5965. 'And came to the land of Canaan, to Jacob their father' means the dwelling-place where natural but not spiritual good resides. This is clear from the meaning of 'the land of Canaan' as the Church, dealt with in 3705, 3686, 4447, 4517, 5136, and so the dwelling-place of those who were to represent the Church, who were the descendants of Jacob, as is well known; and from the representation of 'Jacob' as natural good, dealt with in 3305, 3659, 3775, 4009, 4073, 4234, 4538, but not spiritual good since this is represented by 'Israel'. For the representation of 'Jacob' as the external aspect of the Church and of 'Israel' as the internal, see 4186, 4570. Whether you say natural good or the external aspect of the Church, and spiritual good or the internal aspect of the Church, it all amounts to the same since natural good constitutes the external aspect of the Church, and spiritual good the internal aspect of the Church.

[2] The expression 'spiritual' is used to describe that which is in the light of heaven, for what is in that light has the affection for good and the perception of truth within itself. Such affection and perception make use of that light because that light comes from the Lord. People therefore who have spiritual good and truth within themselves are in the internal part of the Church, for their heads are up in heaven. But the expression 'natural' is used to describe that which is in the light of the world, for what is in this light does not have the affection for good or the perception of truth within itself, only outside itself. For the light of heaven flows down and shines round about it, thus outside it but not within it, with the result that the person can know that good is good or truth is truth because it is said to be good or truth but not because he perceives for himself that it is such. People therefore who have only natural good within themselves are in the external part of the Church, for their heads are not in heaven. Instead what light their heads receive from heaven comes from without. Jacob is called Jacob, not Israel, at this point for the reason that they are engrossed in external interests, as is plain from what has been stated above.

4538. 'God said to Jacob' means the perception which the kind of natural good that 'Jacob' now represents received from the Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in historical descriptions in the Word as perceiving, dealt with in 1602, 1791, 1815, 1822, 1898, 1919, 2061, 2080, 2238, 2260, 2619, 2862, 3395, 3509, so that 'God said' means perception received from the Divine; and from the representation of 'Jacob' in the highest sense here as the Lord as regards natural good. Jacob's representation in the Word has been shown in previous sections; but because it is varying, his representation must be discussed briefly here.

[2] In the highest sense 'Jacob' represents in general the Lord's Divine Natural. But the Lord's Natural, when He glorified it, was different at the beginning of the process of glorification from what it was during this and at the end of it; and this is why Jacob's representation was varying. That is to say, at the beginning of the process the Lord's Natural as regards truth is represented by him, during that process the Lord's Natural as regards the good of truth, and at the end of it as regards good. For the Lord's glorification advanced from truth to the good of truth, and finally to good, as shown many times in what has gone before. The end of the process being the subject at present, 'Jacob' represents the Lord as regards natural good. See what has been shown already about these matters, that is to say, about Jacob's representation in the highest sense - how at the beginning of the process he represents the Lord's Divine Natural as regards truth, 3305, 3509, 3525, 3546, 3576' 3599, during it the Lord's Divine Natural as regards the good of truth, 3659, 3669, 3677, 4234, 4273, 4337. But now he represents the Lord's Divine Natural as regards good, for the reason, as stated, that it is the end of the process.

[3] Such was the process which took place when the Lord made His Natural Divine. A similar process also takes place when the Lord regenerates man, for when the Lord made His Human Divine He was pleased to do things in the same sequence as He does when He makes man new. This explains why it has been stated frequently that man's regeneration is an image of the Lord's glorification, 3138, 3212, 3296, 3490, 4402. When the Lord makes man new He first of all supplies him with the truths of faith, for without the truths of faith he does not know who the Lord is, what heaven is, or what hell is; he does not even know of their existence, let alone of the countless things which have to do with the Lord, His kingdom in heaven, and His kingdom on earth, which is the Church. Nor does he know the identity or nature of the opposite of these, namely the things of hell.

[4] Until he does know these things no one can know what good is. The word 'good' is not used to mean the public good or the good of the individual, for one can learn in the world about these through laws and regulations and through reflection on human customs and habits, which is why gentiles outside the Church know such things too. 'Good' is a word used to mean spiritual good, which in the Word is called charity, and this good in general implies willing and doing to another that which is good not for any selfish reason but out of delight and affection for doing it. This good is spiritual good, which no one can possibly arrive at except through the truths of faith, which are taught by the Lord through the Word and regular preaching of the Word.

[5] Once a person has been supplied with the truths of faith he is then gradually led by the Lord to will the truth, and from willing it to putting it into practice. This truth is called the good of truth, for that good is truth present in will and action and is called the good of truth because truth which has been a matter of doctrine now becomes a matter of life. When at length the person takes delight in willing good and so putting it into practice, it is no longer called the good of truth, but simply good. For now he is regenerate, and it is no longer truth leading him to will and do what is good, but good moving him to will and put truth into practice. And the truth now practiced by him is also so to speak good, since that truth derives its essential being from that in which it originates - in good. From all this one may see what is meant by the statement that in the highest sense 'Jacob' represents the Lord's Natural as regards good, and one may see where that representation has its origin. The reason why 'Jacob' here represents this good is that the subject now in the internal sense is further advances, that is to say, advances made into more interior parts of the natural, which are meant by 'Israel', 4536. No one who is being regenerated by the Lord can be led to those more interior things until the truth present with him has become good.