4345. And he put the handmaids and their children first, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph after. That this signifies order from more general things in which were all the rest, may be seen from what has been said just above respecting the signification of the “handmaids,” of “Leah,” of “Rachel,” and of their “children”—namely, that the “handmaids” denote the affections of memory-knowledges and of knowledges; “Leah,” the affection of exterior truth; and “Rachel,” the affection of interior truth. The affections of memory-knowledges and of knowledges are the most external, for memory-knowledges and knowledges themselves are things from which and in which are truths. The affection of external truth follows from this, and is more interior, and the affection of interior truth is still more interior. The more exterior they are, the more general also they are; and the more interior, the less general, and relatively are called particulars and singulars.

[2] With regard to generals, these are called generals because they consist of particulars, consequently because they contain particulars within them. Generals without particulars are not generals, but are so called from particulars. The case herein is like that of a whole and its parts. A whole cannot be called a whole unless there are parts, for the whole consists of parts. For in the nature of things there is nothing which does not come forth and subsist from other things, and because it comes forth and subsists from other things it is called a general, and the things of which it consists and from which it subsists are said to be particulars. External things are what consist of internal things, and therefore external things are relatively general. It is so with man and his faculties; the more exterior these are, the more general they are; for they consist of things more interior, and these of inmost things in order.

[3] The body itself, and the things of the body, such as those called the external senses and the actions, are relatively the most general. The natural mind and the things of this mind are less general, because more interior, and relatively are called particulars. But the rational mind and the things of this mind are still more interior, and relatively are singulars. All this is manifest to the life when man puts off the body and becomes a spirit; for it is then manifest to him that his bodily things had been no other than the most general of the things of his spirit, and that the bodily things had come forth and subsisted from those of his spirit; thus that the things of the spirit had been relatively particulars. And when the same spirit becomes an angel (that is, when he is uplifted into heaven), it is manifest to him that the same things which he had previously seen and felt in general, and thus in obscurity, he now sees and feels in particular and in clearness; for he now sees and feels innumerable things which he had previously seen and felt as one.

[4] This is also evident from man himself during his life in the world-the things which he sees and feels in infancy are most general; but those which he sees and feels in childhood and youth are the particulars of these generals; and those which he sees and feels in adult age are the singulars of these particulars. For as a man advances in age, he instills particulars into the generals of infancy, and afterwards singulars into the particulars. For he advances successively toward things more interior, and infills the generals with particulars, and the particulars with singulars. From this it may now be seen what is meant by “order from the generals in which were all the rest,” which is signified by his placing the handmaids and their children first, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and her children after.

[5] When a man is being regenerated, or what is the same, when the truths in him are being conjoined with good, the case is similar, and this is the subject here treated of. Then general affections with their truths (which here are the “handmaids” and their “children”), are first instilled into good; then those less general (that is, those which are relatively particulars), which here are “Leah” and her “children;” and finally those still less general (that is, those which are relatively singulars), which here are “Rachel” and “Joseph.” For man then passes in like manner as it were through ages, first being in his infancy, and then in childhood and youth, and finally in adult age.