5165. And he brought back the prince of the butlers upon his butlership. That this signifies that the sensuous things of the intellectual part were received and made subordinate, is evident from the representation of the prince of the butlers, as being in general the sensuous things subject to the intellectual part (of which above); and from the signification of “bringing back upon his butlership,” as being to reduce into order under the intellectual. (That “to bring back upon a station” is to reduce into order so as to be in the last place, may be seen in n. 5125.) It is here said “upon the butlership,” because the butlership and the things relating to it, such as wine, new wine, strong drink, and water, are predicated of what belongs to the understanding, as also are drinking and giving to drink (see n. 3069, 3168, 3772, 4017); hence it is plain that by “bringing back the prince of the butlers upon his butlership” is signified reducing into order the sensuous things of the intellectual part, and thus receiving them and making them subordinate.

[2] These sensuous things are received and made subordinate when they minister and serve as means to interior things, both for bringing forth into act and for seeing inwardly; for man sees interior things in the sensuous things of the exterior natural almost as he sees affections in the face, and those still more interior in the eyes. Without such an interior face, or without such a plane, a man in the body cannot think at all of what is above sensuous things, for he sees what is above as one sees the affections and thoughts of another in his face, while not attending to the face itself; and as when one hears another speak, while not attending to the words, but to the sense of what is said, the very speaking of the words being the plane in which that sense is. It is similar with the exterior natural; unless this served interior things as a plane in which they see themselves as in a mirror, man could not think at all; and therefore this plane is formed first, even from infancy. But these matters are unknown, because that which comes forth interiorly in man does not come to view except by interior reflection.

[3] The quality of the exterior natural is very manifest in the other life, for the faces of spirits and angels are formed from it and according to it. In the light of heaven the interiors, and especially the intentions or ends, shine forth through that face. If love to the Lord and charity toward the neighbor have formed the interiors, there is a consequent resplendence in the face, and the face itself is love and charity in form; but if the love of self and of the world, and the derivative hatred, revenge, cruelty, and the like, have formed the interiors, there is a consequent diabolical expression in the face, and the face itself is hatred, revenge, and cruelty in form. From this it is evident what the exterior natural is and what is its use, and also what it is when made subject to interior things, and what it is when interior things are made subject to it.