faith in the Lord, has been shewn above, n. 255, 256; and also, that land or earth signifies things celestial, at verse 1, of this chapter, and also n. 620, 636, 662, 1066. In the literal sense, by the seed of Abram is meant his posterity derived from Jacob, and by land, the land of Canaan, which was to be given into their possession, in order that they might represent the celestial and spiritual things of the kingdom and church of the Lord, and that a representative church might be established among them; as also, because the Lord was to be born in that country. But in the internal sense, nothing else is signified by seed but faith in the Lord, and nothing by the land but things celestial; and in the present passage, that things celestial should be given to those who should have faith in him. What is meant by having faith in the Lord, has been frequently shewn above. 1448. "And he built there an altar to Jehovah, who appeared to him."-That these words signify the first worship of his Father from the celestial principle of love, appears from the signification of an altar, as being the principal representative of worship, n. 92. 1449. Verse 8. And he removed thence to a mountain on the east of Bethel, and stretched his tent; Bethel on the sea, and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to Jehovah, and called on the name of Jehovah. He removed thence to a mountain on the east of Bethel," signifies the fourth state of the Lord when a child, viz., the progression of the celestial things of love, which is to be removed to a mountain on the east of Bethel and stretched his tent," signifies the holy things of faith. Bethel on the sea, and Ai on the east," signifies, that as yet he was in an obscure state: "and he built an altar to Jehovah," signifies external worship of his Father from that state; "and he called on the name of Jehovah," signifies internal worship of his Father from that state. : 66 1450. He removed thence to a mountain on the east of Bethel."-That these words signify the fourth state of the Lord when a child, may appear from what goes before, and also from what follows, and likewise from the nature of order. Order required, that the Lord first of all from infancy should be imbued with the celestial things of love, which consist in love towards Jehovah, and neighborly love, with the pure innocence which has its abode therein. From these principles, as the very fountains of their life, all celestial things flow, taken both collectively and individually for all others are only derivations from these. These celestial things are chiefly insinuated into man in his state of infancy, and in his progress thence to childhood, and are even introduced without the accompaniments of knowledges; for they enter by influx from the Lord, and affect : The word knowledges, in the plural form, and in the sense of specific matters man, before he knows what love is, or what affection is; as may appear from the state of infants, and afterwards from the state of early childhood. These are the remains in man, of which we have occasionally treated; and which are insinuated into hin by the Lord, and stored up for the use of his succeeding life concerning which, see n. 468, 530, 560, 561, 660, 661. The Lord, being born as another man, was also introduced into things celestial according to order; which also was effected by degrees from infancy to childhood. He was afterwards introduced to knowledges. How this took place in respect to him. is described in this verse, and is represented in what follows by Abram's sojourning in Egypt. 1451. That to be removed to a mountain on the east of Bethel, signifies the progression of the celestial things of love, may appear from the signification of a mountain, as denoting what is celestial; as is shown at n. 795, 796: and from the signification of the east, as denoting Jehovah Himself in respect to love, who is essentially THE east; according to what was shewn, n. 101, and in other places. It may appear also from the signification of Bethel, as denoting the knowledge of things celestial. Celestial things are insinuated into man both without accompanying knowledges and with them: celestial things without knowledges are insinuated from the period of infancy to that of childhood, as has just been shewn; but celestial things with knowledges are insinuated from childhood onward to adult age. As then the Lord was to advance into the knowledges of things celestial which are signified by Bethel, it is here said, that he removed thence to a mountain on the east of Bethel. 1452. "And stretched his tent."-That these words signify the holy things of faith, may appear from the signification of a tent, as denoting the holy principle of love, consequently, the holy principle of faith grounded in love, as was shewn above, n. 414. By stretching his tent there, is signified, that this state now commenced. 1453. "Bethel on the sea, and Ai on the east."-That these words signify that as yet he was in an obscure state, viz., as to the knowledges of things celestial and spiritual, may appear from the following considerations. It is one thing to be under the influence of things celestial, and another thing to possess the knowledges of things celestial. Infants and children are under the influence of things celestial more than adult persons. because they are under the influence of love towards their parents, and of mutual love, and also of innocence; but adult persons are possessed of the knowledges of things celestial more than infants and children, and yet very many of them are not under the in of knowledge, is not common in the English language; yet the sense of the original cannot otherwise be expressed; and this use of the term has the great authority of Lord Bacon to plead in its favor.-Edt. VOL. II. fluence of the celestial things of love. Before man is instructed in the things appertaining to love and faith, he is in an obscure state, that obscurity arising from the absence of knowledges: and this state is here described by Bethel being on the sea, that is, on the west, and Ai on the east. By Bethel, as observed. are signified the knowledges of things celestial; but by Ai the knowledges of worldly things; the former are said to be on the west when they are seen obscurely, for the west signifies, in the Word, what is obscure; the latter are said to be on the east when they are seen clearly, for the east, in respect to the west, signifies what is in clearness. That the east and west have such a signification needs no proof, it being obvious to the apprehension of every one. That Bethel signifies the knowledges of things celestial, may appear from other passages in the Word where Bethel is mentioned; as in the following chapter, where it is said, "that Abram went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been in the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, unto the place of the altar which he had made there at the first," (chap. xiii. 3, 4) where going on his journeys from the south to Bethel signifies progression to the light of knowledges; wherefore it is not there said that Bethel was on the west, and Ai on the east. So it is written of Jacob, when he saw the ladder, that he said, "This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven and he called the name of that place Bethel," (Gen. xxviii. 17, 19;) where, in like manner, by Bethel is signified the knowledges of things celestial; for man is Bethel, that is, the house of God, and also the gate of heaven, when he is possessed of the celestial things of knowledges. During the process of regeneration, man is successively introduced by the knowledges of things spiritual and celestial, but when he is regenerate, his introduction is completed, and he is in possession of these things. Again: "God said to Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there, and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee, (Gen. xxxv. 1 ;) where, also, by Bethel are signified knowledges. The like was signified by the ark of Jehovah being in Bethel, and the children of Israel coming thither and enquiring of Jehovah, (Judges xx. 18, 26, 27; 1 Sam. vii. 16; x. 3;) and also by the king of Assyria sending one of the priests, whom he transported from Samaria, to dwell in Bethel, and teach them how they should fear Jehovah, (2 Kings xvii. 27, 28.) So in Amos: "Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there; but prophesy not again any more at Bethel; for it is the king's sanctuary, and it is the house of the kingdom," (vii. 12, 13.) But after Jeroboam profaned Bethel, 1 Kings xii. 32; xiii. 1 to 8; 2 Kings xxiii. 15, it had a contrary signification, as in Hosea x. 15: Amos iii. 14, 15: iv. 5, 6, 7. That Ai signifies the knowledges of worldly things, may also be proved from the historical and prophetical parts of the Word, as from Josh. vii. 2; viii. 1 to 28; Jer. xlix. 3, 4. 1454. "And there he built an altar to Jehovah."—That these words signify the external worship of his Father from that state, appears from the signification of an altar, as being the principal representative of worship; n. 921. 1455. And called on the name of Jehovah."-That these words signify the internal worship of his Father from that state, appears from the signification of calling on the name of Jehovah, n. 440. That to build an altar to Jehovah denotes external worship, and that to call on the name of Jehovah denotes internal worship, may appear to every one. 1456. Verse 9." And Abram journeyed, going and journeying towards the south." "Abram journeyed, going and journeying. signifies further progression: "towards the south," signifies, into the principles of goodness and truth, thus into a bright lucid state, as to the interiors. 1457. "And Abram journeyed, going and journeying."— 'That these words signify further progression, may appear from the signification of going and journeying. Among the ancients, this alone was signified by journeys, travels, and sojournings; and hence this is the only signification of those terms in the internal sense of the Word. Here begin the progressions of the Lord into knowledges. That the Lord was also instructed as another man, may appear from these words in Luke: "The child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon him," (ii. 40.) And again: "After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions: and all that heard him were astonished at his, understanding and answers. And when they saw him they were amazed; but he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" (ii. 46 -49) that he was then ten years old is declared in verse 42 of the same chapter. Again: "Jesus increased in wisdom and age, and in favor with God and man," (ii. 52.) 1458. That "towards the south," signifies into principles of goodness and truth, thus into a bright and lucid state as to the interiors, appears from the signification of the south. This signification of the south, as denoting a bright and lucid state, has its ground in this circumstance, that as there are no times in the other life, so there are no quarters, but by times, and the quarters, are signified states. States of intellectual things are circumstanced like states of the times of the day and the year, and also like states of the different quarters of the hemisphere. States of the day are those of evening, night, morn ing, and noon states of the year are those of autumn, winter, spring, and summer; and states of the different quarters of the hemisphere have relation to the sun in its different aspects towards the west, north, east, and south. Similar to these are the states of things intellectual; and, what is wonderful, those in heaven who are in a state of wisdom and intelligence dwell in light altogether according to the state, and they are in the greatest light who are in a state of the greatest wisdom and intelligence: but it is to be observed, that wisdom, in heaven, is the offspring of love and charity, and intelligence is the offspring of faith in the Lord. That there is light in the other life, incomparably above the light of this world, has been evidenced to me by much experience; concerning which, by the divine mercy of the Lord, more will be said hereafter. Now as there is such a correspondence between light and things intellectual in heaven, therefore, in the Word, both in this and other passages, nothing else is signified by the south in the internal sense. The south here signifies intelligence as procured by knowledges. Knowledges are celestial and spiritual truths, which, in heaven, are so many radiations of light, and are also rendered visible by light, as just observed: wherefore, as the Lord was now to be imbued with knowledges, in order that he might become the light of heaven, even as to his human essence, it is here said, that he journeyed, going or journeying towards the south. That this is the signification of the south may appear from similar passages in the Word; as in Isaiah: "I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth," (xliii. 6 :) the north signifies those who are immersed in ignorance, and the south those who are in possession of knowledges; sons denote truths, and daughters principles of goodness. Again, in the same prophet: "If thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul, then shall thy light rise in obscurity; and thy darkness shall be as the south,"* (lviii. 10) to draw out the soul to the hungry, and to satisfy the afflicted soul, denotes the good principles of charity in general; by light arising in obscurity, is signified, that such should have the intelligence of truth; and by the darkness being It is necessary to be observed, that the word for south, both in the author's Latin and in the original Hebrew of this passage, signifies mid-day or noon, the southern quarter being determined, to the inhabitants of the northern hemisphere, by the sun's place at noon. In the same manner, the names for the east and the west, in some of the ancient languages, signify rising and setting; the east being the place of the sun at his rising, and the west at his setting. In our language, all allusions of this sort are lost. In the above passage, and in those which follow from the Psalms, the literal sense requires that the word should be translated mid-day ; but as the idea of the south, which the author is here explaining, is then lost, it is necessary to use the latter expression. There are three other terms denoting the south in the Hebrew language, all of which occur in the passage presently cited from Ex. xx. |