4088. 'For I have seen everything that Laban is doing to you' means that the proprium of the good meant by 'Laban' was not such as acted of itself. This is clear from the representation of 'Laban' as intermediate good, often dealt with already. The proprium of that good not being such as acted of itself is the meaning of the statement 'I have seen everything that he is doing to you'. This meaning is evident from a discernment of things in the internal sense, and also from the communities which are governed by that kind of good. For the nature of that good can be seen clearly from those communities, since they are communities of spirits which serve as means and as a medium of communication, dealt with in 4047. They are not the kind that act very much from themselves and their proprium, but allow themselves to be led by others and so to be led to good by angels and to evil by evil spirits. This feature shines even out of the historical details recorded here concerning Laban, and especially out of those which follow. This shows what is meant by the proprium of the good meant by 'Laban' - that it is not the kind that acts of itself. These matters which verses 6-12 contain in the internal sense have been explained only cursorily, the reason being that they are similar to those dealt with in the previous chapter, where they have been explained more fully.

4047. Others also appeared overhead whose collective action, inflowing above the head, was passing in a crosswise manner from the front backwards, and others again whose inflowing action was passing from both temples towards the middle of the brain. I perceived that they were spirits who belonged to the province of the pia mater, which is another covering and which surrounds the cerebrum and cerebellum more closely and communicates with them by means of fine cords sent out from itself. I was allowed to know the character of these spirits from their speech, for they talked to me. They were the same as they had been in the world, in that they did not have much confidence in their own thinking, and so did not commit themselves to any definite thought about holy things, but relied on what others believed without testing it to see whether it was true. This particular nature of theirs was also shown to me by an influx of their perception into the Lord's Prayer when I was reciting it. For the particular natures of all spirits and angels, however many these may be, may be known from the Lord's Prayer - through the influx of the ideas comprising their thought and affections into the contents of that prayer. From this also I perceived that such was the particular nature of these spirits, and in addition that they were able to serve angels as intermediaries. For there are intermediate spirits between the heavens through whom communication is effected. Their ideas were not closed but capable of being opened, and so they permitted things to happen to them by allowing an easy entry to influx from the angels and welcoming it. What was more, those spirits were unassuming and peaceable; and they said they were in heaven.