4390. 'And built a house for himself means an increase of good from truth within that state. This is clear from the meaning of 'building a house' as providing the external man with intelligence and wisdom, dealt with in 1488. And because intelligence is essentially truth, and wisdom is essentially good, 'building a house' here means an increase of good from truth. 'A house' means good, see 2233, 2234, 3128, 3142, 3652, 3720; and what the good of truth is has been stated above in 4337, 4353 - namely, truth in will and action. This truth is such that it is called good; and conscience which is a product of that good is termed the conscience of truth. This good which springs from truth increases in the measure that a person exercises charity which stems from a desire to do good, and so to the extent and degree that he loves his neighbour.

[2] The reason why good and truth are mentioned so many times in the explanations given is that all things in heaven, and consequently all in the Lord's Church, have a connection with truth and good In general these two include everything that is part of doctrine and everything that is part of life, ideas that are true being part of doctrine and those that are good being part of life. Furthermore the human mind generally does not have any objects of its thought and desire which do not involve truth or good, thought in the understanding involving truth and desire in the will involving good. From this it is evident that truth and good possess a very wide range of meaning and that they have an unimaginable number of derivations. This is why truth and good are mentioned so many times.

297. Celestial good is unclothed because it is inmost and is innocent. Good that is celestial-spiritual however is the first to be clothed, and then natural good, for they are more exterior. They are also compared to, and actually called, clothing, as in Ezekiel where the Ancient Church is the subject,

I clothed you with embroidered cloth, shed you with badger, swathed you in fine linen, and covered you with silk. Ezekiel 16:10.

In Isaiah,

Put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city. Isaiah 52:1.

In Revelation,

Those who have not soiled their garments will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. Revelation 3:4, 5.

And in the same book the twenty-four elders were 'clad in white garments', Revelation 4:4. These references show that goods which are more exterior, as are celestial-spiritual and natural, are clothing. And this also is why people who are endowed with the goods springing from charity are seen in heaven dressed in magnificent robes. In the present context however, because they were still in the body, they had 'coats of skin'.