2577. 'And with all' means that so also are the truths descending from these, namely factual truths and sensory truths. This is clear from what has been stated above and from the actual train of thought, for it is said just above, 'Behold, it is for you a covering of the eyes for all who are with you', by which rational truths are meant, which are like a covering to spiritual truths. And now 'all' occurs a second time, which therefore means lower truths still which are derived from rational truths. These lower truths are none other than those which are called factual truths and sensory truths. That these are derived and descend from rational truths is clear from the order which governs influx - interior things flow into exterior, or what amounts to the same, higher flow into lower, but not vice versa. The order does indeed seem to be other than this, that is to say, man seems to be made rational by means of sensory impressions and factual knowledge, but this is an illusion. Good from the Lord is flowing in all the time through man's rational faculty, where it meets facts and takes these into itself. And to the extent it is able to take them into itself and arrange them into a proper order, that person is made rational. It is similar with the good and the truths which are called the good and the truths of faith. Good from the Lord flows into the truths and takes these into itself; and to the extent it is able to take these into itself, that person is made spiritual. The appearance however is that it is these so-called truths of faith which flow in and make him spiritual. This appearance is also the reason why nowadays people venerate truth which is a matter of faith and give no thought to good which is a matter of charity.

2572. 'Dwell in that which is good in your eyes' means His Being, present in everything where good exists, and in the proximate sense His Being, present in the good of doctrine. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'the eyes' as the understanding part of the mind, which is the recipient of doctrine, and from the meaning of 'dwelling' as living, 1293, here as Being (Esse) because what is said has reference to the Lord. This Being (Esse), present in everything where good exists, is the essential being within a complete knowledge of all Divine, celestial, spiritual, rational, and natural things. And the reason for this lies with Divine Love, for Divine Love holds within itself a complete knowledge of all those things, 2500.

[2] What is more, there is the good of doctrine and there is the truth of doctrine. The good of doctrine is love and charity, the truth of doctrine is faith. People with whom the good of doctrine resides, that is, love and charity, have with them the truth of doctrine, that is, faith. But it is one thing for good, that is, love and charity, to exist with a person, quite another for the good of doctrine to do so. Young children with whom love towards parents and charity towards other young children exist are moved by good but not by the good of doctrine, nor consequently by the truth of doctrine, or faith. The people with whom the good of doctrine exists are those who have been regenerated by means of the truths of faith. To the extent that good resides with them truths reside with them; that is, to the extent that love and charity reside with them so does faith, and therefore wisdom and intelligence.

[3] Because love to the Lord and mutual love resides with angels, so also does all truth and thus all wisdom and intelligence, not only in celestial and spiritual things but also in rational and natural. For by virtue of love, it being from the Lord, they are in touch with the very beginnings or sources of things, that is, with ends in view and causes. Seeing from beginnings, that is, from ends and causes, is seeing from heaven all things that are below, even those on earth. This is like - to use a comparison - someone in a watch-tower set on a high mountain. He is able to look around for many miles on the objects that are below, while those who are below, especially those down in a valley or in a forest, can hardly see the same number of paces away. So it is with those governed by the good of doctrine in comparison with those governed by the truth of doctrine separated from good. Although the latter imagine that they can see further than the former, they do not in fact see any good at all, nor any truth except very slightly and superficially, and even that is defiled by falsities.

[4] Even so, the wisdom and intelligence of angels is finite, and in comparison with the Lord's Divine Wisdom most finite, amounting to hardly anything. This may be recognized from the fact that the infinite and the finite cannot be measured one against the other, and yet communication from the Divine omnipotence is possible; also from the fact that the Lord is Good itself and Love itself, and is therefore the Essential Being (Esse) of good and the Essential Being (Esse) of love which resides with angels, and so the Essential Being (Esse) of their wisdom and intelligence. From this it may also be evident that the Lord is present in heaven and on earth in everything where good exists. People who imagine that the Lord is present in truth separated from good are very much mistaken, for He is present solely in good and from this in truth, that is, in love and charity, and from these in faith.