from Adam, but from his own parents successively, and that it is not taken away in baptism by the imputation and application of the Lord's merit; also that the imputation and application of the Lord's merit is a human fiction, this being an impossibility: and that faith is never infused into any sucking child, faith being the result of the exercise of the thinking faculty. They saw further that baptism is holy and a sacrament, because for a sign and memorial that man is capable of being regenerated by the Lord by truths from the Word; being a sign for heaven, and a memorial for man; and that man is introduced by it into the church, as the children of Israel were introduced by crossing over Jordan into the land of Canaan, and as the inhabitants of Jerusalem by the baptism of John were prepared for the reception of the Lord; for without that sign in heaven before the angels, the Jews could not have subsisted and lived at the coming of Jehovah, that is, of the Lord in the flesh. Similar to these were the points they established in regard to justification. That the imputation of the Lord's merit neither exists, nor is given, may be seen in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord, n. 18; and that hereditary evil, which is called original sin, is not from Adam, but from parents successively, may be seen in the Wisdom of Angels concerning the Divine Providence, n. 277. What Adam signifies in the Word, see n. 241 of the same work. 777. "And cinnamon, and perfumes, and ointment, and frankincense,” signifies, that they have no longer any worship from spiritual goods and truths, because they have nothing inwardly in worship that corresponds to the above-mentioned things. The foregoing verse treats of all things which relate to the doctrine of the church; but this verse treats of all things which relate to the worship of the church. The things relating to doctrine are premised, and those relating to worship follow, because by the goods and truths of doctrine the quality of worship is determined, for worship is nothing but an external act, in which there should be the internal things that relate to doctrine, and without which worship is without its essence, life, and soul. Now since all things relating to doctrine have reference to the goods which are of love and charity, and to the truths which are of wisdom and faith, and as those goods and truths, according to the degrees of their order, are celestial, spiritual, and natural, so also are all things of worship; and because in the preceding verse, the spiritual things of doctrine are mentioned in the first place, so here also are the spiritual things of worship, which are cinnamon, perfumes, ointment, and frankincense; and the celestial things of worship are named in the second place, which are wine, oil, flour, and wheat; and in the third place are named the natural things of worship, which are beasts and sheep; that all these goods and truths of worship are from the Word, is signified by their being the merchandise of horses, of chariots, of the bodies and souls of men; this is the series of things in the spiritual sense of this verse. But by all the things which are enumerated in this verse, it is to be understood, in like manner as by the things which are enumerated in the preceding verse, that those goods and truths are not among them, because they have not among them the things which correspond to them; which is plain from what goes before, where it is said, That the city Babylon shall be burnt with fire, and that no one shall buy her merchandise any more, verse 8-11, and from what follows, where it is said, That all things splendid and dainty are departed from her, and shall not be found any more, verse 14, and that they are wasted, verses 16, 19. But with respect to the articles here enumerated, as cinnamon, perfumes, ointment, and frankincense, these are named from the circumstance of incense being compounded of such things. That by incense is signified the worship of the Lord from spiritual goods and truths, see above, n. 277, 392, and that incense was pleasing because it consisted of fragrant substances which were in correspondence, n. 394, all the fragrant substances, of which it was prepared, are understood by cinnamon, perfumes, and ointment, and their essential quality by frankincense; this appears from the enumeration of the spices of which it was compounded, in Moses: "Jehovah said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, onycha, and galbanum, with pure frankincense; and thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy," Exod. xxx. 34-37; of these was incense composed, by which was signified, worship derived from spiritual goods and truths, as before observed. Cinnamon is here mentioned instead of the whole of the spices enumerated. But what is signified by each of those spices in the spiritual sense, may be seen in the Arcana Cælestia, upon Exodus, where they are severally explained. 778. "And wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat," signifies, that they have no longer any worship originating in celestial goods and truths, because they have nothing inwardly in worship, that corresponds to the above-mentioned things. It is similar with these, as with the things mentioned above, only with this difference, that what are now mentioned signify celestial goods and truths. What goods and truths are called celestial, and what spiritual, may be seen above, n. 773, and that from the circumstance of these goods and truths not being in them, neither were they in their worship; for as was observed above, the goods and truths of doctrine exist in worship like the soul in its body, wherefore worship without them is inanimate worship; such is the worship which is holy in externals, in which there is not any internal holiness. That wine signifies truth derived from the good of love, see above, n. 316; that oil signifies the good of love will be seen in the next article; by fine flour is signified celestial truth, and by wheat is signified celestial good. reason why by wine, oil, fine flour, and wheat, the truths and goods of worship are signified, is, because the drinkofferings and meat-offerings were composed of them, and were offered together with the sacrifices upon the altar, and by sacrifices and by gifts offered upon the altar was signified worship, for in these worship principally consisted. That the drink-offerings, consisting of wine, were offered upon the altar together with the sacrifices, may be seen in Exod. xxix. 40, Levit. xxiii. 12, 13, 18, 19, Numb. xv. 2-15, xxviii. 11-15, 18, to the end; xxix. The 1-7, to the end; and also in Isaiah Ivii. 6, lxv. 11, Jerem. vii. 18, xliv. 17, 18, 19, Ezek. xx. 28, Joel i. 9, Psalm xvi. 4, Deut. xxxii. 38. That oil also was offered upon the altar together with the sacrifices, Exod. xxix. 40, Numb. xv. 2-15, xxviii. 1, to the end. That cakes, which consisted of wheat flour, were offered upon the altar together with the sacrifices, Exod. xxix. 40, Levit. ii. 1-13, v. 11-14, vi. 6-14, vii. 9-13, xxiii. 12, 13, 17, Numb. vi. 14-21, xv. 2-15, xviii. 8-29, xxviii. 1-15, xxix. 1-7, and also in Jerem. xxxiii. 18, Ezek. xvi. 13, 19; Joel i. 9, Malachi i. 10, 11, Psalm cxli. 2. The bread of faces or show bread upon the table in the tabernacle was also made of wheat flour, Levit. xxiii. -17, xxiv. 5-10. Hence it may be seen that these four things, wine, oil, fine flour, and wheat, were holy and celestial things of worship. 779. Since oil is mentioned in this passage among the holy things of worship, and signifies celestial good, something shall here be said concerning the anointing oil, which was in use among the ancients, and afterwards commanded to the children of Israel. That in ancient times they anointed stones, which were set up as statues, appears from Genesis xxviii. 18, 19, 22. That they also anointed warlike arms, targets, and shields, 2 Sam. i. 21, Isaiah xxi. 5. That they were commanded to prepare holy oil, with which they were to anoint all the holy things of the church: that with it they anointed the altar and all its vessels, as also the tabernacle and all things belonging to it, Exod. xxx. 22-29, xl. 9, 10, 11, Lev. viii. 10, 11, 12, Numb. vii. 1. That with it they anointed those who exercised the priestly office, and their garments, Exod. xxix. 7, 29, xxx. 30, xl. 13, 14, 15, Levit. viii. 12, Psalm exxxüi. 1, 2, 3. That with it they anointed the prophets, 1 Kings xix. 15, 16. That with it they anointed kings, and that therefore kings were called the anointed of Jehovah, 1 Sam. x. 1, xv, 1, xvi. 6, 13, xxiv. 6, 10, xxvi. 9, 11, 16, 25, 2 Sam. i. 16, ii. 4, 7, xix. 21, 1 Kings i. 34, 35, xix. 15, 16, 2 Kings ix. 3, xi. 12, xxiii. 30, Lament. iv. 20, Habak. iii. 13, Psalın ii. 2, 6, Psalın xx. 6, Psalm xxviii. 8, Psalm xlv. 7, Psalm lxxxiv. 9, Psalm lxxvix. 20, 38, 51, Psalm cxxxii. 17. The reason why unction with the holy oil was commanded, is, because oil signified the good of love, and represented the Lord, who, as to his Humanity, is the very and only anointed of Jehovah, anointed not with oil, but with the divine good itself of divine love; wherefore he is also named Messiah in the Old Testament and Christ in the New, John i. 41, iv. 25, and Messiah and Christ signify the anointed. It was from this circumstance that priests, kings, and all things relating to the church were anointed, and when they were anointed they were called holy, not that in themselves they were holy, but because they thus represented the Lord as to his Divine Humanity: for this reason it was sacrilege to hurt a king, because he was the anointed of Jehovah, 1 Sam. xxiv. 7, 11, xxvi. 9, 2 Sam. i. 16, xix. 21. Moreover it was a received custom for people to anoint themselves and others, to testify joyfulness of mind and benevolence, but with common oil or some other precious kind of oil, and not with holy oil, Matt. vi. 17, Mark vi. 13, Luke vii. 46, Isaiah lxi. 3, Amos vi. 6, Mic. vi. 15, Psalm xcii. 10, Psalm civ. 15, Dan. ix. 24, Deut. xxviii. 40. That it was not lawful to anoint themselves or others with the holy oil, see Exod. xxx. 31, 32. 780. "And cattle and sheep," signifies, that they have no longer any worship resulting from external or natural goods and truths of the church, because they have nothing inwardly in worship that corresponds to the above-mentioned things. The case is the same with these as with the things explained above, n. 777, 778, with this difference, that what are there mentioned are spiritual goods and truths and celestial goods and truths, but what are here mentioned are natural goods and truths, concerning the distinction between which, see above, n. 773. By beasts and sheep are signified the sacrifices which consisted of oxen, bullocks, he-goats, sheep, kids, rams, shegoats, and lambs: oxen and bullocks are meant by beasts, and kids, rams, she-goats, and lambs by sheep; and sacrifices were the externals of worship, which are also called the natural things of worship. |