NOTE

The marginal figures in this edition indicate the subdivisions of the paragraphs arranged for the "Concordance to the Theological Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg by the Rev. John Faulkner Potts."

THE

BOOK OF EXODUS.

CHAPTER FIRST.

6627. Before the chapters of the Book of Exodus, doctrinals are to be premised, first the doctrinals of charity and then the doctrinals of faith, to the end that what has been given here and there in the explications may be set forth in series, and thus that the doctrine may be seen in its order, such as is and ought to be the doctrine of the church in order to agree with the good and truth in heaven.

6628. In the explications that precede, it has been shown throughout that the doctrine of charity was the doctrine in the Ancient Churches, and that this doctrine conjoined all the churches, and thus of many made one; for they acknowledged as of the church all who lived in the good of charity, and called them brethren, however they might differ as to truths, which at this day are called the truths of faith. In these one instructed another, and this was among their works of charity; nor were they indignant if one did not accede to the opinion of another, knowing that every one receives truth just so far as he is in good.

6629. Since such were the Ancient Churches, they were more interior men, and being more interior they were more wise; for those who are in the good of love and charity, are as to the internal man in heaven, and in an angelic society there which is in like good. From this they have an elevation of mind to what is interior, and consequently

wisdom; for wisdom can come from no other source than from heaven, that is, through heaven from the Lord; and in heaven there is wisdom because there they are in good.

6630. But in process of time that ancient wisdom decreased; for so far as the human race withdrew from the good of love to the Lord, and of charity toward the neighbor, so far it withdrew also from wisdom, because so far it withdrew from heaven; consequently man from internal became external, and this by successive degrees.

6631. And when man became external, he became also worldly and corporeal; and when he is such, he no longer cares for the things of heaven; for they are so remote to him that they are not believed to exist, since the enjoyments of earthly loves, and with these all evils which are enjoyable to him from those loves, then take entire possession of him; and thus what he hears of the life after death, of heaven, and of hell, is as chaff in the wind which flies away

as soon as seen.

6632. In consequence the doctrine of charity, which was so precious to the ancients, is now among things that are lost; for who at this day knows what in the genuine sense charity is and what the neighbor? when yet that doctrine abounds in arcana so many and so great as cannot be described as to a thousandth part. The whole Sacred Scripture is nothing else than the doctrine of love and charity which the Lord also teaches, saying, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind; this is the first and great commandment; and the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself; on these two commandments hang the law and the prophets (Matt. xxii. 37-40). The law and the prophets are the Word in all and each of its parts.

...

6633. Since the doctrine of charity is now among things that are lost, and the doctrine of faith is therefore much alienated from the truth, it is granted, by the Divine mercy

of the Lord, to hand down that doctrine, at the beginning of each chapter of the Book of Exodus, and thus to restore it to the church.

CHAPTER I.

1. Now these are the names of the sons of Israel that came into Egypt with Jacob; every man and his house they came.

2. Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah;

3. Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin ;

4. Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.

5. And all the souls that came out of the thigh of Jacob were seventy souls: and Joseph was in Egypt.

6. And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation.

7. And the sons of Israel were fruitful, and increased, and multiplied, and became exceeding numerous; and the land was filled with them.

8. And there arose a new king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph.

9. And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are many and numerous more than we.

10. Come, let us use prudence with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass that wars break out, and they join themselves also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and go up out of the land.

II. And they set over them taskmasters, to afflict them with burdens. And they built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses.

12. But according as they afflicted them, so they multiplied, and so they grew. And they were moved with loathing because of the sons of Israel.

13. And the Egyptians made the sons of Israel to serve with rigor :

14. And they made their life bitter with hard service, in clay, and in bricks, and in all service in the field, with all their service wherein they made them serve with rigor.

15. And the king of Egypt said to the midwives of the Hebrew women, of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah :

16. And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him; and if it be a daughter, then she shall live.

17. And the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt spake to them, and they saved the boys alive.

18. And the king of Egypt called the midwives, and said unto them, Why do ye do this thing, and save the boys alive?

19. And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and have brought forth before the midwife come unto them.

20. And God did good to the midwives; and the people multiplied and became very numerous.

21. And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that He made them houses.

22. And Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, Every son that is born, ye shall cast him into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.

CONTENTS.

6634. In this first chapter, in the internal sense, the subject is the state of the church at its institution, when good takes the first steps, and is made fruitful by the multiplication of the truths of faith.

6635. Afterward the infestation of those truths by falsities and evils in the natural is described, and the yet greater