ACV9 S28 7366-7409

CLICK TO PRINT READING CLICK TO GO TO COMMENTS 7366 Exodus 8 THE DOCTRINE OF CHARITY It was said above that the loves of self and of the world make hell with man; and now the quality of these loves is to be told, in order that a man may know whether he is in them, and consequently whether hell or heaven is in him; for in man himself is either hell or heaven. That the kingdom of God is within man, the Lord teaches in Luke 17:21; consequently hell also is within him. 7367 The love of self reigns with a man, that is, he is in the love of self, when in what he thinks and does, he does not regard his neighbor, thus not the public, still less the Lord, but only himself and those who belong to him; consequently when he does all things for the sake of himself and those who belong to him; and if for the sake of the public and his neighbor, it is merely for the sake of the appearance. 7368 It is said "for the sake of himself and those who belong to him," because he together with these, and these together with him, make a one; just as when anyone does anything for the sake of his wife, of his children, grandchildren, sons-in-law, or daughters-in-law, he does it for the sake of himself, because they are his. In like manner one who does anything for the sake of relatives and of friends who favor his love and thereby conjoin themselves with him; for by such conjunction they make one with him, that is, regard themselves in him, and him in themselves. 7369 Insofar as a man is in the love of self, so far he removes himself from the love of the neighbor; consequently insofar as a man is in the love of self, so far he removes himself from heaven, for in heaven there is the love of the neighbor. From this it also follows that insofar as man is in the love of self, so far he is in hell, for in hell there is the love of self. 7370 That man is in the love of self who despises his neighbor in comparison with himself, who regards him as his enemy if he does not favor and reverence him; he is still more in the love of self who therefore hates and persecutes his neighbor; and he still more who therefore burns with revenge against him and desires his destruction. Such persons at last love to rage against their neighbor; and the same, if they are also adulterers, become cruel. 7371 The delight which these men perceive in such things is the delight of the love of self. This delight in a man is infernal delight. Everything that is according to love is delightful; and therefore the quality of the love can be known from the delight. 7372 From what has now been described (n. 7370), as a test, it is known who are in the love of self. It matters not how they appear in the outward form, whether pretentious or unassuming; for such they are in the interior man; and the interior man is at this day hidden by most people, and the exterior is trained to make a show of love of the public and the neighbor, thus for contrary things; and this also for the sake of self and for the sake of the world. 7373 But the love of the world reigns with a man, that is, a man is in the love of the world, when in what he thinks and does he regards and intends nothing but his own advantage, not caring whether this involves harm to his neighbor and to the public. 7374 Those are in the love of the world who desire to possess themselves of the goods of others by artful devices, and still more those who do this by cunning and deceit. They who are in this love envy others their goods, and covet them; and insofar as they do not fear the laws, they take them away, even by robbery. 7375 These two loves increase insofar as the reins are given them, and insofar as the man is borne along into them; and at last they increase beyond measure, so that they desire to govern not only all things in their own kingdom, but also what is beyond, even to the ends of the earth; nay, these loves when unbridled ascend even to the God of the universe, that is, to such a height that they who are in them wish to climb to the throne of God, and to be worshiped instead of God Himself, according to what is written in Isaiah concerning Lucifer, by whom are meant those who are in these loves, and are called "Babel":Thou saidst in thine heart, I will ascend into the heavens, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; and I will sit upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the cloud, and become like the Most High. Yet thou shalt be cast down to hell (Isa. 14:13-15). 7376 From all this it can now be seen that these two loves are the origins of all evils, for they are diametrically opposed to love toward the neighbor, and to love to the Lord; thus diametrically opposed to heaven, where love to the Lord and love toward the neighbor reign. Consequently it is these loves, namely, the love of self and the love of the world, that make hell with man, for these two loves reign in hell. 7377 But they are not in these loves who aspire to honors not for the sake of themselves, but for the sake of their country; and who aspire to wealth not for the sake of wealth, but for the sake of the necessaries of life, both for themselves and for their families, also for the sake of the good use on account of which the wealth delights them. With such persons honors and riches are means of imparting benefits. EXODUS 8 1 And Jehovah said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch forth thy hand with thy rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the pools, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt. 2 And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt. 3 And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments, and caused frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt. 4 And Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron, and said, Supplicate ye unto Jehovah that He remove the frogs from me and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice to Jehovah. 5 And Moses said unto Pharaoh, Have thou honor over me, till when shall I supplicate for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, to cut off the frogs from thee, and from thy houses? Only in the river shall they be left. 6 And he said, Unto the morrow. And he said, Be it according to thy word; that thou mayest know that there is none like Jehovah our God. 7 And the frogs shall be removed from thee, and from thy houses, and from thy servants, and from thy people; only in the river shall they be left. 8 And Moses and Aaron went out from before Pharaoh; and Moses cried unto Jehovah upon the word of the frogs which He had laid on Pharaoh. 9 And Jehovah did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the courts, and out of the fields. 10 And they gathered them together in heaps and heaps; and the land stank. 11 And Pharaoh saw that there was breathing, and he made heavy his heart, and heard them not, as Jehovah had spoken. 12 And Jehovah said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, and it shall become lice in all the land of Egypt. 13 And they did so; and Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the land, and there was louse on man and on beast; all the dust of the land became louse in all the land of Egypt. 14 And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, and they could not; and there was louse on man and on beast. 15 And the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God; and Pharaoh's heart was made firm, and he heard them not, as Jehovah had spoken. 16 And Jehovah said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh; lo, he goeth forth unto the waters; and say unto him, Thus saith Jehovah, Let My people go, that they may serve Me. 17 For if thou let not My people go, behold I send against thee, and against thy servants, and against thy people, and into thy houses, the noisome fly; and the houses of the Egyptians shall be filled with the noisome fly, and also the land whereon they are. 18 And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, upon which My people stand, that no noisome fly be there; to the end that thou mayest know that I am Jehovah in the midst of the land. 19 And I will set redemption between My people and thy people; unto the morrow shall this sign be. 20 And Jehovah did so; and there came the grievous noisome fly into the house of Pharaoh, and into the house of his servants, and into all the land of Egypt; the land was destroyed from before the noisome fly. 21 And Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron, and said, Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land. 22 And Moses said, It is not meet to do so, for we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to Jehovah our God; lo, we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians unto their eyes, and will they not stone us? 23 We will go a way of three days into the wilderness, and will sacrifice to Jehovah our God, as He hath said unto us. 24 And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, and ye shall sacrifice to Jehovah your God in the wilderness; only ye shall not go very far away; supplicate for me. 25 And Moses said, Behold I go forth from thee, and I will supplicate unto Jehovah that He may remove the noisome fly from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, tomorrow; only let not Pharaoh mock anymore in not letting the people go to sacrifice to Jehovah. 26 And Moses went out from Pharaoh, and he supplicated unto Jehovah. 27 And Jehovah did according to the word of Moses; and He removed the noisome fly from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; there was not one left. 28 And Pharaoh made heavy his heart this time also, and he did not let the people go. 7378 THE CONTENTS.In this chapter, in the internal sense, the subject is continued of the vastation of those who are in falsities,...