Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 4186

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4186. And all that thou seest is mine. That this signifies that so was all the perceptive and intellectual faculty, is evident from the signification of "seeing," as being to perceive and understand (see n. 2150, 3863), thus that all the perceptive and intellectual faculty of truth and good belonged to it. How the case herein is has already been stated, and has been illustrated by what takes place in the other life, namely, that when spirits, especially those of a mediate kind, are in an angelic society, they do not then know otherwise than that the affections of good and truth which flow into them from the society are theirs, such being the communication of affections and thoughts in the other life; and in proportion as they are conjoined with that society, so do they think. When these same spirits are separated from the society, they are indignant; and when they come into this state of indignation, they also come into an obscure state (spoken of above, n. 4184); and in this state having no interior perception, they claim for themselves the goods and truths which belong to the angelic society, and which they had by the communication above mentioned. It is this state which is described in this verse. Moreover by much experience it has been given me to know how the affections of good and truth are communicated to others. Spirits of this kind have sometimes been with me, and when conjoined by somewhat of affection, they knew no otherwise than that my thoughts and affections were theirs. And I was informed that the like takes place with all men; for every man has spirits with him, who as soon as they come to him and enter into his affections, know no otherwise than that all things which are the man's (that is, all things of his affection and thought) are theirs. In this way spirits are conjoined with a man, and through them he is ruled by the Lord (n. 2488); concerning which facts something shall be stated from experience hereafter, at the end of the chapters.


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