9417. And the law and the commandment. That this signifies truth in general and in particular, is evident from the signification of “the law,” as being truth in general; and from the signification of “the commandment,” as being truth in particular. In the Word a distinction is made between “commandments,” “judgments,” and “statutes;” and by “commandments” are meant those things which are of life, by “judgments” those which are of the civil state, and by “statutes” those which are of worship (n. 8972). But all these are called by the general term “law;” and the particulars of the law are called “commandments,” as is evident from many passages in the Word. Consequently when mention is made of “law and commandment,” there is meant truth in general and in particular.

1023. And I, behold, I establish My covenant. That this signifies the presence of the Lord in charity, is evident from the signification of “covenant” as shown above n. 666), where it was shown that a “covenant” signifies regeneration, and indeed the conjunction of the Lord with the regenerate man by love; and that the heavenly marriage is that veriest covenant itself, and consequently so is the heavenly marriage with every regenerate man. This marriage or covenant has been treated of before. With the man of the Most Ancient Church the heavenly marriage was in the Own of his will part, but with the man of the Ancient Church the heavenly marriage was effected in the Own of his intellectual part. For when man’s will part had become wholly corrupt, the Lord miraculously separated the Own of his intellectual part from that corrupt Own of his will part, and in the Own of his intellectual part He formed a new will, which is conscience, and into the conscience insinuated charity, and into the charity innocence, and thus conjoined Himself with man, or what is the same, made a covenant with him. So far as the Own of man’s will part can be separated from this Own of the intellectual part, the Lord can be present with him, or conjoin Himself, or enter into a covenant with him. Temptations and the like means of regeneration cause the Own of man’s will part to be quiescent, to become as nothing, and as it were to die. So far as this is done the Lord through conscience implanted in the Own of man’s intellectual part can work in charity. And this is what is here called a “covenant.”