10199. Incense of spices. That this signifies grateful hearing and reception, is evident from the signification of “incense,” as being the hearing and reception by the Lord of all things of worship from love and charity (see n. 10177); and from the signification of “spices,” as being things that are grateful. It is from their odor that spices denote what is grateful, for “odor” signifies perceptivity; consequently a sweet odor signifies a grateful perceptivity, and an offensive odor an ungrateful perceptivity. For all things which are perceived by man through the organs of sense signify spiritual things, which bear relation to the good of love and to the truths of faith, as do smell, taste, sight, hearing, and touch; hence “smell” signifies the perceptivity of interior truth from the good of love; “taste” signifies the perception and affection of knowing and of being wise; “sight,” the understanding of the truths of faith; “hearing,” perceptivity from the good of faith, and from obedience; and “touch” in general, communication, transfer, and reception.

[2] The reason of this is that all external sensations derive their origin from internal sensations which are of the understanding and will, thus in man from the truths of faith and from the good of love, for these constitute the understanding and the will of man. But the internal sensations, which are proper to the understanding and will with man, have not that sense which the external sensations have, but are turned into such when they flow in; for all things made sensible to man by the external organs of sense, flow in from internal things, because all influx is from internal things into external, but not the reverse. For there is no such thing as physical influx, that is, influx from the natural world into the spiritual, but only from the spiritual world into the natural. The interiors of man which belong to his understanding and will are in the spiritual world, and his externals which belong to the senses of the body are in the natural world. From this also it can be seen what correspondence is, and what is its nature.

[3] (That smell in general corresponds to perception in respect to the quality of a thing, see n. 1514, 1517-1519, 3577, 4624-4634, 10054; taste, to the perception and affection of knowing and of growing wise, n. 3502, 4791-4805; sight, to the understanding of the truths of faith, n. 3863, 4403-4421, 4567, 5114, 5400, 6805; hearing, to the perception of the good of faith, and to obedience, n. 3869, 4652-4660, 7216, 8361, 9311, 9926; and that touch denotes communication, transfer, and reception, n. 10130)

[4] From all this it is evident that “spices” signify such things as are gratefully perceived, such as are those which are from love and charity; specifically, interior truths, because these are from this source, as is evident from the following passages in the Word, in Isaiah:

Instead of spice shall be rottenness; and instead of a girdle rending, and instead of braided work baldness (Isaiah 3:24); where the subject treated of is the daughters of Zion, by whom is signified the celestial church, which church is in interior truths from the good of love to the Lord; “spice” here denotes interior truth; “rottenness,” the privation thereof; a “girdle” denotes conjunction; a “rending” denotes the dispersion of connection and order; “braided work” denotes memory-truth, which is exterior truth, or the truth of the external man; and “baldness” denotes the deprivation of it. (That a “girdle” denotes conjunction and a bond, that all things may be kept in connection, so as to look to one end, see n. 9828; that “braided work” denotes memory-truth, n. 2831; and “baldness,” the deprivation of it, n. 9960)

[5] In Ezekiel:

An eagle great with wings came unto Lebanon, and brought down therefrom a small branch of cedar into the land of Canaan; in a city of those who deal in spices he set the head thereof (Ezekiel 17:3-4).

The subject here treated of in the internal sense is the beginning of a spiritual church and its growth, and afterward its perversion and end; by “an eagle great with wings” is signified the interior truth of this church (n. 3901, 8764); “wings” denote exterior truths (n. 8764, 9514); “Lebanon” denotes this church; the “cedar” there denotes the truth of the spiritual church; the “city of those who deal in spices” denotes where there is the doctrine of interior truth (that “cities” in the Word signify doctrines, see n. 402, 2449, 3216, 4492, 4493); it is from interior truths that it is called the “city of those who deal in spices.”

[6] Again:

The traders of Sheba and Raamah, by the chief of spice, and by every precious stone and gold, gave their tradings (Ezekiel 27:22).

The subject here treated of is Tyre, by which is signified the church in respect to the knowledges of good and truth; “traders” denote those who have these knowledges and communicate them; “Sheba and Raamah” denote those who are in the knowledges of things celestial and spiritual; “the chief of spice” denotes that which is grateful from interior truths; “precious stones” denote these truths themselves; and “gold” denotes their good. (That “Tyre” denotes the church in respect to the interior knowledges of good and truth, and in the abstract sense these knowledges themselves, see n. 1201; and that “traders” denote those who have these knowledges and communicate them, n. 2967, 4453; “Sheba and Raamah,” those who are in the knowledges of things celestial and spiritual, n. 1171, 3240; a “precious stone,” interior truth, n. 9863, 9865, 9873, 9874; and “gold,” its good, see the places cited in n. 9874, 9881)

[7] From this it is evident what was represented by the Queen of Sheba coming to Jerusalem to Solomon, “with camels carrying spices, and gold, and precious stone” (1 Kings 10:1-2); and by the wise men of the east offering to the child Jesus “gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (Matthew 2:11). As “spices” signified interior truths, thus such as are grateful, therefore the incense was made aromatic, and also the oil of anointing (of which in what follows in this chapter).

[8] By interior truths are meant those which have been made to be of the man’s life and affection, thus which are with him inwardly; but not the truths that are merely in the memory, and not made to be of the life. These truths are called external truths relatively, because they have not been inscribed on the life, but only on the memory; for they reside in the external man, and not in the internal man. The truths of faith which have been inscribed on the life are in the will, and those things which are in the will are in the internal man, for by means of the truths of faith the internal man is opened, and communication is effected with the heavens. From this it is evident that interior truths with man are those which are from the good of love and of charity. Whether you say the will, or the love, it is the same, for that which is of man’s will is of his love; and therefore truths inscribed on the life, which are called interior truths, are those which have been inscribed on the love, thus on the will, from which they afterward proceed when they come into speech and act.

[9] For heaven (in which is the internal man that has been opened) does not flow immediately into truths, but mediately through the good of love; and heaven cannot enter with man when the internal man is closed, because there is not any good of love there to receive it; and therefore with those with whom the internal man has not been opened by means of truths from the good of love and of charity, hell flows in with falsities from evil, however much the truths of faith, even interior ones, may reside in the external man only, that is, in the memory. From all this it can now be seen what is meant by interior truths which are grateful and are signified by “spices,” namely, those which are from the good of love and of charity.

9311. For in hearing thou shalt hear his voice. That this signifies instruction in the commandments of faith, and reception, is evident from the signification of “hearing,” as being to be instructed and to receive (of which below); and from the signification of “his voice,” as being the commandments of faith (see above, n. 9307). “To hear,” in the Word, signifies not merely to hear in simplicity, but also to receive in the memory and to be instructed, likewise to receive in the understanding and to believe, and also to receive with obedience and to do. That these things are signified by “hearing,” is because the speech which is heard presents itself before the internal sight, or understanding, and is thus inwardly received; and there, according to the cogency of the reasons given, or according to the powers of persuasion from some other source, what is heard is either retained, or believed, or obeyed. From this it is that in the spiritual world there is a correspondence of the ear and of hearing with such things (see n. 4652-4660, 5017, 7216, 8361, 8990).

[2] That “to hear” denotes to receive in the memory and to be instructed, also to receive in the understanding and believe, likewise to receive in obedience and do, is plain also from the following passages.

In Matthew:

I speak in parables; because seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand; that in them may be fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive; the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest haply they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart. Blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear. Many prophets and righteous men have desired to see the things which ye see, but have not seen them; and to hear the things which ye hear, but have not heard them (Matthew 13:13-17);

“to hear” is here used in every sense; in that of being instructed; in that of believing; and in that of obeying. “Hearing they hear not” denotes to be taught and yet not to believe; and also to be instructed and not to obey; “to have ears dull of hearing” denotes to refuse instruction, belief, and obedience; “the ears which are blessed because they hear” denote blessedness from the reception of the doctrine of faith concerning the Lord, and through the Word from the Lord.

[3] In John:

He that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. The sheep hear his voice. Those who were before Me were thieves and robbers; but the sheep did not hear them. Other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one flock, and one shepherd. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me (John 10:2-3, 8, 16, 27);

“to hear the voice” denotes to be instructed in the commandments of faith, and to receive them with faith and obedience. The same is signified by what the Lord so often said:

He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear (Matthew 11:15; 13:9, 43; Mark 4:9, 23; 7:16; Luke 8:8; 14:35).

[4] Similar things are signified also in Matthew:

Behold a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is My beloved Son, hear ye Him (Matthew 17:5).

He that hath the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth with joy because of the bridegroom’s voice (John 3:29).

Verily I say unto you, The hour cometh when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live (John 5:25);

“the dead” denote those who as yet have no spiritual life, by reason of ignorance of the truth of faith; “to hear the voice of the Son of God” denotes to be instructed in the truths of faith, and to obey them; “to live” denotes to be endowed with spiritual life through these truths.

[5] Again:

He that is of God heareth the words of God: for this cause ye hear not, because ye are not of God (John 8:47).

Jesus said, Everyone that is of the truth heareth My voice (John 18:37).

Abraham said to the rich man, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them (Luke 16:29).

They said of Jesus, He hath done all things well, for He maketh the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak (Mark 7:37);

“the deaf” denote those who do not know the truths of faith, and therefore cannot live according to them (n. 6989); “to hear” denotes to be instructed, to receive, and to obey.

In John:

When the Holy Spirit is come, He shall lead you into all truth. He shall not speak from Himself; but what things soever He shall hear, these shall He speak. He shall take of Mine (John 16:13-14);

“what things soever he shall hear” denotes whatsoever he shall receive from the Lord. In Matthew:

Everyone who heareth My words, and doeth them, I will liken him to a prudent man; but everyone that heareth these words of Mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened to a foolish man (Matthew 7:24, 26).

Everyone that cometh unto Me, and heareth My sayings, and doeth them, I will show you to whom he is like (Luke 6:47).

“To hear His words,” or “sayings,” denotes to learn and know the commandments of faith which are from the Lord; “to do them” denotes to live according to them.