Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 6742

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6742. And the girl went, and called the mother of the child. That this signifies the truth of good of the church, that it adjoined the things of the church, is evident from the signification of "girl," as being the truth of good of the church (of which in what follows); from the signification of "calling," as being to adjoin, for the girl called in order to adjoin; and from the signification of "mother," as being the church (see n. 289, 2691, 2717, 5581); thus also the things of the church. Mention is made in the Word of a "virgin," and also of a "girl," but the latter in the original rarely by the name used here. A "virgin" signifies the good of the celestial church, but a "girl," the truth of good, which is of the spiritual church; as in David:

They have seen Thy goings, O God, the goings of my God, of my King, in the sanctuary. The singers went before, the players after, in the midst of the girls playing on timbrels (Ps. 68:24-25). The words in these verses are all said of the truths of good, which are of the spiritual church. (That the term "God" is used where truth is treated of, may be seen above, n. 2769, 2807, 2822, 4402; also that "king" denotes truth, n. 1672, 2015, 2069, 3009, 4575, 4581, 4966, 5044, 5068, 6148; that "singers" are predicated of the truths which are of the spiritual church, n. 418-420; and "they who play on timbrels," of spiritual good, n. 4138.) Hence it can be known that "girls" denote the truths of good, which are of the spiritual church.


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