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1135. That strong city.- That this signifies which had fortified itself by so many wicked artifices, is evident from the signification of strong, when said of doctrine and the religion which it teaches, signified by the city of Babylon, as denoting that they are fortified by artifices, lest they should be attacked and injured. What those artifices are, and how wicked they are, may be seen above (n. 1112). That those artifices, however, were of no avail at the day of the Last Judgment, when all who were of such a character perished, is evident from what follows, where it is said, "For in one hour is thy judgment come," and that, not only the kings of the earth, but also the merchants of the earth, and the pilots of the ships wept and wailed over her.
[2] In other parts of the Word, also, those are called strong who are in evils and thence in falsities, and who have fortified themselves, by means of artifices, against the goods and truths of the church, that is those with whom the church is devastated, and who devastate the church in others.
As in Joel:
"The day of Jehovah cometh, a day of darkness, and of thick darkness; a people great and strong, such as there has not been from an age; as heroes they run, as men of war they mount the wall" (2:2, 7).
Here also the subject is the Last Judgment, which is signified by the day of Jehovah, a day of darkness, and of thick darkness. Those who are in falsities of evil, and have fortified their falsities against truths by reasonings and by falsifications of the Word, are signified by a people great and strong. Their reasonings from falsities against truths, and their attack upon them, is signified by, as heroes they run, as men of war they mount the wall. Similarly in other places.
[3] Continuation concerning the Athanasian Creed and concerning the Lord.- Since the Divine Omnipotence is such that a man cannot of himself think and will, and thence speak and act, but from the life which is God, the question arises, Why, then, is not every man saved? But he who concludes from this that every one is saved, and if not, that he is not in fault, is ignorant of the laws of Divine Order respecting man's reformation, regeneration, and consequent salvation. The laws of that order are called laws of the Divine Providence, and of these the natural mind can have no knowledge unless it is enlightened. And because man has no knowledge of them, and, therefore, forms conclusions concerning the Divine Providence from events in the world, and falls by means of these into fallacies, and thence into errors, from which he afterwards extricates himself with difficulty, therefore it is expedient that these laws should be made known.
[4] But before we proceed to state them it is important that it should be understood that the Divine Providence, in every particular pertaining to man, even in the most minute, operates for his eternal salvation, the salvation of man being the end of the creation of both heaven and earth. For the end was, that out of the human race heaven might be formed, in which God might dwell, as in His own abode; the salvation, therefore, of man is the all in all of the Divine Providence. But the Divine Providence proceeds so secretly, that man scarcely sees a vestige of it, and yet it is operative in the most minute particulars relating to him, from infancy to old age in the world, and afterwards to eternity; and it is eternity which is regarded in every least thing.
[5] Because Divine Wisdom in itself is nothing but an end, therefore Providence acts from an end, in an end, and with reference to an end, the end being that man may become wisdom and love, and thus a habitation and image of the Divine Life. But, because the natural mind, unless it is enlightened, cannot comprehend why the Divine Providence, while alone operative in the work of salvation, and in the most minute particulars relating to the progress of man's life, does not lead all to heaven, although from love it is willing to lead them, and is omnipotent, therefore, in what now follows, the laws of order which are laws of the Divine Providence shall be disclosed; by their means, the mind, previously unenlightened, may be withdrawn, I hope, from fallacies, if it is willing to be withdrawn.
1135. That mighty city, signifies which had fortified itself by so many wicked devices. This is evident from the signification of "mighty," as being in reference to its doctrine and religious persuasion, which are signified by "the city of Babylon," that they are fortified by devices that they may not be assailed and overthrown. What those devices are, and how wicked they are, may be seen above (n. 1112). It follows, nevertheless, that these devices were of no avail at the day of the Last Judgment, when all who were such perished, for it is said, "For in one hour is thy judgment come," and that not only the kings of the earth, but also the merchants of the earth, and the pilots of the ships "should weep for her and wail over her."
[2] Elsewhere in the Word those are called "mighty" who are in evils and falsities therefrom, and have fortified themselves by means of devices against the goods and truths of the church, thus those with whom the church is devastated, and who devastate the church with others. As in Joel:
The day of Jehovah cometh, a day of darkness and of thick darkness; a people great and mighty, such as there hath not been for an age. Like heroes they run, like men of war they climb over the wall (Joel 2:1-2, 7);
where also the Last Judgment is treated of, which is signified by "the day of Jehovah, a day of darkness and of thick darkness." Those who are in falsities of evil and have fortified their falsities against truths by reasoning and by falsifications of the Word, are signified by "a people great and mighty;" that they reason from falsities against truths, and thus assail truths, is signified by "like heroes they run, like men of war they climb over the wall." And so in other places.
(Continuation respecting the Athanasian Faith and respecting the Lord)
[3] As the Divine omnipotence is such that man is not able to think and will, and thus to speak and act, of himself, but is able to do so only from the life which is God, it may be asked why every man is not saved. But he who concludes from this that everyone is saved, or that he is not to be blamed if he is not, is ignorant of the laws of Divine order respecting man's reformation, regeneration, and consequent salvation. The laws of that order are called laws of the Divine providence. These the natural mind cannot know unless it is enlightened. And as man does not know them, and consequently forms conclusions respecting the Divine providence from what happens in the world, by which he falls into fallacies and thus into errors, from which it is difficult for him afterwards to extricate himself, therefore these laws shall be disclosed.
[4] But before these are disclosed, it is important to make known that the Divine providence operates every particular thing pertaining to man, and even in the most minute particulars, for his eternal salvation; for the salvation of man was the end of the creation of heaven and of earth. This end was that out of the human race a heaven might be formed, in which God could dwell as in His own very home, consequently the salvation of man is the all in all of the Divine providence. But the Divine providence proceeds so secretly that man can see scarcely a trace of it, and yet it is active in the most minute particulars relating to him from infancy to old age in the world, and afterwards to eternity, and in each one of these it is the eternal that is regarded.
[5] As the Divine wisdom is in itself nothing but an end, so providence acts from an end, in an end, and to an end. The end is that man may become wisdom and may become love, and thus a dwelling place and an image of the Divine life. But since the natural mind, unless it is enlightened, is unable to comprehend why the Divine providence, which works solely for man's salvation, and works in the most minute things of the progress of man's life, does not lead all to heaven, when it desires from love to so lead them, and is omnipotent; so in what now follows the laws of order, which are laws of the Divine providence, shall be opened; by which, I hope, the mind not before enlightened may be withdrawn from fallacies, if it is willing to be withdrawn.
1135. "Urbs illa valida." - Quod significet quod se tot nefandis artibus muniverat, constat ex significatione "validi", cum de doctrina et de religioso ejus, quae significantur per "urbem Babylonem", quod sit quod munita sint per artes ne impugnentur et infringantur; quales artes sunt, et quod nefandae sint, videatur supra (n. 1112); quod tamen artes illae nihil valuerint, dum omnes qui tales die ultimi judicii perierunt, sequitur, nam dicitur, "quia in una hora venit judicium tuum", et quod "defleverint illam et planxerint super illa" non modo reges terrae, sed etiam mercatores terrae, et gubernatores navium.
[2] In Verbo etiam alibi vocantur "validi", qui in malis et inde falsis sunt, et per artes se muniverant contra bona et vera ecclesiae, ita apud quos ecclesia devastata est, ac qui ecclesiam apud alios devastant; ut apud Joelem,
"Venit dies Jehovae, ...dies tenebrarum et caliginis;.... populus magnus et validus, qualis ille non factus est a saeculo; .... sicut heroes currunt, sicut viri belli conscendunt murum" (2 [1,] 2, 7);
ubi etiam de ultimo judicio agitur, quod per "diem Jehovae", per "diem tenebrarum et caliginis", significatur; illi qui in falsis mali sunt, ac sua falsa contra vera per ratiocinia et per falsificata Verbi muniverant, significantur per "populum magnum et validum"; quod ratiocinentur ex falsis contra vera, et sic oppugnent illa, significatur per quod "sicut heroes currant, et sicut viri belli conscendant murum." Similiter alibi.
[3] (Continuatio de Fide Athanasiana, et de Domino.) [De Divina Providentia.]
Cum talis est omnipotentia Divina ut homo non possit ex se cogitare et velle, ac inde loqui et facere, sed a Vita quae Deus, quaeritur cur non omnis homo salvatur: at qui inde concludit quod omnis salvetur, et si non, quod non in culpa sit, non scit leges ordinis Divini circa hominis reformationem, regenerationem, et sic salvationem. Illius ordinis leges vocantur leges providentiae Divinae; has mens naturalis, nisi illustrata sit, non scire potest: et quia homo illas non scit, et ideo de Divina providentia ex contingentibus in mundo concludit, per quae cadit in fallacias, et inde errores, a quibus se postea aegre extricat, idcirco detegendae sunt.
[4] Sed antequam deteguntur, interest ut sciatur quod Divina providentia operetur in singulis apud hominem, ac in singularissimis omnium ad salutem ejus aeternam, salus enim hominis fuit finis creationis caeli et terrae; finis namque fuit ut ex humano genere formaretur caelum, in quo Deus, ut in ipsa sua domo, habitaret, quare salus hominis est omne in omnibus providentiae Divinae. Sed Divina providentia tam occulte vadit ut homo vix videat vestigium ejus, et tamen in singularissimis ejus ab infantia ad senectam in mundo, et postea in aeternum, agit, ac in omni singularissimo est aeternum quod spectat.
[5] Qua Divina Sapientia in se non est nisi quam finis, ideo providentia a fine, in fine, et ad finem agit; finis est, ut homo fiat sapientia et fiat amor, et sic habitaculum et imago Divinae Vitae. Sed quia mens naturalis, nisi illustrata sit, non capit cur providentia Divina, dum in salutis opere sola, et in singularissimis progressionis vitae hominis, agit, non omnes ad caelum ducat, cum tamen ex amore vult ducere, et omnipotentia est, ideo in nunc sequentibus leges ordinis, quae leges Divinae providentiae sunt, aperientur; per quas, ut spero, mens non prius illustrata a fallaciis abducetur, si vult abduci.