2615.

V

The INTERNAL SENSE.

ER. 1. And Jehovah vifited Sarah as he had faid, and Jehovah did unto Sarah as he had spoken. Jehovah vifited Sarah, fignifies 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 fpoken, fignifies as he thought.

2616. Jehovah vifited Sarah, that it fignifies the Prefence of the Divine celestial in the Divine fpiritual, appears from the Signification of Jehovah, which is the Divine celeftial, that is, the Divine Good, or Being itself, which because it is of Love and Mercy, is Good itself. Of the Signification of, to vifit, which is to be prefent; and of the Signification of Sarah, which is the Divine fpiritual, that it is the Divine Truth, fee N. 1468. 1901. 2063. 2065. 2507.

2617. As he had said, that it fignifies as he had perceived, appears from the Signification of, to fay, in the Hiftoricals of the Word, which is to perceive, of which, N. 2238. 2260. 2552.

2618. And Jehovah did unto Sarah, that it fignifies the State of Union, namely, of the Divine spiritual of the Lord in His Divine celeftial, appears from the Signification of, to do, when it is predicated of the Divine of the Lord, which is every Thing of Effect, and fo of State; and from the Signification of Jehovah, likewife of Sarab, of which just above, N. 2616. With respect to the State of the Union of the Divine fpiritual of the Lord in his Divine celeftial, 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 fo often called in the Word a Marriage, and compared to a Marriage; the Reason, which is a Secret, is, becaufe 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 celeftial and spiritual. What Secrets are farther involved in these Words, "That Jehovah vifited Sarah as he had faid, and Jehovah did unto Sarah as he had spoken," cannot be declared, because they are inexpreffible, for they comprehend the very State of the Union of the Divine of the Lord with His Human; its Appearances are prefented before the Angels by the Lord, by celestial Lights, and are illuftrated by ineffable Representations, but cannot before Men, because they are fuch as are of the Light of the World, upon which they do not fall, nay, they are more obfcured by Description from fuch Things.

2619. As he had spoken, that it fignifies as he thought, appears from the Signification of, to speak, which is to think, of which N. 2271. Perception, which is fignified by, Jehovah faid, was from the Divine celestial; but Thought, which is fignified by Jehovah fpoke, was from the Divine celeftial by the Divine fpiritual, it is therefore as it were a Repetition in the Senfe of the No VI. Letter,

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1

Letter, namely, as he faid and as he had spoken; and to think from the Divine celeftial by the Divine fpiritual does not fall into the most enlightened Apprehenfion by thofe 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, fo is from thence Perception, but Truth is of Faith, and fo is this of Thought; that is fignified in the Historicals of the Word by, to say, but this by, to speak; but when only, to fay, is read, then fometimes it fignifies to perceive, fometimes to think, becaufe, to fay, involves both.

2620. Ver. 2. For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a Son in his old Age, at the fet Time of which God had spoken to him. Conceived and bare, fignifies that it fhould be and exift. Sarah to Abraham, fignifies from the Union of the Divine spiritual with the Divine celeftial of the Lord. A Son, fignifies the Divine Rational. In his old Age, fignifies when his Days fhould be compleated, that his Human fhould be put off. At the fet Time fignifies, when the Rational fhould be fuch as that it fhould receive. Which God had spoken to him, fignifies as he would.

2621. That he conceived and bare, fignifies that there fhould 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 Senfe of the Word, than fpiritual and celeftial, may be feen 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 Exift, for He alone Is and Exifts. As to what farther belongs to Be and to Exift, they appear as if they were almost the fame, but they are not; every Man and every Thing has its Being from Conception, but from Birth its Existence, fo, as that Conception is before Birth, Being is before Exiftence. 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 Exift; which may be also illuftrated from this, but before the Learned, that every Effect has its Caufe, that every Caufe has its End, the End is the Being of the Caufe, and Caufe is the End of Existence; in like Manner the Cause is the Being of the Effect, but the Effect is the Exiftence of the Caufe.

2622. Sarah to Abraham, that it fignifies from the Union of the Divine Spiritual with the Divine Celestial, appears from the Representation of Sarah, which is the Divine fpiritual, or Divine Truth, of which N. 1468. 1901. 2063. 2065. 2172. 2193. 2198. 2507; and from the Reprefentation of Abraham, which is the Divine Celeftial, or the Divine Good; of which N. 1689. 2011. 2172. 2198. 2501. Of the Union of the Divine fpiritual with the Divine celeftial, may be feen what was faid above, N. 2618.

2623. A Son, that it fignifies the Divine rational, appears from the Signification of Son; Son in the internal Senfe of the Word fignifies Truth, N.

.

489.491.533; and because Truth is the chief Thing in the Rational, N. 2072. 2189. by Son is alfo fignified the Rational; but here the Divine Rational, in which is principally Good; that Ifaac alfo who is here the Son, reprefents, will appear in the following.

2624. In his old Age, that it fignifies 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 affumed, of which, N. 2198; Abraham was then an hundred Years old, by which Number that the full State of the Union is fignified, will appear in the Explanation at Ver. 5.

2625. At the fet Time, that it fignifies when the Rational fhould 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 effential, 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 fomething, 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 correfpond to Spaces and Times in Nature, to Spaces States with respect to be, and to Times and States with respect to exift; 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 otherwife of thofe Things than by those which are in the World, nay, than what he can apprehend by Senfuals, for he can fuppofe no otherwise, than that if he fhould lay aside the Idea of Space and Time, more if Space and Time itself, that he fhould be abfolutely nothing, and fo that there would nothing be left for him, from which he might perceive and think, unless fomething confufed and incomprehenfible, whereas it is directly otherwife; the angelical Life is fo, which of all is the most wife and most happy. This is the Reason that by Ages in the Word are not fignified Ages in the internal Senfe, but States, fo in this Verfe 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 thefe Things it may now appear, that by Time we muft understand State, State fhould be fignified when the Rational is fuch that it may receive. As to the Matter itself, namely, that the Divine rational fhould be and exift, from the Union of the Divine fpiritual with the Divine celeftial of the Lord, when the Days fhould be compleated that the Human fhould be put off, and the Rational should be fuch as that it might receive, which are fignified by "fhe conceived and bare "Abraham a Son in his old Age, at the fet Time," it must be known, that the Human begins in the Intimate of the Rational, as may be feen N. 2106. 2194; and that the Lord fucceffively advanced to the Union of the Human

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Effence

1

Effence with the Divine, and of the Divine with the Human, N. 1864. 2033. 2523; 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 Verfe. 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 fhould be fuch as that it should receive; fome Idea of thefe Things may be had from what is done in fuch as are regenerated; the Celestials which are of Love, and the Spirituals which are of Faith, are not implanted in them all together, but fucceffively by the Lord, and when by them the Rational of Man is made fuch, as that it can receive, then he is firft regenerated, as very often by the Temptations in which he conquers; while these Things are done, the Days are compleated, that he fhould put off the old Man and put on the new; concerning the Regeneration of Man may be seen N. 677. 679. 711. 848. 986. 1555-2475.

2626. Of which God had fpoken to him, that it fignifies as he would, may appear from the Signification of, to fpeak, which is to think, of which, N. 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, Ifaac. Abraham called the Name of his Son which was born unto him, fignifies his Quality which was Divine. Which Sarab bare unto him, fignifies to be and exist from the Divine spiritual united to the Divine celeftial. Ifaac fignifies the Divine Rational.

2628. Abraham called the Name of his Son which was born unto him, that it fignifies his Quality, which was Divine, appears from the Reprefentation of Abraham, which is the Lord with refpect to the Divine celeftial, 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 manifeft, that three Secrets are in those who are in the internal Senfe. The First is, that the Divine Human of the Lord exifts from the Divine Itfelf of which it is farther treated in this Verfe. 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. fo in the rest of the Evangelifts. The Third,

that

1

that the Divine Human of the Lord is the Name of Jehovah, that is, his Quality, may be seen John xii. 28.

2629. Which Sarah bare unto him, that it fignifies to be and exift from the Divine fpiritual united to the Divine celeftial, appears from the Signification of, to bring forth, which is, to exift, of which, N. 2621, and because Birth involves Conception, and Birth, or to exift, is from the Divine fpiritual, and Conception, or to be, from the Divine celeftial, which are here united, hence, to bring forth, fignifies both to be and to exift; likewife from the Representation of Sarah, which is the Divine fpiritual united to the Divine celeftial, of which, N. 1468. 1901. 2063. 2065. 2172. 2193. 2198. 2507. Thefe Things are more fecret than can be defcribed, nay, than can be illustrated by any Thing in the World, they are for angelical Minds, in which thefe Things appear by Ineffables in the Light of Heaven.

2630. Ifaac, that it fignifies the Rational Divine, appears from those Things which have been before faid of Abraham, Ifaac and Jacob, N. 1893, 2066. 2083, namely, that Abraham reprefented the Supreme Divine, Ifaac the Divine Rational, and Jacob the Divine Natural of Him; as alfo from the following, where we shall speak of Ifaac.

2631. Ver. 4. And Abraham circumcifed 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, fignifies the Beginning. and Continuance. As God had commanded him, fignifies according to Divine Order.

2632. Abraham circumcifed his Son Ifaac, that it fignifies the Purification of the Rational, appears from the Signification of, to be circumcifed, which is to be purified, of which, N. 2039; and from the Reprefentation 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 said, where we treated of Ifmael, by whom that Rational is reprefented; this, because it was born by Scientifics and Knowledge, fo by an external Way, which is of the Senfuals, 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; thefe Things were mundane, and this the Hereditary, which the Lord fucceffively expelled from his Rational, and this till it fhould be fuch, that it might receive the Divine, N. 2624. 2625; then was born the Divine Rational of the Lord, which is reprefented 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 Itfelf, N. 2628. 2629; this because it was not done at once, but fucceffively, N. 1690. 2033, it was purified, and this continually, which is fignified by, that Abraham circumcifed his Son, his Son of eight Days old. That the Lord made his Rational fucceffively Divine, and continually purified it, appears alfo in John, "Father, glorify thy Name. Then came there a Voice from Heaven, faying, I have.

"both