5081. Against his two courtministers. That this signifies that it averted itself from the sensuous things of the body, of both kinds, is evident from the signification of "courtministers," who here are the butler and the baker, as being the sensuous things of both kinds (of which above, n. 5077, 5078). The sensuous things of the body, namely, the sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch, are as it were ministers of the court relatively to the interior man, who is their lord the king; for they minister to him, so that from the things in the visible world and in human society he may come into the teachings of experience, and may in this way acquire intelligence and wisdom. For man is not born into any knowledge, still less into any intelligence or wisdom, but only into the capability of receiving and becoming imbued with them. This is effected in two ways, namely, by an internal way, and by an external way. By the internal way flows in what is Divine, by the external way flows in what is of the world. These meet within man, and then insofar as he suffers himself to be enlightened by what is Divine, he comes into wisdom. The things which flow in by the external way, flow in through the sensuous things of the body; although they never flow in of themselves, but are called forth by the internal man to serve as a plane for the celestial and spiritual things which flow in by the internal way from the Divine. From this it is evident that the sensuous things of the body are like the ministers of a court. In general, all exterior things are ministers relatively to interior things. Relatively to the spiritual man the whole natural man is nothing else. [2] In the original language the term here used means a minister, courtier, chamberlain, or eunuch; in the internal sense it signifies, as here, the natural man as to good and truth, but specifically the natural man as to good; as in Isaiah:
Let not the son of the stranger, that cleaveth to Jehovah, speak, saying, Jehovah will surely separate me from His people; neither let the eunuch say, Behold I am dry wood. For thus hath said Jehovah to the eunuchs that keep My sabbaths, and choose that wherewith I am delighted, and are holding My covenant; I will give them in My house and within My walls a place and a name, a good better than sons and daughters; I will give them a name of eternity that shall not be cut off (Isa. 56:3-5);
here a "eunuch" denotes the natural man as to good, and the "son of the stranger" the natural man as to truth; for the church of the Lord is external and internal, and they who are of the external church are natural, while they who are of the internal church are spiritual. They who are natural, and yet are in good, are "eunuchs," and they who are in truth are the "sons of the stranger;" and as the truly spiritual or internal are to be found only within the church, therefore also by the "sons of the stranger" are signified those who are outside the church, or the Gentiles, and yet are in truth according to their religiosity (n. 2049, 2593, 2599, 2600, 2602, 2603, 2861, 2863, 3263); and by "eunuchs," those who are in good.
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