1799. Behold a son of my house is mine heir. That this signifies that there would be only what is external in the Lord’s kingdom, is evident from the signification in the internal sense of an “heir” and of “inheriting.” To become an heir, or to inherit, signifies eternal life in the Lord’s kingdom. All who are in the Lord’s kingdom are heirs; for they live from the Lord’s life, which is the life of mutual love; and from this they are called sons. The Lord’s sons or heirs are all who are in His life, because their life is from Him, and they are born of Him, that is, are regenerate. They who are born of anyone are heirs; and so are all who are being regenerated by the Lord, for in this case they receive His life.

[2] In the Lord’s kingdom there are those who are external, those who are interior, and those who are internal. Good spirits, who are in the first heaven, are external; angelic spirits, who are in the second heaven, are interior; and angels, who are in the third, are internal. They who are external are not so closely related or so near to the Lord, as they who are interior; nor are these so closely related or so near to the Lord, as they who are internal. The Lord, from the Divine love or mercy, wills to have all near to Himself; so that they do not stand at the doors, that is, in the first heaven; but He wills that they should be in the third; and, if it were possible, not only with Himself, but in Himself. Such is the Divine love, or the Lord’s love; and as the church was then only in externals, He in these words complained, saying, “Behold, a son of my house is mine heir,” by which is signified that there would thus be only what is external in His kingdom. But consolation follows, and a promise concerning what is internal, in the verses that follow.

[3] What the external of the church is, has been stated before (see n. 1083, 1098, 1100, 1151, 1153). What pertains to doctrine does not itself make the external, still less the internal, as before said; nor with the Lord does it distinguish churches from each other, but that which does this is a life according to doctrinals, all of which, provided they are true, look to charity as their fundamental. What is doctrine but that which teaches how a man must live?

[4] In the Christian world it is doctrinal matters that distinguish churches; and from them men call themselves Roman Catholics, Lutherans, and Calvinists, or the Reformed and the Evangelical, and by other names. It is from what is doctrinal alone that they are so called; which would never be if they would make love to the Lord and charity toward the neighbor the principal of faith. Doctrinal matters would then be only varieties of opinion concerning the mysteries of faith, which truly Christian men would leave to everyone to hold in accordance with his conscience, and would say in their hearts that a man is truly a Christian when he lives as a Christian, that is, as the Lord teaches. Thus from all the differing churches there would be made one church; and all the dissensions that come forth from doctrine alone would vanish; yea, all hatreds of one against another would be dissipated in a moment, and the Lord’s kingdom would come upon the earth.

[5] The Ancient Church just after the flood, although spread through many kingdoms, was yet of this character, that is, men differed much among themselves as to doctrinal matters, but still made charity the principal; and they looked upon worship, not from doctrinal matters which pertain to faith, but from charity which pertains to life. This is meant where it is said (Genesis 11:1), that they all had one lip, and their words were one; concerning whom see above (n. 1285).

1083. That by “Shem” is signified the internal church and by “Japheth” the external church corresponding thereto, has been stated before. Where there is a church, there must needs be what is internal and what is external; for man, who is the church, is internal and external. Before he becomes a church, that is, before he has been regenerated, man is in externals; and when he is being regenerated he is led from externals, nay, by means of externals, to internals (as has been already stated and shown); and afterwards, when he has been regenerated, all things of the internal man are terminated in the externals. Thus of necessity every church must be both internal and external, as was the Ancient Church, and as at this day is the Christian Church.

[2] The internals of the Ancient Church were all the things of charity and of the derivative faith—all humiliation, all adoration of the Lord from charity, all good affection toward the neighbor, and other such things. The externals of the Ancient Church were sacrifices, libations, and many other things, all of which by representation had reference to the Lord and regarded Him. Hence there were internals in the externals, and they made one church. The internals of the Christian Church are exactly like the internals of the Ancient Church, but other externals have succeeded in their place, namely, in place of sacrifices and the like, the sacraments [symbolica], from which in like manner the Lord is regarded; and thus, again, internals and externals make a one.

[3] The Ancient Church did not differ one whit from the Christian Church as to internals, but only as to externals. Worship of the Lord from charity can never differ, howsoever externals are varied. And since, as has been said, there cannot be a church unless there are both what is internal and what is external, the internal without an external would be something interminate, unless it were terminated in some external. For man for the most part is such that he does not know what the internal man is, and what belongs to the internal man; and therefore unless there were external worship, he would know nothing whatever of what is holy. When such men have charity and the derivative conscience, they have internal worship within themselves in the external worship; for in them the Lord works, in charity and in conscience, and causes all their worship to partake of what is internal. It is otherwise with those who have no charity and no derivative conscience. They may have worship in externals, but separated from internal worship, as they have faith separated from charity. Such worship is called “Canaan” and such faith is called “Ham.” And because this worship comes forth from faith separated, Ham is called the “father of Canaan.”