246. (v. 19) As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. That this signifies temptations in that state is evident from the signification of rebuking and chastening, as being to admit into temptations, when said of those who procure to themselves good, and thereby receive truths; these were treated of in the verse immediately preceding. It is said, as many as I love, and thereby are meant all those in the doctrine of faith alone who are in good or in charity, and thence in truths or in faith. The reason why they are loved by the Lord is, that the Lord is present in good, or in charity; and by good, or charity, He is present in truths, or in faith, and not the reverse. The reason why it is now said of those who are in the doctrine of faith alone, that the Lord rebukes and chastens them is, that it was said above, "I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, and white garments that thou mayest be clothed and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear, and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve that thou mayest see." By this is meant that those who are in the doctrine of faith alone should procure to themselves genuine good and genuine truths, and thence intelligence, lest their filthy loves should be seen; and that the understanding may in some degree be opened. And while this is being done with those who have been in the doctrine of faith alone, they cannot but be let into temptations; for the principles of falsity concerning faith alone and justification thereby which, they hold, cannot be abolished except by temptations, and these must be entirely abolished, because they cannot be conjoined with the good of charity, with which truths alone can be conjoined; therefore these are to be procured, as was said above. Truths are indeed conjoined by this, that they say that man, after he has received faith, is led by God, and so is in the good of charity; but still they make this good of no account, because they say it contributes nothing to salvation. They affirm also that nothing condemns him who has received that faith, neither evil of thought and will nor evil of life; also that such a person is not under the law because the Lord has fulfilled the law for him, thus nothing is regarded except faith; by these things they cause disjunction. The reason why they conjoin is, that the doctrine of faith alone would not otherwise agree with the Word, where mention is so often made of charity and of deeds; still, this conjunction is not conjunction with those whose life is according to the doctrine, but with those whose life is according to the Word.
[2] It is said, "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten," but it is not to be understood that it is the Lord who rebukes and chastens, but that infernal spirits, who are in similar principles of falsity, are those who chastise, that is, who tempt man. That God tempts no man is well known; therefore it is to be thus understood, although in the letter it is said of God that He leads into temptation, that He does evil, that He casts into hell, and many things of a like nature. Hence it is evident, that the Divine truth in the Word is but little understood, except by its spiritual sense, or by doctrine procured from those who have been enlightened. As to temptations a man comes into them when he is let into his proprium; for then spirits from hell, who are in the falsities of his principle and in the evils of his love, adjoin themselves to him and hold his thoughts therein, but the Lord holds his thoughts in the truths of faith and in the goods of charity; and, because he then also thinks continually about salvation and about heaven, hence arises his interior anxiety of mind, and hence also he experiences combat, which is called temptation. Those, however, who are not in truths and goods, thus not in any faith grounded in charity, cannot undergo temptations, for there is nothing in them which fights with falsities and evils; this is why at this day there are few who are tempted, and why it is little known what spiritual temptation is. (These things may be seen more fully expounded in Arcana Coelestia, from which see what is collected in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem, n. 196-201.)
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