1006. Blessed is he that watcheth. That this signifies the happy state of those who look to the Lord, is evident from the signification of blessed, as denoting to be in a happy state; and from the signification of watching, as denoting to procure for oneself spiritual life (concerning which see n. 187). And this is procured by man's looking to the Lord, because the Lord is life itself, and from Him alone is life eternal. While a man is in life from the Lord, he is in wakefulness but when he is in life from himself, he is then in sleep. Or, what is the same, whilst man is in spiritual life, he is then in wakefulness, but when he is in natural life separated from spiritual, then he is in sleep; and what he then sees resembles what he sees in a dream. To live this life is also meant by sleeping and slumbering in the Word.
As Matt. xiii. 25; xxxv. 5, 6; Mark iv. 26, 27; xiii. 36; Isa. v. 27; Jer. li. 39, 57; Ps. xiii. 4; lxxvi. 7; and elsewhere.
Hence it is evident what is signified by watching.
Continuation concerning the Sixth Precept:-
[2] It must be known, however, that there are adulteries more or less infernal and abominable. The adulteries arising from the more grievous evils and the falsities therefrom are also the more grievous, and those from the milder evils and the falsities therefrom are milder. For adulteries correspond to the adulterations of good, and thence the falsifications of truth, adulterations of good being intrinsically evils, and falsifications of truth being intrinsically falsities; according to correspondences therewith the hells are arranged into genera and species. Cadaverous hells are formed of those who delighted in the violation of wives; excrementitious hells of those who took delight in the deflorations of virgins; direful slimy hells, of those whose delight was in varieties and a change of harlots; and filthy hells, of the rest. Sodomitic hells are formed of those who were in evils from the love of ruling over others from sole delight in ruling who find no delight in use. From those who have separated faith from good works, both in doctrine and in life, adulteries like those as of a son with a mother, or with a mother-in-law, breathe forth. From those who have studied the Word only for the sake of glory, and not for spiritual uses, there exhale adulteries like those of a father with a daughter-in-law. From those who believe that sins are remitted through the Holy Supper, and not by repentance of life, adulteries like those of a brother with a sister breathe forth. From those who altogether deny the Divine, there exhale abominations with beasts, and so on. The reason why such hells are formed of these is because of the correspondence with the adulterations or defilements of good and truth.
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