Arcana Coelestia volume 7 - Swedenborg Foundation

ARCANA COELESTIA 3932to be separated from sins, and that this cannot be done except bythousands upon thousands of ways known to the Lord only, andthis—if you will believe it—in a continual succession to eternity.For man is so evil that he cannot to eternity be fully delivered fromeven one sin, but can only by the mercy of the Lord (if he hasreceived it) be withheld from sin, and kept in good.[3] In what manner therefore man receives new life and isregenerated is contained in the sanctuary of the Word, that is, in itsinternal sense, chiefly to the end that when the Word is being readby man the angels may thereby be in their happiness of wisdom,and also be at the same time in the delight of serving as means. Inthis and the following chapters about Joseph’s brethren, the subjecttreated of in the supreme internal sense is the glorification of theLord’s natural, and in the representative sense, the regeneration ofthe natural in man by the Lord, here as to the truths of the churchtherein.5399. Verses 1–5. And Jacob saw that there was produce in Egypt,and Jacob said to his sons, Why do ye look at one another? And he said,Behold I have heard that there is produce in Egypt; get you downthither, and buy for us from thence; and we shall live, and not die.And Joseph’s ten brethren went down to buy corn from Egypt. AndBenjamin, Joseph’s brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for hesaid, Peradventure mischief may befall him. And the sons of Israelcame to buy in the midst of those that came; for the famine was in theland of Canaan. “And Jacob saw” signifies the things which are offaith (“Jacob” signifies the natural as to the truth which is of thechurch); “that there was produce in Egypt” signifies a disposition toprocure truths by means of memory-knowledges, which are“Egypt”; “and Jacob said to his sons” signifies perception regardingtruths in general; “Why do ye look at one another?” signifies whydid they hesitate; “and he said, Behold I have heard that there isproduce in Egypt” signifies that truths can be procured by means ofmemory-knowledges; “get you down thither, and buy for us fromthence” signifies appropriation by means of them; “and we shalllive, and not die” signifies spiritual life thereby; “and they wentdown” signifies endeavor and act; “Joseph’s ten brethren” signifies