Doc. of Sacred Scripture (Dick) n. 67

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67. It may now be illustrated by example how spiritual and celestial angels draw their own sense from the natural sense, in which the Word is with men. For example, let us take five Commandments of the Decalogue:

[1] "Thou shalt honour thy father and thy mother." By father and mother a man understands the father and mother on earth, as also all who are in the place of father and mother; and by honouring, he understands holding them in honour and obeying them. But a spiritual angel by father understands the Lord, and by mother the Church; and by honouring he understands loving. A celestial angel, however, understands by father the Lord's Divine Love, by mother His Divine Wisdom, and by honouring, doing good from Him.

[2] "Thou shalt not steal." By stealing, a man understands stealing, defrauding, and depriving a neighbour of his property under any pretext whatever. A spiritual angel understands by stealing depriving others of the truths of their faith and the goods of charity, by means of falsity and evil. A celestial angel, however, by stealing understands attributing to oneself what belongs to the Lord, and claiming for oneself His righteousness and merit.

[3] "Thou shalt not commit adultery." By committing adultery a man understands committing adultery, commiting whoredom, indulging in obscene practices, lascivious conversation, and filthy thoughts. A spiritual angel understands by committing adultery, the adulteration of the good of the Word and the falsification of its truth. A celestial angel, however, understands by committing adultery the denial of the Lord's Divinity and the profanation of the Word.

[4] "Thou shalt not kill." By killing, a man understands also cherishing hatred and thirsting for revenge even to death. A spiritual angel understands for killing, acting like a devil, and destroying the soul of a man. A celestial angel, however, understands for killing, hating the Lord and those things which are the Lord's.

[5] "Thou shalt not bear false witness." By bearing false witness, a man understands lying, and defamation. A spiritual angel under stands, for bearing false witness, declaring and persuading that falsity is truth, and evil good, and the reverse. A celestial angel, however, understands, for bearing false witness, blaspheming the Lord and the Word.

[6] From these examples it may be seen how the spiritual and the celestial are unfolded and drawn from the natural sense of the Word which contains them. And what is wonderful, the angels draw out their own senses without knowing what the man's thoughts are. Still, the thoughts of angels and men make one by correspondence, like end, cause and effect; for ends actually exist in the celestial kingdom, causes in the spiritual kingdom and effects in the natural kingdom. Conjunction itself by correspondences is such from creation. In this way, then, association with angels results through the instrumentality of the Word.


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