Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 5264

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5264. What God doeth He hath shown to Pharaoh. That this signifies what was provided, that it was given the natural to perceive, is evident from the signification of "what God doeth," as being what is provided (of which in what follows); from the signification of "showing," as being to communicate and give to perceive (see n. 3608, 4856); and from the representation of Pharaoh, as being the natural (n. 5263). From this it is plain that by, "what God doeth He hath shown to Pharaoh," is signified what was provided, that it was given the natural to perceive. That "what God doeth" is what is provided, is because everything that God (that is, the Lord) does, is providence, which being from the Divine has within it what is eternal and infinite-what is eternal, because it does not look to any terminus from which, nor to any terminus to which, it proceeds; and what is infinite, because it simultaneously regards what is infinite in every singular, and every singular in what is universal. This is called "providence;" and because there is such a quality in each and all things the Lord does, therefore His doing cannot be expressed by any other word than "providence." That in each and all things the Lord does there is what is infinite and eternal, will of the Lord's Divine mercy be elsewhere illustrated by examples.


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