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Matthew Chapter 16

Chapter XVI.

1. and
the Pharisees and Sadducees coming, tempting, asked Him to show them a sign from the heaven.
2. But He answering said to them, When it is evening, you say [There will be] serenity, for the heaven is red;
3. And in the morning, Today [will be] a storm, for the heaven is red, being sad. O you hypocrites, you know how to discern the face of the heaven, but the signs of the time you cannot [discern]:
4. A wicked and adulterous generation requires a sign, and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah. And leaving them, He departed.
5. And when His disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.
6. But Jesus said to them, See you and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
7. But they reasoned in themselves, saying, [It is] because we have not taken bread.
8. But Jesus knowing, said to them, Why reason you in yourselves, O you of little faith, because you have not taken bread?
9. Do you not yet consider, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets (kophinous) you took?
10. Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets (spuridas) you took?
11. How do you not consider, that I said not to you concerning bread, that you should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees?
12. Then they understood, that He did not say they should beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
13. But Jesus coming into the coasts of Caesarea of Philip, asked His disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of Man am?
14. But they said, Some [say that You are] John the Baptist; and some Elias; and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
15. He says to them, But whom do You say that I am?
16. And Simon Peter answering said, You are the, Christ, the Son of the Living God.
17. And Jesus answering said to him, Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood has not revealed [it] to you, but My Father which is in the heavens.
18. And I say also to you, That you are Peter, and on this rock will I build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
19. And I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of the heavens, and whatever you shall bind on the earth, shall be bound in the heavens, and whatever you shall loose on the earth, shall be loosed in the heavens.
20. Then charged He His disciples, that they should say to no one, that He is Jesus the Christ.
21. From that time forth began Jesus to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
22. And Peter taking Him, began to rebuke Him, saying Pity Thyself Lord; this shall not be to You,
23. But He turning said to Peter, Get you behind Me, satan; you are a scandal to Me; because you savour not the things that be of God, but those that be of men,
24. Then Jesus said to His disciples, If any one is willing to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
25. For whoever is willing to save his soul, shall lose it, but whoever shall lose his soul for My sake, shall find it.
26. For what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world, but do hurt to his soul? or what shall a man give a sufficient price of redemption of his soul?
27. For the Son of Man is about to come in the glory of His Father, with His angels; and then shall He recompense to every man according to his doing.
28. Verily I say to you, There are some of those that stand here, who shall not taste of death, until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.

EXPOSITION.

Chapter XVI.

verses 1-4.The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting, desired Him that He would show them, a sign from heaven, &c. - For the distinction between a sign and a miracle, see Exposition, chap. 12:39. By the sign which the Pharisees and Sadducees here asked from heaven, is also meant testification that they might be persuaded and believe that the Lord was the Son of God, although miracles were worked, which they did not call signs. The reason why the Lord spoke on the occasion concerning evening, and concerning morning, is because by evening and morning is signified the coming of the Lord, in this case, when the church amongst the Jews was devastated, who had serenity on the occasion, because they did not know Him, and lived securely in falses derived from evil; this is evening. But when they knew Him, and by reason of the falses derived from evils in which they were principled, denied Him, and assaulted, it signifies the morning when there is a storm. Hence it is that the Lord said, "You hypocrites, you know how to discern the face of the heaven, but the signs of the times, namely, His coming, you cannot [discern] :" inasmuch as the nation was wicked and adulterous, namely, was adulterating the Word, therefore He said, that no sign shall be given them. AE 706.

Verse 6. Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.-For the signification of leaven, see Exposition, chap. 3:33.

Verse 8. O you of little faith, &c.-See Exposition 8:10, 13:57, 58, 15:28.

Verses 15-19.1 say also to you, That you are Peter, &c. By Peter,in this passage, is not meant Peter, but the Divine Truth from the Lord; for all the disciples of the Lord together represented the church, and every one ofthem something of the church, Peter the truth of the church, James its good, and John good in acts or works. The rest of the disciples represented the truths and goods which are thence derived, in like manner as the twelve tribes of Israel: hence it is that those three disciples are mentioned in the Word more than the rest. The reason why the Lord said to Peter, "You are Peter, and upon this rock will I build My church," &c, is because on this occasion he confessed, saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God;" which, in the spiritual sense, signifies that He is the Divine Truth; by virtue of which confession Peter represented the Divine Truth from the Lord in the church, wherefore also he is called Petra [a rock], and it is said, "You are Petra; upon this petra [a rock] I will build my church," by which is therefore signified, upon the Divine Truth which is from the Lord, or, what is the same thing, upon truths from good, for upon these the church is built. The reason why the Lord called him Simon Barjona [son of Jona], is because Simon son of Jona signifies truth grounded in good, or faith grounded in charity: and whereas truth grounded in good, or faith grounded in charity, is not given except with those who are in the Divine Truth from the Lord; and Peter now confessed, therefore, he is called Petra [rock], not himself as to person, but as to that Divine Truth, which was of the confession, belonging to him from the Lord. That it was from the Lord, is meant by the Lord's words, "That flesh and blood has not revealed it to you, but My Father that [is] in the heavens;" for by the Father in the heavens, is meant the divine inthe Lord, inasmuch as the Father was in Him, and He in the Father, and They were one. John 14:7-11, 10:80, 38. Inasmuch as the hells prevail nothing against the Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord, nor against any man in whom the Divine Truth from the Lord is, therefore the Lord says, "That the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." When the Lord says further, "I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of the heavens, and whatever thou shall bind on the earth, shall be bound in the heavens; and whatsoever you shall loose on the earth, shall be loosed in the heavens," it signifies that they who are in truth grounded in good from the Lord have all power, according to these words, "All things whatsoever you ask praying, believe that you shall receive, and it shall be done to you," Mark 11:24; Matt 7:8; Luke 11:9; which words are thus to be understood, that if they ask from the faith of charity, they do not ask from themselves, but from the Lord, for whatever any one asks from the Lord, and not from himself, he receives. AE 411.

I have discoursed with some Roman Catholics concerning the keys given to Peter, asking them whether they believe that the Lord's power over heaven and hell was transferred to him? They vehemently insisted that it was, saying that there could be no doubt of it, because it is expressly said so: but on being asked further, whether they knew that in every particular of the Word there is a spiritual sense, which is the sense of the Word in heaven, they said at first that they did not know; but afterwards they said they would enquire, and when they enquired, they were instructed that there is a spiritual sense in every particular of the Word, which differs from the sense of the letter, as what is spiritual differs from what is natural; and further, they were instructed, that not any person named in the Word is named in heaven, but that instead thereof something spiritual is there understood. They were lastly informed that instead of Peter, in the Word, is meant the truth of the faith of the church which is grounded in the good of charity, in like manner by a rock [petra], which is named at the time with Peter, for it is said, "You art Peter, and upon this rock [petra] I will build My church," by which words is not meant that any power was given to Peter, but to truth which is grounded in good, for all power in the heavens belongs to truth grounded in good, or to good by truth. And whereas all good and truth are from the Lord, and not in the least from man, therefore all power belongs to the Lord. On hearing these things, they said, with indignation, that they wished to know whether such a spiritual sense is in the above words, wherefore the Word which is in heaven was given them; in which Word there is not the natural sense but the spiritual, because it is for the angels who are spiritual; (that such a Word is in heaven, see the Treatise on Heaven and Hell, HH 259, 261) and when they read it, they saw manifestly that Peter is not there named, but in his place, truth grounded in good which is from the Lord. On seeing this, they rejected it with anger, and would almost have torn it in pieces with their teeth, unless it had been taken away at that instant: hence they were convinced, though they were not willing to be convinced, that the Lord alone has that power, and that no man has the smallest portion of it, because it is a Divine Power. LJ 57.

Into what mistakes they fall who abide in the literal sense alone, without searching out the internal sense from other passages, where it is explained, may appear manifest from the number of heresies which have sprung up in all ages of the church, and which are each of them confirmed by their respective favorers from the literal sense of the Word; especially from that grand heresy, which the wild and infernal love of self and the world has broached from the words of the Lord to Peter, "I say to you that you are Peter," &c. They who strain the literal sense, suppose that these words were spoken of Peter, and that he had this great power given to him; when yet it is well known that Peter was a very plain simple man, and that he in no case exercised such a power, and that to exercise it is contrary to what is Divine. Nevertheless, under the impulse of a wild and infernal love of self and of the world, in consequence whereof they would arrogate to themselves the highest power on earth and in heaven, and make themselves gods, some explain this according to the letter, and are vehement in defence of such explanation: when yet the internal sense of the above words is, that essential faith in the Lord, which has place with those only who are principled in love to the Lord, and in charity towards their neighbour, has that power, and still not faith, but the lord from whom faith is derived. By rock[petra] is here meant that faith, as in other passages throughout the Word; on it the church is built, and against it the gates of hell do not prevail ; and to that faith belong the keys of the kingdom of the heavens; it shuts heaven, to prevent the entrance of evil and false principles, and it opens heaven for goods and truths; such is the internal sense of the above words. The twelve apostles, like the twelve tribes of Israel, represented nothing else but all the things belonging to such faith; Peter represented faith itself, James charity, and John works of charity. (See preface to chap. viii. of Gen) In like manner as Reuben, Simeon, and Levi, Jacob's first born, in the representative Jewish and Israelitish church, as is manifest from a thousand passages in the Word; and inasmuch as Peter had relation to faith, therefore the above words were spoken to him. Hence it is evident into what darkness they cast themselves, and others along with themselves, who explain all things according to the letter, as in the instance of the above words to Peter, whereby they derogate from the Lord, and arrogate to themselves, the power of saving mankind. AC Preface to chap. xxii. Gen (AC 2760) See also AC 4368, 4738, 8304, 8581, 10283, 10483. AE 789.TCR 224, 342.

Verse 17. Blessed are you Simon Barjona.-Inasmuch as Simeon signifies obedience, he also signifies faith, for faith becomes faith in man when he obeys and does the precepts. Before this is the case, the knowledge of such things as he has derived from the Word, from the doctrine of the church, and from preaching, appears as faith, but it is not faith until he does them, previous to which it is only of the thought derived from the memory, in which there is nothing of the will, consequently nothing of the man, for the will is the man himself; wherefore, when man does the precepts, or obeys them, then they enter the will, or the man himself, and become faith. This faith, which is obedience, is also signified by Peter when he is named Simon, and the faith which is the affection of truth when he is named Simon son of Jonah, as in Matt 16:17-19, seq.; Mark 1:16, 18, 36; 14:37, 38; Luke 5:3-11; 7:40, 43; 22:31-33, seq.; 24:34; John 1. 41, 42; 21:15-22. Inasmuch as by Simeon, in the Hebrew tongue, are signified hearing and hearkening, and thence obedience; as was said above, and by Barjona[or the son of Jona], is signified truth grounded in good, but by Peter truth itself, therefore sometimes he is called by the Lord, Peter, sometimes Simon Peter, and sometimes Simon son of Jona. That such things are signified by those names may be manifest to every one from this consideration, that he is named by the Lord, at one time, Peter, at another time, Simon, at another, Son of Jona, which was not done without cause and signification; the very discourse to him at the times makes this manifest, as when he confessed that the Lord was the Son of God, and on this account the keys of the kingdom of the heavens were given to him, he is called Simon son of Jona. In like manner he is called Simon son of Jona, when the Lord said to him, Love you Me? and he replied, I love You; but presently when he turned himself away from the Lord, and was indignant that John, by whom is signified the good of charity, followed Jesus, he is called Peter; (John 21:15-21.) by Peter on this occasion is signified truth without good, or faith separate from charity. From these considerations it may be manifest that the like is signified by Simon, when Peter is so named, as by Simeon the son of Jacob, namely, obedience, the faith of charity, the affection of truth, and, in general, truth grounded in good; for Simon, in the Hebrew tongue, signifies hearing, hearkening, and obedience; and Jona, in the same tongue, signifies a dove, which, in the spiritual sense, signifies the good of charity; and the son of Jona, signifies the truth of that good, or the faith of charity; but a rock [petra], from which the name Peter is derived, signifies truth and faith, and in the opposite sense, the false and no faith. AE 443.

Flesh and blood has not revealed it to you, &c. - By flesh is here meant the proprium of man, and also by blood, as is very manifest. There appertains to man a voluntary proprium, and an intellectual proprium: his voluntary proprium is evil, and his intellectual proprium is the false thence derived; the former, viz.. the voluntary proprium, is signified by the flesh of man, and the intellectual proprium by the blood of that flesh. AC 10283. See also AE 329.

Verse 18. Upon this rock will I build My church, &c.- By rock [petra], in this passage, as in other passages in the Word, is meant the Lord as to Divine Truth, and also Divine Truth from the Lord. That the truth which Peter here confessed, when he said, "you are the christ, the son of the living god," is a primary truth, and as a diadem upon the head, and as a sceptre in the hand of the body of Christ, is manifest from the Lord's words, that upon that rock He would build His church, and that the gates of hell should not prevail against it. It is manifest also from these words in John, "Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwells in him, and he in God." 1st Epist 4:15. TCR 379. "Gates of Hell." See AE 410.

I say to you that you are Peter.-By Peter here, in like manner as by David, is signified in the supreme sense the Divine Truth proceeding from the Divine Good of the Lord: the like is also signified by rock in the Word, where it is mentioned with Peter, and from which Peter has his name. The twelve disciples of the Lord represented all goods and truths of the church in a complex; Peter, truth or faith; James, charity; and John, the works of charity. In the above passage, however, Peter represented faith derived from charity, or truth derived from good, which is from the Lord; because he there Acknowledged the Lord from his heart, saying, "You are Christ, the Son of God." AE 206.

Verses 18, 19. What is meant by ability appertaining to truth from good, scarce any one can know who is in the world; but it is known to those who are in the other life, thus by revelation thence. They who are in truth from good, that is in faith from charity, are in ability by truth from good; in this ability are all the angels; whence also, in the Word angels are called abilities or powers, for they are in the ability of restraining evil spirits, even one angel, a thousand together; they exercise their ability chiefly with man by defending him occasionally against several hells, and this by a thousand and a thousand methods. This ability they have by the truth of faith derived from the good of charity; but inasmuch as they have faith from the Lord, therefore it is the Lord alone who is the ability belonging to them. This ability which is by faith from the Lord, is meant by the Lord's words to Peter, "Upon this rock will I build My church," &c., Matt 16:18, 19. These things were said to Peter, because by him was represented faith. AC 6344.

Verse 19. Whatsoever you shall bind on earth, &c. - The Divine Truth, which is meant by the rock upon which the Lord would build His church, is what Peter confessed on the occasion, which was, "you are the christ, the son of the living god." By the keys of the kingdom of the heavens, which are, that whatever that rock, which is the Lord, bound on earth, shall be bound in the heavens; and whatever it loosed on the earth, shall be loosed in the heavens, is meant that the Lord has power over heaven and earth, as also He says, Matt 28:18; thus the power of saving men who are in that confession of Peter from the faith of the heart. The Divine operation of the Lord to save men, is from first [principles], by or through ultimates, and this is what is meant by the words, "Whatsoever you shall bind or loose on earth, shall be bound or loosed in heaven;" the ultimates, by or through which the Lord operates, are on earth, and indeed with men: on this account, that the Lord Himself might be in ultimates as He is in first [principles], He came into the world, and put on the Humanity. AR 798.

It appears from the letter as if that power was given to Peter, when nevertheless no power was given to Peter : but it was so said to, him, because Peter signified truth derived from good, which is from the Lord; and truth derived from good, which is from the Lord, has all power, thus the Lord has all power from good by truth. AE 9.

That a key signifies opening, is from appearance in the spiritual world; for in that world there are houses and chambers, also doors by which they enter, and locks and keys by which they are opened, and they all signify such things as are in man; the house itself corresponds to the interiors which are of the mind [animus] and of the mind [mens]; in like manner the chambers, and the doors correspond to the communications which are between the interiors of the mind [mens] and of the mind [animus]; and the key corresponds to admission and opening from one part into the other; in a word, singular the things belonging to the house in which spirits and angels dwell, correspond to singular the things in them. Few of the spirits know this, because few think any thing of correspondence, for being in them, they do not reflect upon them; the case herein is as with man in the world, in that few know the qualities of their affections and thoughts, because they are in them, and hence they do not reflect upon them, when, notwithstanding, they are innumerable, as may appear from analytical particulars which have been discovered by many of the learned, all which are operations of the mind. From what has been said above, it may be known whence it is that a key here is mentioned, and that it signifies admission and opening. It has the like signification in other passages of the Word, as in Matthew; Jesus said, "I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven," Matt 16:19. AE 536.

By the keys of heaven is signified introduction into heaven to all those who are in truths derived from good from the Lord: whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven, signifies that heaven is opened by the Lord to those who are in truths from good from Him, and that it is shut to those who are not: these things are said to Peter; but whereas by Peter is understood truth from good, which is from the Lord, therefore they are said of the Lord, from whom good and truth thence derived proceed, wherefore they were said when Peter acknowledged the Lord for the Messiah on Christ, and for the Son of the living God; moreover, as soon as good is implanted in truths with man, he is conjoined to angels, but so long as good is not implanted in truths, so long heaven is shut to him; for iin such case instead of good he has evil belonging to him, and instead of truths falses. From these considerations, it is evident how sensually they think who attribute such power to Peter, when, nevertheless, that power appertains to the Lord alone. AE 820.

The intellectual principle is what sees evil, and what is seen, this may be restrained and kept in bonds, not from the intellectual principle, but by the intellectual principle from the Lord; for the Lord flows into those things belonging to man which are known to him, but not into those things which are unknown to him. By keeping in bonds, is meant to hold in and restrain; bonds,in the spiritual sense, are nothing else but the affections which are of love, for these are what lead a man, and what restrain him. If the affections of evil lead him, there must be the affections of truth grounded in good, to restrain him. AC 9096. See also AC 2657.

All power is derived from Divine Truth proceeding from the Divine Good of the Lord, hence the angels have power, for the angels are recipients of Divine Truth from the Lord. By the power thence derived, they protect man, removing the hells from him, for one angel prevails against a thousand who are from the hells: this power is what is meant by the keys of Peter, but by Peter, who is there called Petra [a rock] is meant the Lord as to the truth of faith derived from the good of love. AC 10182.

Verse 21. From that time forth began Jesus to show to His disciples, that He must suffer many things, and be killed, &c. - From these words it is manifest that the Lord admitted into Himself temptations, even the last, which was that of the cross, that He might expel from Himself every thing that was merely human, and this until nothing remained but what was Divine. AC 2816.

Verse 23. Jesus turning said to Peter, Get you behind Me, satan, &c. - These things were said by the Lord to Peter, because Peter, in the representative sense, signified faith; and because faith is of truth, and also of what is false, as in this instance, therefore Peter is called satan, for satan denotes the hell whence falses spring. Peter represented faith in each sense, namely, faith grounded in charity, and faith without charity, and faith without charity is the faith of what is false. They, also, who are in faith without charity, are offended at this, that the Lord suffered Himself to be crucified, therefore also the passion of the cross is called an offence; inasmuch as this passion was the last temptation of the Lord and full victory over all the hells, and also the full union of the Divine Itself with the Divine Human, and this is unknown to those who are in the faith of what is false, therefore the Lord said, "You savour not the things which are of God, but the things which are of men," AE 740.

Verses 24, 25, Jesus said, If any one is willing to come after Me, let him deny himself, &c. - -To deny himself, is to reject the evils which are from the proprium. AE 122.

That to go after the Lord, and to follow Him, is to deny self, is evident; and to deny self consists in not being led of self but of the Lord, and he denies himself who shuns and is averse to evils, because they are sins, for when man is averse to evils, he is led of the Lord, inasmuch as he does His precepts not from himself but from the Lord. From which considerations it may be manifest that to follow the Lord is to be led by Him, and not by self, and no one else can be led of the Lord, but he who is not led of self; and every one is led of self who does not shun evils because they are contrary to the Word, and thus contrary to God, consequently because they are sins and from hell. Every one who does not so shun and turn away from evils is led of himself; the reason is because the evil which is hereditary in man constitutes his life, inasmuch as it is his proprium,and until it is removed, he does all things under its influence, thus from himself. But it is otherwise when evils are removed, as is the case when man shuns them because they are infernal, for then the Lord enters with truths and goods from heaven, and leads him. 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 is of his love. Hence it follows that the love or affection of man cannot otherwise be reformed than by the shunning of evils, and by the spiritual abhorrence of them, which is shunning and turning away from them because they are infernal. From these considerations it may now be manifest what is meant by following the Lord whithersoever He goes. AE 864.

By taking up the cross, is meant the enduring spiritual temptations, which have place with those who have faith in the Lord, and live according to His precepts, until they drive away the evil spirits attendant upon themselves, who act as one with their cravings. AE 639.

By loving their lives is signified to love self and the world, for by the lives is signified man's own life, which every one has by birth, which consists in loving himself and the world above all things. Therefore by not loving their lives 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 our neighbour as one's self, Matt 22:35-38; and to be willing to die rather than recede from those loves. The same is signified by these words of the Lord, "He that finds his life shall lose it, and he that loses his life for the sake of Jesus shall find it." Matt 10:39; Luke 17:33. "He that loves his life shall loose it; but he that hates his life in this world, shall keep it until life eternal," John 12:25. Jesus said, "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself; for whosoever will save his life, shall lose it; and whoever shall lose his life for My sake, shall find it: what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul." Matt 16:24, 25. AE 556.

Verse 26. What is a man profited 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 terrestial things, does not comprehend this, for worldly and terrestrial things suffocate and annihilate a belief in life eternal. AC 8939.

What shall a man give a sufficient price of redemption of his soul? -Redemption here denotes deliverance from damnation, whence it may be manifest what is signified by the Lord redeeming mankind, namely, that He vindicated and liberated them from hell, and from the evils and falses which continually rise out thence, and bring man into damnation, and that He continually vindicates them and liberates them. That He has vindicated and liberated, was the effect of His subduing the hells; and that He continually vindicates and liberates, is the effect of his having glorified His Humanity, that is, made it Divine, for by this He keeps the hells continually subdued. AE 328.

Verse 27. Then shall He recompense every man according to his doing. - By works are signified, in general, all things which are of the church, and because all things of the church have reference to love and faith, therefore these, in a spiritual sense, are understood by works. The reason why these things are understood by works, in a spiritual sense, is because every work, or every deed, or every act, which to appearance is done from the body, is not done from the body, but by the body, from the will and thought of man. For not a particle of the body moves itself except from the will and thought; hence it is that by works those things are signified, but not those which appear in the external form. That this is the case, every one also knows who reflects; what person who is wise regards a man from his deeds alone, and not from his will? If he wills well, he loves his deeds; but if he wills evil, he does not love his deeds ; he sees and explains them according to the intentions of his will. Because works or deeds, in the Word, signify specifically those things which proceed from the love or will of man, therefore it is often said in the Word that man shall be judged and rewarded according to his works, where by works are not understood such as they are in the external form, but in the internal, as in Matthew, "The Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father, with His angels, and then will He render to every one according to his works." AE 98. See also Exposition, chap. 12:35, 36.

In this passage by works are not meant works as they appear in the external form, but as they are in the internal form, namely, according to the principle of charity contained in them: this is the only view which the angels have of works. And whereas works are the complex of all things of charity and faith with man, and the life causes charity to be charity and faith to be faith, thus good, therefore the Lord loved John above the rest of the disciples, as he lay on His breast at supper, John 21:20; for by him were represented the goods or works of charity. AC 6073. See also AC 2349.

TRANSLATOR'S NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS.

Chapter XVI.

verse 6.Jesus said, See you, and beware, &c. - In the common version of the New Testament, what is here rendered see you, is expressed by the words take heed, but the original term is orate, which literally means see you, and precedes the second injunction to beware,because it is necessary first to see, before a man can beware. It may be proper to observe further, that to see has respect to the understanding, and to beware to the will as influenced by the understanding, and therefore both expressions conjoined have respect to the heavenly marriage so frequently referred to above.

Verse 9. Do you not consider, neither remember? &c. - Another instance here occurs of reference to the heavenly marriage, according to which the Lord continually thought and spoke; for to consider has respect to the understanding enlightened by truth, and to remember has respect to the will impressed with good.

Verses 9,10. How many baskets you took, &c. - It is remarkable that the baskets mentioned in the ninth verse are in the original called kophinous,whereas those mentioned in the tenth verse are called spuridas, and the same distinction is noted in Mark 8:19, 20. It may be difficult to say what is the precise distinction between the two kinds of baskets, but it is certain that there are two kinds, and that they must needs have a distinct signification adapted to the two distinct miracles of the five loaves amongst five thousand, and the seven loaves amongst seven thousand. Perhaps since the former miracle, namely, the five loaves amongst five thousand, denotes a state of the church less receptive of good than the latter, namely, the seven loaves amongst four thousand, in like manner the kophinoi, or baskets, of the former, may denote a less perfect reception of truth than the spuridas of the latter.

Verse 22. Pity Thyself, Lord.-In the common version of the New Testament what is here rendered pity Thyself, is expressed, be it far from You; but the original is 'Ileos soi, which literally means pity Thyself, and so likewise it is rendered in the margin of the common version.

Verse 24. Let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.-This is another striking instance of the connection of ideas, in the internal sense, according to which the Lord so frequently spoke, although in the letter no such connection appears; for to deny himself, is to shun as sins the evils which are of the proprium; to take up the cross, is to endure the temptations which are the certain consequences of shunning those evils as sins; and to follow the Lord, is to be led of Him, which is the result of the practice of the two former precepts.

Verse 26. What shall a man give a sufficient price of redemption? &c. - This passage is rendered literally from the Latin of the AE 828.