thought
(what external and internal are like with the wicked was shown earlier);
from which it is plain again that the Lord cannot act by inmosts and
outmosts simultaneously except together with man, for in the outmosts man
and the Lord are together. Wherefore, as the man acts in outmosts, which
are in his determination, being within the range of his freedom, so the
Lord acts from man's inmosts and in what follows from them to the
outmosts. Man does not know at all what is in the inmosts and in what
follows to the outmosts, therefore is unaware of how the Lord acts there
or what He effects there. But as all these things cohere as one with the
outmosts, man does not need to know more than that he should shun evils
as sins and look to the Lord. Only so can his life's love, which by birth
is infernal, be removed by the Lord and a heavenly life's love be
implanted in its place.
126. When a heavenly life's love has been implanted by the Lord in place
of an infernal life's love, affections of good and truth are implanted in
place of lusts of evil and falsity; enjoyments of affections of good are
implanted instead of enjoyments of lusts of evil and falsity, and goods
of heavenly love in place of evils of infernal love; prudence is
implanted in place of cunning, wise thinking in place of malevolent. So a
man is born again and becomes a new man. What goods replace evils you may
see in _Doctrine of Life for the New Jerusalem,_ nn. 67-73, 74-79, 80-86,
87-91; likewise that so far as man shuns and is averse to evils as sins
so far he loves truths of wisdom, nn. 32-41, and has faith and is
spiritual, nn. 42-52.
127. From the exhortations read aloud in all Christian churches before
Holy Communion we showed that it is the common religion of all
Christendom that a man should examine himself, see his sins, avow them,
confess them before God, and desist from them; and that this is
repentance, remission of sins and hence salvation. This is also evident
from the Creed named after Athanasius and received throughout Christendom
which concludes with the words:
The Lord will come to judge the living and the dead; at whose coming
those who have done good will enter into life eternal, and those who have
done evil, into everlasting fire.
128. Who does not know from the Word that everyone is allotted a life
after death according to his deeds? Open the Word, read it, and you will
see this clearly, but the while remove the thoughts from fait
|