8986. 'I love my master, my woman, and my children' means the delight in remembering forms of spiritual good. This is clear from the meaning of 'loving' here as the delight in remembering, dealt with below; from the meaning of 'master' as spiritual good from which [other forms of it spring], dealt with above in 8981; from the meaning of 'woman' as good attached by the spiritual, also dealt with above in 8981; and from the meaning of 'children' as forms of good and truths which are derived from that good, dealt with in 8982. Consequently 'master, wife, and children' in brief means spiritual forms of good. The reason why the delight in remembering those forms of good is meant by 'loving' is that those who were represented by 'Hebrew slaves' are people within the Church who are imbued with the truths of religious teachings and not with good in keeping with those truths, 8974, 8976. Such people cannot be filled with any affection for truth for the sake of good, only for the sake of delight. Therefore 'loving' here,^a being used in reference to those people, means the delight in remembering.

Notes