10295. Things fragrant. That this signifies affections from spiritual good, is evident from the signification of “fragrant spices,” as being the affections of truth from good (shown above, n. 10291); (that they are from spiritual good, see n. 10254, 10290, 10293). The reason why the incense was prepared from spices, which signify truths from spiritual good; or what is the same, why the truths which are signified by these spices belong to the spiritual class, is that by “incense” is signified Divine worship which is performed by means of truths from this good, for it is confessions, adorations, prayers, and other similar things, which are specifically signified by “incense” (n. 9475); and such things come forth from the heart by means of the thoughts and the speech. That this worship is performed by means of spiritual truths, can be seen from the ideas in which a man is when in this worship, for the ideas in which a man then is are from his memory, and consequently from the understanding; and the things which proceed from this source are called spiritual. But as regards Divine worship from celestial good, such as is with those who are in the Lord’s celestial kingdom, this is not performed by means of confessions, adorations, and prayers of the same quality as exist with those who are in the spiritual kingdom; thus not by means of truths from the memory, but by means of truths from the heart, which make one with the love itself in which they are; for the truths with these are inscribed on their love. When therefore they do from love what is commanded, they do it at the same time from truths, without any thought about these from doctrine, thus without calling them forth from the memory. (That such is the state of those who are in the Lord’s celestial kingdom can be seen from what was shown concerning this kingdom and the spiritual kingdom in the passages cited in n. 9277.) (That “incense” signifies confessions, adorations, and prayers which proceed through the mouth from the thought, see n. 9475, 10177, 10198)

10291. Take to thee fragrant spices. That this signifies the affections of truth from good which must be in Divine worship, is evident from the signification of “spices,” as being the perceptions and affections of truth and of good (n. 10254). That it signifies which must be in Divine worship, is because by the incense which was prepared from them is signified Divine worship (of which in what follows). The spices which are now mentioned are of a totally different kind from those of which the oil of anointing was prepared (verses 23-24). These also are called “spices,” but are expressed in the original tongue by another word. The spices from which the oil of anointing was prepared, in like manner signify perceptions and affections of truth and good as do these spices, but with the difference that the former truths belong to the celestial class, and the latter to the spiritual class. (That the former truths belong to the celestial class, see n. 10254; and that the latter belong to the spiritual class, will be seen in what follows.)

[2] What is meant by belonging to the celestial class, and to the spiritual class, shall be briefly told. It has been frequently stated that heaven is distinguished into the celestial kingdom and the spiritual kingdom. In the two kingdoms the truths differ as do the goods; the good of the celestial kingdom is the good of love to the Lord, and the good of the spiritual kingdom is the good of charity toward the neighbor. Every good has its own truths; celestial good its own, and spiritual good its own; which are quite different from each other. (What this difference is can be seen from what has been shown concerning the two kingdoms at the places cited in n. 9277)

[3] That every good has its truths, is because good is formed by means of truths (n. 10252, 10266), and also manifests itself by means of truths. It is with these as it is with the will and the understanding in man; his will is formed by means of the understanding, and it also manifests itself by means of it; that which is of the will is called good, and that which is of the understanding is called truth.