Category — Classes of ruling love

“And he stayed yet other seven days, and sent forth the dove, and she returned not again unto him any more.” (Gen. 8:12)

He stayed yet other seven days, signifies a second holy state in which the Lord is still more manifestly present with man. And sent forth the dove signifies a new receiving of the goods and truths of faith. And she returned not again unto him any more, signifies a free state.

Concerning the free state signified by the dove not returning we read in the Third Lesson as follows:

“So long as he was in the ark, he was in a state of slavery… When man has been regenerated, he for the first time comes into a state of freedom, having before been in a state of slavery. It is slavery when cupidities and falsities rule, and freedom when the affections of the good and the true do so… When he is in a state of slavery, that is when cupidities and falsities rule, the man, who is under subjugation to them, supposes that he is in a state of freedom; but this is a gross falsity, for he is then carried away by the delight of cupidities and their pleasures, that is by the delights of his love, and because this is done by delights, it appears to him as freedom… It is quite unknown to very many what a life of freedom is… A life of freedom, or freedom, is simply and solely being led by the Lord.” (A.C. 891, 2)

“The more present the Lord, the more free the man; that is, the more man is in the love of the good and the true, the more freely he acts. Such is the influx of the Lord through the angels. But on the other hand, the influx of hell through evil spirits is forcible and impetuous, striving to dominate, so that he may be nothing, and that they may be everything.” (A.C. 905)

The above is a well known teaching in the New Church, and also known in the first Christian Church; for the Lord, when in the world taught as follows:

“If ye continue in My word ye shall be My disciples and the truth shall make you free… Amen, amen, I say unto you, whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin… If the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. (John 8:30-36)

But while this truth is known, still it is not known, for it is not understood.

In general, those in the New Church think that they are in the truth and that they are therefore free, while others who do not have the truth, given by the Lord in His Second Coming, do not have the truth and are therefore not free. That this is a false idea is evident from this, that the freedom spoken of in our text, is one of the last states of regeneration; many states of reformation, temptation and regeneration have to be passed through before a man comes to this state of freedom. Few come to this state of freedom in this world, although, all who are being reformed or regenerated, come into this state of freedom in heaven.

When the Lord said, “The truth shall make you free”, it is not meant that the knowledges of truth will make you free; for there are many who have an abundance of the knowledges of truth in their memory, who can speak about them intelligently, and can explain them maybe better than others, and yet who are by no means free, but are under the dominion of cupidities and falsities.

The truth, which makes you free, is not the truth in the memory, but the truth in the life. All truth continually flows into man from the Lord, and is received in the knowledges of truth which man has acquired from without.

Read the full sermon on Genesis 8:12 by Rev. Theodore Pitcairn