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4301, 4302, 5835, 6917, 7835, 8349, 8356. Hence good is known from this circumstance, that it desires truth, and is affected with truth, for the sake of good use, thus for the sake of life; the desire itself, or the affection itself of truth for the sake of life, viewed in itself, is the affection of conjunction. The case herein is like that of meat or bread, that they desire water or wine for the sake of conjunction, for being conjoined they nourish. The case is also like that of light and heat, inasmuch as light conjoined to heat produces all things in the earth, and causes them to vegetate; but if the conjunction be dissipated, what was produced and rendered vegetative perishes. As it is with good, so it is with every delight, pleasantness, sweetness, consent, and harmony, those things are not such from themselves, but from the things which are in them, conjunction causing them to be such, and they being such according to conjunction. But what things therein have reference to good, and what to truth, the intelligent may know if they consider; for all things whatsoever that are in the world, and whatsoever are in heaven, thus whatsoever are in the universe, have reference to good and to truth; and every production from them to both together, thus to their conjunction. Hence it is, that the ancients likened all things to marriages, see n. 54, 55, 1432, 5194, 7022, and that in singular things of the Word there is a marriage of good and truth, n. 683, 793, 801, 2516, 2712, 4137, 5138, 5502, 6343, 7945, 8339.

9207. "And your sons orphans "-that hereby is signified that at the same time in this case truths will perish, appears from the signification of orphans, as denoting those who are in truth, and not yet in good, and still desire good, see n. 9198, in the present case, who are in truth, but do not desire good, thus with whom they perish, for it is said of the evil, whose sons will become orphans. That truths perish with those who do not desire good, is evident from what was said just above, n. 9205, concerning the conjunction of good and truth. It may be expedient to say something further concerning the nature of that conjunction. The truths which are conjoined to good, have always in them a desire of doing good, and at the same time of conjoining themselves closer thereby with good; or what is the same thing, they who are in truths, always desire to do good, and thereby to conjoin it to their truths; wherefore they who believe themselves to be in truths, and do not desire to do good, they are not in truths, that is, in the faith thereof, howsoever they suppose that they are. This is described of the Lord by salt, where he says, "Ye are the salt of the earth, but if the salt hath lost its savor, wherewith shall it be calted? It is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out and to be trodden under foot of men," Matt. v. 13. These things the Lord says to the disciples, and to the people. By the salt of the earth is meant the truth of the church, which desires good; by salt which has lost its savor, is meant truth without desire to good. That such truth is profitable for nothing, is described by salt without savor, being thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out and be trodden under foot. To desire good, is to desire to do good, and thereby to be conjoined to good. So in Mark, "Every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. Salt is good, but if the salt be saltless, wherewith shall ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and cherish peace one with another," ix. 49, 50. Where to be salted with fire, denotes the desire of good to truth, and to be salted with salt, denotes the desire of truth to good; saltless salt denotes truth without desire to good; to have salt in themselves is to have that desire. So in Luke, "Every one of you who doth not deny all his own faculties, cannot be My disciple; salt is good, but if the salt hath lost its savor, whereby shall it be seasoned; it is neither fit for the earth, nor for the dunghill, but they cast it out," xiv. 33, 34, 35. In which passage in like manner salt denotes truth desiring good, and salt without savor denotes truth, which is without desire to good; not fit for the earth, neither for the dunghill, denotes that it does not conduce at all to any use, neither good nor evil; they who are in such truth are those who are called lukewarm, which is evident from what precedes, "That no one can be a disciple of the Lord, who does not deny all his faculties," that is, who does not love the Lord above all things; for they who love the Lord, and also themselves in an equal degree, are they who are called lukewarm, and who are neither fit for good use, nor for evil use. So Moses, "Every offering of thy cake shall be salted with salt; neither shalt thou make to cease the salt of the covenant of thy God upon thy meat-offering; upon all thine offering thou shalt offer salt," Levit. ii. 13. By salt being in every offering, was signified that the desire of truth, to good and of good to truth should be in all worship. Hence also that salt is called the salt of the covenant of God, for covenant is conjunction, n. 665, 666, 1023, 1038, 1864, 1996, 2003, 2021, 2037, 6804, 8767, 8778, and salt is the desire of conjunction. When one [principle] desires to be conjoined re ciprocally with the other, that is, good to truth, and truth to good, then they mutually respect each other; but when truth plucks itself asunder from good, then they avert themselves from each other, and look backwards, or behind each other: this is signified by the wife of Lot being made a statue of salt, in Luke, "Whosoever shal? be on the house, and his vessels in the house, let him not go down to take them, and whosoever is in the field in like manner let him not return to the things behind him: remember Lot's wife," xvii. 31, 32. That this is to look behind each other, or backwards, see n. 3652, 5895, 5897, 7857, 7923, 8505, 8506, 8510, 8516. The reason why salt signifies the desire of truth is, because salt renders the earth fruitful, and renders food savory, and because there is in salt both a fiery principle, and a principle of conjunction [conjunctivum], as there is in truth, an ardent desire to good, and at the same time a principle of conjunction. A statue of salt denotes disjunction from truth, for salt in the opposite sense signifies the destruction and vastation of truth, as in Zephaniah, chap. ii. 9; and in Ezekiel, chap. xlvii. 11; and in Jeremiah, chap. xvii. 6; and in David, Psalm evii. 33, 34; and in Deut. chap. xxix. 23; and in the book of Judges, chap. ix. 45; and in the second book of the Kings, chap. ii. 19 to 22. These things are adduced, to the intent that it may be known what is meant by the desire of truth to good, and by the desire of good to truth, which are signified by orphan and by widow.

9208. Verses 24, 25, 26. If thou shalt lend silver to My needy people with thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, ye shall not put upon him usury. If in taking a pledge thou shalt take a pledge the garment of thy companion, even at the entering-in of the sun thou shalt restore it to him. Because it is his only covering, it is his raiment for his skin, in which he may sleep; and it shall be when he shall cry to Me, I will hear, because I am merciful. If thou shalt lend silver to My needy people with thee, signifies the instruction of those who are in ignorance of truth, and yet in the desire of learning. Thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, signifies that it shall be done from charity. Ye shall not put upon him usury, signifies that it shall not be done for the sake of gain thence derived. If in taking a pledge, thou shalt take a pledge, the garment of thy companion, signifies if scientific truth by fallacies derived from things sensual be parted asunder. Even at the entering in of the sun thou shalt restore it to him, signifies that it ought to be restored before a state of shade arising from the delights of external loves. Because it is his only covering, signifies because sensual things are strewed under interior things. It is his raiment for his skin, signifies that they invest also exterior things. In which he may sleep, signifies rest upon them. When he shall cry to Me, sigrifies supplication to the Lord. I will hear, signifies aid. Because I am merciful, signifies that from Him is the all of aid out of mercy.

9209. "If thou shalt lend silver to my needy people with thee"-that hereby is signified the instruction of those who are in ignorance of truth, and yet in the desire of learning, appears from the signification of silver, as denoting truth, see n. 1551, 2048, 2954, 5658, 6112, 6914, 6917, 7999, 8932; and from the signification of lending, as denoting to communicate the goods of heaven from the affection of charity, see n. 9174, thus to instruct; and from the signification of people, as denoting those who are in truths, in this case in ignorance of truth, because it is said reedy people. That they are called people who are in truths, see n. 1259, 1260, 2928, 3295, 3581, 7207; and from the signification of needy, as denoting those who are in ignorance of truth, and yet in the desire of learning, for these are in spiritual need, who ought to be instructed. In the Word it is frequently said, that good ought to be done to the poor and needy. They who are in external truths, and not yet initiated into internal truths, believe that they ought to do good to all, whosoever they be, who want any aid, especially to beggars, who call themselves poorer than others; they who do this from obedience, because it is so commanded, do well, for by that external they are initiated into the internal of charity and mercy. The internal of charity and mercy is to discern who, and of what quality they are to whom good ought to be done, and in what manner to each. They who are at length initiated into the internal of charity and mercy, know that the internal itself consists in willing well and doing well to the internal man, thus with such things as conduce to spiritual life; and that the external consists in doing well to the external man, thus with such things as conduce to the corporeal life; but this at all times with this prudence, that whilst good is done to the external, good may be also done at the same time to the internal; for he who does good to the external, and does evil to the internal, does not exercise charity, wherefore when the one is done the other ought to be regarded. The external of charity is what is described in the external or literal sense of the Word by doing good to the poor and needy; but the internal of charity is what is described in the internal or spiritual sense of the Word; for in this latter sense is meant the internal man who is in poverty and need, to whom good ought to be done; for by the poor and needy in that sense are meant those who are in the defect and ignorance of good and truth, and still desire good and truth. How these are to be aided, the Word also teaches in the letter, especially the Word which the Lord Himself taught when He was in the world, for the Lord at that time opened such things as relate to the internal man, as is evident in the Evangelists throughout. Nevertheless He so spake, that singular the things spoken had at the same time an internal sense, which was for the angels, and together with them for the man of the internal church; for the internal sense contains such things as the genuine doctrine of the church teaches. To exemplify this by the case of what the Lord spake to the disciples sent by John the Baptist for the sake of enquiring whether He was the Lord who ought to come, to whom reply was made, "Go and tell John again those things which ye have seen and heard, that the blind see, the lame walk, the leprous are cleansed, the deaf hear, to the poor the gospel is preached," Luke vii. 20, 21, 22. These things were said for the external man and the interna. at the same time; for the external, that such miracles were done; for the internal, that the church was to be established amongst such, as in the spiritual sense are blind, lame, leprous, deaf, and poor; thus amongst the Gentiles, who are in ignorance of good and truth, and yet desire them; for they are called blind who are in ignorance of truth, n. 6990; lame, who are in good, but not genuine, by reason of the ignorance of truth, n. 4302; leprous, who are unclean, and yet desire to be cleansed; deaf, who are not in the faith of truth, because not in its perception; but poor, who have not the Word, and thus know nothing of the Lord, and still desire to be instructed; hence it is said that to these the gospel is preached. That by poor and needy, in the internal sense are meant those out of the church, who are in ignorance of truth, because they have not the Word, and yet desire to be instructed, and by that which they know are still in in small good; and those within the church who from various causes are ignorant of truth, but still from some good desire it, is manifest from the passages where poor and needy are mentioned in the Word, as in David, "I am poor and needy; O God hasten to me, my help and my deliverer, O Jehovah," Psalm 1xx. 5. These words were spoken by David, who was not poor and needy [in a literal sense], from which consideration it is evident that spiritual poverty and need is understood. In like manner in another place, "I am needy and poor, O Lord, remember me, my help and my deliverer," Psalm xl. 17. Again, "God will judge His people in justice, and His needy in judgment; the mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the hills in justice; He will judge the needy of the people, He will preserve the sons of the poor one, He shall bruise the oppressor," Psalm 1xxii. 2, 3, 4. The needy in this passage are they who are in spiritual need, and thereby in hunger, that is, in a desire to be instructed in truth. Again, "All my bones shall say, O Jehovah, who is as Thou, delivering the needy from him that is stronger than him, and the needy one and poor from them that spoil him," Psalm xxxv. 10; where bones denote scientific truths, n. 8005. The needy in this passage denote those who are in little truth, and the poor denote those who are in little of good, and are infested by evils and falses; from those infestations also the needy are called afflicted in the original tongue, for to be afflicted is to be infested by falses, n. 9196. Again, in like manner, "The wicked one in the tent lieth in wait to seize the needy, he seizeth the needy, and draweth him into his net," Psalm x. 9. And in Isaiah, "Is not this the fast, to break bread to the hungry, and to introduce to the house those that go needy," lviii. 6, 7. Again, "Jehovah hath comforted His people, and will have mercy on His needy ones," xlix. 13. And in Zeph

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