Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 4266

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4266. And he gave into the hands of his servants each drove by itself; and said unto his servants, Pass over before me, and put a space between drove and drove. That this signifies an orderly arrangement in regard to the way in which they were to be initiated, is evident from the signification of "giving into the hand," as being to instruct with power (that the "hand" denotes power, see n. 878, 3091, 3387, 3563); from the signification of "servants," as being the things of the natural man (n. 3019, 3020), for all things of the natural or external man are subordinated to the spiritual or internal man, and hence all things in it are relatively things of service, and are called "servants;"-from the signification of a "drove," as being memory knowledges, and also knowledges, thus doctrinal things (see n. 3767, 3768), which so long as they are in the natural or external man (that is, in its memory), and are not yet implanted in the spiritual or internal man, are signified by the "droves given to the hand of the servants;"-from the signification of "each by itself," as being to everyone according to classes, or according to genera and species; from the signification of "passing over before me," and of "putting a space between drove and drove," as being to prepare the way for the good which was to be received; for the subject here treated of is the reception of good by truth, and the conjunction of these in the natural man. From these several particulars it is manifest that by all these things in general is signified an orderly arrangement in regard to the way in which they were to be initiated. As regards the initiation of truth into good in the natural man, this cannot possibly be set forth to the apprehension; for the man of the church at this day does not even know what the internal or spiritual man is, although he very often speaks of it. Neither does he know that in order to become a man of the church, truth must be initiated into good in the external or natural man; still less that there is any orderly arrangement by the Lord in that man in order to effect its conjunction with the internal man. These things, which are most general, are at this day so hidden that they are not known to exist; and therefore to set forth the particulars which are here contained in the internal sense respecting orderly arrangement and initiation, would be speaking nothing but arcana, and thus things merely incredible; consequently it would be speaking in vain, or like throwing seed upon water or sand. This is the reason why the particulars are passed over, and why here, as also in what follows in these verses, the generals only are set forth.


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