Week 5    Day 5

    Listen:

Go with Him Two Miles

Matthew 5:41

And whoever shall compel thee to go one mile, go with him two.

Arcana Coelestia 9049:6

But it shall now be told what is meant in the internal sense by the words of the Lord [in Matthew 5:38-42]. In this sense it there treats of those who wish to destroy the truths of faith by means of falsities, thus to destroy the spiritual life with a man when he is in temptations, and in persecutions, and in good spirits, when they are in infestations by evil spirits.

Diary of Spiritual Experiences 4334

That evil spirits are insane, and that they strive with all their might to lead others to their own hell, and thus to torment them.

I spoke with evil spirits who continually infested me, and who infest men and upright spirits in like manner. And because they are insane themselves, they strive and want to make all infernal, by leading them away from good and mutual love into the love of self, thus into hatreds towards all. And the more they are able to make such in this way, the greater is the number of those who torment them, so that they are continually procuring hell to themselves.

But if they would not be like this, but would wish that all should be upright and good, then they would secure blessedness for themselves. For the good desire nothing more than to impart to others, and thus to them also, all their own happiness. Doing this, they would procure heaven for themselves. In their state at that time, they acknowledged this, and said that the fact was so. Yet they are such as they are because their nature is such. Each one thinks himself able to rule, but then they rush upon each other, and they get no greater pleasure than in tormenting others, even their dearest friends.

Apocalypse Explained 556:9

“Whoever shall compel thee to go one mile, go with him two,” signifies whoever wishes to lead away from truth to falsity and from good to evil, since he cannot do it, may be left unopposed, a “mile” having a similar signification as a “way,” namely, that which leads away and leads.

Arcana Coelestia 6724

When a man is being reformed, he is kept by the Lord as to his internal in good and truth, but as to his external he is let into his evils and falsities, consequently among infernal spirits who are in these evils and falsities. These hover around him, and endeavor by every method to destroy him. But the good and truth which flow in through the internal render him so safe that the infernal spirits cannot do him the least harm. For that which acts inwardly prevails immeasurably over that which acts outwardly, because what is interior, in consequence of being purer, acts upon each and every individual particular of the exterior, and thus disposes the external to its will. But in this case, there must be good and truth in the external, in which the influx from the internal can be fixed; and in this way good can be among evils and falsities, and yet be in safety. Everyone who is being reformed is let into this state, and in this way the evils and falsities in which he is are removed, and goods and truths are inserted in their place.

Arcana Coelestia 6574

In the other life the Lord permits infernal spirits to lead the good into temptation, consequently, to pour in evils and falsities. They also do this with every effort, for when they are doing this, they are in their life and its delight. But the Lord Himself is then present with those in temptation, both immediately, and mediately by angels, and resists by rebutting the falsities of the infernal spirits, and by dissipating their evil, thus giving refreshment, hope, and victory. Thus, with those who are in the truths of good, the truths of faith and the goods of charity are more inwardly implanted and more strongly confirmed. This is the means by which spiritual life is bestowed.

Divine Providence 60

In the spiritual world there are actually ways which lead to every society of heaven and to every society of hell, and each one, as if from himself, sees his own way. He sees it because there are ways there, one for every love; and love opens the way, and leads him to his fellows; nor does anyone see other ways than the way of his own love. From this it is clear that angels are nothing but heavenly loves, for otherwise they would not have seen the ways leading to heaven.

previous		next