894. 'At the beginning, on the first of the month' means a starting point. This is now clear from what has been said above. Everything that this statement embodies is an arcanum so deep that it cannot be described, except for just the point that no definite period of time ever exists when anyone is regenerate enough to be able to say, 'Now I am perfect'. In fact an unlimited number of states of evil and falsity exist with everyone, not only simple states but also varied and complex ones which, as has been stated, have to be disposed of in such a way that they do not recur. In some states a person can be called fairly perfect, but in countless others he cannot. People who have been regenerated during their lifetime, and in whose lives faith in the Lord and charity towards the neighbour have been present, are in the next life being perfected all the time.

2726. That 'Abraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines for many days' means that the Lord allied to the doctrine of faith very many things drawn from a knowledge of human cognitions is clear from the meaning of 'sojourning' as giving instruction, dealt with in 1463, 2025, from the representation of 'Abraham' as the Lord, dealt with in 1965, 1989, 2011, 2501, from the meaning of 'the land of the Philistines' or Philistia as knowledge of cognitions, dealt with in 1197, 1198, and from the meaning of 'days' as the state of whatever it is that is the subject, 23, 487, 488, 493, 893. Here because the subject is the cognitions from which the facts and rational ideas are obtained, and because the expression 'many days' is used, the meaning is relatively 'very many things' From verse 22 onwards the subject has been the rational ideas based on human factual knowledge, which were allied to the doctrine of faith, as is evident from the explanation given. The present verse forms the conclusion to these considerations. As regards the actual subject, since this in itself is rather profound, and since the same subject is dealt with extensively further on, in Chapter 26, let any further explanation here be put off till that chapter.