SARDIS | Im ashamed to die until i have won some victory for humanity.(Horace Mann) you could also follow me at havau22.com for more spiritual insight
may not always be perfect, but still, in general, he does not act
contrary to the Ten Commandments. He does not lie, he doesn’t steal, he
doesn’t commit adultery, and he certainly doesn’t kill. While he might
not be deeply involved in his religion, nevertheless he attends church
whenever he can. And he is content to live his life this way. He knows
that he isn’t perfect, but he feels that his good points outweigh his
bad; besides, he accepts the fact that nobody is perfect. As for his
religion, he realizes that his knowledge of the doctrines is perhaps
rather scanty, and that he rarely reads the Word, but this doesn’t
bother him that much. He knows that he should perhaps take more interest
in the Word and the doctrines, but he knows the basic truths of
religion; besides, he tells himself, what is important is the way he
lives, and he feels that he lives a fairly good life and so won’t go to
hell when he dies. Besides, that time is a long way off. There is plenty
of time left in this world to finish getting ready for heaven. Even if
he doesn’t read the Word now, he will be able to do so later on in his
life, when he isn’t so busy.
On the surface this all seems perfectly acceptable. There are,
however, two very serious questions such a person should ask himself.
First of all, is what he is doing really sufficient preparation for
heaven? Is it enough just to live a good life and to attend church
functions, while paying only minor attention to the Word of God and to
the doctrines of the Lord? Second, can he safely assume that there
really will be plenty of time later on to read and to learn? Is it wise
for him to put off reading the Word when he may, in fact, be called to
the spiritual world within, say, a year?
These are indeed serious questions, and they are especially important
for the members of the New Church living in the busy world of the
latter part of the 20th century. As New Churchmen we have been provided
with an amazing wealth of revealed truth. To read and study not only the
Old and New Testaments but also the Writings requires time and
concentration. On the other hand, there seems to be precious little time
for serious reading and reflection. Modern life is sometimes so hectic
that people are encouraged, if not compelled, to postpone indefinitely
many important things. Besides, it is an exciting world, a world full of
many stimulating distractions designed to command our attention and
interest. Even when there is time, there are many other things which may
interest us more than the study of doctrine – doctrine which may seem
dull by comparison. There is a great temptation simply to busy ourselves
with the things at hand and to be content with worshiping on Sundays,
and living a good life the rest of the week. But we should not resign
ourselves to this state of affairs too easily. The temptation is indeed
great. But on the other hand, there is, in the book of Revelation, a
clear and unmistakable warning from the Lord on this very subject.
In the last book of the New Testament there is the well- known series
of messages to the seven churches in Asia Minor. These seven churches,
we are taught, represent those who will be of the New Church. Our text
this morning is the fifth of these messages, the message to the church
in Sardis. In it the Lord speaks directly to those in the New Church who
lack an interest in the truths of faith.
Sardis, we are taught, represents those who “have little regard for
the knowledges of spiritual things and for intelligence and wisdom
therefrom” (AE 181). The Lord has a message for people like this. He
says, “And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write: These things
saith He that hath the seven spirits of God, and the seven stars: …” The
Lord speaks as the source of all the truths of the church. The seven
spirits are the Divine truth which proceeds from the Lord; Divine truth
is called the Spirit because from it man has spiritual life. And there
are seven spirits, for by seven is meant what is holy. The seven stars
are the knowledges about good and truth we learn from the Lord in His
Word. These knowledges are stars, for they guide us and give us light;
and there are also said to be seven of them because they also are holy.
The Lord is thus speaking as the source of all truth and doctrine to
those who lack an interest in such things.
What the Lord says is startling. “I know thy works, that thou hast a
name that thou livest and art dead. ” It is easy for a person living an
outwardly good life to suppose that he has spiritual life and will be
saved. He has a name that he lives, that is, he thinks that he lives.
But the Lord knows him better than he knows himself. “I know thy works,
that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead.” Though the man may
not realize it, he is dead. He may act well in the outward affairs of
life. But this, the Writings say, is the way his life appears to others.
It is his outward life. The true nature of his deeds can be seen only
from within, in his intentions. And if these intentions are selfish,
then his works, in essence, are merely moral and devoid of what is truly
spiritual. This is the case with those of Sardis. They are said to live
a moral but not a spiritual life because “they have little regard for
the knowledges of spiritual things, and for intelligence and wisdom
therefrom” (AE 182). For those of the New Church it is not sufficient
just to live an outwardly good life. Neither is it sufficient for them
to attend church with no particular interest in learning the truths of
faith. Truth is essential to spiritual life. Without at least some
interest in the truths of the church, man is spiritually dead, however
moral his life may appear. If a man does not care about truths, then he
does not care about the principles of religion – they are the same
thing. A lack of interest in the doctrines – the absence of a desire to
discover from the Word spiritual principles by which to live – is
indicative of a merely moral life in which good is done not from a
spiritual motive but merely for worldly and selfish purposes.
Here is one way in which we can get some idea of the motives which
lie behind our own actions. We can ask ourselves whether we find the
truths of the Word irksome or delightful. In an Arcana Coelestia passage
which treats of the adjunction of good and truth, it is said that those
who have worldly and earthly things as their end will not understand,
or, if they understand, will find the subject undelightful. And so, this
passage continues, “let anyone who is of such a nature put himself to
the test as to whether he desires to know how good adjoins itself to the
affections of truth, and how the affections of truth apply themselves
to good; and whether knowing this is irksome to him or not, and he will
say that such things are of no benefit to him, and that he apprehends
nothing about them” (AC 4096:2). Because he has no interest in spiritual
things, the merely worldly man actually finds the subject of good and
truth to be annoying, impractical and irksome. The man may say that it
is too complicated for him to make the effort. But, the Writings add,
when something relating to his business or profession is mentioned, the
same man will pay careful attention, no matter how complicated the
subject may be. Worldly things are important and interesting to him, and
he will make the effort to understand them. Spiritual matters, though,
are relatively unimportant to him, and he is not interested in them (see
AC 4096:3). The command of the Lord is simple. His message to Sardis
continues: “Be watchful.” The man who lives for this world alone is like
someone sleeping or dreaming. He is closing his eyes to reality. Though
willing to learn those things which will benefit his life in the
natural world, he is unwilling to learn those things which will benefit
his life in the world in which he will live to all eternity (see Faith
25,26). He is not putting things in their proper perspective. And so he
is told to be watchful, that is, to wake up. “Be watchful and strengthen
the remaining things which are about to die, for I have not found thy
works full before God.” Externally the man lives a good life. He doesn’t
commit open evil, and he does attend church. Despite this, both his
good works and his worship are dead or dying. They are said to be
“things which are about to die,” because they lack spiritual life.
There is, though, no need for despair. The situation may be serious,
but the solution is a simple one. The only thing that such a person
needs is to receive spiritual life from within. In the words of the
Writings: “They who are in dead worship have need of nothing more than
to learn truths and to live according to them” (AR 159). In the words of
the book of Revelation: “Remember, therefore, how thou hast received
and heard, and take heed and repent.” The Lord is not asking that much.
Certainly He is not asking everybody to become a doctrinal scholar. He
simply asks us to remember, not to forget, that wonderful storehouse of
truth He has provided for us in His three-fold Word. He has given us
this Word, and we must not ignore it. We must pay attention to it. We
must make the effort to learn from it. Instead of wandering through life
doing merely what is expected of us, that is, doing those things which
will gain us the respect of others, we should instead take the time to
find out, for ourselves, what the Lord would wish us to do. We should be
interested in what the Lord has to say. We should be interested enough
to pay attention to and to reflect upon His teachings. We should
consider the Lord’s Word as something important enough for us to make
the time to read. It is something we should do regularly. And we should
read it with the intention of acquiring principles by which to live.
Then we should repent. All the reading in the world will not benefit
us if we do not live what we learn. What we learn from the Word should
lead us to make changes in the way we live. But for this to happen it is
very important that we do learn, and that we continue to learn, from
the Lord in His Word.
What matters is not so much the amount that we learn but whether we
care enough to be interested and to do what we can. The Writings point
out that there are those who, because of worldly and business cares, are
unable to learn much more than the elements of truth, but who inwardly
care very much indeed about the truth. After death, when their worldly
concerns are removed, these people are taught by the angels, and their
inward love of the truth then enables them to receive with joy what they
learn (see Faith 30). These people really cared about the truth. They
were not simply using their worldly concerns to make excuses.
Making excuses – this is what we need to watch out for. Modern life
is busy enough that if we are not interested in something, we can always
find an excuse. We can say we are too busy. And sometimes we are too
busy. We should not make ourselves feel guilty about something we cannot
help. But we should not allow ourselves to fabricate excuses. Reading
the Word on a regular basis is of fundamental importance. If we are
procrastinating simply because we are not really interested in reading
Divine revelation, then let us beware!
When somebody puts off reading the Word for another year, he is
making a bold assumption. He is assuming that he will still be living in
the natural world in another year. The fact is, though, that a man does
not know the hour of his death. And so the Lord’s message to Sardis
continues: “If, therefore, thou shalt not be wakeful, I will come on
thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know in what hour I will come upon
thee.” We do not know at what hour the Lord will come upon us. We do not
know when we will die. We are not immortal, and neither do we all live
into old age. And so our continuing opportunity to prepare for heaven
may well be lost.
If a person dies before he expects to die, it may seem as if the Lord
has taken away from him the extra time he needs in order to start
getting ready for heaven. And according to this appearance, the Lord
indeed is said to be a thief. But it is really the man who has stolen
from himself. He has decided that reading and studying the Word is not
something important enough for him to do now. When he puts it off for
the future, he is making a choice – he is deciding that it is less
important or less interesting than other things.
If the Lord told people when they were going to die – if people knew
that they were going to die in a few months, say – many would develop
very quickly a last-minute interest in spiritual things. Fear is a great
motivator! But the Lord doesn’t work this way. If He told us the hour
of our death, we would no longer be as free to ignore what is spiritual.
We would not be free to love this world above all if we knew that we
were going to die tomorrow (see AR 164). And the Lord respects our
freedom. He doesn’t tell us, and as a result we don’t know for certain
when we are going to die. All that the Lord does is warn us, gently and
quietly. He warns us that when we needlessly put something off until
later, what we are saying is that we don’t really care that much. He
tells those of the church in Sardis that they should act now rather than
later to acquire those truths they need for their spiritual life.
The Lord’s message to Sardis is one of Divine love. it is not an
angry threat but a message of loving concern. He has given us the truth
because He loves us. And because He loves us, He wants us to turn freely
and willingly to this truth. He wants us to love the truth, for in this
way we will be blessed. And at the end of the Lord’s message to Sardis,
He describes this blessing. He says: “Thou hast a few names even in
Sardis, who have not defiled their garments. ” These garments are
truths, and those who pay attention to the truths of the Word do not
defile them by ignoring them and treating them as unimportant. And those
who wear these garments of truth, those who use them in their
day-to-day life, will, the Lord says, “walk with Me in white. ” White is
the color of Divine truth, truth which should guide the life of every
true member of the Lord’s New Church. Love should motivate us, but truth
should guide us. And we should love the truth, cherish it, search for
it, and obey it, as we walk along the path of life. When we do this, we
walk with the Lord – we walk with Him in white. And this is true
religion. In the words of the Writings, “What else is religion than
walking with God?” (Coro. 40) Amen.
Lessons: Psalm 119:9-16; Rev. 3:1-6; AC 4096:1-3 (parts)
Arcana Coelestia 4096:1-3 (parts)
In the internal sense of what has gone before, the subject treated of
has been the good of the natural, which is signified by “Jacob” when it
was being separated from the mediate good, which is “Laban,” and how
this good of the natural adjoined to itself the affections of truth,
which are signified by “Rachel and Leah.” The subject now treated of is
the reciprocal application to good of these affections of truth. This
application is contained in the internal sense of the words which Rachel
and Leah now say.
But these things are of such a nature that they do not fall into any
understanding except that which has been instructed, and which perceives
delight in the memory-knowledge of such things, and which therefore has
spiritual knowledges as its end. Others care nothing for such things,
and cannot even apply their minds to them. For they who have worldly and
earthly things as their end cannot withdraw their senses from them; and
even if they did so, they would perceive what is undelightful, in which
case they would he departing and withdrawing from the things they have
as their end, that is, which they love. Let anyone who is of such a
nature put himself to the test as to whether he desires to know how good
adjoins itself to the affections of truth, and how the affections of
truth apply themselves to good; and whether knowing this is irksome to
him or not; and he will say that such things are of no benefit to him,
and that he apprehends nothing about them.
But if such things are told him as relate to his business in the
world, even though they are of the most abstruse character, or if he be
told the nature of another man’s affections, and how he may thereby join
the man to himself by adapting himself both mentally and orally, this
he not only apprehends but also has a perception of the interior things
connected with the matter. In like manner he who studies from affection
to investigate the abstruse things of the sciences loves to look and
does look into things still more intricate. But when spiritual good and
truth are in question, he feels the subject irksome and turns his back
on it. These things have been said in order that the quality of the
existing man of the church may be known.
SARDIS
A Sermon by Rev. Patrick A. Rose Preached in Cincinnati, Ohio, June 28, 1992
“And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write: ThesePicture for a moment a man who lives a fairly good life. His conduct
things saith He that hath the seven spirits of God, and the seven stars:
I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead”
(Rev. 3:1).
may not always be perfect, but still, in general, he does not act
contrary to the Ten Commandments. He does not lie, he doesn’t steal, he
doesn’t commit adultery, and he certainly doesn’t kill. While he might
not be deeply involved in his religion, nevertheless he attends church
whenever he can. And he is content to live his life this way. He knows
that he isn’t perfect, but he feels that his good points outweigh his
bad; besides, he accepts the fact that nobody is perfect. As for his
religion, he realizes that his knowledge of the doctrines is perhaps
rather scanty, and that he rarely reads the Word, but this doesn’t
bother him that much. He knows that he should perhaps take more interest
in the Word and the doctrines, but he knows the basic truths of
religion; besides, he tells himself, what is important is the way he
lives, and he feels that he lives a fairly good life and so won’t go to
hell when he dies. Besides, that time is a long way off. There is plenty
of time left in this world to finish getting ready for heaven. Even if
he doesn’t read the Word now, he will be able to do so later on in his
life, when he isn’t so busy.
On the surface this all seems perfectly acceptable. There are,
however, two very serious questions such a person should ask himself.
First of all, is what he is doing really sufficient preparation for
heaven? Is it enough just to live a good life and to attend church
functions, while paying only minor attention to the Word of God and to
the doctrines of the Lord? Second, can he safely assume that there
really will be plenty of time later on to read and to learn? Is it wise
for him to put off reading the Word when he may, in fact, be called to
the spiritual world within, say, a year?
These are indeed serious questions, and they are especially important
for the members of the New Church living in the busy world of the
latter part of the 20th century. As New Churchmen we have been provided
with an amazing wealth of revealed truth. To read and study not only the
Old and New Testaments but also the Writings requires time and
concentration. On the other hand, there seems to be precious little time
for serious reading and reflection. Modern life is sometimes so hectic
that people are encouraged, if not compelled, to postpone indefinitely
many important things. Besides, it is an exciting world, a world full of
many stimulating distractions designed to command our attention and
interest. Even when there is time, there are many other things which may
interest us more than the study of doctrine – doctrine which may seem
dull by comparison. There is a great temptation simply to busy ourselves
with the things at hand and to be content with worshiping on Sundays,
and living a good life the rest of the week. But we should not resign
ourselves to this state of affairs too easily. The temptation is indeed
great. But on the other hand, there is, in the book of Revelation, a
clear and unmistakable warning from the Lord on this very subject.
In the last book of the New Testament there is the well- known series
of messages to the seven churches in Asia Minor. These seven churches,
we are taught, represent those who will be of the New Church. Our text
this morning is the fifth of these messages, the message to the church
in Sardis. In it the Lord speaks directly to those in the New Church who
lack an interest in the truths of faith.
Sardis, we are taught, represents those who “have little regard for
the knowledges of spiritual things and for intelligence and wisdom
therefrom” (AE 181). The Lord has a message for people like this. He
says, “And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write: These things
saith He that hath the seven spirits of God, and the seven stars: …” The
Lord speaks as the source of all the truths of the church. The seven
spirits are the Divine truth which proceeds from the Lord; Divine truth
is called the Spirit because from it man has spiritual life. And there
are seven spirits, for by seven is meant what is holy. The seven stars
are the knowledges about good and truth we learn from the Lord in His
Word. These knowledges are stars, for they guide us and give us light;
and there are also said to be seven of them because they also are holy.
The Lord is thus speaking as the source of all truth and doctrine to
those who lack an interest in such things.
What the Lord says is startling. “I know thy works, that thou hast a
name that thou livest and art dead. ” It is easy for a person living an
outwardly good life to suppose that he has spiritual life and will be
saved. He has a name that he lives, that is, he thinks that he lives.
But the Lord knows him better than he knows himself. “I know thy works,
that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead.” Though the man may
not realize it, he is dead. He may act well in the outward affairs of
life. But this, the Writings say, is the way his life appears to others.
It is his outward life. The true nature of his deeds can be seen only
from within, in his intentions. And if these intentions are selfish,
then his works, in essence, are merely moral and devoid of what is truly
spiritual. This is the case with those of Sardis. They are said to live
a moral but not a spiritual life because “they have little regard for
the knowledges of spiritual things, and for intelligence and wisdom
therefrom” (AE 182). For those of the New Church it is not sufficient
just to live an outwardly good life. Neither is it sufficient for them
to attend church with no particular interest in learning the truths of
faith. Truth is essential to spiritual life. Without at least some
interest in the truths of the church, man is spiritually dead, however
moral his life may appear. If a man does not care about truths, then he
does not care about the principles of religion – they are the same
thing. A lack of interest in the doctrines – the absence of a desire to
discover from the Word spiritual principles by which to live – is
indicative of a merely moral life in which good is done not from a
spiritual motive but merely for worldly and selfish purposes.
Here is one way in which we can get some idea of the motives which
lie behind our own actions. We can ask ourselves whether we find the
truths of the Word irksome or delightful. In an Arcana Coelestia passage
which treats of the adjunction of good and truth, it is said that those
who have worldly and earthly things as their end will not understand,
or, if they understand, will find the subject undelightful. And so, this
passage continues, “let anyone who is of such a nature put himself to
the test as to whether he desires to know how good adjoins itself to the
affections of truth, and how the affections of truth apply themselves
to good; and whether knowing this is irksome to him or not, and he will
say that such things are of no benefit to him, and that he apprehends
nothing about them” (AC 4096:2). Because he has no interest in spiritual
things, the merely worldly man actually finds the subject of good and
truth to be annoying, impractical and irksome. The man may say that it
is too complicated for him to make the effort. But, the Writings add,
when something relating to his business or profession is mentioned, the
same man will pay careful attention, no matter how complicated the
subject may be. Worldly things are important and interesting to him, and
he will make the effort to understand them. Spiritual matters, though,
are relatively unimportant to him, and he is not interested in them (see
AC 4096:3). The command of the Lord is simple. His message to Sardis
continues: “Be watchful.” The man who lives for this world alone is like
someone sleeping or dreaming. He is closing his eyes to reality. Though
willing to learn those things which will benefit his life in the
natural world, he is unwilling to learn those things which will benefit
his life in the world in which he will live to all eternity (see Faith
25,26). He is not putting things in their proper perspective. And so he
is told to be watchful, that is, to wake up. “Be watchful and strengthen
the remaining things which are about to die, for I have not found thy
works full before God.” Externally the man lives a good life. He doesn’t
commit open evil, and he does attend church. Despite this, both his
good works and his worship are dead or dying. They are said to be
“things which are about to die,” because they lack spiritual life.
There is, though, no need for despair. The situation may be serious,
but the solution is a simple one. The only thing that such a person
needs is to receive spiritual life from within. In the words of the
Writings: “They who are in dead worship have need of nothing more than
to learn truths and to live according to them” (AR 159). In the words of
the book of Revelation: “Remember, therefore, how thou hast received
and heard, and take heed and repent.” The Lord is not asking that much.
Certainly He is not asking everybody to become a doctrinal scholar. He
simply asks us to remember, not to forget, that wonderful storehouse of
truth He has provided for us in His three-fold Word. He has given us
this Word, and we must not ignore it. We must pay attention to it. We
must make the effort to learn from it. Instead of wandering through life
doing merely what is expected of us, that is, doing those things which
will gain us the respect of others, we should instead take the time to
find out, for ourselves, what the Lord would wish us to do. We should be
interested in what the Lord has to say. We should be interested enough
to pay attention to and to reflect upon His teachings. We should
consider the Lord’s Word as something important enough for us to make
the time to read. It is something we should do regularly. And we should
read it with the intention of acquiring principles by which to live.
Then we should repent. All the reading in the world will not benefit
us if we do not live what we learn. What we learn from the Word should
lead us to make changes in the way we live. But for this to happen it is
very important that we do learn, and that we continue to learn, from
the Lord in His Word.
What matters is not so much the amount that we learn but whether we
care enough to be interested and to do what we can. The Writings point
out that there are those who, because of worldly and business cares, are
unable to learn much more than the elements of truth, but who inwardly
care very much indeed about the truth. After death, when their worldly
concerns are removed, these people are taught by the angels, and their
inward love of the truth then enables them to receive with joy what they
learn (see Faith 30). These people really cared about the truth. They
were not simply using their worldly concerns to make excuses.
Making excuses – this is what we need to watch out for. Modern life
is busy enough that if we are not interested in something, we can always
find an excuse. We can say we are too busy. And sometimes we are too
busy. We should not make ourselves feel guilty about something we cannot
help. But we should not allow ourselves to fabricate excuses. Reading
the Word on a regular basis is of fundamental importance. If we are
procrastinating simply because we are not really interested in reading
Divine revelation, then let us beware!
When somebody puts off reading the Word for another year, he is
making a bold assumption. He is assuming that he will still be living in
the natural world in another year. The fact is, though, that a man does
not know the hour of his death. And so the Lord’s message to Sardis
continues: “If, therefore, thou shalt not be wakeful, I will come on
thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know in what hour I will come upon
thee.” We do not know at what hour the Lord will come upon us. We do not
know when we will die. We are not immortal, and neither do we all live
into old age. And so our continuing opportunity to prepare for heaven
may well be lost.
If a person dies before he expects to die, it may seem as if the Lord
has taken away from him the extra time he needs in order to start
getting ready for heaven. And according to this appearance, the Lord
indeed is said to be a thief. But it is really the man who has stolen
from himself. He has decided that reading and studying the Word is not
something important enough for him to do now. When he puts it off for
the future, he is making a choice – he is deciding that it is less
important or less interesting than other things.
If the Lord told people when they were going to die – if people knew
that they were going to die in a few months, say – many would develop
very quickly a last-minute interest in spiritual things. Fear is a great
motivator! But the Lord doesn’t work this way. If He told us the hour
of our death, we would no longer be as free to ignore what is spiritual.
We would not be free to love this world above all if we knew that we
were going to die tomorrow (see AR 164). And the Lord respects our
freedom. He doesn’t tell us, and as a result we don’t know for certain
when we are going to die. All that the Lord does is warn us, gently and
quietly. He warns us that when we needlessly put something off until
later, what we are saying is that we don’t really care that much. He
tells those of the church in Sardis that they should act now rather than
later to acquire those truths they need for their spiritual life.
The Lord’s message to Sardis is one of Divine love. it is not an
angry threat but a message of loving concern. He has given us the truth
because He loves us. And because He loves us, He wants us to turn freely
and willingly to this truth. He wants us to love the truth, for in this
way we will be blessed. And at the end of the Lord’s message to Sardis,
He describes this blessing. He says: “Thou hast a few names even in
Sardis, who have not defiled their garments. ” These garments are
truths, and those who pay attention to the truths of the Word do not
defile them by ignoring them and treating them as unimportant. And those
who wear these garments of truth, those who use them in their
day-to-day life, will, the Lord says, “walk with Me in white. ” White is
the color of Divine truth, truth which should guide the life of every
true member of the Lord’s New Church. Love should motivate us, but truth
should guide us. And we should love the truth, cherish it, search for
it, and obey it, as we walk along the path of life. When we do this, we
walk with the Lord – we walk with Him in white. And this is true
religion. In the words of the Writings, “What else is religion than
walking with God?” (Coro. 40) Amen.
Lessons: Psalm 119:9-16; Rev. 3:1-6; AC 4096:1-3 (parts)
Arcana Coelestia 4096:1-3 (parts)
In the internal sense of what has gone before, the subject treated of
has been the good of the natural, which is signified by “Jacob” when it
was being separated from the mediate good, which is “Laban,” and how
this good of the natural adjoined to itself the affections of truth,
which are signified by “Rachel and Leah.” The subject now treated of is
the reciprocal application to good of these affections of truth. This
application is contained in the internal sense of the words which Rachel
and Leah now say.
But these things are of such a nature that they do not fall into any
understanding except that which has been instructed, and which perceives
delight in the memory-knowledge of such things, and which therefore has
spiritual knowledges as its end. Others care nothing for such things,
and cannot even apply their minds to them. For they who have worldly and
earthly things as their end cannot withdraw their senses from them; and
even if they did so, they would perceive what is undelightful, in which
case they would he departing and withdrawing from the things they have
as their end, that is, which they love. Let anyone who is of such a
nature put himself to the test as to whether he desires to know how good
adjoins itself to the affections of truth, and how the affections of
truth apply themselves to good; and whether knowing this is irksome to
him or not; and he will say that such things are of no benefit to him,
and that he apprehends nothing about them.
But if such things are told him as relate to his business in the
world, even though they are of the most abstruse character, or if he be
told the nature of another man’s affections, and how he may thereby join
the man to himself by adapting himself both mentally and orally, this
he not only apprehends but also has a perception of the interior things
connected with the matter. In like manner he who studies from affection
to investigate the abstruse things of the sciences loves to look and
does look into things still more intricate. But when spiritual good and
truth are in question, he feels the subject irksome and turns his back
on it. These things have been said in order that the quality of the
existing man of the church may be known.
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