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of Truth, but Good becomes from thence obfcure, qualified by the Truths to which it is joined; this is like the Light of the Sun falling upon Objects, the Quality of the Objects which receive, effects that Light appears there as a Colour, beautiful if the Quality of the Form and Reception be fitting and correfponding, not beautiful if the Quality of the Form and Reception be not fitting nor fo corresponding; thus Good itself is qualified according to Truth. Also from this it is plain, that the spiritual Man knows not what is Evil, he believes there are scarce any other Evils, than those which are contrary to the Commands of the Decalogue, butthe Evils of Affection and Thought, which are innumerable, he is ignorant of, neither does he reflect upon them, neither calls them Evils, all the Delights of Lufts and Pleasures he regards no otherwise than as good Things, and the very Delights of the Love of Self he looks earnestly upon, approves, and excuses, being ignorant that they are such Things as affect his Spirit, and that he will become wholly such in the other Life. From this it likewife appears, that the Spiritual Man, altho' in the whole Word scarce any Thing is treated of but the Good of Love towards the Lord, and of Love towards our Neighbour, yet he knows not what Good is which is the Effential of Faith, nor indeed what Love and Charity essential is; and that which he knows of Faith, which he makes essential, yet he disputes whether it be so, unless he is confirmed by a great deal of Life, which the Celestials never do, for they know and perceive that so it is; hence it is said by the Lord in Matthew, "Let your Communication be, yea yea, nay nay; for what"foever is more than these cometh of Evil," v. 37. For the Celestials are in Truth itself, of which Spirituals difpute whether it be so or not; hence the Celestials, as they are in Truth itself, may see Things unbounded which are of that Truth, so from Light as it were the whole Heaven; but spiritual Men, because they difpute whether it be so, can by no Means come to the first Limit of the Light of Celestials, less can they from their Light behold any Thing.

2716. With respect to the other, namely, that that Obscure in Spirituals is illuminated by the Divine Human of the Lord, is a Secret which cannot be explained to the Apprehenfion, for it is the Influx of the Divine which should be described; from thence only any Idea of it can be had, if the Supreme Divine itself should flow into fuch a Good, it is fouled with such a Number of Evils and Falsities, that it could not be received, and if any Thing should be received, he should feel an internal Torment, that is, the Man who had fuch a Good given him, and so would perish; but the Divine Human of the Lord may flow into them, and illuminate such a Good, as the Sun is wont to do upon thick Clouds early upon the Face of the Morning; but yet the Lord cannot appear before them as the Light of the Sun, but as the Light of the Moon; from hence it may appear, that the Reason of the Lord's Coming into the World, was for the fake of Spiritual Men that they might be saved, as may feen N. 2661.

2717. And his Mother took him a Wife, that it fignifies the Affection of Truth appears from the Signification of Mother, which is the Church, of which

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which, N. 289; and because the Church Spiritual, which is here represented, is in the Affection of Truth, and that from the Affection of Truth it is a Church, therefore by Mother is here signified that Affection.

2718. A Wife out of the Land of Egypt, that it signifies the Affection of Sciences, which the Man of the spiritual Church has, appears from the Signification of Wife, which is Affection or Good, of which, N. 915.2517; and from the Signification of Egypt, which is Science, of which N. 1164. 1165. 1186. 1462. In this Verse is described the Man of the spiritual Church, what he is with respect to Good, that is, with respect to the Effence of his Life, namely, that the Good in him is obscure, but that it is illuminated by the Divine Human of the Lord; from which Illumination the Affection of Truth exists in his Rational, and in his Natural the Affection of Sciences. That the Affection of Good cannot exist in the spiritual Man, such as it is in the celestial, but instead of it the Affection of Truth, the Reason is, because the Good implanted in him is in his intellectual Part, and that it is obscure respectively, as was shewn N. 2715; from hence no other Affection can be produced and derived into his Rational than the Affection of Truth, and by this the Affection of Sciences into his Natural. By Truth no other Truth is understood, than such as he believes to be Truth, altho' it should not be Truth in itself; and by Sciences are not understood the Sciences, such as the Learned have, but every Scientific, in which from Experience and by Hearing he may be instructed from civil Life, from Doctrine, and from the Word; in the Affection of such is the Man of the spiritual Church. That it may be known what it is to be in the Affection of Truth, and what in the Affection of Good, a few Things are to be faid; they who are in the Affection of Truth, think, examine, and difpute, whether this be Truth, whether it be so, and when they are confirmed that it is Truth, or that it is so, they think, examine, and dispute what it is, so stumble in the Entrance, nor can they be admitted into Wisdom, before they are without a Doubt; but they who are in the Affection of Good, from the Good itself, in which they are, know and perceive that so it is, so are not in the Entrance, but in the Inside, admitted into Wisdom. As for Example, that it is celestial to think and act from the Affection of Good or from Good; they who are in the Affection, dispute, whether it be so, whether it be feisible, and what it is, and so long as they canvass about it, they cannot be introduc'd; but they who are in the Affection of Good, do not dispute or raise Doubts about it, but say that it is so, wherefore they are introduc'd; for they who are in the Affection of Good, that is, celestial Men, begin there where they who are in the Affection of Truth are at a full Stand, that is, spiritual Men, so that the last of their Limits is the first of the others; therefore it is granted to them to understand, know, and perceive, that the Affections of Good are innumerable, namely, how many Societies there are in Heaven, and that all are joined by the Lord into a celestial Form, that they may as it were conftitute one Man; then also it is given to distinguish by Perception the Kind and Species of every Affection. As thus, for Example; that all Pleasure, Happiness, and Felicity, is only of Love, but such as is the Love, such is the Pleasure, Happiness, and Felicity; the spiritual Man holds the Mind in Suspence, whether it be so, or whether it is not otherwise, as whether it be in Conversation, Discourse, Meditation, Learning, also whether it be not in Possessions, Honour, Fame, Glory from thence, not confirming himself in that, that those Things are of no Consequence, but the Affection of Love, what and of what Kind it is which they have; but the celestial Man, does not stick in those Preliminaries, but says, that so it is, wherefore he is in the very End, and in the Ufe, that is, in the very Affections which are of Love, which are innumerable, and in every one of which are Things ineffable, and this with a Variation of Pleasure, Happiness, and Felicity to Eternity. Again, for Example, That our Neighbour is to be loved from the Good which is in him; they who are in the Affection of Truth, think, examine, and dispute, whether this be true, or whether it be so, what is Neighbour, what is Good, neither proceed any farther, wherefore they shut to themselves the Door to Wisdom; but they who are in the Affection of Good, say that so it is, wherefore they do not shut the Door to themselves, but enter, and understand, know, and perceive from Good, who is their Neighbour before another, also in what Degree he is so, and that all Men are unlike, so that they perceive Things ineffable beyond those who are in the Affection of Truth. Moreover, by way of Example, That he who loves his Neighbour from Good, loves the Lord; they who are in the Affection of Truth, enquire whether it be so, and if it be faid to them, that he who loves his Neighbour from Good, loves Good, and as all Good is from the Lord, and the Lord in Good, when any one loves Good, he also loves Him, from whom it is, and in which He is, they even enquire whether it be so, also what is Good, whether the Lord be more in Good than in Truth; so long as they tarry in such Things, they cannot fee Wisdom even afar off; but they who are in the Affection of Good, know from Perception that so it is, and fee the State of Wisdom as a Plain leading even to the Lord. Hence it may appear, whence they have their Obscurity who are in the Affection of Truth, that is, spiritual Men, respectively to those who are in the Affection of Good, that is, to celestial Men. But yet they from Obscurity may come into the Light, if only they would be in the Affirmative, that all Good is of Love to the Lord, and of Charity towards our Neighbour, and that Love and Charity is a spiritual Conjunction, and from thence is all Happiness and Felicity, so that in the Good of Love from the Lord is the Life celestial, but not in the Truth of Faith from thence separated.

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2719. In this Chapter we have first treated of the Rational of the Lord, that it was made Divine, that the Rational is Ifaac; and of the Rational merely human, which was separated, which is the Son of Hagar the Egyptian; next of the Church spiritual, which is faved by the Divine Human of the Lord, which Church is Hagar and her Boy: Now we are to treat of the Doctrine of Faith which thould ferve that Church, namely, that the human Rationals from Scientifics should be joined to it, which are Abimelech and Phicol; the Conjunction is fignified by the Covenant which Abraham made with them; those Rationals are Appearances, not from a Divine Original, but from an Human, which are joined for this Reason, because the Church Spiritual without them could not comprehend Doctrine, so could not receive it; for it is, as was shewn N. 2715, the Man of the spiritual Church in Obscurity refpectively, wherefore Doctrine is to be invested with such Appearances, which are of Human Thought and Affection, and do not fo much difagree, but that it may have there the Divine Good like a Receptacle. As the following Chapter xxvi. again treats of Abimelech, and of the Covenant, but with Ifaac, and in the internal Sense of the Rationals and Scientifics secondarily added to the Doctrine of Faith, we shall expound only fummarily in the internal Sense those Things which are here contained concerning this Matter, which will be more clearly shewn in the Explanation of Chap. xxvi.

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2720. Ver. 22. And it came to pass at that Time, that Abimelech, and Phicol the chief Captain of his Host, spoke unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doeft. Ver. 23. Now therefore swear unto me by God, that thou wilt not deal falsly with me, nor with my Son, nor with my Son's Son; but according to the Kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the Land wherein thou hast jojourned. Ver. 24. And Abraham faid, 1 will fwear. Ver. 25. And Abraham reproved Abimelech, because of a Well of Water, which Abimelech's Servants had violently taken away. Ver. 26. And Abimelech faid, I wot not who hath done this Thing, neither didst thou tell me, neither beard I of it but to day. Ver. 27. And Abraham took Sheep and Oxen, and gave them to Abimelech, and both of them made a Covenant. Ver. 28. And Abraham set seven Ewe Lambs of the Flock by themselves. Ver. 29. And Abimelech faid unto Abraham, What mean these seven Ewe Lambs, which thou haft set by themselves? Ver. 30. And he said, For these seven Ewe Lambs thou Shalt take of my Hand; that they may be a Winess unto me, that I have digged this Well. Ver. 31. Wherefore he called the Name of that Place Beer-sheba; because there they sware both of them. Ver. 32. Thus they made a Covenant at Beer-sheba; then Abimelech rose up and Phicol the chief Captain of his Host, and they returned into the Land of the Philistines. And it came to pass at that Time, fignifies the State in which the Lord was when his Rational was made Divine. And Abimelech and Phicol the Chief Captain of his Host said unto Abraham, fignifies the Rationals human from Scientifics to be adjoined to the Doctrine of Faith, which in itself is Divine. Saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest, signifies Divine Things with refpect to all and fingular. Now therefore swear unto me here by God, fignifies Affirmative. That thou wilt not deal falsfly with me, gnifies without Doubt. Nor with

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my Son, nor with my Son's Son, signifies concerning those Things which are of Faith. According to the Kindness which I have shewn unto thee, fignifies the Rationals, in which the Lord was before instructed. And to the Land wherein thou hast sojourned, signifies Reciprocal. And Abraham faid, I will swear, signifies every Affirmative. And Abraham reproved Abimelech, fignifies the Indignation of the Lord. Because of a Well of Water which Abimelech's Servants had violently taken away, signifies the Doctrine of Faith, that Scientifics would attribute it to themselves. And Abimelech said, fignifies Answer. I wot not who hath done this Thing, fignifies that the Rational would dictate something else. Neither didst thou tell me, fignifies that that was not from the Divine. Neither heard I of it but to day, fignifies that it was now first discover'd. And Abraham took Sheep and Oxen, and gave them to Abimelech, signifies the Divine Excellencies implanted in the Rationals of Doctrine signified by Abimelech. And both of them made a Covenant, fignifies so a Conjunction. And Abraham set seven Ewe Lambs of the Flock by themselves, signifies the Sanctity of Innocence. And Abimelech faid unto Abraham, what mean these seven Ewe Lambs, which thou haft set by themselves, fignifies that he should be instructed and that he should acknowledge. And he faid, For these seven Ewe Lambs shalt thou take of my Hands, fignifies the Sanctity of Innocence from the Lord. That they may be a Witness unto me, signifies Certainty. That I have digged this Well, signi-'、 fies that Doctrine is from the Lord. Wherefore he called that Place Beersheba, fignifies the State and Quality of Doctrine. Because there they swore both of them, fignifies from Conjunction. Thus they made a Covenant at Beer sheba, fignifies that the Rationals human should be joined to the Doctrine of Faith. Then Abimelech rose, and Phicol the Captain of his Host, and they returned into the Land of the Philistines, signifies that yet they should have no Part in Doctrine.

2721. Ver. 33. And Abraham planted a Grove in Beer-sheba, and called there on the Name of the Lord. And Abraham planted a Grove in Beersheba, fignifies Doctrine with its Knowledge and Quality. And called on the Name of the Lord the everlasting God, fignifies Worship from thence.

2722. Planted a Grove in Beer-Sheba, that it fignifies Doctrine from thence, with its Knowledge and Quality, appears from the Signification of Grove. With refpect to Groves, in the Antient Church holy Worship was folemniz'd upon Mountains and in Groves; upon Mountains, because Mountains fignified the Celestials of Worship, and in Groves, because Groves fignified its Spirituals; fo long as that Church, namely, the Antient, continued in its Simplicity, then their Worship upon Mountains and in Groves was holy, for this Realon, because the Celestials, which are of Love and Charity, are reprefented by those Things which are high and lofty, as are Mountains and Hills; and Spituals, which are from thence, by fruitful and leafy Places, as are Orchards and Groves; but afterwards Reprefentatives and Significatives began to become Ilolatries, by this, that they worshipp'd Externals without the Internals, thus holy Worihip was made propnane; and therefore it was forbid

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