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325. Which are the prayers of the saints. That this signifies, from which is worship, appears from the signification of the prayers of the saints, as denoting worship from spiritual good. By prayers, in the internal sense, are meant all things of worship; and by the saints, spiritual things; for in the Word they are called saints who are in the Lord's spiritual kingdom, and just, they who are in His celestial kingdom (as may be seen above, n. 204). But in the internal sense of the Word by saints are not meant saints, but things holy, for saints involve persons, and in the internal sense everything connected with personality is put off, for things alone constitute it (concerning which see above, n. 270); and that the angels, because they are spiritual, think abstractedly from persons, see also above, n. 99, 100. In this the internal sense of the Word is distinguished from its external sense, which is the sense of the letter; and because by saints are thus meant things holy, and by holy in the Word is meant the Divine truth, which proceeds from the Lord, and makes His spiritual kingdom (as may be seen above, n. 204); therefore by things holy are meant spiritual things, and by the prayers of the saints, worship from spiritual good. That worship from this good is meant by the prayers of the saints, appears from this fact, that it is said they had golden vials full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints; and by incense are signified all things of worship which are from spiritual good (as was shown in the article just preceding); whence it follows, that the same is signified by the prayers of the saints.
[2] As also in David:
"Give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee. Let my prayers be accepted before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the meat-offering of the evening; guard the door of my lips; let not mine heart decline to evil, to do wicked deeds in impiety with the men who work iniquity; for hitherto my prayers [are] in their evils" (Psalms 141:1-5).
Here also prayers are called incense, and the lifting up of the hands is called a meat-offering; and this, because the same is signified by prayers as by incense, and the same by the lifting up of the hands as by a meat-offering. By incense is signified spiritual good, which is the good of charity towards the neighbour; and by meat-offering is signified celestial good, which is the good of love to the Lord; thus by both worship is signified. And because prayers proceed not from the mouth, but from the heart by the mouth, and all worship which is from the heart is from the good of love and charity, for the heart signifies that, therefore it is also said, guard the door of my lips; let not mine heart decline to evil, to do wicked deeds in impiety. And because David is lamenting that evils hitherto have power against him, therefore he says, for hitherto my prayers are in their evils.
[3] That prayers signify the same as incense, also appears elsewhere in the Apocalypse:
"Another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, together with the prayers of all the saints, upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense together with the prayers of saints, ascended up to the sight of God" (8:3, 4).
Because similar things are here signified by prayers as by incense, namely, worship from spiritual good, therefore it is said there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of the saints; also that the smoke of the incense ascended together with the prayers of the saints, to the sight of God. What is meant by worship from spiritual good shall first be explained, and afterwards that prayers signify such worship. Worship does not consist in prayers and in external devotion, but in a life of charity; prayers are only the externals thereof, for they proceed from the man by his mouth, therefore, according to the quality of the man as to his life, such are his prayers. It does not matter that a man bears himself humbly, that he kneels and sighs when he prays; these are external things, and unless the externals proceed from internals, they are only postures and sounds without life. In everything that a man gives utterance to there is affection, and every man, spirit, and angel is his own affection, for their affection is their life; it is the affection itself that speaks, and not the man without it; therefore, such as is the affection, such is the prayer. Spiritual affection is what is called charity towards the neighbour; to be in that affection is truly worship; prayer is the proceeding therefrom. Hence it is evident that the essential of worship is a life of charity, and the instrumental of it is posture and prayer; or, that the primary of worship is a life of charity, and its secondary is praying; from which it is evident that those who place all Divine worship in oral piety, and not in real piety, err greatly.
[4] Real piety is to act in every work and in every function sincerely and rightly, justly and equitably, and this because it is so commanded by the Lord in the Word; for thus a man in every work he does looks to heaven and to the Lord, with whom he is thus conjoined. But to act sincerely and rightly, justly and equitably, solely from fear of the law, or of the loss of fame, or for the sake of honour and gain, and to think nothing of the Divine Law, of the precepts of the Word, and of the Lord, and yet to pray devoutly in temples, is external piety, which, however holy it may appear to be, still is not piety, but either hypocrisy, or something assumed from habit, or a persuasion that therein alone consists Divine worship. For such a man looks not from his heart to heaven and to the Lord, but only with the eyes, the heart regarding self and the world, and the mouth speaking from bodily habit only and memory; such a man is conjoined to the world and not to heaven, to himself and not to the Lord. From these considerations it is evident what piety is, also what Divine worship is, and that real piety is essential worship. Concerning this see also what is said in the work concerning Heaven and Hell 222, 224, 358-360, 528-530; and in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 123-129, where these words occur: "Piety consists in thinking and speaking piously; in devoting much time to prayers; in humility at the time; in frequenting temples, and attending devoutly to the discourses there; in receiving the sacrament of the holy supper frequently every year; and in like manner the other parts of worship according to the appointments of the church. But the life of charity consists in wishing well and doing well to the neighbour; in acting in every work justly and equitably, from what is good and true, and similarly in discharging every duty; - in one word, the life of charity consists in the performance of uses. Divine worship consists primarily in the latter life, but secondarily in the former; he, therefore, who separates the one from the other, that is, who lives a life of piety, and not at the same time a life of charity, does not worship God. For a life of piety avails only as a life of charity is conjoined with it; for this is the chief thing, and such as the latter is, such is the former" (n. 124, 128).
[5] That heaven is insinuated by the Lord into the actual piety of man, and not into the oral or external piety separate therefrom, has been proved to me from much experience. For many were seen, who placed all worship in oral and outward piety, and in their actual life thought nothing further of the Lord's precepts in the Word, or that what is sincere and right, just and equitable, should be done from religion, thus from a spiritual origin, but only from regard to the civil law, and also the moral law, so that they might appear sincere and just for the sake of fame, and this on account of honour and gain, believing that by this means they would come into heaven before others. In accordance with their faith, therefore, they were raised into heaven; but when it was perceived by the angels, that they worshipped God with the mouth only, and not with the heart, and that their external piety did not proceed from actual piety, which pertains to the life, they were cast down by them, and afterwards were associated with those who were in a similar life with themselves, and were there deprived of their piety and sanctity, because these were interiorly defiled with evils of life. Consequently it was made evident, that Divine worship primarily consists in a life of charity, and secondarily in external piety.
[6] As essential Divine worship primarily consists in the life, and not in prayers, therefore, the Lord taught that, in praying, they were not to be given to much speaking and repetition, in the following words:
"When ye pray, use not vain repetitions as the heathen do; for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Do not therefore make yourselves like unto them" (Matthew 6:7, 8).
Now because essential Divine worship consists primarily in a life of charity, and secondarily in prayers, therefore, by prayers, in the spiritual sense of the Word, is meant worship from spiritual good, that is, from the life of charity, for that which is primary is meant, in the spiritual sense, whereas the sense of the letter consists of things secondary, which are effects, and correspond.
[7] Prayers are also mentioned in many passages of the Word; but because prayers proceed from the heart, and the quality of man's heart is according to his life of love and charity, therefore by prayers, in the spiritual sense, is meant that life, and the worship from it; as in the following passages.
In Luke:
"Watch ye all the time, praying that ye may be accounted worthy to flee from those things that are to come, and to stand before the Son of man" (187). Therefore praying is also mentioned, because praying is the effect of that life, or its external, which avails in proportion as it proceeds from the life, for they constitute a unity like the soul and body, and like the internal and external.
[8] In Mark:
"Jesus said, All things which ye ask in prayer, believe that ye shall receive them, and then it shall be done unto you. When ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any" (11:24, 25).
Here, also, in the spiritual sense, by praying, desiring, and asking, is meant the life of love and charity; for to those who are in the life of love and charity, it is given from the Lord what they should ask; therefore they ask nothing but what is good, and that is done unto them; and because faith is also from the Lord, therefore, it is said, "believe that ye shall receive them." And because prayers proceed from the life of charity, and are according to it, therefore, in order that it may be done according to the prayers, it is also said, "when ye stand praying forgive, if ye have ought against any."
[9] That by, when ye stand praying, is signified, when they are in Divine worship, is evident also from this consideration, that the same that is here said of those who pray, is also said of those who offer a gift upon the altar, in Matthew:
"If thou offer a gift upon the altar, and rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee, leave the gift before the altar, and first be reconciled to thy brother, and then coming offer the gift" (Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 214, 221). Hence it is evident that the same is signified by praying or asking, as by offering a gift upon the altar, namely, worship from the good of love and charity.
[10] In the same:
"Jesus said, It is written, my house shall be called the house of prayers, but ye have made it a den of thieves" (21:13; Mark 11:17; Luke 19:46).
By the Lord's house is signified the church, and by prayers worship therein; and by a den of thieves the profanation of the church and of worship; from this opposite sense it is also clear, that prayers signify worship from the good of love and charity.
[11] In David:
"I cried unto God with my mouth, and he was exalted with my tongue. If I have regarded iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear; but God hath heard; he hath attended to the voice of my prayers" (Psalms 66:17-19).
Because prayers are according to the nature of man's heart, and, consequently, prayers offered up when the heart is in evil are not true prayers of worship, it is therefore said, "If I have regarded iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear," by which is signified that He will not receive such worship. The heart of man is his love, and the love of man is his very life, consequently, a man's prayers are according to the nature of his love, or according to the quality of his life; hence it follows that prayers signify the life of his love and charity, or that this life is meant by prayers, in the spiritual sense.
[12] Many other passages might be adduced. But because a man does not know that his life and prayers make one, and consequently perceives that prayers alone are meant when they are mentioned in the Word, therefore they are omitted. Moreover, a man continually prays when he is in the life of charity, although not with the mouth yet with the heart; for that which is of the love is continually in the thought, even when he is unconscious of it; according to what is said in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 55, 57). Hence it is also evident that prayer, in the spiritual sense, denotes worship from love. But those do not relish these things; indeed they think contrary to them, who place piety in prayers and not in the life; neither do these know in what real piety consists.
325. Which are the prayers of the saints, signifies from which is worship. This is evident from the signification of the "prayers of the saints," as being worship from spiritual good; "prayers," in the internal sense, mean all things of worship; and "saints" things spiritual; for those who are in the Lord's spiritual kingdom are called in the Word "saints" [or "holy"], and those who are in His celestial kingdom are called "righteous" [or "just"] (See above, n. 204). But in the internal sense of the Word by "saints" are not meant saints [holy men], but things holy, for the term "saints" involves persons, and in the internal sense everything of person is put off, for things solely make that sense (See above, n. 270); and that the angels, because they are spiritual, think abstractly from persons (See also above, n. 99, 100). This is what distinguishes the internal sense of the Word from its external sense, which is the sense of the letter; and as "saints" thus mean things holy, and "holy" in the Word means the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, and making His spiritual kingdom (as may be seen above, n. 204, so by "saints" things spiritual are meant, and by the "prayers of the saints" worship from spiritual good. That worship from that good is meant by the "prayers of the saints" is evident from this, that it is said "they had golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints;" and "incense" signifies all things of worship that are from spiritual good (as was shown in the preceding paragraph); from which it follows that the "prayers of the saints" has a like signification.
[2] As also in David:
Give ear unto my voice when I call unto Thee. Let my prayers be received as incense before Thee; the lifting up of my hands as the evening meal-offering. Guard the door of my lips; let not my heart decline to evil, to do evil deeds in wickedness with the men who work iniquity; for still my prayers are in their evils (Psalms 141:1-5).
Here also "prayers" are called "incense," and "the lifting up of the hands" is called a "meal-offering;" and this because "prayers" and "incense" have a similar signification, also "lifting up of the hands" and "meal-offering." "Incense" signifies spiritual good, which is the good of charity towards the neighbor; and "meal-offering" signifies celestial good, which is the good of love to the Lord; thus both signifying worship. And as prayers are not from the mouth, but from the heart by the mouth, and all worship that is from the heart is from the good of love and charity, for the heart signifies that, so it is also said, "Guard the door of my lips; let not my heart decline to evil, to do evil deeds in wickedness." And because David is lamenting that evils still have power against him, he says, "for still my prayers are in their evils."
[3] That "prayers" have a similar meaning as "incense" is evident also from other passages in Revelation:
Another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he might offer it with the prayers of all the saints, upon the golden altar. And the smoke of the incense with the prayers of the saints went up before God (Revelation 8:3-4
As "prayers" and "incense" have here similar significance, namely, worship from spiritual good, it is said, "there was given unto him much incense, that he might offer it with the prayers of the saints;" likewise that "the smoke of the incense went up with the prayers of the saints unto God." What is meant by worship from spiritual good shall first be explained, and afterwards that prayers signify such worship. Worship does not consist in prayers and in external devotion, but in a life of charity; prayers are only its externals, for they proceed from the man through his mouth, consequently men's prayers are such as they themselves are in respect to life. It matters not that a man bears himself humbly, that he kneels and sighs when he prays; for these are externals, and unless externals proceed from internals they are only gestures and sounds without life. In each thing that a man utters there is affection, and every man, spirit, and angel is his own affection, for their affection is their life; it is the affection itself that speaks, and not the man without it; therefore such as the affection is such is the praying. Spiritual affection is what is called charity towards the neighbor; to be in that affection is true worship; praying is what proceeds. From this it can be seen that the essential of worship is the life of charity, and that its instrumental is gesture and praying; or that the primary of worship is a life of charity, and its secondary is praying. From this it is clear that those who place all Divine worship in oral piety, and not in practical piety, err greatly.
[4] Practical piety is to act in every work and in every duty from sincerity and right, and from justice and equity, and this because it is commanded by the Lord in the Word; for thus man in his every work looks to heaven and to the Lord, and thus is conjoined with Him. But to act sincerely and rightly, justly and equitably, solely from fear of the law, of the loss of fame or of honor and gain, and to think nothing of the Divine law, of the commandments of the Word, and of the Lord, and yet to pray devoutly in the churches, is external piety; however holy this may appear, it is not piety, but it is either hypocrisy, or something put on derived from habit, or a kind of persuasion from a false belief that Divine worship consists merely in this; for such a man does not look to heaven and to the Lord with the heart, but only with the eyes; the heart looking to self and to the world, and the mouth speaking from the habit of the body only and its memory; by this man is conjoined to the world and not to heaven, and to self and not to the Lord. From this it can be seen what piety is, and what Divine worship is, and that practical piety is worship itself. On this see also what is said in the work on Heaven and Hell 222, 224, 358-360, 528-530); and in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 123-129), where also are these words:
Piety is to think and speak piously; to spend much time in prayer; to bear oneself humbly at such times; to frequent churches, and listen devoutly to discourses there; to observe the sacrament of the Supper frequently every year, and likewise the other services of worship according to the appointments of the church. But a life of charity is to will well and do well to the neighbor; to act in every work from justice and equity, from good and truth, and also in every duty; in a word, the life of charity consists in performing uses. Divine worship consists primarily in such a life, and secondarily in a life of piety; he, therefore, who separates the one from the other, that is, who lives a life of piety and not at the same time a life of charity, does not worship God. For a life of piety is valuable so far as a life of charity is joined with it; for the life of charity is the primary thing, and such as this is, such is the life of piety (n. 124, 128).
[5] That the Lord insinuates heaven into man's practical piety, but not into oral or external piety separate therefrom, has been testified to me by much experience. For I have seen many who placed all worship in oral and outward piety, while in their actual life they gave no thought to the Lord's commandments in the Word, believing that what is sincere and right, just and equitable, must be done not from regard to religion, thus from a spiritual motive, but merely from regard to civil law and also to moral law, that they might appear sincere and just for the sake of reputation, and this for the sake of honor and gain, believing that this would take them into heaven before others. According to their belief, therefore, they were raised up into heaven; but when the angels perceived that they worshiped God with the mouth only, and not with the heart, and that their external piety did not proceed from practical piety, which is of the life, they cast them down; afterwards these became associated with those who were in a life like their own, and were there deprived of their piety and sanctity, since these were interiorly defiled by evils of life. From this also it was made clear, that Divine worship consists primarily in a life of charity and secondarily in external piety.
[6] As Divine worship itself consists primarily in the life, and not in prayers, the Lord said, that in praying there should not be much speaking and repetition, in the following words:
In praying, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do; for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Do not make yourselves, therefore, like them (Matthew 6:7-8).
Now as Divine worship itself consists primarily in a life of charity, and secondarily in prayers, by "prayers," in the spiritual sense of the Word, worship from spiritual good, that is, from the life of charity, is meant, for that which is primary is what is meant in the spiritual sense, while the sense of the letter consists of things secondary, which are effects, and which correspond.
[7] Prayers are mentioned, moreover, in many passages of the Word; but as prayers proceed from the heart, and a man's heart is such as is his life of love and charity, so "prayers," in the spiritual sense, mean that life and worship from it, as in the following. In Luke:
Be ye wakeful at every season, praying that ye may be accounted worthy to escape the things that are to come, and so stand before the Son of man (187); therefore praying is also mentioned, because "praying" is an effect of that life, or its external, which is of avail so far as it proceeds from the life, for these two are one like soul and body, and like internal and external.
[8] In Mark:
Jesus said, All things that ye ask for, praying, believe that ye are to receive, and then it shall be done for you. But when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any (Mark 11:24-25).
Here, also, in the spiritual sense, by "praying," "asking for," and "supplicating," a life of love and charity is meant; for to those who are in a life of love and charity it is given from the Lord what they are to ask; therefore they ask nothing but what is good, and that is done for them; and as faith also is from the Lord, it is said, "believe that ye are to receive;" and as prayers proceed from a life of charity, and are according to it, in order that it may be done according to the prayers, it is said, "When ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any."
[9] "When ye stand praying" signifies when in Divine worship, as is clear also from this, that the like as is here said of those who pray is said also of those who offer a gift upon the altar, in Matthew:
If thou offer a gift upon the altar, and rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee, leave the gift before the altar, and first be reconciled to thy brother, and then coming offer the gift (The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 214, 221). From this it can be seen that "praying," or "supplicating," and "offering a gift upon the altar," have a like meaning, namely, worship from the good of love and charity.
[10] In the same:
Jesus said, It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of robbers (Matthew 21:13; Mark 11:17; Luke 19:46).
The Lord's "house" signifies the church, and "prayers" worship therein; and a "den of robbers" the profanation of the church and of worship; and from this contrary sense it is also evident that prayers signify worship from the good of love and charity.
[11] In David:
I cried unto God with my mouth. If I had regarded iniquity in my heart the Lord would not have heard; but God hath heard; He hath attended to the voice of my prayer (Psalms 66:17-19).
Since prayers are such as the man's heart is, and thus are not prayers of any worship when the heart is evil, it is said, "If I had regarded iniquity in my heart the Lord would not have heard," which signifies that He would not receive such worship. Man's "heart" is his love, and man's love is his very life, consequently a man's prayers are such as his love is, that is, such as his life is; from which it follows that "prayers" signify the life of his love and charity, or that this life is meant by "prayers" in the spiritual sense.
[12] Many more passages might be cited; but as man does not know that his life and his prayers make one, and therefore does not perceive otherwise than that "prayers" where they are mentioned in the Word mean merely prayers, these passages will be omitted here. Moreover, when man is in a life of charity he is constantly praying, if not with the mouth yet with the heart; for that which is of the love is constantly in the thought, even when man is unconscious of it (according to what is said in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem, n. 55-57); from which also it is clear that "praying" in the spiritual sense is worship from love. But those who place piety in prayers and not in the life have no relish for this truth, in fact their thought is contrary to it; such do not even know what practical piety is.
325. "Quae sunt preces sanctorum." - Quod significet ex quibus cultus, constat ex significatione "precum sanctorum", quod sint cultus ex bono spirituali; per "preces" in sensu interno intelliguntur omnia cultus, et per "sanctos" spiritualia; "sancti" enim in Verbo dicuntur qui in regno spirituali Domini sunt, "justi" autem qui in regno caelesti Ipsius (videatur supra, n. 204); sed in sensu interno Verbi per "sanctos" non intelliguntur sancti sed sancta, nam sancti involvunt personas, et in sensu interno exuitur omne personae, solae enim res faciunt illum (de qua re videatur supra, n. 270); et quod angeli, quia spirituales, cogitent abstracte a personis, etiam supra (n. 99, 100): in hoc distinguitur sensus internus Verbi a sensu externo ejus, qui est sensus litterae; et quia sic per "sanctos" intelliguntur sancta, et per "sanctum" in Verbo intelligitur Divinum Verum quod procedit a Domino, et facit regnum spirituale Ipsius (videatur supra, n. 204), ideo per "Sanctos" intelliguntur spiritualia, et per "preces sanctorum" cultus ex bono spirituali: quod cultus ex hoc bono per "preces sanctorum" intelligatur, constat ex eo, quod dicatur quod "habuerint phialas aureas plenas suffitibus, quae sunt preces sanctorum", et per "suffitus" significantur omnia cultus quae ex bono spirituali, ut in articulo mox praecedente ostensum est; inde sequitur quod per "preces sanctorum" simile significetur.
[2] Ut quoque apud Davidem,
"Attende aurem ad vocem meam quando clamo ad Te; receptae sint preces meae, suffimentum coram Te, sublatio manuum minchah vesperae: .... custodi januam labiorum meorum, ne declina cor meum ad malum, ad faciendum facinora in impietate, cum viris operantibus iniquitatem, .... quia adhuc preces meae in malis illorum" (Psalms 141:1-5):
hic quoque "preces" vocantur "suffimentum", et "sublatio manuum" vocatur "minchah", et hoc quia per "preces" simile significatur quod per "suffimentum", et per "sublationem manuum" simile quod per "mincham"; per "suffimentum" significatur bonum spirituale quod est bonum charitatis erga proximum, et per "mincham" significatur bonum caeleste quod est bonum amoris in Dominum, ita per utrumque cultus; et quia preces non sunt ex ore sed ex corde per os, et omnis cultus qui est ex corde est ex bono amoris et charitatis, nam "cor" id significat, ideo etiam dicitur, "Custodi januam labiorum meorum, ne declina cor meum ad malum, ad faciendum facinora in impietate"; et quia lamentatur David quod mala contra illum adhuc valeant, ideo dicit, "quia adhuc preces meae in malis illorum."
[3] Quod "preces" similia significent cum "suffitibus", etiam constat alibi in Apocalypsi,
"Alius angelus venit, et stetit apud altare, habens thuribulum aureum, et dati ei suffitus multi, [ut offerret] cum precibus sanctorum omnium, super altare aureum, .... et ascendit fumus suffituum cum precibus sanctorum .... ad conspectum Dei" (8:3, 4);
quia hic similia significantur per "preces" quae per "suffitus", nempe cultus ex bono spirituali, ideo dicitur, "Dati ei suffitus multi, ut offerret cum precibus sanctorum; .... tum ascendit fumus suffituum cum precibus sanctorum ad conspectum Dei." Quid intelligitur per cultum ex bonospirituali, primum dicetur, postea quod "preces" illum cultum significent. Cultus non consistit in precibus ac in devotione externa, sed in vita charitatis; preces sunt modo externa ejus, procedunt enim ex homine per os ejus, quapropter qualis est homo quoad vitam, tales sunt preces ejus. Non refert quod humiliter se gerat, super genubus sit et suspiret, quando precatur; haec externa sunt, et nisi externa procedant ex internis, sunt modo gestus et soni absque vita. Est affectio in singulis quae homo loquitur; et unusquisque homo, spiritus et angelus est sua affectio, nam affectio eorum est vita eorum; ipsa affectio est quae loquitur, et non homo absque illa, quapropter qualis est affectio talis est precatio. Affectio spiritualis est quae vocatur charitas erga proximum; in illa esse est vere cultus, precatio est procedens. Inde constare potest quod essentiale cultus sit vita charitatis, ac instrumentale ejus sit gestus et precatio, seu quod primarium cultus sit vita charitatis et secundarium ejus sit precatio. Ex quo patet quod qui omnem cultum Divinum ponunt in pietate orali et non in pietate actuali, valde errent.
[4] Pietas actualis est in omni opere et in omni functione agere ex sincero et recto, et ex justo et aequo, et hoc quia praeceptum est a Domino in Verbo; ita enim homo inomni opere suo spectat ad caelum et ad Dominum, cum quo sic conjungitur: ast agere sincerum et rectum, justum et aequum, solum ex timore legis, jacturae famae, ac honoris et lucri, et nihil cogitare de Lege Divina, de praeceptis Verbi, et de Domino, et tamen devote precari in templis, est pietas externa; quae qualitercunque sancta apparet, usque non est pietas, sed est vel hypocrisis, vel est quoddam fictum ex habitu tractum, vel quoddam persuasivum ex falso principio quod in eo solo consistat cultus Divinus; spectat enim non corde ad caelum et ad Dominum, sed modo oculis; cor spectat ad semet et ad mundum, et os loquitur ex habitu solius corporis et ejus memoriae; per id conjungitur ille homo mundo et non caelo, ac sibi et non Domino. Ex his constare potest quid pietas, tum quid cultus Divinus, et quod pietas actualis sit ipse cultus; de qua re etiam videantur quae in opere De Caelo et Inferno (n. 222, 224, 358-360, 528-530, dicta sunt); et quae in Doctrina Novae Hierosolymae (n. 123-129), ubi etiam haec:-
"Pietas est pie cogitare et loqui, multum vacare precibus, humiliter se tunc gerere, frequentare templa, et ibi praedicationes devote auscultare, et saepe quotannis obire Sacramentum Cenae, et similiter reliqua cultus secundum ecclesiae statuta. Vita autem charitatis est bene velle et bene facere proximo, in omni opere agere ex justo et aequo, ex bono et vero, similiter in omni functione; verbo, vita charitatis consistit in usibus praestandis. In hac vita primario consistit cultus Divinus, in illa autem secundario: quapropter qui separat unam ab altera, nempe qui vitam pietatis agit et non simul vitam charitatis, non colit Deum. .... Nam vita pietatis tantum valet, .... quantum ei conjuncta est vita charitatis; haec enim primaria est, et qualis haec talis illa" (n. 124, 128).
[5] Quod caelum a Domino insinuetur pietati actuali hominis, et non pietati orali seu externae separatae ab illa, ex pluri experientia mihi testatum factum est. Visi enim sunt multi qui in pietate orali et externa posuerunt omnem cultum, et praeterea in sua vita actuali nihil cogitaverunt de praeceptis Domini in Verbo, seu quod sincerum etrectum, justum et aequum, ex religione, ita ex origine spirituali, faciendum sit, sed solum ex lege civili, tum ex lege morali, ut sinceri et justi apparerent propter famam, et haec propter honorem aut lucrum; credentes sic quod in caelum venturi prae aliis: quapropter secundum fidem suam elevati sunt in caelum; sed cum ab angelis perceptum fuit quod colerent Deum solum ore et non corde, et quod pietas eorum externa non procederet ex pietate actuali, quae est vitae, ab illis dejecti sunt; et postea associati illis qui in simili vita cum illis fuerunt, et ibi deprivati suo pio et sancto, quoniam hoc interius conspurcatum fuit malis vitae. Inde quoque patuit quod cultus Divinus primario consistat in vita charitatis, et secundario in pietate externa.
[6] Quoniam ipse cultus Divinus primario consistit in vita, et non in precibus, ideo dixit Dominus quod in precando non essent multiloqui et prolixi, his verbis:
"Orantes ne sitis multiloqui, sicut ethnici, qui putant quod propter multiloquium exaudiantur; ne igitur reddimini illis similes" (Matthaeus 6:7, 8).
Quia nunc ipse cultus Divinus consistit primario in vita charitatis, et secundario in precibus, ideo per "preces" in sensu spirituali Verbi intelligitur cultus ex bono spirituali, hoc est, ex vita charitatis; quod enim primarium est, hoc intelligitur in sensu spirituali; sensus litterae autem consistit ex secundariis, quae sunt effectus et correspondent.
[7] In Verbo etiam multis in locis nominantur preces; sed quia preces procedunt ex corde, et cor hominis est qualis ejus vita amoris et charitatis est, ideo per "preces" in sensu spirituali intelligitur illa vita, et cultus ex illa; ut in his sequentibus:
Apud Lucam,
"Vigilate omni tempore, precantes ut digni habeamini ad fugiendum quae futura sunt, et ad standum coram Filio hominis" (21:36, Marcus 13:33);
per "vigilare omni tempore" significatur vitam spiritualem sibi comparare (videatur supra, n. 187); quare etiam dicitur "precantes", quia precatio est effectus illius vitae, seu externum ejus, quod tantum facit quantum ex vita procedit, sunt enim unum sicut anima et corpus, ac sicut internum et externum.
[8] Apud Marcum,
Jesus dixit, "Omnia quae precantes petitis, credite quod accepturi, tunc fiet vobis; cum vero steteritis orantes, remittite si quid habetis contra quemquam" (11:24, 25);
hic quoque per "precari", "petere" et "orare" in sensu spirituali intelligitur vita amoris et charitatis; nam qui in vita amoris et charitatis sunt, illis datur a Domino quid petituri sunt; quare non aliud petunt quam quod bonum est, et id fit illis: et quia fides etiam est a Domino, ideo dicitur, "Credite quod accepturi"; et quia preces ex vita charitatis procedunt, et sunt secundum illam, ideo ut fiat secundum preces, etiam dicitur, "Cum steteritis orantes, remittite si quid habetis contra quemquam."
[9] Quod per "cum steteritis orantes" significetur cum in cultu Divino sunt, patet etiam ex eo, quod simile quod ibi dicitur de "orantibus", etiam dicatur de "offerentibus munus super altari", apud Matthaeum,
"Si obtuleris munus super altare, et recordatus quod frater tuus habeat aliquid contra te, relinque munus coram altari, .... et prius reconciliare fratri, et tunc veniens offer munus" (5:23, 24);
per "munus offerre super altari", significatur omnis cultus Divinus, ex causa quia cultus Divinus apud illam gentem principaliter constabat in offerendis holocaustis et sacrificiis, per quae ideo significabantur omnia cultus (videatur Doctrina Novae Hierosolymae, n. 214, 221); inde constare potest quod simile significetur per "precari" seu "orare", quod per "offerre munus super altari", nempe cultus ex bono amoris et charitatis.
[10] Apud eundem,
Jesus dixit, "Scriptum est, Domus mea Domus precationum vocabitur, vos vero illam fecistis speluncam latronum" (21:13; Marcus 11:17; Luca 19:46);
per "Domum Domini" significatur ecclesia, et per "precationes" cultus ibi; et per "speluncam latronum" profanatio ecclesiae et cultus: ex hoc opposito etiam patet quod "precationes" significent cultum ex bono amoris et charitatis.
[11] Apud Davidem,
"Ad Deum ore meo clamavi; .... iniquitatem si spectassem in corde meo, non audiret Dominus; atque audivit Deus, attendit ad vocem precum mearum" (Psalms 66:17-19);
quia tales sunt preces quale est cor hominis, et ideo non sunt preces quae alicujus cultus si cor malum est, ideo dicitur, "Iniquitatem si spectassem in corde meo, non audiret Dominus", per quod significatur non reciperet cultum: cor hominis est amor ejus, et amor hominis est ipsa vita ejus, inde tales sunt preces hominis qualis est ejus amor, seu qualis est ejus vita; inde sequitur quod "preces" significent vitam amoris et charitatis ejus, seu quod haec vita per "preces" in sensu spirituali intelligatur.
[12] Possunt plura loca adduci; sed quia homo non scit quod vita ejus et preces unum faciant, et inde non aliter percipit quam quod intelligantur solae preces, ubi in Verbo dicuntur, ideo supersedentur. Praeterea homo continue precatur quando est in vita charitatis, tametsi non ore usque corde; nam quod amoris est hoc in cogitatione est jugiter, etiam cum id nescit (secundum illa quae in Doctrina Novae Hierosolymae, n. 55-57, dicta sunt); inde etiam patet quod "precatio" in spirituali sensu sit cultus ex amore. Sed haec non sapiunt illi, immo contra id cogitant, qui pietatem ponunt in precibus et non in vita; hi nec sciunt quid pietas actualis.