3995. 'And the spotted and speckled among the she-goats' means that after this all the good of truth that has falsity and evil mingled within it will be 'Jacob's'. This is clear from the meaning of 'spotted' as falsity, and from the meaning of 'speckled' as evil, dealt with just above in 3993, and from the meaning of 'she-goats' as the good of truth, or the charity of faith, dealt with in 3519. The fact that all of this will be 'Jacob's' is also meant by the statement which follows, 'And that will be my wages'.

[2] What is meant by the good of truth, or the charity of faith, will be discussed briefly. While a person is being regenerated it seems as though the truth of faith takes precedence and as though the good of charity is secondary; but once he has been regenerated it is quite plain that the good of charity takes precedence, and that the truth of faith is secondary. For what is seen before regeneration is the appearance but what is seen after it is the reality of the situation, see 3539, 3548, 3556, 3563, 3570, 3576, 3603, 3616, 3701. For while a person is being regenerated he does what is good from the truth he has learned, it being from truth that he learns what good is. Yet it is the good present inwardly that performs what is good because good is flowing in from the Lord by an internal route, that is, by way of the soul, while truth flows in by an external route, that is, by way of the senses, which is that of the body. Truth which enters by the external route is adopted by the good present inwardly and is joined to it, an activity which continues until that person has been regenerated. Then a reversal takes place and truth is done from good. This shows what is meant by the good of truth and by the truth of good. It also explains why so many at the present day speak of the good deeds of charity as the fruits of faith, for these are what those deeds are seen to be when regeneration first begins. These people base such a conclusion on the appearance and know nothing else, for those who are being regenerated are few and none can have a knowledge of this matter except one who has been regenerated, that is, who has an affection for good, which is charity. It is from an affection for good, or charity, that it can be seen clearly, and also perceived, by him. People however who are not regenerate do not even know what the affection for good is, that is, what charity is, but reason about it as something foreign or extraneous to themselves. As a consequence they call charity the fruit of faith, when in fact faith is a product of charity. However, it does not matter very much whether simple people know which is prior and which is posterior, provided they are leading charitable lives, for charity is the life of faith.

[3] By the expression 'member of the flock' here is meant not only lambs but also sheep, kids, she-goats, rams, and he-goats, though only lambs and she-goats are actually mentioned. These alone are mentioned because 'lambs' means innocence, and 'she-goats' the charity of faith, these being the subject at this point in the internal sense. This too is why in the original language 'spotted' is expressed by a word which also means lambs, as in Isaiah 40:10-11, while 'speckled' is expressed by a word which also means a sheep breeder, as in 2 Kings 3:4; Amos 1:1.

3571. Verses 26-29 And Isaac his father said to him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son. And he came near and kissed him. And he smelled the odour of his clothes, and he blessed him, and he said, See, the odour of my son, like the odour of the field that Jehovah has blessed. And God will give to you of the dew of heaven, and of the fatness of the land, and abundance of grain and of new wine. Peoples will serve you, and peoples will bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and your mother's sons will bow down to you. Cursed are those cursing you, and blessed those blessing you.

'Isaac his father said to him, Come near now' means a degree of perception more interior still. 'And kiss me, my son' means as to whether union is possible. 'And he came near and kissed him' means presence and union. 'And he smelled the odour of his clothes' means the pleasing emanation from the truth of good which he perceived. 'And he blessed him' means conjunction thereby. 'And he said, See, the odour of my son' means pleasure perceived in truth acquired from good. 'Like the odour of the field' means as the good ground from which truth is acquired. 'That Jehovah has blessed' means which is multiplied and made fruitful from the Divine. 'And God will give to you of the dew of heaven' means from Divine Truth. 'And of the fatness of the land' means from Divine Good. 'And abundance of grain' means natural good from this. 'And of new wine' means natural truth from the same. 'Peoples will serve you' means truths of the Church. ¹ 'And peoples will bow down to you' means truths grounded in good. 'Be lord over your brothers' means the apparent dominion at first of the affection for natural truth over affections for natural good. 'And your mother's sons will bow down to you' means over all other affections for truth. 'Cursed be those cursing you' means that the person who separates himself will be separated. 'And blessed those blessing you' means that the person who joins himself will be joined.

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