7437. Lo he goeth forth to the waters. That this signifies that from these evils they again think falsities, is evident from the signification of “going forth,” as being thought from evils to falsities, for when those who are in evils think from them to falsities, they are said to “go forth,” for as evil is of the will it is inmost, and falsity is outside of it, because falsity is of the understanding, consequently of the thought; this is signified by “going forth” in the spiritual sense, and also evil action from an evil will, as in Mark 7:21-23; and from the signification of “waters,” as being truths, and in the opposite sense falsities (see n. 739, 790, 2702, 3058, 3424, 4676, 5668), and also because the waters of the river of Egypt, to which Pharaoh would go forth, denote falsities (n. 7307).

[2] As regards thought from evils to falsities, be it known that they who are in evils cannot do otherwise than think from them to falsities; for evils are of their will and consequently of their love, and falsities are of their thought and consequently of their faith. For what a man wills, he loves; and what he loves, he confirms and defends; and evils cannot be confirmed and defended except by means of falsities; and therefore in the Word, where evil is compared to a city, falsities are compared to the walls round about the city. That they who are in evils think to the falsities by which they defend the evils, is because evils are the very delights of their life, insomuch that they are their very life. And therefore when they apprehend from others that they are evils, then in order to prevent their appearing so, they devise falsities by which they may cause the evils not to be believed to be evils; but if the evils dare not appear through falsities, they are hidden in the interiors, nor do they show themselves except when the fear of the law, or of the loss of reputation for the sake of gain or of acquiring honors, ceases; and then the evils burst forth either under the form of artifices, or of open hostilities.

[3] From all this it can be seen that they who are in evils cannot do otherwise than think from evils to falsities. It is the same also with those who are in a state of good, in that they cannot do otherwise than think from good to truths; for good and truth are conjoined, and also evil and falsity, insomuch that he who knows that anyone is in good, can know that he is in the truth of his good; and that he who is in evil is in the falsity of his evil; and that he is in this falsity in proportion as he excels in the gift of reasoning and perverting, and also in proportion as he is in the fear of the loss of reputation for the sake of gain and honors, and in proportion as he desires to be in the freedom of doing evil. Strange to say, after such persons have for some time defended evils by means of falsities, they at last persuade themselves that evils are goods, and that falsities are truths.