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THE SWEDENBORG LIBRARY.

of repentance of life, there is only an oral confession of sin; and by these two there is no conjunction. Unless, therefore, a new church should arise, which acknowledges these two essentials and lives accordingly, no one can be saved. (A. R. 9.)

The "two witnesses" [mentioned in Rev. xi. 3] signify those who confess and acknowledge in their hearts that the Lord is the God of heaven and earth, and that his Humanity is Divine; and who are conjoined to Him by a life according to the precepts of the decalogue. The reason why such persons are here meant by the two witnesses, is, that these two things constitute the two essentials of the New Church. (A. R. 490.)

"And if any one desire to hurt them, fire shall proceed out of their mouth, and shall devour their enemies," signifies that they who desire to destroy these two essentials of the New Church will perish from infernal love.

To desire to hurt the two witnesses, signifies a desire to destroy these two essentials, which are the acknowledgment of the Lord as being the God of heaven and earth even as to his Humanity, and a life according to the commandments of the decalogue. Fire shall proceed out of their mouth, signifies infernal love; and shall devour their enemies, signifies that they who hurt them will perish by that love. But it is not here to be understood that fire will proceed out of the mouth of the witnesses, but from those who desire to destroy these

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