8935. An altar of ground thou shalt make unto Me. That this signifies a representative of worship in general from good, is evident from the signification of “an altar,” as being the principal representative of the Lord, and consequently of the worship of Him (see n. 921, 2777, 2811, 4489, 4541); and from the signification of “ground,” as being good. That “ground” denotes good is because by “ground” is signified the church which is in good (n. 566). Hence Adam was said to be “from the ground” (Genesis 2:7; 3:19), for by him was signified the man of the celestial church, or the church which is in good (n. 478, 479). There are two things from which the worship of the Lord is effected; good and truth. Worship from good was represented by an altar of ground, but worship from truth was represented by an altar of stones; both kinds of altars are here treated of. These two things from which worship is effected are called faith and charity; worship from truth bears relation to faith, and worship from good to charity. As regards worship from faith and worship from charity, or from truth and from good, the case is this. Before a man is regenerated he is in worship from truth, but when he has been regenerated, he is in worship from good. For before a man has been regenerated he is led by means of truth to good, that is, by means of faith to charity; but when he has been regenerated he is in good and thence in truth; that is, he is in charity and thence in faith (n. 8516, 8539, 8643, 8648, 8658). These two kinds of worship are what are represented by altars of ground and of stone. (That an altar is the chief representative of the worship of the Lord, because thereon were made burnt-offerings and sacrifices, and these were the things in which the Divine worship of the Hebrew nation, and thus of the Israelitish and Jewish nation, chiefly consisted, see n. 923, 1343, 2180, 2805, 2807, 2830, 3519, 6905)

8648. After he had sent her away. That this signifies separation hitherto relatively to the state of those who are of the spiritual church, is evident from the signification of “sending away,” as being separation. That it is relatively to the state of those who are of the spiritual church, is because in the first state of those who are in the spiritual church good does not appear, but only truth. How this is, can be seen from what has been already shown concerning the two states of those who are of the spiritual church; namely, that in the first state they act from truth and not from good, but in the second they act from good. In the first state, when they act from truth and not from good, good is as it were absent, and is like a wife that has been sent away; but in the second state, when they act from good, then good is present, and is like a wife that is conjoined with her man. This is what is meant in the internal sense by “after he had sent her away.”

[2] Be it further known, that this is relatively to those who are of the spiritual church, for the truth which proceeds from the Lord is always conjoined with its good; but in the first state, which is before regeneration, good is not received, but only truth, although both flow in through heaven from the Lord. In the second state however, which is after regeneration, good is received conjoined with truth. That which takes place with man is predicated as taking place with the Lord, for the reason that it so appears. This is the case in very many other instances, as for example, that the Lord does evil, punishes, casts into hell. These things are predicated of the Lord because it appears so, when yet all evil which befalls man is done by the man. There are very many such things in the Word, which however are plain to him who searches the Scriptures from the affection of truth, and for the sake of the good of life, because he is enlightened by the Lord.