Heaven and its Wonders and HellSwedenborg, Emanuel
Religion
Heaven and its Wonders and Hell
Swedenborg, Emanuel
Future life -- Christianity -- Early work to 1800; Heaven -- Christianity; Hell -- Christianity
{Footnote 1} It is frequently said in the Word that man will be
judged and will be rewarded according to his deeds and works
(n. 3934). By "deeds and works" deeds and works in their
internal form are meant, not in their external form, since good
works in external form are likewise done by the wicked, but in
internal and external form together only by the good (n. 3934,
6073). Works, like all activities, have their being and outgo
[esse et existere] and their quality from the interiors of man,
which pertain to his thought and will, since they proceed from
these; therefore such as the interiors are such are the works
(n. 3934, 8911, 10331). That is, such as the interiors are in
regard to love and faith (n. 3934, 6073, 10331, 10332). Thus
works contain love and faith, and are love and faith in effect
(n. 10331). Therefore to be judged and rewarded in accordance
with deeds and works, means in accordance with love and faith
(n. 3147, 3934, 6073, 8911, 10331, 10332). So far as works look
to self and the world they are not good, but they are good so
far as they look to the Lord and the neighbor (n. 3147).
359. Since a man can live outwardly as others do, can grow rich, keep
a plentiful table, dwell in an elegant house and wear fine clothing
according to his condition and function, can enjoy delights and
gratifications, and engage in worldly affairs for the sake of his
occupation and business and for the life both of the mind and body,
provided he inwardly acknowledges the Divine and wishes well to the
neighbor, it is evident that to enter upon the way to heaven is not
so difficult as many believe. The sole difficulty lies in being able
to resist the love of self and the world, and to prevent their
becoming dominant; for this is the source of all evils.{1} That this
is not so difficult as is believed is meant by these words of the
Lord:
Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly of heart, and ye
shall find rest to your souls; for My yoke is easy and My
burden is light (Matt. 11:29, 30).
The Lord's yoke is easy and His burden light because a man is led by
the Lord and not by self just to the extent that he resists the evils
that flow forth from love of self and of the world; and because the
Lord then resists these evils in man and removes them.
{Footnote 1} All evils are from the love of self and of the
world (n. 1307, 1308, 1321, 1594, 1691, 3413, 7255, 7376, 7488,
7490, 8318, 9335, 9348, 10038, 10742). These are contempt of
others, enmities, hatred, revenge, cruelty, deceit (n. 6667,
7370-7374, 9348, 10038, 10742). Into such loves man is born,
thus in them are his inherited evils (n. 694, 4317, 5660).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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