289. 对于 “妻子” 表教会, 在宇宙义上, 表主在天上和地上的国, 这在前面也作了说明. 基于此, “母” 也是表教会. 在圣经中, 教会常被称为 “母”, 例如: “你们的母亲被休, 休书在那里呢?” (以赛亚书 50:1)

又如: “你们的母极其抱愧, 生你们的必然蒙羞.” (耶利米书 50:12)

再如: “你正是你母亲的女儿, 厌弃丈夫和众子. 你母亲是赫人, 你父亲是亚摩利人.” (以西结书 16:45) 在此, “丈夫” 表主并一切属天之性, “众子” 表信之真理, “赫人” 表虚假, “亚摩利人” 表罪恶.

再如: “你的母亲先前如葡萄树, 和你一样, 栽于水旁. 因为水多, 就多结果子, 满生枝子.” (以西结书 19:10) 在此, “母” 表古教会. 上古教会尤被称为 “母”, 因为它是首个教会, 也是 唯一属天的教会, 最得主的喜爱.

8410. 'Eating bread to the full!' means that in that situation they enjoyed the good of lower pleasures, as much as they wished to have. This is clear from the meaning of 'eating' as making one's own, dealt with in 3168, 3513 (end), 3596, 4745, and also as enjoyment, 7849; from the meaning of 'bread' as the good of heavenly life, and in the contrary sense the good of natural life separated from heavenly, thus the good of lower pleasures (in the spiritual sense 'bread' means the chief thing that nourishes the soul and maintains its spiritual life, that chief thing being the good of love, as heaven's life demonstrates, which consists wholly of that good. But in the contrary sense 'bread' is used to mean the chief thing that nourishes those in hell and sustains their life, that chief thing being the evil of self-love and love of the world, as hell's life demonstrates, which consists wholly in that evil. To those in hell that evil is good, for to them nothing is more delightful or sweeter; and it is this that is meant here by the good of lower pleasures); and from the meaning of 'to the full' as, as much as they wished to have, since the will is what is filled with good if people are good, or with evil if they are evil.