3394. 'But behold, she is your wife! So how did you come to say, She is my sister?' means, if it was Divine Truth, then it was not also rational truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'Rebekah', to whom 'wife' refers here, as the Divine Truth of the Lord's Divine Rational, dealt with in 3012, 3013, 3077, and from the meaning of 'a sister' as rational truth, dealt with in 3386, so that 'behold, she is your wife! So how did you come to say, She is my sister?' means that being Divine Truth, it cannot be rational truth.

[2] The arcanum lying behind this matter is this: Spiritual people do not have perception as celestial people do, and therefore they do not know that Divine Truth becomes rational truth with a person once he has been regenerated. They do indeed assert that all good and all truth come from the Lord; but when these come to be present in their rational they still suppose that good and truth are their own and so originate so to speak in themselves. For they are unable to be separated from the proprium which desires this. With celestial people however the situation is that they do perceive Divine Good and Truth within the rational, that is, within rational concepts which, when enlightened from the Lord's Divine, are appearances of truth, 3368, and also within the natural, that is, within facts and sensory impressions. And this being the state in which celestial people live they are able to recognize that all good and truth flow in from the Lord, and that it is an ability to perceive what is good and true, which is communicated to them from the Lord as their own and is the cause of their delight, blessedness, and happiness. It was for this reason that the most ancient people who were celestial perceived within the particular objects which they saw with the eyes nothing else than spiritual and celestial things, 1409.

[3] Because this arcanum has to do with the regenerated spiritual person who through his regeneration by the Lord has received Divine Good within a new will and Divine Truth within a new understanding, and because that person perceives nothing other than this - that if the truth were rational it could not be Divine, as stated above, and so if it were Divine it would have nothing in common with rational - it is therefore stated here that if it was Divine Truth, then it was not also rational truth. This also is the reason why such people desire matters of faith to be believed in simplicity without any scrutiny by the rational. They are unaware of the fact that no matter of faith, not even the deepest arcanum of faith, can be grasped by anyone without the aid of some rational idea, or even a natural one, though he has no knowledge of the nature of those ideas, 3310 (end). In this way they are able to protect themselves against those who from a negative attitude argue about the truth of every single thing, 2568, 2588. But to those who have an affirmative attitude of belief in the Word the former is a harmful attitude to adopt, for it is one in which a person's freedom to think may be taken away and his conscience bound even to something extremely heretical, with the result that control is established over the person internally and externally. These are the considerations meant by Abimelech's saying to Isaac, 'Behold, she is your wife! So how did you come to say, She is my sister?'

2568. It was stated above in this chapter that doctrine would be brought to ruin if the rational were consulted, 2516, 2538, and that it was not consulted, 2519, 2531; but here it is said that the doctrine of faith was enriched with both rational and natural goods and truths. At first glance these statements seem to express two conflicting and contrary ideas, but they do not in fact do so. It has been told how it was with the Lord, now it must be told how it is with man.

[2] With man it is one thing for him to regard the doctrine of faith from rational ideas but quite another to regard rational ideas from the doctrine of faith. Regarding the doctrine of faith from rational ideas occurs when someone does not believe in the Word, that is, in doctrine drawn from it, until he is persuaded on rational grounds that the thing is so. But regarding rational ideas from the doctrine of faith occurs when someone first of all believes in the Word or doctrine drawn from it and then confirms the same by rational ideas. The first approach is an inversion of order and leads to belief in nothing, whereas the second is genuine order and leads to greater belief. It is the first that is expressed by 'you will die on account of the woman', meaning that the doctrine of faith would be brought to ruin if the rational were consulted, 2516, 2538, but the second by 'Abimelech gave flocks and herds, and men servants and women servants', meaning that the doctrine of faith was enriched with rational and natural goods and truths.

[3] These matters receive considerable treatment in the Word in its internal sense, especially when Asshur and Egypt are referred to, the reason being that when the doctrine of faith is regarded from rational ideas, that is, when someone does not believe until he is persuaded on rational grounds that the thing is so, it is not only in that case brought to ruin but also whatever is contained within it is denied. But when rational ideas are regarded from the doctrine of faith, that is, when he believes the Word and after that confirms the same things by means of rational ideas, doctrine is in that case living and whatever is contained within it is regarded affirmatively.

[4] There are therefore two basic attitudes of mind, the first leading to utter stupidity and insanity, the second to perfect intelligence and wisdom. The first occurs when someone denies everything, that is, says in his heart that he is unable to believe those things until he is convinced by things which he can grasp in his mind and perceive with his senses. This is an attitude which leads to utter stupidity and insanity and must be termed the negative attitude. The second occurs when someone regards affirmatively the things which comprise doctrine drawn from the Word, that is, when he thinks within himself and believes that those things are true because the Lord has spoken them. This is an attitude that leads to perfect intelligence and wisdom, and must be termed the affirmative attitude.

[5] The more those who think from the negative attitude consult rational ideas and the more they consult factual knowledge and the more they consult philosophical concepts, the more they pitch themselves headlong into darkness, till at length they deny everything. The reasons for this are that nobody is able from things that are lower to grasp with his mind those that are higher, that is, from those that are lower to grasp those that are spiritual and celestial, still less those that are Divine, since these go above and beyond his entire understanding. And what is more, when this is the case everything is regarded from a basically negative attitude of mind. On the other hand, however, people who think from the affirmative attitude are able to confirm themselves by whatever rational ideas, and by whatever factual knowledge, indeed by any philosophical concepts, which they are able in any way to make use of, for to them all these matters are confirmatory and enable them to have a fuller idea of the matter.

[6] In addition there are those who are in doubt before they deny, and there are those who are in doubt before they accept affirmatively. Those in doubt before denying are people who are disposed towards a life of evil; and when carried away by that life, then insofar as they think about those matters they deny them. Those however in doubt before accepting affirmatively are people who are disposed towards a life of good; and when they allow themselves to be turned to that life by the Lord, then insofar as they think about those matters they accept them affirmatively. Since this subject is taken further in the verses that follow this, let them in the Lord's Divine mercy be illustrated more fully at that point; see 2588.