3593. And Isaac shuddered with exceeding great shuddering. That this signifies a great alteration in respect to the inversion of the state, is evident from the signification of “shuddering,” as being an alteration; that it is in respect to the inversion of the state, is evident from what has been said above concerning the two states of the man who is being regenerated-the state before he has been regenerated, and the state after he has been regenerated-namely, that in the state before he has been regenerated, truths apparently have the dominion; while in the state after he has been regenerated, truths give place, and good receives the dominion (on which subject see what has been frequently shown above, n. 1904, 2063, 2189, 2967, 2979, 3286, 3288, 3310, 3325, 3330, 3332, 3336, 3470, 3509, 3539, 3548, 3556, 3563, 3570, 3576, 3579).

1140. In this chapter, and in the following one as far as Eber, the most ancient style is continued; but here it is intermediate between the style of made-up history, and that of true history. For by Noah, and his sons, Shem, Ham, Japheth, and Canaan, nothing else was meant, nor is anything else meant, than the Ancient Church regarded abstractly as to its worship-namely, by “Shem” internal worship, by “Japheth” corresponding external worship, by “Ham” internal worship corrupted, by “Canaan” external worship separated from internal. Such persons never existed; but the kinds of worship were so named because all other different kinds, or all specific differences, could be reduced to these as fundamental ones. By “Noah” therefore was meant merely the Ancient Church in general, as a parent comprehending all. And yet by the names in this chapter, except those of Eber and his posterity, are meant so many nations; and so many nations there were that constituted the Ancient Church; which church was widely spread around the land of Canaan.