9088. He shall pay silver to its master. That this signifies by truth appertaining to him whose good or truth in the natural has been perverted, is evident from the signification of “silver,” as being truth (see n. 1551, 2048, 5658, 6112, 6914, 6917, 7999); of “giving silver,” as being to redeem by means of truth (n. 2954); and from the signification of “its master,” namely, of him whose ox or ass had fallen into the pit, as being the one whose good or truth in the natural has been perverted; for “an ox” denotes good in the natural, and “an ass” denotes truth there (n. 9065, 9086); and “to fall into a pit” denotes to pervert these (n. 9086).

[2] The case herein is this. If good or truth is being perverted by means of falsity, then that which has been perverted must be amended by means of truth; within the church by means of truth from the Word, or from doctrine which is from the Word. The reason why this must be so, is that truth teaches what is evil and what is false, and in this way the man sees and acknowledges it; and when he sees and acknowledges, he can then be amended. For the Lord flows into those things in man which the man knows; but not into those things which he does not know; and therefore He does not amend what is evil or what is false until the man has been instructed that it is evil or false. From this it is that those who do the work of repentance must see and acknowledge their evils, and thus live a life of truth (see n. 8388-8392). The case is the same with purifications from the evils of the love of self and the love of the world. Purifications from these loves cannot possibly be effected except by means of the truths of faith, because these teach that all concupiscences are from these loves. It was for this reason that among the Israelitish and Jewish nation circumcision was performed by means of a knife of stone; for “circumcision” signified purification from these filthy loves; and the “knife of stone” by which it was performed signified the truth of faith (n. 2799, 7044). Moreover man is regenerated by means of the truths of faith (n. 8635-8640, 8772). This was signified by the “washings,” whereby in olden time they were cleansed. The same is also signified at this day by the waters of baptism, for “waters” signify the truths of faith by means of which evils are removed (n. 739, 2702, 3058, 3424, 4976, 7307, 8568), and “baptism” signifies regeneration (n. 4255, 5120).

[3] From all this it is evident how erroneously those think who believe that evils or sins in man are wiped away, as the impurities of the body are washed away by water, and that those were cleansed as to the interiors who in old time were washed with water according to the statutes of the church, and also that at the present day men are saved by being baptized; when yet in old time washings merely represented the cleansing of the interiors; and “baptism” signifies regeneration, the “waters” thereof denoting the truths of faith whereby man is cleansed and regenerated, for evils are removed by their means. Baptism is for those who are within the church, because these have the Word, in which are the truths of faith through which man is regenerated.

5658. Our silver in its weight. That this signifies truths according to each one’s state, is evident from the signification of “silver,” as being truth (see n. 1551, 2954); and from the signification of “weight,” as being the state of a thing as to good (n. 3104); thus “truths according to each one’s state” is according to the good they are capable of receiving. Weights and measures are mentioned in many passages of the Word; yet in the internal sense they do not signify weights and measures; but weights signify the states of a thing as to good, and measures the states of a thing as to truth. So also do heaviness and extension; heaviness in the natural world corresponds to good in the spiritual world, and extension to truth. The reason is that in heaven, which is the source of correspondences, there is no heaviness and no extension, because there is no space. Things indeed appear heavy and extended among spirits; but these are appearances arising from states of good and truth in a higher heaven.

[2] That “silver” signifies truth was very well known in ancient times. Hence the ancients distinguished the several ages of the world from the first to the last into the golden, the silver, the copper, and the iron ages, to which they added an age of clay. They called those times the golden ages when there was innocence and wholeness, and when everyone did what was good from good, and what was just from justice. They called those times the silver ages when there was no longer innocence, but still a kind of wholeness that consisted not in doing good from good, but in doing truth from truth; and they gave the name of copper and iron to the ages which are yet lower.

[3] That they so designated these periods was not from comparison, but from correspondence; for the ancients knew that silver corresponds to truth, and gold to good, and this by communication with spirits and angels. For when good is spoken about in a higher heaven, there is an appearance of gold below among those who are beneath them in the first or lowest heaven; and when truth is spoken of, there is an appearance of silver; sometimes so that not only the walls of the rooms where they dwell sparkle with gold and silver, but also the very atmosphere. Tables of gold also, golden lampstands, and many other things, appear with the angels of the first or ultimate heaven who are in good from good; while to those who are in truth from truth, such objects appear of silver. Yet who at the present day knows that it was from their correspondence that the ancients called these the gold and silver ages? Indeed who at this day knows anything about correspondence? And he who does not know this, and still more he who makes pleasure and wisdom consist in disputing whether it is or is not so, cannot know the least of the countless things that belong to correspondence.