Page:The Swedenborg Library Vol 3.djvu/196

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THE SWEDENBORG LIBRARY.

the church than the Gentiles who know nothing at all concerning the Word, the Lord, and the sacraments. For the former, inasmuch as they are acquainted with the goods and truths of the church, extinguish the church in themselves, which the Gentiles cannot do because they are ignorant of those goods and truths.

It is further to be known that every one who lives in the good of charity and faith, is a church and kingdom of the Lord. Hence also he is called the temple, and likewise the house of God. The church in general is constituted of those who are churches in particular, however remote they are from each other as to place of abode. (A. C. 6637.)


THE HEART AND LUNGS OF THE WORLD.

But in what manner the presence and conjunction of the Lord and heaven are effected in all countries by means of the Word, shall now be shown.

The whole heaven is in the Lord's sight as one man; and so also is the church on earth. In this man the church where the Word is read and the Lord is thereby known, is as the heart and lungs; the celestial kingdom as the heart, and the spiritual kingdom as the lungs.

Now since from these two fountains of life in the human body, all the other members, viscera and organs subsist and live, so also do all those people in every part of the earth who have any religion, who worship one

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