Apocalypse Explained, volume 1 - Swedenborg Foundation

APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED 340and the like is true of men who receive Divine truth in faith andlife. (What the spiritual is, see the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem, n.48,49.)190. Verse 3. Remember, therefore, how thou hast received andheard, and take heed, signifies recalling to mind what the Lordteaches in the Word and attention. This is evident from this, thatwhat is written to the angel of this church treats of those who are ina moral, and not in a spiritual life; and these are here told toacquire for themselves spiritual life, that their moral life may bemade alive, which is signified by the words just preceding, “Bewakeful, and confirm the things remaining that are about to die;”from which it can be seen that “Remember, therefore, how thouhast received and heard, and take heed,” signifies recalling to mindwhat the Lord teaches in the Word, and attention. “To take heed”signifies attention, as it is with those who are in the spiritualaffection of truth; for when these read the Word they do not lookat it from the doctrine of the church in which they are born, butthey look at it as if they were separated from that doctrine; for theirwish is to be illustrated, and to see truths inwardly in themselves,and not from others. Those who are in such a state are illustratedby the Lord, and it is granted to them to make doctrine forthemselves out of the truths that they see; and this doctrine isimplanted in them, and abides in their spirit to eternity.[2] But those who read the Word from the doctrine receivedfrom others are not able to see truths in the light of their ownspirit, thus not inwardly in themselves, but only outside ofthemselves; for they think that a thing is true because others haveseen it, and therefore they attend only to what corroborates it;other things they pass by as if not seen, or they bring them over tothe support of what their doctrine declares. Such as these cannot beillustrated, as anyone can see; for they only store up confirmationsin the memory, which belongs to their natural man, and from thismemory they henceforth speak; consequently they stay natural asbefore, and do not become spiritual; for to become spiritual is toimbue one’s spirit with truths from the Word; and the spirit is notimbued with truths except as it desires to know truth wherever it is