3824. 'And said, I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter' means a diligent effort, to be made during a holy state, to the end that it might be joined to internal truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'serving' as a diligent effort; from the meaning of 'seven' as that which is holy, dealt with in 395, 433, 716, 881; and from the meaning of 'years' as states, dealt with in 487, 488, 493, 893. And as anyone may see, such effort was so that the two might be joined together. From these meanings it is evident that 'I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter' means a diligent effort, to be made during a holy state, to the end that it might be joined to internal truth.

[2] Internal truths are said to be joined to the natural when they are learned, acknowledged, and believed. Within man's natural, that is, within his natural memory, both external and internal truths are present. These reside there as religious knowledge, but they have not been joined to the natural man until that person has an affection for them because they have application to his life, that is, life is the reason why he loves them. For when this stage is reached good is coupled to those truths, and by means of that good they are joined to the rational and so to the internal man. By this route life enters into them from the Lord.