3055. 'Outside and away from the city' means removed from matters of doctrine. This is clear from the meaning of 'the city' as doctrine, dealt with in 402, 2449, from which it is evident that 'outside the city' means outside of, thus removed from, matters of doctrine.

3055a 'Near a well of water' means to receive the truths of faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'a well of water' as the Word, the source of the truth of faith, and also truth itself, dealt with in 2702. The phrase 'a well of water' is used in this verse, but 'a spring' in all that follows; and for the difference between the two in the internal sense - between 'a well of water' and 'a spring' see the paragraph just referred to.

561. But what are remnants? Not only the goods and truths which one has learned from the Word of the Lord from early childhood onwards and so had imprinted in his memory, but also all resulting states, such as states of innocence from early childhood; states of love towards parents, brothers and sisters, teachers, and friends; states of charity towards the neighbour, and also of compassion on the poor and needy; in short, all states involving good and truth. These states, together with the goods and truths that have been imprinted in the memory, are called remnants, which the Lord preserves with a person and stores away in his internal man, though the person himself is not at all directly conscious of this. Here they are separated completely from the things that are the person's own, that is, evils and falsities. The Lord so preserves all of those states with the individual that not even the least of them perishes. I have been given to know this from the fact that every one of man's states from his infancy right through to extreme old age not only carries over into the next life but also reappears. Indeed those states are exactly the same as when he lived in the world. Thus not only are goods and truths in the memory carried over, but also all states of innocence and charity. And when states of evil and falsity, or wickedness and false notions, recur - for every single one of these as well, down to the smallest detail, is carried over and reappears - they are at that time moderated by the Lord through those states of innocence and charity. From all this it becomes clear that if a person possessed no remnants, he would inevitably be subject to eternal condemnation. See what has appeared already in 468.