3264. Whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s handmaid, bare unto Abraham. That this signifies the birth of the spiritual man from Divine influx into the affection of memory-knowledges, is evident from the signification of “bearing,” as being to come into existence (n. 2621, 2629); from the representation of “Hagar the Egyptian,” as being the life of the exterior man (n. 1896, 1909); and from the signification of “handmaid,” as being the affection of memory-knowledges and of knowledges that is of the exterior man (n. 1895, 2691). It is said “Sarah’s handmaid,” because by Sarah is represented the Lord’s Divine truth, to which the affection of memory-knowledges and of the knowledges of truth is subordinate. As by Ishmael is represented the spiritual man, it is evident that by these words, “whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s handmaid, bare unto Abraham,” is signified the birth of the spiritual man from Divine influx into the affection of memory-knowledges.

[2] That man’s rational is born in this manner, see n. 1895, 1896, 1902, 1910, 2094, 2557, 3030, 3074; consequently the spiritual is thus born, for this is not possible except in the rational, wherefore the spiritual man and the rational man are almost the same, those who are spiritual differing among themselves merely according to the quality of the reason and the consequent quality of life that prevails among them. That their birth or regeneration is from Divine influx into the affection of knowledges may also be seen above (n. 1555, 1904, 2046, 2063, 2189, 2657, 2675, 2691, 2697, 2979). See also what has been stated and shown above concerning Ishmael; namely, that by him was represented the Lord’s first rational, which was not yet Divine (n. 1893); that afterwards the truly rational or spiritual were represented (n. 2078, 2691), and thereby the Lord’s spiritual church (n. 2699).

2621. That “conceived and bare” signifies that it Was and Came forth, namely (as follows) the Divine rational, from the unition of the Lord’s Divine spiritual with His Divine celestial, is evident from the signification of “conceiving and bearing.” That in the internal sense of the Word no other conceptions and bearings are meant than those which are spiritual and celestial, may be seen above (n. 2584); but here those which were Divine, because the subject here treated of is the Lord’s rational made Divine; and of Him, namely, the Lord, Being and Coming forth [Esse et Existere] are chiefly predicated; for He alone Is and Comes forth. As regards Being and Coming forth (Esse et Existere) we may add that they seem as if they were nearly the same, but are not the same. Every person and every thing, has its Being from conception, but its Coming forth from birth; and thus, as conception is prior to birth, so Being is prior to Coming forth.

[2] The soul is the Being itself of man, and the sensitive or corporeal faculty is its Coming forth, for the former comes forth in the latter. Celestial and spiritual love are the very Being of the man who is being regenerated; and the rational and sensitive faculties, when imbued with that love, are his Coming forth. And so it is with each and all things in the universe; for there is nothing whatever which has not its conception that it may Be, and its birth that it may Come forth; which may also be illustrated in the terms of philosophy by saying that every effect has its cause, and every cause has its end. The end is the Being of the cause, and the cause is the Coming forth of the end. In the same way, the cause is the Being of the effect, and the effect is the Coming forth of the cause.