Yet that scarce any of the innumerable arcana of regenetion come to the knowledge and perception of man, v. 8. This cannot be comprehended by those of the perverted.church, who are in the knowledges of external truth, when yet those knowledges ought to have conducted them to the apprehension of internal truth, v. 9, 10. For the literal or external sense of the Word proceeds from and is filled with the interior things of the divine truth and wisdom, which things are rejected by those who remain in the love of mere natural things, and who on that account cannot comprehend colestial and spiritual things, v. 11, 12. For coelestial and spiritual things can only be comprehended by those who receive into their minds and lives the divine truth, inasmuch as the divine truth alone cometh down from heaven, and therefore is alone capable of elevating any into the things of heaven, v. 13. That this divine truth therefore assumed a sensual corporeal principle here on earth, to the intent that sensual corporeal men might have a divine object of faith presented to them, and being thus elevated to conjunction with that object, might be preserved from the defilement and death of 16. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have eternal life. 17. For GOD sent not His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18. He that believeth in Him is not judged, but he that believeth not is judged already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God. 19. And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather that, light, for their deeds were evil. 20. For every one who doeth evil hateth the light, and cometh not to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21. But he who doeth the truth, cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in GOD, + 22. After these things JESUS came, and His disciples, into the land of Judea; and there He tarried with them, and baptized. 23. And John also was bap tizing in Enon, near to Salim, because many waters were there; and they came near, and were baptized. H mere sensual and corporeal life, v. 14, 15. That this was effected from the divine love, to the intent that mankind might no longer continue immersed in mere natural love, but might be raised into the sphere of coelestial and spiritual love, v. 16. Wherefore GOD assumed the human [nature], to the intent that mankind might conjoin goodness and truth in their minds and lives, since a right faith in the divine humanity of the LORD leads to such conjunction, whereas a want of that faith leads to separation, v. 17, 18. For the divine humanity of the LORD is divine truth, and if divine truth be rejected in consequence of evil love, then nothing appertains to man but the false principle of evil, v. 19, 20. On the other hand, if divine truth be loved and obeyed, man is conducted to the LORD'S DIVINE HUMANITY, because he is willing to acknowledge that all the good which he will• eth and doeth is from that dis vine source, v. 21. That when the LORD had finished these sayings, He instructs the perverted church in the truths of purification, which truths also were taught in abundance by those who were principled in charity and faith, whilst they were in a state of freedom, v. 22, 23, 24, + 24. For John was not as yet cast into prison. 25. Then there was a question from the disciples of John with the Jews about purifying. 26. And they came to John, and said unto him, Rabbi, He that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou bearest witness, behold, He baptizeth, and all [men] come to Him. 27. John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. 28. Ye yourselves bear me witness that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before Him. 29. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom, standing and hearing him, rejoiceth with joy because of the bridegroom's voice. This my joy therefore is fulfilled. 30. He must increase, but I [must] decrease. 31. He who cometh from above is above all: He that is of the earth is of the earth, and speaketh of the earth: He who cometh from heaven is above all. 32. And what He hath seen and heard, this He testifieth, and no one receiveth His testi mony. 33. He that bath received His testimony hath sealed that GOD is true. 34. For He whom GOD hath sent speaketh the words Nevertheless these truths are received with doubt by those of the perverted church, and therefore it is taught that all purifying truth is from the divine truth, and thus that all wisdom, intelligence, reason and science are not of man, but of the LORD in His DI VINE HUMANITY, v. 25, 26, 27. And that the design of all representative truth is only to prepare mankind for the re ception of the divine truth, that thus good and truth may be conjoined in the church, and the church may rejoice in being instructed concerning the precepts of faith, and in receiving them in faith and obedience, v, 28, 29. Thus the divine truth becometh all in all in the church, as being inmost truth, and all other good and truth only administer externally, v. 30, 31. For the divine truth testifies concerning the LORD, both as to His divine wisdom and divine love, and notwithstanding its being rejected by the generality of mankind, bringeth conviction along with it to those who receive it, v. 32, 33. Which truth is from the LORD's divine humanity, whose VERSE 3. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Every man ought to be reformed, and to be born anew or regenerated, that he may come into heaven, for no one can see the kingdom of God unless he be born again, John iii. 3, 5, 6; man is born into sin, which hath been increased in a long series from parents, grandfathers and great grandfathers, and hath become hereditary, and is thus transferred to the offspring; every man born into the world is born into so many evils, which have thus successively grown up, and hence it is that he is nothing but sin; wherefore unless he be regenerated, he remains wholly in sin: But to the intent that he may be regenerated, he ought first to be reformed, and this by the truths of faith; for he must learn from the Word, and from doctrine thence derived, what good is; the knowledges of good from the Word, or from doc, trine thence derived, are called truths of faith, for all truths of faith spring forth from good, and flow to good, for they respect good as the end; this is the first state, and is called a state of reformation; into this state several, who are in the church, are introduced from infancy even to youth, but still few are regenerated, for several in the church learn the truths of faith, or the knowledges of good, with a view to reputation and honour, and also with a view to gain, as ends; when therefore the truths of faith have been introduced by those loves, man cannot be born again or regenerated, until those loves have been removed; to the intent therefore that they may be removed, man is let into a state of temptation, which is effected in this manner; those loves are excited by the infernal crew, for this crew is willing to live in them, but on this occasion are excited by the angels the affections of truth and good, which have been insinuated from infancy in a state of innocence, and were afterwards interiorly stored up and preserved for this use; hence arises combat between evil spirits and angels, which combat is felt by man as temptation; and whereas on this occasion the contest is concerning truths and goods, the truths themselves, which had been before insinuated, are as it were exterminated by falses injected from evil spirits, so that those truths no longer appear; and as man in such case suffers himself to be regenerated, there is insinuated from the Lord by an internal way the light of truth from good into the natural principle, into which light truths are remitted in their order. Thus it is with the man who is regenerating, but few at this day are admitted into that state. A. C. n. 5280. The man of the church believes at this day, that any one may be received into heaven out of mercy, and there enjoy eternal blessedness, whatsoever his life hath been, because it is supposed that nothing is necessary for the purpose except the act of admission; but he is much deceived, for no one can be admitted and received into heaven, unless he hath received spi ritual life, and no one can receive spiritual life, unless he be regenerated, and no one can be regenerated except by good of life conjoined to truth of doctrine, hence he hath spiritual life; that no one can come into heaven, unless he hath received spiritual life by regeneration, the Lord manifestly declares in John, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God; and again, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be generated of water and the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God; water denotes the truth of doctrine, and spirit denotes the good of life: By baptism no one enters in, but baptism is significative of regeneration, which the man of the church ought to remem→ ber. A. C. n. 5342. |