Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 4724

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4724. And before he came near into them, they conspired against him to cause him to die. That this signifies that they wished to extinguish the Divine spiritual which is from the Lord's Divine Human, is evident from the signification of "conspiring," as being to will from a depraved mind, since whatever men will from a depraved mind, they conspire to accomplish; and from the signification of "slaying," as being to extinguish; and from the representation of Joseph, as being the Divine spiritual or Divine truth, as repeatedly shown above. Because Divine truth proceeds from the Lord's Divine Human, it is therefore said,. the Divine spiritual which is from the Lord's Divine Human. [2] The case herein is this: All the Divine truth in the whole heaven proceeds from no other source than the Lord's Divine Human. That which is from the Divine Itself cannot flow in immediately with any angel, because it is infinite; but only mediately through the Lord's Divine Human, as is also meant by these words of the Lord, "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He hath set Him forth" (John 1:18). For this reason also the Lord as to the Divine Human is called Mediator. [3] This also was from eternity, for the Divine being, without flowing through heaven and becoming thence the Divine coming-forth, could not be communicated to any angel, still less to any spirit, and less still to any man. That the Lord as to the Divine Itself is the Divine being, and as to the Divine Human is the Divine coming-forth, may be seen above (n. 4687). Neither could the Lord's Human itself have received any influx from the Divine being, unless in Him the Human had been made Divine; for that which receives the Divine being must also be Divine. From these few things it may be seen that Divine truth does not proceed immediately from the Divine Itself, but from the Lord's Divine Human. [4] This also do they extinguish in themselves who battle for faith alone and do not live a life of faith; for they believe that the Lord's Human is purely human, not unlike the human of another man; and hence many of them deny the Divine of the Lord, however they may profess Him with the lips. But those who live a life of faith, on bended knees and with humble hearts adore the Lord as God the Savior, and do not then at all think from doctrine of the distinction between the Divine and the human nature; and they do the same in the Holy Supper. Hence it is plain that with them the Lord's Divine Human is in their hearts.


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