3562. 'And he felt him' means complete perception. This is clear from the meaning of 'feeling' as inmost and complete perception, dealt with above in 3528, 3559, here complete perception because the perception of all things comes from inmost perception. That is, people who possess inmost perception possess a perception of everything that is below, for the things that are below are nothing else than derivatives and combinations of what is above. Indeed everything inmost exists in all the things below it that are its own, for unless that which is lower is the product of the things that are interior, or what amounts to the same, of those that are above it, as an effect is the product of its efficient cause, it does not come into existence at all. From this it is evident why the end in view determines a person's happiness or unhappiness in the next life, for the end is the inmost aspect of every cause, so much so that if the end does not exist within the cause, indeed if it is not its all, no cause exists at all. The end is in a similar way the inmost aspect of every effect, for an effect springs from such a cause. This being so, whatever exists with a person owes its very being (esse) to the end which he has in view. In the next life therefore a person's state is determined by the essential nature of whatever end he has in view, see 1317, 1568, 1571, 1645, 1909, 3425. From this it may be seen that, since it means inmost perception, 'feeling' consequently means complete perception.

1571. That 'there was strife between Abram's herdsmen and Lot's herdsmen' means that the internal man and the external did not agree is clear from the meaning of 'herdsmen' ¹ as those who teach, and so things that are connected with worship, as everyone may well know, and therefore there is no need to pause and confirm these matters from the Word. These words have regard to the things called 'tents' in verse 5 above, which, as pointed out there, mean worship. The words used in the following verse 6 have regard to things called 'flocks and cattle' in verse 5, which are possessions or acquisitions, as was also pointed out there. Because worship is the subject here, namely that of the Internal Man and of the external Man, it is said here, since the two were no longer in agreement, that 'there was strife between the herdsman'; for 'Abram' represents the internal man and 'Lot' the external man. It is above all in worship that one can recognize the whole nature of any disagreement that exists between the internal man and the external man; indeed it can be recognized in every detail of worship. When the internal man wishes to make the kingdom of God his ends in view and the external wishes to make the world his, there is consequently a divergence which shows itself in worship, and indeed so plainly that even the slightest divergence is noticed in heaven. These are the considerations meant by 'strife between Abram's herdsmen and Lot's herdsman'. And the reason is added, namely that 'the Canaanite and the Perizzite were then in the land'.

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