3452. 'And we said, Let there be now a solemn agreement between us, between us and you, and let us make a covenant with you' means that their matters of doctrine concerning faith, regarded in themselves, should not be refused recognition, that is to say, insofar as they are drawn from the literal sense of the Word. This is clear from the meaning of 'a solemn agreement between us' as the general agreement between matters of doctrine and the literal sense of the Word; from the meaning of 'between us and you' as agreement with the internal sense; and from the meaning of 'let us make a covenant' as the fact that in this way they could be joined together - 'a covenant' meaning a joining together, see 665, 666, 1023, 1038, 1864, 2003, 2021. The meaning which flows from all this is that this being so, their matters of doctrine concerning faith, regarded in themselves, should not be refused recognition, for as has been stated, no matters of doctrine at all, provided they are drawn from the Word, are refused recognition. They are acceptable to the Lord provided that the person who possesses them is leading a charitable life, for everything in the Word is able to be joined to that life. But the interior aspects of the Word are able to be joined to the life present in the interior good that flows from charity. See what has been stated and brought forward in 3324.

1023. That 'and I, behold I am establishing My covenant' means the Lord's presence in charity becomes clear from the meaning of 'a covenant', dealt with in 666, where it was shown that 'a covenant' means regeneration, and in particular the conjunction of the Lord with a regenerate person by means of love. It was also shown there that the heavenly marriage is the actual covenant itself, and that consequently the heavenly marriage exists with every regenerate person. The nature of this marriage or covenant has also been shown already.

[2] The heavenly marriage with the member of the Most Ancient Church existed in the area of his own will, but the heavenly marriage with the member of the Ancient Church came into existence in the area of his own understanding. Actually when the will part of man's mind had become utterly corrupted, the Lord in miraculous fashion separated the area of his own understanding from that corrupted will part, and within the area of man's own understanding He formed a new will, which is conscience. Into conscience He infused charity, and into charity innocence, and in this manner joined Himself to man, or what amounts to the same, established a covenant with him.

[3] To the extent that the area of a person's own will can be separated from this understanding part the Lord is able to be present with him, that is, to join Himself or establish a covenant with him. Temptations and similar means of regeneration render inactive the area of a person's own will, so that it is reduced to nothing and so to speak dies. To the extent that this happens the Lord can operate within charity by means of conscience implanted in the area of a person's own understanding. This is what is called 'a covenant' here.