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.

Примітки:

1023. That 'and I, behold I am establishing My covenant' means the Lord's presence in charity becomes clear from the meaning of 'a covenant', dealt with in 666, where it was shown that 'a covenant' means regeneration, and in particular the conjunction of the Lord with a regenerate person by means of love. It was also shown there that the heavenly marriage is the actual covenant itself, and that consequently the heavenly marriage exists with every regenerate person. The nature of this marriage or covenant has also been shown already.

[2] The heavenly marriage with the member of the Most Ancient Church existed in the area of his own will, but the heavenly marriage with the member of the Ancient Church came into existence in the area of his own understanding. Actually when the will part of man's mind had become utterly corrupted, the Lord in miraculous fashion separated the area of his own understanding from that corrupted will part, and within the area of man's own understanding He formed a new will, which is conscience. Into conscience He infused charity, and into charity innocence, and in this manner joined Himself to man, or what amounts to the same, established a covenant with him.

[3] To the extent that the area of a person's own will can be separated from this understanding part the Lord is able to be present with him, that is, to join Himself or establish a covenant with him. Temptations and similar means of regeneration render inactive the area of a person's own will, so that it is reduced to nothing and so to speak dies. To the extent that this happens the Lord can operate within charity by means of conscience implanted in the area of a person's own understanding. This is what is called 'a covenant' here.