aniah, "I will leave in the midst of thee a needy people and slender, who hope in the name of Jehovah," iii. 12. In these passages the needy denote those who are in ignorance of truth and desire to be instructed.

9210. "Thou shalt not be as an usurer"-that hereby is signified that it shall be done from charity, appears from the signification of an usurer, as denoting one who does good for the sake of gain; for an usurer lends money to another for the sake of usury, and brings aid to another for the sake of recompence; and whereas genuine charity does not regard gain or recompence as an end, but the good of its neighbor, therefore by not being as an usurer is signified, that it shall be done from charity. He who does not know what Christian charity is, may believe that it consists not only in giving to the needy and the poor, but also in doing good to a fellow-citizen, to his country and church, for the sake of any cause whatsoever, or from any end whatsoever. But it is to be noted, that the end is what qualifies all the actions of man; if the end or intention be to do good for the sake of reputation, to procure honors or gain, in this case the good which a man does is not good, because it is for the sake of himself, thus also from himself. But if the end be to do good, for the sake of a fellow-citizen, or of a man's country, or of the church, thus for the sake of the neighbor, in this case the good which a man does is good, for it is for the sake of good itself, which in general is the real neighbor, see n. 5025, 6706, 6711, 6818, 8123. Thus also it is for the sake of the Lord, for such good is not from man but from the Lord, and what is from the Lord, this is of the Lord. This good is what is meant by the Lord in Matthew, "So much as ye have done to one of these My least brethren, ye have done to Me," xxv. 40. As the case is with good, so also it is with truth; they who do truth for the sake of truth, do it also for the sake of the Lord, because from the Lord; to do truth for the sake of truth, is to do good; for truth becomes good, when from the intellectual principle it enters into the will, and from the will goes forth into act. To do good thus is Christian charity. They who do good from Christain charity, sometimes respect the reputation thence derived for the sake of honor, or for the sake of gain, but altogether otherwise than they, who respect those things as an end; for they respect what is good and just as the essential and only [thing or principle), thus in the supreme place, and in this case they respect gain and honor, and consequent reputation, as things respectively not essential, thus in the lowest place. They who are of this character, when they are in the view of what is just and good, are as those who in battle fight for their country, and in this case have no concern about life, thus neither about their dignity nor their wealth in the world, which in such case are respectively as nothing; but

they who respect themselves and the world in the first place, are of such a character, that they do not even see what is just and good, because they keep themselves and gain in view. From these considerations it is evident what it is to do good for the sake of self or the world, and what to do good for the sake of the Lord or the neighbor, and what the difference is between them, and that the difference is as great as between two opposites, thus as great as between heaven and hell. They also are in heaven, who do good for the sake of the neighbor or the Lord; but they are in hell, who do good for the sake of self and the world; for they who do good for the sake of the neighbor and the Lord, love the Lord above all things, and their neighbor as themselves, which precepts are the chief of all precepts, Mark xii. 28, 29, 30, 31; but they who do good for the sake of themselves and the world, love themselves above all things, thus more than God, and not only despise their neighbor, but also bear hatred towards him if he does not make one with themselves, and be of their party. This is meant by what the Lord teaches in Matthew, "No one can serve two lords, for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or he will adhere to the one and despise the other; ye cannot serve God and mammon," vi. 24. There are who serve both, but they are they who are called lukewarm, neither cold nor hot, who are spewed out, Rev. iii. 15, 16. From these considerations it is now evident what was represented by usurers who took usury, namely, they who do good for the sake of gain; hence it is clear from what ground it is said, "Thou shalt not be an usurer, and ye shall not put usury upon a brother," as also in other passages in Moses, "Thou shalt not impose on thy brother usury of silver, usury of food, usury of that thing which is imposed. On a stranger thou mayest impose usury; that Jehovah thy God may bless thee in every putting forth of thine hand upon the earth, whither thon goest to possess it," Deut. xxiii. 19, 20; Levit. xxv. 36, 37, 38. To impose on a brother the usury of silver, is to lend truths or to instruct for the sake of gain. To impose the usury of food, is to lend the goods of truth for the sake of gain; for silver is truth, n. 1551, 2954, 5058, 6914, 6917; and food is the good of truth, n. 5147, 5293, 5340, 5342, 5376, 5410, 5426, 5487, 5582, 5588, 5655, 5915, 8464. The reason why it is said that Jehovah blesses those who do not do it, in every putting forth of their hand in the earth, is because they are in the affection of good and truth, thus in the happiness which the angels in heaven have, for in that affection, or in the good of that love, man has heaven, n. 6478, 9174. The reason why it was allowed to impose usury on strangers was, because by strangers are signified those who do not acknowredge and receive any thing of good and truth, n. 7990, thus who do good only for the sake of gain; they are to serve man,

because they are respectively servants, see n. 1097. So in David, "He who walketh entire, and who doeth justice, and speaketh the truth in his heart, his silver he doth not give to usury, and doth not receive a reward against the innocent; he who hath done this, shall not be removed to eternity," Psalm xv. 2, 5; where to give his silver to usury is to teach for the sake of gain alone, thus to do good for the sake of recompence. In like manner in Ezekiel, "The just man [vir] who doeth judgment and justice, giveth not upon usury and receiveth not interest," xviii. 8. Again, "He who doth not withhold his hand from the needy, receiveth not and interest, doeth My judgments, walketh in My statutes, living he shall live," xviii. 17. Again, "They have received good in thee to shed blood, thou hast received usury and interest, and hast snatched again from thy companions by violence," xxii. 12; speaking of the city of bloods, by which is signified the false destroying truth and good, n. 9127. To receive usury and interest, denotes to do good for the sake of gain and recompence, thus not from charity. That charity is without any thing of merit, see n. 2373, 4007, 4174, 4943, 6388, 6389, 6390, 6391, 6392, 6478.

usury

9211. "Ye shall not put upon him usury "-that hereby is signified that it shall not be done for the sake of gain thence derived, appears from the signification of putting usury upon any one, as denoting to do good for the sake of gain, see just above, n. 9210, in this case not for the sake of gain, because it is said, ye shall not put upon him usury. From this law concerning interest and usury, it may be seen how the case is with the laws which were called judgments amongst the people of Israel, namely, that they ceased, together with the sacrifices and the rest of the rituals, when the Lord came into the world, and opened the interior things of worship, and in general the interior things of the Word. The interior things of that law are, that good ought to be done to the neighbor from the heart, and that it ought to be believed that there is nothing of merit in actions which are from self, but only in actions which are from the Lord with self; for the Lord Himself alone has merit, and alone is justice; and when man believes this, he places nothing of merit and reward in what is done by himself, but attributes all goods to the Lord; and whereas the Lord does it from Divine Mercy, man attributes all things to mercy alone. Hence also it is, that he who is led of the Lord, thinks nothing at all concerning reward, and still from the heart does good to his neighbor. These are the interior things, from which the law concerning usury with the Israelitish and Jewish nation descended; wherefore when man is in the interior things, that law ceases, together with other like things, which were called judgments; for the Israelitish and Jewish nation was only in things external, which represented things internal; hence that

law was binding upon that nation at that time, but is not binding on Christians, to whom interior things have been revealed by the Lord. That this is the case, is known to the man of the church at this day, wherefore the laws of usury at this day are altogether changed from what they were among the Jews. Nevertheless the sanctity of this law does not on that account cease, or this Word is not on that account abrogated, for its sanctity remains by virtue of the interior things which are in it; these holy interior things still affect the angels, when this Word is reading. Let every one however take heed to himself lest he should suppose that the laws of life are abrogated, such as are in the Decalogue, and elsewhere in the old Testament throughout, for those laws are confirmed both in the interna and external form, by reason that they cannot be separated. 9212. "If in taking a pledge thou shalt take a pledge the garment of thy companion "-that hereby is signified if scientific truths by fallacies derived from things sensual be parted asunder, appears from the signification of taking a pledge, as denoting to receive a token for goods communicated, for a pledge is a token for goods which are lent. When spiritual things are understood in the place of such goods, then to communicate goods is to instruct in truths, and a token or pledge in this case is sen sual truth, for by the garment in this passage, which is giver for a pledge, is signified the ultimate of the natural principle, which is the sensual principle; inasmuch as this abounds with fallacies, and fallacies extinguish truths, therefore by taking a pledge, the garment of thy companion, is signified the parting asunder of truths by fallacies derived from things sensual. That these things are signified, is manifest from the series of things following in the internal sense. By garment in general is signified all that which invests something else, thus whatsoever is respectively exterior; hence the external or natural man is called a garment in respect to the internal or spiritual; in like manner truth is called a garment in respect to good, because truth invests good; so likewise scientific truth in respect to the truth of faith, which is of the internal man; the sensual principle, which is the ultimate of life appertaining to man, is a garment in respect to scientific truth. That garments denote inferior things which cover superior, or what is the same thing, that they denote exterior things which cover interior, see n. 2576, 5248. In general that they are truths, n. 4545, 4763, 5319, 5954, 6914, 9093. That they are scientific truths, n. 6918. And that they are sensual truths, n. 9158. That the sensual principle is the ultimate of life appertaining to man, n. 4009, 5077, 5125, 5128, 5767, 5774, 6201, 6313, 7442, 7693. And that the sensual principle is in fallacies, n. 5084, 5089, 6201, 6948, 6949, 7442. That garments denote truths, originates in representatives in the other life, where the angels and spirits appear clothed in garments

according to the states of faith, or truth in which they are; and their garments vary according to the changes of that state. They who are in genuine truth, appear clothed in white garments; and they who are in truths derived from good, in shining garments; but they who are only in good, as the angels of the inmost heaven, who are called celestial, appear naked. Hence now it is that garments denote truths, and that by garments in the Word are signified truths; as may be manifest from the passages be fore pointed at, to which it is allowed to add the following from the Evangelists, "When Jesus was transformed, His face shone as the sun, and His raiment became as light," Matt. xvii. 2. By face in the Word are signified the interiors, especially the affections, n. 358, 1999, 2434, 3527, 3573, 4066, 4796, 4797, 5102, 5695, 6604, 6848, 6849; and by the face of God, good itself, n. 222, 223, 5585; by the sun, the Divine Love, n. 2441, 2495, 3636, 3643, 4060, 4321, 4696, 7083, 8644; hence it is evident what is signified by the Lord's face shining as the sun, viz. that His interiors were the good of Divine Love. His raiment becoming as the light, signifies the Divine Truths proceeding from Him, which also in heaven appears as light, n. 1521, 1619 to 1632, 3195, 3222, 3485, 3636, 3643, 4415, 5400, 8644. Again, "When Jesus approached to Jerusalem, they brought an ass and the foal of an ass, and put upon them their garments and set Him upon them. But a very numerous crowd spread their garments in the way; but others cut off branches from the trees and spread them in the way," Matt. xxi. 1, 7,8; to ride on an ass and the foal of an ass, was a representative of a highest judge and king, see n. 2781; as is also evident from what precedes in verse 5, "Say to the daughter of Zion, behold thy King cometh to thee, meek, sitting upon an ass, and upon a colt, the son of what is accustomed to the yoke;" also in Mark, chap. xi. 1 to 12; and in Luke, chap. xix. 28 to 41; and in John, chap. xii. 12 to 16; and in Zechariah, chap. ix. 9; where it is said of the Lord that He rode upon an ass and upon a young ass, a son of she-asses, and He is there called a King, and it is added that His dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth; that the highest judge rode upon a she-ass, and his sons upon young asses, see Judges v. 9, 10; chap. x. 3, 4; chap. xii. 14; and that the king rode upon a she mule, and the sons of the king upon mules, 1 Kings i. 33, 38, 44; 2 Sam. xiii. 29. By the disciples putting their garments on the ass and her colt was represented, that truths in all complex should be spread under the Lord as the Highest Judge and King, for the disciples represented the church of the Lord as to truths and goods, see n. 2129, 3488, 3858, 6397; and their garments represented the truths themselves, n. 4545, 4763, 5319, 5954, 6914, 9093. The like was represented by the crowd spreading their gar nents in the way, and also branches of trees;