Arcana Coelestia volume 7 - Swedenborg Foundation

ARCANA COELESTIA 3661the offspring; and that so long as this order is not destroyed, it isimmaterial from whom the offspring comes; and also that what isof marriage differs from lasciviousness merely in its being allowed;thus also that it would not be contrary to order to marry more thanone wife, if it were not forbidden by the Christian world from holyScripture. If they are told that there is a correspondence betweenthe heavenly marriage and marriages on earth, and that no one canhave in himself anything of marriage unless he is in spiritual truthand good, also that genuine marriage cannot possibly exist betweena husband and several wives, and hence that marriages are inthemselves holy, these things are rejected by the sensuous man as ofno account. (12) It is a fallacy of sense that the Lord’s kingdom, orheaven, resembles an earthly kingdom in respect that the joy andhappiness there consist in one being greater than another, andhence having more glory than another; for the sensuous does not atall comprehend what is meant by the least being greatest, or the lastfirst. If they are told that joy in heaven or to the angels consists inserving others by benefiting them, without any thought of merit orrecompense, this strikes them as something sad. (13) It is a fallacyof sense that good works merit reward, and that to benefit anyonefor the sake of self is a good work. (14) It is also a fallacy of sensethat man is saved by faith alone, and that faith can exist in one whohas no charity, and also that it is the faith, and not the life, thatremains after death. In like manner in very many other instances.When therefore what is sensuous rules in man, the rationalenlightened from the Divine sees nothing and is in thick darkness,and it is then believed that everything is rational which isconcluded from what is sensuous.5085. Unto the prison house. That this signifies among falsities isevident from the signification of a “prison house” as being thevastation of falsity, and hence falsity (n. 4958, 5037, 5038).5086. The place where Joseph was bound. That this signifies thestate of the celestial of the natural now as to these things is evidentfrom the signification of “place” as being state (see n. 2625, 2837,3356, 3387, 4321, 4882); from the representation of Joseph asbeing the celestial of the spiritual from the rational (n. 4286, 4585,