Apocalypse Explained, volume 1 - Swedenborg Foundation

APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED 350meant who live a moral life from a spiritual origin, for it is said,“that have not defiled their garments.” It is evident also from thesignification of “garments,” as being knowledges (scientifica) andcognitions in the natural man (of which presently). “Not defilingtheir garments,” therefore, signifies living as a moral man not forthe sake of self and the world, which is for the sake of the body andits life only, but for the sake of the Lord and of heaven, which is forthe sake of the soul and its life. From this it is clear that “Thou hasta few names even in Sardis that have not defiled their garments,”signifies such as live a moral life from a spiritual origin, by applyingthe knowledges of truth and good from the Word to their life.[2] But as few know what it is to live a moral life from a spiritualorigin, and what it is to apply the knowledges of truth and goodfrom the Word to the uses of their life, it shall be told. Man lives amoral life from a spiritual origin when he lives it from religion; thatis, when he thinks, when anything evil, insincere, or unjust presentsitself; that this must not be done because it is contrary to theDivine laws. When one abstains from doing such things indeference to Divine laws he acquires for himself spiritual life, andhis moral life is then from the spiritual; for by such thoughts andfaith man communicates with the angels of heaven, and bycommunication with heaven his internal spiritual man is opened,the mind of which is a higher mind, such as the angels of heavenhave, and he is thereby imbued with heavenly intelligence andwisdom. From this it can he seen that to live a moral life from aspiritual origin is to live from religion, and within the church, tolive from the Word; for those who live a moral life from religionand from the Word are elevated above their natural man, thusabove what is their own (proprium), and are led by the Lordthrough heaven; consequently they have faith, the fear of God, andconscience, and also the spiritual affection of truth, which is theaffection of the knowledges of truth and good from the Word, forto such men these are Divine laws, according to which they live.Many of the heathen live such a moral life, for they think that evilmust not be done because it is contrary to their religion; this is whyso many of them are saved.