but the Lord by His providence is continually leading and drawing him away
from it, first to a milder hell, then out of hell, and finally to Himself in heaven.”
(Ibid. 183)
“Panting for the lowest hell!” We think we’d like to go to heaven, but we
really don’t. At least not at first, not wholeheartedly. The quality of life in
heaven is appealing – the beauty and serenity of it – but the order of life that
makes the delights of heaven possible does not come naturally to us. If it did,
life on earth would be a lot more heavenly than it is.
So there are actually two “hidden currents” influencing us: one flows from
the will of God and is the stream of providence that carries us along toward
heaven; the other flows from our own will and draws us away from heaven.
(See Arcana Coelestia 8855, True Christian Religion 399.3, 652.3 and 735.6)
When we can say from our hearts, and really mean it, “Thy will be done,”
then we are in the stream of providence, and will know inwardly that we “are
being carried along constantly toward everything that is happy, whatever may
be the appearance of the means.” (Arcana Coelestia 8478.4)
It is to help bring us into that inner knowledge, and the inner peace it
engenders, that the Lord has revealed the Heavenly Doctrines of the New
Church.
(WEO)
O U R N E W C H U RC H V O C A B U L A R Y
Part of a continuing series developed by the Rev. W. Cairns Henderson, 1961-1966.
CIVIL
This term is used for that part of man’s life which comes under regulation by the laws of
the state, as distinct from moral and spiritual life, which are subject to higher laws. It occurs
also in a few compound forms.
Civil good is the good of life in accordance with the laws of the state, which makes man
a citizen of the world; civil things are those which belong to the state and are conjoined with
the world – those statutes, laws and regulations which bind men together so that a settled and
well-organized society may be formed; and civil truths are those truths which relate to the
things of government and of judgment in the state, and in general to justice and equity. (See
Arcana Coelestia 8257; Doctrine of Life 12; Conjugial Love 130; Heaven and Hell 468)
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