9324. And I will take away disease from the midst of thee. That this signifies protection from falsifications of truth and adulterations of good, is evident from the signification of “taking away from the midst of thee,” when said of the falsified truths and adulterated goods which are signified by “disease,” as being to protect, for when the Lord protects from these, He takes them away (see n. 9313); and from the signification of “disease,” as being falsified truth and adulterated good. These are the diseases of the spiritual life; for the spiritual life comes forth and subsists through the truths which are of faith and the goods which are of love. When these are falsified and perverted the man sickens; but when they are denied at heart, he spiritually dies. (That “diseases” denote and correspond to such things, see n. 4958, 5711-5727, 8364, 9031)

6376. And his ass’s colt unto the choice vine. That this signifies [through] truth from the rational for the internal church, is evident from the signification of a “vine,” as being the spiritual church (see n. 1069, 5113), thus a “choice vine” is the internal church, for the internal of the church is more excellent than its external; and from the signification of an “ass’s colt,” as being rational truth (n. 2781). The external of the church is distinguished from its internal in that the former is in the natural, thus in the external man; but the latter is in the rational, thus in the internal man. They who are in the external of the church are in truth, but they who are in its internal, are in good; the former are not so much affected with the good of charity as with the truth of faith; but the latter are affected with the good of charity and thence with the truth of faith. The latter are they who are signified by the “choice vine,” but the former by the “vine.”