Doctrine of Holy Scripture - Swedenborg Foundation

DOCTRINE OF HOLY SCRIPTURE 173[2] Another reason is that the Lord teaches everyone by means ofthe Word, and he teaches from those truths which the man alreadyhas, and not without a medium does he pour new truths in, so thatunless man is in Divine truths, or if he is only in a few truths and atthe same time in falsities, he may from these falsify the truths, as itis well known is done by every heretic in regard to the Word’s senseof the letter. Therefore in order to prevent anybody from enteringinto the spiritual sense of the Word, or from perverting the genuinetruth that belongs to that sense, guards have been set by the Lord,which in the Word are meant by the cherubim.[3] That guards have been set has been represented to me in thefollowing manner:It was granted me to see great purses, having the appearance of sacks, inwhich silver was stored up in great abundance. As the purses were open, itseemed as if anyone might take out, and even pillage, the silver thereindeposited; but near those purses sat two angels as guards. The place where thepurses were laid appeared like a manger in a stable. In an adjoining apartmentwere seen modest maidens together with a chaste wife, and near thatapartment stood two little children, and it was said that they were to besported with, not in childish fashion, but wisely. After this there appeared aharlot, and also a horse lying dead.[4] On seeing these things I was instructed that by them was representedthe sense of the letter of the Word, in which is the spiritual sense. The largepurses full of silver, signified knowledges of truth in great abundance. Theirbeing open and yet guarded by angels, signified that everyone may getknowledges of truth from the Word, but that care is taken lest anyone shouldfalsify the spiritual sense, in which are pure truths. The manger in a stable inwhich the purses lay, signified spiritual instruction for the understanding—amanger signifies this because the horse that feeds from it signifies theunderstanding.[5] The modest maidens seen in the adjoining apartment, signifiedaffections of truth; and the chaste wife, the conjunction of good and truth.The little children signified the innocence of wisdom therein; they wereangels from the third heaven, who all appear like little children. The harlot,together with the dead horse, signified the falsification of the Word by many