Arcana Coelestia volume 7 - Swedenborg Foundation

ARCANA COELESTIA 3828shall be perceived in the natural concerning the truth previouslythere.[2] In this verse the subject treated of is the last state ofdesolation, when there is the despair which next precedesregeneration; and as this is the subject treated of in the presentverse, it must be stated how the case is. Every man must bereformed and be born anew or regenerated that he may be able tocome into heaven, for “Except a man be born again, he cannot seethe kingdom of God” (John 3:3, 5–6). Man is born into sin, whichhas been increased in a long line from parents, grandparents, andancestors, and made hereditary, and thus transmitted to theoffspring. Every man who is born, is born into all these inheritedevils thus increased in succession, and consequently is nothing butsin; and therefore unless he is regenerated he remains wholly in sin.But in order that man may be regenerated he must first bereformed, and this is done by means of the truths of faith; for hehas to learn from the Word and from doctrine therefrom whatgood is. The knowledges of good from the Word, or from doctrinetherefrom, are called the truths of faith, because all the truths offaith spring from good, and flow to good, for they look to good asthe end.[3] This is the first state, and is called the state of reformation.During their childhood and youth most of those who are in thechurch are introduced into this state, and yet few are regenerated;for most in the church learn the truths of faith or the knowledges ofgood for the sake of reputation and honor, and also for gain; andwhen the truths of faith have been introduced by means of theseloves, the man cannot be born anew or regenerated until these loveshave been removed. In order therefore that they may be removed,the man is let into a state of temptation, and this in the followingmanner. The loves referred to are excited by the infernal crew, forthey desire to live in them; but the affections of truth and good thathave been instilled from infancy in a state of innocence, andafterward stored up interiorly and preserved for this use, are thenexcited by angels. The result is a conflict between the evil spiritsand the angels which is felt in the man as temptation; and because