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Arcana Coelestia #6380

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6380. 'And his teeth white from milk' means that the Divine Natural is nothing else than the good of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'white' as that which is used with reference to truth, dealt with in 3301, 3993, 4007, 5319; from the meaning of 'teeth' in the genuine sense as the natural, for the hard parts of a person's body, such as his teeth, bones, and cartilages, correspond to the truths and forms of good that belong to the lowest parts of the natural; and from the meaning of 'milk' as the celestial-spiritual, or what amounts to the same, the good of truth, dealt with in 2184. The Lord's Divine Natural is said to be the good of truth when it is considered in relation to people who believe in and love the Lord; for members of the external Church are unable to go any higher in their thinking than the Lord's Divine Natural, whereas the thinking of members of the internal Church goes above the natural to the Internal. For the idea of the Lord formed by anyone who believes in Him is conditioned by how far he can rise in his thinking. Those who are aware of what the internal is can have an idea of the internal; but those who are not aware of what the internal is have an idea of the external. This is why the Lord's Divine Natural is said to be the good of truth, when in fact His entire Human is the Divine Good of Divine Love.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #7840

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7840. 'From the lambs and from the she-goats you shall take it' means the good of innocence, interior and exterior. This is clear from the meaning of 'a lamb' as the good of innocence, dealt with in 3994; and from the meaning of 'a she-goat' or of 'a kid' as the good of truth that has innocence within it, dealt with in 3995, 4005, 4006, 4871. For the meaning of 'a lamb' as the interior good of innocence, and of 'a kid' or 'a she-goat' as the exterior good of innocence, see 3519. What is meant by the good of innocence, interior and exterior, must be stated briefly. To be good, all good must have innocence within it. Without innocence good is devoid of its soul, so to speak. The reason for this is that the Lord flows in through innocence, and by means of it gives life to the good that exists with those who are being regenerated. The good that innocence gives life to is internal and external. Internal good resides with those who are called members of the internal Church, while external good resides with those who are members of the external Church. Members of the internal Church are those who have brought a specific quality to their good by means of interior truths such as belong to the internal sense of the Word, whereas members of the external Church are those who have brought a specific quality to their good by means of exterior truths such as belong to the literal sense of the Word. Members of the internal Church are those who are led to do good to the neighbour by an affection rising out of charity, whereas members of the external Church are led to do it by a sense of obedience. Every person who is being regenerated first becomes a member of the external Church, then later on a member of the internal Church. Those who belong to the internal Church excel in understanding and wisdom over those who belong to the external Church, and therefore also occupy a more internal position in heaven. From all this one may now see what the good of innocence, interior and exterior, is.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.