872. 'The face ¹ of the ground' means those things that reside with the member of the Church, and the expression 'the ground' is used because it is the first stage at which man comes to be the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'the ground', dealt with already, as the member of the Church who is at that point called 'the ground' when the goods and truths of faith can be sown within him. Previously he is called 'the land', as in Genesis 1 where 'the land' refers to man prior to his becoming celestial, while Chapter 2, when he has become celestial, refers to him as 'the ground' and 'the field'. It is similar in the present chapter. The expression 'the land' and the expression 'the ground' are sufficient by themselves to enable someone to recognize what is meant in the internal sense, not only here but also anywhere else in the Word. 'The ground' in the universal sense means the Church, and as the Church is meant so too is the member of the Church for, as stated already, every member of the Church is the Church.

Mga talababa:

721. 'Male and mate' ¹ means falsities joined to evils. This is clear from what has been stated just above, for 'male and mate' now has reference to unclean beasts whereas just above they had reference to clean. In that place therefore they meant truths joined to goods, whereas here they mean falsities joined to evils. For it is the subject that determines the nature of that which is attributed to it.

Mga talababa: