Apocalypse Explained, volume 1 - Swedenborg Foundation

APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED 444thinks, and by thought sees; but that whereby he is spirituallyaffected he does not think, and therefore does not see in thought,but he perceives it by a certain sensation that has no relation tosight, but to another feeling called the feeling of enjoyment. Thisenjoyment, as it is spiritual and is above the sense of naturalenjoyment, man does not perceive, except when he has becomespiritual, that is, when he has been regenerated by the Lord. Forthis reason the things that are of faith, and thus of sight, arebelieved to be the first things of the church, although they are notfirst except in appearance. This therefore is called “the beginning ofthe working of God.” because the Word in the letter is according toappearance, since it is for the simple. But spiritual men, like theangels, are lifted above appearances, and perceive the Word as it isin its internal sense; consequently they perceive that charity is thefirst thing of the church, and that faith is there from; for as was saidabove, the faith that is not from charity and that is not of charity, isnot faith (about which, see also in the small work on the LastJudgment, n. 33–39).[3] Even from ancient times, what the first thing of the church is,whether faith or charity, has been a disputed point; and those whohave not known what charity is have declared that faith is the firstthings; but those who have known what charity is have declaredthat charity is the first thing, and that faith is charity in itsmanifestation, since the affection of charity made manifest to sightin thought, is faith; for when the delight of affection passes fromthe will into the thought it takes form, and presents itself to view ina variety of forms. This the simple have not apprehended,consequently they have taken that which appeared before the sightof their thought to be the first thing of the church; and because theWord in the letter is according to appearances, this therefore isthere called “the first,” “the beginning,” and “the firstborn.” Forthe same reason, Peter, by whom the faith of the church wasrepresented, was called the first of the apostles; when yet John wasthe first, because by “John” the good of charity was represented.That John, not Peter, was the first of the apostles, is clear from this,that it was John who leaned on the breast of the Lord, and that he,and not Peter, followed the Lord (John 21:20–22). (That thetwelve disciples of the Lord represented all the truths and goods of