the statutes respecting the leprosy in Leviticus 13:1, to the end, in which description is contained, in the internal sense, every quality of the profanation of truth; as, what its quality is, if it be recent, what, if it be old, what, if it be interiorly in man, what, if it be also exteriorly, what, if it is capable of being healed, what, if it cannot be healed, what are the means of healing, and several things besides, none of which can be known to any one except by the internal sense of the Word. AC 6963.

Verse 41. And Jesus, moved with compassion, putting forth His hand, touched him, &c.—By "touching with the hand," is signified to communicate and to transfer to another what appertains to a man himself, and likewise to receive from another; and when it relates to the Lord, as in the present case, it denotes to communicate and transfer to another the life, such as they enjoy, who are in illustration, and see and hear such things as are in heaven. The reason why "touching with the hand" denotes to communicate and transfer to another, is, because all the power of man is transferred from the body to the hands, wherefore what the mind wills that the body should do, the arms and hands do it; hence it is, that by "arms" and "hands" in the Word, is signified power, but this power is a natural power, and communication by it is the exertion of bodily strength; but spiritual power consists in willing the good of another, and in willing to transfer, as far as possible, to another what a man possesses in himself; this power is what is signified by "hand" in the spiritual sense, and its communication and translation by "touching with the hand." From these considerations it may be manifest what is signified by the Lord touching, and touching with the hand, in several passages of the Word. AE 79.

TRANSLATOR'S NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS.

Chapter I

Verses 2 and 3. As it is written in the Prophets, Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who shall prepare Your way before You. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare you the way of the Lord.—It is remarkable in these words that two different expressions are employed, in the original Greek, to denote what is here rendered alike by the English term prepare, but it is difficult to say what is the distinct and precise idea intended to be suggested by each expression.

Verse 10. And straightway coming up out of the water. He saw the heavens rent.—In the common English Version of the New Testament, what is here rendered "rent" is expressed by "opened," but the original Greek properly signifies rent or split, and not improbably has reference to the three heavens, which, on this occasion, were seen in a state of distinction from each other, and thus more ready to descend by their operation into the souls of men.

Verse 35. And in the morning, when the night was far advanced, &c.—What is here rendered, "when the night was far advanced," is expressed in the common English Version of the New Testament by "a great while before day," but the original Greek literally means far in the night, or, as it is here rendered, "when the night was far advanced," having respect, no doubt, to the night of spiritual darkness which was then passing away.

Verses 5, 9, 11, 12. Jesus said to the sick of the palsy. Son, your sins are remitted to you. And He said to the Scribes, Which is easier to say, Your sins are remitted to you, or to say, Take up your couch [or bed] and walk? etc.—That in this passage the term "couch" is significative, is evident, because Jesus said—" Which is easier to say, Your sins are remitted to you, or to say, Take up your couch and walk?" By a "couch" is signified doctrine, and the ground of this signification is from correspondence, since, as the body lies down in its couch [or bed], so the mind, in its doctrine; but by a "couch" is signified the doctrine which every one procures to himself, either from the Word or from his own intelligence, for in that doctrine his mind rests, and as it were sleeps. The couches [or beds] which are slept in, in the spiritual world, are from no other origin, every one having a couch [or bed] there according to the quality of his science or intelligence; the wise sleeping in magnificent beds, the unwise in worthless beds, and they who are in false principles in filthy beds. Hence by "carrying a couch and walking," is signified to meditate in doctrine. So it is understood in heaven. A.R. 137. See also AE 163.

Verse 10. The Son of Man has power to remit sins, &c.— It should be well known that man, in doing the work of repentance, ought to look up to the Lord alone. If he looks up to God the Father only, he cannot be purified; nor if to the Father for the sake of the Son; nor if to the Son as a man only; for there is one God who is the Lord, for His Divine and Human Essence constitutes one Person, as is shown in "The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord." In order that every one in the work of repentance might look to the Lord alone, He instituted the Holy Supper, which confirms, to those who repent, the remission of sins; and it confirms it because in that Supper or Communion every one is kept looking to the Lord only. DP 122.

Verses 15, 16. And it came to pass, as He sat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and His disciples. And the Scribes and Pharisees seeing Him eating with publicans and sinners, said to His disciples, How is it that He eats and drinks with publicans and sinners? — The reason why the Lord did "eat with publicans and sinners," at which the Jews murmured and were offended, is, because the Gentiles, who were meant by publicans and sinners, received the Lord, imbibed His precepts, and lived according to them, by virtue of which the Lord appropriated to them the good things of heaven, which is signified in the spiritual sense by "eating with them." That by "eating and drinking" in the Word is also signified spiritually to eat and drink, which is, to be instructed, and by instruction and life to imbue and appropriate what is good and true, consequently intelligence and wisdom, may be manifest from the Word throughout, where mention is made of eating and drinking.

Verse 17. I came not to call the just, but sinners, to repentance. — The "just" are the celestial, and the "sinners" are the spiritual, who could not be raised to heaven until the Lord's advent.

In the things contained in this verse, namely, "I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians," (Exodus 3:8.) there is a great mystery which has never as yet been known in the church, wherefore it shall be made known. They are called spiritual, who are such as cannot be regenerated except only as to the intellectual-part, but not as to the will-part; in whose intellectual-part therefore a new will is implanted by the Lord, which will is according to the doctrinals of faith peculiar to their church, — these, namely, such spiritual persons, were only saved by the Lord's coming into the world. The reason is, because the Divine [principle] passing through heaven, which was the Divine Human [principle] before the Lord's coming, could not reach to them, inasmuch as the doctrinals of their church were for the most part not true, and hence the good which is of the will was not good, AC 6427. Because these could only be saved by the coming of the Lord, and thus were incapable of before being elevated into heaven; therefore in the mean time they were kept in the lower earth, in places there which in the Word are called pits, which earth was obsessed around by the hells abounding with falses, by which at that time they were much infested; nevertheless they were still guarded by the Lord. But after the Lord came into the world, and made the Human in Himself Divine, then He delivered those who were there in pits, and elevated them to heaven; and out of them He also formed a spiritual heaven, which is the second heaven: this is what is meant by the descent of the Lord to those that are beneath, and by the deliverance of those who were bound. This is the mystery which in the internal sense is also described in this verse, and in the following. See what was shown above concerning those spiritual persons, namely, that the spiritual are in obscurity as to the truth and good of faith, AC 2708, 2715. That their obscurity is illuminated by the Lord's Divine Human [principle], AC 2716, 4402; whereas they are in obscurity as to the truth and good of faith, they are greatly assaulted by the hells, but that the Lord continually protects them, AC 6419. That the spiritual cannot be regenerated as to the will-part, but only as to the intellectual-part, and that a new will is there formed by the Lord, AC 863, 875. That the spiritual were saved by the coming of the Lord into the world, AC 2833, 2834, 3969. In the prophetic Word throughout, mention is made of the bound, and of those that are bound in a pit, and that they were delivered by the Lord; by which bound are specifically meant those who are here spoken of, as in Isaiah,—" I Jehovah have called you in justice, and will take hold of your hand, for I will guard you, and will give you for a covenant to the people, for a light of the Gentiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring forth out of prison him that is bound, out of the house of enclosure them that sit in darkness." (Is 42:6, 7.) Again in the same prophet,— "I have kept you, and given you for a covenant of the people, to restore the earth, to divide the wasted inheritances, to say to the bound, Go you forth; to them who are in darkness, Be you revealed. They shall feed on the ways, and in all hills shall be their pasture;" (Is 49:8, 9.) speaking manifestly of the Lord; where the "bound" specifically denote those who were detained in the lower earth, even to the Lord's coming, and who were then elevated into heaven; and in general all those who are in good, and are kept as it were bound by falses, from which nevertheless they are desirous to be delivered. And in Zechariah,—" By the blood of your covenant, I will send forth your bound out of the pit." (Zech 9:11.) And in Isaiah,—"Gathering they shall be gathered together, the bound in a pit, and shall be closed in an enclosure; after a multitude of days they shall be visited;" (Is 24:22.) where the "bound in a pit" has the same signification. AC 6854.

Verses 18, 19, 20. And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting, and they come and say to Him, Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast? and Jesus said to them, Can the sons of the bridechamber fast while the Bridegroom is with them? &c.—They are called the sons of the bridechamber, who are in the truths of the church, and receive good, for the good which is from the Lord is the bridegroom. The reason why the sons of the bridechamber do not mourn so long as the bridegroom is with them is, because they are in a blessed and happy state, thus are with the Lord when they are in truths conjoined to good. Their fasting when the bridegroom is taken from them, denotes that they are in an unhappy state when good is no longer conjoined to truths. AC 9182.

The Lord here calls Himself the Bridegroom, and the men of the church He calls the sons of the bridechamber; by "fasting" is signified to mourn on account of the defect of truth and good. AE 1180. B.E.101. CL 117.

Verse 21. And no one seweth a piece of unwrought [or new] cloth on an old garment, &c.—Inasmuch as a "garment" signifies truth, therefore the Lord compares the truths of the former church, which was a church representative of spiritual things, to the piece of an old garment, and the truths of the New Church, which were spiritual truths themselves, to the piece of a new garment; in like manner He compared those truths to bottles of wine, because by "wine" in like manner is signified truth, and "bottles" are the knowledges which contain it. AE 193.

Verse 22. And no one puts new wine into old bottles, &c.—Inasmuch as all comparisons in the Word are grounded in correspondences, so likewise is this comparison, and by "wine" is signified truth: by "old wine," the truth of the old or Jewish Church, and by "bottles "are signified those things which contain, by "old bottles" the statutes and judgements of the Jewish Church, and by "new bottles" the precepts and commandments of the Lord. That the statutes and judgements of the Jewish Church, which related principally to sacrifices and representative worship, do not accord with the truths of the Christian Church, is meant by the words, "No one puts new wine into old bottles, else the new wine does burst the bottles and the wine is spilled; but new wine must be put into new bottles." That they who were born and educated in the external things of the Jewish Church, could not be brought immediately into the internal things of the Christian Church, is signified by what is said in another place—" No one having drunk old wine immediately desires new, for he says the old is better." AE 376. See also AE 195.

That the New Jerusalem, that is, the New Church, cannot descend from heaven in a moment, but in proportion as the false principles of the former church are removed (for what is new cannot enter where false principles have before had birth, unless they be eradicated), the Lord teaches when He says— "No one puts new wine into old bottles," &c. TCR 781.

New wine is the Divine Truth of the New Testament, thus of the New Church, and old wine is the Divine Truth of the Old Testament, thus of the Old Church. AR 316.

Verse 23. Corn-fields — Sabbath day. — See chap. 1:21, Exposition; also what is meant by "plucking the ears of corn and eating-them;" that is, to be instructed and nourished in things spiritual by the Lord. See above, p. 34.

Verses 27, 28. And He said to them, The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath.—He who does not know what the Sabbath represented, and hence what it signified, cannot know why it was accounted the most holy of all things; but the reason why it was so accounted was, because in the supreme sense it represented the union of the Divinity and Divine Humanity in the Lord, and in the respective sense the conjunction of the Lord's Divine Humanity with the human race. Hence the Sabbath was most holy. And whereas it represented those things, it also represented heaven as to the conjunction of good and of truth, which conjunction is called the heavenly marriage; and since the conjunction of good and of truth is from the Lord alone, and nothing of it from man, and inasmuch as it is effected in a state of peace, therefore man was forbidden under the most severe penalty to do any work on that day, insomuch that the soul was to be cut off which did it, according to what is thus written in Moses,— "You shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy to you; he who profanes it, dying shall die, because the soul of every one who does work on it shall be cut off from the midst of his people:" (Exod 31:14.) on this account the man was stoned who only gathered sticks on that day: (Numb 15:32-37.) therefore also the precept concerning the Sabbath is the fourth commandment in the Decalogue, immediately following the former commandments respecting the holy worship of Jehovah: (Exod 20:8.) and therefore the Sabbath is called an eternal covenant, (Exod 31:16.) for by covenant is signified conjunction. From these considerations it is evident that the Lord is the Lord of the Sabbath, according to His words in Matthew 12:1-9; and in Mark 2:28: and why the Lord performed so many cures on the Sabbath days: (Matt 12:10-14; Mark 3:1-9; Luke 4:6-12.) for the diseases which were cured by the Lord, involved spiritual diseases, which are from evil. AC 8495.

The celestial man is the seventh day, and since the Lord operated during six days, it is called His work; and whereas in such case combat ceases, the Lord is said to rest from all His work; wherefore the seventh day was sanctified, and was called the Sabbath, from rest. This is manifest from what the Lord said,—" The Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath," (Mark 2:27.) which words involve, that the Lord is Very Man, and the Very Sabbath. His kingdom in the heavens and in the earth is called by Him the Sabbath, or eternal peace and rest. AC 10360.

The reason why the "Sabbath," in the supreme sense, signifies the Divine Human of the Lord is, because the Lord, when He was in the world, fought from His Human against all the hells, and subdued them, and at the same time reduced the heavens into order, and after this labour united His Human to the Divine, and also made it divine Good. Hence on this occasion He had rest, for the hells do not snarl against the Divine itself. Hence now it is that by the "Sabbath" in the supreme sense is meant the Divine Human of the Lord. AC 10367.

TRANSLATOR'S NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS.

Chapter II.

verse 10. But that you may know that the Son of Man has power to remit sins on the earth.—In the common version of the New Testament, these words are thus rendered:— "But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins," as if the expression, on earth, had reference to the Son of Man, whereas it is evident from the original Greek, that it has reference rather to the sins remitted.

[What is said above, at pages 44, 45, in illustration of verse 17, plainly shows us what is meant by 1 Peter 3:19, where the apostle speaks of the Lord, after his resurrection, "going and preaching to the spirits in prison," These spirits were denoted by those "bound in the pit," (Zech 9:11.) and in the "lower earth" of the world of spirits, who could be delivered after the Lord's resurrection and glorification, which deliverance is signified by His "going and preaching" to them.]

Mark Chapter 3

Verse 5. Being grieved at the hardness of their hearts.— "Hardness" is predicated of the confirmed state of what is false derived from evil. AC 6359.

That "hardness" denotes the obduracy and obstinacy of those who are principled in the falses of evil, see AC 7272, 7305.

As to "hardness of heart," or aversion from the Lord and the divine things of His kingdom, I will here briefly explain how the case is. All those who are in externals separate from an internal principle, avert themselves from the Lord, or from the Divine Being, for they look outwards and downwards, and not inwards and upwards; for man looks inwards or upwards, when the internal is open, thus when it is in heaven; but he looks outwards or downwards, when his internal is closed and only the external open, for this latter is in the world; wherefore when the external is separated from the internal, man cannot be elevated upwards. For that principle, into which heaven should operate, is not present, because it is closed; hence it is that all things of heaven and of the church are to them thick darkness; wherefore also they are not believed by them, but are denied in heart, by some also with the mouth. When heaven operates with man, as is the case when the internal is open, it withdraws him from the loves of self and of the world, and from the falses therein originating; for when the internal is elevated, the external is also elevated, since the latter is then kept in a similar direction of its views with the former, because it is in subordination; but when the internal cannot be elevated, because it is closed, then the external looks in no other direction than to itself and the world, for the loves of self and of the world reign. This also is called looking downwards, because to hell, for those loves reign there, and the man who is in them is in consort with those who dwell there, although he is ignorant of it; as to his interiors also he actually averts himself from the Lord, for he turns the back to Him, and the face to hell. This cannot be seen in man, whilst he lives in the body; but whereas his thought and will produce this effect, it is his spirit which thus turns itself, for the spirit is what thinks and wills in man. That this is the case, is manifestly apparent in the other life, where spirits turn themselves according to their loves; they who love the Lord and the neighbour, look continually to the Lord, yea, what is wonderful, they have Him before the face in every turning of their body; for in the spiritual world, there are not quarters, as in the natural world, but the quarter is there determined by the love of every one, which turns him. But they who love themselves and the world above all things, turn away the face from the Lord, and turn themselves to hell, and every one to those there who are in a similar love with himself, and this also in every turning of their body; hence it may be manifest what is meant by averting themselves from the Divine Being; also what is properly signified by averting themselves in the Word, as in Isaiah,—" They avert themselves backwards, confiding in a graven thing;" (Is 42:17.) and in David,—"The heart has averted itself backwards;" (Psalm 44:18.) and in Jeremiah,—" Their prevarications are multiplied, and their aversions are made strong." (Jer 5:6.) Again,—" They avert themselves, that they do not return; this people have averted themselves; Jerusalem perpetuates things averted, they refuse to return." (Jer 8:4, 5.) Again,—" They have averted themselves, they have let themselves down into the deep to dwell;" (Jer 49:8.) and in many other passages. AC 10420.

Verses 7, 9. He withdrew with His disciples to the sea, and entered into a boat or ship.—This was done, because by the "sea," and by the "lake of Genesareth," when spoken of the Lord, are signified the knowledges of Truth and Good in the aggregate, and by a "ship," doctrine; hence by "teaching from a ship," was signified that He taught from doctrine. AE 514.

Judea and Jerusalem.—See above, Exposition, chap. 1:5.

Verse 8. Tyre and Sidon.—Tyre and Sidon were the ultimate borders of Philistia, and were near the sea, and therefore by "Tyre" are signified interior knowledges, and by "Sidon" exterior knowledges, and this of things spiritual, as also appears from the Word. AC 1201.

Verses 10, 11. He healed as many as had plagues, and unclean spirits, when they saw Him, &c.—By "plagues" and "evil spirits" are understood obsessions and calamitous states inflicted on men, in such case by evil spirits, all which, nevertheless, signified correspondent spiritual states; for all the healings of diseases effected by the Lord, signified spiritual healings, hence the Lord's miracles were divine. AE 584.

Verses 13, 14, 16. And He goes up into a mountain, and calls to Him whom He willed, and they came to Him; and He ordained twelve, that they might be with Him, and that He might send them forth to preach. And Simon He surnamed Peter.—The reason why the Lord so often went up into a mountain, and especially to the Mount of Olives, was, because "mountains," amongst the most ancient people, signified the Lord, because it was their practice to worship Him on mountains. For as much as mountains are the highest parts of the earth, hence "mountains" also signified things celestial, which they also called the highest things, consequently love and charity, thus the good things of love and charity which are celestial. AC 795, 2708.

In the Word of the Evangelists, by the Apostle Peter is understood truth grounded in good, which is from the Lord, and likewise in the opposite sense truth separate from good. And whereas truth is of faith and good is of charity, by him also is understood faith grounded in charity, and likewise faith separate from charity; for the twelve apostles, like the twelve tribes of Israel, represented the church as to all things belonging to it, thus as to truths and goods, for all things of the church have reference to those two principles as to faith and love; for truths are of faith, and goods are of love. In general, Peter, James, and John, represented faith, charity, and the works of charity; wherefore those three followed the Lord more than the rest, and therefore it is said of them in Mark,— "He did not permit any one to follow Him, except Peter, James, and John." (Mark 5:37.) And whereas truth grounded in good which is from the Lord, is the first principle of the church, therefore Peter was first called by Andrew his brother, afterwards James and John, as is manifest in Matthew:—"Jesus walking at the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon, called Peter, and Andrew, his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishers; and He said to them, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men: and immediately leaving their nets, they followed Him." (Matt 4:18, 19, 20.) And in John,— "Andrew found his brother Simon, and says to him, We have found the Messiah, which is, being interpreted, the Christ; he leads him therefore to Jesus; and Jesus, beholding him, says to him, You are Simon the son of Jonah: you shall be called Cephas, which, being interpreted, is Peter." (John 1:41, 42, 43.) And in Mark,—"Jesus going up into a mountain, calls to Him whom He willed, first Simon, whom He surnamed Peter; afterwards James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James." (Mark 3:13, 16,17.) The reason why Peter was the first of the apostles, was, because truth grounded in good is the first principle of the church; for man acquires no knowledge from the world concerning heaven and hell, nor concerning a life after death, nor even concerning God; his natural lumen teaches nothing but what enters by the eyes; thus nothing but what relates to the world and himself; his life likewise is thence derived, and so long as man is solely in those principles, he is in hell: it is therefore necessary for the purpose of his being brought out thence, and introduced into heaven, that he learn truths which may not only teach that there is a God, that there is a heaven and a hell, and that there is a life after death, but may also teach the way to heaven. Hence it may be manifest that truth is the first principle by which the church is implanted in man; this truth however must be grounded in good, since truth without good is merely the knowledge that a thing is so, and knowledge alone has no effect but to make man capable of becoming a church; but he does not become a church until he lives according to knowledges, in which case truth is conjoined to good, and man is introduced into the church. Truths also teach how man ought to live; and when on such occasion he is affected with truths, for the sake of truths, as is the case when he loves to live according to them, he is then led of the Lord, and conjunction with heaven is granted to him, and he becomes spiritual, and after death an angel of heaven. It is nevertheless to be noted, that truths do not produce these effects, but good by truths, and good is from the Lord. Inasmuch as truth grounded in good, which is from the Lord, is the first principle of the church, therefore Peter was first called, and was the first of the apostles; he was also named by the Lord, Cephas, which is a rock [Petra], but that it might be the name of a person, it is pronounced Peter [Petrus]. By "rock," in the supreme sense, is signified the Lord as to Divine Truth, or Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord, hence in the respective sense by "rock" is signified truth grounded in good which is from the Lord, and the like by Peter. AE 820.

Verse 17. And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and He surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder.—By "sons of thunder" are signified truths grounded in celestial good. The reason why those truths are signified by "thunders"in the Word, is, because in the spiritual world are also heard thunders, which exist from truths grounded in celestial good, whilst they descend from the superior heavens into the inferior; the light of truth grounded in good, on such occasions, appears as lightning, the good itself as thunder, and the truths themselves thence derived as variations of sound. Hence it is that in the Word throughout, mention is made of "lightnings," of "thunders," and "voices," by which those things are signified. The reason why good is there heard as thunder, is, because good, which is of the affection or love of man, also which is of his will, does not speak, but only utters a sound, whereas truth, which is of the understanding, and thence of the thought of man, articulates that sound by expression of words; celestial good is the same thing with the good of love in the will and in the act, nor is it celestial good until this is the case, and this is what produces truths by thought and the speech thence derived. From these considerations it is evident from what ground it is that James and John were called "sons of thunder." AE 821.

Verses 24, 25, 27. And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand; and if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. No one can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, unless he first bind the strong man, and then he will spoil his goods,—" House," in the internal sense, is the natural mind, for the natural mind, as also the rational mind, is like a house, in which the husband is good, the wife is truth, the daughters and sons are affections of good and of truth, also the goods and truths which are derived from them as parents; the maid-servants and men-servants are pleasures and scientifics, which minister and confirm. That the natural mind and the rational mind of man is called a "house," is evident from the following passage in Luke:—" When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he wanders through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, I will return to my house whence I came forth; and when he comes, he finds it swept and garnished: then goes he, and takes seven other spirits worse than the first, and entering in they dwell there." (Luke 11:24, 25, 26.) In this passage "house" denotes the natural mind, which is called an "empty house and swept," when there are in it no goods and truths, which are husband and wife, nor the affections of good and of truth, which are daughters and sons, nor such things as confirm, which are maid-servants and men-servants. Man himself is the house, because the natural mind and the rational make the man, and without them, that is, without goods and truths, and their affections, and the ministry of these affections, he is not a man but a brute. The mind of man is also meant by a house in these words, in the same Evangelist,—" Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house against a house falls." (Luke 11:17.) And in Mark,—" If a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand; and if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. No one can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, unless he first bind the strong man, and then he will spoil his house." (Mark 3:24, 25, 27.) By "kingdom" in this passage is signified truth, AC 1672, 2547, 4601; and by "house" good, AC 2233, 2234, 3710, 4982. AC 5023.

Verses 28, 29. Verily I say to you, All sins shall be remitted to men, and blasphemies with which soever they shall blaspheme; but he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Spirit has never remission, but is exposed to eternal judgement.—What is signified by "sin and blasphemy against the Holy Spirit," and by a "word against the Son of Man," has not yet been known in the church, and this by reason of its not having been known what is properly meant by the Holy Spirit, and what properly by the Son of Man. By the "Holy Spirit" is meant the Lord as to Divine Truth, such as it is in the heavens, thus the Word such as it is in the spiritual sense, for this is Divine Truth in heaven; and by the "Son of Man" is meant Divine Truth such as it is in the earths, thus the Word such as it is in the natural sense, for this is the Divine Truth in the earths. When it is known what is signified by the "Holy Spirit," and what by the "Son of Man," it is known also what is signified by "sin and blasphemy against the Holy Spirit," and what by a "word against the Son of Man;" it may also be known why the sin and blasphemy against the Holy Spirit cannot be remitted, and why a word against the Son of Man can be remitted. For "sin and blasphemy against the Holy Spirit" consist in denying the Word, also in adulterating its essential goods, and falsifying its essential truths; but a "word against the Son of Man" consists in interpreting the natural sense of the Word, which is the sense of its letter, according to appearances. The reason why a denial of the Word is a sin which cannot be remitted in this age, nor in that which is to come, or to eternity, and why it exposes to eternal judgement, is, because they who deny the Word, deny a God, deny the Lord, deny a heaven and a hell, and deny the church and all things belonging to it; and they who deny those things are Atheists, who, although they say with their lips that the creation of the universe is the work of some Highest Being, Deity, or God, yet in heart they ascribe it to Nature; such persons, inasmuch as by denial they have loosened every bond of connection with the Lord, must of necessity be separated from heaven, and conjoined to hell. The reason why the adulteration of the essential goods of the Word, and the falsification of its essential truths, is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which also cannot be remitted, is, because by the Holy Spirit is meant the Lord, as to Divine Truth, such as it is in the heavens, thus the Word such as it is in the spiritual sense, as was said above. For in the spiritual sense are genuine goods and genuine truths, but in the natural sense are the same goods and truths as it were clothed, and not naked except here and there, wherefore these are called apparent goods and truths; these are what are adulterated and falsified, and they are said to be adulterated and falsified when they are explained contrary to genuine goods and truths, for in such case heaven removes itself, and man is put to pieces from it, by reason that genuine goods and truths, as was said above, constitute the spiritual sense of the Word, in which the angels of heaven are principled. As for example:—If the Lord and His Divinity be denied, as was done by the Pharisees, who said that the Lord worked miracles from Beelzebub, and had an unclean spirit, this is to commit sin and blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, because it is against the Word. Hence also it is that Socinians and Arians, who, although they do not deny the Lord, still deny His Divinity, are out of heaven, and cannot be received by any angelic society. To take another example. They who exclude the good of love and the works of charity from the means of salvation, and assume faith exclusively as the only means, and confirm themselves in this idea, not only bv doctrine, but also by life, saying in their hearts,—" Goods do not save me, neither do evils condemn me, because I have faith;" these also blaspheme the Holy Spirit, for they falsify the genuine goods and truths of the Word, and this in a thousand passages, where love and charity, deeds and works, are named. Moreover, as was said above, in all and singular things of the Word, there is a marriage of good and truth, thus of charity and faith, wherefore when good or charity is taken away, that marriage perishes, and adultery is committed in its place; hence it is, that neither are such persons received into heaven. The reason also is, because in the place of heavenly love they have earthly love, and in the place of good works they have evil works, inasmuch as they proceed from earthly love, which, separate from heavenly love, is infernal love. But it is otherwise with those who indeed believe from the doctrine of the church, and from teachers, that faith is the only means of salvation, or who know, and do not interiorly affirm or deny, and still live well, under the guidance of the Word, that is, because it is commanded by the Lord in the Word: these do not blaspheme the Holy Spirit, for they do not adulterate the goods of the Word, nor falsify its truths, wherefore they have conjunction with the angels of heaven; Few of them also know that faith is any thing else than to believe the Word; the doctrine of justification by faith alone without the works of the law they do not comprehend, because it transcends their understanding. These two examples are adduced to the intent that it may be known what is meant by "sin and blasphemy against the Holy Spirit," and that sin against the Holy Spirit consists in denying the Divine Truth, thus the Word, and that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit consists in adulterating the essential Goods of the Word, and in falsifying

its essential Truths. The reason why a "word against the Son of Man" signifies to interpret the natural sense of the Word, which is the sense of its letter, according to appearances, is, Because by the "Son of Man" is meant the Lord, as to Divine Truth, such as it is in the earths, thus such as it is in the natural sense; and the reason why this "word" is remitted to man, is, Because most things in the natural sense, or in the sense of the letter of the Word, are goods and truths clothed, and only some naked, as in its spiritual sense; and goods and truths clothed are called appearances of truth. For the Word in the ultimates is as a man clad in clothing, who yet as to the face and hands is naked, and where the Word is thus naked, there its goods and truths appear naked as in heaven, thus such as they are in the spiritual sense; wherefore it can never come to pass but that the doctrine of genuine good and genuine truth, derived from the sense of the letter of the Word, may be seen by those who are enlightened of the Lord, and be confirmed by those who are not enlightened. The reason why the Word is such in the sense of the letter, is, that it may be a basis for the spiritual sense; hereby also it is accommodated to the apprehension of the simple, who can only perceive those things which are so said, and when they perceive, can believe and do them. And whereas Divine Truths, in the sense of the letter of the Word, are most of them appearances of truth, and the simple in faith and heart cannot be elevated above those appearances, hence it is not sin and blasphemy to interpret the Word according to appearances, if so be principles are not formed from them, and these confirmed even to the destruction of Divine Truth in its genuine sense. AE 778.

By "saying a word against the Holy Spirit" is meant to speak well and to think ill, and to do well and to will ill, respecting those things which relate to the Lord, His kingdom and church, and also which relate to the Word, for thereby a false principle lies concealed inwardly in the truths which are spoken, and in the goods which are done, which false principle is hidden poison, whence they are called an offspring of vipers. In the other life it is allowed to an evil spirit to speak what is evil and false, but not what is good and true, inasmuch as all in that life are compelled to speak from the heart, and not to divide the mind; they who do otherwise are separated from the rest, and are immersed deep in hells, from which they can never come forth. That such are they who are meant by "saying a word against the Holy Spirit," is manifest from the Lord's words on the occasion,—" Either make the tree good and the fruit good, or make the tree corrupt and the fruit corrupt; how can you speak what is good when you are evil?" (Matt 12:33, 34.) The "Holy Spirit" is the Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord, thus the Holy, Divine Principle Itself, which is thus principally and materially blasphemed. The reason why it will not be remitted to them is, because hypocrisy or deceit about holy Divine things infects the interiors of man, and destroys the all of spiritual life belonging to him. AC 9013. See also, AC 882, 9264, 9818. Also, DP 98, 231. Also, TCR 299.

" Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit" is blasphemy against the Lord's Divinity, and "blasphemy against the Son of Man" is something against the Word, by giving a wrong interpretation of its meaning; for the "Son of Man" is the Lord as to the Word, as was shown above. D. Lord. 50.

Verses 31—35. Then came His brethren and mother, and, standing without, sent to Him. And looking round on those who sat about Him, He says, Behold My mother and My brethren! For whoever shall do the will of God, the same is My brother, and My sister, and mother.—That a "servant" denotes the Humanity belonging to the Lord, before it was made Divine, may be manifest from several passages in the Prophets; the reason is, as has been occasionally observed above, that the Humanity belonging to the Lord was nothing else but a servant, before He put it off and made it Divine. For the Humanity belonging to Him was from the mother, thus an infirm Humanity, having with it an hereditary principle thence derived, which He conquered by temptation-combats, and altogether expelled, insomuch that there remained nothing of the infirm and hereditary principle derived from the mother; yea, at length, nothing at all from the mother, so that He totally put off the maternal principle, in such a manner as to be no longer her son. To this purpose He Himself also says in Mark,—" They said to Him, Behold, Your mother and Your brethren, standing without, seek You; and He answered them, saying, Who is My mother or My brethren? And looking round about on them who sat near Him, He said, Behold My mother and My brethren; for whoever shall do the will of God, the same is My brother, and My sister, and My mother." (Mark 3:32-35; Matt 12:46-49; Luke 8:20, 21.) And when He put off this Humanity, He put on a Divine Humanity, from which He called Himself the Son of Man, as on several occasions in the Word of the New Testament, also the Son of God; and by the "Son of Man" was signified the essential Truth, and by the "Son of God" the essential Good, which His Human Essence had when made Divine. The former state was that of the Lord's humiliation, but the latter of His glorification, concerning which, see above, AC 1999. In the former state, namely, of humiliation, when as yet He had an infirm Humanity belonging to Him, He adored Jehovah as one distinct from Himself, regarding Himself as a servant, for the Humanity respectively is nothing but a servant. AC 2159.

It is to be noted that the Lord successively and continually, even to the last moment of life, when He was glorified, separated from Himself, and put off what was merely Human, namely, what He derived from the mother, until at length He was no longer her son, but the Son of God, not only as to conception, but also as to nativity, and thus One with the Father; and Himself Jehovah. That He separated from Himself, and put off all the Humanity which He had from the mother, so that He was no longer her son, is manifest from the Lord's words in Matthew,—"A certain person said, Behold, Your mother and Your brethren stand without, seeking to speak with You; but Jesus answering, said, Who is My mother, and who My brethren? And stretching forth His hands over His disciples, He said, Behold My mother and My brethren! for whoever shall do the will of My Father who is in the heavens, the same is My brother, and sister, and mother." AC 4649.

My brethren,—The reason why the Lord calls those His "brethren" who do the will of His Father, is, because in heaven no other affinities are given but such as are spiritual, thus no other fraternities; for in heaven they do not become brethren by virtue of any natural nativity, and they too, who have been brethren in the world, do not there know each other, but every one knows another from the good of love; they who are most conjoined in that good, are as brethren, and the rest, according to conjunction by good, are as relations and also as friends. Hence it is that by "brother," in the Word, is signified the good of love. That in heaven all are consociated according to spiritual relationships, which are of the good of love and of faith, and that they know each other as relations, see the "Treatise on Heaven and Hell," 205, and AC 685, 917, 2739, 3815, 4121. That hence by "brethren" in the Word are meant those who are conjoined by good, see AC 2360, 3303, 3803, 10490. AE 46.

By the "disciples," over whom the Lord stretched forth His hand, are signified all who are of His church; by His "brethren" are signified those who are in the good of charity from Him; by "sisters" those who are in truths derived from that good; and by "mother" is signified the church consisting of such. AE 746. See also AC 685, 917, 2739, 3815. NJHD 9.

Verse 35. Whosoever shall do the will of God, &c.—By "doing the will of God," is understood to do His precepts, or to live according to them from the affection of love or charity. The "will of the Lord" is, in the Old Testament, called His good pleasure, and in like manner signifies the Divine Love; and to "do His good pleasure," or "His will," signifies to love God and our neighbour, thus to live according to the Lord's precepts. AE 295.

Mark Chapter 4

Verses 3—8. A Sower went forth to sow, &c.—It cannot be understood how the case is in regard to multiplication and fructification in man's rational principle, unless it be known how the case is with respect to influx, concerning which it may be observed in general, that with every individual man, there is an internal man, there is a rational man, who is an intermediate, and there is an external man. The internal man is that which is his inmost principle, by virtue of which he is a man, and by which he is distinguished from brute animals, which have not such an inmost principle; this principle too is as the gate or entrance of the Lord, that is, of the celestial or spiritual things of the Lord into man. What is transacting in this principle cannot be apprehended by man, because it is above the all of his rational principle, by which he thinks; to this inmost or internal man is subjected the rational principle, which appears as man's own or proper principle, into which, through that internal man, the celestial things of love and of faith flow in from the Lord, and through this rational principle into the scientifics, which are of the external man. But the things which flow in are received according to every one's state: unless the rational principle submits itself to the goods and truths of the Lord, then the things which flow in are either suffocated, or rejected, or perverted by the rational principle, and still more when they flow in into the sensual scientific principles of the memory. These are the things which are meant by the seed either falling on the "way-side," or on "stony ground," or "among thorns," as the Lord teaches in Matthew, xiii. 3—7; Mark 4:3-8; Luke 8:5-7; but when the rational principle submits itself, and believes in the Lord, that is, in His Word, then the rational principle is as good ground, or earth, into which the seed falls, and brings forth much fruit. A. C. 1940.

It is truth which is understood by "seed in a field," concerning which the Lord says—'"A sower went forth to sow," &c. The "Sower" in this case is the Lord, and the "seed" is His Word, thus truth; the "seed on the way," denotes those who have no concern about truth; the "seed on stony ground," denotes those who have a concern about truth, but not for its own sake, thus, not interiorly; the "seed in the midst of thorns," denotes those who are in the cravings of evil; but the "seed on the good ground," denotes those who, from the Lord, love the truths which are in the Word, and do them, thus, bring forth fruits. From these considerations it is evident, that the truth of the Word cannot take root with those who have no concern about truth; nor yet with those who love the truth exteriorly and not interiorly; nor yet with those who are in the cravings of evil; but with those with whom the cravings of evil are dispersed by the Lord: with these latter the seed takes root, that is, truth in their spiritual mind. DLife 90. See also AE 401.

The subject treated of in this parable is concerning a fourfold kind of earth or of ground in a field, that is, in the church. That the "seed" here spoken of is the Word of the Lord, or the truth which is said to be of faith, and that the "good earth," or "ground," is the good which is of charity, is evident, for it is the principle of good in man which receives the Word; the "way-side" denotes what is false; the "stony ground" denotes the truth, which has no root in good; the "thorns" are evils. AC 3310.

Verse 4. The birds of the heaven came, and devoured it.— By "birds" [or birds] in general, are signified things rational, also things intellectual, which are of the internal man. That "birds" [or birds] signify things rational and intellectual, is manifest from the prophets, as in Isaiah,—"Calling a bird from the east, a man of my council from a remote land." (Is 46:11.) And in Jeremiah,—"I saw, and lo, no man, and every bird of the heavens was fled." (Jer 4:25.) And in Ezekiel,—"I will plant a twig of a high cedar, and it shall lift up its branch, and shall bear fruit, and it shall become a magnificent cedar: and under it shall dwell every bird of every wing; they shall dwell in the shade of its branches." (Ezek 17:23.) And in Hosea, speaking of the New Church, or of a regenerate person,—" In that day I will make a covenant for them, with the wild beast of the field, and with the bird of the heavens, and with the creeping thing of the ground;" (Hos 2:18.) in which passage, it must be evident to every one that a "wild beast" does not signify a wild beast, nor "bird," bird, because the Lord never makes a covenant with them. AC 40.

Inasmuch as the "birds of the heavens" signify intellectual truths, thus thoughts, they also signify things contrary, as phantasies, or false principles, which, as belonging to man's thought, are also called birds or birds, as that "the wicked should be given for meat to the birds of heaven, and to wild beasts," denoting phantasies and lusts. (Isaiah 18:6; Jer 7:33; 16:4; 19:7; 34:20; Ezek 29:5; 39:4) The Lord Himself also compares the phantasies and persuasions of what is false to birds [or birds], where He says-" The seed which fell on the way-side was trodden down, and the birds of heaven devoured it;" where the "birds of heaven" are nothing else than false principles. AC 778.

Verses 7, 18. And other fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, &c.—That "thorns" denote the false principles of craving, is manifest from the following passages:—"Upon the land of my people shall come up thorns and briars;" (Isaiah 32:13.) where "land" denotes the church; "thorns and briars" denote false principles and the evils thence derived. Again,—" As to your spirit, the fire shall consume you, thus the people shall be burnt to lime: as thorns cut up which are burned in the fire;" (Is 33:12) where "thorns which are burned in the fire," denote the false principles which catch the flame, and consume truths and goods. And in Ezekiel,—" There shall be no longer in the house of Israel a prickly briar, and grieving thorn;" (Ez 28:24.) where a "prickly briar" denotes the false principle of the cravings of self-love. A "thorn" denotes the false principle of the cravings of worldly love. The false principles of cravings, which are signified by "thorns", are the false principles confirming those things which are of the world and its pleasures, for these false principles, more than others, catch fire and burn, because they are derived from cravings of the body, which are felt, on which account they also close the internal man, so that he has no relish for any thing which regards the salvation of the soul and eternal life. AC 9144.

There are some persons who love the world above all things, and do not admit any truth which would draw them away from any false principle of their religion, saying to themselves, -" What is this to me? it is no concern of mine;" thus they reject it instantly on hearing it, and if they hear, they suffocate it. Persons of this description are similarly affected when they hear sermons, retaining no more of what they hear than some expressions, and not any thing substantial. Inasmuch as they thus deal with truths, therefore they do not know what good is, for goods and truths act in unity, and evil is not known from the good which is not grounded in truth, unless that it also may be called good, which is effected by reasonings from false principles. These are they who are understood by the "seeds which fell among thorns," of whom the Lord says— "Other seeds fell among thorns; and the thorns came up and choked them. These are they who hear the Word, but the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the Word, that it becomes unfruitful." DP 278.

Verse 8. And other fell on good earth, and yielded fruit, springing up and increasing, and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some a hundred.—The case is similar in respect to goodness and truth [and their insemination], as it is in respect to seeds and ground. Interior Good is as the seed which brings forth, but only in good ground. Exterior Good and Truth is as ground in which the seed brings forth, namely, interior good and truth which cannot otherwise be rooted. Hence it is that man's rational principle is first of all regenerated, for therein are seeds; and afterwards the natural principle, which may serve as ground, see above, AC 3286. And whereas the natural principle is as ground, Good and Truth is capable of being made fruitful and multiplying in the rational principle, which could not be the case unless it had ground wherein as seed to fix its root. From this comparison, as in a mirror, it may be seen how the case is with regeneration, and with several arcana relating thereto. To understand what is Good and True, and to will them, belongs to the rational principle; the perceptions of Good and Truth thence derived are as seeds; and to know them, and to bring them into act, belongs to the natural principle. Scientifics and works are as ground, and when man is affected with the scientifics which confirm Good and Truth, and especially when he perceives delight in bringing them into act; in this case seeds are therein, and grow as in their proper ground. Hence Good is made fruitful, and Truth is multiplied, and both continually spring up or ascend from that ground into the rational principle, and perfect it. The case is otherwise when man understands what is Good and True, and also inwardly perceives somewhat of inclination of the will thereto, but yet does not love to know, and still less to do them; for in this case Good cannot be made fruitful, nor Truth be multiplied, in the rational principle. AC 3671.

By "thirty," is signified something of combat, thus, a little of combat, and the reason is, because that number, by multiplication, is compounded of "five," by which is signified some little, and of "six," by which is signified labour or combat. Hence also that number, wherever it is mentioned in the Word, signifies something little respectively, as in Zechariah,—

" I said to them, If it be good in your eyes, give me hire; and if not, forbear. And they weighed out my hire, thirty pieces of silver. And Jehovah said to me, Cast it to the potter: a goodly price that I was prized at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them into the house of Jehovah to the potter;" (Zech 11:12, 13.) denoting the little value which they set on the Lord's merit, and on the redemption and the salvation worked by Him, The "potter" denotes reformation and regeneration. "Thirty" also denotes what is little, in Mark, where it is written,—" The seed which fell into good earth, yielded fruit, springing up and increasing, and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some a hundred;" where "thirty" denotes little produce, and that there was little labour. Those numbers would not have been marked, unless they had involved things significative. AC 2276.

What the number "sixty" involves, may be manifest from the simple numbers from which it is composed, namely, five and twelve, for five times twelve make sixty; and what is meant by "five," may be seen, AC 649, 1686; and what by "twelve," AC 3272; also "six" and "ten," for six times ten make sixty, and what is meant by "six," may be seen, AC 720, 737, 900; and what by "ten," AC 576, 2284, 3107; also from "two" and "thirty," for twice thirty make sixty, and what is signified by "two," may be seen, AC 720, 900, 1335, 1686, and what by "thirty," AC 2276. Inasmuch as the number "sixty" is compounded of the above numbers, it involves those things in their order, which all relate to states, whether respecting the glorification of the Lord's Humanity, or the regeneration of man; those things are presented before the angels in a clear light by the Lord, but they cannot be explained before man, especially before one who does not believe that numbers in the Word contain in them some secret mystery, and this, not only on account of incredulity, but because so many contents cannot be reduced to a series adequate to the apprehension. AC 3306.

By a "hundred" is signified a full state of the Unification of the Lord's Divinity with His Humanity, but what this state is, cannot be so well explained to the apprehension; still however it may be illustrated by those things relating to man which are called a full state, during reformation and regeneration; for it is a known thing that man cannot be regenerated except in adult age, because he then first acquires the powers of reason and judgement, and is thus capable of receiving good and truth from the Lord. Previous to his coming into that state, he is prepared of the Lord by this, that such things are insinuated into him, as may serve him for ground to receive the seeds of truth and of good, which are several states of innocence and charity, also the knowledges of good and truth, and hence thoughts, which is effected during several years before regeneration. When man is imbued with those knowledges, and is thus prepared, his state is then said to be full, for then the interiors are so disposed as to become receptive. That the number a "hundred" signifies what is full, may also be manifest from other passages in the Word, as in Isaiah,— "There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that has not filled his days: for the child shall die a hundred years old; and the sinner, being a hundred years old, shall be accursed;" (Is 65:20.) where it is manifest that a "hundred" denotes what is full, for it is said—"There shall no more be an infant of days, and an old man who has not filled his days, and a child and sinner of a hundred years," that is, when his state is full. And in Matthew,—"Every one who shall leave houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive an hundred fold, and shall inherit eternal life;" (Matt 19:29.) where a "hundred fold" denotes what is full, or "good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over." (Luke 6:38.) And in Mark,—" Other seed fell on good earth, and brought forth fruit a hundred fold;" (Mark 4:20; Matt 12:8, 23; Luke 8:8.) where a "hundred" denotes also what is full, which number would not have been mentioned unless it had been significative. In like manner where the Lord speaks in the parable concerning debtors, that "one owed a hundred measures of oil, and another a hundred measures of wheat;" (Luke 17:5, 6, 7.) and so likewise in other passages where mention is made of a hundred. AC 2636.

Verse 9. He that has ears to hear, let him hear.—The above words were spoken to the intent that every one who is of the church may know, that to know and understand the truths and goods of faith, or doctrinals, and likewise the Word, does not make the church, but to hearken, that is, to understand and to do, for this is signified by "having an ear to hear." AE 108.

Verse 12. That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand: lest at any time they should be converted, and sin should be remitted to them. The reason why the Jews persevere in a denial of the Lord, is, because they are of such a quality that if they received and acknowledged the Divinity of the Lord, and the holy things of His church, they would profane them, wherefore the Lord says concerning them,—" He has blinded their eyes, He has closed their heart: that they may not see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them." (John 12:40; Matt 13:15; Mark 4:12; Luke 8:10; Isaiah 6:9, 10.) It is said,—"Lest they should be converted, and I should heal them," because if they had been converted and healed, they would have been guilty of profanation; and it is according to a law of Divine Providence, concerning which see above, AC 221—233, that no one shall be interiorly let into the truths of faith and the goods of charity by the Lord, only so far as he can be kept in them, even to the end of life, since if he was let in, he would profane holy things, DP 260. See also SS 60. AC 10155.

Verse 15. And when they have heard, Satan comes, and takes away the seed that was sown in their hearts.—What is here said of Satan, is in Luke said of the devil, by reason that the "seed which fell by the way-side," signifies truth from the Word, which is only received in the memory, and not in the life; and since this is taken away both by what is evil and by what is false, therefore mention is made of the devil and Satan, because by the "devil" is signified the hell from whence come evils, and by "Satan" the hell from whence come false principles. AE 740.

Verse 17. Afterward, when affliction or persecution arises because of the Word, immediately they are offended.—That by "affliction," in the above passage, is signified temptation, may be manifest from several passages in the Word, as in Isaiah,— "I will purify you, and not with silver; I will select you in the furnace of affliction;" (Is 48:10.) where "affliction" denotes temptation. And in Moses,—"You shall remember all the way which Jehovah your God led you these forty years, to afflict you and to try you;" (Deut 8:2.) where to "afflict," manifestly denotes to tempt. Temptations are also called by the Lord, "afflictions," where He says—"Afterwards, when affliction and persecution arises because of the Word, immediately they are offended;" (Mark 4:17.) where "affliction" manifestly denotes temptation. "Not having root in themselves," denotes the want of charity, for in charity faith is rooted, and where this root is wanting, men sink in temptations. AC 1846.

Verse 21. Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel? &c.—By a "candle," or a "lamp," is signified in general, Truth derived from Good, and intelligence thence. AE 223.

Verse 22. For there is nothing hid which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come to open view.—That the wicked, before they are condemned and let into hell, undergo various states of vastation, is altogether unknown to the world; it is believed that a man is instantly either condemned or saved, and that this is done without any process. But the case is otherwise, inasmuch as justice reigns in the other world, and no one is condemned until he himself knows, and is inwardly convicted, that he is in evil, and that he cannot in any wise be in heaven; his evils are likewise opened to him, according to the Lord's words in Luke,—" There is nothing hidden, which shall not be revealed; or concealed, which shall not be known. Therefore whatever things you have said in darkness, shall be heard in light; and what you have spoken into the ear in closets, shall be proclaimed upon the housetops;" (Luke 12:2, 3, 9; Matt 10:26; Mark 4:22.) and what is more, they are also admonished to desist from evil; but when they cannot do this by reason of the dominion of evil, they are then deprived of the ability to do evil by falsifications of truth, and pretences of good, which is effected successively, from one degree to another, and at length follows damnation and the letting down into hell; this is the case with every one when he comes into the evil of his life. Evil of life, is the evil of the will and of the thought thence derived; thus it is the man, such as he is interiorly, and such as he would be exteriorly, if not opposed by laws, and also by the fear of the loss of gain, of honour, of reputation, and likewise of life; that is, the life which follows every one after death; but not the external life, unless what proceeds from the internal; for man in externals assumes a contrary aspect, wherefore when he is vastated after death as to external things, it then becomes evident what his quality was, both in will and thought; to this state every wicked man is reduced by degrees of vastation; for all vastation in the other life has its progress from externals to internals. AC 7795. See HH 462.

Verse 23. If any one has ears to hear, &c.—See above, verse 11, Exposition.

Verse 24. Take heed what you hear, &c.—It is to be noted, that it is according to the laws of order that no one ought to be persuaded instantaneously concerning truth, that is, that truth should instantaneously be so confirmed as to leave no doubt at all concerning it; the reason is, because the truth which is so impressed, becomes persuasive truth, and is without any extension, and also without any yielding; such truth is represented in the other life as hard, and as of such a quality as not to admit good in it, that it may become applicable; hence it is that as soon as any truth is presented before good spirits in the other life by manifest experience, there is presently afterwards presented some opposite, which causes doubt; thus it is given them to think and consider whether it be so, and to collect reasons, and thereby to bring that truth rationally into their mind. Hereby the spiritual sight has extension as to that truth, even to opposites; hence it sees and perceives in understanding every quality of truth, and hence can admit influx from heaven according to the states of things, for truths receive various forms according to circumstances. This also is the reason why it was allowed the magicians to do the like as to what Aaron did; for thereby doubt was excited amongst the sons of Israel concerning the miracle, whether it was Divine, and thus opportunity was given them of thinking and considering whether it was Divine, and at length of confirming themselves that it was so. AC 7298.

Verse 24.—The truths which are called truths of faith enter by an external way with man, and the good which is of charity and love enters by an internal way. The external way is by (or through) the hearing into the memory, and from the memory into his understanding, for the understanding is man's internal sight; by (or through) this way the truths enter which are to be truths of faith, to the end that they may be introduced into the will, and thereby be appropriated to the man. The good which flows in from the Lord, by (or through) the internal way, flows in into the will, for the will is the internal principle of man; the good which is from the Lord, in the confines, there meets the truths which have entered by (or through) the external way, and by conjunction effects that the truths become good, and so far as this is effected, so far the order is inverted, that is, so far man is not led by truths but by good; consequently so far he is led of the Lord. From these considerations it may be manifest how man is elevated from the world into heaven, when he is regenerating; for all things which enter by the hearing, enter from the world, and those things which are stored up in the memory, and in the memory appear before the understanding, appear in the light of the world, which is called natural lumen; but the things which enter the will, or which become of the will, are in the light of heaven, which light is the Truth of Good from the Lord. When these things come into act, they return into the light of the world, but in this life they then appear altogether under another form, for heretofore in singular things the world was within, but afterwards in singular things heaven is within. From these considerations it is also evident why man is not in heaven until he does truths from willing them, thus from the affection of charity. AC 9227.

Verse 24. With what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you; and to you that hear, more shall be added.—By these words is described charity towards the neighbour, or the spiritual affection of truth or of good, denoting, that according to the quantity and quality of that charity in any one, or of that affection, during man's abode in the world, in the same degree he comes into it after death. That this will be the case with those who exercise charity, is meant by its being "added to those that hear," where the "hearing" signify the obedient and those who do. AE 629. See AC 6478.

Verse 25. For whoever has, to him shall be given; and he that has not, from him shall be taken even that he has.— They who come into the other life are all brought back into a life similar to what they had in the body; and afterwards, all evil and false principles are separated in the case of those who are good, that by goods and truths they may be elevated by the Lord into heaven; but with the wicked, goods and truths are separated, that by evil and false principles they may be brought into hell, see AC 2119, according to the words of the Lord in Matthew,—" Whosoever has, to him shall be given, that he may have more abundance; but whoever has not, even what he has shall be taken away from him." (Matt 13:22.) And in another place in the same Evangelist,—" To every one who has shall be given, that he may abound; but from him who has not, what he has shall be taken away from him." (Matt 25:29; Luke 8:18; 19:24, 25, 26; Mark 4:24, 25.) AC 2449.

Verse 25.—All who have procured to themselves intelligence and wisdom in the world, are accepted into heaven and become angels, every one according to the quality and quantity of his intelligence and wisdom; for whatever a man acquires to himself in the world, this remains, and he carries it along with him after death, and it is also increased and filled, but within the degree of his affection and desire of truth and its good, but not beyond it. They who have had little of affection and desire receive little, but still as much as they can receive within that degree; but they who have had much of affection and desire receive much. The degree itself of affection and desire is as the measure which is increased to the full, more therefore to him whose measure is great, and less to him whose measure is small. This is meant by the Lord's words— "To every one that has, shall be given," &c. HH 349.

The reason of the separation of evil and false principles with those who are good, is, lest they should hang between evils and goods, and that by goods they may be elevated into heaven; and the reason of the separation of goods and truths with the wicked, is, lest by any goods belonging to them, they should seduce the well-disposed, and that by evils they may retire amongst the wicked who are in hell. For such is the communication of all ideas of thought and of affections in the other life, that goods are communicated with the good, but evils with the evil, wherefore unless they were separated, innumerable mischiefs would ensue. AC 2449. See DP 16, 17, 227, 331; and AC 4149, 7502.

That by "a man asking of his companion, and a woman of her companion, vessels of silver and vessels of gold," (see Exod 11:1, 2, 3.) is signified that the scientifics of truth and of good, taken from the wicked who were of the church, were to be ascribed to the good, is manifest from the signification of "vessels of silver" and "vessels of gold," as denoting the scientifics of truth and of good. That "silver" denotes truth, and "gold," good, may be seen, AC 1551, 1552, 2954, 5658, 6112; and that "vessels" denote scientifics, AC 3068, 3079. Scientifics are called vessels of truth and of good, because they contain those principles. It is believed that the scientifics of truth and of good are the very truths and goods themselves which are of faith; but this is not the case, since the affections of truth and of good are what constitute faith, which affections flow into scientifics, as into their vessels. That to "ask those things of the Egyptians," is to take them away, and appropriate them to those who ask it, is evident. How this case is, may be seen in the explication at chap. 3:22, Exodus, from which it may be manifest, that the scientifics of truth and of good, which appertained to those of the church who were acquainted with the mysteries of faith, and yet lived evil lives, are transferred to those who are of the spiritual church, the manner of which transfer may be seen, AC 6914. These things are signified by the Lord's words in Matthew,—" Take from him the talent, and give it to him who had ten talents; for to every one that has shall be given, that he may abound: but from him who has not, even what he has shall be taken away." (Matt. 25:25, 28, 29, 30; in like manner in Mark, 4:24, 25.) The reason is, because the knowledges of good and of truth belonging to the evil are applied to evil uses; and the knowledges of good and of truth belonging to the good are applied to good uses; the knowledges are the same, but application to uses constitutes their quality with every one.

These riches are like worldly riches, which, with one, are applied to good uses, with another to evil uses; hence riches with every one have a quality, according to the uses to which they are applied. From this consideration it is also evident that the same knowledges, like the same riches, which had appertained to the wicked, may appertain to the good, and serve to promote good uses. Hence it may be manifest what is represented by the command that the sons of Israel should borrow from the Egyptians vessels of silver and vessels of gold, and should thus plunder and spoil them, which command would never have been given by Jehovah, unless it had represented such things in the spiritual world. A. C. 7771. See also DP 17, 227.

Verses 26—30. And He said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the earth, and should sleep, and rise, night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knows not how, &c.—By the "kingdom of God," is meant the church of the Lord in the heavens and on the earth; that this church is implanted in all who receive truths and goods, not from themselves, but from the Lord, is described by the above words, each of which has a spiritual correspondence and signification, as that a man should cast seed upon the earth, that he should afterwards sleep and rise, night and day; that the seed springs and grows up, whilst he is ignorant of it. For by "seed" is signified the Divine Truth; by "casting it into the earth," is signified the operation of man; by "sleeping and rising, night and day," and at length "putting in the sickle," is signified in every state. The other parts of the parable signify the Lord's operation, and the "harvest" the implantation of the church, in particular and in general; for it is to be noted, that although the Lord operates all things, and man nothing from himself, still He wills that man, so far as it comes to his perception, should operate as from himself, since without the cooperation of man as from himself, there would be no reception of good and of truth, thus no implantation and regeneration; for the Lord gives man to will, and whereas this appears to man as from himself, He gives him to will as from himself. Inasmuch as such things are signified by "harvest," therefore two festivals were established among the sons of Israel, one of which was called the "feast of weeks," which was of the first-fruits of the harvest, and the other the "feast of tabernacles," which was of the gathering together of the fruits of the earth, the former of which signified the implantation of truth in good, and the latter the production of good, thus regeneration; but by the "feast of unleavened bread," or of the "passover," which preceded, was signified deliverance from the falses of evils, which also is the beginning of regeneration. AE 911.

Every man who is regenerating, receives good from the Lord as from a new father, which good is interior good, whereas the good which he derives from parents is exterior; the former, which he receives from the Lord, is called spiritual good, but the latter, which he derives from parents, is called natural good. This latter good, namely, which he derives from parents, serves first of all for his reformation, for by it, as by something pleasant and delightful, scientifics are introduced, and afterwards the knowledges of truth; but when it has served as a medium for this use, it is separated thence, on which occasion the spiritual good comes forth and manifests itself. This may be evident from much experience, and from this consideration alone, that when a child is first instructed, he is affected with the desire of knowing something, at first, not for the sake of any end manifest to himself, but for a certain pleasure and delight connate and from other sources; afterwards as he grows up, he is affected with the desire of knowing, for the sake of some end, namely, that he may excel others, or his rivals; in the next place, for the sake of some end in the world. But when he is about to be regenerated, he is affected from the delight and pleasantness of truth; and when he is regenerating, as is the case in adult age, he is affected from the love of truth, and next from the love of good. In this case the ends which had preceded, together with their delights, are by degrees separated, and are succeeded by the interior good which is from the Lord, and which manifests itself in its affection. Hence it is evident that the former delights, which, in an external form, appeared as goods, have served as means [or mediums]; such succession of means [or mediums] are continual, being comparatively like a tree, which in its first age, or first spring, adorns its branches with leaves, afterwards, as its age or spring advances, it decorates them with flowers, and in the next place, about the time of summer, produces the first germinations of fruits, which afterward become fruits, and at length it deposits seeds in them, in which it has similar new trees, and an entire garden, in potency, and if the seeds are sown, in act. Such are the comparative things in nature, which likewise are representative, since universal nature is a theatre representative of the Lord's kingdom in the heavens, hence in the Lord's kingdom on the earth, or in the church, and hence of the Lord's kingdom with every regenerate person. From these considerations it is evident in what manner natural or domestic good, although a mere external delight, and indeed a worldly delight, serves as a mean [or medium] of producing the good of the natural principle, which may conjoin itself with the good of the rational principle, and may thus become regenerate or spiritual good, that is, good which is from the Lord. AC 3518.

The Lord keeps man in the freedom of thinking, and so far as external bonds, which are the fear of the law, and its penalties, also the fear of the loss of reputation, of honour, and of gain, do not restrain, He keeps him in the freedom of doing; but by freedom He bends him from evil, and by freedom bends him to good, leading him so gently and tacitly, that man has no idea but that all proceeds from himself: thus the Lord, in freedom, inseminates good, and roots it, into the very life of man, which good remains to eternity. This the Lord thus teaches in Mark,—" The kingdom of God is as a man who casteth seed into the earth, which seed springs up and grows, man knows not how; the earth brings forth of its own accord." (Mark 4:26, 27, 28.) The "kingdom of God" is heaven belonging to man, thus the good of love and the truth of faith. AC 9587.

What the difference is between those who are in the Lord's celestial kingdom, and those who are in His spiritual kingdom, we will here explain. The cause of the difference is, because the former turn the truths of the church immediately into goods, by living according to them, whereas the latter abide in truths, and prefer faith to life. They who turn the truths of the church immediately into goods by living according to them, thus who are of the celestial kingdom, are described by the Lord in Mark 4:26-29, and in several other passages. AC 10125.

The reason why the "ears of corn" signify scientifics, is, because "corn" signifies the good of the natural principle, for scientifics are the continents of the good of the natural principle, as ears of corn are the continents of corn; for, in general, all truths are vessels of good, so likewise are scientific truths, but these are lowest truths. Lowest truths, or truths of the exterior natural principle, are called scientifics, because they are in the natural or external memory of man, and because they partake for the most part of the light of the world, and hence may be presented to view, and represented before others, by forms of expressions, or by ideas formed into expressions, by such things as are of the world and its light; but the things which are in the interior memory, are not called scientifics, but truths, so far as they partake of the light of heaven, neither are they intelligible but by that light, or utterable but by forms of expressions, or by ideas formed into expressions, by such things as are of heaven and its light. A comparison with the blade, the ear, and the corn, involves also the re-birth of man by scientifics, by the truths of faith, and by the goods of charity, where it is said in Mark,—" So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the earth," &c. The "kingdom of God," which is compared to a blade, to an ear, and to corn, is heaven belonging to man by regeneration, for he who is regenerate, has in himself the kingdom of God, and becomes in image a kingdom of God, or heaven; the "blade" is the first scientific principle, the "ear" is the scientific of truth thence derived, and the "corn" is the consequent good. AC 5212.

In the Word frequent mention is made of earth, ground, field, seed-time, harvest, standing-corn, a barn, corn, wheat, barley, and by these terms such things are thete signified as relate to the establishment of the church, and to the regeneration of man, who is in the church, thus which have reference to the truth of faith and to the good of love, from which the church is formed. The ground of such signification is from correspondence, since all things which are on the earth, also which are in its vegetable kingdom, correspond to the spiritual things which are in heaven, as is very manifest from the appearances there; for in heaven there appear fields, grounds prepared for seed, plains, flower-gardens, crops of corn, shrubberies, and similar things, such as are on earth, and it is there a known thing, that in such a manner, the things which are of heaven, thus which are of the church, appear before their eyes. He who reads the Word, believes that such things in it are mere comparisons, but let him know that they are real correspondences, as these words in Isaiah,—" Hearken, and hear my voice: Does a ploughman plough the whole day to sow? does he open and dung his ground? When he has made plain the face thereof, does he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal wheat, and the appointed barley, and the determined spelt? Thus his God does instruct him to judgement, and teaches him." (Is 28:23-26.) These words appear comparisons, but they are real correspondences, by which is described the reformation and regeneration of the man of the church, on which account also it is said—" Thus his God instructeth him to judgement, and teaches him;" where to "instruct to judgement," is to give him intelligence, for by "judgement" is signified the intelligence of truth, AC 2235; and to "teach him," when spoken of God, is to give him wisdom. Hence it may be manifest what is meant by ploughing, dunging, casting abroad the fitches, scattering the cummin, casting in the wheat, the barley, and the spelt, namely, that to "plough" is to implant truth in good; "fitches" and "cummin" are scientifics, since these are the first things which are learnt, that man may receive intelligence; that "wheat" denotes the good of love of the internal man, see AC 7605; that "barley" denotes the good of love of the external man, see AC 7602; that "spelt" denotes its truth, see AC 7605. AC 10669.

Verses 30, 31, 32. And He said, To what shall I liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it? It is as a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that are sown in the earth. And when it is sown, it grows up, and becomes greater than all herbs, and makes great branches, so that the birds of heaven may lodge under the shadow of it.—The "grain of mustard seed" denotes the good of man before he is spiritual, because he thinks to do good from himself, and what is from himself is nothing but evil; but whereas he is in a state of regeneration, there is something of good, but "the least of all;" at length, in proportion as faith is conjoining to love, it becomes greater, and a "herb;" lastly, when it is conjoined, it becomes a "tree," and then the "birds of heaven," which are here truths, or things intellectual, "make their nests in its branches," which are scientifics. AC 55.

With man who is principled in good, that is, in love and charity, seed from the Lord is so fructified and multiplied, that it cannot be numbered for multitude; not so whilst he lives in the body, but in the other life incredibly; for so long as man lives in the body, the seed is in corporeal ground, and amongst things therein twisted and dense, which are scientifics and pleasures, also cares and solicitudes; but when these are put off, as is the case when he passes into the other life, the seed is loosened from them, and grows, as the seed of a tree is wont to do, when it springs out of the ground to grow into a shrub, also into a great tree, and next to be multiplied into a garden of trees. For all science, intelligence, and wisdom, with their delights and happinesses, thus fructify and are multiplied, and thereby increase to eternity, and this from the least seed, as the Lord teaches respecting the grain of mustard seed, which may be sufficiently manifest from the science, intelligence, and wisdom of the angels, which, at the time when they were men, was to them ineffable. AC 1940.

By a "tree" from a grain of mustard seed, is signified a man of the church, and also the church, beginning from a little spiritual good, by truth, for if only a little spiritual good has taken root in man, it grows as seed in good ground; and inasmuch as by the "tree," thence produced, is signified a man of the church, it follows, that by the "birds of heaven," which "make their nests in its branches," are signified the knowledges of truth and the thoughts thence derived. AE 1100.

It is impossible for any one who is unacquainted with the nature and quality of the Word, to discover by any stretch of thought, that there is an infinity in all its particular parts, that is, that they all contain innumerable things, which the angels themselves cannot fathom or exhaust. Every single content of it may be compared to a seed, which has a capacity, if it be sown in the ground, of growing into a large tree, and producing an abundance of other seeds, from which again similar trees may be produced, and of these a garden formed, and from its seeds other gardens, and so on to infinity. Such is the Word of the Lord, in all its parts, and particularly in the Decalogue, which, as it teaches love towards God, and love towards our neighbour, is a brief summary of the whole Word. That the Word is of such a nature, is evident from the following similitude which the Lord made use of:—"The kingdom of God is like a grain of mustard seed," &c. (Matt 13:31, 32; Mark 6:31, 32; Luke 13:18, 19; compare also Ezek 17:2-8.) That such is the infinity of spiritual seeds, or of truths derived from the Word, is evident from the wisdom of angels, which is all from the Word, and which increases in them to all eternity, whilst they, in proportion as they grow wiser, see more clearly that no limit can be set to wisdom, and that they themselves are but in its outer court, and can never, in the smallest degree, attain to the Divine wisdom of the Lord, which they call an abyss. Now, since the Word is derived from this abyss, in consequence of coming from the Lord, it is plain that there is a kind of infinity in all its parts. TCR 290. See also TCR 499.

Verse 34. But without a parable spoke He not to them.— The reason why the Lord spoke by parables was, that the Jews might not understand the Word, lest they should profane it; for when the church is vastated, as it was at that time amongst the Jews, if they had understood, they would have profaned, wherefore also the Lord "spoke in parables," on this account, as He Himself teaches in Matthew 13:13, 14, 15; Mark 4:11, 12; Luke 8:10; for the Word cannot be profaned by those who are not acquainted with its mysteries, but by those who are acquainted with them, and more so by those who appear to themselves learned, than by those who appear to themselves unlearned. AC 3898.

Verses 36—39. And dismissing the multitude, they took Him as He was into the ship: and there arose a great storm of wind, but the waves beat into the ship. And He was in the hinder part of the ship, sleeping on a pillow, - and awaking, He rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, Be silent, be dumb! And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.—By this was represented the condition of the men of the church, when they are in a natural state, and not yet in a spiritual one,—in which state the natural affections, which are the various lusts arising from self-love and the love of the world, are in uproar, and present various commotions of the mind; in this state it appears as if the Lord was absent, which apparent absence is signified by the Lord "sleeping;" but when they come from a natural state into a spiritual one, then those commotions cease, and the mind is rendered tranquil, for the tempestuous commotions of the natural man are appeased by the Lord, when the spiritual mind is opened, and the Lord by or through it flows into the natural mind. Inasmuch as the affections which are of self-love and the love of the world, together with the thoughts and reasonings thence derived, are from hell, [for they are cravings of every kind, which rise up thence into the natural man] therefore these also are signified by "the wind and the waves of the sea;" and hell itself by the "sea," in the spiritual sense. AE 514. See also TCR 123, 614.

By "sea," in this passage, is signified hell; and by "wind," influx thence. AR 343.

Verse 40. How is it that you have no faith?—As to a true faith and its efficacy, see below, Exposition, chap. 11:22.

Verse 41. And they feared with a great fear, &c.—Holy fear, which sometimes is joined with a sacred tremor of the interiors of the mind, and sometimes with horripilation, or erection of the hair, supervenes, when life enters from the Lord instead of man's proper life. The proper life of man is to look from himself to the Lord; but life from the Lord, is to look from the Lord to the Lord, and yet as if from himself; when a man is in this latter life, he sees that he himself is not any thing, but only the Lord. In this holy fear Daniel was when he saw the "man clothed with linen, and his face like lightning," &c. (Dan 10:5-12.) In a similar fear were the disciples, when they saw the Lord transfigured. (Matt 16:5, 6, 7.) AR 56.

TRANSLATOR'S NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS.

Chapter IV.

verse 8. And other fell upon good earth, and yielded fruit, springing up and increasing. — By "springing up," according to the spiritual idea, is to be understood elevation to things interior, thus ascent from merely natural and external things, to things spiritual and internal; and it is here coupled with increasing, for the purpose probably of inculcating the important idea of the heavenly marriage, springing up, or ascending, having relation to the principle of heavenly good, or love, as increasing has relation to the principle of heavenly truth, or wisdom.

Verse 12. That seeing they may see, and not perceive.— What is here rendered "seeing" and "see" is from the Greek blepw, but what is rendered "perceive" is from the Greek eidw, thus proving that there are different degrees of mental light, and that the term eidw expresses a more interior degree than the term blepw

Verse 13. And He says to them, Know you not this parable? And how will you know all parables?—The term know, as applied in the former of these questions, is expressed in the original Greek by a term derived from the root sidw, whereas the same term, as applied in the latter question, is from the Greek ginoskw. Thus it appears that the term ginoskw involves in it a more interior knowledge than the term sidw.

Verse 24. And He said to them, Take heed what you hear.— What is here rendered "Take heed" is expressed in the original Greek by the term blepete, which properly signifies "See you," thus, according to the spiritual idea, "understand you," consequently denoting that what is heard, or allowed to affect the will, should first be well considered and digested in the understanding.

Mark Chapter 5

verses 2—14. And when He was come out of the ship, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling in the tombs, &c.—By "tombs" are signified things unclean, consequently also infernal, and hence it is evident why the possessed by devils were in the tombs, namely, because they who possessed them during their abode in the world, had been in false principles derived from evil, or in knowledges derived from the Word, which they made dead by applying them to confirm evil, also to destroy the genuine truths of the church, especially the truths concerning the Lord, concerning the Word, and concerning the life after death, which dead knowledges are in the Word called traditions; hence it was that they who were possessed by such, were in the tombs, and the devils were afterwards cast out into the swine, who ran headlong into the sea. The reason why they were "cast out into the swine" was, because, whilst they lived in the world, they were in sordid avarice, for such avarice corresponds to swine; the reason why they "ran headlong into the sea" was, because the sea there signifies hell. AE 659.

The life which evil spirits have, and which they love excessively, is the life of the lusts of self-love and the love of the world, whence comes the life of hatred, of revenge, and cruelty of various kinds, whilst they suppose that no delight is given in any other life; they are as men, for they have been men, and from the life which they had as men, they retain this principle. But what the quality is of the life which they love, is manifest from such spirits in the other life, where it is turned into what is filthy and excrementitious, and what is wonderful, they perceive the greatest delight in that filth, as may be manifest from the facts related, AC 820, 954; in like manner as the devils, who, when they were cast out by the Lord from the man who was possessed, through fear of destruction requested to be sent into the swine. (Mark 5:7-13.) That they were such as in the life of the body had been addicted to filthy avarice, may be manifest from this consideration, that spirits of such a quality, in the other life, seem to themselves to dwell amongst swine, inasmuch as the life of swine corresponds to avarice, and is therefore delightful to them, as is evident from what is related from experience, AC 939. AC 1742.

The removal of sins, which is called their remission, may be compared with the casting out of all unclean things from the camp of the children of Israel into the wilderness that lay around it, for their camp represented heaven, and the wilderness hell. It may also be compared with the removal of the nations from the children of Israel in the land of Canaan, and of the Jebusites from Jerusalem, who were not cast out, but separated. It may be compared too with a legion of devils, permitted by the Lord to enter into the herd of swine, which afterwards were drowned in the sea, where, by the sea is signified hell. TCR 614.

Verse 13. And the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and they were choked in the sea.—By the "sea" is here signified hell, where and whence are the false principles of evil, by reason that the spirits, who were there during their lives in the world, were in those false principles; they appear to dwell in the bottom, as of seas, and at a greater depth there, in proportion as the evil was more grievous, from which the false principle was derived. AE 538.

Verses 15, 16, 18. Possessed with the devil, &c.—"Devils" [or demons] signify cravings or lusts of evil, and also the lusts of falsifying truths. But devils, like lusts, are of many kinds. The worst are those who are lusts of exercising dominion from the burning incitement of self-love over the holy things of the church, and over heaven. And inasmuch as this love of dominion reigns in their hearts, they are also lusts of profaning the truths of heaven from the spurious zeal of that love. And whereas they, when they become devils, as is the case after death, know that the Lord only rules over heaven and earth, they become hatreds against Him, insomuch that after the lapse of an age they cannot endure to hear Him named. Hence it is evident that by Babylon being become "the habitation of devils," is signified that their hells are the hells of the lust of dominion originating in the burning incitement of self-love and of the lust of profaning the truths of heaven originating in the spurious zeal of that love. It is not known in the world that all after death become affections of the love which reigns within them. Those who have looked up to the Lord and to heaven, and at the same time have shunned evils as sins, become good affections, but they who have looked only to themselves and the world, and have shunned evils not because they were sins, hut because they were injurious to their honour and reputation, become evil affections, which are lusts or cravings. These affections appear to the life, and are perceived in the spiritual world, whereas only the thoughts which proceed from the affections appear in the natural world. Hence it is that man does not know that hell is in the affections of the love of evil, and heaven in the affections of the love of good; and the reason why he does not know this is, because the lusts of the love of evil possess this property in consequence of being hereditary, that in the will they are delightful, and hence pleasant to the understanding, and that which is delightful and pleasant man does not reflect upon, because this delight carries his mind along, just as the current of a river carries along a ship. Wherefore those who have plunged themselves into those delights and pleasures, can no otherwise arrive at the delights and pleasures of the affections of the love of good and truth, than after the manner of those who with a strong arm ply their oars against the tide; but it is otherwise with those who have not plunged themselves in so deeply. AR 756.

Verses 25—35. And a certain woman, who had an issue of blood twelve years, when she had heard of Jesus, coming in the crowd behind, touched His garment, for she said, if I may touch but His garments, I shall be whole, &c.—By an "issue of blood" is signified the profanation of the good of love; by a "leprosy" the profanation of the truth of faith. AC 9014.

What is meant by touching the hem or border of the Lord's garment, see below, Exposition, chap. 6:56.

That by "touching" is signified communication, translation, and reception, is manifest from several passages in the Word, of which it is allowed to adduce the following: — "You shall anoint the tent of assembly, and the ark of the testimony, and the table and all its vessels, and the candlestick and its vessels, and the altar of incense, and the altar of burnt-offering and all its vessels, and the laver and its basis, and you shall sanctify them, that they may be the Holy of Holies: every one who touches them shall be sanctified." (Exod. xxx. 26—29.) Again, —"Every thing which shall touch the residue of the meat-offering, and the residue of the flesh of the sacrifices, which are for Aaron and his sons, shall be sanctified." (Lev 6:18 and 27.) And in Daniel,—" The angel touched Daniel, and set him on his station, and lifted him up on his knees, and touched his lips, and opened his mouth, and again touched him, and strengthened him." (Dan 10:10, 16, 18.) And in Isaiah,—"One of the Seraphim touched my mouth with a coal, saying, Lo! this has touched your lips, therefore your iniquity is departed, and your sin is expiated." (Is 6:7.) And in Matthew,—"Jesus stretching out His hand to the leper, touched him, saying, I will: be you clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed." (Matt 8:3.) And in Luke,—" A woman who had an issue of blood, touched the hem of Jesus' garment, and immediately the issue of blood was staunched. Jesus said, Who is it that has touched Me? I perceive that virtue is gone out of Me." (Luke 8:44-48.) AC 10130.

Verse 23. My daughter lies at the point of death.—Inasmuch as death is from no other source than from sin, and sin is all that which is contrary to divine order, it is from this ground that evil closes the smallest and altogether invisible vessels of the human body, of which the next greater vessels, which are also invisible, are composed. For the smallest and altogether invisible vessels are continued to man's interiors; hence comes the first and inmost obstruction, and hence the first and inmost vitiation of the blood; this vitiation, when it increases, causes disease, and at length death. But if man had lived the life of good, in this case his interiors would be open to heaven, and through heaven to the Lord; thus also the smallest and invisible vascula (it is allowable to call the delineaments of the first stamina vascula, or little vessels, by reason of correspondence) would be open also, and hence man would be without disease, and would only decrease to ultimate old age, until he became altogether an infant; and when in such case the body could no longer minister to its internal man or spirit, he would pass without disease out of his earthly body into a body such as the angels have, thus out of the world immediately into heaven. AC 5726.

Verse 36. Be not afraid.—By being "afraid," or timid, is signified to be in no faith. AE a.

Be not afraid, only believe [or have faith],—It was often said by the Lord, when the sick were healed, that they should have faith, and that it should be done to them according to their faith, as in Matt 8:10-13, 9:2, 22, 27, 28, 29, and in many other passages. The reason why He so said, was because the first of all things is to acknowledge that the Lord is the Saviour of the world, and to have faith in Him, for without that acknowledgement and faith, no one can receive anything of Truth and Good from heaven, thus no faith, and because this is the first and most essential of all things, therefore that the Lord might be acknowledged when He came into the world, and when He healed the sick, He asked them about faith, and they who had faith were healed; the faith was that He was the Son of God, and that He had the power of healing and saving. All the healing of diseases by the Lord, when He was in the world, signified the healings of the spiritual life, thus the things which belong to salvation. Because the acknowledgement of the Lord is the first principle of the spiritual life, and the most essential principle of the church, and because without that no one can receive any thing of the truth of faith and of the good of love from heaven, therefore the Lord also often said, that he who believes in Him has eternal life, and that he who does not believe has not eternal life, as in John 1:1, 4, 12, 13; 3:14, 15, 16, 36, and in many other passages. At the same time He also teaches that they only have faith in Him who live according to His precepts, so that life thus enters into their faith. These things are said to illustrate and confirm the fact, that the acknowledgement of the Lord, and that from Him is all salvation, is the first principle of life from the Divine Being with man. AC 10083.

Verse 37. And He allowed no one to follow Him, except Peter, and James, and John the brother of James.—By Peter, in the Word of the Evangelists, is meant truth grounded in good which is from the Lord, and likewise in the opposite sense, [as when he denied the Lord, Mark 14:70.] truth separate from good; and since truth is of faith and good is of charity, by Peter is also meant faith grounded in charity, and likewise faith separate from charity; for the "twelve apostles," like the "twelve tribes of Israel," represented the church, as to all things proper to it, thus as to truths and goods, for all things of the church have reference to those two principles, as to faith and love, for truths are of faith, and goods are of love. In general, Peter, James, and John, represented faith, charity, and the works of charity, on which account they three followed the Lord more than the rest; of whom therefore it is said in Mark,—" He suffered no man to follow Him, except Peter, James, and John." AE 820.

Verse 40. And they laughed at Him.—"Laughing," or laughter, arises from an affection of the rational principle, and indeed from an affection of what is true or of what is false in the rational principle; hence comes all laughter. So long as such an affection is in the rational principle, which puts itself forth in laughter, so long there is something corporeal or worldly, consequently somewhat merely human therein. Celestial and spiritual good does not laugh, but expresses its delight and cheerfulness in the countenance, in the speech, and in the gesture, after another manner. For in laughter there are many principles contained, as for the most part something of contempt, which, although it does not appear, still lies concealed under that outward expression, and is easily distinguished from cheerfulness of mind, which also produces somewhat similar to laughter. AC 2216.

Verse 41. And taking the damsel by the hand, &c.— A "damsel," or virgin, signifies the affection of good, or of truth. For there are, in general, two affections which constitute the church. The affection of good constitutes the celestial church, and is called in the Word, "the daughter of Zion," and also "the daughter, the virgin of Zion;" but the affection of truth constitutes the spiritual church, and is called in the Word, "the daughter of Jerusalem," as in Isaiah,—" The daughter, the virgin of Zion, has despised you, and laughed you to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem has shaken her head behind you;" (Is 37:22.) and in many other passages. AC 2362.

Verse 42. She was twelve years old.—The number "twelve" signifies fullness of instruction as to the knowledges of truth and good, and also as to remains. AC 2089. See also AC 1925, 3129, 3354.

TRANSLATOR'S NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS.

Chapter V.

verse 34. Go into peace.—In the common version of the New Testament, what is here rendered "into," is expressed by the preposition "in," so that the passage is rendered, "Go in peace;" but the original Greek is upage eid eirhnhn , which literally means go into peace, and thus implies an entrance into a new state of life, in consequence of the faith she had manifested towards the Lord.

Mark Chapter 6

doctrine, but still by few in acknowledgement of the heart, and by still fewer from affection of love. It is otherwise with the converted Gentiles out of the church; these worship and adore Him as their one only God, and say with the mouth and think with the heart, that they acknowledge Him to be God, because He appeared in a human form, AC 5256. The contrary is the case within the church, where, because He was born a man, the men of the church hardly acknowledge Him from the heart to be God;—making His Humanity like their own, although they know that His Father was Jehovah, and not a man. From these considerations it is evident what is meant in the internal sense by "no prophet being accepted in his own country." In that sense a "prophet" is the Lord as to Divine Truth, thus as to the doctrine of the church. That a "prophet" is one who teaches, and in the abstract sense, what is taught, and when spoken of the Lord, that it means the Divine Truth, or the Word, may be seen above, AC 9188. AC 9198.

Verse 5. Laying hands on a few sick people.—By the Lord "laying His hands on the sick," and also by the "touch," is meant the communication and reception of His divine virtue, as is evident from chap. 5:27. See Exposition, AC 10023.

Verses 7, 8, 9. And He called the twelve, and began to send them out by two and two, and gave them power over unclean spirits; and exhorted them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse; but be shod with sandals, and not put on two coats.—Inasmuch as Divine Truth is only One, namely, what is from the Divine Good, command was also given to the twelve disciples, when they were sent to preach the Gospel of the kingdom, that they should not have two coats; concerning which it is thus written in Luke:—"Jesus sent the twelve disciples to preach the Gospel of the kingdom, and said to them, Take nothing for the journey, neither staves, nor a purse, nor bread, nor silver; neither have two coats apiece." (Luke 9:2, 3.) And in Mark,—" He commanded them that they should take nothing for the journey, except a staff only; no purse, no bread, no money in their purse; but be shod with sandals, and not put on two coats." (Mark 6:8, 9.) And in Matthew,— "Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, nor scrip for your journey; neither two coats, neither shoes, nor staves." (Matt 10:9, 10.) In the above passages singular things are representative of the celestial and spiritual things of the Lord's kingdom, to preach which they were sent. The reason why they were not to take with them gold, silver, brass, a scrip, and bread, was, because those things signified goods and truths, which are from the Lord alone; "gold" signifying good, AC 113, 1551, 1552; but "silver" the truth thence derived, AC 1551, 2954; "brass," natural good, AC 425, 1551; "bread," the good of love, or celestial good, AC 276, 680, 2165, 2177, 3478; but the "coat" and the "shoes" signified the truths with which they were to be clothed, and the "staff" the power of truth grounded in good; that a "staff" is that power, may be seen, AC 4013, 4015. That a "shoe" denotes the lowest natural principle, see AC 1748; on that occasion, as to truth; a "coat" denotes interior natural truth; and since these things were not two-fold, but single one, it was forbidden to take two staves, two pairs of shoes, and two coats. These are the arcana contained in the above command of the Lord, which cannot in any way be known except from the internal sense. All and singular the things which the Lord spoke were representative of divine things, consequently of the celestial and spiritual things of His kingdom, and were thus adequate to the comprehension of men, and at the same time to the understanding of spirits and angels; wherefore the things which the Lord spoke filled and do fill the universal heaven. Hence also it is evident of what importance and concern it is to be acquainted with the internal sense of the Word; without that sense, also, every one may confirm from the Word whatever dogma he pleases, and since the Word appears of such a quality to those who are in evil, they therefore make a mock of the Word, and think it incredible that it should be Divine. AC 4677.

By the above words was represented that they who are principled in goods and truths from the Lord, possess nothing of goods and truths from themselves, but that all the Good and Truth which they have, is from the Lord, For by the "twelve disciples" were represented all who are principled in goods and truths from the Lord; in the abstract sense, all the goods of love and the truths of faith from the Lord, AC 3488, 3858, 6397; goods and truths from self, and not from the Lord, are signified by possessing "gold, silver, brass in their girdles," and by a "scrip;" but truths and goods from the Lord are signified by a "coat," a "shoe," and a "staff;" by a "coat," interior truth, or truth from a celestial principle; by a "shoe," exterior truth, or truth in the natural principle, AC 1748, 6844; by a "staff," the power of truth, AC 4876, 4936; but by "two coats, two shoes, and two staves," truths and their powers both from the Lord and from self. That the disciples were allowed to have one coat, one pair of shoes, and one staff, is manifest from Mark 6:8, 9, and from Luke 9:2, 3. AC 9942.

A shoe is what invests the sole of the foot and the heel, wherefore a "shoe" signifies the lowest natural principle, thus the very corporeal principle; the signification of a "shoe" is according to the subjects of which it is predicated; when it is predicated of the good, it is taken in a good sense, but when of the evil, in a bad sense. AC 1748.

Verse 10. Wheresoever you enter into a house, &c.—A "house" signifies various things, as the church, good therein, also a man, and likewise his mind, both natural and rational. AC 9150.

Good belonging to a man is, in the Word, compared to a house, and on this account a man who is principled in good is called the "house of God." AC 3128.

Verse 11. And whoever will not receive you, nor hear you, when you depart thence, shake off the dust from under your feet, for a testimony against them.—By the "dust of the feet," is here signified the same as by a "shoe," namely, what is unclean, grounded in what is evil and false, because the sole of the foot denotes the ultimate natural principle; and whereas at that time they were in representatives, and supposed heavenly mysteries to be stored up in them alone, not in naked truths, therefore they were commanded so to do. AC 1748.

By "dust" is signified what is damned, and the reason is, because the places where evil spirits are, sideways beneath the soles of the feet, appear as earth, and indeed, as uncultivated and dry earth, beneath which are certain hells; that earth is what is called damned earth, and the dust there signifies what is damned. It has occasionally been given me to see that evil spirits shook off the dust from their feet there, when they were desirous to deliver up any one to damnation. Hence now it is that by "dust" is signified what is damned, and by "shaking off the dust," damnation. It was by reason of this signification that the Lord commanded the disciples to "shake off the dust of their feet, if they were not received." (See Matt 10:14, 15; Mark 6:11; Luke 9:5; 10:10, 11, 12.) For by "disciples" in those passages are not meant disciples, but all things of the church, thus all things of faith and charity, AC 2089, 2129; by "not receiving" and "not hearing," is signified to reject the truths which are of faith and the goods which are of charity; by "shaking off the dust of the feet," is signified damnation. The reason why it would be "more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than for that city," is, because by "Sodom and Gomorrah" are meant those who are in evil of life, but who have known nothing of the Lord and of the Word, thus, could not receive them. Hence it may be manifest that it is not a house or a city which is here meant, but that they are understood who are within the church, and do not live the life of faith; every one may see that a whole city could not be damned on that account, because they did not receive the disciples, and instantly acknowledge the new doctrine which they preached. By "dust" is also signified what is damned, in the following passages:—" Jehovah God said to the serpent, On your belly shall you go, and dust shall you eat all the days of your life." (Gen 3:14.) And in Micah,—"Feed Your people according to the days of eternity; the nations shall see, and shall blush at all Your power: they shall lick the dust as a serpent." (Micah 7:14, 16, 17.) And in Isaiah,—"Dust shall be the serpent's bread." (Is 65:25.) And again in the same prophet,—"Come down, and sit on the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon." (Is 47:1.) And in David,— "Our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaves to the earth." (Psalm xliv. 25.) In the Word, also, "dust" signifies a sepulchre, also what is lowly, and likewise what is numerous. AC 7418.

Verse 12. They preached that men should repent.—For the true doctrine of repentance, see above, Exposition, chap. 1:4, 5.

Verse 13. And they cast out many devils, and anointed with

oil many that were sick, and healed them.—Inasmuch as "oil" signified the good of love and charity, and by it all are healed who are spiritually sick, therefore it is said of the Lord's disciples, that "they anointed many with oil, and healed them." AE 375.

Verse 14. John the Baptist.—See above, chap. 1:4. Exposition of the object and meaning of John the Baptist, and of his mission.

Verse 20. Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and holy.—That the term "holy" is predicated of Truth, and the term "just" of Good, is evident from these passages in the Word:—" Just and true are Your ways, You King of saints." (Apoc 15:3.) And in Mark 6:20. See also AC 4167, 9119, 9283.

Verse 30. And the apostles gathered themselves to Jesus.— By the "twelve apostles," as by the twelve tribes, are signified all things of the church, and especially all who are in truths of doctrine from the good of love from the Lord. AR 348.

Verses 35—45. On the miracle of the five loaves and two small fishes.—This miracle was worked because the Lord had before taught His disciples, and because they received His doctrine, and appropriated it to themselves; this was what they did eat spiritually, whence natural eating followed, namely, flowed in from heaven with them, as manna with the sons of Israel, whilst they were ignorant; for when the Lord wills, spiritual food, which is also real food, but only for spirits and angels, is turned into natural, in like manner as into manna every morning. AE 617.

Singular the things in this miracle, with the numbers themselves also, mentioned in it, are significative. "Five thousand men, besides women and children," signify all who are of the church, in truths derived from good; "men," those who are in truths; "women and children," those who are in goods; "loaves of bread" the goods, and "fishes" the truths of the natural man; "feeding" signifies spiritual nourishment from the Lord; "twelve baskets of fragments," signify thence the knowledges of truths and good, in all abundance and fullness. AE 430.

Verse 39. And He commanded to make all sit down by companies on the green grass.—By "green grass" in the Word is signified that goodness and truth which first springs up in the natural man; the same is also signified by the "herb of the field." AR 401.

Verse 41. And taking the five loaves and two fishes, looking up to heaven, He blessed them.—By "blessing" is here signified the communication of His divine principle, and thereby conjunction with His disciples and the people, by the goods and truths, which were signified by the "loaves," and also bv the "fishes." AE 340.

Verse 43. And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes.—The "twelve baskets of fragments," which were taken up, signify what is full, thus full instruction and full benediction. AE 548.

Verses 47—52. On the miracle of jesus walking on the sea.—Singular the things related in this miracle, signify Divine spiritual things, which yet do not appear in the letter, as the sea, the Lord's walking upon it, the fourth watch, in which He came to His disciples, also the ship, into which Jesus entered, and that He thence restrained the winds, and the waves of the sea, besides the rest of the things mentioned. But the spiritual things which are signified, it is unnecessary to explain here singly, only that the "sea" signifies the ultimate of heaven and of the church, inasmuch as in the ultimate borders of the heavens there are seas. The Lord "walking upon the sea," signified the presence and influx of the Lord into those seas; and hence life from the Divine Being to those who are in the ultimates of heaven; their life from the Divine Being was represented by the Lord's "walking on the sea;" and their obscure and wavering faith was represented by Peter "walking on the sea, and beginning to sink," but being caught hold of by the Lord, he was saved. To "walk" also, in the Word, signifies to live; this being done in the "fourth watch," signified the first state of the church, when it is twilight, and the morning is at hand, for then good begins to act by truth, and then is the Lord's coming. The "sea" in the mean time being put in commotion by the wind, and the Lord's restraining it, signifies the natural state of life which precedes, which state is unpacific, and as it were tempestuous; but when the state is nearest to the morning, which is the first state of the church with man, because then the Lord is present with the good of love, tranquillity of mind is effected. AE 514.

Verse 56. And wherever He entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought Him that they might touch if it were but the border of His garment: and as many as touched Him [or if], were made whole.—That the "borders of a garment" denote the most external things where the natural principle is, is manifest from the passages in the Word where such borders are mentioned, as in Isaiah,—" I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty, and the borders of His garment filling the temple;" (Is 6:1.) where, by the "throne on which the Lord sat," is signified heaven, and specifically the spiritual heaven, AC 5313, 8625; by the "borders of His garment," are there signified Divine Truths in ultimates, or in outermost principles, such as are the truths of the Word in the sense of the letter, which are said to "fill the temple" when they fill the church. By the woman being healed of an issue of blood, when "she touched the hem of the Lord's garment," and in general, by all being healed, "as many as touched the hem of His garment," was signified, that from the Divine Being or Principle in the most external or ultimate things, went forth salvation; for that they had strength and power in the ultimates of good, which are from the Divine Being or Principle, may be seen, AC 9836. AC 9917.

TRANSLATOR'S NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS.

Chapter VI.

verses 45, 46. And immediately He constrained His disciples to get into the ship, while He dismissed the multitude. And when He had bid them adieu, He departed, into a mountain to pray.—In the common version of the New Testament, what is here rendered "dismissed," and "bid adieu to," is comprised in one expression, "sent away," as if both terms were synonymous, and expressive of the same idea, and as if also they were applied to the same persons, whereas the terms in the original Greek are perfectly distinct, expressive too of distinct ideas, and likewise applied to different persons; the first term apoluse being applied to the multitude, and denoting their dismissal, whilst the second term [apotaxamenod ] is manifestly applied to the disciples, to denote that the Lord bid them adieu, on His departure into a mountain to pray.

Mark Chapter 7

verses 1—23. For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands, &c.—That "washings" were enjoined the children of Israel, is known from the statutes enacted by Moses; as that Aaron should wash himself before he put on the garments of his ministration, (Lev 16:4, 24.) and before he approached the altar to minister; (Exod 30:18-21; 40:30, 31.) in like manner the Levites, (Numb 8:6, 7.) and also others who became unclean by sins: and that they are said to be "sanctified by washings." (Exod 19:14; 40:12j Lev 8:6.) Wherefore, for the purpose of washing, a molten sea and several basins were placed near the temple; (1 Kings 7:23-39.) nay, they were enjoined to wash vessels and utensils, as tables, chairs, beds, dishes, and cups. (Lev 11:32; 14:8, 9; 15:5-12; 17:15, 16; Mark 7:4.) But "washings," and several ordinances of a like nature, were enjoined and commanded the children of Israel, because the church established among them was a representative church, which was of such a nature as to prefigure the Christian church that was to come; on which account, when the Lord came into the world, He abrogated the representatives, which were all external, and instituted a church in which all tilings were to be internal. Thus the Lord put away figures, and revealed their true antetypes, just as when a person removes a veil, or opens a door, and thus affords the means not only of seeing the things within, but of approaching them. Of all those representatives the Lord retained but two, which were to contain in one complex whatever related to the internal church; these two are Baptism instead of washings, and the Holy Supper instead of the lamb which was sacrificed every day, and particularly at the feast of the passover.

That the above-mentioned "washings" figured and shadowed forth, that is, represented, spiritual washings, consisting in purifications from evils and falses, is very evident from the following passages:—"When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof, by the spirit of judgement, and by the spirit of expurgation." (Isaiah 4:4.) "Though you wash you with nitre, and take you much soap, still your iniquity will retain its spots." (Jer 2:22; Job 9:30, 31.) "Wash me from mine iniquity, and I shall be whiter than snow." (Psalm 51:2, 7.) "O Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, that you may be saved." (Jer 4:14.) "Wash you, make you clean: put away the evil of your doings from before Mine eyes; cease to do evil." (Isaiah 1:16.) That the washing of man's spirit is meant by the washing of his body, and that the internal things of the church were represented by such external rites as belonged to the Israelitish church, is very clear from these words of the Lord,—" The Pharisees and Scribes seeing that His disciples ate bread with unwashed hands, found fault; for the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands, eat not. And many other things there are which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups and pots, brazen vessels, and tables. To whom and to the multitude the Lord said, Hearken to Me every one of you, and understand: there is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are they who defile the man." (Mark 7:1, 2, 3, 4, 14, 15.)

What man of sound reason cannot discern that the washing of the face, of the hands and feet, and of all the limbs, nay of the whole body in a bath, effects nothing more than to wash away the dirt, so that the outward form may appear clean in the sight of men? And who cannot understand that it is impossible for any such washing to enter into the spirit of man, and in like manner render that clean? For a thief, a robber, or an assassin have it in their power to wash themselves, even till their skin shine; but will that wash away their thieving, pillaging, and murderous disposition? Does not the internal enter by influx into the external, and operate the effects of its will and understanding? But for the external to enter by influx into the internal is utterly impossible, being contrary to nature, because it is contrary to order.

Hence it follows that "washings," and baptism also, unless the internal of man be purified from evils and falses, are of no more avail than the washing of cups and platters by the Jews, or than the whitening of the sepulchres mentioned in the same passage, which "appear beautiful without, but within are full of dead men's bones, and all uncleanness." (Matt 23:25-28.) This is further evident from this circumstance, that the hells are full of satans, who were once men, some baptized, and some not baptized. TCR 670—673.

Verse 4. The washing of cups, pots, &c.— Amongst the Israelites external things [such as cups, pots, vessels, &c.] represented internal, and things internal were the holy things themselves of the church pertaining to them, and not the external things without the internal. Nevertheless, that that nation still placed all sanctity in things external, and not in things internal, is manifest from the Lord's words in Matt 23:25-27,-" Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! you cleanse the outside of the cup and platter, but the interiors are full of plundering and excess," &c. AC 10234.

They who are in external things alone, [or who make religion consist only in external acts and ceremonies of worship, as signified by the "washing of cups, pots," &c.] do not even know what it is to be in internal things, for they do not know what an internal principle is. If any one makes mention before them of an internal principle, they either affirm that it is, because they know from doctrine that it is (but in such case they affirm from fraud), or they deny it with the mouth also as with the heart; for they do not go beyond the sensual principles which belong to the external man. Hence it is that they do not believe any life after death, and think resurrection impossible unless the body is to rise again, on which account it has been permitted that they should have such an opinion of the resurrection, otherwise they would have no opinion at all, for they place the all of life in the body, not knowing that the life of their body is from the life of their spirit, which lives after death. They who are in external things alone, cannot have any other belief, for the external things belonging to them extinguish the all of thought, consequently the all of faith concerning internal things. Inasmuch as great ignorance prevails at this day as to what it is to be in external things without internal, it shall be here explained. They who are without conscience are all in external things alone, for the internal man manifests himself by conscience; and all they have no conscience who think and do what is true and good, not for the sake of what is true and good, but for the sake of themselves, on account of their own honour and gain, and also on account of the fear of the law and of life; for if their reputation, honour, gain, and life were not endangered, they would rush headlong without conscience into all iniquities. This appears manifest from the case of such in another life, who in the life of the body had been such, where, inasmuch as the interiors are opened, they are in a perpetual endeavour to destroy others, wherefore they are in hell, and are kept bound there in a spiritual manner.

In order that it may be further known what it is to be in external things, and what in internal, and that they who are in external things alone, cannot comprehend what internal things are, consequently cannot be affected by them (for no one is affected by those things which he does not comprehend), let us take this truth for an example,—that to be the least is to be the greatest in heaven, and that to be low is to be high, also that to be poor and needy is to be rich and abounding. They who are in external things alone, cannot comprehend these things, for they think that the least cannot in any way be the greatest, nor the low high, nor the poor rich, nor the needy abundant; when yet this is altogether the case in heaven; and because they cannot comprehend, therefore they cannot be affected by those things, and when they reflect upon them from the corporeal and worldly things in which they are, they hold them in aversion. That the case is so in heaven, they are altogether ignorant, and so long as they are in external things alone, are not willing to know, yea, neither are they able to know; for in heaven he who knows, acknowledges, and believes from the heart, that is, from the affection, that nothing of ability is from self, but that all of ability he has is from the Lord,—he is called least, and yet is greatest, because he has ability from the Lord. The case is similar with him who is low (or humble), that he is high, for he who is low, acknowledging and believing from affection, that he has nothing of ability from himself, nothing of intelligence or wisdom from himself, and nothing of good and truth from himself,—he is gifted with ability, with the intelligence of truth, and the wisdom of good, above others, from the Lord. In like manner the poor and needy are rich and abounding, for he is called poor and needy who believes from the heart and affection that he possesses nothing of himself, knows nothing, and is nothing wise of himself, and of himself has no ability, and he in heaven is rich and abounds, for the Lord gives him all opulence, inasmuch as he is wiser than others, richer than others, dwells in most magnificent palaces, AC 1116, 1626, 1627, and is in the treasures of all the riches of heaven. To take another example,—he who is in external things alone, cannot in any way comprehend that heavenly joy consists in loving his neighbour better than himself, and the Lord above all things, and that happiness is according to the quantity and quality of that love; for he who is in external things alone, loves himself better than his neighbour, and if he love others, it is because they favour himself, and thus he loves them for the sake of himself, consequently he loves himself in them and them in himself. He who is such, cannot know what it is to love others better than himself, yea, he is not willing to know it, neither is he able, wherefore when he is told that heaven consists in such love, AC 548, he holds it in aversion; hence it is, that they who have been such in the life of the body, cannot come near to any heavenly society, and when they do come near, by reason of their aversion they cast themselves down headlong into hell.

Inasmuch as few know at this day what it is to be in external things, and what in internal, and whereas the generality believe that they who are in internal things cannot be in external, and vice versa, it is allowed for the sake of illustration to adduce one further example, for instance, the nourishment of the body and the nourishment of the soul. He who is in pleasures merely external, is nice about his person, pampers his appetite, loves to live sumptuously, and places his chief pleasure in the dainties of the table; but he who is in internal things, although he also has satisfaction in the above gratifications, yet his ruling affection is, that the body may be nourished by meats with pleasure for the sake of its health, to the end that there may be a sound mind in a sound body, thus principally for the sake of the mind's health, to which the health of the body serves as a means; he who is a spiritual man does not rest here, but regards the health of the mind or soul as a means of intelligence and wisdom, not for the sake of reputation, honours, or gain, but for the sake of the life after death; he who is spiritual in an interior degree, regards intelligence and wisdom as a mediate end, that he may serve as a useful member in the Lord's kingdom; and he who is a celestial man, that he may serve the Lord; to this latter, corporeal food is a means to enjoy spiritual food, and spiritual food is a means to enjoy celestial food; and because they ought so to serve, therefore also those foods correspond: hence also they are called foods. From these considerations it may appear what it is to be in external things alone, and what in internal. The Jewish and Israelitish nation (treated of in this chapter, Gen. xxxiv., in the internal historical sense), except those who have died infants, are for the most part of the above description, for they are in external things above all other nations, inasmuch as they are in avarice; they who love lucre and gain, not for the sake of any other use, but for the sake of gold and silver, and place all the delight of their lives in the possession thereof, are in the outermost or lowest things, for the things which they love are altogether earthly; but they who love gold and silver for the sake of some use, elevate themselves according to the use out of earthly things; the use itself, which man loves, determines his life, and distinguishes him from others; an evil use makes him infernal, a good use makes him heavenly; not indeed the use itself, but the love of the use, for the life of every one is in the love. AC 4459.

Verse 9. And He said to them, Full well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.—This "rejection" is pointed at in the Prophet Isaiah, where it is written:—" You have seen the breaches of the city of David, that they are very many: and you have gathered together the waters of the lower fish-pool;" (Is 22:9.) where "the breaches of the city of David" denote false principles of doctrine, and "the waters of the lower fish-pool" denote the traditions, by which the Jews made breaches into the truths that are in the Word. AC 4926.

The reason why they who were obsessed by devils [Luke 8:27-32.] did not abide in the house, but in the tombs, was, because during their abode in the world they were in false principles grounded in evil, or, in knowledges from the Word, which they rendered lifeless by applying them to confirm evils, and also to destroy the genuine truths of the church, especially to destroy the truths relating to the Lord, to the Word, and to a life after death, which dead knowledges in the Word are called traditions. AE 659.

By a "dead worship" [such as that of those who only care about external things, and not internal] is understood worship alone, which consists in going to church, hearing sermons, taking the Holy Supper, reading the Word and books of piety, speaking about God, heaven and hell, the life after death, and especially concerning piety, praying morning and evening, and still not desiring to know any truths of faith, nor willing to do any goods of charity, believing that they have salvation by worship alone; when nevertheless worship without truths, and without a life according to them, is only an external sign of charity and faith, within which, if there be not charity and faith, there may lie hidden evils and falsities of all kinds. For genuine worship consists in charity and faith, without which, worship is like the skin or surface of any fruit, which within is rotten and worm-eaten, and is consequently a dead fruit. That such a worship prevails at the present day in the church is known. AR 154.

Verse 14. He said to them, Hearken to Me all of you, and understand.—That the understanding is to be kept captive under obedience to faith, [or to be kept in darkness as to the understanding of divine truths] is a dogma which the New Church rejects; and in the place of such a dogma, it maintains that the truth of the church must be seen in rational light, in order to be believed. For the Truth can no otherwise be seen than rationally. How can any man be led by the Lord, and conjoined with heaven, who shuts up his understanding against such things as belong to salvation and eternal life? For is it not the understanding which must be illustrated and taught? And what is the understanding when shut up by religion but thick darkness, and indeed such darkness as rejects from itself all light which illustrates? Who can acknowledge any truth, and retain it, except he sees it? What is a truth not seen but a word not understood? which by sensual corporeal men may be retained in the memory, but not by wise men; yea, wise men reject all empty words from their memory, that is, such words as have not entered into the memory from the understanding, as that the One God is three as to Persons, and that the Lord born from eternity is not one and the same with the Lord born in time, that is, that the one Lord is God, and no other. And likewise that the life of charity, which consists in good works, and also in repentance from evil works, contributes nothing to salvation. A wise man does not understand this; wherefore from his rationality he says—"Does therefore religion contribute nothing to salvation? Does not religion consist in shunning evil and in doing good? and does not the doctrine of the church teach this, and also how man should believe, in order that he may do from God the good which religion enjoins him to do?" AR 564.

Verses 15—24. There is nothing from without a man, which entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are the things which defile a man.—By those "things which come from without," in the sense of the letter, are meant foods of every kind, which, after use in the body, pass out into the drain; but in the spiritual sense, by those "things which come from without," are signified all things which from the memory, and also from the world, enter into the thought. These things also correspond to foods, and those which enter into the thought, and not at the same time into the will, do not render a man unclean, for the memory, and hence the thought, are to man only as an entrance to him, inasmuch as the will is the man himself; those things which only enter into the thought and no further, are rejected, as it were, through the belly [or stomach] into the drain; the "belly" from correspondence signifying the world of spirits, whence the thoughts belonging to man flow in; and the "drain" signifying hell. It is to be noted that man cannot be purified from evils, and the false principles thence derived, unless the unclean things which are in him emerge even into the thought, and be there seen, acknowledged, discerned, and rejected. From these considerations it is evident that by that which "comes from without," in the spiritual sense, is signified what enters into the thought from the memory and from the world; but by that which "comes forth from him," in the spiritual sense, is signified thought derived from the will, or from the love, for by the "heart," from which it goes forth into the mouth and out of the mouth, is signified the will and love of man; and inasmuch as the love and the will constitute the whole man, (for man is such as his love is), hence those things which go forth from man render him unclean, for that these are evils of every kind, is manifest from the things there enumerated. Thus is the Word of the Lord understood in the heavens. AE 580.

The words of the above parable are thus to be understood. All things, whether they be false or evil, which flow in from what is seen, or from what is heard, into the thought or the understanding, and not into the affection of man's will, do not affect and infect the man, inasmuch as the thought of man's understanding, so far as it does not proceed from the affection of his will, is not in the man, but out of him, wherefore it is not appropriated to him; the case is the same in regard to Truth and Good. These things the Lord teaches by correspondences, saying, that "that which enters by the mouth into the belly, does not render man unclean," inasmuch as it does not enter into the heart, for "that which enters into the belly is cast out into the drain," by which is meant, that that which from without, or extrinsically, whether it be from the objects of sight, or from the objects of speech, or from the objects of memory, enters into the thought of man's understanding, does not render him unclean, but, so far as it is out of his affection or will, is separated and ejected, as what is taken into the belly is ejected into the drain. These spiritual things the Lord expounded by natural things, since the foods which are taken by the mouth, and are let down into the belly, signify such things as man spiritually swallows, and by which he nourishes the soul; hence it is that the "belly" corresponds to the thought of the understanding, and also signifies it; that the "heart" signifies the affection of the will of man, has been shown above; also, that that alone is appropriated to man, which becomes the property of his affection or will. That spiritual things are meant, and not natural, is evident, for the Lord says, that "out of the heart go forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries," &c. Inasmuch as the false and evil principles which enter from without into the thoughts, enter from the hells, and if they are not received by man with affection of the will, are ejected into the hells, therefore it is said that they are "cast out into the drain;" for by the "drain" is signified hell, by reason that in the hells all things are unclean, and they who are there have been cast out from heaven, which in form is as a man, and is hence called the Grand Man, and also corresponds to all things of man, whereas the hells thence correspond to ejections from the belly of the Grand Man, or heaven, from which ground it is that hell is meant by the "drain" in the spiritual sense. The reason why the belly is said to "purge all meats," is, because by the "belly" is signified the thought of the understanding, as was said above; and by "meats" are signified all spiritual nourishments, and the thought of the understanding is what separates unclean tilings from clean, and thereby "purges."AE 622.

See also AC 6204, 8910; where it is further observed on the subject, that man cannot desist from thinking evil, but from doing it, and as soon as he receives evil from the thought into the will, in this case it does not go forth, but enters into him, and this is said to enter into the heart; the things which thence go forth render him unclean, because what a man wills, this goes forth into speech and into act, so far as external restraints do not forbid, which restraints are the fear of the law, of the loss of reputation, of honour, of gain, and of life. See also DP 30.

The order of influx is such, that evil spirits first flow in, and that the angels dissipate the things which flow in: that such is the nature of influx, is not perceived by man, because his thought is kept in freedom by equilibrium between those two influxes, and because he does not attend to them; neither could the evil know, in case they attended, because with them there is no equilibrium between evil and good; but they who are principled in good are capable of knowing this. They also know from the Word, that there is something within which fights against what is evil and false in them, and that the spiritual man fights against the natural, thus the angels who are in man's interiors and in his spiritual principles, against the evil spirits who are in his exterior and natural principles; hence also the church is called militant. But the evil which flows into the thought from evil spirits does not at all hurt man, if he does not receive it; but if he receives it, and transfers it from the thought into the will, in this case he makes it his own, and in this case takes part with infernal spirits, and recedes from the angels in heaven. This is what the Lord teaches in Mark,—" Not that which enters into a man, makes him unclean: but the things which go forth from him, because these things are from the heart or from the will." (Mark 7:15-23.) AC 6308.

Verse 21. fornications, murders.—"Murders" denote the evils which destroy goods; "fornications" denote truths falsified. AC 3535.

What the falsification of Truth is, shall be illustrated by some examples. Truth is falsified when from reasonings it is concluded and said, that because no one can do good from himself, therefore good is of no effect to salvation. Truth is also falsified when it is said, that every good which man does, respects himself, and is done for the sake of recompense, and this being the case, that works of charity are not to be done. Truth is also falsified when it is said, that because all good is from the Lord, therefore man ought to do nothing of good, but to expect or await influx. Truth is falsified when it is said, that Truth can be given with man without the Good which is of charity, thus faith without charity. Truth is falsified when it is said, that no one can enter into heaven but he who is miserable and poor, when it is also said unless he gives his all to the poor and plunges himself into distress.

Truth is falsified when it is said, that every one, however he has lived, may be let into heaven from mercy. Truth is still more falsified when it is said, that there has been given to a man [such as the pope], the power of letting into heaven whom he pleases. Truth is falsified when it is said, that sins are wiped and washed away like filth by water; and truth is still more falsified when it is said, that a man has the power of remitting sins, and that when they are remitted, they are altogether wiped away, and man becomes pure. Truth is falsified when it is said, that the Lord has taken all sins to Himself, and thus has taken them away, and that man thereby can be saved, whatever his life be. Truth is falsified when it is said, that no one is saved but he who is within the church. The reasonings by which falsification is effected are, that they who are within the church are baptized, have the Word, have knowledge concerning the Lord, concerning the resurrection, concerning life eternal, heaven and hell, and thus that they know what faith is by which they may be purified. There are innumerable cases like these, for there is not a single truth which cannot be falsified, and the falsification be confirmed by reasonings from fallacies. AC 7318.

Verse 27. But Jesus said to her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not worthy to take the children's bread, and to cast it to the dogs,—All beasts in the Word signify affections and inclinations, such as those are which appertain to man; the tame and useful beasts, good affections and inclinations, but the wild and useless beasts, evil affections and inclinations. The reason why such things are signified by beasts, is, because the external or natural man enjoys similar affections and inclinations, and likewise similar appetites and similar senses with the beasts; but the difference is, that man has an internal principle, which is called the internal man, which in man is so distinct from the external, that he can see the things which exist in the latter, and can also rule and restrain them, and likewise be elevated into heaven, even to the Lord, and thus be conjoined to Him in thought and in affection, consequently in faith and love; this man is also so distinct from the external, that he is separated from him after death, and afterwards lives to eternity. By these things man is distinguished from beasts; but they who are merely natural and sensual, do not see these things, for their internal man is closed towards heaven; wherefore neither do they know of any other distinction between man and beast, than that man can speak, which also mere sensual men make light of. By "dogs" are signified those who render the good of faith unclean by falsifications, the ground of which signification is, because dogs eat unclean things, and likewise bark at and bite men; hence also it is, that the Gentiles out of the church, who were in false principles grounded in evil, were by the Jews called dogs, which were accounted the vilest of animals. That they were called dogs, is evident from the Lord's words to the Greek woman, a Syropbenician, whose daughter had an unclean spirit,—" It is not good to take the children's bread, and cast it to dogs. But she answered and said to Him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's table." (Matt 15:26, 27; Mark 7:26, 27.) In this passage by "dogs" are signified those who were out of the church, and by "children," those who were within the church. In like manner in Luke,—" There was a certain rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: but there was a poor man named Lazarus, who lay at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores;" (Luke 16:19, 20, 21.) where, by "a rich man clothed in purple and fine linen," are signified those who are within the church; "purple and fine linen," with which he was clothed, being the knowledges of good and truth derived from the Word. By the "poor man," are signified those within the church who, by reason of ignorance of the truth, are in a small degree of good, and yet desire to be instructed; the reason why he was called Lazarus, was from the Lazarus who was raised up by the Lord, of whom it is said, that "the Lord loved him," (John 11:1, 2, 3, 36.) and that he was His "friend," (John 11:11.) and that "he sat down at table with the Lord;" (12:2.) that he was willing to be fed with the "crumbs which fell from the rich man's table," signified his desire of learning a few truths from those within the church who are principled in good, although not the genuine good of faith; to "lick sores," is to be healed by them in any possible method. That good falsified, and thus rendered unclean, is signified by "dogs," is also evident from these words in Matthew,—" Give not that which is holy to dogs, neither cast you your pearls before swine." (Matt 7:6.) AC 9231. Verses 32—36. And they bring to Him one that was deaf, having an impediment in his speech; and they beseech Him to put His hand upon him. And taking him aside from the multitude, He put His fingers into his ears, and having spat, He touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven, He sighed, and says to him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. And immediately his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosened, and he spoke plainly.—That all the Lord's miracles, as being Divine, involved and signified such things as are of heaven and the church, and that on this account they were the healings of diseases, by which were signified the various healings of spiritual life, may be seen in the AC AC 7337, 8364, 9031. By a "deaf person," are signified those who are not in the understanding of truth, and consequently not in obedience; and by one who had an "impediment in his speech," are signified those who, on that account, can hardly make confession of the Lord and of the truths of the church; by the "ears being opened" by the Lord, is signified perception of truth and obedience; and by the "tongue being loosened" by the Lord, is signified confession of the Lord and of the truths of the church. That the apostles and others after the Lord's resurrection, spoke with "new tongues," signified also confession of the Lord and of the truths of the New Church, on which subject it is thus written in Mark:—"Jesus said, These signs shall follow them that believe: in My name they shall cast out devils; and shall speak with new tongues;" (Mark 16:17.) where, by "casting out devils," is signified to remove and to reject the false principles of evil; and by "speaking with new tongues," is signified to confess the Lord and the truths of the church from Him; wherefore "there appeared to the apostles cloven tongues as of fire, which sat upon them; and being then filled with the Holy Spirit, they began to speak with other tongues;" (Acts 2:3, 4.) where by "fire" was signified the love of truth; and by being "filled with the Holy Spirit," was signified the reception of Divine Truth from the Lord; and by "new tongues," confessions grounded in the love of truths or zeal. For, as was said above, all Divine miracles, consequently all miracles mentioned in the Word, involved and signified spiritual and celestial things, that is, such things as are of the church and heaven, by which circumstance Divine miracles are distinguished from miracles not divine. AE 455. See also AC 6989.

Verse 31. Tyre and Sidon.—For the spiritual signification of "Tyre and Sidon," see above, Exposition, chap. 3:8.

Verses 35 and 37. And immediately his ears were opened.— To "hear," in the Word, signifies not only simply to hear, but also to receive in the memory and to be instructed, also to receive in the understanding and to believe, likewise to receive in obedience and to do; the reason why these things are signified by "hearing" is, because the speech which is heard presents itself before the internal sight or understanding, and is thus inwardly received, and there, according to the efficacy of rational argument, or according to the powers of persuasion from other sources, is either retained, or believed, or obeyed. Hence it is, that there is a correspondence of the eAR and of hearing with such things in the spiritual world, concerning which correspondence, see AC 4652—4660, 5017, 7216, 8361, 8990. That to "hear," denotes to receive in the memory and to be instructed, also to receive in the understanding and to believe, likewise to receive in obedience and to do, is evident from the following passages, as in Matthew,— "I speak by parables, because seeing they do not see; and hearing they do not hear, neither understand; that in them may be fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which says, Hearing you shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing you shall see, and shall not perceive: for the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest possibly they may see with their eyes, and heAR with their ears, and understand with their heart. Blessed are your eyes, because they see: and your ears, because they hear. Many prophets and just men have desired to see the things which you see, but have not seen them; and to heAR the things which you hear, but have not heard them." (Matt 13:13-17.) In which passage to "hear" is applied in every sense, as denoting both to be instructed, to believe, and to obey; "hearing, they do not hear," denotes to be taught and yet not to believe, also to be instructed and yet not to obey; to be "dull of hearing," denotes to refuse instruction, faith, and obedience; "blessed are your ears, for they hear," denotes blessedness from the reception of the doctrine of faith concerning the Lord, and by the Word from the Lord. So in John,—" He that enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep, and the sheep heAR his voice: all who have been before Me were thieves and robbers," but the sheep did not heAR them. Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall heAR My voice; and there shall be one flock and one Shepherd. My sheep heAR My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;" (John 10:2, 3, 8, 16, 27.) where, to "hear a voice," denotes to be instructed concerning the precepts of faith, and to receive them in faith and obedience. Similar things are signified by what the Lord so often said, — "He that has an eAR to hear, let him hear;" also by these words in Mark,—"They said of Jesus, He has done all things well: for He makes the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak;" (Mark 7:37.) where the "deaf" denote those who are not acquainted with the truths of faith, and on that account cannot live according to them, see AC 6989; to "hear" denotes to be instructed, to receive, and to obey. AC 9311.

TRANSLATOR'S NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS.

Chapter VII.

verse 3. For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands up to the wrist, &c.—In the common version of the New Testament, what is here rendered "up to the wrist," is expressed by the adverb "oft," but the original Greek is pugmh, which properly means the fist, and has accordingly been interpreted by some writers as denoting, in the present instance, washing with the fist. The learned Lightfoot, however, explains the phrase by washing the hands as far as the fist extended, that is, up to the wrist.

Verse 9. Full well you reject the commandment of God.— What is here rendered "full well," is expressed in the original Greek by the adverb kalwd, which means well, and which some writers, as Grotius and Parkhurst, have interpreted as being here applied ironically, or in the way of reproof. But probably the term is here adopted by the Lord, merely as expressive of the prudence of the Pharisees and Scribes in securing their own tradition, since, bad they not first rejected the commandment of God, the tradition could not have been secured.

Verse 19. Purging all meats.—From the Lord's spiritual interpretation of the parable, of which these words make a part, it is evident, that a rejected or ejected thought, so far from defiling a man, rather tends to his purification, or, as it is here expressed, "purges all meats." It is not therefore the entrance of a thought into the understanding which ought to excite man's alarm, be it ever so evil and filthy, provided he be on his guard to prevent its admission into the will or love. For if this caution be used, the thought, in such case, operates like a medicine, which, by increasing the powers of digestion, has a tendency at the same time to cleanse and strengthen the constitution.

Mark Chapter 8

verses 1, 2. The multitude having nothing to eat. — In the Word mention is frequently made of "eating" and "drinking," and they who are unacquainted with the spiritual sense suppose that these expressions signify nothing more than natural eating and drinking; whereas they signify spiritual nourishment, consequently the appropriation of Good and Truth, "eating" signifying the appropriation of Good, and "drinking" the appropriation of Truth. Any one may know, who believes in the spirituality of the Word, that by "eating and drinking," as by bread, food, wine, and drink, is signified spiritual nourishment; for otherwise the Word would be merely natural, and not at the same time spiritual, thus only for the natural man, and not for the spiritual man, much less for the angels. To be spiritually nourished, is to be instructed and imbued, consequently it is to know, to understand, and to be wise; unless man enjoys this nourishment, together with the nourishment of the body, he is not a man but a beast, which is the reason that they who place all delight in feastings and banquetings, and daily indulge their palates, are stupid as to things spiritual, however they may be able to reason concerning the things of the world and of the body, whence, after their departure from this world, they live rather a beastly than a human life, for instead of intelligence and wisdom they have insanity and folly. In confirmation of what is here said respecting spiritual nourishment, we will adduce what the Lord says—" Man shall not live by bread only, but by every word which proceeds from the mouth of God." AE 627.

Verse 4. In the wilderness.—By "wilderness" in the Word is signified,— I. The church devastated, or in which all the Truths of the Word are falsified, such as it was among the Jews at the time of the Lord's advent. II. The church, in which there are not any Truths, because they are not possessed of the Word, such as it was among the well-disposed Gentiles in the Lord's time. III. A state of temptation, in which man is as it were without Truths, because he is surrounded by evil spirits who induce temptations, and then as it were take away his Truths.

I. That by "wilderness" is signified the devastated church, or the church in which all the Truths of the Word are falsified, such as it was among the Jews in the Lord's time, appears from these passages:—" Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; that made the world a wilderness?" (Isa 14:16, 17.) speaking of Babel. "Thorns and thistles are come up on the land of My people; the palace shall be a wilderness," (Isa 32:13, 14.) "I beheld, and lo, Carmel was a wilderness, - the whole land shall be wasteness." (Jer 4:26, 27.) In which passages "earth" means the church, n. 285. "The pastors have destroyed My vineyard, they have reduced the field of My desire to a wilderness of solitude: the spoilers are come in the wilderness." (Jer 12:10, 12.) "A vine is planted in the wilderness, in a land of dryness and thirst." (Ezek 19:13.) "The fire has consumed the habitations of the wilderness." (Joel 1:19, 20.) "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare you the way of Jehovah; make straight in the desert a path for our God." (Isa 40:3.) Besides other places, as in Isa 23:12; 35:1; Lament 5:9; Hosea ii. 2, 3; 13:5, 15. That such also is the state of the church at this day, may be seen below, AC 566.

II. That by "wilderness" is meant the church in which there are not any Truths, because they are not possessed of the Word, as was the case with the well-disposed Gentiles in the Lord's time, appears from the following passages:—" The Spirit shall be poured upon you from on high; then the wilderness shall be a fruitful field, and judgement shall dwell in the wilderness." (Isa 32:15, 16.) "I will put fountains in the midst of the valleys: and make the wilderness a pool of waters. I will give in the wilderness the shittim, cedar, and the olive tree." (Isa 41:18, 19.) "He shall make the wilderness a pool of waters, and the dry ground watersprings." (Psalm 107:35.) "I will make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My people, My chosen." (Isa 43:19, 20.) "Jehovah will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of Jehovah; joy and gladness shall be found therein." (Isa 51:3.) "The habitations of the wilderness distil." (Psalm 65:12.) "Let the wilderness lift up its voice: let the inhabitants of the rock sing." (Isa 42:11.)

III. That by "wilderness" is signified a state of temptation, in which man is as it were without Truths, because he is surrounded by evil spirits who induce temptation, and then as it were deprive him of Truths, appears from Matt 4:1, 2, 3; Mark 1:12, 13; Luke 4:1, 2, 3; Jer 2:2, 6, 7; Hosea 2:14-16; Psalm 107:4-7; Deut 1:31-33; 8:2, 3, 4,15,16; 32:10. AR 546.

Verses 5, 6, 8. And He asked them, How many loaves have you? And they said, Seven. And He commanded the multitude to sit down on the earth: and taking the seven loaves, when He had given thanks, He break them, &c. And they took up the overplus of their fragments, seven baskets.—Inasmuch as, in the prophetic Book of the Apocalypse, frequent mention is made of numbers, and no one can know the spiritual sense of the things contained in that book, unless it be known what each particular number signifies, for all numbers in the Word, like all names, signify spiritual things; and whereas the number seven is often named amongst the rest, therefore I am desirous here to show that the number "seven" signifies all and all things, both what is full and the whole; for whatever signifies all and all things, that also signifies what is full and the whole, since what is full and the whole is predicated of the magnitude of a thing, and all, and all things of multitude. That the number "seven" has these significations, may be manifest from the following passages:—" The hungry have ceased, until the barren has borne seven; but she that has many children is waxed feeble;" (1 Sam 2:5.) where the "hungry who have ceased,"are those who desire the truths and goods of the church; the "barren that have born seven," signifies those who are out of the church, and are not acquainted with truths, because they have not the Word; thus the Gentiles are signified, to whom all truths will be given; "she that has many children being waxed feeble," signifies those who have truths, from whom they will be taken away. And in David,—" Recompense to our neighbours sevenfold into their bosoms;" (Psalm 79:12.) where "sevenfold" signifies fully. And in Luke,—"If your brother shall sin against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day shall return to you, saying, I repent, you shall forgive him;" (Luke 17:4.) where, to "forgive sins seven times," if he "returned seven times," is to forgive as often as he returned, thus on all occasions. And in David,—" Seven times in a day do I praise You, because of Your judgements of justice;" (Psalm 119:164.) where "seven times in a day" denotes always, or at all times. Again, — "The words of Jehovah are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times;" (Ps 12:6.) where "silver" denotes truth from the Divine Being; "purified seven times" signifies altogether, and fully pure. From the signification of the number "seven," it may be manifest what is signified by the "seven days of creation;" (Gen. i.) also by "four thousand men being fed from seven loaves, and that seven baskets full remained over and above." (Matt 15:34-38; Mark 8:5-9.) Hence too it is evident what is signified in the Apocalypse by "seven churches;" (Apoc 1:4, 11.) by "seven golden candlesticks, in the midst of which was the Son of Man;" (Apoc 1:13.) by "seven stars in His right hand;" (Apoc 1:16, 20.) by "the seven Spirits of God;" (3:1.) by "the seven lamps of fire before the throne;" (Apoc 4:5.) by "the book sealed with seven seals;" (Apoc 5:1.) by "the seven angels, to whom were given seven trumpets;" (Apoc 8:2.) by "the seven thunders uttering voices;" (Apoc 10:3, 4.) by "the seven angels having the seven last plagues;" (Apoc 15:1, 6.) and by "the seven vials full of the seven last plagues;" Apoc 16:1; 21:9.) and in other parts of the Word where the number "seven" is named. AE 257.

Verse 11. Asking of Him a sign from heaven, tempting Him.—By a "sign" is understood that which declares, testifies, and persuades concerning a thing inquired after. But by a "miracle" is understood that which excites, strikes, and induces astonishment; thus a sign moves the understanding and faith, and a miracle the will and its affection. For the will and its affection is what is excited, is stricken, and amazed; and the understanding and its faith is what is persuaded, what a declaration is made to, and which admits of testification. That in the above words, by "asking and showing a sign," is signified to testify by somewhat stupendous, or by a voice from heaven, is evident; but whereas such a testification would have condemned them rather than have saved them, therefore Jesus said—" There shall no sign be given to this generation." AE 706.

Verse 11. From heaven,—It should be known that "heaven" is not in any certain and determinate place, thus not on high, according to the vulgar opinion, but "heaven" is where the Divine Being or the Lord is, thus with every one and in every one who is in charity and faith, for charity and faith are heaven, because they are from the Divine Being; the angels also dwell there. That heaven is where the Lord is, is evident from this consideration, that Mount Sinai, from which the Lord spoke, is called heaven, which also is the reason why by "Mount Sinai" is signified heaven, whence divine Truth is. AC 8930.

Verse 15. Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.—"Leaven" signifies evil and the false, whereby celestial and spiritual things are rendered impure and profane. The conjunction of the Lord with mankind is effected by love and charity, and by faith grounded therein. Those celestial and spiritual things were represented by the unleavened bread which was eaten on the days of the passover, and it was to prevent the defilement of those things by any profane principles, that "leaven" was forbidden, under the severe penalty of being "cut off from Israel;" (Exod 12:15.) for they who profane things celestial and spiritual must needs perish. AC 2342.

Verse 17. Have you your heart yet hardened?—As to "hardness of heart," see above, Exposition, chap. 3:5.

Verses 17, 18. And Jesus knowing, says to them, Why reason you, because you have no bread? Perceive you not, neither understand? Have you your heart yet hardened? Having eyes, see you not? And having ears, hear you not? And do you not remember?—By the "eye" is signified the understanding, and the reason is, because the sight of the body corresponds to the sight of its spirit, which is the understanding; and inasmuch as it corresponds, by the "eye" in the Word, wherever in general it is named, is signified the understanding, even where it is believed to have another signification, as where the Lord says in Matthew,—" The lamp of the body is the eye: if the eye be simple, the whole body is lucid; if the eye be evil, the whole body is darkened;" (Matt. vi. 22, 23.) where the "eye" denotes the understanding, the spiritual principle of which is faith; which also may be manifest, from the explication there given,—" If therefore the light which is in you be darkened, how great is that darkness?" In like manner in the same Evangelist,—" If your right eye scandalize, pluck it out, and cast it from you." (Matt. v. 29; 18:9.) The "left eye "is the intellectual principle, but the "right eye" is its affection; the "plucking out the right eye" denotes that the affection, if it scandalize, ought to be subdued. And in Luke,—"Jesus said to the disciples, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that you see;"_(Luke 10:23.) where, by the "eyes which see," is signified intelligence and faith; for the sight of the Lord, also of His miracles and works, did not render any one blessed, but they were blessed because they apprehended with the understanding and had faith, which is to see with the eyes; for the understanding is the spiritual principle of sight, and faith is the spiritual principle of the understanding. The sight of the eye is from the light of the world; the sight of the understanding is from the light of heaven, flowing in to those things which are of the light of the world; but the sight of faith is from the light of heaven. Hence mention is made of "seeing with the understanding," and of "seeing by faith." And in Mark,—"Jesus said to the disciples, How is it that you know not, neither understand? Is your heart still hardened? Having eyes, see you not? And having ears, hear you not?" (Mark 8:17, 18.) where it is evident that not to be willing to understand and not to believe, is to "have eyes, and not to see." AC 2701.

Verse 19. Twelve baskets of fragments.—See above, Exposition, chap. vi. 35—45.

Verse 22. They bring to Him one that was blind.—By all the "blind" whom the Lord healed, are understood those who are in ignorance and who receive Him, and are illustrated by the Word from Him. And, in general, by all the miracles of the Lord are signified such things as appertain to heaven and the church, thus spiritual things; from which circumstance His miracles were divine, for it is divine to act from first [principles], and so to present or exhibit those things in ultimates. AE 239.

Verses 34, 35. And calling the people, with His disciples, He said to them, Whosoever is willing to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever is willing to save his soul, shall lose it; but whoever shall lose his soul, for My sake and the Gospel's, he shall save it. — Concerning combats against evils, which are temptations, much is said in many passages in the Word; they are meant by these words of the Lord:—" I say to you, Except a grain of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone: but if it die, it brings forth much fruit." (John 12:24.) Also by these words,—"Whosoever would come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. Whosoever would save his life, shall lose it; but he that will lose it, for My sake and the Gospel's, the same shall save it;" (Mark 8:34, 35.) where, by the "cross," is meant temptation, as likewise in Matthew 10:38; 16:24; Mark 10:21; Luke 14:27. By the "soul" is meant the life of the selfhood of man; as likewise, Matt 10:39; 16:25; Luke 9:24; and especially John 12:25; which also is the life of the "flesh that profits nothing." (John 6:63.) Concerning combats against evils, and victories over them, the Lord speaks to all the churches in the Apocalypse: to the church in Ephesus,—" To him who overcometh, I will 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 who overcometh shall not be hurt in the second death." (Rev 2:11.) To the church in Pergamos,—" To him who overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna; and I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written, which no one knows but he who receives." (Rev 2:17.) To the church in Thyatira,—"To him who overcometh, and keeps My works to the end, I will give power over the nations, and the morning star." (Rev 2:26, 28.) To the church in Sardis,—" Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and I will write upon him the name of God, and the name of the city of God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from God: and [I will write upon him] My new name." (Rev 3:12.) To the church in Laodicea,—" To him who overcometh will I give to sit with Me on My throne." (Rev 3:21.) Concerning those combats, which are temptations, the subject may be seen specifically treated of in the "Doctrine of the New Jerusalem," published in London in the year 1758, from NJHD 187 to 201: whence they are, and of what quality, NJHD 196, 197: how and when they take place, NJHD 198: what good they effect, NJHD 199: that the Lord fights for man, NJHD 200: concerning the Lord's combats or temptations, NJHD 201. DLife 99.

In the above passage, by "cross" are meant temptations; and by "following the Lord," is meant to acknowledge His Divinity, and to do His precepts; that this is meant by "following the Lord," may be seen above, AE 864. The reason why temptations are meant by a "cross" is, because evils and the false principles thence derived, which adhere to man from his birth, infest and thus torment those who are natural, during the time that they become spiritual; and whereas evils and the false principles thence derived, which infest and torment, cannot be dispersed but by temptations; hence temptations are signified by a "cross." On this account the Lord says, that His followers are to "deny themselves, and take up their cross" that is, that they are to reject whatever is of self, their "cross" being the selfhood of man, against which they are to engage in combats. So in another place,—" Jesus said to the rich man, who asked Him what he ought to do that he might inherit eternal life, You know the commandments; you shall not commit adultery, you shall not kill, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, you shall not defraud, honour your father and mother. He answering, said, All these things have I kept from my youth. Jesus looked at him and loved him, yet He said to him, One thing you lack: go your way, sell what you have, and give to the poor, so shall you have treasure in the heavens; nevertheless, follow Me, taking up the cross." (Mark 10:17, 19, 20, 21.) Here also by "following the Lord," and "taking up the cross," similar things are signified as above, namely, to acknowledge the Divinity of the Lord, and the Lord to be the God of heaven and earth, for without that acknowledgement no one can abstain from evils and do good, except from himself, and except it be meritorious; the good, which is good in itself, and good not meritorious, is only from the Lord, wherefore unless the Lord be acknowledged, and that all good is from Him, man cannot be saved; but before any one can do good from the Lord, he must undergo temptation. The reason is, because by temptation the internal of man is opened, by which man is conjoined to heaven. Now since no one can do the precepts without the Lord, therefore the Lord said—"Yet lack you one thing: sell all that you have, and follow Me, taking up the cross;" that is, that he ought to acknowledge the Lord, and undergo temptations. That he should "sell all that he had, and give to the poor," in the spiritual sense, signifies that he should alienate and reject from himself the things of self, thus it signifies the same as above, that he should deny himself; and by "giving to the poor," in the spiritual sense, is signified the doing works of charity. The reason why the Lord so spoke to the rich man was, because he was rich; and by "riches," in the spiritual sense, are signified the knowledges of what is good and true, and with him who was a Jew, the knowledges of what is evil and false, because they were traditions; hence it may be manifest that the Lord spoke here, as in other places, by correspondences. AE 893.

Verse 34. Whosoever is willing to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.—That to "go after the Lord," and to "follow Him," is to deny self, is evident, and to "deny self," is not to be led of self, but of the Lord; and he denies himself who shuns and holds in aversion all evils because they are sins, which, when man holds in aversion, he is led of the Lord, for he does His precepts not from himself, but from the Lord. Similar things are signified in other passages also by "following the Lord," as Matt 19:21,28; Mark 2:14, 15; 3:7, 8; 10:21, 28, 29; Luke xviii. 22, 28; John 12:26; 13:36, 37; 21:19-22. From these considerations it may be manifest, that to "follow the Lord," is to be led by Him, and not by self; and no other person can be led by the Lord, except him who is not led by himself, and every one is led by himself who does not shun evils because they are contrary to the Word, and thus are contrary to God, consequently, because they are sins and from hell; every one who does not thus shun evils and hold them in aversion, is led by himself. The reason is, because the evil which is hereditarily in man, makes his life, inasmuch as it is his selfhood, and man, before those evils are removed, does all things from them, thus from himself. But it is otherwise when evils are removed, as is the case when they are shunned because they are infernal; for in this case the Lord enters with truths and goods out of heaven, and leads man. The primary cause is, because every man is his own love, and man, as to his spirit, which lives after death, is nothing but the affection which is of his love, and every evil is from his love, thus it is of his love. Hence it follows that the love or affection of man cannot otherwise be reformed, but by the shunning of evils and holding them in spiritual aversion, which is to shun and hold them in aversion because they are infernal. From these considerations it may now be manifest what it is to "follow the Lord. AE 864.

Verse 35. For whoever is willing to save his soul, shall lose it, &c.— By "loving their soul," is signified to love self and the world, for by "soul is signified man's proper life, which every one has by birth, which consists in loving himself and the world above all things; therefore by "not loving their soul is signified not to love self and the world more than the Lord and the things which are of the Lord; "to death," signifies to be willing to die rather; consequently it is to love the Lord above all things, and one's neighbour as one's self, (Matt 22:85-38.) and to be willing to die rather than give up those two loves. The same is signified by these words of the Lord:— Whosoever is willing to find his soul, shall lose it; and whoever loses his soul for the sake of Jesus, shall find it (Matt 10:39; Luke 17:33.) "He that loves his soul shall lose it; but he that hates his soul in this world, shall preserve it to life eternal." (John 12:25.) "Jesus said, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself; he that is willing to save his soul, shall lose it; and he that loses his soul, for My sake, shall find it. What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his soul? or what price can a man give sufficient for the redemption of his soul?" (Matt 16:24, 25; Mark 8:35, 36, 37; Luke 9:24, 25.) By "loving the Lord," is meant to love to do His commandments. (John 14:20-24.) The reason is, because He Himself is His commandments, for they are from Him, therefore He is in them, and consequently is in the man in whose life they are engraven; and they are engraven in man by willing and doing them. AR 556.

Verse 35.—Every man who is reformed, is first reformed as to his internal man, and afterwards as to his external. The internal man is not reformed by merely knowing and understanding the truths and goods by which a man is saved, but by willing and loving them; but the external man is reformed by speaking and doing the things which the internal man wills and loves, and in the degree this is done the man is regenerated. That he is not regenerated before, is, because his internal is not before this in its effect, but only in the cause, and the cause, unless it is in the effect, is dissipated, for it is like a house founded upon the ice, which falls to the ground when the ice is melted by the sun. In a word, he is like a man without feet upon which he can stand and walk. AR 510.

Verse 36. What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, &c.—From these words it is manifest that worldly blessing is nothing in respect to heavenly blessing, which is eternal; but the man who is immersed in worldly and earthly things does not comprehend this, for worldly and earthly things suffocate and annihilate a belief in life eternal. AC 8939.

Verse 38. for whoever shall be ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of Alan be ashamed, &c.—By "committing adultery," in a spiritual sense, is meant to adulterate the goods of the Word, and to falsify its truths. That this is meant by committing adultery, has been heretofore unknown to mankind, because the spiritual sense of the Word has remained heretofore undiscovered; but that this is signified in the Word by "committing whoredoms, adulteries, and fornications," is very evident from the following passages:—" I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem a horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies." (Jer 23:14.) "They have committed villainy in Israel, they have committed adultery, and have spoken lying words in My name." (Jer 29:23.) "They shall commit whoredom, because they have left off to take heed to the Lord." (Hosea 4:10.) For as much as the Jewish nation had falsified the Word, therefore it is called by the Lord an "adulterous generation;" (Matt 12:39; Mark 8:38.) and the "seed of the adulterer;" (Isa 57:3.) not to mention other passages in the Word, where by "adulteries and whoredoms" are understood adulterations and falsifications of the Word, as in Jer 3:6, 8; 13:21; Ezek 16:15, 16, 26, 28, 29, 32, 33; 23:2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 14, 16, 17; Hosea 5:3; 6:10; Nahum 3:4. TCR 314. See also AR 134. AE 222.

Verse 38. When He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.—The angels of heaven by "glory" perceive nothing else than the divine Truth, and because all divine Truth is from the Lord, by "giving glory to Him," (Apoc 14:7.) they perceive the acknowledgement and confession that all Truth is from Him. For all the glory in the heavens is from no other Source, and in the degree that a society of heaven is in the divine Truth, all things there are splendid, and the angels are in the splendour of glory. That by "glory" is understood the divine Truth, is evident from the following passages:—"The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of Jehovah; the glory of Jehovah shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it." (Isa 40:3, 5.) "I will give You for a covenant of the people, a light of the Gentiles; and My glory I will not give to another;" (Isa 42:6, 8.) and in many other passages. AR 629.

Of him shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when He comes in the glory of His Father.—That Divine Truth is the Son, and Divine Good the Father, may be manifest from the signification of "Son," as denoting truth, and of "Father," as denoting good; also from the conception and nativity of truth, as being from good. The reason why "Son" is Divine Truth, and "Father" Divine Good, is, because the union of the Divine Essence with the Human, and of the Human with the Divine, is the marriage of Divine Good with Truth, and of Truth with Good, from which comes the heavenly marriage; for in Jehovah or the Lord there is nothing but what is infinite, and inasmuch as it is infinite, it cannot be apprehended by any idea, only that it is the esse and existere of all good and truth, or Good itself and Truth itself. Good itself is the Father, and Truth itself is the Son; but whereas there is a divine marriage, as was said, of Good and Truth, and of Truth and Good, the Father is in the Son, and the Son in the Father, as the Lord Himself teaches in John,—"Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him; if God be glorified in Him, God shall also glorify Him in Himself." Hence it may be manifest what is the quality of the union of the Divinity and Humanity in the Lord, namely, that it is mutual, or reciprocal, which union is what is called the divine marriage, from which descends the heavenly marriage, which is the kingdom of the Lord in the heavens. AC 2803.

The Divine Truth in the Human Divine [principle] of the Lord, which endured temptations, is not the Divine Truth Itself, for this is above all temptation; but it is the rational truth such as angels have, consisting in appearances of truth, and is what is called the "Son of Man," but before glorification; but the Divine Truth in the Divine Human [principle] of the Lord glorified is above appearances, neither can it come to any understanding, still less to the apprehension of man, nor even to that of angels, thus it cannot at all be subject to temptation. Concerning this Divine Truth, or Son of Man glorified, it is thus written in John:—" Jesus said, Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him; if God be glorified in Him, God shall also glorify Him in Himself, and shall straightway glorify Him." (John 13:31, 32.) That a distinct idea may be had of this very great mystery, it is allowed to call the truth belonging to the Lord, which was capable of being tempted, and which endured temptations, Truth Divine in the Human Divine [principle] of the Lord, but to call the Truth which could not be tempted or undergo any temptation, because it was glorified, Divine Truth in the Divine Human [principle] of the Lord. AC 2814. See also AC 9429, 10053, 10067; D. Lord. 35; and TCR 128.

TRANSLATOR'S NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS.

Chapter VIII.

verse 15. And He charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.— What is here rendered, "Take heed, beware of," is expressed in the original Greek by the two terms Orate, blepete, both of which have relation to the sight of the eye, whilst the former, namely, orate, is expressive of a more interior sight, and the latter, namely, blepete, of a more exterior sight. The two terms, therefore, as being here spiritually applied, have relation to the understanding and its sight, and evidently imply an admonition to explore attentively the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod, by every power of the understanding, both interior and exterior.

Verse 24. I see men, for as trees I see [them] walking,— In the common version of the New Testament, these words are rendered, "I see men as trees, walking," but in the original Greek the words are thus written:—blepw toud anqrwpoud oti wd dendra orw peripatountad; where it is plain that two distinct expressions are applied to denote seeing, namely, blepw and orw, and that the conjunction oti is also added in a causal sense, as denoting the reason of this double sight. It deserves further to be noted that the first sight here spoken of, is expressed by the Greek blepw, which, as has been shown in a foregoing note, has reference to a more external sight, and that the second sight is expressed by the Greek orw, which has reference to a more interior sight. Perhaps it may not be easy to discover the full scope of the passage in regard both to its natural and spiritual meaning, but surely one thing-is certain, namely, that the two terms expressive of sight ought to be preserved, together with the conjunction by which they are united.

Mark Chapter 9

verses 1—11. And after six days, Jesus takes Peter, and James, and John, and leads them up into a high mountain apart by themselves: and was transformed before them, &c.— In this "transformation" the Lord represented the Divine Truth, which is the Word, for the Lord, when He was in the world, made His Humanity Divine Truth, and when He went out of the world, He made His Humanity Divine Good, by uniting it with the essential Divine principle, which was in Himself from conception. That the Lord made His Humanity Divine Truth when He was in the world, and afterwards Divine Good, may be seen in the "Doctrine of the New Jerusalem," NJHD 303, 304, 305, 306; and that the Lord is the Word, NJHD 263; hence it is that singular the things which were seen at His "transformation," signify the Divine Truth proceeding from the Divine Good of the Lord. The Divine Good of the Divine Love which was in Him, and from which in His Humanity was Divine Truth, was represented by "His face shining as the sun;" for the "face" represents the interiors; wherefore by the face the interiors present themselves in lucidity, and the "sun" signifies the Divine Love, see above, HH 401, 424; the Divine Truth was represented by "clothing, which became as light." "Raiment," in the Word, signifies truths; and the Lord's "clothing," Divine Truth, see also above, HH 64, 271, 395; wherefore also they appeared as light, for Divine Truth makes light in the angelic heaven, and hence "light" in the Word signifies Divine Truth, on which subject see the Treatise on "Heaven and Hell," HH 126—140.

Inasmuch as the Word, which is Divine Truth, was represented, therefore "Moses and Elias were seen talking with Him;" for by Moses and Elias are signified the Word, by Moses the historical Word, and by Elias the prophetic Word. But the Word in the letter was represented by the "cloud which overshadowed the disciples, and into which they entered," for by "disciples" in the Word was represented the church, which at that time and afterwards was principled only in truths derived from the sense of the letter; and whereas revelations and responses were given by Divine Truth in ultimates, as was said in a former article, and this truth is such as is the truth of the sense of the letter of the Word, therefore it came to pass that a "voice was heard out of the cloud, saying, This is My beloved Son: hear you Him;" that is, that He is Divine Truth or the Word. He who does not know that by "cloud," in the spiritual sense of the Word, is meant the Word in the letter, cannot know the arcanum which is involved in the following passages:—"That in the consummation of the age, they should see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and glory." (Matt 24:80; Mark 13:26; 14:61, 62; Luke 21:27.) Also in the Apocalypse,—"Behold, Jesus Christ comes with clouds; and every eye shall see Him;" (Rev 1:7.) and in another place,—"I saw, and lo, a white cloud, and one like the Son of Man, sitting upon the cloud." (Rev 14:14.) And in Daniel,—"I saw in the visions of the night, and lo, one like the Son of Man was coming with the clouds of heaven." (Dan 7:13.) AE 594.

Verse 2. Jesus takes Peter, and James, and John. — By Peter, James, and John were represented in this, as in other passages wherever they are named in the books of the Evangelists, faith, charity, and the good of charity; and by their being alone present, was signified that no others can see the glory of the Lord, which is in His Word, but they who are in faith, in its charity, and in the good of charity; others may indeed see, but still they do not see, because they do not believe. See preface to chap. xviii. of Genesis, in the AC

As to Peter, James, and John, see above, Exposition, chap. 5:37.

And leads them up into a high mountain apart by themselves.—"Inasmuch as a "mountain" signified the good of love, and when concerning the Lord, the Divine Good of the Divine Love, and since from that Good proceeds Divine Truth, therefore Jehovah, that is, the Lord, descended upon Mount Sinai, and promulgated the law, for it is written that "He descended upon that mountain, to the head of the mountain;" (Exod 19:20.) and that He promulgated the law there. (Exod. xx.) Hence also by "Sinai," in the Word, is signified Divine Truth from Divine Good; in like manner by the law there promulgated. On this account also the Lord "took Peter, James, and John into a high mountain," when He was transformed; and when He was transformed, He appeared in Divine Truth from Divine Good, for His "face," which was as the sun, represented Divine Good, and His " garment," which was as light, Divine Truth; and Moses and Elias, who appeared, signified the Word, which is Divine Truth from Divine Good. AE 405.

Verse 3. His clothing became shining, exceeding white, as snow, &c.— By "clothing," when applied to the Lord, is signified the Divine Truth proceeding from Him; and whereas Divine Truth is signified, the Word is also signified, for the Word is Divine Truth from the Lord on earth and in the heavens. This was represented by the Lord's "clothing," when He was "transformed before Peter, James, and John." AE 195. See also HH 129. SS 98.

Verse 4. And there appeared to them Elias with Moses.— The reason why Moses and Elias appeared was, because they both signify the Word. AE 64. See also AC 6752.

Verse 7. And there was a cloud that overshadowed them; and a voice, came out of the cloud, saying, This is My beloved Son: hear you Him.—By the "cloud that overshadowed" the disciples, and into which the disciples entered, was represented the Word in the letter, for by "disciples" in the Word was represented the church, which at that time and afterwards was only in truths derived from the sense of the letter: and whereas revelations and responses are made by Divine Truth in ultimates, and this truth is such as is the truth of the sense of the letter of the Word, therefore it came to pass that a "voice was heard from the cloud, saying, This is My beloved Son: hear you Him;" that is, that He is Divine Truth or the Word. AE 594.

Verses 11, 12, 13. Why say the Scribes that Elias must first come? But I say to you, That Elias is already come, and they have done to him whatever they willed.—In the Word there are several who represent the Lord, as to Divine Truth, or as to the Word; but amongst them were chiefly Moses, Elias, Eliseus, and John the Baptist. That Elias should come, and that they would not acknowledge him, but "would do to him whatever they willed," signifies that the Word indeed taught them, but that still they would not be willing to comprehend it, interpreting it in favour of their own dominion, and thus extinguishing the divine principle within it; and that they would do this in like manner with the Divine Truth itself, is signified by the "Son of Man suffering many things of them." For the "Son of Man" is the Lord, as to the Divine Truth or Word. AC 9372.

Verse 18. And wherever he takes him, he tears him: and he foams, and gnashes with his teeth, and pines away: and I said to Your disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.—He who is not acquainted with the spiritual sense of the Word, may be led to suppose that the "gnashing of teeth," here mentioned, was expressive only of anger, by reason that in cases of anger the teeth are pressed together; but "gnashing of teeth" is here spoken of, because the "teeth" signify false principles in the extremes, and "gnashing," the vehemence of contending in their favour; this endeavour and act are likewise grounded in correspondence. Such also was the "deaf and dumb spirit" whom the Lord cast out; for all spirits are from the human race, and this deaf and dumb spirit was of that race of men who had vehemently combated in favour of false principles against truths; hence it is, that he who was possessed or obsessed by him foamed and gnashed with his teeth. He is called by the Lord "deaf and dumb," because he was not willing to perceive and understand the truth, for the "deaf" and "dumb" signify such; and whereas he had been resolute and obstinate in opposing truths, and had confirmed himself in false principles, he "could not be cast out by the disciples;" for the false principles in favour of which he had contended, could not as yet be dispersed by them, since they were not as yet of a quality to disperse them, wherefore also the disciples were on that account reproved by the Lord. That the spirit was of such a quality, and that the obsessed by him was not of such a quality, is signified by that spirit "tearing him," and by the obsessed "pining," and by the Lord saying to the spirit that "he should enter no more into him. From these considerations also it may be manifest what is signified by "gnashing of teeth." (Matt 8:12; 13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Luke 13:18.) By "gnashing of teeth" in the hells, is meant a continual wrangling and combat of false principles amongst each other and against truths, consequently of those who are in false principles, joined with contempt of others, with enmity, derision, mockery, blasphemy, which evils also burst forth into blows, since every one contends in favour of his own false principle from the love of self, of learning, and of reputation. These disputes and combats are heard out of those hells like gnashing of teeth, and are likewise turned into gnashing of teeth, when truths flow in thither out of heaven; but on this subject see more in the Treatise concerning "Heaven and Hell," HH 575.

Inasmuch as the "teeth," with the evil, correspond to false principles which they cherish in the ultimates of intellectual life, which are called sensual-corporeal, therefore the spirits who are of this description, appear deformed in the face, a great part of which consists of teeth, which stand out, as in rows, when the jaws are opened, and this because such opening of the "teeth" corresponds to the love and desire of combating in favour of false principles against truths. Inasmuch as "teeth" correspond to the ultimates of the intellectual life of man, which ultimates are called sensual, and inasmuch as these ultimates are in the false principles of evil, when they are separated from truths of interior intellect, which are called spiritual truths, but the same correspond to the truths of good in sensual principles when not separated, hence it is that "teeth," in the Word, also signify ultimate truths, as in Job 19:19, 20; and in Amos 4:6; which may be seen explained above. And whereas the Lord glorified His whole Humanity, that is, made it Divine, therefore it is said of Him in Moses,— "His eyes were red from wine, and His teeth white from milk." (Gen 49:12.) By His "eyes being red from wine," is signified that His intellectual principle was Divine Truth from Divine Good; and by His "teeth being white from milk," is signified that His sensual principle in like manner was Divine Truth from Divine Good; for by "Shiloh" is there meant the Lord. AE 556.

Verse 22. Ofttimes he casteth him into the fire, and into the waters, &c. — Evil spirits continually endeavour to cast man into the dangers of death, and to bring injury upon him; these evils [called accidents or misfortunes] come from evil spirits, whether they are aware of it or not. But good spirits and angels from the Lord, are constantly delivering man from these dangers. Spir. Diary, 96, Index.

Verses 23, 24. Jesus said to him, If you can believe, all things are possible to him that believes, &c.—They who are born within the church ought to acknowledge the Lord, His Divinity, and His Humanity, and to believe in Him, and love Him; for from the Lord is all salvation. This the Lord teaches in John 3:36,-" He that believes on the Son has eternal life; but he that believes not the Son shall not see life." The "Son" denotes the Divine Human of the Lord. The reason why they "have not eternal life" who do not acknowledge the Lord from faith, is, because the whole heaven is in that acknowledgement. AC 10112, 10370.

To believe that there is a heaven and a hell; that there is a life after death, where the good live in happiness for ever, and the evil in unhappiness; that the particular life which any individual has formed to himself, remains with him; that faith and charity constitute spiritual life, and that this is the life which angels have in heaven; that the Lord has "all power in the heavens and the earth," as Himself says; (Matt 28:18.) that from Him we live; that the Word is the doctrine of heavenly and divine Truths, and the like;—such are the objects of faith in spiritual things as are signified by "believing." AC 6970.

Verse 29. By prayer and fasting.—By "prayers" are meant the things which are of faith, and at the same time the things which are of charity, with those who pour forth prayer, because prayers without such things are not prayers, but empty sounds. AR 278.

By "fasting," is signified to mourn by reason of a defect of Truth and Good. AE 1189.

Verse 34. They disputed among themselves who should be the greatest.—It may be manifest what is the quality of self-love [which desires to be the greatest], even from this consideration, that it conceals in itself hatred against all who do not submit to it as servants, and by reason of hatred that it also conceals revenge, cruelty, deceit, and several other abominations. But mutual love in man, which alone is celestial, consists in this, that he not only says, but acknowledges and believes that self-love is most unworthy, and that he of himself is something vile and filthy, which the Lord, out of infinite mercy, continually withdraws and withholds from hell, into which he continually endeavours, yea desires to plunge himself. The reason why man ought to acknowledge and believe this, is, because it is true; not that the Lord, or any angel, wills such acknowledgement and belief to the intent that he may submit himself, but lest self-love should exalt itself, when still it is of such a quality, which would be like excrement calling itself pure gold, or as if a fly on a dunghill should call itself a bird of paradise. So far, therefore, as a man acknowledges and believes that he is of such a quality as he really is, so far he recedes from self-love and its lusts, and so far he abhors himself; and in proportion as he does this he receives from the Lord celestial love, that is, mutual love, consisting in a desire to serve all. These are they who are understood by the least, who, in the Lord's kingdom, become the greatest. AC 1594.

Verse 35. And having sat down, He called the twelve, and says to them, If any one be willing to be first, let him be the last of all, and the servant of all.—There are two kingdoms into which the whole heaven is distinguished, one inhabited by the angels who are in the good of celestial love, the other inhabited by the angels who are in the good of spiritual love, or in charity; the celestial kingdom of the Lord is called His priesthood, and the spiritual kingdom is called His royalty, see the Treatise on "Heaven and Hell," HH 24, 226, The term "ministering" is applied to those who are in the celestial kingdom, but the term "serving" to those who are in the spiritual kingdom; hence it is evident what is signified by "ministering" and a "minister," and what by "serving" and a "servant," in the following passages:—"Jesus said to the disciples, Whosoever is willing to be great, ought to be a minister; and whoever is willing to be first, ought to be a servant: as the Son of Man came not to be ministered to, but to minister" (Matt 20:26-28; 23:11, 12; Mark 9:35; Luke 22:24-27.) "Jesus says, If any one will minister to Me, let him follow Me; in such case where I am, there also shall My minister be: if any one minister to Me, him shall the Father honour." (John 12:26.) AE 155.

Verses 36, 37. And having taken a child, He set him in the midst of them: and having taken him into His arms, He said to them, Whosoever shall receive one of such children in My name, receives Me: and whoever receives Me, receives not Me, but Him that sent Me.—In the Word mention is made of a "suckling," an "infant," and a "child," and by them are signified three degrees of innocence,—the first degree by a suckling, the second by an infant, and the third by a child; but whereas with a child, innocence begins to be put off, therefore by a "child" is signified that innocent principle which is called guiltless. Inasmuch as the three degrees of innocence are signified by a "suckling," an "infant," and a "child," the three degrees of love and charity are also signified by the same, by reason that celestial and spiritual love, that is, love to the Lord and charity towards our neighbour, cannot be given except in innocence. But it is to be noted, that the innocence of sucklings, of infants, and of children is only external, and that internal innocence is not given with man until he be born anew, that is, be made anew, as it were, a suckling, an infant, and a child. These states are what are signified in the Word by a "suckling," an "infant," and a "child," for in the internal sense of the Word, nothing is meant but what is spiritual, consequently spiritual birth, which is called re-birth, and likewise regeneration. That the innocent principle, which is called guiltless, is signified by a "child," is manifest from Luke,—" Jesus said, Whosoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, shall not enter into it;" (Luke 18:17.) where, to "receive the kingdom of God as a little child," is to receive charity and faith, grounded in innocence. So in Mark,—"Jesus took a child, set him in the midst of them, and took him up into His arms, saying to them, Whosoever receives one of such children in My name, receives Me;" (Mark 9:36, 37.) where, by a "child," is here represented innocence, which, "whoever receives," receives the Lord, because He is the Source of all innocence.

That to "receive a child in the name of the Lord," is not to receive a child, every one may see; thus it is evident that somewhat celestial was represented by this act. AC 5236.

Verse 37. Receives Him that sent Me.—The Lord, as to the Divine Human, is called an Angel or the Sent, for "angel" in Hebrew signifies the sent. This is evident from many passages, as in Mark 9:37, &c. AC 6831.

Verse 40. He that is not against us is for us. — That the Lord's disciples are hated by all those who do not think of His Divinity at the same time that they think of His Humanity, cannot be known from those who are in the world, but from the same in the other life, where they burn with such hatred against those who approach the Lord alone, as cannot be described in a few words, desiring nothing more than to slay and to murder them. The reason is, because all who are in the hells are against the Lord, and all who are in the heavens are with the Lord; and they who are of the church, and do not acknowledge the Divinity of the Lord in His Humanity, act in unity with the hells, whence they derive so great hatred. AE 137.

Verse 41. For whoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you are of Christ, verily I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.—In the Word frequent mention is made of a "cup" or chalice, and by it is signified, in the genuine sense, spiritual truth, that is, the truth of faith which is grounded in the good of charity, the like as by "wine;" and in the opposite sense, the false principle productive of evil, and likewise the false principle derived from evil. The reason why a "cup" signifies the like as "wine," is, because a cup is the continent, and wine is what is contained, and hence they constitute one, and thus one is understood by the other. That such is the signification of a "cup" in the Word, is evident from the following passages:—" Jehovah, You shall prepare before me a table in the presence of my foes: and You shall make fat my head with oil; my cup shall overflow;" (Psalm 23:5.) where to "prepare a table," and to "make fat the head with oil," denotes to be gifted with the good of charity and of love; "my cup shall overflow," denotes that the natural principle shall thence be filled with spiritual truth and good. Again,—" What shall I render to Jehovah? I will take the cup of salvation, and will call on the name of Jehovah;" (Psalm 116:12, 13.) where to "take the cup of salvation," denotes the appropriation of the good things of faith. So in Mark,—" Whosoever shall give you to drink a cup of water in My name, because you are of Christ, verily I say to you, he shall not lose his reward;" (Mark 9:41.) where to "give a cup of water to drink in My name," denotes to instruct in the truths of faith, from a little charity. AC 5120.

By "giving to drink a cup of water in My name, because you are of Christ," is signified to teach truth from the love of truth, thus from the Lord; in like manner to do it. The love of truth for the sake of truth, is meant by "giving a cup of water in the name of Christ;" by "Christ" also is meant the Lord as to Divine Truth. AE 960.

In My name.—By the "name" of Jehovah or of the Lord, in the Word, is not meant His name, but all by which He is worshiped; and inasmuch as He is worshiped in the church according to doctrine, by His "name" is meant the all of doctrine, and in a universal sense the all of religion. The reason why these things are meant by the "name" of Jehovah or of the Lord, is, because in heaven no other names are given, but what the quality of any one is, and the quality of God is all by which He is worshiped. Whoever does not understand this signification of "name" in the Word, can understand nothing but name literally, and in that alone there is nothing of worship or of religion. He therefore who keeps in mind this signification of the "name" of Jehovah, as here explained, whenever it occurs in the Word, will understand of himself what is meant by it in the following passages:—" In that day shall you say, Praise Jehovah, call upon His name." (Isa 12:4.) "From the rising of the sun shall My name be called upon." (Isa 41:25.) "In every place incense shall be offered to My name;" (Mal 1:11.) besides many other passages. Who cannot see that the term name alone is not understood. The same is signified, in the New Testament, by the "name" of the Lord, as in the following:—"Jesus said, You shall be hated of all men for My name's sake." (Matt 10:22.) Again,—" Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them." (Matt 18:20.) "They who believe will have life in His name." (John 20:31.) "Hallowed be Your name" (Matt 6:9.) That "name," with others, is the quality of their worship, appears in the following passages:—" The Shepherd of the sheep calls His own sheep by their name." (John 10:3.) "I have a few names in Sardis;" (Apoc 3:4.) and in other passages. AR 81.

He shall not lose his reward.—By these words is meant, that they will receive the delight of heaven, who "give to drink a cup of water in the name of Christ," that is, who from affection hear, receive, and teach truth; because truth and its affection are from the Lord, thus for the sake of the Lord,—consequently also for the sake of Truth, or "because you are of Christ," signifies for the sake of Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord. AE 695.

Inasmuch as few know what is properly understood by "reward," it shall be explained. By "reward" is properly understood that delight, satisfaction, and blessedness, which is contained in the love or affection of good and truth, for that love or that affection has in itself all the joy of heart which is called heavenly joy, and also heaven. The reason is, because the Lord is in that love or in that affection, and with the Lord is also heaven; this joy, therefore, or this delight, satisfaction, and blessedness, is what is properly understood by the reward which they shall receive who do good and speak truth from the love and affection of Good and Truth, thus from the Lord, and by no means from themselves; and whereas they act and speak from the Lord, and not from themselves, therefore the reward is not of merit but of grace. From these considerations it may appear, that he who knows what heavenly joy is, may know also what reward is; what heavenly joy is in its essence, may be seen in the work concerning "Heaven and Hell," HH 395, 414. This, therefore, is signified by the "reward" which is given to those who are in truths from good; but the reward of those who are in falses from evil, is joy or delight, satisfaction and blessedness, in the world, but hell after their departure out of the world. Hence it may appear what is signified by "reward" in the following passages:—Thus in Isaiah,—"Behold, the Lord Jehovah comes in might: behold, His reward is with Him, and the recompense of His work with Him." (Is 40:10.) And in the Apocalypse,—" Behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give to every one as his work shall be." (Rev 22:12.) And again in Isaiah,—"Say to the daughter of Zion, Behold, your Salvation comes; and His recompense before Him." (Is 62:11.) "Behold, the Lord Jehovah comes in might," "Behold, your Salvation comes," and "Behold, He comes quickly," signify the first and second advent of the Lord; "His reward is with Him,"signifies heaven, and all things thereto belonging, as above, inasmuch as where the Lord is, there is heaven, for heaven is not heaven from the angels there, but from the Lord with the angels; that they shall receive heaven according to the love and affection of good and truth from the Lord, is understood by "the recompense of His work before Him," and by "giving to every one according as his work shall be." By the "work" for which heaven shall be given as a reward, nothing else is meant than what proceeds from the love or affection of good and truth, inasmuch as nothing else can produce heaven in man; for every work derives all that it has from the love or affection whence it proceeds, as the effect derives all that it has from the efficient cause, wherefore according to the quality of the love or affection, such is the work;—and hence it may appear what is understood by the "work," according to which it "shall be given to every one," and what by "the recompense of his work." AE 695.

Verse 42. And whoever shall offend one of the little ones that believe in Me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.—A "millstone" denotes truth serviceable to faith; the "neck" denotes the conjunction of interior and exterior principles; to be "hung" there, denotes the interclusion and interception of what is good and true; to be "sunk into the depths of the sea," denotes in the mere worldly and corporeal principle, thus in hell. These things which the Lord spoke, like all the rest, are thus significative. AC 9755. See also AR 791.

By a "millstone" is signified the confirmation of truth from the Word, and likewise the confirmation of what is false, from the same source; and the reason is, because "wheat" signifies the principle of good, and "fine flour" its truth. Hence by a "millstone," by which wheat is ground into fine flour, or barley into meal, is signified the production of truth from good, or the production of what is false from evil, thus likewise the confirmation of what is true or false from the Word, as may be manifest from the following passages:—" I will take away from them the voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of the millstones, and the light of a candle." (Jer 25:10.) In these words is described the joy of heaven and of the church; and by the "voice of joy," is signified exultation of heart grounded in the good of love; and by the "voice of gladness," is signified the glorification of the soul grounded in the truths of faith, for joy in the Word is predicated of good, and gladness of truth; by the "voice of millstones," is signified the like as by the voice of joy; and by the "light of a candle," is signified the like as by gladness, namely, grounded in the truth of faith. The reason why the "voice of millstones" signifies the joy of heart grounded in the good of love, is, because a millstone grinds wheat into fine flour, and by "wheat" is signified the good of love, and by "fine flour" the truth derived from that good. So in the Lamentations,—" They took away the young men to grind at the mill, and the children fell under the wood;" (Lam 5:13.) where to "take away the young men to grind at the mill," signifies to drive those who might be in the understanding of truth, to falsify truths; "children falling under the wood," signifies to drive those who might he in the will of good, to adulterate goods; to "grind," denotes to falsify truths, or to confirm false principles by the Word; "wood" denotes good. And in Moses,—" No one shall take for pledge a mill or millstone: for he takes the soul for pledge." (Deut 24:6.) This was amongst those laws, all of which corresponded to spiritual things. By not "taking for pledge a mill or a millstone," was signified, in the spiritual sense, that no one should take from another the opportunity of understanding truths, from a principle of good, thus that no one should deprive another of goods and truths; inasmuch as these things were signified, therefore it is said, "he takes the soul for pledge," by which is signified, that thus he spiritually perishes. Again,—" All the firstborn in the land shall die, even to the firstborn of the maidservant who is behind the mill;" (Exod 11:5.) where, by the "firstborn of the maidservant who is behind the mill," are signified the primary things of the faith of the natural man, which are falsified. And in Matthew,—" In the consummation of the age, two [women] shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, the other shall be left." (Matt 24:40, 41.) The "consummation of the age," is the last time of the church; by "two [women] grinding at the mill," are meant those who confirm themselves in truths, and who confirm themselves in false principles from the Word; they who confirm themselves in truths, are meant by "her who will be taken;" and they who confirm themselves in false principles, by "her who shall be left." So in the Evangelists,—" Jesus said, Whosoever shall scandalize one of the little ones that believe in Me, it were better for him that an ass-millstone be hung about his neck, and he be cast into the depth of the sea;" (Matt 18:6; Mark 9:42; Luke 17:2.) where, by "scandalizing one of the little ones that believe in Jesus," is signified to pervert those who acknowledge the Lord; by its being "better that an ass-millstone be hung about the neck," is signified that it is better for him not to have known any good and truth, but only what is evil and false,—this is an "ass-millstone;" and to be "hung about the neck," denotes interception lest he should know what is good and true; by being "cast into the depth of the sea," is signified into hell. The reason why this is "better," is, because to know goods and truths, and to pervert them, is to profane them, [and thus to surfer a more direful punishment than if he had not known them.] AE 1182.

Inasmuch as by "millstone" is here signified the truth of the Word adulterated, and by the "sea," hell, therefore the Lord says—"Whosoever shall scandalize one of the little ones that believe in Me," &c. AR 791.

Verse 43. And if your hand offend you, cut it off: it is better for you to enter maimed into life, than having two hands to be cast into hell [gehenna], into the fire that never shall be quenched. — That by the "right eye" and "right hand," the Lord did not mean the right eye and the right hand, must be plain to every one, from this consideration, that it is said that "the eye is to be plucked out," and that "the hand is to be cut off, if they should scandalize," but inasmuch as by "eye," in the spiritual sense, is signified all that which is of the understanding, and thence of the thought, and by the "right hand" all that which is of the will, and thence of the affection, it may be manifest that by "plucking out the right eye if it should scandalize," is signified that evil should be rejected from the thought, if it entered into the thought; and by "cutting off the right hand if it should scandalize," is signified that evil should be dislodged from the will, if it entered into the will; for the eye itself cannot scandalize, nor the right hand, but scandal comes from the thought of the understanding, and the affection of the will which corresponds thereto. The reason why it is said the "right eye" and the "right hand," and not the left eye and the left hand, is, because by "right" is signified good, and in the opposite sense evil, but by "left" is signified truth, and in the opposite sense what is false; and all scandalizing comes from evil, but not from what is false, unless grounded in evil. AE 600.

The left eye is the intellectual principle, but the right eye is the affection of that principle; by the "right eye" therefore being "plucked out," is denoted that the affection, if it offend, ought to be subdued. AC 2701.

Verse 45. And if your foot offend you, cut it off: it is better for you to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell [gehenna], info the fire that cannot be quenched.—By the "foot which is to be cut off, if it scandalize," or offend, is meant the natural principle, which continually opposes itself to the spiritual principle,—that it ought to be destroyed if it attempt to infringe truths, and thus that, by reason of the discordance and dissuasion of the natural man, it is better to be in simple good, although in the denial of truth; this is signified by "entering halt into life." That the "foot" denotes the natural principle, may be seen, AC 2162, 3147, 3761, 3986, 4280. AC 4302. See also AR 49.

By being "halt" is signified to be in good, in which as yet are no genuine truths, but only common truths, into which genuine truths may be insinuated. AC 4302.

Verse 47. And if your eye offend you, pluck it out: it is better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into the hell [gehenna] of fire.—By the "eye" is signified the understanding, and the reason is, because the eye corresponds to the understanding; for the understanding sees from the light of heaven, but the eye from the light of the world. Those things which the former eye, or the understanding sees, are spiritual, arid the field of its view is the scientific principle which is in man's memory; but the things which the external eye sees, are terrestrial, and the field of its vi