Verses 1-8. Instruction is given that man must conjoin good and truth in himself; reverence and love them; confirm himself in true worship; refrain from selfish and worldly love which is idolatry; love good as manifested in truth; worship in freedom; appropriate good; reject evil in the process of Judgement; and especially avoid profanation then, because this would be to confirm himself in evil

Verses 9-10. In the period of Judgement good and truth are to be devoted to the Lord in works of charity without any selfish motive

Verses 11-18. Various prohibitions involving important spiritual obligations

Verses 19-22. Concerning the illegitimate conjunction of good affections with evil in the course of regeneration, but not from deliberate wickedness; and concerning the remedy and its result

Verses 23-25. On the appropriation of good in the perfect state; its relative imperfection; its full realization; and its abundant increase by the implantation of remains

Verses 26-37. Concerning various prohibitions and duties which the truly spiritual man ought by no means to neglect.

593. 'Whom I have created from upon the face ¹ of the ground' means mankind among the descendants of the Most Ancient Church. This is clear not only from the use of the word 'created' in the phrase 'man whom He created', that is, whom He regenerated, and subsequently from the use of the word 'made' in the phrase 'whom He made', that is, whom He perfected or regenerated to the point of his becoming celestial; but also from the use of the expression 'from upon the face ¹ of the ground'. The ground is where the Church is, as shown already. It is additionally clear from the fact that the subject is the people who immersed doctrinal matters concerning faith in their own evil desires. Those however who had no doctrine of faith were unable to act in this fashion. For people outside of the Church have no knowledge of truth and good, and those who do not have that knowledge can have a type of innocence even when they say or do something that is contrary to the truths and goods of faith. For they can be inspired with zeal for the system of worship which they have been brought up in since early childhood, and which they therefore suppose to be true and good. But in the case of people who do possess a doctrine of faith the matter is altogether different, for they are capable of mixing truths with falsities, and sacred things with profane. For this reason their lot in the next life is far worse than that of those called gentiles, who in the Lord's Divine mercy will be considered later on.

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