The Doctrine of Good and Truth Explained -1
By Reverend Paul Booth
Lessons: Genesis 16: 11, 12 Matthew 7: 16-20
Arcana C&œ;lestia 1951
By Reverend Paul Booth
Lessons: Genesis 16: 11, 12 Matthew 7: 16-20
Arcana C&œ;lestia 1951
"All inteligence and wisdom possessed by the angels is from this marriage (the Heavenly marriage); and none from good disjoined from truth, nor from truth disjoined from good: the same is the case with the men of the Church."
(New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrine: 14 - Chapter on Good and Truth)
(New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrine: 14 - Chapter on Good and Truth)
The beginning of our doctrine is found in good and truth. We know that because good and truth come from the Lord and are conjoined with each other in Him. In fact, in heaven they are seen there in a Heavenly Marriage and all those in heaven are in that marriage. Haven't we learned from the Word that the Lord is called Bridegroom and Husband and the Church both on earth and in heaven is called the the Bride and Wife. This applies in heaven in that there angels receive Divine Goods in truths. Of course, in heaven the spiritual angels have intelligence and the celestial angels wisdom from this marriage; it is the same in the Church on earth. For us to better understand about this marriage of good and truth it is only natural that from this conjunction that good loves truth and the opposite, truth loves good and they want to be conjoined one with the other within the man on earth and within the angels in heaven.
The love in which is good and truth that we are talking about is love to the Lord and love towards the neighbor. Thus, the person in the Church who does not have such love in himself is for this reason not in the Church, though he or she thinks so. There are many goods - spiritual and natural goods - and these are conjoined to genuine moral good within a man on earth. Likewise there are many truths belonging to goods for the mere fact that truths are forms of good.
Nonetheless, why is it that goods and truths are the beginning of our Church's doctrine? We do not see them so readily in any of the other church's doctrine on earth today. The reason why they are in our doctrine is because everything in the universe is related to good and truth or to evil and falsity; this is not cannot be easily understood by other churches. Though the relation of evil and falsity is seen within man. First are those of Good and Truth from the Divine order and those that take place according to Divine order. Second, are those in opposition, or evil and falsity and not in Divine order.
In Genesis 19: 30 we read, "And Lot went up out of Zoar and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar; and dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters". One may wonder what has this got to do with the doctrine of good and truth or its opposite to evil and falsity? The story goes that Sodom and Gomorrahwas destroyed by God and that Abraham prayed for Lot and his family to be saved and Lot and his daughters was. We know his wife was not. And we know that Lot's family had come to love the life in the city of Sodom. One sees here that Lot was no longer in the affection of truth and because of this they took to another kind of good, thus separating truth apart from good. Lot had fallen from charity and had turned to a different faith of self and fallen into heresies and falsities.
He had came to the city of Zoar and could not escape further and needed to remain there in a beginning good and truth and in the affection of it. One must learn to have an affection of or for truth and to be lead to good so that he can be saved. So too, are those who are in the affection of faith provided that in their faith is good, or what is the same those who are affected with truths of faith for the sake of good so that they can be led and become saved. We see here the City of Zoar as a refuse from evil and falsity for Lot and his daughters. However, as learned, Lot was no longer in the affection charity or in good and truth and, so, he left Zoar and went to the mountain and dwelt in a cave there with his two daughters for fear of what would happen to them not having that charity.
However, one cannot know or see this in the text unless he knows something of the internal sense of the Word. Lot no longer was in the affection of truth and could not bear to live in Zoar. Instead he and his daughters took themselves to a certain kind of good and, so, to the affections that came from that kind good. By Lot fearing to dwell in Zoar signifies he could no longer look to good from the affection of truth, but only from the affection love to one's self. Of course there are many in the world who have such a love of self. By, he 'lived in a cave' is seen that his good is of falsity. By his 'two daughters' signifies that his affections now come from his love of the good of falsity.
These goods and truths which take place in divine order and likewise so, too, the evils and falsities within man are both in relation with the man's understanding and will, and this, because the understanding is the recipient of truth or of falsity and the recipient of good or evil is the will. Today, because few know what truth is in its genuine essence neither they do not know what good is; though truth is from good and all good is through truths.
Now, let us see how this - good and truth - is again taught in the Word of the Old Testament. There is the story of Abraham coming to and dwelling in Kadesh and Shur and then traveling on into Gerar and there one sees the king of Gerar taking Abraham's wife, Sarah, and learning that Abraham had told Sarah to say she was his sister. He himself said she was his sister. Now the historical facts are that Abraham had said this of Sarah before when he came into Egypt and not only that, but so did Isaac of his wife; for he too said his wife Rebecca was his sister. You may be inclined to think many different reasons why they did and maybe think they just plain lied. However, the main reason probably was that they feared for their life. But, this would also mean they did not trust God to save them for promise given to them. However, there is still a hidden reason for this and in the internal sense one finds this truth.
In that internal sense one learns that Abraham signifies the Lord as to Good and Sarah the Lord as to Truth. Thus, here one sees Good and Truth conjoined as in a marriage - Sarah or truth as the wife of Abraham who is the good. By "Abraham said", signifies the Lord's thought as when in the historical parts of the Word means to denotes, to perceive and think. By him saying of "Sarah his wife" signifies truth spiritual conjoined with the celestial. What one sees here is intellectual truth conjoined with Divine good. One understands by celestial is meant of good, that is, which is of love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbor as was mentioned before. By, what is called spiritual, which is of truth, is meant that which is of faith derived from truth and good.
After the king of Gerar, Abinelech, question Abraham why he lied to him about Sarah we find that Abraham perceived that at Gerar God was not respected and Abraham felt if he had told the truth about Sarah being his wife that he would be killed. Later, however, we do find out that Sarah was Abraham's sister- in that she was the daughter of his father but not the daughter of his mother. And we learn also that wherever they came to a place she would say she was his sister because Abraham had told her to.
One learns that there are four kinds of men: First, those who are in falsities from evils or in falsities not from evil. Next, then those who are in truths though apart from good. After these there are they who in truths and from them regard and aspire to do good. Lastly, are those who are in truths from good.
In the first, one sees those who are in falsities from evils and in falsities not from evil. In this one sees the falsity coming from the lust of self and the world and falsity from the fallacies of the senses. Thus, there are falsities of religion and of ignorance. There is even falsity in which there is good and likewise those in which are no good. Nonetheless, every evil has falsity within it. If the falsity comes from the lusts of the love of self it is falsity itself of evil and is the worst kind. Evil lapses into hell, while falsity itself does not, unless it is from evil. Falsities can be confirmed and if they are, they appear as truths. So, naturally we need to examine the truths in order to see if they are true. This is especially true of falsities of religion for there one becomes persuaded what is false a doctrine and, as such, these will remain with us after death. When one is in evil then good cannot flow into him. The Lord takes great care that truth is not conjoined with evil and falsity of evil to good. Naturally there are many more conditions of falsity and evil with man and a thorough examination of the doctrine of good and truth needs to be done.
We will take one more condition of that pertains to the good and truth of mankind. Many are in truths but are not in goods and these truths actually are apart from good. The problem with these truths is that they are not in themselves truths and, in fact, they have no life, in that truth gets its life from good. Also, such truths are in the memory, but not so in life. These truths are that a man's is only aquatinted with and acknowledges them from cause. If these truths from one's love of self and the world are not appropriated they do not become his own. But, if man does appropriates such truths which he acknowledges for the sake of the very truth and good he has affection or love. One sees this acted out in the spiritual sense in the story in Genesis, chapter 19: 29, "And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be for a handmaid." Here we see Rachel representing the affection of internal truth and Bilhah the exterior affection. The last are the affections of the natural and are subservient to internal ones as one sees Bilhah was subservient to Rachel. As such they are serviceable to be for a conjunction of truth with good. And, thus, enter into man because of such an affection and therefore of life.
Unless there is this conjunction of good and truth the Lord will not flow in us. We need now to understand what is this quality of truth separate from good. In reading the story of Ishmael one learns Jehovah harkened to Hagar's affliction and said of her son Ishmael, "He shall be a wild-ass man; his hand against all, and the hand of all against him; and he shall dwell against the faces of all his brethren" (Genesis 16: 12). Here, what Ishmael represented was rational truth separate from good. In fact, this can even be seen as the truth of faith since it is not at the same time in the good of charity. Such people today are against all, and believes everybody to be in falsity except themselves, they readily rebuke and chastise others, even punishes and has no pity on others, much less apply or adapt themselves with others. Here, indeed one sees love and truth separated in a such a person and such a person is one having faith along. They are in darkness and in ignorance of truth and in falsities. In truth, the Word is closed to them and to the things the Lord said about love and charity. They do not know what is good, nor heavenly love and charity. And when they come into the other life in their evils they misapply these so-called truths wanting to have dominion there.
Amen.
The love in which is good and truth that we are talking about is love to the Lord and love towards the neighbor. Thus, the person in the Church who does not have such love in himself is for this reason not in the Church, though he or she thinks so. There are many goods - spiritual and natural goods - and these are conjoined to genuine moral good within a man on earth. Likewise there are many truths belonging to goods for the mere fact that truths are forms of good.
Nonetheless, why is it that goods and truths are the beginning of our Church's doctrine? We do not see them so readily in any of the other church's doctrine on earth today. The reason why they are in our doctrine is because everything in the universe is related to good and truth or to evil and falsity; this is not cannot be easily understood by other churches. Though the relation of evil and falsity is seen within man. First are those of Good and Truth from the Divine order and those that take place according to Divine order. Second, are those in opposition, or evil and falsity and not in Divine order.
In Genesis 19: 30 we read, "And Lot went up out of Zoar and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar; and dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters". One may wonder what has this got to do with the doctrine of good and truth or its opposite to evil and falsity? The story goes that Sodom and Gomorrahwas destroyed by God and that Abraham prayed for Lot and his family to be saved and Lot and his daughters was. We know his wife was not. And we know that Lot's family had come to love the life in the city of Sodom. One sees here that Lot was no longer in the affection of truth and because of this they took to another kind of good, thus separating truth apart from good. Lot had fallen from charity and had turned to a different faith of self and fallen into heresies and falsities.
He had came to the city of Zoar and could not escape further and needed to remain there in a beginning good and truth and in the affection of it. One must learn to have an affection of or for truth and to be lead to good so that he can be saved. So too, are those who are in the affection of faith provided that in their faith is good, or what is the same those who are affected with truths of faith for the sake of good so that they can be led and become saved. We see here the City of Zoar as a refuse from evil and falsity for Lot and his daughters. However, as learned, Lot was no longer in the affection charity or in good and truth and, so, he left Zoar and went to the mountain and dwelt in a cave there with his two daughters for fear of what would happen to them not having that charity.
However, one cannot know or see this in the text unless he knows something of the internal sense of the Word. Lot no longer was in the affection of truth and could not bear to live in Zoar. Instead he and his daughters took themselves to a certain kind of good and, so, to the affections that came from that kind good. By Lot fearing to dwell in Zoar signifies he could no longer look to good from the affection of truth, but only from the affection love to one's self. Of course there are many in the world who have such a love of self. By, he 'lived in a cave' is seen that his good is of falsity. By his 'two daughters' signifies that his affections now come from his love of the good of falsity.
These goods and truths which take place in divine order and likewise so, too, the evils and falsities within man are both in relation with the man's understanding and will, and this, because the understanding is the recipient of truth or of falsity and the recipient of good or evil is the will. Today, because few know what truth is in its genuine essence neither they do not know what good is; though truth is from good and all good is through truths.
Now, let us see how this - good and truth - is again taught in the Word of the Old Testament. There is the story of Abraham coming to and dwelling in Kadesh and Shur and then traveling on into Gerar and there one sees the king of Gerar taking Abraham's wife, Sarah, and learning that Abraham had told Sarah to say she was his sister. He himself said she was his sister. Now the historical facts are that Abraham had said this of Sarah before when he came into Egypt and not only that, but so did Isaac of his wife; for he too said his wife Rebecca was his sister. You may be inclined to think many different reasons why they did and maybe think they just plain lied. However, the main reason probably was that they feared for their life. But, this would also mean they did not trust God to save them for promise given to them. However, there is still a hidden reason for this and in the internal sense one finds this truth.
In that internal sense one learns that Abraham signifies the Lord as to Good and Sarah the Lord as to Truth. Thus, here one sees Good and Truth conjoined as in a marriage - Sarah or truth as the wife of Abraham who is the good. By "Abraham said", signifies the Lord's thought as when in the historical parts of the Word means to denotes, to perceive and think. By him saying of "Sarah his wife" signifies truth spiritual conjoined with the celestial. What one sees here is intellectual truth conjoined with Divine good. One understands by celestial is meant of good, that is, which is of love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbor as was mentioned before. By, what is called spiritual, which is of truth, is meant that which is of faith derived from truth and good.
After the king of Gerar, Abinelech, question Abraham why he lied to him about Sarah we find that Abraham perceived that at Gerar God was not respected and Abraham felt if he had told the truth about Sarah being his wife that he would be killed. Later, however, we do find out that Sarah was Abraham's sister- in that she was the daughter of his father but not the daughter of his mother. And we learn also that wherever they came to a place she would say she was his sister because Abraham had told her to.
One learns that there are four kinds of men: First, those who are in falsities from evils or in falsities not from evil. Next, then those who are in truths though apart from good. After these there are they who in truths and from them regard and aspire to do good. Lastly, are those who are in truths from good.
In the first, one sees those who are in falsities from evils and in falsities not from evil. In this one sees the falsity coming from the lust of self and the world and falsity from the fallacies of the senses. Thus, there are falsities of religion and of ignorance. There is even falsity in which there is good and likewise those in which are no good. Nonetheless, every evil has falsity within it. If the falsity comes from the lusts of the love of self it is falsity itself of evil and is the worst kind. Evil lapses into hell, while falsity itself does not, unless it is from evil. Falsities can be confirmed and if they are, they appear as truths. So, naturally we need to examine the truths in order to see if they are true. This is especially true of falsities of religion for there one becomes persuaded what is false a doctrine and, as such, these will remain with us after death. When one is in evil then good cannot flow into him. The Lord takes great care that truth is not conjoined with evil and falsity of evil to good. Naturally there are many more conditions of falsity and evil with man and a thorough examination of the doctrine of good and truth needs to be done.
We will take one more condition of that pertains to the good and truth of mankind. Many are in truths but are not in goods and these truths actually are apart from good. The problem with these truths is that they are not in themselves truths and, in fact, they have no life, in that truth gets its life from good. Also, such truths are in the memory, but not so in life. These truths are that a man's is only aquatinted with and acknowledges them from cause. If these truths from one's love of self and the world are not appropriated they do not become his own. But, if man does appropriates such truths which he acknowledges for the sake of the very truth and good he has affection or love. One sees this acted out in the spiritual sense in the story in Genesis, chapter 19: 29, "And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be for a handmaid." Here we see Rachel representing the affection of internal truth and Bilhah the exterior affection. The last are the affections of the natural and are subservient to internal ones as one sees Bilhah was subservient to Rachel. As such they are serviceable to be for a conjunction of truth with good. And, thus, enter into man because of such an affection and therefore of life.
Unless there is this conjunction of good and truth the Lord will not flow in us. We need now to understand what is this quality of truth separate from good. In reading the story of Ishmael one learns Jehovah harkened to Hagar's affliction and said of her son Ishmael, "He shall be a wild-ass man; his hand against all, and the hand of all against him; and he shall dwell against the faces of all his brethren" (Genesis 16: 12). Here, what Ishmael represented was rational truth separate from good. In fact, this can even be seen as the truth of faith since it is not at the same time in the good of charity. Such people today are against all, and believes everybody to be in falsity except themselves, they readily rebuke and chastise others, even punishes and has no pity on others, much less apply or adapt themselves with others. Here, indeed one sees love and truth separated in a such a person and such a person is one having faith along. They are in darkness and in ignorance of truth and in falsities. In truth, the Word is closed to them and to the things the Lord said about love and charity. They do not know what is good, nor heavenly love and charity. And when they come into the other life in their evils they misapply these so-called truths wanting to have dominion there.
Amen.
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