Apocalypse Explained, volume 1 - Swedenborg Foundation

APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED 453their intelligence and wisdom (see in the work on Heaven and Hell,n. 116–125, 126–140). From this it can be seen that “I will vomitthee out of My mouth” signifies to separate from Divine truth, orwhat is the same, from the knowledges from the Word.[2] That those who are “lukewarm,” that is, “neither cold norhot,” who are those that live according to the doctrine of faithalone and justification by faith (of which just above), are separatedfrom the knowledges from the Word, is not known to themselves,for they believe that they are in knowledges more than others; butthey are not, yea, they are in scarcely any knowledge; and this forthe reason that the principles of their doctrine and religion are false,and from false principles nothing results but falsities; whentherefore they read the Word, they keep their minds in theirfalsities, and as a consequence, either they do not see truths, or ifthey see them they pass them by or falsify them. These falseprinciples are, that salvation is by faith alone, and that man isjustified by faith. That they are separated from the knowledgesfrom the Word and that they do not see truths therein, they mayknow if they will; for what is more frequently declared by the Lord,than that they ought to do His words, His commandments, Hiswill, and that everyone shall be recompensed according to hisdeeds; also that the whole Word is based upon twocommandments, which are to love God, and to love the neighbor;also that loving God is doing His commandments (John 14:21, 23,24)? What men must do in order to be saved is said a thousandtimes in each Testament, also that hearing and knowing arenothing without doing. But do those who have confirmedthemselves in faith alone and justification by faith, see these things?And if they see them do they not falsify them? Consequently theyhave no doctrine of life, but a doctrine of faith alone; when yet, lifemakes the man of the church, and those things come to be of hisfaith which are of his life.[3] That such persons are separated from the knowledges fromthe Word, can be seen also from this, that they are not aware thatthey are to live as men after the death of the body; that they have aspirit that lives; that heaven is from the human race, and hell also;