6273. 'For Manasseh was the firstborn' means since good does indeed occupy the first place. This is clear from the representation of 'Manasseh' as good belonging to the will, dealt with before; and from the meaning of 'the birthright' as the prior and higher position, dealt with in 3325, so that 'the firstborn' is the one who occupies the first place. Is anyone incapable of seeing from natural light alone, provided a superior light brightens it a little, that good occupies the first place, as also do the intentions in a person's will, and that truth occupies the second, as also do the thoughts in his mind? Is anyone also incapable of seeing that the intentions in a person's will cause him to think in one particular way and no other, consequently that the good he possesses causes him to think that this or that is true; so that truth occupies the second place and good the first? Think and reflect on whether truth that composes faith can take root anywhere else than in good, or whether faith other than that which has taken root there is faith. From this you will be able to decide which is the primary or essential element for the Church, that is, for the person in whom the Church exists.

6454. 'Which is in the field of Ephron the Hittite' means which however can be made into clear light. This is clear from the meaning of 'the field' as the Church, dealt with in 1971, 3766; and from the representation of 'Ephron the Hittite' as those with whom the ability exists to receive what is true and good, dealt with in 2933, 2940, 2969, thus with whom obscurity of faith can be made into clear light. The situation in all this is that whatever is present in the natural, especially in the exterior natural, is obscure when compared with things in the interior natural, and even more so when compared with things in the rational, 6451, 6453. But that obscurity can be made into clear light in two ways:

(1) If exterior things are made subservient to interior ones and are thereby brought into agreement with them, and

(2)2 If the person can be raised from exterior things to interior ones and so can see exterior things from an interior standpoint. The second way is for those who are in the internal part of the Church, the first for those who are in the external part of it; but neither one way nor the other can be used unless they are being regenerated by the Lord. From all this one may see what is meant when it is said that obscurity can be made into clear light.