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49. That they who are in evils, have no faith, howsoever they may fancy that they have, was shown by several cases of such in the spiritual world. They were conducted to a heavenly society, whence the spiritual principle of the faith of the angels entered into the interiors of the faith of those who were thus conducted, whereby they perceived they had only a natural or external principle of faith, and not its spiritual or internal principle; wherefore they themselves confessed that they had no faith, and that they had persuaded themselves in the world, that to believe, or to have faith, consisted in thinking a thing to be this or that, regardless of any ground or reason for its being so. But it was perceived to be otherwise with the faith of those who were not principled in evil.

50. Hence it may be seen what spiritual faith is; and what the faith is which is not spiritual. Spiritual faith appertains to those who do not commit sin: for they, who do not commit sin, do good, not from themselves, but from the Lord, as was shown above, n. 18 to 31; and by faith become spiritual. Faith with such is truth. This is what the Lord teaches in John: "This is the judgment, that light is come into the world, but men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one who doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh he to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved: but he who doeth truth, cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God," iii. 19, 20,

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51. What has been said above, is confirmed by the following passages from the Word: "A good man, out of the good treasure of his heart, bringeth forth good; but an evil man, out of the evil treasure of his heart, bringeth forth evil: for out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh," Luke vi. 45, Matt. xii. 35. By heart, in the Word, is meant the will of man; and inasmuch as man's thoughts and speech originate in the will, it is said, out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. Again: "Not that which entereth into the mouth, defileth a man, but that which cometh forth from the heart, this defileth a man," Matt. xv. 11: by the heart is here also meant the will. Again: "Jesus said concerning the woman who washed his feet with ointment, Her sins are remitted her, because she loved much; and afterwards he said, Thy faith maketh thee whole," Luke vii. 46 to 50; whence it is evident, that when sins are remitted, that is, when they cease, faith saves. That they are called sons of God, and born of

God, who are not in the proprium of their own self-will, and thereby not in the proprium of their own self-understanding, that is, who are not in evil and thence in the false, and that these are they who believe on the Lord, he himself teaches in John, chap. i. 12, 13; which passage may be seen explained above, n. 17.

52. From these considerations it results, that there does not appertain to man the smallest portion of truth, only so far as he is principled in good; consequently, not the smallest portion of faith, only so far as it is conjoined with life. There may be such a thing as thought, respecting the truth of some particular proposition, in the understanding; but there cannot be acknowledgment amounting to faith, unless there be consent in the will. Thus do faith and life go hand in hand. Hence, then, it is evident, that so far as any one shuns evils as sins, so far he has faith, and is spiritual.

VI. THAT THE Decalogue TEACHES WHAT EVILS ARE SINS.

53. What nation on earth does not know that it is evil to steal, to commit adultery, to commit murder, and to bear false witness? Unless this was known, and unless the prevention of such evils was effected by laws, mankind must inevitably perish; for no society, commonwealth, or kingdom, could subsist without them. Who can conceive that the Israelitish nation was so much more ignorant than others, as not to know this? It must needs therefore be matter of surprise to some, that those laws, so universally known throughout the earth, should be promulgated from mount Sinai, by Jehovah himself, in so miraculous a manner. But understand the reason of this! The miraculous promulgation of those laws was designed to show, that they are not only civil and moral laws, but also spiritual laws, and that to act contrary to them is not only to do evil to a fellow-citizen and to society, but is also to sin against God: wherefore those laws, in consequence of their promulgation from mount Sinai by Jehovah, were made laws of religious obligation: for it is evident, that whatever Jehovah God commands must be with a view to stamp such religious obligation upon the thing commanded; and to show, that it ought to be done for his sake, and for the sake of man's salvation.

54. Inasmuch as those laws were the first-fruits of the Word, and consequently the first-fruits of the church which was about to be established by the Lord amongst the people

of Israel; and inasmuch as they contained a brief summary of all things relating to religion, whereby the conjunction of the Lord with man, and of man with the Lord, is effected; therefore they were so holy that nothing could be more so.

55. That they were most holy may appear from the following considerations: that Jehovah himself, that is, the Lord descended upon mount Sinai, in fire, and attended by angels, and thence promulgated them with a loud voice; and that the people prepared themselves for three days to see and hear; that the mountain was fenced about, lest any one should approach and die; that neither the priests nor the elders were to approach it, but Moses only: that those laws were written on two tables of stone by the finger of God: that the face of Moses shone, when he brought them down a second time from the mountain: that they were afterwards deposited in the ark, and the ark in the inmost part of the tabernacle; and that over the ark was set the mercy-seat, and over the mercy-seat cherubs of gold: that this inmost part of the tabernacle was accounted most holy, and was called the holy of holies that without the vail, within which was this most holy place, were laid the things which represented the holies of heaven and of the church; as the candlestick with the seven sconces of gold, the golden altar of incense, and the table overlaid with gold, on which was the show-bread, with curtains of fine linen, purple, and scarlet. The sanctity of the whole tabernacle originated solely in the law which was in the ark. By reason of the sanctity of the tabernacle thus originating from the law in the ark, it was enjoined that all the people of Israel should encamp around it in order according to their tribes, and should journey in order after it, at which times there was over it a cloud by day, and a fire by night. By reason of the sanctity of that law, and the presence of the Lord therein, the Lord discoursed with Moses over the mercy-seat between the cherubs; and the ark was called Jehovah There. For the same rea son also, it was not lawful for Aaron to enter within the vail, except with sacrifices and incense. Inasmuch as that law was the essential sanctity of the church, therefore the ark was introduced into Zion by David; and was afterwards deposited in the middle of the temple of Jerusalem, and constituted its most sacred place. By reason of the Lord's presence in that law, and around it, miracles were always wrought by the ark in which that law was contained; as when the waters of Jordan were divided, and, whilst the ark rested in the middle, the people passed over on dry ground; and as when the walls

of Jericho fell down in consequence of carrying the ark about them; and as when Dagon, the God of the Philistines, fell down before it, and afterwards was found lying at the threshold of the temple with his head separated from the trunk; and as when the Bethshemites were smitten because of the ark, to the number of several thousands; not to mention other miracles of a like nature; all which were in consequence of the Lord's presence in his ten words, which are the commandments of the decalogue.

56. A further ground of the great power and sanctity of that law, was, because it was a complex of all things appertaining to religion for it consisted of two tables, one of which contains all things which are on God's part, and the other all things which are on the part of man therefore, the precepts of that law are called the ten words, because ten signify all things. But how that law is a complex of all things appertaining to religion, will be seen in the following article.

57. Inasmuch as the conjunction of the Lord with man, and of man with the Lord, is effected by that law, therefore it is called a COVENANT and a TESTIMONY; a covenant because it effects conjunction; and a testimony, because it testifies conjunction; for a covenant signifies conjunction, and testimony the testification or witnessing thereof. It was for this reason that there were two tables, one for the Lord, the other for man. Conjunction is effected by and from the Lord; but only when man does those things which are written in his table; for the Lord is continually present, and operative, and desirous to enter, but it is man's part and duty, by virtue of the freedom which he enjoys from the Lord, to open the door for him; for the Lord says, "Behold I stand at the door and knock, if any one hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and sup with him, and he with me,” Rev. iii. 20.

58. In the other table, which is for man, it is not said what good he should do, but what evil he should not do; as that he should not kill; that he should not commit adultery; that he should not steal; that he should not bear false witness; that he should not covet: the reason is, because man cannot do any thing good from himself; but when he ceases to do evils, then he does good, not from himself, but from the Lord. That man is able to shun evils as from himself, by virtue of the Lord's power, if he implores it, will be seen in what follows.

59. What was said above, n. 55, concerning the promulgation, sanctity and power of the law of the decalogue, appears from the following passages in the Word.

That Jehovah descended upon mount Sinai in fire, and that the mount then smoked and shook; and that there were thunderings, lightnings, and a thick cloud, and the voice of a trumpet, may be seen, Exod. xix. 16, 18, Deut. iv. 11, chap. v. 19 to 23.

That the people prepared and sanctified themselves for three days previous to the descent of Jehovah, may be seen, Exod. xix. 10, 11, 15.

That the mountain was fenced about, to prevent any one from approaching to the foot of it, lest he should die; and that not even the priests, but Moses alone, was to approach, may be seen, Exod. xix. 12, 13, 20 to 23, chap. xxiv. 1, 2.

The law itself, as promulgated from mount Sinai, may be seen, Exod. xx. 2 to 14, Deut. v. 6 to 18.

That the law was written on two tables of stone with the finger of God, may be seen, Exod. xxxi. 18, chap. xxxii. 15, 16, Deut. ix. 10.

That the face of Moses shone, when he brought the tables down from the mount the second time, may be seen, Exod. xxxiv. 29 to 35.

That the tables were laid up in an ark, may be seen, Exod. xxv. 16, chap. xl. 20, Deut. x. 5, 1 Kings viii. 9.

That over the ark was set the mercy-seat, and over the mercy-seat cherubs of gold, may be seen, Exod. xxv. 17 to 21.

That the ark, with the mercy-seat and cherubs, constituted the inmost of the tabernacle; and that the golden candlestick, the golden altar of incense, and the table overlaid with gold, on which was the show-bread, constituted the exterior part of the tabernacle; and that the ten curtains of fine linen, purple, and scarlet, constituted its outermost part; may be seen, Exod. xxv. 1 to the end, chap. xxvi. 1 to the end, chap. xl. 17 to 28.

That the place where the ark was, was called the holy of holies, Exod. xxvi. 33.

That all the people of Israel encamped around the tabernacle in order according to their tribes, and journeyed in order after it, Numbers ii. 1 to the end.

That at such times there was over the tabernacle a cloud by day, and fire by night, Exod. xl. 38, Numb. ix. 15, 16 to the end, chap. xiv. 14, Deut. i. 33.

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