2615. V ER. I. The INTERNAL SENSE. And Jehovah visited Sarab as he had said, and Jehovah did unto Sarab as he had spoken. Jehovah visited Sarah, signifies the Prefence of the Divine Celestial in the Divine Spiritual. As he had faid, fignifies as he had perceived. And Jehovah did unto Sarah, fignifies the State of Union. As he had spoken, signifies as he thought. 2616. Jehovah visited Sarah, that it signifies the Presence of the Divine celestial in the Divine spiritual, appears from the Signification of Jehovah, which is the Divine celestial, that is, the Divine Good, or Being itself, which because it is of Love and Mercy, is Good itself. Of the Signification of, to visit, which is to be present; and of the Signification of Sarah, which is the Divine spiritual, that it is the Divine Truth, see N. 1468. 1901. 2063. 2065. 2507. 2617. As he had said, that it signifies as he had perceived, appears from the Signification of, to say, in the Historicals of the Word, which is to perceive, of which, N. 2238.2260. 2552. 2618. And Jehovah did unto Sarah, that it signifies the State of Union, namely, of the Divine spiritual of the Lord in His Divine celestial, appears from the Signification of, to do, when it is predicated of the Divine of the Lord, which is every Thing of Effect, and so of State; and from the Signification of Jehovah, likewise of Sarah, of which just above, N. 2616. With respect to the State of the Union of the Divine spiritual of the Lord in his Divine celestial, it is the very Marriage of Good and Truth, from whence is the Celestial Marriage, which Marriage is the Kingdom of the Lord in the Heavens and the Earth, therefore the Kingdom of the Lord is so often called in the Word a Marriage, and compared to a Marriage; the Reason, which is a Secret, is, because from the Divine Marriage of Good and Truth, and of the Divine Truth, and Good in the Lord, is all conjugal Love, and by this all Love celestial and spiritual. What Secrets are farther involved in these Words, "That Jehovah visited Sarah as he had faid, and Jehovah did unto Sarah as he had spoken," cannot be declared, because they are inexpressible, for they comprehend the very State of the Union of the Divine of the Lord with His Human; its Appearances are presented before the Angels by the Lord, by celestial Lights, and are illustrated by ineffable Representations, but cannot before Men, because they are such as are of the Light of the World, upon which they do not fall, nay, they are more obscured by Description from such Things. 2619. As he had spoken, that it signifies as he thought, appears from the Signification of, to speak, which is to think, of which N. 2271. Perception, which is signified by, Jehovah faid, was from the Divine celestial; but Thought, which is signified by Jehovah spoke, was from the Divine celestial by the Divine spiritual, it is therefore as it were a Repetition in the Senfe of the Letter, No VI. B Letter, namely, as he said and as he had spoken; and to think from the Divine celestial by the Divine spiritual does not fall into the most enlightened Apprehension by those Things which are of the Light of the World; hence it is plain how numberless other Things may; that from Perception is Thought, may be seen N. 1919.2515. In Man, thus it is; Good is that from which he perceives, but Truth is that by which he thinks; Good is of Love and its Affections, so is from thence Perception, but Truth is of Faith, and so is this of Thought; that is signified in the Historicals of the Word by, to say, but this by, to speak; but when only, to say, is read, then sometimes it signifies to perceive, sometimes to think, because, to say, involves both. 2620. Ver. 2. For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a Son in his old Age, at the fet Time of which God bad spoken to him. Conceived and bare, signifies that it should be and exist. Sarah to Abraham, signifies from the Union of the Divine spiritual with the Divine celestial of the Lord. A Son, signifies the Divine Rational. In his old Age, signifies when his Days should be compleated, that his Human should be put off. At the set Time signifies, when the Rational should be such as that it should receive. Which God had spoken to him, signifies as he would. 2621. That she conceived and bare, signifies that there should be and exist, namely, as it follows, a Divine Rational from the Union of the Divine spiritual with the Divine Celestial of the Lord. That no other Conceptions and Births are understood in the internal Sense of the Word, than spiritual and celestial, may be seen N. 2584; but here they are Divine, because the Rational of the Lord made Divine is treated of, of whom, namely, of the Lord, is principally predicated to Be and to Exist, for He alone Is and Exists. As to what farther belongs to Be and to Exist, they appear as if they were almost the same, but they are not; every Man and every Thing has its Being from Conception, but from Birth its Existence, so, as that Conception is before Birth, Being is before Existence. The Soul is the very Being of Man, but the Sensitive or the Corporeal is his Existence; thus it is with all and fingular the Things in the Universe, for nothing is ever given which has not its Conception that it may Be, and its Birth that it may Exist; which may be also illustrated from this, but before the Learned, that every Effect has its Cause, that every Cause has its End, the End is the Being of the Cause, and Cause is the End of Existence; in like Manner the Cause is the Being of the Effect, but the Effect is the Existence of the Caufe. 2622. Sarah to Abraham, that it signifies from the Union of the Divine Spiritual with the Divine Celestial, appears from the Representation of Sarah, which is the Divine spiritual, or Divine Truth, of which N. 1468. 1901. 2063. 2065. 2172. 2193. 2198. 2507; and from the Representation of Abraham, which is the Divine Celestial, or the Divine Good; of which N. 1689. 2011. 2172. 2198. 2501. Of the Union of the Divine spiritual with the Divine celestial, may be seen what was said above, N. 2618. 2623. A Son, that it signifies the Divine rational, appears from the Signification of Son; Son in the internal Sense of the Word signifies Truth, N. : 489.491.533; and because Truth is the chief Thing in the Rational, N. 2072. 2189. by Son is also signified the Rational; but here the Divine Rational, in which is principally Good; that Ifaac also who is here the Son, represents, will appear in the following. 2624. In his old Age, that it signifies when the Days are compleated that the Human should be put off, may appear from the Signification of old Age, which is the State for the Human to be put off, and the Divine to be assumed, of which, N. 2198; Abraham was then an hundred Years old, by which Number that the full State of the Union is signified, will appear in the Explanation at Ver. 5. 2625. At the fet Time, that it signifies when the Rational should be fuch as that it should receive, may appear from the Signification of Time. There are two Things, which while Man lives in the World, appear essential, because proper to his Nature, namely, Space and Time; hence to live in Space and Time, is to live in the World or Nature, but these two Things are nothing in the other Life; yet they appear in the World of Spirits as if they were something, for this Reason, because the Spirits fresh from the Body have with them an Idea of natural Things, but yet afterwards perceive, that Space or Time are not there, but for them States, and that in the other Life States correspond to Spaces and Times in Nature, to Spaces States with respect to be, and to Times and States with respect to exist; of Space or Place fee N. 1274. 1379. 1380.1382. Hence it may be evident to every one, what Idea Man may have while he is in the World or Nature, and of those Things which are of the other Life, and of many Secrets of Faith; that he will not believe otherwise of those Things than by those which are in the World, nay, than what he can apprehend by Sensuals, for he can suppose no otherwise, than that if he should lay aside the Idea of Space and Time, more if Space and Time itself, that he should be absolutely nothing, and so that there would nothing be left for him, from which he might perceive and think, unless something confused and incomprehensible, whereas it is directly otherwife; the angelical Life is so, which of all is the most wise and most happy. This is the Reason that by Ages in the Word are not signified Ages in the internal Sense, but States, so in this Verse by old Age, not old Age; as likewise by Numbers not Numbers, but certain States in particular, as by the Number of an hundred Years, of which in the following. From these Things it may now appear, that by Time we must understand State, State should be signified when the Rational is such that it may receive. As to the Matter itself, namely, that the Divine rational should be and exist, from the Union of the Divine spiritual with the Divine celestial of the Lord, when the Days should be compleated that the Human should be put off, and the Rational should be fuch as that it might receive, which are signified by "the conceived and bare "Abraham a Son in his old Age, at the set Time," it must be known, that the Human begins in the Intimate of the Rational, as may be seen N. 2106. 2194; and that the Lord successively advanced to the Union of the Human Effence B2 Effence with the Divine, and of the Divine with the Human, N. 1864. 20332523; and this by his own Power, N. 1921. 2025. 2026. 2083; by continual Temptations, and Victories, N. 1737. 1813. 1690; and by continual Revelations from his own Divine, N. 1616. 2500; and this at length so as that he expelled all the maternal Human, N. 1414. 1444.2574; and fo as that he made his own Human, with refpect to the Rational Divine, according to what is in this Verse. Hence it is plain, how it is to be understood, when the Days should be compleated that the Human should be put off, and the Rational should be such as that it should receive; some Idea of these Things may be had from what is done in such as are regenerated; the Celestials which are of Love, and the Spirituals which are of Faith, are not implanted in them all together, but successively by the Lord, and when by them the Rational of Man is made fuch, as that it can receive, then he is first regenerated, as very often by the Temptations in which he conquers; while these Things are done, the Days are compleated, that he should put off the old Man and put on the new; concerning the Regeneration of Man may be seen Ν. 677. 679. 711.848.986. 1555-2475 2626. Of which God had spoken to him, that it signifies as he would, may appear from the Signification of, to speak, which is to think, of which, Ν. 2271. 2286. 2619; but that here it is to will, is because it is faid, that God spoke, for to think, in the Divine is, to will. 2627. Ver. 3. And Abraham called the Name of his Son which was born unto him, whom Sarab bare to him, Isaac. Abraham called the Name of his Son which was born unto him, signifies his Quality which was Divine. Which Sarab bare unto him, signifies to be and exist from the Divine spiritual united to the Divine celestial. Ifaac signifies the Divine Rational. 2628. Abraham called the Name of his Son which was born unto him, that it signifies his Quality, which was Divine, appears from the Representation of Abraham, which is the Lord with respect to the Divine celestial, or the Divine Good, of which often before; from the Signification of, to call his Name; which is Quality, of which N. 144. 145. 1754. 1896. 2009; and from the Signification of Son, which is the Rational, of which N. 2623, likewife from the Signification of, born to him, which is to exift from the Divine; hence it is plain, that Abraham called the Name of his Son who was born unto him, fignifies his Quality that it was Divine. From these few Words it is manifest, that three Secrets are in those who are in the internal Sense. The First is, that the Divine Human of the Lord exifts from the Divine Itself of which it is farther treated in this Verse. Another, that the Divine Human of the Lord, was not only conceived from Jehovah, but was also born, hence the Lord as to his Divine, is called the Son of God, and the Only-begotten, John i. 14, 18, 50. Chap. iii. 16, 18, 35, 36. Chap. v. 19. to 27. Chap. vi. 69. Chap. ix. 35. Chap. x. 36. Chap. xi. 27. Chap. xiv. 13, 14. Chap. xvii. 1. Chap. xx. 31. so in the rest of the Evangelists. The Third, that 4 that the Divine Human of the Lord is the Name of Jehovah, that is, his Quality, may be seen John xii. 28. 2629. Which Sarab bare unto him, that it signifies to be and exist from the Divine spiritual united to the Divine celestial, appears from the Signification of, to bring forth, which is, to exist, of which, N. 2621, and because Birth involves Conception, and Birth, or to exist, is from the Divine spiritual, and Conception, or to be, from the Divine celestial, which are here united, hence, to bring forth, signifies both to be and to exist; likewise from the Representation of Sarah, which is the Divine spiritual united to the Divine celestial, of which, N. 1468. 1901. 2063. 2065. 2172. 2193. 2198. 2507. These Things are more fecret than can be described, nay, than can be illustrated by any Thing in the World, they are for angelical Minds, in which these Things appear by Ineffables in the Light of Heaven. 2630. Ifaac, that it signifies the Rational Divine, appears from those Things which have been before faid of Abraham, Ifaac and Jacob, N. 1893. 2066. 2083, namely, that Abraham represented the Supreme Divine, Ifaac the Divine Rational, and Jacob the Divine Natural of Him; as also from the following, where we shall speak of Ifaac. 2631. Ver. 4. And Abraham circumcised his Son Ifaac, being eight Days old, as God kad commanded him. Abraham circumcifed his Son Ifaac, fignifies the Purification of the Rational. His Son the eighth Day, signifies the Beginning and Continuance. As God had commanded him, signifies according to Divine Order. 2632. Abraham circumcised his Son Ifaac, that it signifies the Purification of the Rational, appears from the Signification of, to be circumcised, which is to be purified, of which, N. 2039; and from the Representation of Ifaac, which is the Rational Divine, of which, N. 2630. That the first Rational of the Lord was born as in others, namely, by Scientifics and Knowledge, has been before faid, where we treated of Ifmael, by whom that Rational is represented; this, because it was born by Scientifics and Knowledge, so by an external Way, which is of the Sensuals, as in others, it could not be but he must have much in him from mundane Things, for the Ideas of the Rational are acquired from thence, and this the more, because it was heredi-tary to him from his Mother; these Things were mundane, and this the Hereditary, which the Lord fucceffively expelled from his Rational, and this till it should be fuch, that it might receive the Divine, N. 2624. 2625; then was born the Divine Rational of the Lord, which is represented by Ifaac, N. 2630; and indeed not by an external Way, which is of the Senfuals, as the Rational before, but by an internal Way from the Divine Itself, N. 2628.2629; this because it was not done at once, but successively, N. 1690. 2033, it was purified, and this continually, which is signified by, that Abrabam circumcifed his Son, his Son of eight Days old. That the Lord made his Rational fuccessively Divine, and continually purified it, appears also in John, "Father, "glorify thy Name. Then came there a Voice from Heaven, saying, I have " both |