190. (v. 3) Remember, therefore, how thou hast received and heard, and take heed. That this signifies the remembrance of what the Lord teaches in the Word, and attention to it, is evident from the fact that, in what is written to the angel of this church, the subject treated of is those whose life is merely moral, and not spiritual; but of these it is now said, that they should procure to themselves spiritual life, in order that the moral life may be quickened, which is signified by the words just preceding be wakeful, and strengthen the things that remain, which are about to die. From this it is evident that by remember, therefore, how thou bast received and heard, and take heed is signified remembrance of what the Lord teaches in the Word, and attention. By taking heed is signified attention, as is the case with those who are in the spiritual affection of truth; for such persons, when they read the Word, do not see it from the doctrine of the church in which they are born, but they see it as if they were separated from that doctrine, because they desire to be enlightened, and to see truths inwardly in themselves, and not from others. Those who are in such a state are enlightened by the Lord, and it is granted to them to form to themselves doctrine from the truths which they themselves see; this doctrine also is implanted in them, and remains in their spirit to eternity. [2] But those who read the Word from the doctrine which they receive from others, cannot see truths from the light of their own spirit, thus not inwardly in themselves, but out of themselves; for they believe it to be true because others have seen it, and therefore they attend only to such things as serve for confirmation, other things they either pass by as if they did not see them, or draw them to the side of things which their doctrine dictates. That these cannot be enlightened, any one may see; for they only lay up matters in the memory of their natural man for the purpose of confirmation; from these they afterwards speak. This is why these persons remain natural, and do not become spiritual; since, in order that he may become spiritual, a man must fill his spirit with truths from the Word; and this can only be effected by his being desirous of knowing truth from the Word, and being delighted with it when he sees and perceives it; this is the spiritual affection of truth, concerning which we have frequently spoken before. This, now, is what is meant in the spiritual sense, by Remember, therefore, how thou hast received and heard, and take heed. (That it is the part of a wise man to see and perceive truth from the light of heaven, but not to confirm what is said by others, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia, n. 1017, 4741, 7012, 7680, 7950. That to see and perceive truth from the light of heaven is only given to those who love truth because it is truth, and who are therefore in the spiritual affection of truth, n. 8521; that the light of confirmation is natural light, and not spiritual, which can exist also with the evil, n. 8780.)