4762. He was told that the Word is holy even as to its letter but is so because it contains within it holy things that are perceived in heaven and that treat of the Lord and His Kingdom and that no one should stay blindly in the Word's literal meaning, but with open eyes. That is to say, one ought to form true doctrine for oneself from the Word, and make use of the Word in this way. Otherwise, one falls into errors, as many as one wants to fabricate for oneself, and also in every case makes use of it to favor oneself, thus in a warped and wrong way, which is to profane the Word. Those who form true Doctrine from it can see why the Word speaks as it does in the letter, namely, so that it may enter into [people's] minds as something general and give them opportunity to think rightly about them. Take for example, a person who has formed the doctrinal principal for himself that the Lord is pure love, thus pure Mercy, and that evil can never be intended by, still less be brought forth from, pure love and pure mercy. Such a person immediately knows why it is said in the literal meaning of the Word that there is no evil in the city except from God [Amos 3:6], that the fury of God reaches even to the lowest hell [Deut. 28:63], and that He will find pleasure in their perishing [Deut. 28:63]: namely, that it is the person whose fury so burns against God, and that it then appears as if it is coming from God, and consequently that it is so said according to the way things appear.
4762. He was told that the Word, even as to the letter, is holy, but from the fact that it contains in itself holy things which are perceived in heaven, and which treat of the Lord and His kingdom; and that nobody ought to remain in the literal sense of the Word blindly, but seemingly, namely, he ought to form for himself true doctrine from the Word, and, so, apply the Word. If he does otherwise, he falls into errors, as many as he wishes to fashion for himself, and also applies the Word; in every case, to his own pleasure, thus wrongly and perversely - which is to profane it. He who forms for himself true doctrine thence, can see why the Word speaks as it does in the letter, to wit, that it may enter as a general basis into minds, and give a handle for thinking truly about these things. For instance, he who has formed for himself the doctrinal that the Lord is pure love, thus pure mercy, and from pure love and pure mercy evil can never be intended, still less produced, knows, at once, why, in the letter of the Word, it is said that there is no evil in the city, save from God, 1that the wrath of God burns even to the lowest hell, and that He will be delighted in that they perish; he knows, namely, that it is man whose wrath thus burns against God, and that it appears then, as if from God; and, so, that it is according to appearance that it is thus said.
Footnotes:
1. Amos 3:6. - "Shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?"
4762. Illi dictum est, quod Verbum etiam quoad literam sanctum sit, sed ex eo quod in se contineat sancta, quae percipiuntur in coelo, et quae agunt de Domino et Regno Ipsius; et quod nemo debeat permanere in sensu literali Verbi coece, sed oculariter, nempe quod ex Verbo formare sibi debeat doctrinam veram, et sic applicare Verbum, sin aliter cadit in errores, quot sibi fingere vult, et quoque applicat illud in omni casu ad sui favorem, ita sinistre et perverse, quod est prophanare Verbum. Qui veram Doctrinam sibi inde format, is potest videre cur Verbum ita dicit in litera, nempe ut intret sicut commune in animos, et det ansam cogitandi vere de illis; sicut qui sibi formavit doctrinale quod Dominus sit purus amor, ita pura Misericordia, et ex puro amore, et pura misericordia nequaquam potest malum intendi, minus produci, ille scit statim cur in Verbi litera dicitur quod nullum malum in urbe nisi a Deo [Amos III: [6], quod furor Dei ardeat usque ad imum infernum [Deut. XXXII: 22], et quod delectabitur de eo quod pereant [Deut. XXVIII: 63]: nempe quod homo sit, cujus furor ita ardet contra Deum, et quod appareat tunc sicut a Deo, et sic quod secundum apparentiam ita dictum.