Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 9282

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9282. And all that I have said unto you ye shall keep. That this signifies that the commandments, the judgments, and the statutes are to be done is evident from the signification of "all that Jehovah had said unto them," as being all things of the life, of worship, and of the civil state; for the things of life were called "commandments," those of worship were called "statutes," and those of the civil state were called "judgments" (see n. 8972); and from the signification of "keeping" or observing, as being to do, for by doing them they are observed. As the laws of life, of worship, and of the civil state, are not anything with a man so long as they are in his understanding only, but become something with him when they are in the will, therefore it is said in the Word throughout that they must be "done;" for doing is of the will; but knowing, understanding, acknowledging, and believing are of the understanding. These latter, however, have no being with man until they become of the will, nor do they come forth with him until they become of the understanding from the will; for the being of man is to will, and the coming forth is to acknowledge and believe therefrom. The things which have no such being and coming forth with a man are not appropriated to him, but stand without, and are not as yet received into the house; and therefore they do not contribute anything to the eternal life of the man; for unless such things have been made of the life, they are dissipated in the other life; those only remaining which are of the heart, that is, of the will and from this of the understanding. This being so, it is said in the Word throughout that the commandments and the statutes must be "done;" as in Moses:

Ye shall do My judgments, and keep My statutes, to walk therein. Ye shall therefore keep My statutes, and My judgments; which if a man do, he shall live by them (Lev. 18:4-5; also Matt. 5:20; 7:24-27; 16:27; John 3:21);

and in many other passages.


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