10303. And thou shalt bruise of it small. That this signifies the disposing of truths into their series, is evident from the signification of “bruising,” when said of frankincense and spices; by which are signified truths, as being the disposing of truths into their series; for “bruising” has a like signification with “grinding,” but “grinding” is said of wheat, barley, and spelt; and “bruising,” of oil, frankincense, and spices.

[2] What is specifically signified by “bruising” and “grinding” cannot be known unless it is known how the case is with man in respect to the goods and truths which are signified by “wheat,” “barley,” “meal,” “fine flour,” “oil,” “frankincense,” and “spices,” when these goods and truths have been disposed for uses; for “grinding” and “bruising” denote so to dispose them that they may be of use. When “grinding” is said of the goods which are signified by “wheat” or “barley,” then by “grinding” is signified the disposing and bringing forth of good into truths, and in this way its application to uses. Moreover, good never puts itself forth into uses except by means of truths. In these it is disposed, and thus qualified, for unless good has been disposed in truths it has no quality; but when it is disposed in truths, it is then disposed, into series in application to things according to uses, into which things good enters as the affection of love, whence comes what is grateful, pleasant, and delightful. The like is here signified by “bruising small,” for “pure frankincense” denotes spiritual good (n. 10296); and the truths which are disposed by this good are denoted by the spices stacte, onycha, and galbanum (n. 10292-10294).

[3] What is meant by disposing into series shall also be briefly told. Truths are said to be disposed into series when they have been disposed according to the form of heaven, in which form are the angelic societies. What this form is may be seen from the correspondence of all the members, viscera, and organs of man with the Grand Man, which is heaven (concerning which correspondence see a t the places cited in n. 10030). In these members, viscera, and organs, each and all things have been disposed into series and series of series. These are formed by the fibers and vessels, as is known to those who from anatomy are acquainted with the textures and contextures of the interiors of the body. Into like series have been disposed the truths from good with man.

[4] From this it is that a regenerated man is a heaven in the least form corresponding to the greatest; and that a man is wholly his own truth and good. (That a regenerated man is a heaven in the least form, see at the places cited in n. 9279; and that a man is his own truth and good, n. 10298; and that the truths with man have been disposed into series according to the angelic societies with the regenerate, n. 5339, 5343, 5530) The series into which truths have been disposed with the good, and the series into which falsities have been disposed with the evil, are signified in the Word by “sheaves” and “bundles” (asin Leviticus 23:9-15; Psalms 126:6; 129:7; Amos 2:13; Micah 4:12; Jeremiah 9:22; Zech. 12:6; Matthew 13:30).

[5] It therefore being evident what is signified by “bruising,” and “grinding,” it can be known what is signified in the internal sense by the statement that:

The sons of Israel ground the manna in mills, or bruised it in a mortar, and baked it into cakes (Numbers 11:8);

for by the “manna” was signified celestial and spiritual good (n. 8464); and by “grinding” and “bruising,” a disposing that it might serve for use; for whatever is said in the Word is significative of such things as are in heaven and the church, for every detail has an internal sense. It can also be known what is signified by the statement that:

They should not take to pledge the mill or the millstone, for he taketh the soul to pledge (Deuteronomy 24:6);

for by “the mill and the millstone” is signified that which prepares good so that it can be applied to uses; by “barley” also and by “wheat” is signified good, and by “meal” and “fine flour” truths; and as before said, good is applied to use by means of its own truths.

[6] From this it can be seen what is signified by the “mill,” by the “millstone,” and by “sitting at the mills,” in the following passages, in Matthew:

Then shall two be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left (Matthew 24:41).

He that shall cause to stumble one of these little ones that believe in Me, it were better for him that an ass millstone were hanged on his neck, and he were sunk into the depth of the sea (Matthew 18:6; Mark 9:42).

A mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall Babylon be thrown down, and the voice of the mill shall be heard no more at all in her (Revelation 18:21-22).

I will cause to cease from them the voice of joy, and the voice of the millstones, and the light of the lamp (Jeremiah 25:10).

O daughter of Babylon, sit on the earth; there is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans; take the mill and grind meal (Isaiah 47:1-2).

As in a good sense a “mill,” and “grinding,” signify application to good uses, so in the opposite sense they signify application to evil uses; hence when they are said of Babylon and Chaldea, they signify application in favor of their loves, which are the loves of self and of the world; for by the “barley and wheat” with them is signified good adulterated, and by the “meal” thence, truth falsified. The profanation of good and truth by application in favor of these loves is also signified by the statement that:

Moses ground to powder the golden calf, and scattered it upon the waters that came down from Mount Sinai, and made the sons of Israel drink it (Exodus 32:20; Deuteronomy 9:21).

10292. Stacte. That this signifies the affection of sensuous truth, is evident from the signification of “stacte,” as being sensuous truth; that it denotes the affection of this truth, is from its fragrance, for “odor” signifies perceptivity; a fragrant odor, the perceptivity of what is grateful; and an offensive odor, the perceptivity of what is ungrateful; and all gratefulness and ungratefulness of perception are from the affection which is of love, and according to it (see n. 925, 1514, 1517-1519, 3577, 4624-4634, 4748, 5621, 10054). In general be it known that all things in the vegetable kingdom, whatever they may be, whether the produce of the forest, or that of gardens, fields, and plains, such as trees, crops, flowers, grasses, and vegetables, both in general and in particular, signify spiritual and celestial things, for the reason that universal nature is a theater representative of the Lord’s kingdom (see at the places cited in n. 9280).

[2] That “stacte” denotes the affection of sensuous truth is because it is mentioned first; for there are four spices of which the incense was prepared, as there were also four of which the oil of anointing was prepared; and that which is mentioned in the first place is the most external, as is also that which is mentioned in the first place for the preparation of the oil of anointing, which was best myrrh (that this denotes the perception of sensuous truth, see n. 10252).

[3] That four spices were taken for the preparation of both the oil and the incense, was for the reason that they signified truths in their order from external to inmost; and they are in the same succession with man; for man has an external which is called the external man, and an internal which is called the internal man, in each of which there is an exterior and an interior; the most external is called the sensuous, and this is therefore signified by “stacte” (what the sensuous is, and its quality, see n. 9996, 10236).

[4] That “stacte” denotes the affection of sensuous truth, cannot be confirmed from other passages in the Word, because it is nowhere else mentioned; but stacte of another kind, expressed in the original tongue by another word, is mentioned among those spices which were brought down into Egypt (Genesis 37:25; 43:11), and which involve such things as are in the external or natural man, because by “Egypt” is signified the memory-knowledge that is of the natural man (see at the places cited in n. 9391).