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Luke Chapter 10

1. BUT after these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them by two's before His face, to every city and place, whither He Himself was about to come.
2. Then He said to them, the harvest indeed is much, but the labourers are few; pray you therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into His harvest.
3. Go your ways, behold, I send you forth as lambs in the midst of wolves.
4. Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes, and salute no man by the way.
5. But into whatever house you enter, first say, Peace to this house.
6. And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it; but if not, It shall turn to you again.
7. But in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they have, for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.
8. And into whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.
9. And heal the sick that are therein, and say to them, the kingdom of God is come near to you.
10. But into whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, going out into the streets thereof, say,
11. Even the very dust of your city which cleaves to us, we do wipe off to you; nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God is come near to you.
12. But I say to you, that it shall be more tolerable for Sodom in that day, than for that city.
13. Wo to you Chorazin! Wo until you Bethsaida! For if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had long since repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
14. But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgement, than for you.
15. And you Capernaum which are exalted to heaven shall be thrust down to hell.
16. He that hears you, hears Me, and he that rejects you, rejects Me; but he that rejects Me, rejects Him that sent Me.
17. But the seventy returned with joy, saying, Lord, even daemons are subject to us in Your Name.
18. But he said to them, I beheld Satan, as lightning, falling from heaven.
19. Behold, I give to you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and on all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.
20. Nevertheless rejoice not in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice that your names are written in the heavens.
21. In that same hour Jesus was glad in spirit, and said, I thank You Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hid these things from the wise and intelligent, and have revealed them to babes; yea, Father, for so it seemed good in your sight.
22. All things are delivered to Me of My Father; and no one knows who the Son is, except the Father, and who the Father is, except the Son, and he to whom the Son wills [or determines] to reveal Him.
23. And turning to the disciples, He said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things which you see.
24. For I say to you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see the things which you see, and have not seen them, and to hear the things which you hear, and have not heard them.
25. And behold, a certain lawyer stood up, tempting Him, and saying, Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
26. But He said to him, what is written in the law? How read you?
27. But he answering said, you shall love the Lord your God from your whole heart, and from your whole soul, and from your whole strength, and from your whole thought, and your neighbour as yourself.
28. But He said to him, you have answered right; this do, and you shall live.
29. But he, willing to justify himself, said to Jesus, and who is my neighbour?
30. But Jesus replying, said, a certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripping him of his clothing, and beating him, departed, leaving him half dead.
31. But as it happened, a certain priest came down the same way, and seeing him, passed by on the other side.
32. In like manner a Levite when he was at the place, coming and seeing, passed by on the other side.
33. But a certain Samaritan journeying came to him, and seeing him, was moved with compassion.
34. And coming near he bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and setting him on his own beast of burden, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35. And departing on the morrow, taking out two pence, he gave [them] to the host, and said to him, take care of him, and whatever you spend more, when I come again, I will repay you.
36. Which now of these three think you was neighbour to him that fell among thieves?
37. But he said, he that did mercy with him. Then said Jesus to him, go, and do you likewise.
38. But it came to pass as they went, that He entered into a certain village; but it certain woman named Martha received Him into her house.
39. And she had called Mary, who also sitting at the feet of Jesus, heard his word.
40. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and standing near, said, Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me.
41. But Jesus answering said to her, Martha, Martha, you are careful and troubled about many things:
42. But there is need of one thing; and Mary has chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her.

Chapter X. Extracts from the Theological Writings

VERSE 2. Then He said to them, the harvest indeed is much, but the labourers are few, &c. By harvest are here meant all with whom the Church was about to be established by the Lord, thus likewise the Church in general; and by labourers are meant all who shall teach from the Lord. AE 910.

Verse 3. Behold, I send you forth as lambs in the midst of wolves. In this passage lambs denote those who are in innocence, and wolves those who are opposed to innocence. AC 3994.

Verses 5, 6, 7. But into whatever house you enter, first say peace be to this house; and if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it; but if not, it shall turn to you again. By saying peace be to the house, is signified that they should know whether they who were in the house received the Lord, preached concerning the Lord, and thence concerning heaven, heavenly joy and eternal life, inasmuch as all those things are signified by peace; and they who received are meant by the sons of peace, on whom the peace would rest. But if they did not acknowledge the Lord, and thence did not receive the things which are of the Lord, or which are of peace, that it would be taken from them, is signified by the house or city not being worthy, in which case peace would return upon them. AE 365.

Verse 7. But in the same house remain, eating and drinking the things that are with them; go not from house to house. By these words was represented, that the disciples should abide in the principle of good, itself, namely in the good of love to the Lord and of charity towards the neighbour, but should not pass to any other. That man or his mind is a house, see also AC 3538, 4973. AC 5023.

Verses 10, 11. But into whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, going out into the streets thereof, say, even the very dust of your city, which cleaves to us, we do wipe off to you. By the street of a city is signified the truth of doctrine leading, and in the opposite sense the false of doctrine, on which account, by the mud, the mire, and filth of streets is signified the false of evil love in the following passages, "Their carcase was made the dung of the streets," Isaiah 5:25; and in the same prophet, "He will make him a treading like the mire of the streets," Is 10:6. And in David, "I will bruise them as the dust before the faces of the wind, I will beat them small as the mud of the streets," Psalm 18:43. These things also are grounded in appearances in the spiritual world, in the cities of which, where falses grounded in evil have rule, the streets appear full of dung, of mire and dirt. From these considerations it may be manifest what is signified by what the Lord commanded the seventy, whom He sent forth to preach the gospel, when He said, into whatever city you enter, and they receive you not, going out into the streets thereof say, even the very dust of the city which cleaves to us we do wipe off to you. AE 652.

Verse 12. But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable fur Sodom in that day than for that city. Sodom is thus described in Ezekiel, "Your elder sister Samaria, herself and her daughters, dwelling at your left; and your younger sister dwelling at your right, Sodom and her daughters: Your sister Sodom, herself and her daughters has not done as you have done and your daughters: Behold this was the iniquity of your sisterSodom, pride, fearfulness of bread, and security of ease, to her and to her daughters, and he hand of the miserable and needy she has not strengthened; and they were puffed up, and did abomination before you," Ezek 16:46, 48, 50. The subject here treated of is concerning the abominations of Jerusalem, which are described by Samaria and Sodom, by Samaria as to falses in the place of Gomorrah, and by Sodom as to evils; and it is said what is specifically signified by Sodom; for it is written, this was the iniquity of Sodom, namely. that it was self-love, which is there signified by pride; that the inhabitants were averse to the goods of charity is signified by fullness of bread; and that they acquiesced therein, is signified by security of ease; and that they had no mercy, is described by their not strengthening the hand of the miserable and needy; and that all lusts were thence imbued with self-love, is described by the daughters becoming puffed up; lusts are denoted by daughters; hence it is manifest what is meant by Sodom, thus that it is not according to the historical sense in the following chapter, but that by it are there signified in the internal sense such things as are here described by the prophet, namely the things of self-love; but Sodom is here described more mildly, because the subject treated of is concerning the abominations of Jerusalem, that they were greater than those of Sodom, as is also evident from the Lord's words, it shall be more tolerable for Sodom in that day than for that city; AC 2220.

By the disciples in the above passage are not meant disciples, but all things of the Church, thus all things of faith and charity; by not receiving, and not hearing, is signified to reject the truths which are of faith and the goods which are of charity; by shaking off the dust of the feet is signified damnation; the reason why it would be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than for that city is, because by Sodom and Gomorrah are meant those who are in evil of life, but who have known nothing of the Lord and of the Word, thus neither could they receive; hence it may be manifest that the house or city, which should not receive the disciples, is not meant, but that they are meant who are within the Church, and do not live the life of faith; every one may see that a whole city could not be damned on that account, because they did not receive the disciples, and instantly acknowledge the new doctrine which they preached. AC 7418.

Verse 13. They had long since repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. Inasmuch as to be clothed in sackcloth and to roll themselves in ashes represented mourning over evils and falses, it also represented humiliation, and likewise repentance, for it is a primary part of humiliation for man to acknowledge that of himself he is nothing but evil and false, in like manner of repentance, which is not performed except by humiliation, and this by confession of the heart that of himself he is of such a quality. That to put on sackcloth was a mark of humiliation, see 1 Kings 21:27, 28, 29; that it was a mark of repentance, see Matt 11:21. Luke 10:13; but that it was nothing else than a representative, thus merely an external act of the body, but not an internal act of the heart, is evident from Isaiah, "Is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to lie in sackcloth and ashes? will you call this a fast, and a day of the good pleasure of Jehovah? Is not this the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to break bread to the hungry," &c. Is 58:5, 6, 7. AC 4779.

Verse 18. But He said to them, I beheld Satan as lightning, falling from heaven. By Satan is meant every false principle which destroys truth, for the hells, where such falses are, and whence they are, are called Satan, but the hells, where and whence are the evils which destroy goods, are called the devil, wherefore by Satan falling as lightning from heaven is meant that every false principle which destroyed the truth of the word was cast down from heaven, from which consideration it may be manifest, that to fall and to be cast down from heaven to earth, signifies no longer to have place in heaven, but in hell, thus to perish; by earth also is here signified what is damned. AE 535. See also TCR 116.

Verse 19. Behold, I give to you power to tread upon serpents and scorpions, &c. That in this passage by serpents and scorpions are not meant serpents and scorpions, is evident, for the Lord says, that He saw Satan as lightning fall from heaven, and that he gives them power over all the power of the enemy, wherefore by serpents and scorpions in the internal sense, is signified the crew of satan, which was principled in cunning; and in a direful persuasive principle of what is false, by which men are spiritually murdered after death, unless they be protected by the Lord; that the Lord liberated the spiritual world from that crew and the like, is meant by seeing satan falling from heaven, and that he gave to those, who are in truths grounded in good from the Lord, the power of treading upon serpents and scorpions. AE 544. see also AR 455.

By treading on a lion, an adder, serpents and scorpions, is meant not only to destroy evils and falses, which are signified by those animals, but also not to be hurt, by them. This is meant in David," You shall tread on the lion and adder, you shall trample under foot the young lion and the dragon," Psalm 91:13; and in Luke," Behold I give you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you," Luke 10:19; the reason why it is so expressed in the word is because they who are in the hells appear before the eyes of good spirits and angels occasionally in the forms of various beasts and serpents, according to the species of evil and of the false principle thence derived, in which they are; their very thoughts proceeding from the intention of their will present those appearances; exhalations from their evils and falses continually come forth through the earths which are over those hells, or by which the hells are covered, wherefore to walk upon those places is dangerous to those who are merely natural, and more so to those who are sensual and corporeal, for the exhalation rises out thence, and contagion infects those who are walking above; but they whom the Lord leads are safe in treading upon that earth, being preserved from infection and infestation; the reason is because the interiors of their mind, or of their thought and affection, are elevated by the Lord above their sensual corporeal principle, which corresponds to the soles of their feet. From these considerations it may be manifest, what is meant in the proper sense by treading on a lion, an adder, serpents and scorpions, that nothing can do hurt; and it may likewise be manifest from what ground it is that it is so expressed in the Word. AE 632.

They who have ensnared their neighbour by deceit in the world, as to things worldly and terrestrial, in the other life ensnare him by deceit as to things spiritual and celestial; and whereas they do this in secret, they are transferred to the hells behind, and to a depth according to the malignity and injurious quality of their deceit; thus they are separated from those who are in front; the latter are called spirits, but the former genii; genii are not admitted to men like spirits, because they flow into the affections which are of the will, acting against the good which is of love and charity, so clandestinely that they cannot in any wise be perceived, and by this way they destroy the truth which is of faith; these in their hells render themselves invisible before their companions, for they who have acted clandestinely in the world, have the power to render themselves invisible in the other life, yet when they appear, they appear amongst each other as men, but when inspected by the angels they appear as serpents, for they have the nature of serpents, and what comes forth from them is like poison, and also is spiritual poison; wherefore poison in the Word signifies deceit, and poisonous serpents as adders, cockatrices, vipers, signify the deceitful, as in David, "In heart you work perversities, their poison is as the poison of a serpent, as of a deaf adder," Psalm 58:3, 5. Again, "They think evil things in the heart, they sharpen their tongue as a serpent; the poison of an asp is under their lips," Psalm 140:3, 4: And in Matthew, "Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! O serpents, the offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgement of Gehenna," Matt 23:29, 33; Deceit is called hypocrisy when men carry piety in the month, and impiety in the heart, or when they have charity in the mouth, but hatred in the heart, or when they have innocence in the face and gesture, but cruelty in the soul and bosom, consequently who deceive by innocence, charity and piety. These are serpents and vipers in the internal sense, because, as was said above, persons of such a quality, when inspected by angels in the light of heaven, appear as serpents and vipers, who under truths conceal evils, that is, who deceitfully bend truths to do evils, for these as it were under the teeth conceal poison, and thus commit murder. But they who are in the faith of truth and the life of good from the Lord cannot be hurt by their poison, for they are in light from the Lord, in which light the deceitful appear as serpents, and their deceits as poisons; that they are under the Lord's protection meant by the Lord's words to the disciples, "Behold I give you power to tread upon serpents and scorpions, &c. AC 9013.

The Divine power of the Lord, which was represented by the filling of the hand of Aaron and of his sons, is the Divine power of saving the human race; and the power of saving the human race is the power over the heavens and over the hells; for by that power of the Lord, and not by any other, man is saved; for all the good which is of love, and all the truth which is of faith, flow in through the heavens from the Lord, which cannot flow in unless the hells be removed, for from the hells is all evil, and thence every thing that is false; by the removal of evils and the falses thence derived which enter in from the hells, and on this occasion by the influx of the good of love and of the truth of faith through heaven from the Lord, man is saved; that the Lord, when He was in the world, subdued the hells, and reduced the heavens into order, and acquired to Himself Divine power over them, see AC 9456, 9715, 9809, 9937, and what is cited, AC 9528 at the end. This power of the Lord is what was represented by the filling of the hand of the priests; for by the priesthood was signified all the work of the Lord's salvation, AC 9809. That the Lord has that power, He Himself teaches in express words in Matthew, "All power is given to Me in the heavens and in the earths," Matt 28:18; and in Luke, "Jesus said to the seventy, who said that the daemons were obedient to them, Behold I give to you power to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and upon all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you: All things are delivered to Me of My Father," Luke 10:19, 22. By these words is described the power of the Lord over the hells; daemons are they who are in the hells; serpents and scorpions denote evils and the falses of evil; to tread upon them denotes to destroy them; the hells are also meant by the enemy, over whom they were to have power. AC 10019.

Verse 20. But rather rejoice that your names are written in the heavens. Name in the book of life means nothing else but quality; in like manner to confess his name before the Father, and to write upon him the name of God, and of a city, and a new name, Rev 3:4, 5, 12; so likewise in other passages, where mention is made of names written in the book of life, and in heaven, Rev 13:8; 17:18. Luke 10:20; for in heaven name denotes nothing but the quality, by virtue of which one person is distinguished from another, which in the sense of the letter is expressed by name; as may likewise be manifest to everyone from this consideration, that every one named on earth is presented in the idea of another as to the quality by which he is known and distinguished from another; in the other life ideas remain, but names perish, and still more with the angels; hence it is that name denotes quality or the knowledge of quality in the internal sense. AC 2009.

Names written in heaven are not names, but the quality of their faith and charity. AC 6674.

Verse 21. In that same hour Jesus was glad in spirit, and said, I thank You Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hid these things from the wise and intelligent, and have revealed them to babes. It is a known thing, that several disputes at this day go no further than to contend whether a thing be so or not so; but so long as this controversy is continued, it is impossible to make any progress into any thing of wisdom; for in the very thing, which is the subject of controversy, there are innumerable things, which the disputants cannot see, so long as they do not acknowledge it. Modern erudition scarce advances beyond these limits, namely whether it be so, or not so, on which account the disputants stand excluded from the intelligence of truth; as for example; he who only continues whether there is an internal sense of the Word cannot by any means see the innumerable, yea indefinite things, which are in the internal sense; in like manner he who disputes whether charity be any thing in the Church and whether all things belonging to it are not of faith, cannot possibly know the innumerable, yea the indefinite things which are in charity, but remains altogether in ignorance what charity is. The case is the same in regard to a life after death, the resurrection of the dead, the last judgement the existence of heaven and hell; for they who only dispute whether such things are stand out of the doors of wisdom so long as they dispute, and are like persons who only knock at the door, and cannot even look into the magnificent palaces of wisdom; and what is surprising, people of this description fancy themselves wiser than others, and so much the wiser, in proportion to their greater skill in debating whether a thing be so, and especially in confirming themselves that it is not so; when yet the simple, who are principled in good, and whom such disputants despise, can perceive in a moment, without any dispute, much more without learned controversy, both the existence of the thing, and also its nature and quality; for these latter have a common or general sense of the perception of truth, whereas the former have extinguished this sense by such things, as incline them first to determine whether the thing exists; the Lord speaks both of the former and of the latter when He says, "I thank You Father, that you have hid these things from the wise and intelligent, and revealed them to babes." Matt 11:25. Luke 10:21. AC 3428.

It is a common and known thing, that the learned believe in a future state less than the simple, and in general, that they see Divine Truths less than the simple; the reason is, because they consult scientifics, which they possess in a greater abundance than others, from a negative principle, and by it destroy in themselves contemplation from a higher or interior principle; and when this is destroyed, they no longer see any thing from the light of heaven, but from the light of the world; for scientifics are in the light of the world, and unless they are illuminated by the light of heaven, they induce darkness, however it appears otherwise to themselves. Hence it was that the simple believed in the Lord, but not the Scribes and Pharisees, who were the learned in that nation, as is evident from these words in John. "Many of the people heard the Word, and said, of a truth this is the prophet; others said, this is the Christ [the Messiah]. The Pharisees answered them, have any of the Rulers believed in Him, or the Pharisees," John 7:40, 41, 48; and in Luke, "Jesus said, I thank You Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hid these things from the wise and intelligent, and have revealed them to babes," where babes denote the simple. AC 4760.

Divine Truth is not received by any one, unless it be accommodated to his apprehension, consequently unless it appear in a natural form and aspect; for human minds at first apprehend only things terrestrial and worldly, and not at all things spiritual and celestial, wherefore if things spiritual and celestial were expounded nakedly, they would be rejected as if they were nothing, agreeable to the Lord's words in John, "If I have told you earthly things and you believe not, how should you believe if I told you of heavenly things," John 3:12; still less did they believe who lived before the coming of the Lord, and who at length were in such blindness that they knew nothing, because they were willing to know nothing concerning a life after death, concerning the internal man, concerning charity and faith, and concerning any thing celestial; such things they rejected, because they held them in aversion. For they who regard terrestrial and worldly things as an end, that is, love them above all things, hold spiritual things in aversion, and almost abhor the very name of them; the case is nearly the same at this day. The learned of the world indeed believe that they should receive the word more favourably, if celestial things were exposed nakedly, and if it was not written with such simplicity; but they are very much deceived, for in such case they would have rejected it more than the simple, and would have seen in it no light, but mere gross darkness; for human learning induces this darkness with those who trust to their own intelligence, and on that account extol themselves above others. That such things are hid from the wise, and revealed to infants, that is, to the simple, the Lord teaches in Matthew 11:25, 26; and in Luke 10:21; the same is also evident, from this consideration, that they who are Atheists and Naturalists, as they are called, are such as are learned; this the world knows, and this they themselves know. AC 8783.

Verse 22. All things are delivered to Me of My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the father is, except the Son, and he to whom the Son is willing to reveal Him. The reason why it is said that no one knows the Son but the Father is, because by the Son is meant the Divine Truth, and by the Father the Divine Good, each in the Lord, and one cannot be known but from the other, wherefore the Lord first says, that all things are delivered to Him by the Father, and afterwards that he knows to whom the Son is willing to reveal; that the Son is Divine Truth, and the Father Divine Good, each the Lord's, see AC 2803, 2813, 3704, 7499. From these considerations it is now evident that the Divine [being or principle] is the Divine Human [principle] of the Lord. AC 10067.

Verse 23. And turning to the disciples He said privately, blessed are the eyes which see the things that you see. In this passage by the eyes which see is signified intelligence and faith; for the sight of the Lord, and also of His miracles and works, did not render any one blessed, but they were blessed in consequence of apprehending with the understanding and of having faith, which is to see with the eyes, and in consequence of obedience, which is to hear with the ears; that to sec with the eyes is to understand, and also to have faith, see AC 897, 2325; for understanding is the spiritual principle of sight, and faith is the spiritual principle of understanding; the sight of the eye is from the light of the world, the sight of the understanding is from the light of heaven flowing into those things which are of the light of the world, but the sight of faith is from the light of heaven; hence come the expressions of seeing with the understanding, and of seeing with faith; that to hear with the ear denotes to obey, see AC 2542. AC 2701.

Verses 25 to 28. It is a known thing that the decalogue in the Word, in the way of eminence, is called the law, because it contains all things which are of doctrine and of life, for it not only contains all things which respect God, but also all things which respect man, wherefore that law was written on two tables, one of which treats of God, the other of man. It is also a known thing, that all things of doctrine and of life have reference to love to God, and to love towards the neighbour, all things of which loves are contained in the decalogue. That the whole Word teaches nothing else, is manifest from the words of the Lord, "Jesus said, you shall love the Lord your God from your whole heart, and in your whole soul, and in your whole mind, and the neighbour as yourself; on these two commandments hang the law and the prophets," Matt 22:35, 36, 37, where the law and the prophets signify the whole Word. And again, "A certain lawyer tempting Jesus said, Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said to him, what is written in the law, how read you? And he answering said, you shall love the Lord your God from your whole heart, and from your whole soul, and from your whole strength, and from your whole mind, and the neighbour as yourself; and jesus said, this do and you shall live," Luke 10:25-28. Now whereas love to God and love towards the neighbour are all things of the world, and the decalogue in the first table contains in a summary all things of love to God, and in the second table, all things of love towards the neighbour, it follows that it contains all things which relate to doctrine and life. From a view of the two tables it is evident, that they were so conjoined, that God from His table may look at man, and that man from his may look at God in return, and thus that there may be reciprocal aspect, which is such as never to cease on the part of God, so that he continually looks at man, and operates such things as regard his salvation, and if man receives and does those things which are in his table, reciprocal conjunction is effected, and in this case it comes to pass, according to the Lord's words to the lawyer, This do and you shall live. TCR 287.

In the Word throughout mention is made of heart and soul, and by heart is there signified the life of love, and by soul the life of faith: man has two faculties recipient of life from the Lord, one called will, the other understanding; to the faculty which is called will, appertains love, for the good things of love make its life; but to the faculty which is called understanding appertains faith, for the truths of faith make its life; but these two lives with man are still one thing, and when they are one thing, then the things of faith are also the things of love, for they are loved; and on the other hand the things of love are also the things of faith, because they are believed: such is the life belonging to all in heaven. The reason why in the Word the life of love, or what is the same thing, the will, is called heart, and why the life of faith, or what is the same thing, the understanding, is called soul, is because they who are principled in love to the Lord, and are called celestial in the Grand Man or heaven, constitute the province of the heart, and they who are principled in faith to the Lord, and thence in charity towards the neighbour, constitute the province of the lungs, see AC 3635, 3883 to 3896. Hence it is that by heart in the Word is signified love which is the life of the will, and by soul faith which is the life of the understanding: For soul in the original tongue is an expression derived from respiration, which is of the lungs. The reason why lungs belong to the intellectual faculty is, because this faculty is illustrated by the Lord when man receives faith, hence he has light, or apperception of truth in such things as relate to faith when he reads the Word; and the reason why love appertains to the voluntary faculty is because this is enkindled by the Lord when man receives love, hence he has the fire of life and sensitive perception of what is good. From these considerations it may be manifest what is properly meant in the Word by heart, and what by soul, as in the following passages, "You shall love Jehovah your God from the whole heart, and from the whole soul, and from all your strength," Deut 6:5, 6. Again, "You shall love Jehovah your God, and shall serve Him, from your whole heart and from your whole soul," Deut 10:12; 11:13.

And in the evangelists," Jesus said, you shall love the Lord your God from your whole heart, and in your whole soul, and with your whole strength and your thought, "Matt. xii, 35. Mark 12:30, 32. Luke 10:27, where heart denotes the life of love, and soul the life of faith. Strength denotes those things which proceed from the life of love, thus which proceed from the heart or will, and thought those which proceed from the life of faith, thus which proceed from the soul or an enlightened understanding. That these things are signified by heart and soul in the Word is known at this day to few within the Church; the reason is, because they have not considered that man has two faculties, distinct from each other, namely will and understanding, and that those two faculties constitute one mind, to the intent that man may be truly a man. Neither have they considered that all things in the universe, both in heaven and in the world, have reference to what is good and true, and that those principles must be joined together to the intent that they may be something and productive ; from the ignorance of those principles it has come to pass, that men have separated faith from love; for he who is ignorant of those universal laws, cannot know that faith has reference to truth, and love to good; and that unless they are joined together they are not any thing, since faith without love is not faith, and love without faith is not love; for love has its quality from faith, and faith its life from love, hence faith without love is dead, and faith with love is alive; that this is the case, may be manifest from singular things in the Word, for where the subject treated of is concerning faith, it is also concerning love, that thus the marriage of good and truth, that is heaven, and in the supreme sense the Lord, may be in all and singular the things of the Word. From these considerations it is now evident, whence it is that the man of the Church has hitherto been ignorant what is meant in the Word by heart, and what by soul. AC 9050.

It is written, you shall love the Lord God above all things, and the neighbour as yourself, Luke 10:27, where to love the neighbour as himself denotes not to despise him in comparison with self, also to treat him with justice, and not to exercise evil judgement concerning him. The law of charity, enacted and given by the Lord Himself, is this, " Whatsoever you would that men should do to you, do you also to them, for this is the law and the prophets," Matt 7:12. Luke 6:31, 32; thus they love the neighbour who are in the love of heaven, but they who are in the love of the world love the neighbour from the world, thus for the sake of the world, whilst they who are in the love of self love the neighbour from self and for the sake of self. TCR 411.

Verses 30 to 37. Containing the parable of the good Samaritan, &c. Inasmuch as charity itself resides in the internal man, in which is the principle of good will, and thence in the external man, in which is the operation of good, it follows that the internal man is to be loved, and thence the external, consequently that man is to be loved according to the quality of good which is in him; therefore good itself is essentially the neighbour; this may be illustrated by the following consideration, that when anyone, out of three or four candidates, chooses for himself a steward of his house, or a servant, he makes enquiry concerning his internal man, and chooses one who is sincere and faithful, and hence loves him. In like manner a king or magistrate, who, out of three or four candidates, chooses him who is qualified for his employment, and rejects him who is unqualified, whatever may be his outward aspect, and however favourable may be his speech and action. Since therefore every man is a neighbour, and there is an infinite variety of men, and every one is to be loved as a neighbour according to his good, it is evident that there are genera and species, also degrees of love towards the neighbour. Now whereas the Lord is to be loved above all things, it follows that the degrees of the above love are to be measured according to love to the Lord, thus according to the estimation how much of the Lord, or from the Lord, another possesses in himself, for in that same proportion he also possesses good, inasmuch us all good is from the Lord. But since these degrees are in the internal man, and the internal man seldom manifests himself in the world, it is sufficient that the neighbour be loved according to the degrees with which a man is acquainted; but these degrees after death are clearly perceived, for then the affections of the will and the consequent thoughts of the understanding make a spiritual sphere round every one, which is made sensible by various methods. That spiritual sphere is absorbed in the world by the material body, and encloses itself in the natural sphere, which at that time exhales from the man. That there are degrees of love towards the neighbour, is manifest from the Lord's parable concerning the Samaritan, who performed acts of mercy to the man who was wounded by robbers, whom a Priest and a Levite passed by, and when the Lord asked, which of those three seemed to be the neighbour, reply was made, he who performed acts of mercy, Luke 10:30-37. TCR 410.

Inasmuch as several things in the Word have also an opposite sense, so likewise has Levi and his tribe, and in that sense Levi signifies the evil of the false which is opposite to the good of charity, and signifies also a life without charity, consequently also no charity towards the neighbour; this is signified by Levi in the prophecy concerning his sons by Israel the father, "Simeon and Levi are brethren, their daggers are instruments of violence. Into their secret let not my soul come, in their congregation let not my glory be united; because in their anger they slew a man, and in their good pleasure they unstrung an ox. Cursed is their anger because it is vehement, and their wrath because it is hard. I will divide them in Jacob, and I will disperse them in Israel," Gen 49:5, 6, 7. This opposite is also signified by the Levite in the Lord's parable concerning him who was wounded by robbers, which parable is here to be explained, because the subject treated of is concerning charity towards the neighbour, and because the Lord there spoke by correspondences from beginning to end, which correspondences have been hitherto unknown. The subject treated of in the parable is concerning charity towards the neighbour, and concerning good works, by which charity is in its effect and in its fullness. Jerusalem there signifies the church in which is true doctrine, and Jericho the church where are the knowledges of truth and good: a priest thence signifies those who have no love to the Lord, and a Levite those who have no charity towards the neighbour, such as were at that time in Jerusalem; but a Samaritan signifies the Gentile; a man going down from Jerusalem to Jericho signifies those who were willing to be instructed in the knowledges of the Church; the robbers, amongst whom he fell, signifies those at that time in the perverted Church, such as the Jewish Church then was; their stripping him, beating him, and leaving him half dead, signifies that they deprived him of truths, and infected him with falses, and thus injured him so far as to spiritual life, that scarce any spiritual life remained. To strip in the Word signifies to deprive of truths, to beat signifies to injure the spiritual mind and life by falses, and half dead signifies to be nearly void of that life. To be moved with compassion signifies mercy and charity from an interior principle; mercy also and charity make one; to bind up wounds, and to pour in oil and wine, signifies to prepare a medicine against falses which had injured his life, by instructing him in the good of love and the truth of faith; oil in the Word signifies the good of love, and wine the good and truth of faith. To set him on his own beast of burden, signifies according to his understanding as far as he was able, for horse signifies understanding, in like manner a beast of burden. To bring him to an inn, and to take care of him, signifies to those who were more instructed in the knowledges of good and truth; an inn denotes where meats and drinks were purchased, by which are signified the knowledges of good and truth, and thence the spiritual nourishment which is given by instruction. By giving to the host two pence, and saying to him, take care of him, and whatever you spend more, when I come again, I will repay you, signifies all things of charity so far as he was able. AE 444.

Verse 30. A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, &c. Inasmuch as Jericho signifies the good of truth, therefore that city was called the city of palms, Deut 34:3. Judges 1:16; 3:13; for all the names of places and cities in the Word signify such things as relate to heaven and the Church, which are called spiritual things, and Jericho the good of truth. Since this is signified by Jericho, therefore the Lord in the parable concerning the Samaritan said, "That a certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho," by which is signified that by truths he advanced to good, for by Jerusalem is signified the truth of doctrine, and by Jericho the good of truth, which is the good of life, which good he also showed to the man wounded by robbers. AE 458.

And fell among thieves, who stripping him of his clothing, and beating him, departed. By beating, or inflicting blows is here signified an injury done to truth, or its extinction; this also is signified by blows in the Apocalypse 9:20; 11:6; 13:1, 2, 15:1, 6, 8; 16:21; also in Jeremiah 30:12, 14, 17, and in Ezekiel 6:2; and in Zechariah 14:12, 13, 14, 15; and in the above passage in Luke, where the subject treated of is concerning the man who fell among robbers, who beat him, and left him half dead; where it is added that a Samaritan bound up his wounds, poured in oil and wine, lifted him up on his own beast of burden, and brought him to an inn. He who understands the internal sense of the Word, may know why it was said by the Lord, that the Samaritan bound up the wounds, poured in oil and wine, and lifted him up on his own beast of burden; for by the Samaritan in that sense is meant one who is in the affection of truth, by binding up wounds is signified the healing of that injured affection, by pouring in oil and wine is signified the good of love and the good of faith, and by lifting him up on a beast of burden is signified the lifting him up from his own intellectual principle; thus by those words is described the operation of charity towards the neighbour, naturally for a man in the world, and spiritually for the angels in heaven, naturally in the sense of the letter, and spiritually in the internal sense. The reason why a Samaritan denotes one who is in the affection of truth, is because Samaria in the Word signifies that affection; that oil denotes the good of love, see AC 886, 3728, 4582; that wine denotes the good of faith, see AC 1798, 6337; that a beast of burden denotes the intellectual principle, see AC 2761, 2762, 2782, 3217; thus the Lord spoke, but few comprehend this, for they believe that such things were said merely for the sake of trimming out the parable in an historical form; but in this case the words would not be from a Divine [principle], for all words from the Divine [principle] have in them such things as relate to the Lord, to heaven, and to the Church, and this in every iota. AC 9057. See also AE 584, concerning the blows inflicted by the robbers, as denoting falses and evils infused into foreigners and the Gentiles by the Scribes and Pharisees. See also AR 15.

Verses 33, 34, 35. By the Samaritan are meant the Gentiles, who were in the good of charity towards the neighbour; by the man who was wounded by robbers are meant such as are infested by spirits from hell, for they are robbers, because they hurt and slay the spiritual life of man; by the oil and wine which he poured into his wounds, are meant the spiritual things which heal man, by oil good, and by wine truth. By lifting him upon his own beast of burden is signified, that he did this according to his intelligence so far as he was able, for horse signifies the intellectual principle, in like manner a beast of burden. By leading him to an inn and bidding them take care of him, is signified that he led him to those who are instructed in the doctrine of the Church from the Word, who were able to heal him more than himself, who was yet in ignorance; thus these words are understood in heaven, from which words also it is evident that the Lord, when He was in the world, spoke by mere correspondences, thus for the world and for heaven at the same time. AE 375. See also AE 376.

By oil is signified the good of love, and by wine truth derived from that good, thus by oil is signified holy good, and by wine holy truth. These things are signified in the Lord's parable concerning the man wounded by robbers, where it is said, that the Samaritan poured oil and wine into his wounds, for by the man wounded by robbers are meant those who were spiritually wounded by the Jews through evils and falses, to whom the Samaritan afforded aid, by pouring oil and wine into his wounds, that is, by teaching good and truth, and by healing so far as he was able. AR 310.

By the Samaritan binding up the wounds of the man wounded by robbers, and pouring in oil and wine was signified that they who are principled in the good of charity are willing to amend evils originating in falses by truths derived from good; the robbers are they who infused falses which give birth to evils, specifically the Jews; wounds are those evils; oil is the good of love; wine is the truth of the Word and of doctrine. AE 962.

What was the quality of the Jewish nation, is very manifest from several things which the Lord Himself spoke in parables, which in the internal historical sense were said of that nation, as in the parable concerning those who came to the man wounded by robbers. AC 4314.

That there are degrees of love towards the neighbour, is manifest from the Lord's parable concerning the Samaritan, who exercised mercy towards the man wounded by robbers, whom a Priest and a Levite passed by, and when the Lord asked, which of those three seemed to be neighbour? Reply was made, he who exercised mercy. TCR 410.

VERSE 22. And he to whom the Son wills [or determines] to reveal Him. In the common version of the New Testament, this passage is rendered,"And he to whom the Son will reveal Him," which reading by no means expresses the full sense of the original Greek beletai,which manifestly denotes an act of will, or determination on the part of the Son, and thus implies the important truth, that all revelation is the result of such a deliberate act on the part, of the divine humanity.

Verse 27. You shall love the Lord your God from your whole heart, and from your whole soul, and from your whale strength, and from your whole thought. What is here rendered thought, is expressed in the common version of the New Testament by the term mind, but the original Greek is dianoias, which properly signifies thought, or the exercise of the understanding, and is accordingly rendered by the term cogitatio in the comment, of the enlightened Messenger of the New Jerusalem on the passage where it occurs. Moreover in that comment it is shown, that the internal sense of the passage requires, that the Greek dianoia should he rendered thought, and not mind, since the preceding term heart denotes the life of love, and the preceding term soul the life of faith, and the preceding term strength the things which proceed from the life of love, and therefore the term thought denotes those things which proceed from the life of faith.

Verse 41. But Jesus answering said to her, Martha, Martha, you are careful and troubled about many things, &c. The intelligent reader will not fail to note in these words the repetition of the name Martha, and also the two-fold character applied to her under the two distinct terms, careful and troubled,the first term having relation to the state and quality of her will, and the second to the state and quality of her understanding, and both united, like the Martha, Martha, to the disorderly state of her whole mind, oppressed with earthly cares and anxious thoughts.