41. Anything that is man's own has no life in it; and when depicted visually it looks like something hard as a bone and black. But anything that comes from the Lord does contain life. It has that which is spiritual and celestial within it, and when depicted visually it looks human and alive. It is perhaps incredible, but nevertheless absolutely true, that every expression, every idea, and every least thought of an angelic spirit is alive. In even the most detailed areas of his thought there is an affection that comes from the Lord, who is life itself. Consequently all that derives from the Lord has life within it, for it contains faith in Him, and is here meant by 'a living creature'. It then has the outward appearance of a body, meant here by that which is moving, or creeping. To man these matters remain arcana, but since the subject here is the living and moving creature, they ought at least to be mentioned here.

3680. 'And had sent him away to Paddan Aram' means the beginning of the manifestation [of the Natural] through cognitions of that good. This is clear from the meaning of 'he sent him away' as the beginning of its manifestation, dealt with above in 3674 and from the meaning of 'Paddan Aram' as the cognitions of truth, dealt with in 3664. They are called cognitions of good because all truths are cognitions of good. Truths which are not rooted in good, or which do not have good as the end in view, are not truths. But insofar as they look to doctrine they are called cognitions of truth.