242#“向我买火炼的金子，叫你富足”表示他们必须从主那里为自己获得纯正良善，好叫他们能接受信之真理。这从“买”、“火炼的金子”和“叫你富足”的含义清楚可知：“买”是指获得并归于自己(参看《属天的奥秘》，4397, 5374, 5397, 5406, 5410, 5426节)；“火炼的金子”是指纯正良善，因而来自主的良善，下文很快会解释这一点；“叫你富足”是指能接受信之真理。这就是“富足”的含义，因为“财富”和“财物”表示真理和良善的知识，“富足的或富人”是指那些通过知识处于聪明的人，在此是指那些通过知识处于信的人，此处论述的主题是那些处于唯信教义的人。由此清楚可知，“向我买火炼的金子，叫你富足”表示他们必须从主那里为自己获得纯正良善，好叫他们能接受信之真理。
首先要解释一下当如何理解这一点。前面频繁说明，本身为真理的真理是不存在的，除非它来自良善，因此，本身为信的信是不存在的，除非它来自仁；因为本身为真理的真理是不存在的，除非它里面有属灵生命，只有当它从仁之良善中形成时，属灵生命才在它里面；事实上，真理是良善的形式，良善是真理的存在或本质，因而也是它的生命；良善只来自主，并不来自其它源头。当良善来自主时，来自良善的真理就首先看向主，也看向邻舍及其良善，因为主以良善流入，从良善形成真理，也就是信之真理，并使人的属灵视觉看向祂和邻舍。情况就是这样，这一点可见于《天堂与地狱》(145, 251节)，那里说明：主在前额看天使和世人，他们则通过眼睛看主；原因在于，前额对应于爱之良善，眼睛对应于由此被光照的理解力，因而对应于信之真理。这本书(HH17, 123, 124 142–144, 510节)还说明，在灵界，所有人都转向自己的爱，那些承认主并信祂的人都转向祂，并因此从祂那里接受良善，通过良善在真理上被光照。由此可见，“火炼的金子”所表示的纯正良善唯独来自主。
由于写给该教会天使的信论述了那些照着唯信教义生活的人，还由于那些已经确认该教义，并因此在世上被视为有学问的人能将虚假与真理联系在一起，使该教义看上去就像是真的，所以我被恩准在来世与他们当中的一些人交谈；鉴于那时双方所说的话有助于说明，我想引用它们。那些有学问的人因在世时所持的观点，以为无仁之信是可能的，人可以唯信称义。他们的谈话非常巧妙；他们说，信没有仁是可能的，因为它在仁之前，人通过信而处于良善。他们说：“谁不能相信有一位神，圣言是神性，以及其它类似真理，除非他们认为这些真理不能被人接受和思及？”他们由此得出结论，由于信先于仁，或在它之前，所以信没有仁是可能的；如果情况是这样，那么它必是得救，因为人无法凭自己行善；因此，除非信拯救人，否则所有人都会灭亡。此外，没有信，神也不可能与人同在；而没有神的同在，邪恶就会掌权，没有人会拥有任何良善；他们说，这些事就是唯信称义的意思。但向他们说明，若非同时有仁，就不可能有信；他们称为信的东西无非是每个人首先获得的知识，如：有一位神，圣言是神性，等等；这些知识在人的意愿中之前，并不在他里面，只是在进入他的入口或媒介，也就是他的记忆中；不过，它们在何等程度上在他的意愿中，就在何等程度上在这个人自己里面，因为意愿才是人自己；并且它们在何等程度上在意愿中，就在何等程度上在他的视野，也就是信中。走在前面，并且在属世视觉看来似乎被相信的知识本身在此之前不会成为信的知识。这就是为何被视为信的对知识的这种看见会随着人开始出于意愿邪恶思想邪恶而逐渐从他那里消退，并且死后当他成为一个灵时，也从他那里退出，除非知识已经植根于他的生命，也就是他的意愿或爱。
这一点可通过对比鸟的胃和被称为反刍胃的地上走兽的胃来说明。它们首先将食物收集在这些胃中，然后再逐渐从那里把它取出来吃，从而滋养血液；食物由此变成它们生命的一部分。人的记忆就对应于这些胃；人被赋予记忆，而不是这些胃，因为人是属灵的。他首先将属灵的食物，也就是知识收集到记忆中，然后可以说通过一种反刍，也就是通过思考和意愿把它们提取出来，并归于自己，从而把它们变成他生命的一部分。从这种看似琐碎的对比可以看出，知识若不通过思考、意愿并实行它们而被植入生命，就像留在反刍胃中尚未消化的食物，要么在那里变得腐臭，要么被吐出来。此外，人生命的循环是认识、理解、意愿和实行；因为人的属灵生命始于认识，从认识继续到理解，然后到意愿，最后到实行。由此清楚可知，只要知识在记忆中，它们就只在生命的入口，没有完全在人里面，直到在他的行为中；而且，它们越完全在他的行为中，就越完全在他的理解力和意愿中。
242b.进一步说明，知识的信在变成生命的信之前，纯粹是历史的信，其性质是众所周知的，即：它被相信，是因为别人这么说；这种信在变成人自己的之前，是一种外来的信，或与他同在的别人的信。历史的信还具有另一种品质，也就是说，它就像对未知事物的信，因为有人说必须相信这些事物，哪怕不理解它们；事实上，它们决不可用理解力来探究；然而，属灵的信具有这种性质，真理本身在它里面被看到，因而被相信。在天堂，没有人相信任何真理，除非他看见它，或已经看见它；因为他们说：“谁能相信，一个事物是这样，除非他看见它？或许它可能是假的。”只有恶人才会相信假的东西；因为恶人出于邪恶看见虚假，而善人出于良善看见真理；由于良善来自主，所以出于良善对真理的看见也来自主。天使之所以看见真理，是因为他们所处的天堂之光是从主发出的神性真理；因此，世上所有拥有这光的人都能看见真理。关于天堂之光，这就是它的性质和品质(参看《天堂与地狱》，126–140节)。
然后说明，仁与信行如一体，一起进入人；因此，一个人在何等程度上处于仁，就在何等程度上处于信，因为信本质上就是仁，正如真理本质上就是良善；事实上，当良善存在于形状或形式中时，它就是真理；仁以同样的方式是信，因为良善属于仁，真理属于信。此外，这一个爱那一个，并与那一个结合；因此，这一个不会被赋予，除非那一个与它一起被赋予。这一点可通过人的属于理解力的思维和属于意愿的情感来说明；脱离情感的思考是不可能的，因为思维的真正本质是情感或爱。诚然，人能思考他从教会的教义所知道的一切，却只出于一种属世情感，也就是对荣耀、名声、荣誉或利益的情感或爱来思考；但这种情感不会将思维变成属灵的；这一点只通过仁爱实现，仁爱是属灵的情感本身。当这种情感与知识结合时，它就变成信，然后人在何等程度上处于这种情感，就在何等程度上在思维中看见属于其信、被称为真理的事物，承认它们，因为它们来自他的灵本身，因而来自他的属灵生命本身；这也是那被称为光照的。这就是为何没有人能从圣言中被光照，除非他处于对真理的属灵情感。的确有类似光照的某种东西被赋予那些确认诸如属于唯信教义和因信称义的事物之人；但这种光照是一种愚蠢的光照，因为虚假和真理一样能被确认，如盛行在犹太人和天主教徒当中的一切异端邪说的情形。经过这些确认之后，那些被称为自然主义者，否认神和圣言的神性，以及属于教会的一切之人也有一种类似的光；那些确认唯信和因信称义的人同样是这种情况。确认之光是属世的，不是属灵的，也存在于恶人身上(参看《属天的奥秘》，8780节)。
242c.不过，让我们回到本质上为仁的信。这信不断通过那些确认的事物被完善；因为更多的真理不断凭属灵之光被看见，这些真理都与仁之良善结合，并完善它；人由此拥有最终变成天使般的聪明和智慧。此外，那些只处于信的知识，没有照之生活的人以为，人能很容易接受信，即便在世上不接受，在来世也会接受；他们对自己说：“当我听见并看见事情是这样时，难道我不能相信吗？”但他们大错特错了；因为那些在世上不接受属灵之信的人以后也永远不能接受它，即便他们上千次地听说，并看见它。原因在于，这种信不在人里面，而是在他外面。情况就是这样，这一点可从以下事实清楚看出来：所有从世界来到灵界的人首先受到天使和善灵的接待，并以各种方式被教导；事实上，许多东西都会活生生地展示给他们，展现在他们眼前，但他们仍不接受；因此，他们使自己疏远了天使和善灵，并去往那些缺乏信的人那里。此外，他们还被告知，如果信只通过认识并思想它就能被接受，那么所有人都会接受它，无论恶人还是善人，因而没有人会受到诅咒。仁，也就是属灵的情感，永远无法被赋予任何人，除非他认识真理，通过真理检查自己，接受它们，并照之过一种新生活(可参看AE239节)。
由此可知，信里面没有任何生命，除非在仁在信中的程度内，或也可说，生命只在仁在信中的程度内而在信中；而且，仁在信中到何等程度，人就在何等程度上被主引导；但仁不在信中到何等程度，人就在何等程度上被自己引导；被自己，而不是被主引导的人不能思想良善，更不能意愿并实行本身为良善的良善。从人的自我发出的，无非是邪恶，因为当一个人出于自我思想、意愿并实行良善时，那只是为了他自己和世界，自己和世界是他行事的目的，目的就是那引导他的爱；人无法从他的自我中退出或被提升，除非他在生活的事上仰望主；他以这种仰望与天堂结合，并且主从天堂赋予他一种属灵情感。这些话说完之后，那些与我谈论这个主题的人就被恩准处于属灵之光，这光是这样：真理在这光中能像世上的物体在自己的光中那样看得清清楚楚；然后那些处于唯信和因信称义的人不得不声称情况确是如此。可一旦这光从他们那里被夺走，他们被带回到自己的属世之光中，他们就只能看到，知识的看见就是得救之信；因此，被他们变成其信的一部分的虚假就是真理。当邪恶属于生活时，虚假就变成了信的事。
242d.不过，要回头解释这段经文的话，即“我劝你向我买火炼的金子，叫你富足”，这句话表示他们应当从主那里为自己获得纯正良善，好叫他们能接受真理。现在有待说明，在圣言中，“金”表示爱之良善。这一点可从以下经文明显看出来，玛拉基书：
看哪，我要差遣我的使者，在我前面预备道路；你们所寻求的主，就是你们所仰慕的立约的使者，必忽然来到祂的殿；祂必坐着熬炼和洁净银子，必洁净利未人，炼净他们像金银一样，他们就会凭公义献供物给耶和华。(玛拉基书3:1–3)
这些话论及主的降临。此处说，耶和华要差遣祂的使者，在祂前面预备道路；这使者是指施洗约翰，这是众所周知的。“在我前面”，或在耶和华前面，表示在主的神性本身前面；祂必来到的“殿”表示祂的神性人身。这神性人身也被称为立约的使者，因为世人和天使通过神性人身与神性本身结合，“约”表示结合。“祂必坐着所熬炼和洁净的银子”表示出于良善的真理；“利未人”表示所有处于仁之良善，并由此处于信之真理的人；故经上说：“祂必炼净他们像金银一样。”经上这样说，是因为“金”表示良善，“银”表示由此而来的真理。“凭公义献供物给耶和华”表示出于仁之良善对主的敬拜。“殿”表示主的神性人身(参看AE220a节)；“约”表示结合(参看《属天的奥秘》，665, 666, 1023, 1038, 1864, 1996, 2003, 2021, 6804, 8767, 8778, 9396, 10632节)；“银”表示出于良善的真理(1551, 1552, 2954, 5658节)；“供物”表示爱与仁之良善(4581, 9992–9994, 10079, 10137节)；“公义”论及良善(2235, 9857节)。因此，“凭公义献供物”表示出于爱之良善的敬拜。
撒迦利亚书：
全地中的两分必被剪除而死，三分之一仍必存留。我要使这三分之一经火，熬炼他们，如熬炼银子，试炼他们，如试炼金子。(撒迦利亚书13:8, 9)
“全地”不是指全地，而是指整个教会；“三分之一”也不是指三分之一部分，而是指教会里的一些人。“使它经火，熬炼它，如熬炼银子，试炼它，如试炼金子”表示从邪恶和虚假中洁净他们，以便良善和真理可以被植入。在圣言中，“地”表示教会(参看《属天的奥秘》，662, 1066, 1068, 1262, 1413, 1607, 2928, 3355, 4447, 4535, 5577, 6516, 9325, 9643节)；“三分之一”表示一些(2788节)。上述经文将银和金与真理和良善作对比；但在圣言中，服务于对比的一切事物也都对应，因而表示(参看《属天的奥秘》，3579, 8989节)。由于“火炼的金子”表示从邪恶中洁净的爱之良善，所以经上吩咐：
从米甸人那里取来的金银要经火，从而洁净。(民数记31:22, 23)
“金”表示爱与仁之良善，这一点从以下经文看得更明显；何西阿书：
以色列丢弃良善；仇敌必追逼他。他们用金银为自己制造偶像。(何西阿书8:3, 4)
“用金银为自己制造偶像”表示他们将真理和良善变成虚假和邪恶，这从经上说“以色列丢弃良善，仇敌必追逼他”明显看出来；“仇敌”是指出于邪恶的虚假和出于虚假的邪恶。
约珥书：
推罗和西顿哪，你们与我何干？你们既然夺取我的银、我的金，又将我可爱的宝物带入你们的庙宇，并将犹大的众子和耶路撒冷的众子，卖给希腊的众子，使他们远离自己的边界。(约珥书3:4–6)
“推罗和西顿”表示教会里那些处于真理和良善的知识之人，在此表示那些败坏这些知识，将它们应用于虚假和虚假之邪恶的人；这一点由“你们既然夺取我的银、我的金，又将我可爱的宝物带入你们的庙宇”来表示，“银”表示真理，“金”表示良善，“可爱的宝物”表示源于真理和良善，也就是来自圣言字义的知识；“把它们带入他们的庙宇”表示把它们变成亵渎的敬拜；“他们将犹大的众子和耶路撒冷的众子，卖给希腊的众子”表示他们将一切良善之真理都变成邪恶之虚假；“使他们远离自己的边界”表示远离真理本身。“推罗和西顿”表示教会里那些处于真理和良善的知识之人(参看《属天的奥秘》，1201节)；“犹大的众子和耶路撒冷的众子”表示一切良善之真理，因为 “儿子”表示真理(1729, 1733, 2159, 2623, 2803, 2813, 3373, 3704, 7499, 8897,9807节)；“犹大”表示属天教会(3654, 6364节)；“耶路撒冷”表示有纯正教义的教会(3654, 9166节)；“希腊的众子”表示虚假，因为“希腊”表示处于虚假的各个民族(参看AE50节)。
以西结书：
示巴和拉玛的买卖人以各类上好的香料、各类的宝石和黄金与你交易。(以西结书27:22)
同一先知书：
你靠自己的智慧聪明为自己得了财富，你得了金银收入你的宝库。你曾在伊甸神的园中，各样宝石是你的遮盖，黄金。(以西结书28:4, 13)
这两段经文论述的主题也是推罗，推罗表示教会里那些处于真理和良善的知识或认知之人，如前所述。她的“交易”表示这些知识本身。“示巴和拉玛”也表示那些处于这些知识的人(1171, 3240节)；“香料”表示因源于良善而悦人的真理(4748, 5621, 9474, 9475, 10199, 10254节)；“宝石”表示因源于良善而美丽的真理(9863, 9865, 9868, 9873, 9905节)；“伊甸园”表示由此而来的聪明和智慧(100, 108, 1588, 2702, 3220节)。由于这些事物表示真理和良善的知识，“金银”表示良善和真理本身，还由于一切聪明和智慧都通过它们而获得，所以经上说：“你靠自己的智慧聪明为自己得了财富，得了金银收入你的宝库。”
耶利米哀歌：
黄金何其暗淡无光！最纯的金子何其变质！圣石竟倒在各街头。锡安的众子估计等于纯金；现在竟被视为瓦瓶，就是窑匠之手所作的！(耶利米哀歌4:1, 2)
此处论述的是教会的荒废；变得暗淡无光的“黄金”和变质的“最纯的金子”表示教会的良善；“倒在各街头的圣石”表示由此而来的被歪曲的真理；估计等于纯金“锡安的众子”表示前教会的真理；“瓦瓶，就是窑匠之手所作的”表示源于教义的虚假，也就是自我聪明的生活之邪恶。
以西结书：
我用妆饰打扮你，将镯子戴在你手上，将链子戴在你脖子上。这样，你就有金银的妆饰，你的衣裳是细麻衣、丝绸和刺绣的工。你拿我所给你为装饰的金银器皿，为自己制造形像，与它们行淫。(以西结书16:11, 13, 17)
此处论述的主题是耶路撒冷，耶路撒冷表示教义方面的教会，如前所述。打扮她的“妆饰”表示总体上源于良善的一切真理，和由此而来的聪明(《属天的奥秘》，10536, 10540节)；戴在手上的“镯子”表示具体的源于良善的真理(《属天的奥秘》，3103, 3105节)；戴在脖子上的“链子”表示内层良善和真理与外层良善和真理，或属灵事物与属世事物的结合(《属天的奥秘》，5320节)；“细麻衣”表示纯正真理，“丝”也表示因内层良善而辉煌的纯正真理(5319, 9469节)；“刺绣的工”表示属世人的科学知识(9688节)；与她行淫的“形像”是指感官的谬误，对那些处于虚假的人来说，这些谬误看似真理；“与它们行淫”是指通过谬误建立虚假，或说通过它们得出虚假的结论。“行淫”表示充满虚假(可参看AE141节)。由此清楚可知，本章内容描述了当主刚刚建立教会时，就其品质而言的该教会，以及它的品质后来变成什么样。
以赛亚书：
看哪，我必激起玛代人攻击他们，玛代人并不看重银子，也不喜爱金子；他们的弓必击碎少年人，他们的眼也不顾惜儿子。(以赛亚书13:17, 18)
“玛代人”表示那些反对教会的真理和良善的人；因此，经上论到他们说：“他们必不看重银子，也不喜爱金子。”“银子”是指教会的真理，“金子”表示教会的良善。“他们的弓”表示与真理和良善争战的虚假的教义(《属天的奥秘》，2686, 2709节)；他们必击碎的“少年人”表示那些凭真理而聪明的人(7668节)；他们必不顾惜的“儿子”表示真理本身。
同一先知书：
成群的骆驼并米甸必遮蔽你，他们必都从示巴来到，要奉上黄金乳香，又要宣扬耶和华的赞美。众海岛必指望我，他施的船只将你的众子，连他们的银金从远方一同带来。(以赛亚书60:6, 9)
此处论述的主题是主的降临，“成群的骆驼”表示所有处于真理和良善的知识之人(《属天的奥秘》，3048, 3071, 3143, 3145节)；他们所来自的“示巴”表示这些知识本身所在之地(1171, 3240节)；他们要奉上的“黄金乳香”表示良善和源于良善的真理，它们因此令人愉悦，“黄金”是指良善，“乳香”是指真理(9993, 10177, 10296节)；必指望祂的“众海岛”表示处于神性敬拜，但离教会的真理更远的各民族(1158节)；“他施的船只”表示包含许多具体知识的总体的真理和良善的知识或认知(1977, 6385节)；他们必从远方带来的“众子”表示更远的真理，“儿子”表示真理，如前所述，“从远方”表示更远的(1613, 9487节)；与他们在一起的“他们的银金”表示与他们同在的真理和良善的知识。
242e.下面这段经文所表相同：
从东方来到基督所生之地的智者或博士献上黄金，乳香，没药为礼物。(马太福音2:11)
他们献上这些东西，是因为它们表示良善和真理，包括内层的和外层的，这些良善和真理是讨神喜悦的礼物。
诗篇：
众王都要在祂面前下拜；所有民族都要服侍祂。祂要拯救贫穷人的灵魂。他们要存活，祂要把示巴的金子赐给他们。(诗篇72:11, 13, 15)
此处论述的也是主的降临；都要在祂面前下拜的“众王”和都要服侍祂的“民族”表示所有处于源自良善的真理之人；“王”表示那些处于真理的人(参看AE31节)；“民族”表示那些处于良善的人(参看AE175a节)；祂要拯救的“贫穷人”表示那些未处于良善和真理的知识，却渴望它们的人(AE238节)；祂要赐给他们的“示巴的金子”表示主将要通过知识把他们所引入的爱之良善；至于“示巴”表示什么，可参看刚才的内容。
哈该书：
我必搅动所有民族，使他们，就是所有民族中上好的，都来到，我就使这房屋满了荣耀。银子是我的，金子也是我的。这后起房屋的荣耀必大过先前的荣耀。(哈该书2:7–9)
这些话也论述了主的降临；“民族”表示那些处于良善，并由此处于真理的人；“房屋”表示教会(《属天的奥秘》，3720节)；它将充满的“荣耀”表示神性真理(4809, 5922, 8267, 8427, 9429节)；“银子是我的，金子也是我的”表示真理和良善唯独来自主。
撒迦利亚书：
周围所有民族的财物，连大量金银衣服，必一同被收聚。(撒迦利亚书14:14)
“所有民族的财物”表示知识，无论它们在哪里，甚至在恶人那里；“大量金银衣服”表示良善和真理，包括属灵的和属世的。当以色列人离开埃及人时，他们从埃及人那里所借的金、银和衣服(出埃及记3:22; 11:2, 3; 12:35, 36)所表相同。至于这种事为什么会发生，它涉及什么，可参看《属天的奥秘》(6914, 6917节)，那里说明：这是为了代表恶人所拥有的东西必从他们那里被夺走，并给予善人，正如主在马太福音(25:28, 29)和路加福音(19:24, 26)所说的；他们要藉着那不义的玛门(即钱财)结交朋友，正如主在路加福音(16:9)中所说的。“不义的玛门或钱财”表示在那些不正当地拥有真理和良善的知识之人那里的这些知识，他们就是那些没有将它们应用于生活的人。
诗篇：
王的女儿在你的尊贵人当中；王后佩戴上好的俄斐金，站在你右手边。王的女儿在宫里极其荣华，她的衣服是用金线绣的。(诗篇45:9, 13)
这段经文论述了主；“王的女儿”表示处于对真理的情感的教会，这由王的女儿在她的尊贵人当中来描述；她们，即王的女儿表示对真理的情感本身；“王后佩戴上好的俄斐金，站在你右手边”表示主的属天国度，该国度处于爱之良善；“她的衣服是用金线绣的”表示它的真理来自良善。
马太福音：
耶稣对祂差出去传福音的门徒说，腰袋里不要带金银铜钱。(马太福音10:9)
这句话代表他们将没有来自他们自己，只有来自主的良善和真理，一切都会白白赐给他们。由于“金”表示爱之良善，所以：摆放陈设饼的桌子包上金子 (出埃及记25:23, 24)；香坛同样包上金子，它因此被称为金坛(出埃及记30:3)；出于同样的原因，灯台是用纯金做的(出埃及记25:31, 38)；基路伯也是(出埃及记25:18)；出于同样的原因，约柜里外包上金子(出埃及记25:11)；耶路撒冷圣殿中的许多东西都是这种情况。因为约柜所在的会幕，基路伯，摆放陈设饼的桌子，香坛，灯台都代表天堂，圣殿也代表天堂；因此，其中的金子表示爱之良善，银子表示源于良善的真理。
由于圣殿中的金子代表天堂最神圣的事物，所以：
当伯沙撒用从那殿中所掠的金器饮酒，同时赞美赞美金，银，铜，铁，木，石所造的神时，墙上就显出字来，即数算，称量，分裂；当夜他就被杀了。(但以理书5:2等)
这表示对良善的亵渎。
此外，在圣言中，就反面意义而言，“金”表示自我之爱的邪恶，“银”表示由此而来的虚假，如在摩西五经：
他们不可垂涎列族的银和金，因为它们是可憎的，也不要把它们带进家去，不然，他们就会受到诅咒，因为它们是可憎恶的。(申命记7:25, 26)
后面我们会谈到“金”和“银”的这种含义。
242. To buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be enriched. That this signifies to procure to themselves genuine good from the Lord that they may receive the truths of faith, is evident from the signification of buying, as denoting to procure and appropriate to themselves (concerning which see Arcana Coelestia 4397, 5374, 5397, 5406, 5410, 5426); and from the signification of gold tried in the fire, as denoting genuine good, thus good from the Lord, which will be explained in what follows; also from the signification of that thou mayest be enriched as denoting to be enabled to receive the truths of faith. The reason why this is signified by being rich is, that riches and wealth signify the knowledges of truth and good, and the rich those who are in intelligence therefrom; in the present case, those who are in faith, because the subject here treated of is those who hold the doctrine of faith alone. Hence it is clear that by to buy of me gold tried in the fire that thou mayest be rich, is signified to procure to themselves genuine good from the Lord that they may receive the truths of faith.
[2] We shall first explain how this is to be understood. That truth which in itself is truth is not possible, except from good, thus that faith which is faith in itself is not possible, except from charity, has been frequently stated above; for truth, which is truth in itself, is not possible, except spiritual life be in it, and spiritual life is in it only when it is formed from the good of charity; for truth is the form of good, and good is the being (esse) of truth; thus also good is the life of truth, and good is from no other source than the Lord. And when good is from the Lord, then truth, which is from good, looks primarily to the Lord, and also to the neighbour and his good; for the Lord flows in with good, and from good forms truth, which is the truth of faith, and causes the spiritual sight of man to look to Him and to the neighbour. (That this is the case, may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 145, 251; namely, that the Lord beholds angels and men in the forehead, and they behold the Lord through the eyes; the reason is, that the forehead corresponds to the good of love, and the eye to the understanding thence enlightened, consequently to the truths of faith. And also in the same work, n. 17, 123, 124, 142-144, 510, it is shown, that in the spiritual world all are turned to their own loves; and those who have acknowledged the Lord and believed in Him, are turned to Him, and hence they receive good from Him, and by good, enlightenment as to truths.) From these considerations it is plain that the genuine good signified by gold tried in the fire is from the Lord alone.
[3] Because in what is written to the angel of this church, the subject treated of is those who live according to the doctrine of faith alone; and because those who have confirmed themselves in that doctrine, and were, in the world, thence called learned, could connect falsities with truths, and induce an appearance that the doctrine was true, it was therefore granted me to converse with some of them in the other life; and because that conversation may serve for illustration, I wish to adduce it. Those learned ones, from the opinion which they held in the world, supposed that faith without charity was possible, and that man is justified by that faith alone. Their discourse was very ingenious; they said that faith was possible without charity, because it is prior to charity, and that by means of it man is in good. "Who," said they, "cannot believe that God is, that the Word is divine, and things of a similar kind, which, unless they were believed, could not be accepted and thought of by man?" They therefore concluded that faith is possible without charity, because it precedes, or is prior to it; and, such being the case, that it is saving, because a man cannot do good of himself; therefore, unless that faith saved, all men would perish. Nor was the presence of God with man possible without faith, and if it were not possible, evil would reign, and no one would possess any good; these things, they said, were meant by justification by faith alone.
But it was shown them that there could be no faith unless it existed with charity; and that what they called faith was only the knowledges first acquired by every man, as that God is, and that the Word is divine, and so on; and that those knowledges are not in man, but in the medium of access to him, which is his memory, until they are in his will; but that, in proportion as they are in his will, in the same proportion they are in the man himself; for the will is the man himself; and in proportion as they are in the will, in the same proportion they are in his sight, which is faith. The knowledges themselves, which precede, and, to the natural sight, appear to be believed, do not previously become knowledges of faith. This is why the seeing of knowledges, which is supposed to be faith, recedes from man successively as he begins to think evil from willing evil, and also recedes from him after death, when he becomes a spirit, if the knowledges have not been implanted in his life, that is, in his will or love.
[4] This may be illustrated by a comparison with those stomachs of birds and terrestrial animals, which are called ruminant stomachs; into these they first collect their food, and afterwards by degrees take it out thence and eat it, and so nourish the blood, whence it becomes incorporated into their life. To those stomachs man's memory corresponds, which he enjoys in the place of them, because he is spiritual. Into this he first collects spiritual foods, which consist of knowledges, and afterwards takes them out, as it were, by ruminating, that is, by thinking and willing, and appropriates them to himself, and thus makes them part of his life. From this comparison, trifling as it may appear, it is obvious that, unless knowledges are implanted in the life, by thinking and willing them, and thence by doing them, they are like foods which remain unmasticated in the ruminant stomachs, where they either become putrid, or are vomited out. Moreover, the circle of man's life is to know, to understand, to will, and to do; for the spiritual life of man commences from knowing, thence it is continued into understanding, afterwards into willing, and lastly into doing. From this it is also evident, that knowledges in the memory are only in the entrance to the life, and that they are not fully in the man until they are in his deeds; also, that they are more fully in his deeds the more fully they are in his understanding and will.
[5] It was further shown that the faith of knowledges before it becomes the faith of life, is merely historical faith, the quality of which is well known to be this, that a thing is believed because another has said it; this, before it becomes the man's, is an alien faith, or the faith of another with him. Another quality of such faith is that it is a belief in things unknown; for it is said that such things are to be believed, although they are not understood, indeed that they are not to be looked into by the understanding, although such is the nature of spiritual faith that truths themselves are seen in it, and so are believed. In heaven, no one believes any truth unless he sees or has seen it; for there they say, "Who can believe that a thing is so unless he sees it? Perhaps it may be false"; and none but the evil can believe what is false, for the evil, from evil, see falsities, whereas the good, from good, see truths; and because good is from the Lord, the seeing of truth from good is also from the Lord. The reason why the angels see truths is because the light of heaven, in which they are, is the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord; hence all in the world also, who have that light, enjoy the sight of truth (concerning the light of heaven, and that such is its nature and quality, see in the work, Heaven and Hell 126-140).
[6] It was afterwards shown that charity and faith act as one, and enter together into man, so that in proportion as man is in charity in the same proportion he is in faith, because faith as to its essence is charity, just as truth as to its essence is good; for good, when it exists in visible manifestation, or in form, is truth; thus charity is faith, for good belongs to charity, and truth to faith. The one also loves the other, and conjoins itself to it, therefore one is not possible unless together with the other. This was illustrated by the thought of man, which belongs to his understanding, and by the affection, which belongs to his will. To think without affection is impossible, for the very essence of thought is affection or love. A man may indeed think all those things that he knows from the doctrine of the church, but from a natural affection, which is the affection or love of glory, fame, honour or gain; but this affection does not cause the thought to be spiritual, this being effected only by charity, which is spiritual affection itself. This affection, when it conjoins itself with knowledges, becomes faith, and afterwards, in proportion as man is in that affection, in the same proportion he sees in thought the things which belong to his faith, which are called truths, and acknowledges them because they are from his spirit itself, thus from his spiritual life itself: this also is what is called enlightenment. This is why no one can be enlightened from the Word unless he has the spiritual affection of truth. There is indeed something like enlightenment given to those who have confirmed themselves in such things as pertain to the doctrine of faith alone, and justification thereby; but it is a fatuous enlightenment, because they can confirm falsities equally with truths, as is the case with all heresies, both with those which prevail amongst the Jews and with those with the Papists. A similar light is also given, after such confirmations, to those who are called naturalists, who deny God, the divinity of the Word, and everything belonging to the church. The case is the same with those who have confirmed themselves in faith alone, and justification thereby. (That the light of confirmation is natural and not spiritual light, which is possible also with the evil, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 8780.)
[7] But let us return to the faith which, as to essence, is charity. That faith is continually perfected by those things that confirm for from spiritual light more truths are always seen, and these all conjoin themselves with the good of charity, and perfect it; hence a man has intelligence and wisdom, which at length becomes angelic. Moreover, those who are only in the knowledges of faith, and not in a life according to them, believe that a man can easily receive faith, if not in this world, yet in the other, saying to themselves, "When I hear and see that a thing is so, cannot I then believe it?" But they are greatly deceived; for those who have not received spiritual faith in the world, if they should afterwards hear of it, and see it a thousand times, can never receive it. The reason is, that this faith is not in the man, but out of him. That this is the case, is clearly evident from this, that all those who come from the world are first received by angels and good spirits, and are instructed by every means; indeed, many things are shown them even to the life and to the sight, but still they do not receive them; therefore they withdraw themselves from the angels and good spirits, and go to those who are destitute of faith. It was, moreover, told them that, if faith could be received by knowing and thinking only, it would be received by all, by the evil and the good alike, and thus no one would be condemned. (That charity, which is spiritual affection, can never be imparted to any one unless he knows truths, explores himself according to them, receives them, and lives a new life agreeably to them, may be seen above, n. 239.)
[8] It therefore follows that the life of faith is charity, and that there is nothing of life in faith, except in proportion as charity is therein; and also that in proportion as charity is in faith, in the same proportion man is led by the Lord; but that in proportion as charity is not in faith, in the same proportion man is led of himself; and he who is led of himself, and not by the Lord, cannot think what is good, still less can he will and do good which is good in itself. For from man's proprium nothing but evil proceeds; for when he thinks what is good, and wills and does good from proprium, it is only for the sake of himself and for the sake of the world, which are the ends for which he acts, and the ends are the loves which lead him; and man cannot be withdrawn or raised up from his proprium, unless he looks to the Lord as to the things of his life; by this he is conjoined with heaven, and spiritual affection is thence imparted to him by the Lord.
When these observations had been made, it was given to those with whom I discoursed on this subject to be in spiritual light, this light being such that truths can be seen in it as clearly as objects in the world are seen in its light; and then those who were in the doctrine of faith alone and justification thereby, could not but declare that the case was so. But as soon as that light was taken away from them and they were brought back into their own natural light, they could see only that the sight of knowledges is saving faith, and hence that the falsities which they had made of their faith were truths. Falsities become matters of the faith when evils are of the life.
[9] But to return to the explanation of the words of this passage, which are, I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be enriched." By these words is signified that they should procure to themselves from the Lord genuine good, in order that they may receive truths; it now remains to be shown that gold in the Word signifies the good of love. This is evident from the following passages. In Malachi:
"Behold, I send my angel, who shall prepare the way before me; and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple, and the angel of the covenant whom ye desire; he shall sit refining and purifying silver, and shall purify the sons of Levi; he shall refine them as gold and silver, that they may bring to Jehovah a meat-offering in justice" (220: that covenant signifies conjunction, may be seen in Arcana Coelestia 665, 666, 1023, 1038, 1864, 1996, 2003, 2021, 6804, 8767, 8778, 9396, 10632; that silver signifies truth from good, n. 1551, 1552, 2954, 5658; that a meat-offering signifies the good of love and charity, n. 4581, 9992, 9993, 9994, 10079, 10137; that justice is said of good, n. 2235, 9857.) Hence to bring an offering in justice signifies worship from the good of love.
[10] In Zechariah:
"Two parts in all the land shall be cut off, they shall expire, but the third shall be left in it; nevertheless I will bring the third through the fire, and I will refine them as silver is refined, and I will try them as gold is tried" (13:8, 9).
Here, by all the land is not meant all the land, but the whole church; nor by the third part is a third part meant, but some who are therein. By its being brought through the fire, and refined as silver is refined, and tried as gold is tried, is signified their being purified from evils and falsities in order that good and truth may be implanted. (That land in the Word signifies the church, may be seen, Numbers 31:22, 23).
[11] That gold signifies the good of love and charity is more fully evident from the following passages. In Hosea:
"Israel hath forsaken good: the enemy pursueth him: of their silver and their gold they have made to themselves idols" (8:3, 4).
By making to themselves idols of their silver and their gold is signified that they turned truth and good into falsities and evils, as is evident from its being said, "Israel hath forsaken good: the enemy pursueth him." The enemy denotes falsity from evil and evil from falsity.
[12] In Joel:
"What have ye to do with me, O Tyre and Zidon? My silver and my gold have ye taken, and the desirable things of my goods have ye brought into your temples, and the sons of Judah and the sons of Jerusalem ye have sold to the sons of the Grecians, that ye might remove them far from their borders" (1729, 1733, 2159, 2623, 2803, 2813, 3373, 3704, 7499, 8897, 9807; by Judah, the celestial church, n. 3654, 6364; by Jerusalem, the church where there is genuine doctrine, n. 3654, 9166. That by the Grecians are meant falsities, because the Grecians signify the nations that are in falsities, may be seen above, n. 50.)
[13] In Ezekiel:
"The traders of Sheba and Raamah, by the chief of all spices, and by every precious stone and gold they have carried on their tradings" (Arcana Coelestia 1171, 3240. By spices are signified truths that are grateful because derived from good, see n. 4748, 5621, 9474, 9475, 10199, 10254. By precious stones are signified truths that are beautiful because from good, see n. 9863, 9865, 9868, 9873, 9905. And by the garden of Eden is signified intelligence and wisdom therefrom, see n. 100, 108, 1588, 2702, 3220. Because, now, by those things are signified the knowledges of truth and of good, and because by gold and silver are signified the goods and truths themselves, and because all intelligence and wisdom are procured by means of these, therefore it is said, "In thy wisdom and thy intelligence thou hast made to thyself wealth, gold and silver in thy treasuries."
[14] In Lamentations:
"How is the gold become dim! how is the best fine gold changed! the stones of holiness are poured out at the head of every street. The sons of Zion are estimated equal to pure gold; how are they reputed as bottles of earthenware, the work of the hands of the potter!" (4:1, 2).
The vastation of the church is here treated of. The gold which is become dim, and the best fine gold which is changed, signify the goods of the church; the stones of holiness which are poured out at the top of every street, signify that the truths thence derived are falsified; the sons of Zion who were estimated equal to fine gold, signify the truths of the former church; bottles of earthenware, the work of the hands of the potter, signify evils of life derived from falsities of doctrine, which are from man's own intelligence.
[15] In Ezekiel:
"I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a necklace on thy neck. Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work. Thou hast also taken the vessels of thine adorning from my gold and from my silver which I gave to thee, and hast made thee images with which thou hast committed whoredom" (Arcana Coelestia 10536, 10540). Bracelets upon the hands signify specifically truths from good (see n. 3103, 3105); a necklace upon the neck signifies the conjunction of interior goods and truths with exterior goods and truths, or of those which are spiritual with those which are natural (see n. 5320); fine linen signifies genuine truth, and silk the same resplendent from interior goods (see n. 5319, 9469); broidered work signifies the Scientific (Scientificum) of the natural man (see n. 9688); the images with which she committed whoredom are the fallacies of the senses, which to those who are in falsities appear like truths; to commit whoredom with them is to draw false conclusions by means of them. (That to commit whoredom signifies to imbue with falsities, may be seen above, n. 141.) From these considerations it is clear that the subject treated of in this chapter is the church, as to its quality when it was first established by the Lord, and what its quality became afterwards.
[16] In Isaiah:
"Behold, I stir up against them the Medes, who shall not regard silver, and shall not delight in gold, whose bows shall strike the young men, their eye shall not spare the sons" (Arcana Coelestia 2686, 2709): the young men whom they shall strike signify those who are intelligent from truths (see n. 7668); the sons whom they shall not spare signify truths themselves.
[17] In the same:
"The troop of camels shall cover thee; all they from Sheba shall come; they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall show forth the praises of Jehovah. The isles shall trust in me, and the ships of Tarshish, to bring thy sons from afar, their silver and their gold with them" (60:6, 9).
The subject here treated of is the Lord's Advent, and by a troop of camels are meant all those who are in the knowledges of truth and good (see Arcana Coelestia, Matthew 2:11).
They offered those things because they signified goods and truths interior and exterior, which are gifts pleasing to God.
[18] In David:
"All kings shall bow down before him; all nations shall serve him. He shall preserve the souls of the poor, and they shall live; and he shall give them of the gold of Sheba" (31; and that nations signify those who are in good, may be seen also above, n. 175); by the poor whom he shall preserve are meant those who are not in the knowledges of good and truth, but yet desire them (as may be seen also above, n. 238). By the gold of Sheba, of which He shall give them, is signified the good of love into which the Lord shall lead them by means of knowledges; (what is signified by Sheba may be seen just above).
[19] In Haggai:
"And I will rouse up all nations, that they may come, the choice of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than that of the former" (Arcana Coelestia 3720); by the glory with which it shall be filled is meant Divine truth (see n. 4809, 5922, 8267, 8427, 9429); by the silver is mine, and the gold is mine, is meant truth and good, which are from the Lord alone.
[20] In Zechariah:
"The wealth of all nations round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver and apparel in great abundance" (14:14).
By the wealth of all nations are meant knowledges, wherever they are, even with the evil; by gold, silver and apparel in great abundance are meant goods and truths, both spiritual and natural. The same was signified by the
gold, silver and raiment which the Israelites borrowed of the Egyptians, when they departed from them (Exodus 3:22; 11:2, 3; 12:35, 36).
The reason why such a thing took place, and what it involves, may be seen in Matthew 25:28, 29; and in Luke 19:24, 26; and that they should make to themselves friends of the unrighteous mammon, according to the Lord's words in Luke 16:9. By the unrighteous mammon are meant the knowledges of truth and good with those who do not rightly possess them, these being those who do not apply them to the uses of life.
[21] In David:
"Kings' daughters are among thy precious ones; on thy right hand doth stand the queen in the best gold of Ophir: the king's daughter is all glorious within her clothing is embroidered with gold" (45:9, 13).
This passage treats of the Lord. By the king's daughter is meant the church which is in the affection of truth, and which is described by kings' daughters being among her precious ones: by whom are meant the affections of truths themselves. By the queen standing at his right hand in the best gold of Ophir is meant the Lord's celestial kingdom, which is in the good of love; by her clothing being embroidered with gold is meant that truths are from good.
[22] In Matthew:
Jesus said to the disciples whom He sent forth to preach the gospel, that they should not provide gold, or silver, or brass in their purses (10:9);
by which was represented that they should have nothing of good and truth from themselves, but from the Lord alone, and that all things would be given them freely. Because gold signified the good of love,
Therefore the table upon which was placed the showbread was overlaid with gold (Exodus 25:23, 24).
Also the altar of incense, which was thence called the golden altar (Exodus 30:3).
And on the same account the candlestick was made of pure gold (Exodus 25:31-38).
As were also the cherubim (Exodus 25:18);
And for the same reason the ark was covered within and without with gold (Exodus 25:11).
The same was the case with many other things in the temple of Jerusalem; for the tent in which were the ark, the cherubim, the table upon which was the showbread, the altar of incense, and the candlestick represented heaven, and so did the temple; and hence the gold therein signified the good of love, and the silver truth from good.
[23] Because the most holy thing of heaven was represented by the gold in the temple,
Therefore, when Belshazzar drank wine out of the vessels of gold brought out of that temple, and at the same time praised the gods of gold, of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and stone, there appeared written on the wall, Numbered, weighed, divided; and in that night he was slain (Dan. 5:2, and following, verses);
for by this the profanation of good was signified.
[24] Moreover by gold, in an opposite sense, in the Word is signified the evil of the love of self, and by silver the falsity therefrom, as in Moses:
The silver and gold of the nations they shall not covet, because they are abominations, nor shall they bring them into their houses, but they shall be accursed, because they were to be abominated and detested (Deuteronomy 7:25, 26).
But concerning this signification of gold and silver we shall speak hereafter.
242. To buy of Me gold tried by fire, that thou mayest be enriched, signifies that they should acquire for themselves from the Lord genuine good, that they may be able to receive the truths of faith. This is evident from the signification of "buying," as being to acquire and appropriate to oneself (See Arcana Coelestia 4397, 5374, 5397, 5406, 5410, 5426); also from the signification of "gold tried by fire," as being genuine good, thus good from the Lord (of which presently); also from the signification of "that thou mayest be enriched," as being to be enabled to receive the truths of faith. This is the signification of being "enriched," because "riches" and "wealth" signify the knowledges of truth and good, and "the rich" are those who are in intelligence by means of knowledges, here, those who are in faith by means of them, since those who are in the doctrine of faith alone are here treated of. From this it is clear that "to buy of Me gold tried by fire, that thou mayest be enriched," signifies that they must acquire for themselves genuine good from the Lord so that they may receive the truths of faith.
[2] It shall first be told how this is to be understood. It has often been said before, that there is no truth which is truth in itself unless it be from good, thus no faith that is faith in itself unless it be from charity: for there is no truth that is truth in itself unless there is spiritual life within it, and spiritual life is within it when it is formed out of the good of charity; for truth is the form of good, and good is the esse of truth, thus also its life; and good is from no other source than from the Lord. When there is good from the Lord, the truth that is from the good looks primarily to the Lord and also to the neighbor and his good, for the Lord flows in with good and by it forms truth, which is the truth of faith, and causes man's spiritual sight to look to him and to the neighbor. (That this is so, may be seen in the work on Heaven and Hell 145, 251, namely, that the Lord looks at angels and men in the forehead, and these look to the Lord through the eyes; for the reason that the forehead corresponds to the good of love, and the eyes to the understanding illustrated thereby, consequently to the truths of faith. Also in the same work, n. Heaven and Hell 17, 123, 124, 142-144, 510, it is shown that in the spiritual world all are turned to their own loves, and those who have acknowledged the Lord and believed in Him are turned to Him, and thereby have good, and through good, illustration in respect to truths.) From this it can be seen what the genuine good is that is signified by "gold tried by fire," namely, that it is good from the Lord alone.
[3] As what is written to the angel of this church treats of those who live according to the doctrine of faith alone, and as those who had confirmed themselves in that doctrine, and were on that account called learned in the world, were able to join falsities with truths and make the doctrine appear as if it were true, therefore, it was granted me to talk with some of them in the other life; and as the things that were then said on either side may serve for illustration I will present them. These learned ones, from their belief while in the world, supposed that there might be faith without charity, and that man may be justified by that alone. Their talk was very ingenious; they said that there is faith without charity, because it is prior to charity, and because by it man is in good. "Who," they said, "is not able to believe that there is a God, that the Word is Divine, and other like truths, which unless believed could not be received and thought of by man?"
From this they concluded that as faith precedes, or is prior to, charity, there can be faith without charity; and if there can be, that it must be saving, since man cannot do good from himself; unless, therefore, that faith were saving all would perish: moreover, without faith there could be no presence of God with man; and without the presence of God evil would reign, and no one would have any good. This, they said, is what is meant by justification by faith alone. But it was shown them that there could not be faith unless there was at the same time charity; and that what they called faith was nothing but the knowledges that are first with every man; for example, that there is a God, that the Word is Divine, and the like, and that these knowledges are not in the man before they are in his will, but are in the entrance to him, which is his memory; but so far as they are in his will so far they are in the man himself, for the will is the man himself; and so far as they are in the will so far they are in his sight, which is faith. The knowledges themselves that precede, and that appear to the natural sight as if believed, do not until then come to be of faith; consequently this seeing the knowledges, that is thought to be of faith, recedes step by step from man as he begins from willing evil to think evil, and also recedes from him after death when man becomes a spirit, if the knowledges have not been rooted in his life, that is, in his will or love.
[4] This may be illustrated by a comparison with the stomachs of birds and beasts of the earth that are called ruminating stomachs. Into these they first collect their food, and afterwards by degrees take it out and eat it, and thus nourish the blood; food thus becomes a part of their life. With man the memory corresponds to these stomachs; and man is endowed with memory instead of these because he is spiritual; into this he first gathers spiritual foods, which are knowledges, and afterwards he takes them out by a sort of ruminating, that is, by thinking and willing, and appropriates them, and thus makes them a part of his life.
From this comparison, although trifling, it can be seen that knowledges, unless implanted in the life by thinking and willing them and then doing them, are like food that remains unconsumed in ruminating stomachs, where it either becomes putrid or is vomited out. Moreover, the circle of man's life is to know, 1to understand, to will, and to do; for man's spiritual life begins with knowing, passes next to understanding, then to willing, and finally to doing. From this it is clear that so long as knowledges are in the memory they are merely in the entrance to the life, and that they are not fully in man until they are in acts, and the more fully they are in acts the more fully they are in the understanding and will.
[5] It was further shown that the faith of knowledges before it becomes the faith of life is historical faith, the nature of which is well known, namely, that it is believed because another has said it; until this has been made man's own it is an alien thing, or something with ourself belonging to someone else. Historical faith, moreover, is like a belief in things unknown, for it is said that things must be believed though not understood, yea, that they must not be searched into by the understanding; and yet spiritual faith is such that in it truths themselves are seen and are consequently believed. In heaven no one believes any truth unless he sees it or has seen it; for they say, "Who can believe that a thing is so unless he sees it? It may possibly be false." And only the evil can believe what is false; for the evil from evil see falsities, but the good from good see truths; and as good is from the Lord, so also seeing truth from good is from the Lord. Angels see truths because the light of heaven, in which they are, is Divine truth proceeding from the Lord; all, therefore, even those in the world, who are in that light are able to see truth. (Of the light of heaven, and that it is such, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 126-140.)
[6] It was then shown that charity and faith act as one and enter together into man, thus that man is so far in faith as he is in charity, since faith as to its essence is charity, just as truth as to its essence is good; for good, when it exists in shape or in form is truth; in like manner charity is faith, for good is of charity and truth is of faith; moreover, the one loves the other and conjoins itself to the other, therefore one is not given unless the other be with it. This was illustrated by man's thought, which is of his understanding, and his affection, which is of his will; to think apart from affection is impossible, for the very essence of thought is affection or love. Man is able, to be sure, to think all things that he knows from the doctrine of the church, but only from a natural affection, which is the affection or love of glory, fame, honor or gain; but such an affection does not make thought to be spiritual; this requires charity, which is spiritual affection itself. When this is conjoined with knowledges there is faith, and then so far as man is in that affection he sees in thought the things that are of his faith, which are called truths, and acknowledges them, because they are from his very spirit, thus from his very spiritual life. This also is what is called illustration; and this is why no one can be illustrated from the Word unless he is in the spiritual affection of truth. Something like illustration there is, indeed, with those who have confirmed themselves in such things as are of the doctrine of faith alone and justification by faith; but that illustration is a fatuous illustration, since falsities as well as truths can be confirmed, like all those heresies that prevail both among the Jews and among Papists. With those who are called naturalists, and who deny God, the Divinity of the Word, and all other things belonging to the church, there is a similar light after confirmations; like that with those who have confirmed themselves in faith alone and justification by faith. (That the light of confirmation is natural, not spiritual, and exists also with the evil, see Arcana Coelestia 8780.)
[7] But let us return to the faith that in its essence is charity. That faith is continually perfected by such things as confirm; for from spiritual light more truths are constantly being seen, and all these join themselves to the good of charity, and perfect it. From this man has intelligence and wisdom, which at length become angelic. Moreover, those who are merely in the knowledges of faith, and not in a life according to them, believe that man can easily receive faith, if not in the world yet in another life, saying within themselves, "When I hear and see that a thing is so can I not believe it?" But they are greatly mistaken; for those who have not received spiritual faith in the world can never afterwards receive it, even if they were to hear of it and see it a thousand times; and for the reason that such a faith is not in man, but outside of him. That this is so can be clearly seen from this, that all who come from the world are first received by angels and good spirits, and instructed in every way, yea, many things are shown them to the life and before their very eyes, and yet they do not receive; thus they alienate themselves from angels and good spirits, and join those who are in no faith.
[8] Again, it was also told them, that if faith could be received by merely knowing and thinking it would be received by all, 2the evil and the good alike, and thus no one would be damned. That charity, which is spiritual affection, can never be given to anyone unless he knows truths, examines himself by means of them, accepts them, and leads a new life in accordance with them, may be seen above n. 239. From this it follows that charity is the life of faith, and that there is nothing of life in faith except in the measure of the charity that is in it; and also that in the measure that charity is in faith man is led by the Lord, but in the measure that charity is not in faith man is led by himself; and he who is led by himself and not by the Lord is unable to think of good, still less to will and do good which is good in itself; for from what is man's own [ex proprio] nothing proceeds except evil; for when a man thinks of good, and wills and does good and 3what is his own [ex propio], it is only for his own sake and for the sake of the world, which are the ends of what he does, and the ends are the loves that lead him; and man cannot be withdrawn from his selfhood [a suo proprio] or elevated unless he looks to the Lord in regard to the things that are of life; by this looking he is conjoined with heaven, and from heaven a spiritual affection is given him by the Lord. When this had been said, it was granted to those with whom I was talking on this subject to be in spiritual light, which light is such that in it truths can be seen as clearly as objects in the world are seen in its light; and then those who were in the doctrine of faith alone and justification by faith could not but affirm that this was true; but as soon as that light was taken away from them, and they were let back into their own light, which was natural, they were unable to see otherwise than that the sight of knowledges is saving faith, and therefore that the falsities that they had made part of their faith were truths. Falsities come to be of the faith when evils are of the life.
[9] But to return to the explanation of the words of this passage, "I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried by fire, that thou mayest be enriched," which signifies that they should acquire for themselves from the Lord genuine good, that they may be able to receive truths. It now remains to be shown that "gold" in the Word signifies the good of love. This can be seen from the following passages. In Malachi:
Behold, I send My angel [messenger] who shall prepare the way before Me; and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to His temple, even the angel [messenger] of the covenant whom ye desire; He shall sit refining and purifying silver, and shall purify the sons of Levi, and shall purge them as gold and silver, that they may bring to Jehovah an offering in righteousness (220; that "covenant" signifies conjunction, see Arcana Coelestia 665, 666, 1023, 1038, 1864, 1996, 2003, 2021, 6804, 8767, 8778, 9396, 10632; that "silver" signifies truth from good, n. 1551, 1552, 2954, 5658; that "an offering" signifies the good of love and charity, n. 4581, 9992-9994, 10079, 10137; that "righteousness" is predicated of good, n. 2235, 9857.) Therefore "to bring an offering in righteousness" signifies worship from the good of love.
[10] In Zechariah:
Two parts in all the land shall be cut off, shall expire, but the third shall be left therein. Yet I will lead the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and I will try them as gold is tried. (Zechariah 13:8-9)
"All the land" does not mean all the land, but the whole church; nor does "the third part" mean a third part, but some in the church. "To lead it through the fire, and refine as silver is refined, and to try as gold is tried," signifies to so purify them from falsities and evils that good and truth may be implanted. (That "earth" [land] in the Word signifies the church, see Arcana Coelestia Numbers 31:22-23).
[11] That "gold" signifies the good of love and of charity is shown further in the following passages.
In Hosea:
Israel hath forsaken good; the enemy pursueth him; they have made their silver and their gold into idols for themselves (Hosea 8:3-4).
"Making their silver and their gold into idols for themselves" signifies that they have turned truth and good into falsities and evils, as is evident from its being said, "Israel hath forsaken good, and the enemy pursueth him;" "the enemy" is falsity from evil, and evil from falsity.
[12] In Joel:
What are ye to Me, O Tyre and Zidon? My silver and My gold ye have taken, and the desirable things of My goods have ye brought into your temples, and the sons of Judah, and the sons of Jerusalem ye have sold to the sons of the Grecians, that ye might remove them far from their borders (Arcana Coelestia 1201; that "sons of Judah and sons of Jerusalem" mean all truths of good, because "sons" signify truths, n. 1729, 1733, 2159, 2623, 2803, 2813, 3373, 3704, 7499, 8897, 9807; "Judah" the celestial church, n. 3654, 6364; "Jerusalem" the church where there is genuine doctrine, n. 3654, 9166; that "sons of the Grecians" mean falsities, because "Grecians" signify the nations that are in falsities, see above, n. 50.)
[13] In Ezekiel:
The traders of Sheba and Raamah, by the chief of all spices, and by every precious stone and gold, they gave for thy tradings (Arcana Coelestia 1171, 3240; "spices" signify truths which are pleasing because from good, see n. 4748, 5621, 9474, 9475, 10199, 10254; "precious stones" signify truths, which are beautiful because from good, n. 9863, 9865, 9868, 9873, 9905; "the garden of Eden" signifies intelligence and wisdom therefrom, n. 100, 108, 1588, 2702, 3220.) Now because these things signify the knowledges of truth and of good, and "gold and silver" the goods and truths themselves, and because through these all intelligence and wisdom are acquired, it is said, "In thine intelligence and thy wisdom thou hast gotten gold and silver in thy treasures."
[14] In Lamentations:
How is the gold become dim! How is the most pure gold changed! The stones of holiness are poured out at the head of every street. The sons of Zion are esteemed equal to pure gold; how are they reputed as earthen bottles, the work of the hands of the potter! (Lamentations 4:1-2).
Here the vastation of the church is treated of; "the gold that is become dim, and the most pure gold that is changed," signify the goods of the church; "the stones of holiness that are poured out at the head of every street," signify the truths therefrom that are falsified; "the sons of Zion, who were esteemed equal to pure gold," signify the truths of the former church; "earthen bottles, the work of the hands of the potter," signify evils of life from falsities of doctrine, which are from self-intelligence.
[15] In Ezekiel:
I decked thee with ornaments, and I gave bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck. Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy garments of fine linen and silk and broidered work. Thou didst also take the vessels of thine adorning of My gold and My silver, which I had given thee, and madest for thee images with which thou couldst commit whoredom (Arcana Coelestia 10536, 10540); "bracelets upon the hands" signify in particular, truths from good (3103, 3105); "the chain upon the neck" signifies the conjunction of interior truths and goods with exterior, or things spiritual with things natural (5320); "fine linen" signifies genuine truth, and "silk" the same, resplendent from interior good (5319, 9469); "broidered work" signifies knowledge [scientificum] pertaining to the natural man (n. 9688); "the images with which she committed whoredom" are the fallacies of the senses, that appear as truths to those who are in falsities; "to commit whoredom with them" is to establish falsities by fallacies (that "to commit whoredom" signifies to imbue with falsities, see above, n. 141. From this it is clear that the contents of this chapter describe the church as it was when first established by the Lord, and as it afterwards became.
[16] In Isaiah:
Behold, I stir up against them the Medes, who shall not value silver, and shall not delight in gold; their bows shall dash to pieces the young men, their eye shall not spare the sons (Arcana Coelestia 2686 Arcana Coelestia 2686[1-8], 2709); "the young men whom they shall dash to pieces" signify those who are intelligent from truths (n. 7668); "the sons whom they shall not spare" signify the truths themselves.
[17] In the same:
The troop of camels shall cover thee; they all shall come from Sheba; they shall bring gold and frankincense; and they shall proclaim the praises of Jehovah. The isles hope in Me, and the ships of Tarshish, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them (Isaiah 60:6, 9).
Here the coming of the Lord is treated of, and "the troop of camels" means all who are in the knowledges of truth and good (Matthew 2:11).
They offered these because these signified goods and truths, interior and exterior, which are gifts pleasing to God.
[18] In David:
All kings shall bow themselves before Him; and all nations shall serve Him. He shall save the souls of the needy. And they shall live, and He shall give them of the gold of Sheba (31; and that "nations" signify those who are in good, see also above, n. 175; "the needy whom He shall save" mean those who are not in the knowledges of good and truth but yet long for them (See also above, n. 238; "the gold of Sheba, of which He shall give them," means the good of love into which the Lord shall lead them by means of knowledges (what "Sheba" signifies see just above).
[19] In Haggai:
I will stir up all nations, that they may come, the choice of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory. The silver is Mine, and the gold. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than that of the former (Arcana Coelestia 3720); "the glory with which it shall be filled" means Divine truth (n. 4809, 5922, 8267, 8427, 9429). "The silver is Mine, and the gold," means that truth and good are from the Lord alone.
[20] In Zechariah:
The wealth of all nations round about shall be gathered together, gold, silver, and garments in great abundance (Zechariah 14:14).
"The wealth of all nations" means knowledges, wheresoever they are, even with the evil; "gold, silver, and garments, in great abundance," mean goods and truths, spiritual and natural. The like was signified by:
The gold, silver, and garments that the sons of Israel borrowed from the Egyptians, when they went away from them (Exodus 3:22; 11:2, 3; 12:35-36).
Why this was done, and what it involves, may be seen in The Matthew 25:28, 29; and in Luke 19:24, 26); and that they should make to themselves friends by the unrighteous mammon (according to the words of the Lord in Luke 16:9). "The unrighteous mammon" means the knowledges of truth and good with those who do not possess them justly, who are those that do not apply them to life.
[21] In David:
Kings' daughters are among thy precious ones; at Thy right hand stood the queen in the best gold of Ophir. The king's daughter is all glorious within; her vesture is inwrought with gold (Psalms 45:9, 13).
This treats of the Lord; and "a king's daughter" means the church that is in the affection of truth, which is described by "kings' daughters are among His precious ones," which means the affections of truths themselves; "at His right hand doth stand the queen in the best gold of Ophir" means the Lord's celestial kingdom, which is in the good of love; "her vesture is inwrought with gold" means that its truths are from good.
[22] In Matthew:
Jesus said to His disciples whom He sent forth to preach the gospel, that they should possess no gold, nor silver, nor brass in their purses (Matthew 10:9);
by this was represented that they should have nothing of good and truth from themselves, but only from the Lord, and that all things would be given them freely. Because "gold" signified the good of love:
The table on which the shewbread was placed was overlaid with gold (Exodus 25:23-24);
Likewise the altar of incense, which was thence called the golden altar (Exodus 30:3);
For the same reason the lampstand was made of pure gold (Exodus 25:31, 38);
Also the cherubim (Exodus 25:18);
And for the same reason the ark was overlaid within and without with gold (Exodus 25:11);
Likewise many things in the temple at Jerusalem.
For the tabernacle, in which were the ark, the cherubim, the table on which was the shewbread, the altar of incense, and the lampstand, represented heaven, and so did the temple; therefore the gold therein signified the good of love, and the silver truth from good.
[23] As what is most holy in heaven was represented by the gold in the temple:
When Belshazzar drank wine out of the vessels of gold brought out of that temple, and at the same time praised the gods of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood, and stone, there appeared written on the wall: Numbered, weighed, divided; and in that night he was slain (Daniel 5:2);
for thereby was signified the profanation of good.
[24] Moreover "gold" in the Word in a contrary sense signifies the evil of self-love, and "silver" the falsity therefrom. As in Moses:
The silver and gold of the nations they shall not covet, for they are abominations, nor bring them into their houses, but they shall be accursed, because they are to be abhorred and abominated (Deuteronomy 7:25-26).
But this signification of "gold" and "silver" shall be spoken of further on.
Footnotes:
1. For "is to know" the Latin has "and to know."
2. For "received by all" the Latin has "received that by all."
3. For "and what is his own" the context requires "from what is his own. "
242. "Emere a Me aurum exploratum igne ut ditatus sis." - Quod significet ut a Domino comparent sibi genuinum bonum ut recipere possint vera fidei, constat ex significatione "emere", quod sit comparare et appropriare sibi (de qua n. 4397, 5374, 5397, 5406, 5410, 5426); ex significatione "auri explorati igne", quod sit bonum genuinum, ita bonum a Domino (de qua sequitur); et ex significatione "ut ditatus sis", quod sit ut recipere possit vera fidei.
Quod "ditatus fieri" id significet, est quia "divitiae" et "opes" significant cognitiones veri et boni, et "divites" illos qui in intelligentia per illas sunt, hic qui in fide per illas, quia hic de illis qui in doctrina de sola fide sunt, agitur. Inde patet quod per "emere a Me aurum exploratum igne ut ditatus sis", significetur ut comparent sibi genuinum bonum a Domino, ut recipere possint vera fidei.
[2] Quomodo haec intelligenda sunt, primum dicetur. Quod non detur verum quod verum in se est nisi ex bono, ita nec fides quae fides nisi ex charitate, saepius prius dictum est: verum enim quod in se verum est, non datur nisi vita spiritualis ei insit; et tunc vita spiritualis ei inest dum formatur ex bono charitatis; nam verum est forma boni, et bonum est esse veri, ita quoque est vita ejus, et bonum non aliunde est quam a Domino; et cum bonum a Domino est, tum verum quod ex bono est spectat Dominum primario, et quoque proximum et ejus bonum; nam Dominus influit cum bono, et ex ea format verum, quod est verum fidei, ac facit ut visus spiritualis hominis spectet ad Ipsum et ad proximum. (Quod ita sit, Ostensum videatur in opere De Caelo et Inferno 145, 251, quod nempe Dominus aspiciat angelos et homines in fronte, et hi Dominum per oculos, ex causa quia frons correspondet bono amoris, ac oculi intellectui inde illustrato, proinde veris quae fidei sunt; et quoque in eodem opere, n. 17, 123, 124, 142-144, 510, ostensum est quod in mundo spirituali omnes vertantur ad suos amores, et illi qui Dominum agnoverunt et in Ipsum crediderunt, vertantur ad Ipsum, et quod inde illis bonum, et per bonum illustratio quoad vera, ) Ex his constare potest quid genuinum bonum quod significatur per "aurum exploratum igne", quod nempe a Solo Domino.
[3] Quoniam in scriptis ad Angelum hujus Ecclesiae agitur de illis qui vivunt secundum doctrinam de sola fide, et quia illi qui se confirmaverunt in illa, qui in mundo inde docti vocati sunt, potuerunt connectere falsa veris, ac inducere apparentiam sicut vera esset doctrina, ideo datum est cum quibusdam ex illis in altera vita loqui; et quia illa quae tunc mutuo dicta sunt, possunt inservire illustrationi, velim ea afferre. Docti illi ex opinione in mundo putaverunt quod fides esset dabilis absque charitate, et quod homo justificetur per illam solam. Sermo eorum erat admodum ingeniosus, dicendo quod fides absque charitate dabilis sit, ex causa quia prior est, et per illam homo in bono est. "Quis", dixerunt, "non credere potest quod Deus sit? quod Verbum sit Divinum? et similia, quae nisi crederentur non possent recipi et cogitari ab homine." Concluserunt inde quod fides dabilis sit absque charitate quia praecedit seu prior est; et si dabilis, quod salvans sit, quia homo non potest bonum facere a se; quare nisi illa salvaret omnes perirent: absque fide nec daretur praesentia Dei apud illum; et si non praesentia Dei, regnaret malum et non alicui esset bonum. Haec dixerunt intelligi per justificationem per solam fidem. Sed ostensum illis est quod non fides esset nisi simul charitas; et quod dixerunt esse fidem, esse solum cognitiones, quae primae sunt cuivis homini, ut quod Deus sit, et quod Verbum sit Divinum, ac similia; et quod illae cognitiones non sint in homine, sed in introitu ad illum, qui est ejus memoria, priusquam sunt in ejus voluntate; et quantum in ejus voluntate sunt, tantum in ipso homine, nam voluntas est ipse homo; et quantum in voluntate sunt, tantum in ejus visu sunt, qui est fides. Ipsae cognitiones quae praecedunt, ac in visu naturali apparent sicut credi, non prius fiunt fidei; inde est quod visus cognitionum, qui putatur esse fidei, recedat ab homine successive prout is incipit male cogitare ex male velle, et quoque recedit ab illo post mortem cum homo fit spiritus, si non cognitiones irradicatae sunt vitae ejus, hoc est, voluntati aut amori ejus.
[4] Illustretur hoc per comparationem cum ventriculis qui apud aves et apud animalia terrae, qui vocantur ventriculi ruminatorii: in hos primum colligunt escas suas, et dein per gradus exsumunt illas, ac edunt, et sic nutriunt sanguinern; ita fiunt vitae eorum. Ventriculis illis correspondet memoria apud hominem; hac gaudet homo loco illorum, quia homo est spiritualis; in hanc primum colligit cibos spirituales, qui sunt cognitiones, et dein exsumit illas quasi ruminando, hoc est, cogitando et volendo, et appropriat sibi, et sic facit vitae suae. Ex hac comparatione, tametsi levi, constare potest quod cognitiones nisi implantentur vitae per cogitare et velle illas et inde facere illas, similes sint escis non comesis in ventriculis ruminatoriis, ubi vel putrescunt vel evomuntur. Praeterea circulus vitae hominis 1
est scire, intelligere, velle et facere; incohat enim vita spiritualis hominis a scire, dein continuatur in intelligere, postea in velle, et demum in facere. Unde quoque patet quod cognitiones sint modo in introitu ad vitam cum in memoria, et quod non plene in homine sint quam cum in factis, ac eo plenius in factis quo plenius in intellectu et voluntate.
[5] Porro ostensum est quod fides cognitionum, antequam fit fides vitae, sit fides historica; quae qualis sit notum est, quod nempe credatur ita esse quia alius dixerat: hoc antequam fit ipsius hominis est alienum seu alius hominis apud se; et quoque est talis fides historica qualis est fides rerum ignotarum; nam dicitur quod credenda sint tametsi non intelliguntur, immo quod non perscrutanda sint intellectu, cum tamen fides spiritualis talis est ut in illa ipsa vera videantur, et sic credantur. In caelo nemo credit aliquod verum nisi videat aut viderit illud; dicunt enim, "Quis potest credere quod ita sit nisi videat? forte potest esse falsum": et credere falsum non possunt alii quam mali, nam mali ex malo vident falsa, at boni ex bono vident vera; et quia bonum est a Domino, etiam visus veri ex bono est a Domino. Quod angeli videant vera, est quia lux caeli, in qua sunt, est Divinum Verum procedens a Domino; inde 2
omnibus apud quos illa lux est, etiam in mundo, est visus veri. (De Luce Caeli, et quod talis sit, videatur in opere De Caelo et Inferno, 126-140.)
[6] Ostensum dein est quod charitas et fides unum agant, ac intrent simul apud hominem; ita quantum homo in charitate est tantum in fide sit, quoniam fides quoad essentiam est charitas, prorsus sicut verum quoad essentiam est bonum; bonum enim dum existit in specie seu in forma est verum: ita charitas est fides, nam bonum est charitatis et verum est fidei; unum etiam amat alterum et se conjungit alteri; quare non datur unum nisi simul alterum. Illustratum est hoc per hominis cogitationem quae ejus intellectus, et per affectionem quae ejus voluntatis: cogitare absque affectione est impossibile, ipsa enim essentia cogitationis est affectio seu amor; cogitare quidem potest homo omnia illa quae scit ex doctrina ecclesiae, sed ex affectione naturali, quae est affectio seu amor gloriae, famae, honoris, lucri; sed haec affectio non facit ut cogitatio sit spiritualis, verum erit charitas quae est ipsa affectio spiritualis: haec cum se conjungit cognitionibus, fit fides, et dein quantum homo in illa affectione est tantum videt cogitatione illa quae sunt fidei ejus, quae vocantur vera, et agnoscit illa, quia sunt ex ipso spiritu ejus, ita ex ipsa vita spirituali ejus. Hoc quoque est quod vocatur illustratio; inde est quod nemo illustrari possit ex Verbo nisi in affectione veri spirituali sit. Datur quidem simile illustrationi apud illos qui se confirmaverunt in talibus quae sunt doctrinae de sola fide et de justificatione per illam; sed illa illustratio est illustratio fatua, quoniam possunt falsa aeque ac vera confirmari, sicut omnes haereses tam quae regnant apud Judaeos quam quae apud Pontificios; etiam similis lux post confirmationes datur apud illos qui naturalistae vocantur, ac negant Deum et Divinum Verbi, et praeterea omnia ecclesiae; similiter apud illos qui confirmarunt apud se solam fidem et justificationem per illam. (Quod lux confirmationis sit lux naturalis, non spiritualis, dabilis etiam apud malos, videatur n. 8780.)
[7] Sed redeamus ad fidem quae quoad essentiam est charitas. Illa fides jugiter perficitur per talia quae confirmant, nam semper ex luce spirituali videntur vera plura, et haec omnia se conjungunt bono charitatis et id perficiunt; inde homini est intelligentia et sapientia, tandem angelica. Praeterea illi qui solum in cognitionibus fidei sunt, et non in vita secundum illas, credunt quod homo facile possit recipere fidem, si non in mundo usque in altera vita; dicentes secum, "Annon cum audio et video quod ita sit, possum credere?" Sed maxime falluntur, nam illi qui non fidem spiritualem receperunt in mundo, postea, si millies audiverint et viderint, nusquam possunt recipere; causa est quia fides illa non est in homine sed extra illum: quod ita sit manifeste constare potest ex eo, quod omnes qui e mundo veniunt primum recipiantur ab angelis et a bonis spiritibus, ac omni modo instruantur; immo etiam plura illis ostenduntur ad vivum et ad visum, sed usque non recipiunt; quare se ab illis abalienant, et accedunt ad illos qui in nulla fide sunt.
[8] Dictum etiam est illis quod si reciperetur fides per solum scire et cogitare, 3
ab omnibus aeque malis ac bonis reciperetur, et sic nemo damnaretur. Quod charitas, quae est affectio spiritualis, nusquam dabilis sit apud aliquem nisi sciat vera, exploret se secundum illa, recipiat illa, et novam vitam illis convenientem agat, videatur supra (n. 239). Inde sequitur quod vita fidei sit charitas, et quod nihil vitae insit fidei nisi quantum charitatis inest, et quoque quod quantum charitatis inest fidei, tantum ducatur a Domino; at quod quantum charitatis non inest tantum ducatur a semet; et qui ducitur a semet et non a Domino, non cogitare potest bonum, minus velle et facere bonum quod bonum in se est, nam ex proprio hominis non procedit nisi quam malum: cum enim cogitat bonum ac vult et facit bonum 4
ex proprio, est modo propter se, et propter mundum, quae sunt fines operum ejus, ac fines sunt amores qui ducunt illum: et homo a proprio suo non abduci seu elevari potest, nisi, quoad illa quae vitae sunt, spectet ad Dominum; per hunc visum conjungitur ille caelo, et inde a Domino datur ei affectio spiritualis. Cum haec et illa dicta sunt, datum est illis, cum quibus de hac re locutus sum, in luce spirituali esse; quae lux talis est, ut in illa videri possint vera tam clare sicut videntur objecta in mundo in luce ejus; et tunc illi qui in doctrina de sola fide et de justificatione per illam erant, non potuerunt non affirmare quod ita sit; sed ut primum lux ea illis adempta est, et remissi sunt in suam lucem, quae erat naturalis, non potuerunt videre aliter quam quod visus cognitionum esset fides salvans, et inde quod falsa, quae fecerunt fidei suae, essent vera. Falsa fiunt fidei quando mala sunt vitae.
[9] Sed redeamus ad explicationem verborum hujus loci, quae sunt, "Suadeo tibi emere a Me aurum exploratum igne ut ditatus sis"; per quae significatur ut comparent sibi a Domino genuinum bonum ut recipere possint vera. Et nunc ostendendum est quod "aurum" in Verbo significet bonum amoris. Hoc constare potest a sequentibus his locis:
– Apud Malachiam,
"Ecce Ego mittens angelum meum qui praeparabit viam ante Me, et subito veniet ad Templum suum Dominus quem vos quaeritis, et Angelus foederis quem vos desideratis;...sedebit conflans et purgans argentum, et purificabit filios Levi, et defaecabit eos sicut aurum et argentum, ut sint adferentes Jehovae mincham in justitia" (3:1-3);
haec de adventu Domini dicta sunt: dicitur quod Jehovah missurus "angelum qui parabit viam ante Ipsum", et per "angelum" intelligitur Johannes Baptista, ut notum est; per "ante Me", seu ante Jehovam, intelligitur Ipsum Divinum Domini; per "Templum" ad quod venturus, intelligitur Divinum Humanum Ipsius; quod illud etiam dicatur "Angelus foederis", est quia per Ipsum est conjunctio hominum angelorumque cum Ipso Divino, "foedus" enim est conjunctio: per "argentum" quod "sedebit conflans et purgans" intelligitur verum ex bono; per "filios Levi" intelliguntur omnes qui in bono charitatis sunt et inde in veris fidei; quapropter dicitur quod "defaecaturus eos sicut aurum et sicut argentum"; hoc dicitur quia "aurum" significat bonum, et "argentum" verum inde: per "adferre Jehovae mincham in justitia", intelligitur cultus Domini ex bono charitatis.
(Quod "Templum" significet Divinum Humanum Domini, videatur supra, n. 220(a); quod "foedus" significet conjunctionem, in Arcanis Caelestibus, n 665, 666, 1023, 1038, 1864, 1996, 2003, 2021, 6804, 8767, 8778, 9396, 10632; quod "argentum" significet verum ex bono, n. 1551, 1552, 2954, 5658; quod "mincha" significet bonum amoris et charitatis, n. 4581, 9992-9994, 10079, 10137:
quod "justitia" dicatur de bono, n. 2235, 9857.) Inde "adferre mincham in justitia" significat cultum ex bono amoris.
[10] Apud Sachariam,
"Duae partes in universa terra exscindentur, exspirabunt, tertia autem relinquetur in ea; ducam tamen tertiam per ignem, et conflabo eos juxta conflare argentum, et explorabo eos juxta explorare aurum" (13:8, 9);
per "universam terram" non intelligitur universa terra, sed universa ecclesia; per "tertiam partem" nec intelligitur tertia pars, sed aliqui ibi; "ducere illam per ignem, et conflare juxta conflare argentum, et explorare juxta explorare aurum", significat purificare eos a falsis et malis ut implantetur bonum et verum.
(Quod "terra" in Verbo sit ecclesia, videatur n. 662, 1066, 5
1068, 1262, 1413, 1607, 2928, 3355, 4447, 4535, 5577, 6516, 9325, 9643; quod "tertia purs" significet aliquos, n. 2788.) Sunt in locis allatis comparationes argenti et auri cum vero et bono, sed in Verbo omnia quae inserviunt comparationibus etiam correspondent et inde significant (videatur n. 3579, 8989). Quia "aurum exploratum igne" significat bonum amoris purificatum a malis, ideo mandatum erat
Quod aurum et argentum captum a Midianitis traduceretur per ignem et sic purificaretur (Numeri 31:22, 23).
[11] Quod "aurum" significet bonum amoris et charitatis, constat amplius a sequentibus:
– Apud Hoscheam,
"Deseruit Israel bonum, hostis persequitur eum, .... argentum suum et aurum suum fecerunt sibi idola" (8:3, 4);
quod "argentum suum et aurum suum sibi fecerint idola", significet quod verum et bonum verterint in falsa et mala, patet ex eo quia dicitur, "Deseruit Israel bonum, et hostis persequitur eum"; "hostis" est falsum ex malo, et malum ex falso.
[12] Apud Joelem,
"Quid vobis Mecum, Tyre et Zidon?.... Argentum meum et aurum meum sumpsistis, et desiderabilia bonorum intulistis in templa vestra, et filios Jehudae et filios Hierosolymae vendidistis filiis Graecorum, ut longe removeretis a terminis eorum" (4 [B.A. 3:4-6) 4, 5 [, [6]);
per "Tyrum et Zidonem" intelliguntur illi intra ecclesiam qui in cognitionibus veri et boni sunt; hic illi qui perverterunt illas, et applicuerunt ad falsa et ad mala falsi; hoc significatur per quod "argentum meum et aurum meum sumpsistis, et desiderabilia bonorum intulistis in templa vestra": "argentum" significat verum, "aurum" bonum, et "desiderabilia bonorum" significant vera et bona derivata, quae sunt cognitiones ex Verbi sensu litterae; "inferre in templa sua" significat vertere in cultum profanum; per quod "filios Jehudae et filios Hierosolymae vendiderint filiis Graecorum", intelligitur quod omnia vera boni transmutaverint in falsa mali; per "longe removere eos a terminis eorum", intelligitur procul ab ipsis veris. (Quod per "Tyrum et Zidonem" intelligantur illi intra ecclesiam qui in cognitionibus veri et boni sunt, videatur n. 1201; quod per "filios Jehudae et filios Hierosolymae" intelligantur omnia vera boni, est quia per "filios" significantur vera, n. 1729, 6
3373, 3704, 7499, 8897, 9807; per "Jehudam" ecclesia caelestis, n. 3654, 6364; per "Hierosolymam" ecclesia ubi genuina doctrina, n. 3654, 9166; quod per "filios Graecorum" intelligantur falsa, est quia "Graeci" significant gentes quae in falsis, videatur (supra, ) n. 50.)
[13] Apud Ezechielem,
"Negotiatores Schebae et Raamae, .... per primarium omnis aromatis et per omnem lapidem pretiosum et aurum, dederunt negotiationes tuas" (27:22);
et apud eundem,
"In sapientia et intelligentia tua feceras tibi opes, et feceras aurum et argentum in thesauris tuis:.... in Eden horto Dei fuisti, omnis lapis pretiosus tegumentum tuum, .... et aurum" (28:4, 13);
agitur in binis illis locis etiam de Tyro, per quam, ut supra dictum est, intelliguntur illi intra ecclesiam qui in cognitionibus veri et boni sunt. (Per "negotiationes ejus" intelliguntur ipsae illae cognitiones; per "Schabam et Raamam" quoque intelliguntur illi qui in cognitionibus illis sunt, n. 1171, 3240; per "aromata" significantur vera quae grata quia ex bono, n. 4748, 5621, 9474, 9475, 10199, 10254; per "lapides pretiosos" significantur vera quae pulchra quia ex bono, n. 9863, 9865, 9868, 9873, 9905; quod per "hortum Eden" significetur intelligentia et sapientia inde, n. 100, 108, 1588, 2702, 3220.) Quia nunc per illa significantur cognitiones veri et boni, ac per "aurum et argentum" ipsa bona et vera, et quia per illa comparatur omnis intelligentia et sapientia, ideo dicitur, "In intelligentia et sapientia tua feceras...aurum et argentum in thesauris tuis."
[14] In Threnis,
"Quomodo obscuratum est aurum, mutatum est obryzum optimum, effusi sunt lapides sanctitatis in capite omnium platearum: filii Zionis.... aestimati pares auro puro, quomodo reputati sunt in utres testae, opus manuum figuli" (4:1, 2);
agitur ibi de vastatione ecclesiae; "aurum" quod obscuratum et "obryzum optimum" quod mutatum, significant bona ecclesiae; "lapides sanctitatis" qui effusi in capite omnium platearum, significant vera inde quod falsificata; "filii Zionis" qui aestimati prae auro puro, significant vera ecclesiae prioris; "utres testae opus manuum figuli", significant mala vitae ex falsis doctrinae quae ex propria intelligentia.
[15] Apud Ezechielem,
"Ornavi te ornatu, et dedi armillas super manus tuas, et torquem super guttur tuum;.... sic ornata es auro et argento, et vestes tuae byssus et sericum et acupictum;.... et accepisti vasa ornatus tui ex auro meo et ex argento meo quod dederam tibi, et fecisti tibi imagines cum quibus scortareris" (16:11, 13, 17, 18);
agitur ibi de Hierosolyma, per quam significatur ecclesia quoad doctrinam (ut supra); "ornatus" quo ornata est, significat in genere omnia vera ex bono et inde intelligentiam (n. 10536, 10540); "armillae super manus" significant in specie vera ex bono (n. 3103, 3105); "torques super guttur" significat conjunctionem verorum et bonorum interiorum cum exterioribus, seu spiritualium cum naturalibus (n. 5320); "byssus" significat verum genuinum, et "sericum" idem splendens ex interiori bono (n. 5319, 9469); "acupictum" significat scientificum quod naturalis hominis (n. 9688); "imagines" cum quibus scortaretur, sunt fallaciae sensuum, quae apparent illis qui in falsis sunt ut vera; "scortari" cum illis est per illas falsa concludere (quod "scortari" significet imbuere falsa, videatur supra, n. 141): ex his patet quod per illa in eo capite describatur ecclesia qualis fuerat cum primum instaurata a Domino, et qualis postea facta est.
[16] Apud Esaiam,
"Ecce Ego excitans contra eos Medum, qui argentum non aestimabunt, et auro non delectabuntur, quorum arcus juvenes allident, .... filiis non parcet oculus eorum" (13:17, 18);
per "Medum" intelliguntur qui contra ecclesiae vera et bona sunt; quare dicitur de illis, "qui argentum non aestimabunt nec auro delectabuntur" ("argentum" est verum ecclesiae, et "aurum" est bonum ejus); "arcus" eorum significant doctrinalia falsi pugnantis contra vera et bona (n. 2686, 2709); "juvenes" quos allident, significant intelligentes ex veris (n. 7668); "filii" quibus non parcent, significant ipsa vera.
[17] Apud eundem,
"Turma camelorum obtegent te, .... omnes e Scheba venient, aurum et thus portabunt, et laudes Jehovae annuntiabunt:.... Mihi insulae confident, navesque Tharschisch ad adducendum filios tuos e longinquo; argentum eorum et aurum eorum cum illis" (60:6, 9);
agitur ibi de adventu Domini, et per "turmam camelorum" intelliguntur omnes qui in cognitionibus veri et boni sunt (n. 3048, 3071, 3143, 3145); per "Schebam" e qua venient, intelliguntur ubi ipsae illae cognitiones (n. 1171, 3240); per "aurum et thus" quae portabunt, intelliguntur bona ac vera ex bono quae inde grata, per "aurum" bona et per "thus" illa vera (n. 9993, 10177, 10296); per "insulas" quae "confident" intelliguntur gentes quae in cultu Divino sunt sed remotiore a veris ecclesiae (n. AC 1158); per "naves Tharschish" intelliguntur cognitiones communes veri et boni quibus insunt plures in particulari (n. 1977, 6385); per "filios quos adducent e longinquo" intelliguntur vera remotiora, "filii" sunt vera (ut supra), "e longinquo" sunt quae remotiora (n. 1613, 9487); per "argentum eorum et aurum eorum cum illis", significantur cognitiones veri et boni apud illos.
(e.) Simile significatur per
Quod sapientes qui Venerunt ab oriente ad locum ubi Christus natus, obtulerint dona, aurum, thus et myrrham (Matthaeus 2:11);
obtulerunt illa quia significabant bona et vera interiora et exteriora, quae sunt munera Deo grata.
[18] Apud Davidem,
"Incurvabunt se Illi omnes reges, et omnes gentes servient Illi:.... animas pauperum servabit;.... et vivent et dabit illis ex auro Schebae" ( 9
Psalm. 72:11, 13, 15);
etiam ibi agitur de adventu Domini; per "reges" qui incurvabunt se Ipsi, et per "gentes" quae servient Ipsi, intelliguntur omnes qui in veris sunt ex bono; (quod per "reges" illi qui in veris, videatur supra, n. 31, et quod per "gentes" illi qui in bonis, etiam supra, n. 175(a);) per "pauperes" quos servabit, intelliguntur illi qui non in cognitionibus veri et boni sunt, sed usque desiderant illas (etiam supra, n. 238); per "aurum Schebae" de quo illis dabit, intelligitur bonum amoris in quod Dominus ducet illos per cognitiones (quid "Scheba", videatur mox supra).
[19] Apud Haggaeum,
"Excitabo omnes gentes, ut veniant electio omnium gentium, et impleam Domum hanc gloria:.... Mihi argentum et aurum;.... major erit gloria Domus hujus posterioris quam prioris" (2:7-9);
etiam haec de adventu Domini; per "gentes" intelliguntur qui in bono sunt et inde veris; per "Domum" intelligitur ecclesia (n. 3720); per "gloriam" qua implebitur, intelligitur Divinum Verum (n. 4809, 10
5922, 8267, 8427, 9429); per "argentum et aurum" quod "Mihi", intelligitur verum et bonum quod a solo Domino.
[20] Apud Sachariam,
"Colligentur opes omnium gentium circumcirca, aurum, argentum et vestes multa copia" (14:14);
per "opes omnium gentium" intelliguntur cognitiones ubicunque sunt, etiam apud malos; per "aurum, argentum et vestes multa copia", intelliguntur bona et vera spiritualia et naturalia. Simile significatum est per
Aurum, argentum et vestes, quae filii Israelis mutuo petierunt ab Aegyptiis, quum ab illis discesserunt (Exodus 3:22; 11:2, 3; cap. 12:35-36 11
);
cur ita factum est, et quid involvit, videatur in Arcanis Caelestibus (n. 6914, 6917), quod nempe ut repraesentaretur quod malis auferrentur quae habent et darentur bonis (Secundum Domini verba apud Matthaeum, cap. 25:28, 29; et apud Lucam cap. 19:24, 26); et quod facerent sibi amicos ex injusto mammone (Secundum Domini verba apud Lucam cap. 16:9); per "injustum mammona" intelliguntur cognitiones veri et boni apud illos qui non juste illas possident, qui sunt qui non applicant illas vitae.
[21] Apud Davidem,
"Filiae regum inter pretiosas tuas, 12
consistit Regina ad dextram tuam in auro optimo Ophiris:.... tota gloriosa filia Regis intus, de implexis auri vestis ejus" (Psalms 45:10, 14 [B.A. 9, [13]);
agitur ibi de Domino, et per "filiam Regis" intelligitur ecclesia quae in affectione veri, quae describitur per quod "filiae regum inter pretiosas Ejus", per quas intelliguntur ipsae affectiones veri; per quod "consistat Regina ad dextram Ejus in auro optimo Ophiris", intelligitur regnum caeleste Domini quod in bono amoris est; per quod "de implexis auri vestis ejus", intelligitur quod vera sint ex bono.
[22] Apud Matthaeum,
Jesus dixit discipulis quos emisit ad evangelizandum, quod non possiderent aurum nec argentum nec aes in zonis suis (10:9);
per hoc repraesentatum est quod nihil boni et veri ex se haberent, sed ex solo Domino, et quod gratis omnia donarentur. Quia "aurum" significabat bonum amoris, ideo
Mensa super qua ponebantur panes facierum, obducta erat auro (Exodus 25:23, 24);
Similiter altare suffitus, quod inde vocabatur altare aureum (Exodus 30:3);
Ac ideo candelabrum factum est ex puro auro (Exodus 25:31, 38);
Quod etiam cherubi (Exodus 25:18);
Et ideo arca obducta erat intra et extra auro (Exodus 25:11);
similiter plura in Templo Hierosolymae; Tentorium enim ubi arca, cherubi, mensa super qua panes facierum, altare suffitus, et candelabrum, repraesentabat caelum; pariter Templum; et inde "aurum" ibi significabat bonum amoris, et "argentum" verum ex bono.
[23] Quia sanctissimum caeli repraesentabatur per aururn in Templo, ideo
Cum Belschazar biberet vinum ex vasis auri eductis ex Templo illo, et simul laudaret deos auri, argenti, aeris, ferri, ligni et lapidis, scriptum apparebat in pariete, Numeratus, Appensus, Divisus, et ille ea nocte occisus est (Daniel 5:2, seq.);
significabatur enim per id profanatio boni. Praeterea per "aurum" in opposito sensu in Verbo significatur malum amoris sui, et per "argentum" falsum inde: ut apud Mosen,
Argentum et aurum gentium non concupiscent, quia abominationes, nec inducent in domum suam, sed devovebuntur quia abominanda et detestanda (Deuteronomius 7:25, 26);
sed de hac significatione "auri" et "argenti" dicetur infra.
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