separate from Himself. But how this is, has been occasionally shown before, namely, that the Divine Itself, or Jehovah, was in Him, for He was conceived of Jehovah ; therefore also He calls Him His Father, and Himself His Son. But the Lord was then in the infirm Human, hereditarily from the mother, and so far as He was in that, so far Jehovah or the Divine Itself which was in Him appeared absent; but so far as the Lord was in the Human glorified or made Divine, so far Jehovah or the Divine Itself was present, and in the very Human. Hence now it may be known, how it is to be understood that the truth which had immediately proceeded from the Divine was from the Divine of the Lord.

7059. Wherewith he had sent him. That this signifies which proceed, namely, the particulars of doctrine, is evident from the signification of being sent, as proceeding (n. 2397, 4710).

7060. And all the signs which He had commanded him. That this signifies enlightenment, and hence at the same time confirmation, is evident from the signification of signs, as enlightenment and confirmation of truths (see n. 7012).

7061. And Moses went and Aaron. That this signifies the life of the conjunction of both, namely, of truth immediately proceeding from the Divine of the Lord, and truth which mediately proceeds, is evident from the signification of going, as life (see n. 3335, 3690, 4882, 5493); from the representation of Moses, as truth immediately proceeding from the Divine (n. 7010, 7054); and from the representation of Aaron, as truth mediately proceeding from the Lord (n. 7009). Hence now, because they went together, is signified the life of the conjunction of both.

7062. And gathered together all the elders of the sons of Israel. That this signifies the chief things of wisdom pertaining to the spiritual church, is evident from the signification of elders, as the chief things of wisdom, thus those that agree with good (see n. 6524); and from the repre

sentation of the sons of Israel, as the spiritual church (see n. 6426, 6637).

7063. And Aaron spake all the words which Jehovah had spoken unto Moses. That this signifies doctrine thence from the Divine, is evident from the signification of speaking, when said of the doctrine which is represented by Aaron, as utterance and preaching (see n. 6987, 6999); from the representation of Aaron, as truth mediately proceeding from the Divine of the Lord, thus the doctrine of truth and good (n. 6998, 7009); and from the signification of the words which Jehovah spake to Moses, as from the Divine, that is, by truth which immediately proceeds from the Divine of the Lord, which truth is represented by Moses (n. 7010, 7054).

7064. And did the signs in the sight of the people. That this signifies confirmation to the comprehension, is evident from the signification of signs, as confirmation of truths, and thus knowledge (see n. 6870); and from the signification of eyes, as what is of the internal sight or understanding (n. 2701, 3820, 4403-4421, 4523-4534); thus, in the sight, is to the understanding or comprehension.

7065. And the people believed: and they heard. That this signifies faith and hope, is evident from the signification of believing, as believing in the spiritual sense, thus faith (see n. 6956, 6970); and from the signification of hearing, as obeying, and also apperceiving (n. 5017); here having hope; for he who is in faith and obedience, when he perceives confirmations, receives hope, hope being therefrom.

7066. That Jehovah had visited the sons of Israel. That this signifies those of the spiritual church, that they would be liberated and saved by the coming of the Lord, is evident from the signification of visiting, as liberation by the coming of the Lord into the world (see n. 6895), thus also salvation that they of the spiritual church were adopted and saved by the coming of the Lord into the world, may

be seen above (n. resentation of the (n. 6426, 6637).

6854, 6914, 7035); and from the repsons of Israel, as the spiritual church That Jehovah in the Word is the Lord, may also be seen above (n. 1343, 1736, 2921, 3023, 3035, 5663, 6281, 6303, 6905).

7067. And that He had seen their affliction. That this signifies after so great temptations, is evident from the signification of affliction, as temptation (see n. 5356); and from the representation of the sons of Israel, as those of the spiritual church (n. 6426, 6637). As to the affliction or infestation by falsities, thus the temptations of those of the spiritual church before the Lord's coming, see above (n. 6854, 6914, 7037).

7068. And they bowed their heads and worshipped. That this signifies humiliation, is evident from the signification of bowing and worshipping, as the effect of humiliation (see n. 2153, 6266); but that bowing their heads is exterior humiliation, and is of those who are in truth, and that worshipping is interior humiliation, and is of those who are in good, may be seen above (n. 5682). That this is so, has often been. made plain from those who are in truth and those who are in good: they who are in truth are as it were rigid, and stand erect as if they were hard, and when they ought to humble themselves before the Divine, they only bend the body a little; but they who are in good, are as it were soft, and when they humble themselves before the Divine, they bow themselves even to the earth. For truth without good is altogether rigid, and when it looks to good as an end, that rigidity begins to soften; but good is in itself soft, and truth which is implanted in it, as it becomes good there, also grows soft; the reason is, that truth cannot be disposed in the heavenly form except by good, hence it is in itself hard, for the heavenly form is most free and of no resistance; hence good with which truth has been rightly disposed, is like, and, as above said, is soft.

CONTINUATION

CONCERNING THE SPIRITS OF THE

PLANET MERCURY.

7069. Moreover the genius of the spirits from the planet Mercury may still further appear from what follows. It is to be known that all spirits whatever have been men; for the human race is the seminary of heaven; also that the spirits themselves are altogether such as they were during their life in the world, for every one's life follows him hereafter. This being so, the genius of the men of every earth may be known from the genius of the spirits who are from it.

7070. As the spirits from Mercury in the Greatest Man relate to the memory of things abstracted from what is material (see n. 6808), therefore when one speaks with them of things earthly, corporeal, and merely worldly, they are quite unwilling to hear; and when forced to hear of them they at once change them into other things, and for the most part into what is contrary, to escape them.

7071. That I might certainly know that such was their genius, it was allowed to represent to them meadows, fallow grounds, gardens, woods, and rivers; but they immediately changed them, obscuring the meadows and fallow grounds, and by representations filling them with snakes; the rivers they made black, so that the water no longer appeared limpid. When I asked them why they did so, they said that they did not wish to think of such things, but of realities, which are knowledges of such things as are abstracted from what is earthly, especially such as exist in the heavens.

7072. Afterward I represented to them birds of different sizes, large and small, such as exist on our earth; for in the other life such may be represented as to the life, the speech of spirits and angels itself being full of representations. When they saw those represented birds, they at first wished to change them, but afterward were delighted

.

with them, and acquiesced. The reason was, that birds signify knowledges of things, of which fact the perception then flowed in; therefore they abstained from changing them, and thereby from averting the ideas of their memory. Afterward it was allowed to represent before them a most pleasing garden full of lamps and candles. Then they paused and became attentive, because lamps with candles signify truths which shine from good. From this it was plain that their attention might be fixed in viewing things material, provided the signification of them in the spiritual sense was suggested at the same time; for what. is of the spiritual sense is abstracted from material things, but represented in them.

7073. Again I talked with them about sheep and lambs; but they would not hear of these, because they were perceived by them as earthly. The reason was, that they did not understand what innocence is, which lambs signify, as was perceivable from this, that when I said that lambs do not appear represented in heaven as lambs, but; when named, innocence is perceived in place of them, they then said that they did not know what innocence was, but only knew it by name. The reason is, that they are affected only by knowledges, and not by uses, which are the ends of knowledge (see n. 6815); thus, because they do not care for the ends of knowledge, they cannot know from internal perception what innocence is.

7074. Some of the spirits of the earth Mercury came to me, being sent by others, to learn what was going on with me; to whom one of the spirits of our earth said, that they might tell their companions not to speak anything but the truth, and not, as they were accustomed, to suggest to those questioning them the opposite; for if any one of the spirits of our earth were to do so, he would be chastised. But immediately the company from which those spirits were sent forth, which was at a distance, answered, that if they were to be chastised for that, they would all