Page:Arcana Coelestia - Volume I.djvu/38

24 impossible for man to live; for his life depends entirely on such conjunction, so that supposing spirits and angels to depart from him, he would instantly perish. Whilst man remains unregenerate, he is governed in a manner altogether different from what takes place after his regeneration. Whilst he remains unregenerate, evil spirits are with him, ruling over him in such a manner, that the angels, notwithstanding they are present, can scarcely do more than prevent his plunging himself into the lowest depths of mischief, and incline him to some sort of goodness, which they effect by making his natural inclinations in some degree subservient to good, and the fallacies of his senses to truth. In this state he has communication with the world of spirits, by means of his associate spirits, but he has not the like communication with heaven, because evil spirits have the dominion over him, and angels only avert their influences. When, however, he becomes regenerate, then the angels have the dominion, and inspire him with whatever is good and true, infusing at the same time a dread and fear of what is evil and false. The angels, indeed, guide man, but herein they only minister to the Lord, who alone governs him by angels and spirits. As this government is however effected by the ministry of angels, therefore it is here first said in the plural, Let make man in our image; but, as the Lord alone governs and disposes, in the following verse it is added in the singular, God created man in his own image. This the Lord also plainly declares in Isaiah: "Thus saith Jehovah thy Redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb; I Jehovah make all things, stretching forth the heavens alone, spreading abroad the earth by myself," (xliv. 24). The angels themselves likewise confess that they have no power of their own, but that they act from the Lord alone.

51. We may observe in reference to an image, that although it is not a likeness, it is similar to a likeness, wherefore it is said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." The spiritual man is an image, but the celestial man is a likeness or effigy. This chapter treats of the spiritual man, but the following of the celestial. The spiritual man, who is an image, is called by the Lord a Son of light, as in John: "He that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the sons of light," (xii. 35, 36.) He is called also a friend: "Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you," (John xv. 14.) But the celestial man, who is a likeness, is called a son of God; as in John: "As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name, who were born, not of bloods, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God," (i. 12, 13.)