8571. To make me die, and my sons, and my cattle, with thirst. That this signifies that from the lack of truth everything of spiritual life is expiring, is evident from the signification of “dying,” as being to expire, here in respect to the spiritual life; from the signification of “me, my sons, and my cattle,” as being all things of spiritual life; for by “me,” or the man of the church, is signified the good of charity and of faith; by “sons,” the interior truths of faith; and by “cattle,” the exterior truths from which is good; thus all things which are of the spiritual life. For spiritual life consists of the good of charity and of faith, and of the truth of faith internal and external. (That “man” denotes good, see n. 4287; that “sons” denote the truths of faith, n. 489, 491, 533, 2623, 2803, 2813, 3372, 3704; and that “cattle” denote the truths from which is good, n. 6016, 6045, 6049.) And from the signification of “thirst,” as being a lack of truth (of which just above, n. 8568).

533. As nothing more is related concerning Lamech than that he begat sons and daughters, which are the conceptions and births of such a church, we shall dwell no longer on the subject. What the births were, or the “sons and daughters” appears from the church; for such as is the church, such are the births from it. Both the churches called “Methuselah” and “Lamech” expired just before the flood.