1799. 'Behold, a son of my house is my heir' means that in the Lord's kingdom there would be only that which is external. This is clear from the meaning in the internal sense of 'an heir' and of 'inheriting'. 'Becoming an heir' or inheriting means eternal life in the Lord's kingdom. All who are in the Lord's kingdom are heirs, for the source of the life in them is the Lord's life, which is the life of mutual love, and for that reason they are called 'sons'. The Lord's sons or heirs consist of all who have His life in them, for it is from Him that their life comes, and it is from Him that they have been born, that is, regenerated. Those born of another are that other's heirs; and so it is with all who are being regenerated by the Lord, for in that case they are receiving the life that is the Lord's.

[2] In the Lord's kingdom there are those who are external, those who are more interior, and those who are internal. Good spirits who dwell in the first heaven are external, angelic spirits who dwell in the second heaven are more interior, and angels who dwell in the third heaven are internal. Those who are external are not as close to or near the Lord as those who are more interior, and these in turn are not so close or near as those who are internal. Out of Divine love, or mercy, the Lord wills to have everyone near to Himself, so that they do not stand outside, that is, in the first heaven. His will is that they should dwell in the third heaven, and if possible not merely with Him but abiding in Him. Such is the nature of Divine or the Lord's love. But since at that time none but external things existed with the Church, He complained of this in the words that occur here - 'Behold, a son of my house is my heir' - by which is meant that in His kingdom there would thus be only that which is external. But comfort followed, and a promise of internal things, as described in the verses that follow next. What the external aspect of the Church is has been stated already in 1083, 1098, 1100, 1151, 1153.

[3] By itself doctrine does not constitute the external aspect of the Church, still less the internal, as stated above. Nor on the Lord's part is it its teachings that make one Church distinct and separate from another, but its life in accordance with those teachings, all of which, as long as they present what is true, regard charity as their basic principle. What else does doctrine do but teach men the kind of people they ought to be?

[4] In the Christian world it is their doctrines that cause Churches to be distinct and separate, and because of these they call themselves Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Calvinists or the Reformed, and Evangelicals, among other names. It is solely by reason of their doctrines that they are called by these names. This situation would never exist if they were to make love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour the chief thing of faith. In this case their doctrinal differences would be no more than shades of opinion concerning the mysteries of faith which truly Christian people would leave to individual conscience, and in their hearts would say that a person is truly a Christian when he lives as a Christian, that is, as the Lord teaches. If this were so all the different Churches would become one, and all the disagreements which stem from doctrine alone would disappear. Indeed the hatred one man holds against another would be dispelled in an instant, and the Lord's kingdom on earth would come.

[5] The Ancient Church which existed immediately after the Flood, though scattered among many kingdoms, was of this nature. That is to say, people differed much from one another in matters of doctrine, but for all that, they made charity the chief thing. Also they regarded worship, not from the standpoint of doctrinal teachings which are matters of faith, but from that of charity which is a matter of life. This is what is meant by 'they all had one lip and their words were one', Genesis 11:1, regarding which see 1285.

1083. That 'Shem' means the internal Church, 'Japheth' the external Church corresponding to it, has been discussed already. Where the Church exists it must necessarily possess an internal aspect and an external; for a human being, who is the Church, is both internal and external. Before he becomes the Church, that is, before he has been regenerated, he is engrossed in things that are external. But when undergoing regeneration he is led away from external things - or rather by means of external things - towards internal, as stated and shown already. But once he has been regenerated, all things that belong to the internal man are encompassed in the things that are external. Thus every Church must necessarily be internal and external, as the Ancient Church was, and as the Christian Church is today.

[2] The internal aspects of the Ancient Church comprised all things that belong to charity and to faith deriving from charity, all humbleness, all worship of the Lord that stems from charity, every good affection towards the neighbour, and other aspects like these. The external features of that Church were sacrifices, drink-offerings, and much else, all of which, by means of representation, were directed to the Lord and had regard to Him. Consequently things of an internal nature existed within those that were external and made a single Church. The internal features of the Christian Church are just the same as the internal features of the Ancient Church, but different externals have ensued. That is to say, instead of sacrifices and the like, [the Christian Church] has sacraments which in a similar way have regard to the Lord. So in the Christian Church also things that are internal and those that are external make one.

[3] The Ancient Church did not differ in the slightest from the Christian Church as to its internal features, only as to its external. Worship of the Lord that stems from charity cannot possibly be different, no matter how much externals may vary. And since, as stated, no Church can exist unless there is that which is internal and that which is external, the internal without the external would be something unbounded if it were not encompassed by something external. For mankind is such, and indeed the vast majority, that it does not know what the internal man is, and what belongs to the internal man. Without external worship therefore, mankind would have no knowledge at all of what is holy.

[4] As long as these people have charity and consequently conscience, they have internal worship residing with them in their external worship. For the Lord residing with them is at work in charity and in conscience, and He causes all their worship to partake of what is internal. It is otherwise with people who have no charity and consequently no conscience. They are indeed able to have worship in externals, yet it is separated from internal worship, as their faith is separated from charity. Such worship is called 'Canaan' and such faith 'Ham'. And because such worship is the product of separated faith, Ham is called 'the father of Canaan'.