Water generally represents “natural truth,” or true concepts about day-to-day matters and physical things. Since all water ultimately flows into the seas, then, it follows that a sea represents a huge agglomeration of such natural truths -- usually all of the natural truth a person has, or all the natural truth a church has. Water in the sea mixes freely, and is easily stirred up by winds and currents. This is also true of the concepts we hold about natural things -- they are not all related to each other, and when relationships do exist they usually can change without damaging the concepts themselves. Many of the concepts are easily disputed, and arguments can arise like waves on the ocean -- generally with little effect other than a mixing of waters. But the sea also offers great bounty. We draw fish from it (spiritual food), float ships (doctrinal systems) on it, bathe in it (using true concepts to purify ourselves), and the water that evaporates from it and falls as rain (purer forms of truth that can attach to desires for good) makes life possible.

2326. “就起来迎接” 表承认和对仁爱的感觉. 这从以下事实清楚可知: 即他们一到, 罗得立刻承认他们是天使; 而所多玛人则不是这样, 关于他们, 经上说 “呼叫罗得, 对他说, 今晚到你这里来的人在哪里呢? 把他们带出来, 任我们所为” (19:5). 就内义而言, 这些话表示那些具有仁之善的教会中人承认 “那两个天使” 所表示的主的神圣人性和神圣活动, 但那些没有仁之善的人则不承认. 这些话还包含对仁爱的感觉, 这从以下事实明显看出来: 即代表那些具有仁之善之人的罗得 (事实上, “罗得” 表源于仁爱的良善本身) 邀请他们到他舍下.