—­True Christian Religion, nn. 667, 721

I. BAPTISM

Baptism was instituted for a sign that a man is of the Church and for a memorial that he is to be regenerated.  For the washing of baptism is no other than spiritual washing, which is regeneration.  All regeneration is effected by the Lord through truths of faith and a life according to them.  Baptism, therefore, testifies that a man is of the Church and that he can be regenerated; for it is in the Church that the Lord is acknowledged, Who regenerates man, and there the Word is, where are truths of faith, by which is regeneration.

—­Heavenly Doctrine, nn. 202, 203

The sign of the cross which a child receives on the forehead and breast at baptism is a sign of inauguration into the acknowledgment and worship of the Lord.

—­True Christian Religion, n. 682

II.  THE HOLY SUPPER

The Holy Supper was instituted that by means of it there might be conjunction of the Church with heaven, and thus with the Lord.  When one takes the bread, which is the Body, one is conjoined with the Lord by the good of love to Him, from Him; and when one takes the wine, which is the Blood, one is conjoined to the Lord by the good of faith in Him, from Him.

—­Heavenly Doctrine, nn. 210, 213

In the Holy Supper the Lord is fully present, both as to His glorified Humanity, and as to the Divine.  And because He is fully present, therefore the whole of His redemption is; for where the Lord the Redeemer is, there redemption is.  Therefore all who observe the Holy Communion worthily, become His redeemed, and receives the fruits of redemption, namely, liberation from hell, union with the Lord, and salvation.

—­True Christian Religion, nn. 716, 717

THE RESPONSIBLE LIFE IN THE WORLD

    “Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me.”

—­Matthew, XI, 29

There are those who believe that it is difficult to live the life which leads to heaven, which is called the spiritual life, because they have heard that one must renounce the world, must divest himself of the lusts called the lusts of the body and the flesh, and must live spiritually.  They take this to mean that they must cast away worldly things, which are especially riches and honors; that they must go continually in pious meditation on God, salvation, and eternal life; and must spend their life in prayers and in reading the Word and pious books.  But those who renounce the world and live in the spirit in this manner acquire a melancholy life, unreceptive of heavenly joy.  To receive the life of heaven a man must by all means live in the world and engage in its duties and affairs and by a moral and civil life receive the spiritual life.