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246. (Verse 19) As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. That this signifies temptations in that state is evident from the signification of rebuking and chastening, as being to admit into temptations, when said of those who procure to themselves good, and thereby receive truths; these were treated of in the verse immediately preceding. It is said, as many as I love, and thereby are meant all those in the doctrine of faith alone who are in good or in charity, and thence in truths or in faith. The reason why they are loved by the Lord is, that the Lord is present in good, or in charity; and by good, or charity, He is present in truths, or in faith, and not the reverse. The reason why it is now said of those who are in the doctrine of faith alone, that the Lord rebukes and chastens them is, that it was said above, "I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, and white garments that thou mayest be clothed and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear, and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve that thou mayest see." By this is meant that those who are in the doctrine of faith alone should procure to themselves genuine good and genuine truths, and thence intelligence, lest their filthy loves should be seen; and that the understanding may in some degree be opened. And while this is being done with those who have been in the doctrine of faith alone, they cannot but be let into temptations; for the principles of falsity concerning faith alone and justification thereby which, they hold, cannot be abolished except by temptations, and these must be entirely abolished, because they cannot be conjoined with the good of charity, with which truths alone can be conjoined; therefore these are to be procured, as was said above. Truths are indeed conjoined by this, that they say that man, after he has received faith, is led by God, and so is in the good of charity; but still they make this good of no account, because they say it contributes nothing to salvation. They affirm also that nothing condemns him who has received that faith, neither evil of thought and will nor evil of life; also that such a person is not under the law because the Lord has fulfilled the law for him, thus nothing is regarded except faith; by these things they cause disjunction. The reason why they conjoin is, that the doctrine of faith alone would not otherwise agree with the Word, where mention is so often made of charity and of deeds; still, this conjunction is not conjunction with those whose life is according to the doctrine, but with those whose life is according to the Word.
[2] It is said, "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten," but it is not to be understood that it is the Lord who rebukes and chastens, but that infernal spirits, who are in similar principles of falsity, are those who chastise, that is, who tempt man. That God tempts no man is well known; therefore it is to be thus understood, although in the letter it is said of God that He leads into temptation, that He does evil, that He casts into hell, and many things of a like nature. Hence it is evident, that the Divine truth in the Word is but little understood, except by its spiritual sense, or by doctrine procured from those who have been enlightened. As to temptations a man comes into them when he is let into his proprium; for then spirits from hell, who are in the falsities of his principle and in the evils of his love, adjoin themselves to him and hold his thoughts therein, but the Lord holds his thoughts in the truths of faith and in the goods of charity; and, because he then also thinks continually about salvation and about heaven, hence arises his interior anxiety of mind, and hence also he experiences combat, which is called temptation. Those, however, who are not in truths and goods, thus not in any faith grounded in charity, cannot undergo temptations, for there is nothing in them which fights with falsities and evils; this is why at this day there are few who are tempted, and why it is little known what spiritual temptation is. (These things may be seen more fully expounded in Arcana Coelestia, from which see what is collected in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 196-201.)
246. Verse 19. As many as I love I reprove and chasten, signifies temptations then. This is evident from the signification of "reproving and chastening," as being to let into temptations, when it is said of those who are acquiring for themselves good, and by means of it are receiving truths, of whom the preceding verse treats. It is said "as many as I love," which means all those in the doctrine of faith alone who are in good or in charity, and in truths, that is, in faith, therefrom. These are loved by the Lord, because the Lord is present in good, or in charity; and through good or charity is present in truths or faith, and not conversely. It is here said of those who are in the doctrine of faith alone that the Lord "reproves and chastens" them, because it was said above, "I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried by fire, and white garments, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear, and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve that thou mayest see," which means that those who are in the doctrine of faith alone should acquire for themselves genuine good and genuine truths, and intelligence therefrom, that filthy loves may not appear, and that the understanding may be somewhat opened.
And when this takes place with those who have been in the doctrine of faith alone, they cannot but be let into temptations; for the principles of falsity in them respecting faith alone and justification by faith cannot be done away with except by means of temptations; and they must be wholly done away with, since they cannot be conjoined with the good of charity, with this truths only are conjoined; therefore truths must be acquired, as has been said. There is, to be sure, a conjunction of truths through their declaring that after man has received faith he is led by God, and is thus in the good of charity; and yet they make this of no account, as contributing nothing to salvation, saying, moreover, that nothing condemns one who is in that faith, neither evil of thought and will nor evil of life; as also that he is not under the law, because the Lord has fulfilled the law for him; and that nothing is regarded except faith; by these things there is disjunction. That they conjoin them, is because otherwise the doctrine would not cohere with the Word, where charity and works are so often mentioned; but this conjunction is not conjunction with those who are in a life according to the doctrine, but with those who are in a life according to the Word.
[2] It is said, "As many as I love I reprove and chasten," but by this it is meant not that it is the Lord who reproves and chastens, but infernal spirits, who are in principles of like falsity; it is these who chastise, that is, tempt men. God tempts no one, as is well known; this, therefore, must be thus understood, although in the letter it is said of God that He leads into temptation, that He does evil, that He casts into hell, and many like things. From this it is clear that Divine truth in the Word is but little understood except through its spiritual sense, or through doctrine from those who have been in illustration. In respect to temptations, man comes into them when he is let into what is his own [in suum proprium], for then spirits from hell who are in the falsities of his principle and in the evils of his love join themselves to him and hold his thoughts therein; but the Lord holds his thoughts in the truths that are of faith and in the goods that are of charity, and as he then is also in constant thought about salvation and heaven, there thence arises in him interior anxiety of mind and combat, which is called temptation. But those who are not in truths and goods, thus not in any faith from charity, cannot be let into temptations, for there is nothing with them that combats with falsities and evils. From this it is that at this day there are few who are tempted, and that it is little known what spiritual temptation is. (This is more fully explained in the Arcana Coelestia: see extracts therefrom in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 196-201.)
246. (Vers. 19.) "Ego quoscunque amo, arguo et castigo." - Quod significet tentationes tunc, constat ex significatione "arguere et castigare", cum de illis qui bonum sibi comparant et per id recipiunt vera, de quibus in mox praecedente versu actum est, quod sit in tentationes admittere. Dicitur "quoscunque amo", et per id intelliguntur omnes qui in doctrina de sola fide qui in bono sunt seu in charitate et inde in veris seu in fide: quod illi amentur a Domino, est quia Dominus in bono seu in charitate est praesens, et per bonum seu charitatem in veris seu in fide, et non vicissim. Quod nunc dicatur de illis qui in doctrina de sola fide sunt quod Dominus illos "arguat et castiget", est quia supra dictum est, "Suadeo tibi emere a Me aurum exploratum igne, et vestimenta alba ut induaris, ne appareat pudor nuditatis tuae, et collyrio inunge oculos ut videas", per quae intelligitur, ut illi qui in doctrina de sola fide sunt, comparent sibi genuinum bonum et genuina vera ac inde intelligentiam, ne appareant Spurci amores, ac ut aliquantum aperiatur intellectus; et hoc dum fit apud illos qui in doctrina de sola fide fuerunt, non possunt aliter quam in tentationes mitti; nam principia falsi de sola fide et de justificatione per illam apud eos non possunt aboleri nisi per tentationes; et abolenda omnino sunt, quia non conjungi possunt cum bono charitatis; cum hoc solum vera conjunguntur, quapropter haec comparanda sunt, ut dictum est. Conjunguntur quidem vera per id, quod dicant quod homo, postquam fidem accepit, ducatur a Deo et sic in bono charitatis; sed usque hoc nihili faciunt, quia nihil ad salutem, dicendo etiam quod illum nihil damnet, non malum cogitationis et voluntatis, nec malum vitae, tum quod non sub (jugo) legis sit, quia Dominus implevit legem pro ipso, et quod non spectetur nisi fides; per haec disjungunt: quod conjungant est causa quia aliter non cohaereret doctrina cum Verbo, ubi toties dicitur de charitate et de factis; sed haec conjunctio non est conjunctio apud illos qui in vita secundum doctrinam sunt, sed apud illos qui in vita secundum Verbum sunt.
[2] Dicitur "quoscunque amo, arguo et castigo"; sed intelligitur quod non Dominus arguat et castiget, sed quod infernales spiritus qui in principiis similis falsi sunt; hi sunt qui castigant, hoc est, tentant homines: quod Deus neminem tentet, notum est; quare ita intelligendum est, tametsi in littera dicitur de Deo quod in tentationem inducat, quod malum faciat, quod conjiciat in infernum, et similia plura. Inde patet quod Divinum Verum in Verbo parum intelligatur nisi per sensum spiritualem ejus, seu per doctrinam ex illis qui in illustratione fuerunt. Quod tentationes attinet: in illas venit homo, quando immittitur in suum proprium; tunc enim se adjungunt ei spiritus ab inferno qui in falsis principii ejus sunt et in malis amoris ejus, et tenent ejus cogitationes in illis; at Dominus tenet ejus cogitationes in veris quae fidei, et in bonis quae charitatis; et quia tunc quoque jugiter de salute et de caelo cogitat, inde ejus anxietas mentis interior, et inde pugna, quae vocatur tentatio. At vero illi qui non in veris et bonis sunt, ita non in aliqua fide ex charitate, non immitti possunt in tentationes, nihil enim apud illos est quod pugnat cum falsis et malis; inde est quod hodie pauci sint qui tentantur, et inde quod parum sciatur quid tentatio spiritualis. (Sed haec plenius exposita sunt in Arcanis Caelestibus, ex quibus collecta videantur in Doctrina Novae Hierosolymae, n. 196-201.)