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:

9121. From these examples one may deduce what people who do not have conscience are like; they are recognized as being the opposite. Those among them who for the sake of some kind of gain make what is wrong look like what is right, and what is bad look like what is good, and vice versa, do not have conscience. Those among them who know that what they do is wrong or bad, but still do it, do not know what conscience is; and if they are taught what it is they have no wish to know it. This is what people who do everything for selfish and worldly reasons are like.