4215. 'And kissed his sons and his daughters' means the acknowledgement of those truths and of affections for them. This is clear from the meaning of 'kissing' as a joining together resulting from affection, dealt with in 3573, 3574, and therefore as acknowledgement, for where any joining together through good and truth exists, acknowledgement of them exists also; from the meaning of 'sons' as truths and things that are true, dealt with in 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623, 3373; and from the meaning of 'daughters', who in this case are Rachel and Leah, as affections for those same truths, dealt with in 3758, 3782, 3793, 3819.

[2] The reason why 'kissing' means a joining together resulting from affection lies in correspondence; for as is being shown at the ends of chapters, a correspondence exists between heaven and every organ and limb of the body. A correspondence exists between man's inner self and every part of his face, so that his general frame of mind (animus) is revealed in his countenance, and more internal aspects of it - his inner mind (mens) - in his eyes. A correspondence also exists between the thoughts and affections of the mind and the actions and gestures of the body; and this is recognized to be so with all voluntary actions and gestures as well as involuntary ones. Humility of heats, for example, brings a person to his knees, an external gesture of the body; and still greater and more interior humility extends him prostrate on the ground. A feeling of gladness and joy of mind leads to singing and jubilation, sadness and inner grief to weeping and wailing. But a joining together resulting from affection leads to kissing.

[3] From this it is evident that because external actions like these correspond to inner virtues they are visible signs of these, and that as visible signs they hold within them something internal from which they receive their specific nature. With people however who wish by means of external actions to give the impression that they possess those inner virtues, their external actions are likewise visible signs; but they are signs of pretence, hypocrisy, and deceit. This is so with kisses, because everyone wishes by means of kisses to express his heartfelt love for another. For one who gives the impression that he possesses inner virtues knows that kisses have their origins in the heart and that they are a sign of a joining together resulting from affection. By means of them he wishes to convince his neighbour that he loves him because of the good he sees in him, but in fact it is all for his own sake and for the sake of personal position and gain, and it is not for good but for evil reasons that he loves him. For anyone who sees himself as the end in view and not as an intermediate end to promote good, and who wishes to be joined to another to succeed in gaining that end, is governed by evil.

3793. 'Rachel came with the flock' means the affection for interior truth belonging to the Church and to doctrine. This is clear from the representation of 'Rachel' as the affection for interior truth, and from the meaning of 'the flock' as the Church and also as doctrine, dealt with in 3767, 3768, 3783. To enable it to be known how 'Rachel' represents the affection for interior truth, and 'Leah' the affection for exterior truth, let a brief statement be made about the matter: The natural, which 'Jacob' represents, consists of good and of truth; and within the natural, as within every single part in the human being, and indeed within the whole natural order, there ought to be a marriage of good and truth. Without this marriage nothing is produced, for every act of bringing forth and every effect is from that marriage. When he is born there is no marriage of good and truth within a person's natural because the human being, unlike other creatures, is not born into a condition where Divine order is present. It is true that good which goes with innocence and charity is present, flowing from the Lord in earliest childhood; but no truth is present to which that good may be coupled. As he advances in life this good which has been instilled by the Lord into a person in early childhood is drawn in towards the interior parts and kept there by the Lord so that it may serve to modify the states of life which he experiences subsequently. As a consequence without the good belonging to his infancy and early childhood the human being would be worse and more vicious than any wild animal. When that good belonging to earliest childhood is drawn inwards, evil in that case takes its place and enters the person's natural. Falsity then couples itself to that evil, and a joining together and so to speak a marriage of evil and falsity takes place with him. If a person is to be saved therefore, he has to be regenerated. Evil has to be removed and good instilled by the Lord. And in the measure that he receives good truth is instilled into him so that a coupling, or so to speak marriage, of good and truth takes place.

[2] These are the matters represented by Jacob and his two wives, Rachel and Leah. 'Jacob' now takes on the representation of natural good therefore, and 'Rachel' that of truth. But since all joining of truth to good is effected through affection, it is the affection for truth coupled to good that 'Rachel' represents. Furthermore the natural, like the rational, has an interior and an exterior. 'Rachel' represents the affection for interior truth, and 'Leah' the affection for exterior truth. 'Laban', who is their father, represents a good that springs from a common stock, but is a parallel good, as has been stated. That good is the good which in the parallel line corresponds to the truth of the rational, which is 'Rebekah', 3012, 3013, 3077. Daughters descended from that good therefore represent affections existing within the natural, for these are like daughters fathered by that good. And because those affections are to be coupled to natural good they consequently represent affections for truth - the first representing the affection for interior truth, the second the affection for exterior truth.

[3] The regeneration of a person's natural is altogether like Jacob and Laban's two daughters, Rachel and Leah. Anyone therefore who can see and understand the internal sense of the Word sees this arcanum which has been disclosed to him, but no one else is able to see it except him in whom good and truth are present. No others, no matter how good a perception they may have of the things to do with personal life and life in society and may seem to be highly intelligent, are able to see and then to acknowledge anything at all of that arcanum. Indeed they do not know what good and truth are, for they imagine evil to be good, and falsity to be truth. For this reason the moment good is mentioned the idea of evil presents itself, and the moment truth is mentioned the idea of falsity does so. Consequently they perceive nothing of the things contained in the internal sense, but as soon as they hear anything of it darkness descends which extinguishes the light.