December6

Do Good Things

And the angel said to her, Fear not, Mary; for thou hast found grace with God. And behold◦, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring··forth a Son, and shalt call His name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest, and the Lord God shall give to Him the throne of His father David. And He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of His kingdom there shall be no end. But◦ Mary said to the angel, How shall this be, since I know not a man◦? And the angel answering said to her, The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore also that which shall be born of thee Holy shall be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:30-35)

In the internal sense “to bring forth” denotes:

• The things of the spiritual birth (Arcana Coelestia 4586)
• Procreation of such things as pertain to the church (Apocalypse Explained721.16)
• Coming into existence of good and truth (Arcana Coelestia 3298)
• To acknowledge in faith and act (Arcana Coelestia 4070)
• To make truths fruitful by doing them, from which comes reformation (Apocalypse Explained 721.16-17)

For as before said, the “seed” is the truth of faith, and “conception” is reception, and reception is effected when truth which is of the understanding passes into good which is of the will, or when truth which is of faith passes into good which is of charity; and when it is in the will, it is in its womb, and is then first produced; and when man is in good in act, that is, when he produces good from the will, thus from delight and freedom, it then goes forth from the womb or is born—which also is meant by being reborn or regenerated. From this it is evident what is signified in the spiritual sense by “being with child.” (Arcana Coelestia 4904)

As to its being said, “Bring forth abundantly in the earth, and be ye multiplied therein” the case is this: nothing is multiplied with the regenerate man in his external man, that is, nothing of good and truth receives increase, except as the effect of charity. Charity is like heat in the time of spring or summer, which causes grass and plants and trees to grow. Without charity, or spiritual heat, nothing grows (Arcana Coelestia 1016)

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