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231. That thou art neither cold nor hot. That this signifies that the life is between heaven and hell, because without charity, is evident from the signification of cold, as being not to be in spiritual but in infernal love, of which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of hot, as denoting to be in spiritual love, concerning which also we shall speak presently. It is therefore evident, that by being neither cold nor hot, is signified, to be neither in infernal love nor in spiritual love, but between both; and he who is between both is between hell and heaven.
[2] That such are those who are in faith alone, or in faith separated from charity, has not hitherto been known; but that it is so, is clear from each of the things written to the angel of this church; also from this consideration, that those who are in faith separated from charity live to themselves, to the world, and to a natural disposition, and those who so live are in infernal love; and that yet by reading the Word, and by hearing discourses therefrom, by receiving the Holy Supper, and by many things which they retain in the memory from the Word, they look towards heaven; and when they do so, they are in some degree of spiritual heat; but still because they have not any heat, or spiritual love, since they do not live according to the Word, therefore they are neither cold nor hot. Thus too they divide the mind into two parts; namely, by means of the things of the Word they turn themselves to heaven, and by means of the things of life they turn themselves to hell, so that they halt between both.
When those who are of such a character come into another life, they desire to go to heaven, saying that they have faith, that they have read the Word, have heard sermons, have frequented the Holy Supper, and that by these things they expect to be saved, but when their life is examined, it is seen to be entirely infernal; that is, that they made no account of enmity, hatred, revenge, craftiness, deceitful stratagems; that when they did what was right, sincere and just, it was only in external form, for the sake of appearing such to the world, whilst inwardly, or in their spirit, they thought other things, and many opposite things, believing that thoughts and intentions are of no account provided they do not openly appear before the world. This is why the spirit of such, when loosened from the earthly body, is of such a quality; for it is man's spirit which thinks and intends.
[3] These are they who are meant by the words of the Lord in Matthew:
"Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? But then will I profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity" (7:22, 23).
So also by these words in Luke:
"When ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us, he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are; then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me all ye workers of iniquity" (13:25-27).
[4] The reason why cold signifies infernal love is, that heat signifies heavenly love. (That heat signifies heavenly love, may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 126-140, 567, 568; and that love to the Lord, and love towards the neighbour, or charity, are heavenly loves, and constitute heaven, may be seen in the same work, n. 13-19; and that the love of self and the love of the world are infernal loves and constitute hell, n. 551-565. That in the hells also there is heat, but impure, see Arcana Coelestia 1773, 2757, 3340; but that that heat is changed into cold when heavenly heat flows in, see in the work, Heaven and Hell 572.)
231. That thou art neither cold nor hot, signifies that it is between heaven and hell, because it is without charity. This is evident from the signification of "cold," as meaning to be not in spiritual love but in infernal love (of which presently); also from the signification of "hot," as meaning to be in spiritual love (of which also presently). From this it is clear that "to be neither cold nor hot" signifies to be neither in infernal love nor in spiritual love, but between the two, and he who is between the two is between hell and heaven.
[2] That those who are in faith alone, or in faith separate from charity, are in this state, has not been known; but it is evident that they are so, from the particulars of what is written to the angel of this church, and moreover from this, that those who are in faith separate from charity live for themselves, the world, and appetite, and those who so live are in infernal love; and yet these, by reading the Word, by hearing discourses therefrom, by receiving the Holy Supper, and by many things from the Word that they merely retain in the memory, look towards heaven; and when they do this, they are in some spiritual heat; but yet because this is not spiritual heat, or spiritual love, since they do not live according to the Word; consequently they are neither hot nor cold. Moreover, they thus draw the mind in two directions, for by the things that are from the Word they turn themselves towards heaven, and by the things that are of the life they turn themselves towards hell, thus they halt between the two. When such as these come into the other life, they are eager for heaven, saying, that they have had faith, have read the Word, heard sermons, often attended the Holy Supper, and by these things ought to be saved. But when their life is explored, it is seen to be altogether infernal, that is, they have made enmities, hatred, revenge, craft, deceitful devices, of no account, and when they did what was upright, sincere, and just, it was only in the external form for the sake of appearing such before the world, whilst within themselves, or in their spirit, they had other thoughts, and many opposite thoughts, believing that thoughts and intentions are of no account providing they do not become manifest to the world. For this reason their spirit becomes such when freed from the ties of the earthly body; for it is the spirit of man that thinks and purposes.
[3] These are meant by the Lord's words in Matthew:
Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied by Thy name, and by Thy name cast out demons, and in Thy name done many mighty works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from Me, ye that work iniquity (Matthew 7:22-23).
Also by these words in Luke:
When ye begin to stand without and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and He shall answer and say, I know you not whence ye are; then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk before Thee, and Thou hast taught in our streets. But He shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from Me, all ye workers of iniquity (Luke 13:25-27).
[4] "Cold" signifies infernal love, because "heat" signifies heavenly love. (That "heat" signifies heavenly love, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 126-140, 567-568; and that love to the Lord, and love toward the neighbor or charity are heavenly loves, and make heaven, n. 13-19; and that the love of self and the love of the world are infernal loves and constitute hell, n. 551-565. That in the hells also there is heat, but unclean, see Arcana Coelestia 1773, 2757, 3340; and that that heat is turned into cold when heavenly heat flows in, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 572.)
231. "Quod nec frigidus sis nec calidus." - Quod significet quod sit, quia absque charitate, inter caelum et infernum, constat ex significatione "frigidi", quod sit qui non in amore spirituali sed in amore infernali (de qua sequitur) et ex significatione "calidi", quod sit qui in amore spirituali (de qua etiam sequitur). Inde patet quod per "quod nec frigidus sis nec calidus", significetur quod nec sit in amore infernali nec in amore spirituali, sed inter utrumque; et qui est inter utrumque is est inter infernum et caelum.
[2] Quod tales sint qui in sola fide seu in fide separata a charitate, nondum scitum est; sed quod illi sint, patet ex singulis quae ad Angelum hujus Ecclesiae scripta sunt; et praeterea ex eo, quod qui in fide separata a charitate sunt, vivant sibi, mundo et genio, et qui ita vivunt, in amore infernali sunt; et quod usque per lectionem Verbi, per auditionem praedicationum inde, per usurpationem Sanctae Cenae, et per plura quae memoria tenus retinent ex Verbo, spectent ad caelum, et cum hoc faciunt, in aliquo calore spirituali sunt; sed quia usque non est calor seu amor spiritualis, quia non vivunt secundum Verbum ideo non calidi sunt nec frigidi. Sic etiam dividunt mentem in binas partes; nempe per illa quae sunt Verbi se vertunt ad caelum, et per illa quae sunt vitae se vertunt ad infernum; ita haerent inter utrumque. Qui tales sunt, dum in alteram vitam veniunt, cupiunt ad caelum, dicentes se fidem habuisse, legisse Verbum, audivisse praedicationes, frequentasse Sacram Cenam, ac per illa salvandos esse: sed cum exploratur vita eorum, apparet ea prorsus infernalis; quod nempe nihili fecerint inimicitias, nihili odium, nihili vindictas, nihili astus, nihili machinationes dolosas; rectum, sincerum, justum, quae fecerunt, solum in externa forma fecerunt, ob causam ut appareant tales mundo, at interius in se seu in suo spiritu cogitaverunt alia, ac multi contraria, credentes quod cogitationes et intentiones nihil faciant, modo coram mundo non eluceant: inde est quod spiritus eorum, cum solutus est a vinculo cum corpore terrestri, talis sit; nam spiritus hominis est qui cogitat et intendit.
[3] Hi sunt qui intelliguntur per Domini verba,
"Multi dicent Mihi in illo die, Domine, Domine, nonne per nomen tuum prophetavimus, et per nomen tuum daemonia ejecimus, et in nomine tuo multas virtutes fecimus: at tunc confitebor illis, Nunquam novi vos; discedite a Me, omnes operarii iniquitatis" (Matthaeus 7:10-27):
tum quoque per haec,
"Cum coeperitis foris stare et pulsare ostium, dicentes, Domine, Domine, aperi nobis; sed respondens dicet, Non novi vos unde sitis; tunc incipietis dicere, Edimus coram Te, et bibimus, et in plateis nostris docuisti; sed dicet, Dico vobis, non novi vos unde sitis; discedite a Me, omnes Operarii iniquitatis" (Luc. 13:25-27 1
):
[4] Quod "frigus" significet amorem infernalem, est quia "calor" significat amorem caelestem.
(Quod "calor" significet amorem caelestem, videatur in opere De Caelo et Inferno 126-140, 567, 568; et quod amor in Dominum et amor erga proximum seu charitas sint amores caelestes, et faciunt caelum, in eodem opere, n. 13-19; et quod amor sui et amor mundi sint amores infernales et faciant infernum, ibi, n. 551-565. Quod in infernis etiam sit calor, sed immundus, in Arcanis Caelestibus, n. 1773, 2757, 3340; sed quod ille calor vertatur in frigus cum influit calor caelestis, in opere De Caelo et Inferno 572.)
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.