4676. 'For he was the son of his old age' means its own life within it. This is clear from the meaning of 'old age' as the casting aside of the previous state and the assumption of the new one, and also as newness of life, dealt with in 3492, 4620. For in the internal sense 'old age' does not mean old age, for the reason that the internal man, or man's spirit, does not know what old age is; but as the body or the external man grows old, so he passes into newness of life. As he ages man's spirit is made more perfect, at the same time as his physical powers diminish. This is truer still in the next life, for those in heaven are constantly being led by the Lord into a more perfect life, and at length into the bloom of youth, including those people who have died at a ripe old age. From these considerations it may be seen that in the internal sense 'old age' means life. What is meant by the expression 'its own life within it' has been explained above in 4667.

[2] Just above it was said that man's spirit or the internal man does not know what old age is, and yet before that it was said that it is in this spirit within the body where thinking takes place, and also that life flows from the spirit to the body. The reason why that thought belonging to the spirit cannot be communicated to the body, enabling the person to know that he lives after death is that as long as his spirit remains within the body he cannot do other than think from the assumptions which his natural man has been adopting. And if he has made the assumption and is convinced that only the body is living and that when this dies the whole human being does so, the influx of that spiritual reality is not received. Evidence of the existence of that influx may nevertheless be seen in the fact that most people are concerned about their own burial and the tributes paid to them after death, some about their reputation then, on account of which they also erect splendid monuments to themselves so that the memory of them may not be lost. These are the kinds of things into which the influx from heaven regarding the continuance of life is channeled by those who otherwise have no belief in that life. Without that influx they would treat with utter disdain all remembrance of themselves after they have died.

2954. 'I will give the price of the field, accept it from me' means redemption as regards the truths of the Church which come from the Lord. This is clear from the meaning of 'giving the silver' as redeeming by means of truth, dealt with above in 2937, for 'silver' means truth, 1551; from the meaning of 'the field' as the Church, and also the doctrine of truth, dealt with in 368, 2936; and from the meaning of 'accept it from me' as a willing response with those who belong to the Church. That response involves a belief that redemption comes from the Lord alone. As for what redemption is, it is the same as reformation and regeneration, and therefore being delivered from hell and being saved. The redemption, or reformation and salvation, of members of the spiritual Church is effected by means of truth, whereas that of members of the celestial Church is effected by means of good.

[2] The reasons why have been stated in various places already - that spiritual people possess no will at all for what is good, but instead have been provided with an ability to understand what good is. The understanding of what is good is primarily called truth, and indeed the truth of faith, while the willing of it and from this the doing of it is called good. Spiritual persons therefore, by means of an understanding of good, or what amounts to the same, by means of truth, are led on to a will for what is good, or what amounts to the same, to good. They are not led on to any will for what is good from anything that is their own, since all will for what is good has with them been destroyed, 895, 927, 2124. Instead they are led on to a new will which they receive from the Lord, 863, 875, 1023, 1043, 1044; and when they have received this new will they specifically are called the redeemed.