24. Then came the Jews round about Him, and said unto Him, How long dost thou hold our soul in suspense? If thou be the CHRIST, tell us plainly. 25. JESUS answered them, I said unto you, and ye believe not; the works which I do in the name of my Father, these bear witness of me, 26. But ye believe not, for ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. 27. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28. And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall pluck them out of my hand. 29. My Father, who hath given to me, is greater than all, and no one can pluck out of the hand of my Father. 30. I and the Father are One. 31. Then the Jews took again stones, that they might stone Him. 32. JESUS answered them, Many good, works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? 33. The Jews answered Him, saying, For a good work we do not stone thee, but for On which occasion, an apparently ardent desire is kindled in the perverted church, to know the truth respecting the LORD's humanity, and they are instructed, that the truth hath been declared to them, but they did not receive it, which truth is, that the operation of the LORD's humanity proved it to be derived from the divinity, v. 24, 25. This truth however they did not admit, because they were not principled in good, for all they, who are principled in good, receive the doctrine of the LORD'S DIVINE HUMANITY, and are acknowledged by that humanity, and are obedient to it's guidance, v. 26, 27. They receive also from that humanity the life of heavenly love, and are never separated from it, because there is no power which is able to separate them, since the divine good, by which they are drawn to the DIVINE HUMANITY, is above every other power, 'and one with that humanity, v. 28, 29, 30. That they, who are of the perverted church, oppose the above divine truths with falses, and being questioned why they thus set themselves against the operation of the divine good, they reply, that they do not. oppose the divine good, but the blasphemous idea that humanity can be divine, v. 31, 32, 33. blasphemy, and because thou, being a man, makest thyself GOD. 34. JESUS answered them, Is it not written in your law, I 'said, ye are gods? 35. If He called them gods, to whom the Word of GOD was [spoken], and the Scripture cannot be dissolved d; 36. Say ye of Him, whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest, because I said, I am the Son of GOD? 37. If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. 38. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works, that ye may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in Him. 39. Then they sought again to lay hold of Him, and He escaped out of their hand; 40. And went away again beyond Jordan, into the place where John was at first baptizing; and He abode there. 41. And many came to Him, and said, John indeed did no miracle [sign] but all things which John said of this [man] are true. 42. And many believed in Him there. But this humanity on the contrary teaches, that there is no blasphemy in calling itself divine, since the HOLY WORD, which is eternal truth, ascribes divinity to those who receive it, and therefore divinity ought more especially to be ascribed to that humanity which proceeded from it, and which is it, v. 34, 35, 36. And the humanity ought to be judged from it's operation, since if it's operation be divine, it is a manifest proof that it has reciprocal union with the divine good, v, 37, 38. That this reasoning is not apprehended by those who are of the perverted church, and therefore they again seek to destroy the LORD's humanity, but in vain, v. 39. For the LORD in His humanity applies himself to the Gentiles, who are principled in introductory_truths, and amongst them He establishes His church, being received by them with affection, and with faith, not grounded in miraculous testimony, but in the love of truth for it's own sake, v. 40, 41, 42. CHAPTER X. Extracts from the Theological Writings OF THE HON. EMANUEL SWEDENBORG. VERSES 1, 2. Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that entereth not in by the door into the sheep-fold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber, &c. &c. Door in the Word signifies that which introduces, or lets-in either to truth, or to good, or to the Lord; hence it is, that door also signifies truth itself, likewise good itself, and also the Lord himself, for truth leads to good, and good to the Lord; such things were represented by the door and vails of the tabernacle, and also of the temple. A. C. 2356. Thief in the above passage denotes one who by falses destroys the goods of faith. A. C. 9125. Thief also denotes the evil of merit, for he who takes from the Lord what is His, and claims it to himself, is called a thief; this evil, inasmuch as it closes the way, and prevents good and truth from the Lord flowing-in, is said to kill and to destroy. A. C. 5135. From the above verses it appears, that the Lord himself ought to be approached, to the intent that any one may be saved, and that he who approaches Him is the shepherd of the sheep, and he who doth not approach Him is a thief and a robber. D. P. 230. All, who do not enter in by the door, that is, by the Lord, are called thieves and robbers; but they, who enter in by the door, that is, by the Lord, are called the shepherds of the sheep; therefore, my friend, go to the Lord, and shun evils as sins, and reject the doctrine of faith alone, and then your understanding will be opened, and you will see wonderful things, and be affected by them. Ap. Rev. 914. To enter into the sheep-fold is to enter into the church, and likewise into heaven; the reason why it denotes also into heayen, is, because they make one, and nothing else makes heaven but the church there; wherefore as the Lord is the bridegroom and husband of the church, so likewise He is the bridegroom and husband of heaven. T. C. R. $80. That to enter in by the door is to enter in by the Lord, is evident, for it is said, I am the door of the sheep; to enter in by the Lord is to go to Him, to acknowledge Him, to believe in Him, and to love Him, as He himself teaches in several passages; thus, and no otherwise, man is let into heaven, wherefore He teaches, By me if any one enter in, he shall be saved, and he who climbeth up some other way is a thief and a robber. Ap. Ex. 208. See also 248. Verse 3. To him the porter openeth, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. By sheep in the Word are understood those who are principled in truths derived from good, thus who are principled in faith derived from charity; by voice is not here understood voice, but the divine proceeding, which is divine truth, and which flows-in with those who are in the good of charity, and gives them intelligence, and so far as they are principled in good, gives wisdom; intelligence is of truth, and wisdom is of truth derived from good. Ap. Ex. 261. To call the sheep by name, is to teach and lead every one who is in the good of charity, according to the state of his love and wisdom. D. P. 230. Sheep denote those who are principled in the good of charity and of faith; to hear a voice denotes to obey the precepts; to call by name, and lead them out, denotes to gift with heaven according to the good of love and of faith, for a name, when predicated of men, is their quality as to love and faith. A. C. 9310. The coelestial are those of whom the Lord saith, He calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out, and when he leadeth out his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice; but the spiritual are those of whom the Lord saith, Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold. It is the good of love which makes the coelestial church, but the good of faith which makes the spiritual church. A. C. 2669. Verse 4. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice. By following the Lord is here meant to acknowledge His divinity, and to obey Him; for it is said that He goeth before His own sheep, and the sheep follow Him, and they know and hear His voice; where to know and hear the voice of the Lord, signifies to do His precepts. Ap. Ex. 864. Verse 5. But a stranger they will not follow, because they know not the voice of strangers. By the voice of strangers is here denoted what is false. A. C. 9926. Verse 8. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers, &c. Priests, who teach truths, and by them lead to good of life, and thus to the Lord, are the good shepherds of the sheep; but they who teach, and do not lead to good of life, and thereby to the Lord, are evil shepherds, who are called by the Lord thieves and robbers. A. C. 10794. It may be said, that on account of the sensual idea respecting redemption, and thence respecting God, in supposing redemption to consist merely in the passion of the cross, the ways to heaven, which are the ways to the Lord God the Saviour, are beset with thieves and robbers, John x. 1, 8, 9, and that the doors of the temple are thrown down, and thus have entered dragons, owls, and the tzjim and jiim have entered and made a dreadful discord. T. C. R. 133. Verse 9. By me if any one enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and go out, and find pasture. By entering in and going out is signified in every state of good and truth in worship, wherefore it signifies, further to be led of the Lord as to every state of life, consequently to think and will what is good from a free principle, that is, from love and faith, which are from the Lord, for those principles make freedom. The reason of the above signification of going in and going out is grounded in representatives in the other life; for in that life they go, walk, make progress, enter in and go out, as in the world, but all those things are performed according to the state of the life of their thoughts and affections; hence it is evident that all things, which appertain to motion, signify those things which appertain to states of life, consequently that to go in and go out signify every state of life; thus the state of the thing treated of from beginning to end. A. C. 9927. That pasture denotes good and truth, which recreate and sustain the soul or spirit of man, is plain from the above words of the Lord, where pasture denotes the goods and truths appertaining to those who acknowledge the Lord, and seek life from Him alone. A. C. 6078. To find pasture denotes to be taught, illustrated, and nourished in divine truths. Ap. Rev. 914. Verse 10. The thief cometh not but to steal, and to kill and to destroy; I am come that they may have life, &c. To kill denotes to destroy the life of faith; wherefore it is said, I am come that they may have life. A. C. 6767. See also above in the extracts for verses 1, 2, where it is said, that the evil of merit, represented by the thief, inasmuch as it closes the way |