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864. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. That this signifies those who are adjoined to the Lord by the acknowledgment of His Divine Human, and by a life according to His precepts, is evident from the signification of the Lamb, as denoting the Lord as to the Divine Human, concerning which see above (n. 4:26, 27).
In John:
"No man can receive any thing except it be given him from heaven" (3:27).
And in the same:
"He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing" (15:5).
[2] That to acknowledge the Lord's Divine Human, and to do His precepts is to follow Him, is because such only can be conjoined to the Lord. That every one is conjoined to the Lord according to the acknowledgment and confession of Him from the heart, and according to the life, is evident from this fact, that all the angels of heaven acknowledge no other Divine than the Divine of the Lord; and that they all live according to the laws of order, which are His precepts, that is, they live in the Divine which proceeds from the Lord, which is called Divine truth. And because they live thus, they live in a heavenly aura, or in a heavenly ether, into which no one can be admitted except him who is in life from the Lord. If any other should enter into that ether, it would be like mice being put into a syphon from which the air had been exhausted.
[3] From these things it is evident what is signified in the spiritual sense by following the Lord whithersoever He goeth. The like is signified by following Him, in these passages.
As in John:
"Jesus said, I am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life" (8:12).
I am the Light of the world, signifies that He is Divine truth itself; he that followeth me, signifies he that acknowledges His Divine, and does His precepts; shall not walk in darkness, signifies that he shall not be in falsities; but shall have the light of life, signifies that he shall be in Divine truths, which teach man eternal life, and lead to heaven. That by following the Lord is not here meant to follow Him, but to acknowledge His Divine, and obey Him, is evident.
[4] Again:
The shepherd of the sheep, "when he leadeth out his own sheep, goeth before them, and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice; but a stranger they do not follow, but flee from him, because they know not the voice of strangers. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me" (10:4, 5, 27).
Here, also, by following the Lord is meant, to acknowledge His Divine, and to obey Him; for it is said, He goeth before His own sheep, and the sheep follow Him, and know and hear His voice. To know and hear the voice of the Lord, signifies to do His precepts.
[5] Again:
"Whosoever desireth to come after me, let him deny himself, and follow me" (Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23).
That to go after the Lord, and to follow Him, is to deny self, is evident. And for a man to deny himself, is not to be led of himself but of the Lord; and he denies himself who shuns and turns away from evils because they are sins; which when a man turns away from, he is led of the Lord; for he then does His precepts, not from himself, but from the Lord. Similar things are also signified elsewhere by following the Lord:
As in Matthew 19:21, 28; Mark 2:14, 15; 3:7, 8; 10:21, 28, 29; Luke 18:22, 28; John 12:26; 13:36, 37; 21:19-22.
[6] From these things it is evident that to follow the Lord is to be led by Him, and not by oneself; and no other can be led by the Lord except him who is not led by himself; and every one is led by himself who does not shun evils because they are opposed to the Word, and thus to God; consequently, because they are sins and from hell. Every one who does not thus shun and turn away from evils, is led of himself. The reason is, that the evil which is in man hereditarily constitutes his life, because it is his proprium; and before [the evils of his proprium] are removed, he does every thing from them, thus of himself. But it is otherwise when evils are removed, which is effected when he shuns them because they are infernal. Then the Lord enters with truths and goods from heaven, and leads him. The chief cause of this is, that every man is his own love; and a man as to his spirit, which lives after death, is nothing but the affection of a man's love; and all evil is from his love, and thus belongs to his love. Consequently it follows, that a man's love or affection can be reformed only by spiritually shunning and turning away from evils; and this is a shunning and turning away from them because they are infernal. From these things it is now evident what it is to follow the Lord whithersoever He goeth.
864. These are they that follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth, signifies those who have been joined to the Lord by the acknowledgment of His Divine Human, and by a life according to His commandments. This is evident from the signification of "the Lamb," as being the Lord as to the Divine Human (See above, n. Mark 4:26, 27).
And in John:
A man can receive nothing unless it be given him from heaven (John 3:27).
And in the same:
He that abideth In Me and I in him, the same beareth much fruit; for without Me ye can do nothing (John 15:5).
[2] To acknowledge the Lord's Divine Human and to do His commandments is to follow Him, because only those who do this can be conjoined to the Lord. That everyone is conjoined to the Lord according to the acknowledgment and confession of Him from the heart and according to the life, can be seen from this, that all the angels of heaven acknowledge no other Divine than the Divine of the Lord, and all angels of the heavens live according to the laws of order, which are His commandments, that is, they live in the Divine that proceeds from the Lord, which is called the Divine truth. Because they so live they live in a heavenly aura, or in a heavenly ether, into which none can be admitted except those who are in life from the Lord. If any others were to enter into that ether it would be like letting mice into a pipe out of which the air has been exhausted.
[3] All this makes clear what is signified in the spiritual sense by "following the Lord whithersoever He goeth." "To follow Him" has the same signification in the following passages. As in John:
Jesus said, I am the light of the world; he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life (John 8:12).
"I am the light of the world" signifies that He is the Divine truth itself; "he that followeth Me" signifies he that acknowledges His Divine and does His commandments; "shall not walk in darkness" signifies that he shall not be in falsities; "but shall have the light of life" signifies that he shall be in Divine truths, which teach man eternal life and lead to heaven. Here evidently "to follow the Lord" does not mean to follow Him, but to acknowledge His Divine and obey Him.
[4] In the same:
When the Shepherd of the sheep hath led forth His own sheep He goeth before them and the sheep follow Him, for they know His voice; but a stranger they do not follow, but flee from him, for they know not the voice of strangers. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them and they follow Me (John 10:4, 5, 27).
Here, "to follow the Lord" means to acknowledge His Divine and to obey Him; for it is said, He goeth before His own sheep and the sheep follow Him and know and hear His voice; "to know and hear the Lord's voice" signifies to do His commandments.
[5] In the Gospels:
Whosoever wills to come after Me let him deny himself and follow Me (Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23).
Evidently "to go after the Lord and to follow Him" is to deny self; and to deny self is to be led not by self but by the Lord; and he denies self who shuns and turns away from evils because they are sins; and when man turns away from evils he is led by the Lord; for he does the Lord's commandments, not from self but from the Lord. "To follow the Lord" has the same signification elsewhere (as in Matthew 19:21, 28; Mark 2:14, 15; 3:7, 8; 10:21, 28, 29; Luke 18:22, 28; John 12:26; 13:36, 37; 21:19-22).
[6] All this makes clear that to "follow the Lord" is to be led by Him and not by self; and only those who are not led by self can be led by the Lord; and everyone is led by self who does not shun evils because they are contrary to the Word and thus contrary to God; consequently because they are sins and are from hell. Everyone who does not thus shun and turn away from evils is led by self; and for the reason that the evil that is in man by heredity constitutes his life, because that is his own [proprium]; and until such evils have been removed man does all things from them, thus from self. But it is otherwise when evils have been removed, which is done when he shuns them because they are infernal; then the Lord enters with truths and goods from heaven, and leads him. The chief reason is that every man is his own love; and man, as to his spirit, which lives after death, is nothing else than the affection which is of his love, and all evil is from his love, and thus belongs to his love; from which it follows that a man's love or affection is reformed only by a spiritual shunning of evils and turning away from them, which is shunning them and turning away from them because they are infernal. From all this it can now be seen what it is "to follow the Lord whithersoever He goeth."
864. "Hi sunt qui sequentes Agnum quocunque vadit." Quod significet qui adjuncti Domino per agnitionem Divini Humani Ipsius, et per vitam secundum praecepta Ipsius, constat ex significatione "Agni", quod sit Dominus quoad Divinum Humanum (de qua supra, n. 314); ex significatione "sequi Ipsum quocunque vadit", quod sit agnoscere Divinum Ipsius, et facere praecepta Ipsius. Per "sequi Dominum" simile significatur quod per "ire" et "ambulare post Ipsum"; quod "ire", et "ambulare" post Dominum significet agnoscere, obedire, facere et vivere ab Ipso et cum Ipso, videatur supra (n. 787). Causa quod illa per "sequi Dominum" significentur, est quia nemo potest sequi Dominum a se, sed ab Ipso Domino; Dominus enim trahit hominem post Se, qui ex libero vult sequi; at non potest trahere aliquem qui non vult sequi Ipsum; Dominus enim operatur hoc apud illum, sicut homo sequeretur Ipsum a semet, ita in ejus liberum influit, et hoc facit propter receptionem ac implantationem veri et boni apud illum, et inde reformationem et regenerationem; nam nisi appareret homini sequi Dominum sicut a se, hoc est, agnoscere Divinum Ipsius et facere praecepta Ipsius sicut a se, nulla foret appropriatio et conjunctio, et inde nulla reformatio et regeneratio; omne enim intrat hominem, et fit sicut ejus, quod ex libero, hoc est, sicut ex se, recipit, sive cogitet et loquatur, [sive] sicut ex se velit et faciat: sed usque tamen homo credere debet, sicut res in se est, quod non id ex se faciat, sed ex Domino; quare non dicitur quod facturus sit a se, sed sicut a se. Causa quod ita sit, est quoque quia homo non percipit operationem Domini in ejus voluntatem et inde cogitationem; homo enim non scit aliquid de sua conjunctione cum angelis; quare putat quod quicquid vult et cogitat, a se velit et cogitet; quare non potest aliter scire quam sicut id fiat a se; cum tamen omne bonum influit, tam quod cogitat, quam quod vult et inde facit; et quia hoc novit ex doctrina ecclesiae, nempe quod omne bonum sit a Deo, ideo credere debet quod non faciat bonum a se, tametsi id facit sicut a se. Ita intelligitur quod Dominus docuit apud Marcum,
"Ita se habet regnum Dei, quemadmodum si homo projicit semen super terram, dormiat dein, et surgat noctu et die; semen vero germinet et crescat, dum nescit ipse" (4:26, 27);
et apud Johannem,
"Non potest homo sumere quicquam, nisi sit datum illi e caelo" (3:27);
et apud eundem,
"Qui manet in Me, et Ego in illo, hic fert fructum multum, quia sine Me non potestis facere quicquam" (15:5).
[2] Quod agnoscere Divinum Humanum Domini, et facere praecepta Ipsius, sit sequi Ipsum, est quia non alii possunt conjuncti esse Domino; quod quisque conjungatur Domino secundum agnitionem et confessionem Ipsius ex corde, et secundum vitam, constare potest ex eo, quod omnes angeli caeli non aliud Divinum agnoscant quam Divinum Domini, et quod omnes angeli caelorum vivant secundum leges ordinis, quae sunt praecepta Ipsius, hoc est, vivant in Divino quod procedit a Domino, quod vocatur Divinum Verum: quia ita vivunt, in caelesti aura seu in caelesti aethere vivunt, in quem nemo potest admitti nisi qui in vita a Domino est; si alius intraret in illum aetherem, foret sicut mures immissi in siphonem e quo exantlatus est aer.
[3] Ex his constare potest quid per "sequi Dominum quocunque vadit" in sensu spirituali significatur. Simile significatur per "sequi Ipsum" in sequentibus locis: Ut apud Johannem,
Jesus dixit, "Ego sum lux mundi: qui Me sequitur, non ambulabit in tenebris, sed habebit lucem vitae" (8:12):
"Ego sum lux mundi", significat quod sit Ipsum Divinum Verum; "qui Me sequitur", significat qui Divinum Ipsius agnoscit, et facit praecepta Ipsius; "non ambulabit in tenebris", significat quod non in falsis erit; "sed habebit lucem vitae", significat quod in Divinis veris, quae hominem vitam aeternam docent, et ad caelum ducunt: quod ibi [per] "sequi Dominum" non intelligatur sequi Ipsum, sed agnoscere Divinum Ipsius, et obedire Ipsi, patet.
[4] Apud eundem,
Pastor ovium "quando proprias oves eduxerit, coram illis incedit, et oves Ipsum sequuntur, quia sciunt vocem Ipsius; alienum autem non sequuntur, sed fugiunt ab eo, quia non sciunt alienorum vocem: oves meae vocem meam audiunt, et Ego cognosco eas, et sequuntur Me" (10:4, 5, 27):
etiam hic per "sequi Dominum" intelligitur agnoscere Divinum Ipsius et obedire Ipsi, nam dicitur quod "incedat coram propriis ovibus, et oves Ipsum sequuntur, et sciunt et audiunt vocem Ipsius"; "scire et audire vocem Domini" significat facere praecepta Ipsius.
[5] Apud Evangelistas,
"Quicunque voluerit post Me venire, abnegato se ipsum, ...et sequitor Me" (Matthaeus 16:24; Marcus 8:34; Luca 9:23):
quod "ire post Dominum", et "sequi Ipsum", sit abnegare se, patet; et abnegare se est non duci a semet sed a Domino; ac abnegat se qui fugit et aversatur mala quia peccata, sunt; quae cum homo aversatur, ducitur a Domino, nam is facit praecepta Ipsius non a se sed a Domino. Similia significantur
per "sequi Dominum" etiam alibi (Ut Matthaeus 19:21, 28; Marcus 2:14, 15; 3:7, 8; 10:21, 28, 29; Luca 18:22, 28; Johannes 12:26; 13:36, 37; 21:19-22).
[6] Ex his constare potest quod "sequi Dominum" sit duci ab Ipso, et non a semet; et nemo alius potest duci a Domino quam qui non ducitur a semet, et quisque ducitur a semet qui non fugit mala quia contra Verbum ac ita contra Deum sunt, proinde quia peccata sunt, et ex inferno. 1
Omnis qui mala non ita fugit et aversatur, is ducitur a semet; causa est, quia malum, quod homini ex hereditario inest, facit vitam ejus, quia id est ejus proprium; et homo antequam illa remota sunt, ex illis omnia facit, ita ex se. Aliter vero, quando mala remota sunt, quod fit dum fugit illa quia infernalia sunt; tunc intrat Dominus cum veris et bonis e caelo, ac ducit illum. Primaria causa est, quia unusquisque homo est suus amor; et homo quoad spiritum suum, qui vivit post mortem, non est nisi quam affectio quae est amoris ejus, et omne malum est ex amore ejus, ita est amoris ejus; inde sequitur quod amor seu affectio hominis non aliter reformari possit, quam per fugam et aversationem spiritualem malorum, quae est fuga et aversatio illorum quia sunt infernalia. Ex his nunc constare potest quid sit "sequi Dominum quocunque vadit."
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.