Verses 1-6. There is revelation from the Lord by Divine Truth, following the implantation of truth in good, and worship thence, which is described.

Verses 7-11. Also there is complete purification from evil accompanied by a similar state of worship.

Verses 12-40. And this is succeeded by the third general stale of the regeneration of man, which is the implantation of good, the appropriate worship in which state is described.

Verses 12-16. But this involves a description of the successive states of regeneration, showing first the opposition of the natural man to the spiritual, and worship in that state.

Verses 17-19. Secondly, the decrease of this opposition, when truths are full and efficient.

Verses 20-22. Thirdly, its greater decrease when this fullness and efficiency affect the external as well as the internal man.

Verses 23-25. Fourthly, its continued decrease when truths are implanted in good.

Verses 26-28. Fifthly, that the decrease is greater still when the external as well as the internal man is thus affected.

Verses 29—31. Sixthly, a further decrease of the opposition of the natural man takes place when good is implanted there.

Verses 32-34. Seventhly, that it ceases altogether when good is implanted in the external as well as the internal man there,

Verses 35-40. And eighthly, that a new and perfect state succeeds in which there is a complete arrangement of truths and a full appropriation of good to eternity.

5915. 'And I will sustain you there' means a constant influx of spiritual life from the internal celestial. This is clear from the meaning of 'sustaining', when spoken by Joseph, who represents the internal celestial, as an influx of spiritual life from the internal celestial. In the internal sense 'sustainment' is nothing else than the influx of goodness and truth from the Lord by way of heaven. This is how angels are sustained, and it is how a person's soul, that is, his internal man, is sustained. This sustainment is what the sustaining of the external man by means of food and drink corresponds to; and for this reason good is meant by 'food' and truth by 'drink'. The nature of this correspondence is also such that when a person is eating food the angels present with him think of goodness and truth; and, what is amazing, their ideas vary according to the different kinds of food that he eats. When therefore in the Holy Supper a person receives bread and wine the angels present with him think about the good of love and the good of faith, 3464, 3735, for the reason that 'bread' corresponds to the good of love and 'wine' to the good of faith. And because they correspond to them they also carry the same meanings in the Word.

[2] The fact that a person's soul, that is, his internal man, is sustained by spiritual food and drink, which are goodness and truth, is clear from the Lord's words in Moses,

Man does not live by bread only, but man lives by every utterance of the mouth of Jehovah. Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4.

'Utterance of the mouth of Jehovah' is goodness and truth that go forth from Him. In John,

Do not labour for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. John 6:27.

In the same gospel,

The disciples asked Jesus, saying, Master, eat. He said to them, I have food to eat of which you do not know. John 4:31-32.

And regarding drink, in the same gospel,

Jesus said, If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow out from within him. ¹ John 7:37-38.

Poznámky pod čarou: