1176. Saying, Woe, woe, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea, by reason of her costliness. That this signifies lamentation over the doctrine and religion from which gain was made by all those who confirmed them by reasonings from the natural man, is evident from the signification of Woe, woe, as denoting lamentation, concerning which see above (n. 1165); from the signification of a great city, which denotes doctrine and religion, see above (n. 1134); from the signification of being enriched by reason of her costliness, as denoting to make gain thereby; and from the signification of having ships in the sea, as denoting to confirm the same by reasonings from the natural man. Those who have ships in the sea signify things similar to those meant by pilot, every one employed on ships, sailors, and those that work on the sea, in verse 17; for these taken together, signify all those who believe themselves to be in wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge (scientia), and who by reasonings from the natural man, have confirmed the falsities of that doctrine and religion, as may be seen above (n. 1170).
[2] Continuation.- Since the Divine Providence acts into the affections which belong to man's love and thence into his will, and leads him in his own affection, and from that affection into another that has a close affinity with it, by means of freedom, and so imperceptibly, that he is not at all aware of the mode in which it acts, and even scarcely knows that there is such a thing as a Divine Providence - many men because of this deny Providence, and confirm themselves against it. This arises from various causes existing and occurring [in the world]; such, for instance, as that the arts and tricks of the wicked are successful; that impiety prevails; that there is a hell; that there is blindness of the understanding in things spiritual, that so many heresies arising from it exist, each of which originating from one head, spreads into congregations and nations, and thus becomes permanent - such are Popery, Lutheranism, Calvinism, Melanethonism, Moravianism, Arianism, Socinianism, Quakerism, Enthusiasm, and even Judaism; and also among these are Naturalism and Atheism. Beyond the confines of Europe again, extending throughout several kingdoms, Mahometanism prevails as well as heathenism, in which are various kinds of worship, and in some cases there is a total absence of worship.
[3] All those who do not think on these subjects from Divine Truth, say in their heart that there is no Divine Providence; those who hesitate upon this point, assert indeed that there is a Divine Providence, but say that it is merely general. Both the one and the other, when they are told that the Divine Providence is operative in the most minute affairs of man's life, either pay no attention, or regard the subject with little interest. Those who pay no attention cast it behind them, and go their way. Those, again, who do bestow upon it some attention, are also like men who go their way, and yet turn back their faces, merely looking to see whether it is any thing, and when they see it, they say in their own minds, "So it is said." Some also of these affirm this with their lips, and not with the heart.
Now, because it is of importance that the blindness arising from ignorance, or the thick darkness occasioned by the absence of light, should be dispersed, we are permitted to see (1) That the Lord teaches no one without the use of means, but mediately by those things that are within man's reach resulting from his hearing and sight; (2) That nevertheless the Lord provides that man may be capable of being reformed and saved by means of those things, which he adopts from that source as his religion. (3) That the Lord provides for every nation a universal medium of salvation.