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Matthew Chapter 13

Chapter XIII.

1. But in that same day Jesus going forth from the house, sat near the sea.
2. And many multitudes gathered together to Him, so that going up into a ship, He sat; and all the multitudes stood on the shore.
3. And He spoke to them many things in parables, saying, Behold, there went out a sower to sow;
4. And in his sowing, some [seeds] fell by the way-side, and the birds came, and devoured them.
5. But other [seed] fell upon stony [places], where it had not much earth, and immediately it sprung up, because it had no depth of earth:
6. But when the sun arose, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
7. But others fell among thorns, and the thorns sprung up, and choked them.
8. But others fell upon the good earth, and yielded fruit, some an hundred, and some sixty, and some thirty.
9. He that has ears to hear, let him hear.
10. And the disciples coming, said to Him, Why speak you to them in the parables?
11. But He answering said to them, Because to you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of the heavens; but to them it is not given.
12. For whoever has, to him shall be given, and he shall have abundance; but whoever has not, even what he has shall be taken away from him.
13. On this account I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, neither understand.
14. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which says, By hearing you shall hear and shall not understand, and seeing you shall see and shall not perceive.
15. For the heart of this people is become gross, and with their ears they hear heavily, and their eyes have they blinked, lest at any time they should sec with the eyes, and hear with the ears, and understand with the heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.
16. But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear.
17. For verily I say to you, That many prophets and just [men] have desired to see what you see, and have not seen; and to hear what you hear, and have not heard.
18. Hear you therefore the parable of the sower.
19. When any one hears the Word of the kingdom, and understands not, the evil [one] comes, and seizes upon what was sown in his heart; he is it that was sown by the way-side.
20. But that which was sown upon stony places is he that hears the Word, and immediately with joy receives it.
21. But he has not root in himself, but endures for a while; but when tribulation or persecution comes because of the Word, he is immediately offended.
22. But that which is sown amongst thorns, is he that hears the Word, and the cares of this age, and the deceitfulness of riches choke the Word, and it becomes unfruitful.
23. But that sown upon the good earth, is he that hears the Word, and understands, who also bears fruit, and does, some a hundred, and some sixty, and some thirty.
24. Another parable put He forth to them, saying, The kingdom of the heavens is likened to a man sowing good seed in his field.
25. But while the man slept, his enemy came, and sowed tares in the midst of the wheat, and went his way.
26. But when the blade sprang up, and bare fruit, then appeared also the tares.
27. But the servants of the householder coming, said to Him, Lord, didst You not sow good seed in Your field? Whence then has [it]the tares?
28. But He says to them, An adversary man has done this. But the servants said to Him, Will You then that we go and gather them together ?
29. But He said, Nay, lest whilst you gather together the tares, you root up the wheat together with them.
30. Let both grow together until the harvest, and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but bring together the wheat into My barn.
31. Another parable put He forth to them, saying, The kingdom of the heavens is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man taking sowed in his field:
32. Which indeed is the least of all seeds; but when it is grown, it is greater than herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the heaven come, and make their nests in the branches thereof.
33. Another parable spoke He to them: The kingdom of the heavens is like leaven, which a woman taking hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.
34. All these things Jesus spoke to the multitudes in parables; and without a parable spoke He not to them.
35. That it might be fulfilled which was declared by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will pour forth things which have been hidden from the foundation of the world.
36. Then dismissing the multitudes, Jesus came into the house, and His disciples came to Him, saying, Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.
37. But He answering them, said to them, He that sows the good seed is the Son of Man.
38. But the field is the world, and the good seed, they are the sons of the kingdom; but the tares are the sons of the evil [one]:
39. The enemy that sows them is the devil: the harvest is the consummation of the age, and the reapers are the angels.
40. As therefore the tares are gathered together, and burned in the fire, so shall it be in the consummation of this age.
41. The Son of Man shall send His angels, and they shall gather together out of His kingdom all things that give offence, and them that do iniquity.
42. And shall cast them into the chimney of the fire; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
43. Then shall the just shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He that has ears to hear, let him hear.
44. Again, the kingdom of the heavens is like treasure hid in the field, which a man finding, hides, and for joy thereof goes away, arid sells all that he has, and buys that field.
45. Again, the kingdom of the heavens is like a man, a merchant, seeking beautiful pearls;
46. Who finding one pearl exceedingly precious, went, and sold all that he had, and bought it.
47. Again, the kingdom of the heavens is like a net cast into the sea, and bringing together of every kind;
48. Which, when it was full, they drew to the shore, and sitting down, gathered the good into vessels, and cast the bad out.
49. So shall it be in the consummation of the age: the angels shall come forth, and shall sever the evil from the midst of the just.
50. And shall cast them into the chimney of the fire; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51. Jesus says to them, Have you understood all these things? They say to Him, Yea, Lord.
52. But He says to them, Therefore every scribe instructed to the kingdom of the heavens is like a man, an householder, who puts forth out of his treasure things new and old.
53. And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, He passed thence.
54. And coming into His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence has this [man] this wisdom, and these powers?
55. Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary? and His brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
56. And His sisters are they not all with us? Whence then has this [man] all these things?
57. And they were offended in Him: but Jesus said to them, A prophet is not without honour, except in his own country, and in his own house.
58. And He did not many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.

EXPOSITION.

Chapter XIII.

verses 1, 2. Jesus sat near the sea, &c. - As all things in the Old Testament contain in them a spiritual sense, so likewise do all things in the New Testament contained in the Gospels and in the Apocalypse; all the Lord's words, likewise, and also His deeds and miracles, signify Divine-celestial things, by reason that the Lord spoke from the divine,and from the divine He worked works and miracles, thus from first [principles] by last, and thereby in fullness. Hence it may be manifest that the Lord's sitting near the sea, and teaching from a ship, were significative, because by the sea, when the subject treated of is concerning the Lord, are signified the knowledges of truth and good in every complex, and by a ship, doctrinals are meant; hence His teaching from a ship signified that He taught from doctrine. AE 514.

Verses 3-9. Behold a sower went forth to sow, &c. - The sower, in this passage, is the Lord, and the seed is His Word, thus truth; the seed by the way-side, appertains to those who have no concern about truth; the seed upon stony [places] appertains to those who have a concern about truth but not for its own sake, thus not interiorly; the seed in the midst of thorns appertains to those who are in the cravings of evil; but the seed in the good earth, appertains to those, who, from the Lord, love the truths which are in the Word, and from Him do them, thus bear fruits. From these considerations it is evident that the truth of the Word cannot be rooted with those who have no concern about truth, nor with those who love truth exteriorly but not interiorly, nor with those who are in the concupiscences of evil; but with those with whom the cravings of evil are shaken off by the Lord: with these latter the seed is rooted, that is, truth in their spiritual mind. DLife90.

The subject treated of in the above 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, thus the truth which is said to be of faith, and that the good earth is the good which is of charity, is evident, for good in man is what receives the Word; the hard way, is the false principle; the stony, is the truth which has not any root in good; thorns are evils. AC 8310.

By seeds are signified truths from the Word, or which man receives from the Lord, for it is said afterwards, that the Son of Man is He who sows; by stony [places], is signified historical faith, which faith is the faith of another in a man's self, for he believes a thing to be true, not because he sees it in himself, but because another, in whom he confides, has so said; by ground, is signified spiritual good, because this receives truths as the ground does seeds; by the rising of the sun, is signified the love of self; and by being parched and withering away, is signified to be adulterated and to perish. Hence it is evident what is signified by the above words of the Lord in a series, namely, that truths, implanted from infancy out of the Word, or by preaching, when man begins to think from himself, are adulterated and perish by the cravings derived from self-love;all things, indeed, which are in the Word are truths, but they are adulterated by the ideas of the thought concerning them, and by the application of them, whence truth with such persons are not truths except as to the mere utterance of them; the reason of this is, because all the life of truth is from spiritual good, and spiritual good resides in the superior or interior mind, which is called the spiritual mind; this mind cannot be opened with those who are in the love of self, for such look to themselves in every thing; if they elevate their eyes to heaven, still the thought of their spirit is nevertheless intuitively fixed in self, which from the fire of its own glory, excites the sensual, external, and corporeal principles, which have been taught from childhood to imitate such affections as appertain to the spiritual man. AE 401. See also AE 411.

Unless the rational principle submits itself to the goods and truths of the Lord, then it either suffocates or rejects, or perverts the things which flow in, and still more when they flow in into the sensual scientifics of the memory; this is signified by the seed falling either by the way-side, or upon stony [ground], or amongst thorns; but when the rational principle submits itself, and believes the Lord, that is, His Word, then it is as good ground or earth, into which the seed falls and bears much fruit. AC 1940.

The birds came and devoured them.-The Lord compares the phantasies and persuasions of the false to birds [or birds], where He says, speaking of the seed sown, that the birds of heaven devoured it, where the birds of heaven denote nothing else but falses. AC 778. See also AC 5149.

Verse 4. Those who are in falses, and especially those who are in evils, are said to be bound and in prison; not that they are in any bonds, but because they are not in freedom; those who are not in freedom being interiorly bound; for those who have confirmed themselves in what is false are no longer in anv freedom of choosing and accepting the truth, and those who have much confirmed themselves therein, are not even in freedom to see it, still less to acknowledge and believe it, for they are in the persuasion that what is false is true. So powerful is this persuasion that it takes away all freedom of thinking any thing else, consequently it holds the thought itself in bonds, and as it were in a prison. This I had much opportunity of being convinced of experimentally from those in the other life who have been in a persuasion of the false by confirmations in themselves; they do not at all admit truths, but reflect or strike them back again, and this with an obstinacy proportioned to the degree of persuasion, especially when the false is grounded in evil, or when evil has persuaded them. These are those who are meant in the Lord's parable in Matthew 13:4, where it is said, "Other seeds fell upon the hard way, and the birds came and devoured them." The seeds are truths Divine; a hard rock denotes persuasion; birds are principles of the false. AC 5096.

Verse 9. Who has ears to hear, let him hear. See Exposition, chap. 11:15.

Verse 12. For whoever has, to him shall be given, &c. - All who have procured to themselves intelligence and wisdom in the world are accepted in 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 be 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 who has, shall be given," &c.HH 849.

In the other life, falses are removed from those who are in truths derived from good, and truths are removed from those who are in falses derived from evil; thus they who are in truths derived from good are elevated into heaven, and they who are in falses from evil, sink down into hell; and when they are in hell, they are in terror and consternation on account of truths derived from good, in which the angels are principled from the Lord. That such a state awaits those who are in falses derived from evil, and those who are in truths derived from good, the Lord teaches in those words, "Whosoever has, to him shall be given," &c. AC 9830.

The scientifics of truth and good, which appertain to those of the church, who have known. the arcana of faith, and yet have lived a life of evil, are transferred to those who are of the spiritual church; and this was represented by the Divine command, that the Sons of Israel should borrow of the Egyptians vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and should thus spoil and plunder them, which spoiling and plundering would never have beenn commanded by Jehovah, unless it had represented such things in the spiritual world. AC 7770. See also AC 2449. AE413. DP 17, 227.

A wicked man cannot carry with him goods and truths to hell, neither can a good man carry with him evils and falses to heaven, for this would be to confound heaven and hell together. But it should be carefully observed that they are meant who are interiorly wicked, and interiorly good; for they who are interiorly wicked may be exteriorly good, for they can act and speak like the good, as hypocrites do; and they who are interiorly good may sometimes be exteriorly wicked, for they may exteriorly do evils, and speak falses, but yet they may repent, and desire to be informed of truth; this agrees with what the Lord said: "For whatever has, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance; but whoever has not, from him shall be taken away, even that he has." Matt 13:12. AR 948.

Verses 13-17. Therefore speak I to them in parables, &c. - If the Jews had been instructed in the mysteries of faith, they would have perished everlastingly, because they would have mixed holy things with profane; and this was the reason why the mysteries of faith were not revealed to them, insomuch that it was not openly declared to them that they should live after death, nor that the Lord would come into the world to save them; yea, in so great ignorance and blindness were they kept, and are still kept, that they did not know, nor do they know, that there is an internal man, or that any internal principle is given; for if they had known, and if they now knew, so as to acknowledge, they are of such a quality that they would profane, and thus they would have no hope of any salvation in the other life. AC 301, 302.

Hearing, they hear not. Blessed are your ears, because they hear, &c. - To hear, is here used in every sense denoting to be instructed, also to believe, and to obey; hearing, they do not hear, denotes to be taught, and yet not to believe, also to be instructed and not to obey; with the ears to hear heavily, denotes to refuse instruction, faith, and obedience; blessed are your ears, because they hear, denotes blessedness arising from the reception of the doctrine of faith concerning the Lord, and by the Word from the Lord. AC9311.

They who have separated faith from life, are like those of whom the Lord speaks, when He says, "Seeing, they see not, and hearing, they hear not, neither do they understand. AE 108.

The genuine truth, which is the truth of doctrine, is apparent, in the literal sense of the Word, to those only who are in illustration from the Lord, namely, those who love truths because they are truths, and apply them to the uses of life. It is otherwise with those who read the Word under the influence of the doctrine of a false religion, and especially if they confirm that doctrine from the Word, with a view, at the same time, to self-glory or to worldly wealth; with such persons the truth of the Word is as in the shade of night, and the false as in the light of day; they read the truth, but they do not see it, and if they see its shade, they falsify it; these are they of whom the Lord says that "They have eyes, and see not, and that they have ears, and do not understand, SS 57, 60.

The Word is written according to man's conception, yea, according to his genius and temper; hence it is that the internal and the external senses of the Word differ from each other, as may plainly enough appear from the Word of the Old Testament, where several things are said according to the apprehension and genius of the people who lived at that time; it is on this account that so little mention is made concerning a life after death, concerning eternal salvation, and concerning internal man; for such was the nature of the Jewish and Israelitish people, amongst whom the church at that time was instituted, that if these things had been openly declared, they would not only not have understood them, but would also have derided them; in like manner, if it had been openly declared to them that the Messiah or Christ, would come to save their souls to eternity, they would have rejected this truth as without foundation, as may appear at this day from the same nation, before whom, if any mention be made of any thing internal or spiritual, and that the Messiah shall not be the greatest king on earth, it is derided; this was the reason why the Lord spoke in like manner as His prophets throughout, and somethings by parables, as He Himself says in Matthew 13:13. AC 2520.

Verses 14, 15. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy by Esaias, &c. - Where one God is acknowledged with the lips only, whilst the heart acknowledges three, as is the case with the generality of Christians at this day, God with such persons is little else than a mere name, and the whole system of religion is no otherwise regarded than as an idol of gold enclosed in a shrine, the key to which is in possession of the priests alone; so that whilst they read the Word, they have no perception of any light contained in it, or derived from it, and do not even discern therein that God is one: for the Word with such persons is as if it were covered with blots, by which the unity of God is entirely concealed. These are the persons whom the Lord describes in the Gospel, Matt 13:14, 15. TCR 7.

Verse 16. Blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear. - By eyes, is here signified the understanding and faith of truth, thus by seeing is signified to understand and believe; and by ears, is signified obedience, thus a life according to the truths of faith, and by hearing is signified to obey and live; for no one is blessed because he sees and hears, but because he understands, believes, obeys, and lives. AE 1081. See also AC 2701, 3863.

Verse 17. Many prophets and just [men] have desired to see what you see, and have not seen, &c. - By prophets and just [men], in the spiritual sense, are meant all who are in the truths of doctrine, and in the good of life according to those truths; and by seeing and hearing, are signified to understand and perceive, in this case, the interior truths proceeding from the Lord, for the understanding and perception of these reform man, when man also does them. The reason why interior truths proceeding from the Lord are meant, is, because the Lord, when He was in the world, opened those truths. In the sense of the letter are meant to see and hear the Lord, but whereas the Lord is the Divine Truth Itself in heaven and in the church, consequently, whereas all Divine Truths are from the Lord, and He Himself taught them, and continually teaches by the Word, therefore, by seeing and hearing the Lord, are signified to understand and perceive those truths. AE 624.

Verse 19. Hears the Word of the kingdom.-See Exposition, chap. 6:10.

Verse 21. When tribulation [affliction] comes, &c. - Affliction denotes infestation by falses, the reason is because the mind which is in truths is afflicted by falses, when they combat with each other, nor is spiritual affliction from any other source: this, therefore, is what is signified by affliction in the Word, as in Matt 13:21. AE 47.

Verses 24-30, 36-43. The kingdom of the heavens is likened to a man solving good seed in his field, &c. - Inasmuch as this parable of the Lord contains in it arcana concerning the separation of the evil from the good, and concerning the last judgement, it is of importance that it should be minutely explained. By the kingdom of the heavens, is signified the church of the Lord in the heavens and in the earth, for the church is in both; by the man sowing good seed in his field, is meant the Lord as to Divine Truth, which is the Word, in the church; the man, who in what follows is called the Son of Man, is the Lord as to the Word, the good seed is the Divine Truth, and the field is the church where the Word is; whilst men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares, and went away, signifies that whilst men lead a natural life or the life of the world, then evils from hell secretly, or whilst they are ignorant, insinuate and implant falses; to sleep,signifies to lead a natural life, or the life of the world, which life is sleep in respect to spiritual life which is waking; the enemy, signifies evils from hell, which affect that life separate from spiritual life; to sow tares,signifies to insinuate and implant falses; and his going away, signifies that it was done secretly, and whilst they were ignorant; but when the blade sprang up, and bare fruit, then appeared also the tares, signifies, when truth grew and good was produced, falses from evil were intermixed; the blade springing up, signifies truth, such as it is when it is first received; fruit, signifies good; tares,signify falses derived from evil, in this case, intermixed; the servants of the householder came and said to Him, Lord, did You not sow good seed in Your field? whence then has it tares? signifies those who are in truths from good, perceiving that falses from evil were intermixed, and their making complaint; the servants of the householder, signify those who are in truths from good; the householder, signifies the Lord as to truths from good; the good seed, the field, and the tares, signify the same things as above; and He said to them, An enemy has done this, signifies that those falses were from evil in the natural man; but the servants said to Him, Will you then that we go and gather together the tares? signifies the separation and ejection of falses derived from evil, before the truths derived from good are received and increased; but He said, Nay, lest whilst you gather together the tares, you root up the wheat together with them, signifies that thus truth derived from good, and its increase, would also perish, for with the men of the church truths are intermixed with falses, which cannot be separated and cast out, until they are reformed. Let both grow~ together until the harvest, and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn, but bring together the wheat into My barn, signifies that the separation of falses derived from evil, and their ejection, cannot be effected until it is the last state of the church: for then the falses of evil are separated from the truths of good, and the falses of evil are delivered to hell, and the truths of good are conjoined to heaven, or, what is the same thing, the men who are in them; these things are done in the spiritual world, where all who are of the church, from its beginning to its end, are in such a manner separated and judged; by harvest, is signified the end or last state of the church; by binding in bundles, is signified to conjoin together the particular species of falses derived from evil; by burning,is signified to be delivered to hell; and by bringing together into the barn, is signified to be conjoined with heaven. He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, signifies Divine Truth from the Lord; the field is the world, signifies the church everywhere ; the seed are the sons of the kingdom, signifies that the Divine Truth is with those who are of the church; the tares are the sons of the evil one, signifies falses with those who are in evil; the enemy who sows them is the devil, signifies that they have falses from evil, which is from hell; the harvest is the consummation of the age, signifies the last time and state of the church; the reapers are the angels, signifies that Divine Truth from the Lord separates; the Son of Man shall send His angels who shall gather together out of His kingdom the things that give offence, signifies that Divine Truths from the Lord are about to remove those who shall hinder separation; they who do iniquity, signifies that they are those who live in evil; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire, signifies into hell, where they are who are in self-love, in hatred, and in revenge; where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, signifies where there is what is direful arising from evils and falses; then shall the just shine as the sun in the kingdom of their Father, signifies that they who have done the precepts of the Lord will live in heavenly loves, and in the joys thereof, in heaven; they are called just who acknowledge the Lord and do His precepts. AE 911. See also AE 374, 426. AC 29, 7571. L.J. 70. CL J. 10. AE 948. TCR 653, 784.

Verse 25. While men slept, &c. - Inasmuch as watching signifies to receive spiritual life, hence sleeping signifies natural life without spiritual, as such a natural life respectively to the spiritual, is as sleep to watchfulness. This is signified by sleeping, in Matt 13:24, 25.

Verse 30. Let both grow together, &c. - They who come into another life, are all brought back into a life similar to that which they lived in the body; and afterwards, with the good, evils and falses are separated, that by goodnesses and truths they may be elevated of the Lord into heaven; but with the wicked, goodnesses and truths are separated, that by evils and falses they may be conveyed to hell, according to the Lord's words in Matthew 13:30, 39, 40. AC 2449.

Verse 31. The kingdom of the heavens is like a grain of mustard seed, &c. - By a tree from a grain of mustard seed, is signified the man of the church, and also the church, beginning from a little spiritual good by truth; for if only a little of spiritual good has taken root in man, it grows as seed in good ground; and inasmuch as by the tree thence produced is signified the man of the church, it follows that by the birds of the heaven, which make their nests in its branches, are signified the knowledges of truth, and the thoughts thence derived. AE 1100.

With the man who is 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 it is so in the other life to an incredible degree; for so long as man lives in the body, the seed is in corporeal ground, and it is there amongst things 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, when it arises 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 felicities, thus fructify and are multiplied, and thereby increase to eternity, and this from the least seed, as the Lord teaches concerning the grain of mustard seed, which may be sufficiently manifest from the science, intelligence, and wisdom of the angels, which was to them ineffable at the time when they were men. AC 1941.

If by combat against evils, as sins, man has procured to himself any thing spiritual in the world, be it ever so small, he is saved, and his uses grow afterwards, like a grain of mustard seed into a tree, according to the Lord's words in Matt 13:32. C.D.L. 17.

The grain of mustard seed, denoted the good of man before he is spiritual, which is the least of all seeds, because he thinks to do good form himself; 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, as faith is conjoining to love, it becomes greater, and an herb; lastly, when it is conjoined, it becomes a tree, and then the birds of the heavens, which are here truths or things intellectual, make their nests in its branches, which are scientifics. AC 55. See also AC 776, 2057, 9258. TCR 290, 499.

Verse 33. The kingdom of the heavens is like leaven, &c. - By leaven,is signified the false derived from evil; and by meal [or flour], is signified the truth from which good is derived. The ground of the similitude here used, originates in this circumstance, that the purification of truth from the false belonging to man cannot exist without fermentation, so called, that is, without the combat of the false with truth, and of truth with the false; but after the combat has taken place, and truth has conquered, then the false falls down like dregs, and truth becomes purified like wine, which after fermentation grows clear, the dregs falling down to the bottom. This fermentation or combat exists principally when the state belonging to man is turned, namely, when he begins to act from the good which is of charity, and not, as before, from the truth which is of faith; for the state is not yet purified, when man acts from the truth of faith, but it is then purified when he acts from the good which is of charity, for then he acts from the will, but before only from the understanding: spiritual combats or temptations are fermentations in the spiritual sense, for on such occasions falses are willing to conjoin themselves to truths, but truths refuse them, and at length cast them down, as it were, to the bottom, consequently defecate: in this sense is to be understood what the Lord teaches concerning leaven, when He says, "The kingdom of the heavens is like leaven," &c. AC 7906.

The conjunction of good and truth is provided of the Lord, by purification, which is effected by two methods; first, by temptations, and, secondly, by fermentations. Spiritual temptations are nothing else but combats against evils and falses which exhale from hell, and affect; by those combats man is purified from evils and falses, and good is conjoined to truth, and truth to good, with him. Spiritual fermentations are effected by many methods, both in the heavens and in the earth; but in the world it is unknown what they are, and how they are effected; for they are evils and falses together, which being let into societies produce a like effect as leaven put into meal [or flour], and new wine, by which heterogeneous things are separated, and homogeneous things conjoined, and purity and clearness is effected: those fermentations are what are meant by the Lord's words, "The kingdom of the heavens is like to leaven, &c. DP 25.

Verses 37, 38, 89. He that sows the good seed, &c. - Seed denotes faith grounded in charity, concerning which see AC 1025, 1447, 1610, 1941, or what is the same thing, denoting those of the human race who are principled in faith grounded in charity, that is, the spiritual: these are called by the Lord seed, and the sons of the kingdom, Matt 13:37, 38. AC 2848.

The field in which is harvest, in an extended sense signifies the whole human race, or the whole world; in a less extended sense the church; in a sense still less extended the man of the church, and in a less extended sense still, the good which is in the man of the church, for this receives the truths of faith, as a field does seeds. From the signification of field it is evident what is signified by harvest, namely, that in the most extended sense it signifies the state of the whole human race as to the reception of good by truth, in a less extended sense the state of the church as to the reception of the truths of faith in good; in a stricter sense the state of the man of the church as to that reception; and in a still stricter sense the state of good as to the reception of truth, thus the implantation of truth in good. From these considerations it may be manifest what is signified by harvest in the following passages, as in Matthew 13:37, 38, 39.

Verse 42. Shall cast them into the chimney of the fire.-By a chimney of fire, or a furnace, is here meant the hells; the consummation of the age is the last time of the church, when the judgement is; that at that time the evil are to be separated from the good, and the former to be cast into hell, is signified by the angels gathering together all things that give offence, and those who do iniquity, and by their separating the evil from the midst of the just, and casting them into a chimney of fire; hell is called a chimney of fire, because it appears fiery from the loves of self and of the world. AC 1861.HH 570.

There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.-See exposition, chap. 8:12.

Verse 43. Then shall the just shine forth as the sun, &c. - They are called just, in the Word, who love the Lord, that is, from love do His precepts, and they shine, as to the face, with a radiance as from the sun, because the Divine Love of the Lord is communicated to them, and is received by them, by virtue whereof the Lord is in the midst of them, that is, in their interiors, which manifest themselves in the face. AE 401. See also AC 612, 2531, 4007, 9263. HH 348.

Verse 44. The kingdom of the heavens is like treasure hid in a field, &c. - By treasure,is signified the Divine Truth which is in the Word; and by field, is signified the church and its doctrine; and by the man selling whatsoever he has, and buying the field, is signified to alienate the things of his own proprium, and to procure to himself the Divine Truth which is in the church of the Lord. AE 840. See also AC 5886.

Procuration and appropriation are effected spiritually by good and truth: to this correspond the procuration and appropriation which in the world are effected by silver and gold; for in the spiritual sense silver is truth, and gold is good: hence buying signifies appropriation, as in Matt 13:44. AC 5374.

Verse 45. The kingdom of the heavens is like a man, a merchant, seeking beautiful pearls, &c. - By pearls,are signified knowledges, and also truths themselves; and by the one exceedingly precious is signified the acknowledgement of the Lord; and by the man selling all that he had, is signified to alienate all things which are of self-love; and by buying it is signified to procure to himself that Divine Truth. AE 840. See also AC 5886.AR 726, 916. See also AC 2967, where it is shown that a merchant is one who procures to himself the knowledges of truth and good, and thence intelligence and wisdom.

By treasure hid in a field, and by pearls,are signified the truths of heaven, and of the church, and by the one precious pearl, is signified the acknowledgment of the Lord; the affection of truths on account of their being truths, is meant by the man going away for joy, and selling all that he had, and buying the field in which the treasure was stored; and by the merchant, in like manner, going away and selling all, and buying the precious pearl. AE 863.

By the kingdom of the heavens, is meant both heaven and the church; by a merchant,are meant they who procure to themselves goods and truths, whereby heaven and the church are attained; by pearls, are signified the knowledges of good and truth, for these knowledges are the truths of the natural man; by one precious pearl, is meant knowledge concerning the Lord, and concerning His Divine principle; by the man's going and selling all that he has, and buying it, is signified that he rejected the proprium, that he might receive life from the Lord. AE 1044.

Verse 47. The kingdom of the heavens is like a net that was cast into the sea, &c. - The separation of the good and the evil, is here likened to a net cast into the sea, which gathered of every kind of fish, by reason that fish signify natural men as to scientifics and knowledges, and they, in the consummation of the age, or the time of the last judgement, are separated from each other, for there are natural good [men] and natural evil [men]; their separation appears, in the spiritual world, as a net cast into the sea, gathering and drawing fish to the shore; this appearance also is from correspondence, wherefore the kingdom of the heavens is likened by the Lord to a net gathering fish; that the separation of the good from the evil so appears, has also been seen by me. AE 513. See also AC 2449. L.J.70.

Verse 49. The angels shall come forth, and shall sever the evil from the midst of the just.-By the just,in the Word, are meant those who have lived according to Divine Order, inasmuch as Divine Order is justice. The justice itself, which by acts of redemption the Lord became, cannot be ascribed, inscribed, adapted, and conjoined to man, otherwise than as light to the eye, sound to the ear, will to the muscles of the agent, thought to the lips of the speaker, air to the respiring lungs, heat to the blood, and so forth, which flow in, and adjoin themselves, rather than conjoin themselves, as every one perceives from himself. But justice is acquired so far as man exercises justice, and he exercises justice so far as he acts with his neighbour from the love of what is just and true. TCR 96. Verse 54. Whence has this [man] this wisdom, and these powers?-In all the particulars of the Word, there is the marriage of good and truth, and there are words which have relation to good, and words which have relation to truth; but such words can only be distinguished by those who study the spiritual sense; from that sense it is manifest what word relates to good or love, and what word to truth or wisdom; and from many passages it has been granted to know that honour, virtue, and strength are named, where Divine Good is treated of; that this is the case with virtue,may be seen in Matt 13:54, 24:30; and in other places. AE 373.

TRANSLATOR'S NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS.

Chapter XIII.

Verses 57, 58. A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, &c. And he did not many mighty works there. - The reason why the Lord could not do miracles in His own country, was because they saw Him there from infancy as another man, wherefore they could not add to that idea the idea of His Divinity; and when this latter idea is not presented, the Lord indeed is present, but not with Divine Omnipotence in man, for faith makes the Lord present in man according to the quality of perception concerning Him; every thing that man does not acknowledge, he thereby rejects; for to the intent that the Lord may operate any thing by faith belonging to man, the presence of the Lord's divine must be in man, and not out of him. AE 815.

the serious and intelligent reader will be at once edified and delighted at observing that the several parables contained in this chapter stand in a connected order, as to their internal sense, and thus follow each other in a regular series, expressive of the whole process of regeneration, commencing with the first reception of heavenly truth from the Word, and advancing through all the gradations of its growth to the full maturity of heavenly love and life. Accordingly, the first parable of the sower,describes the first insemination of truth, which is the first step towards the regenerate life. The second parable of the tares of the field, describes the manifestation of evils and falses in consequence of such insemination, which is a second step, and an effect of the first. The third parable of the grain of mustard seed, describes the small increment of heavenly life, whilst man supposes that he does good from himself alone, and not from the Lord, which is a third state in the regeneration. The fourth parable of the leaven, &c., describes the temptations consequent on the reception of heavenly truth and good, which is a fourth state. The fifth parable of

the treasure hid in the field, describes the further effect of the reception of heavenly truth and good, in leading man to renounce his proprium or his own proper life, that he may appropriate the life of heaven, which is signified by selling all that he has, and buying the field, and which is a fifth state. The sixth parable of the merchant-man seeking beautiful pearls, describes the effect of heavenly truth in leading man to the acknowledgement of the Lord as the alone Source of all good and truth, and the consequent renunciation of self-love and its guidance, which is a sixth state. The seventh parable of a net cast into the sea, describes the last effect of the reception of heavenly truth and good, in accomplishing a full and final separation between goods and evils, and between truths and falses, so that goods and truths are brought into conjunction with heaven, whilst evils and falses are cast down into hell, and this is the seventh and last stage of the regenerate life.

Verse 14. Seeing you shall see, and shall not perceive.- Seeing, is here expressed by the term blepo, and perceiving, by eido, whence we may conclude that eido expresses a more interior sight than blepo.

Verse 15. The heart of this people is become gross, &c.- In this verse the Lord again speaks according to a connection of ideas in the internal sense, although they appear unconnected in the literal sense; for the heart is become gross, denotes that the governing love was corrupt and terrestrial; the ears hearing heavily, denotes the consequent want of all sense of heavenly good; and the eyes blinking, denotes the further want of all discernment of heavenly truth.

Verse 17. Have desired to see what ye see, and have not seen.-It is remarkable that the first see, in this passage, is expressed in the original by eido, and the second, by blepo.

Verse 23. He that hears the Word, and understands, who also bears fruit and does.-Another instance here again occurs of the connection of ideas spoken of at verse 15; for to hear the Word, is to be affected with its good; to understand it, is to discern its truth in consequence of being so affected; and to bring forth fruit and do, is to regulate the works of the external man according to such affection and discernment.

Verse 26. When the blade sprang up, and bare fruit.- The Lord here again speaks with reference to the heavenly marriage; for the blade springing up, denotes the growth of heavenly truth in the understanding; and the bearing fruit, denotes the consequent growth of heavenly good in the will.

Verse 28. He said to them.-It is remarkable that what is here rendered He said, is expressed in the original neither by lego nor eipo,but by ephe, from the root phemi, and so again at verse 29; but at verse 30, I will say, is expressed by another term, namely, ero, so that in the original Greek there are four distinct terms to denote the communication of affection and thought, answering to the several degrees of life from which such communication is made, whether divine, celestial, spiritual, or natural. It may be proper, hence, to observe that phemi. and eiro appear to express more interior speech than lego or eipo.

Verse 30. Gather together first the tares; but bring together the wheat, &c. - In the common version of the New Testament, the two Greek expressions here rendered gather together, and bring together, are both of them expressed alike by the term gather; but in the original there is a manifest distinction, the first being expressed by the Greek sullego, and the second by sunago; and though we cannot see what is the precise ground of this distinction, yet we are forced to conclude that it has a ground, and this is the Divine Wisdom Itself.

Verse 41. All things that give offence, and them that do iniquity. - Another instance here occurs of reference to marriage, in this case, to the infernal marriage; for things that give offence, have reference to falses, and they that do iniquity, have reference to evils.

Verse 42. Shall cast them into the chimney of the fire. - What is here rendered chimney,is called furnace in the common version of the New Testament; but the original Greek is kaminon,which, by our enlightened expositor, is rendered caminus, or chimney: (AR 422.) thus it amounts to the same thing as if it had been called the smoke of the fire; for a chimney expresses the same idea as smoke. But smoke, we are informed in the same number (AR 422.) signifies falses; and fire, in a bad sense, as it is here used, signifies the concupiscences of self-love. To be cast, then, into the chimney of the fire, denotes to be left to the dominion of falses grounded in cravings.

Verse 42. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. - See note above at chap. 8:12.

Verse 43. In the kingdom of their Father. - The serious and intelligent reader will here again note another instance of the Lord's continual reference to the heavenly marriage; for the expression kingdom has relation to heavenly truth,as father has relation to heavenly good, thus, both together, to their conjunction.

Verse 46. Went and sold all that he had, and bought it. - Another instance here occurs of the connection of ideas, in the

internal sense, so frequently referred to above, where they appear scattered in the sense of the letter; for went,denotes a life according to truth; sold all that he had, denotes the consequent alienation of evil and the false; and bought it [the field] denotes the appropriation of good and truth. See the same connection at verse 44.

Verse 47. Is like a net, &c. - See note above at chap. iv. verse 18.

Bringing together.-See note above at verse 30.

Verse 48. When it was full, they drew to shore, and, sitting down, gathered the good into vessels, and cast the bad out.-The Lord here again speaks according to a connexion of ideas in the internal sense; for the net being full, denotes an abundance of the scientifics of truth in the understanding; they drew to shore, denotes the application of those scientifics to good of life; sitting down, denotes a state of good thereby acquired in the will or love; gathering the good into vessels, denotes the conjunction of that good with truths; and casting the bad out, denotes the rejection of evils.

Verse 57. In his own country, and in his own house.-In his own country, has relation to truth, and in his own house, to good; therefore both expressions together have reference to the heavenly marriage.

Verse 58. He did not many mighty works there, &c. - The term, in the original, here rendered mighty works, is the same with what occurs at verse 54, whore it is rendered powers. The case is, that the proper idea which it seems intended to suggest is that of power; and to do a power, is the same thing as to bring it into exercise or work; thus it may properly enough be here rendered mighty works, or works of power.