9304. To guard thee in the way. That this signifies His providence and guard from the falsities of evil, is evident from the signification of “guarding,” when said of the Lord, as being providence; for providence consists in providing and foreseeing, thus in leading to good and guarding from evil; because good is provided by the Lord, and evil is foreseen by Him (see n. 6489); and because evil is foreseen, man is guarded from it, otherwise good cannot be provided. And from the signification of “the way,” as being truth (n. 627, 2333, 3477); here as being falsity, because it is said “to guard thee;” for he who leads in truth likewise guards from falsity, because falsity infests and attacks truth. That falsity of evil is meant, is because this falsity infests and attacks; but not the falsity which is not of evil, such as is with those who are in good (of which falsity, and also of the falsity of evil, see n. 2243, 2408, 2863, 4736, 4822, 6359, 7272, 7437, 7574, 7577, 8051, 8137, 8149, 8298, 8311, 8318, 9258, 9298).

7577. And there was hail, and fire at the same time walking in the midst of the hail, very grievous. That this signifies the persuasions of falsity together with the cupidities of evil, is evident from the signification of “hail,” as being falsity from evil (of which above, n. 7574), here the persuasion of falsity, because it is said “hail very grievous;” from the signification of “fire,” as being the cupidity of evil (of which just above, n. 7575); from the signification of “walking in the midst,” as being to be together, and indeed the cupidity of evil inmostly, because this was the source of the falsity.

[2] There is here described the state of those who are of the church and infest the upright in the other life when they have been vastated as to what is of the church, that is, as to the goods and truths which they professed; namely, that then persuasions of falsity together with cupidities of evil reign with them; for such is their interior state. The persuasions of falsity and the cupidities of evil are inseparable, for he who is in evil as to life, is in falsity as to doctrine. It may indeed seem otherwise to those who are in evil of life; for when with the mouth they profess truths from the Word, or from the doctrine of their church, they suppose that they are in the belief of these truths. It also appears to them as if they were; but still they are not if the life is evil; for they either profess with the mouth what disagrees with their thoughts, or they think that it is so from a persuasive faith, which is for the sake of gain or of honors; therefore when there is no further canvassing for honors, or chasing of gain, this faith falls to the ground, and then they readily learn falsities which agree with the evils of cupidities. These falsities exist inwardly with those who live evilly, no matter how much they believe that they do not exist.

[3] That this is so, clearly shows itself in the other life, when the externals have there been taken away, and such persons have been left to their interiors. Then falsities burst forth, both those which they had thought in the world, and those which they had not openly thought; for they burst forth from the evils which had been of their life, because falsities are nothing else than evils reasoning and defending themselves. From all this it can be seen what is their state in the other life, namely that they have persuasions of falsity together with cupidities of evil.