1027. And men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail. That this signifies the falsification of the Word thence, is evident from the signification of blaspheming God, as denoting to falsify the Word (see above, n. 778, 991); and from the signification of the plague of hail, as denoting falsity in the highest degree infernal (see just above), whence comes the falsification of the Word.
Concerning the Precepts of the Decalogue in general:-
[2] Something shall now be said as to how conjunction takes place by means of the precepts of the Decalogue. The Lord alone conjoins a man to Himself, and not a man himself to the Lord; and the Lord conjoins, a man to Himself by this, that he knows, understands, wills, and does those precepts. When he does them, then there is conjunction; but if he does not, he ceases to will them; and when he ceases to will, he ceases also to understand and know them. For what is willing, if a man does not act when it is possible for him so to do. Is it a mere idea? Therefore it follows that conjunction takes place when a man does the precepts of the Decalogue. But it was said that the Lord alone conjoins a man to Himself, and not a man himself to the Lord; and that conjunction is effected by doing. Hence it follows that the Lord with man does these precepts.
[3] But any one may see that a covenant cannot be entered into, and conjunction effected by its means, unless there is something reciprocal in a man, so that he may not only consent, but also receive. For this end the Lord has endowed man with freedom to will and act as of himself; and that freedom is such that he does not know when he thinks what is true, and does what is good - but that it is within himself, and thus from himself. It is this reciprocity on man's part that brings about conjunction. But because that freedom is from the Lord, and continually from Him, therefore a man must in every respect acknowledge that to think and understand what is true, and to will and to do what is good, is not from himself, but from the Lord, according to what was said upon this subject above (n. 946, 971, 973).
[4] Wherefore when a man conjoins himself to the Lord by the six last precepts, as of himself, then the Lord conjoins Himself to him by the three first precepts, which are, that man acknowledges a God, believes in the Lord, and keeps His name holy. Belief in these things is not with man, however he may suppose that it is, unless he abstains from the evils mentioned in the other table, that is, in the last six precepts, as being sins. These are the things pertaining to the covenant on the Lord's part and on man's part, by which there is a reciprocal conjunction, which is, that man is in the Lord, and the Lord in man (John xiv. 20).
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