The Establishment of a
Spiritual Life with Mankind - Part 3
By Rev. Paul Booth
Spiritual Life with Mankind - Part 3
By Rev. Paul Booth
Yet, the Lord, in what is true and good in man, overcomes and is victorious over that evil. These are the remains that are reserved by the Lord in man just for such a use. To show you the temptations of the man of Ancient Church, who was obedient to the Lord, we read chapter seven, verse 6 of Genesis. "And Noah was a son of six hundred years, and the flood of waters was upon the earth." It is not numbers themselves that are here meant, but an actual thing, which in this case means temptation, for one can see that six was the days that man was to labor and combat before entering into a life of rest or peace with the Lord. Ten signifies remains and is explained as a tenth or a tithe, indicating what portion of love is to be returned to the Lord. Both these are enteric to the number six hundred. The person that became regenerated and who was called the 'Ancient Church' was furnished truths for his understanding and goods for his will by the Lord; these are also called remains. Thus, when temptations come to man, the angels that are with him, draw out these truths and defend him from the evils that excite the falsities that are in him. Anyone can see, if he is willing, that by the 'flood of waters' is signified the temptation of the understanding, since, here in the opposite sense water signifies truths not falsities.
Just as in the celestial man's regeneration there is order, so too, the man of the Ancient Church became regenerated according to Divine Order and thus, there was conjunction of the Lord with man again. In chapter eight of the book of Genesis, we see the state man went through while being tempted was like a fluctuation of between what is true and false until truths began to appear. Then, before the truths of faith are such in a man, next, when truths of faith are together with charity in him, finally, the goods of charity are shown forth in the life of such a man. Then, man begins to act and think from charity and not from a faith without charity. Thus, is he in regeneration. Acting and thinking from charity leads him into the new, spiritual, Church, which is in this case was the Ancient Church. And, like the celestial man who entered into the Garden of Eden, the spiritual man of this Church entered into a vine garden and into worship to the Lord accordingly. This worship was from charity, and such a man has faith of charity, which is faith in a doctrine that leads to the good of life, that is, to the Lord.
In the literal sense, we read that Jehovah said in His heart. "I will not again curse the ground anymore on man's account; because the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more everything living as I have done" (v 21 chapter 8, Genesis). The point being that man could not destroy himself anymore, as did the man of the Most Ancient or celestial man who died in their falsities. The Ancient Church was a spiritual Church, yet it did cease and, after it, even, the external or natural Churches ceased. (So, why is it that the Spiritual Church ended?) This verse also points to the Lord's Coming and to the raising up of man to be conjoined with the Lord and with Heaven again. Thus, the Lord came to save the spiritual man or a man's spiritual. The Lord is present with man in his celestial, but the celestial of man has been cut-off or closed to him. Yet, it is there where the Lord's good and truth are laid up to become a use when the man comes into his youth or when he becomes reformed and into regeneration, then is where the Lord, who redeems him, causes the man's spiritual to come alive within him. The spiritual of man must be regenerated, if man is to be conjoined with the Lord and come into Heaven.
This brings us to understand that until the Lord comes and saves a man's spiritual, the Church in man is but a Representative Church and has only the possibility of being regenerated and this because of the Lord's presence in the man's inmost or soul. Thus was the spiritual Church also a representative Church. Like the Most Ancient Church, the Ancient Church came into a state of grace and blessings with the Lord and was in the good of charity, and the truths of faith, and their spiritual nature ruled over their natural nature as did the celestial nature in the Most Ancient Church rule over their spiritual and natural natures until their fall. Thus, could the Lord lead and teach them, though it was, now, through their natural senses and, this resulted in a life of charity towards the neighbor. This state was that the Lord was present with man in the doing of good as it was taught in their doctrine. Which was a doctrine of charity and thus, it is that every man today is capable of being regenerated, even the man who is without or outside the Church. For, as is taught, a new Church is raised up in those who are without or who are not in the Church that is, in the Gentiles.
Generally, this Church's worship was present, first the internal, next, in a corresponding external worship and, then, in a faith separate from charity and lastly, in an external worship separate from internal worship. Thus, it came into error and was perverted. One sees here the false doctrine of faith alone, which becomes of no faith.
You need to understand that the Lord was present with the man of Ancient Church in charity and that a conjunction was effected by charity in all things with this man. All this, we can see is taught in the Covenant represented by the rainbow in the clouds, which signify the conjunction of the Lord with man. You will acknowledge the beautiful style of writing here when you understand that the Word has an internal sense and that that sense enlightens whose who turn to the Lord, believing that He saves.
It is the proprium of a man that prevents a man's salvation. Of course, the proprium was given to the man of the Most Ancient Church, who then, began to love himself and not the Lord or even the neighbor. Therefore, the man's will was destroyed and became only evil. As such, this caused man's intellectual part to become obscured and false and falsities clouded the truths, for his desires ruled his understanding. However, the Lord made a covenant (a sign seen as the rainbow in the cloud.) that He would regenerate man and, thus, the Word speaks of the rainbow as its sign. It is this covenant that the Lord can be present with man in charity, for charity is the doing of the truth that has been taught. It is the doctrine of the Church that comes from the Lord or the Word that now comes through a man's senses and that teaches what is good and truth the divine qualities of the Lord. Thus, we read, "And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud, and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living soul of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will remember the eternal covenant between God and every living soul of all flesh that is upon the earth" (Genesis 19:14-16).
Just as in the celestial man's regeneration there is order, so too, the man of the Ancient Church became regenerated according to Divine Order and thus, there was conjunction of the Lord with man again. In chapter eight of the book of Genesis, we see the state man went through while being tempted was like a fluctuation of between what is true and false until truths began to appear. Then, before the truths of faith are such in a man, next, when truths of faith are together with charity in him, finally, the goods of charity are shown forth in the life of such a man. Then, man begins to act and think from charity and not from a faith without charity. Thus, is he in regeneration. Acting and thinking from charity leads him into the new, spiritual, Church, which is in this case was the Ancient Church. And, like the celestial man who entered into the Garden of Eden, the spiritual man of this Church entered into a vine garden and into worship to the Lord accordingly. This worship was from charity, and such a man has faith of charity, which is faith in a doctrine that leads to the good of life, that is, to the Lord.
In the literal sense, we read that Jehovah said in His heart. "I will not again curse the ground anymore on man's account; because the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more everything living as I have done" (v 21 chapter 8, Genesis). The point being that man could not destroy himself anymore, as did the man of the Most Ancient or celestial man who died in their falsities. The Ancient Church was a spiritual Church, yet it did cease and, after it, even, the external or natural Churches ceased. (So, why is it that the Spiritual Church ended?) This verse also points to the Lord's Coming and to the raising up of man to be conjoined with the Lord and with Heaven again. Thus, the Lord came to save the spiritual man or a man's spiritual. The Lord is present with man in his celestial, but the celestial of man has been cut-off or closed to him. Yet, it is there where the Lord's good and truth are laid up to become a use when the man comes into his youth or when he becomes reformed and into regeneration, then is where the Lord, who redeems him, causes the man's spiritual to come alive within him. The spiritual of man must be regenerated, if man is to be conjoined with the Lord and come into Heaven.
This brings us to understand that until the Lord comes and saves a man's spiritual, the Church in man is but a Representative Church and has only the possibility of being regenerated and this because of the Lord's presence in the man's inmost or soul. Thus was the spiritual Church also a representative Church. Like the Most Ancient Church, the Ancient Church came into a state of grace and blessings with the Lord and was in the good of charity, and the truths of faith, and their spiritual nature ruled over their natural nature as did the celestial nature in the Most Ancient Church rule over their spiritual and natural natures until their fall. Thus, could the Lord lead and teach them, though it was, now, through their natural senses and, this resulted in a life of charity towards the neighbor. This state was that the Lord was present with man in the doing of good as it was taught in their doctrine. Which was a doctrine of charity and thus, it is that every man today is capable of being regenerated, even the man who is without or outside the Church. For, as is taught, a new Church is raised up in those who are without or who are not in the Church that is, in the Gentiles.
Generally, this Church's worship was present, first the internal, next, in a corresponding external worship and, then, in a faith separate from charity and lastly, in an external worship separate from internal worship. Thus, it came into error and was perverted. One sees here the false doctrine of faith alone, which becomes of no faith.
You need to understand that the Lord was present with the man of Ancient Church in charity and that a conjunction was effected by charity in all things with this man. All this, we can see is taught in the Covenant represented by the rainbow in the clouds, which signify the conjunction of the Lord with man. You will acknowledge the beautiful style of writing here when you understand that the Word has an internal sense and that that sense enlightens whose who turn to the Lord, believing that He saves.
It is the proprium of a man that prevents a man's salvation. Of course, the proprium was given to the man of the Most Ancient Church, who then, began to love himself and not the Lord or even the neighbor. Therefore, the man's will was destroyed and became only evil. As such, this caused man's intellectual part to become obscured and false and falsities clouded the truths, for his desires ruled his understanding. However, the Lord made a covenant (a sign seen as the rainbow in the cloud.) that He would regenerate man and, thus, the Word speaks of the rainbow as its sign. It is this covenant that the Lord can be present with man in charity, for charity is the doing of the truth that has been taught. It is the doctrine of the Church that comes from the Lord or the Word that now comes through a man's senses and that teaches what is good and truth the divine qualities of the Lord. Thus, we read, "And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud, and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living soul of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will remember the eternal covenant between God and every living soul of all flesh that is upon the earth" (Genesis 19:14-16).