6390. 'Lying down between burdens' means life among works. This is clear from the meaning of 'lying down' as life, but life with little light; and from the meaning of 'burdens' as works. The reason why such works are meant by 'burdens' is that the people described here are not motivated, when they perform good deeds, by an affection that goes with love towards the neighbour but by an affection that goes with love towards themselves. Works motivated by the second affection are like the burdens carried by lowly asses, for such people are among the most menial servants. All servitude arises out of an affection that goes with self-love and love of the world, and all freedom arises out of an affection that goes with love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour. The reason for this is that the first affection enters in from hell, which is violently domineering, whereas the second comes from the Lord, who is not domineering but one who leads. This again shows that those who do good for the sake of recompense are the lowest-ranking servants, and that their works are 'burdens'. 'Burdens' has a similar meaning in the Book of Judges,

Princes in Issachar were with Deborah; and as was Issachar, so was Barak; in the valley he will be sent under his feet ¹ - in the divisions of Reuben, great as to decrees of the heart. Why should you sit between burdens, to hear the hissings of the flocks? Judges 5:15-16.

Here also 'Issachar' stands for those who wish to receive recompense for their works. 'In the valley being sent under his feet' stands for serving in the lowest ways. 'The divisions of Reuben' stands for those who have a knowledge of matters that constitute the truth of faith, among whom - yet placed beneath whom - there are those represented by 'Issachar'. 'Hearing the hissings of the flock' stands for contempt on the part of those with whom the good of charity is present, who are meant by 'the flocks'. 'Sitting between burdens' stands for among merit-seeking works.

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5023. 'Until his lord came to his house' means so that it might communicate with natural good. This is clear from the meaning of 'lord' as unspiritual natural good, dealt with in 4973, 4988. 'House' in the internal sense is the natural mind, for the natural mind, like the rational mind also, resembles a house. 'The husband' in it is good, 'the wife' truth; 'the daughters and sons' are affections for good and truth, as well as being forms of good and truth which are begotten from that aforesaid good and truth as their parents, while 'the women servants and the men servants' are the desires and the known facts that minister to and support them. Here therefore 'until his lord came to his house' means when natural good comes to its own dwelling-place, where also there is the truth that is joined to it, though in this case it is falsity which convinces the good that it is truth. For unspiritual natural good is easily convinced that falsity is truth and that truth is falsity. The expression 'his lord' is used because the unspiritual natural looks on the spiritual as something servile, 5013.

[2] The fact that a person's natural mind, like his rational mind, is called 'a house' is evident from the following places:

In Luke,

When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person he passes through dry places seeking rest; and if he does not find any he says, I will return to my house out of which I came. And if when he comes he finds it swept and decorated, he goes away and brings seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter in and dwell there. Luke 11:24-26.

'House' here stands for the natural mind, which is called a house that is 'empty and swept' ¹ when there are no forms of good and truth in it meant by 'husband and wife', no affections for good and truth meant by 'daughters and sons', nor anything such as supports these meant by 'women servants and men servants'. The person himself is 'the house' because the rational mind together with the natural mind constitutes a human being. Without the inhabitants just mentioned - that is, without the forms of good and truth, and without the affections for these, and the service rendered by those affections - a person is not a human being but a beast.

[3] The human mind is again meant by 'a house' in the same gospel,

Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and house falls upon house. Luke 11:17.

And in Mark,

If a kingdom is divided against itself, this kingdom cannot stand. Also, if a house is divided against itself, this house cannot stand. No one can go into the house and plunder the vessels of a strong man unless he first binds the strong man, and then he may plunder his house. Mark 3:14, 25, 27.

'Kingdom' means truth, 1672, 2547, 4691, and 'house' good, 2233, 2234, 3720, 4982, 'house' meaning good on account of its greater importance.

[4] In Luke,

If the householder had known at what hour the thief was coming he would certainly have been awake and would not have permitted his house to be broken into. Luke 12:39.

In the same gospel,

From now on there will be in one house five divided, three against two, and two against three. Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother. Luke 12:52-53.

This refers to the spiritual conflicts which members of the Church enter into once the internal or spiritual contents of the Word have been opened up to them. 'House' stands for the actual person or his mind, while the 'father', 'mother', 'son', and 'daughter' in it are forms of good and truth together with affections for these, or in the contrary sense evils and falsities together with affections for these, which are the source of conflict and the things to be grappled with in such conflict.

[5] The Lord commanded His disciples, in Luke,

Whatever house you enter, first say, Peace be to this house! And if indeed a son of peace is there, your peace shall rest on it; but if not, it shall return to you. But remain in the same house; eat and drink what they have there. Do not pass on from house to house. Luke 10:5-7.

This represented the requirement for them to remain with genuine good, that is, with the good of love to the Lord and of charity towards the neighbour, and not to pass on to any other kind. For more about the actual person or his mind being meant by 'a house', see also 3538, 4973.

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