794. (v. 5.) And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies. That this signifies doctrine destroying the goods of the Word, and its truths utterly, is evident from the signification of south, as denoting doctrine, from which is instruction, preaching, and reasoning (concerning which see above, n. 782). The reason why doctrine is signified by the mouth of the beast is, that in the verse just preceding it was said that they worshipped the dragon and his beast; and this signified the acknowledgment of that dogma, and its reception in doctrine; and because it was also said above, that the mouth of that beast was as the mouth of a lion; and this signified instruction, preaching, and reasoning, which are from doctrine received; and from the signification of speaking great things, as denoting to teach evils which are destructive of the goods of the Word. For great, in the Word, is said of good, and, in the opposite sense, of evil; but much is said of truth, and, in the opposite sense, of falsity (as may be seen above, n. 336, 337, 424). Because by the beast are meant those who, by reasonings, separate faith from life, and those who do this destroy the goods of the Word; and since by his mouth is signified their doctrine, therefore, by speaking great things is signified to destroy the goods of the Word; and from the signification of speaking blasphemies, as denoting to falsify the truths of the World (concerning which see above, n. 778).
From these things it is clear that by a mouth being given to him speaking great things is signified doctrine destroying the goods of the Word, and falsifying its truths utterly. The reason why it is said, falsifying its truths utterly is, that the falsification of the Word, even to the destruction of Divine truth, such as it is in the heavens and in the spiritual sense of the Word, is signified by blasphemy (as may be seen above, n. 778); and this is meant by falsifying truths utterly.
[2] It is said, that by the mouth of the beast speaking great things, is signified doctrine, and thence instruction, preaching, and reasoning, destroying the goods of the Word; therefore it shall be explained by what means this destruction is effected. They are principally destroyed by this, that they teach that faith without good works justifies and saves, and this they confirm by the following reasoning. No one can do good of himself; and the good which a man does of himself cannot be other than merit-seeking. And this they also establish from the Word, especially from the parable concerning the Pharisee and publican praying in the temple, saying, that
The latter was justified merely by saying, "God be merciful to me a sinner."
And that the Pharisee was not justified who said that
He was not an extortioner, unjust, an adulterer, as others were, and that he fasted twice in the week, and gave tithes of all that he possessed (Luke xviii. 10-14).
And also from these words of the Lord:
"Doth the master thank the servant for doing those things which were commanded him? I trow not; so likewise ye, when ye shall have done all things which are commanded you, say, Truly we are unprofitable servants, for we have done that which it was our duty to do" (Luke xvii. 9, 10).
Those, however, who conclude from these words that there is nothing of justification and salvation in good works, but in faith alone, err greatly; they do not know what good works are. For there are works done by man that are not good; and there are works done by the Lord through man that are good. Both, however, appear similar in the external form, but in the internal they are entirely dissimilar. The works which the Pharisee enumerated were works done by himself, and thence also merit- seeking. The works which servants do from command are similar; and nevertheless they are called useless and unprofitable.
[3] It shall now therefore be explained, how works are done by man himself, and how they are done by the Lord in man; also how the latter are distinguished from the former. It was shown above (n. 790) that man has two minds, one spiritual, the other natural. The spiritual mind is what is called the internal and spiritual man, and the natural mind is what is called the external and natural man. And because man has a spiritual internal and a natural external, and since the internal is conjoined with heaven and the external with the world, it follows, that whatever a man does from this internal through the external he does from heaven, that is, through heaven from the Lord. On the other hand, whatever a man does by the external without the internal, he does of himself. This is meant by the Lord's words in Luke:
"Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and platter, but your inward part is full of extortion and wickedness. Ye fools; did not he who made that which is without, make that which is within also? But rather give alms of such things as ye have, and behold all things are clean unto you" (xi. 39, 40, 41).
It is said, the outside of the cup and platter, and the inside thereof, because by the cup is meant the same as by wine, and by the plate the same as by food; wine also signifies truth, and food signifies good. It is said, also, give alms, and this signifies love and charity.
From these things it is clear that whatever man does from the external alone is unclean, but whatever he does from a purified internal through the external is clean. For the latter is from the Lord; but the former from man. A few examples may serve to throw light on this point.
The internal is the same thing as to do good for the sake of good, to speak truth for the sake of truth, to act sincerely for the sake of sincerity, and to do justice for the sake of justice. He who does good for the sake of good does good from good, thus from the Lord, who is Good itself, and from whom all good is derived. Thus also, he who speaks truth for the sake of truth, speaks truth from truth, thus from the Lord, who is the Truth itself, and from whom all truth comes. Similarly he who acts sincerely for the sake of sincerity, and acts justly for the sake of justice. For sincerity pertains to moral good and truth, and justice to civil good and truth; and all good and truth is from the Lord, and not from man, because they proceed from the internal by way of the external. If, on the other hand, man does and speaks what is good, true, sincere, and just, for the sake of himself and the world, he acts and speaks from himself, because from the external man without the internal. Such deeds or works are all evil. And if heaven is regarded in them, they are merit-seeking, and all consequently iniquitous.
Whether works are from the Lord or from man, cannot be distinguished by any one in the world, because both appear alike in the external form; but they are distinguished solely by the Lord, and after man's life in the world is ended, it is discovered from what origin they are
(Matt. x. 26, 27; Mark iv. 22; Luke viii. 17; xii. 2, 3, 8, 9).
But how an internal is given to man, and an external from the internal, may be seen above (n. 790).
[4] From these considerations it is now evident, that were man to fulfil all things of the law from himself; for example, were he to give much to the poor, do good to widows and orphans, assist the needy, in fact, were he to give food to the hungry, and drink to the thirsty, take in strangers, clothe the naked, and visit the sick and those who are in prison; if he should preach and teach the gospel, convert the gentiles, frequent temples, hear preaching devoutly, attend the sacrament of the Supper frequently in the year, implore [God] in prayers, and other things of a like nature, and his inner man be not purified from the love of ruling and from the conceit of his own intelligence, from contempt of others, from hatred and revenge, from craftiness and malice, from insincerity and injustice, from the lasciviousness of adultery, and from other evils and the falsities therefrom; still all these works would be hypocritical, and from the man himself and not from the Lord. On the other hand, these same works, when the internal is purified, are all good, because they are from the Lord in man. This has been testified to me from a thousand examples in the spiritual world. I have there heard several who were permitted to call to mind their actions during their life in the world, and to enumerate the good deeds they had done; but when their internal was opened, it was discovered to be full of every kind of evil, and the falsity arising therefrom; and it was then revealed to them, that the good deeds which they had enumerated they had done from themselves, because for the sake of themselves and the world.
The case, however, is different with those who have abstained from doing evils, from the Word; and have afterwards shunned and become averse to them on account of their being sins, and contrary to love to God, and to charity towards their neighbor; the works of such persons, although, in the external form, they appeared similar to the works of those who have been treated of above, and also were in like manner perceived as if they were done from themselves, were all good. These are the works that are meant by works in the Word, which make man spiritual, and happy to eternity. It is these which cannot by any means be separated from faith. For faith, if these should be separated, would be dead; and a dead faith is a faith of falsity from evil.
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