Arcana Coelestia volume 7 - Swedenborg Foundation

ARCANA COELESTIA 3612should be given to the poor, widows, and orphans, appears similarto both; but when unfolded, it is dissimilar; and when it becomesdissimilar and causes disjunction, it serves the natural man as awitness or testification that the spiritual man had made anapproach; hence he speaks what is false against the spiritual man,who no longer has anything by which to defend himself. So it isclear whence and in what respect a “garment” signifies also awitness or testification.[3] Let us take also this example. The spiritual man as well as thenatural man says that aid should be given to the neighbor, and healso says that everyone is the neighbor; but he thinks that oneperson is the neighbor in a different respect and degree thananother, and that to give aid to an evil person because he callshimself neighbor is to do harm to the neighbor. The natural manconjoins himself with the spiritual in the ultimate truth that aidshould be given to the neighbor, and also in this, that every man isthe neighbor; but he thinks that he who favors him is the neighbor,not caring whether he is good or evil. From this too it is plain thatin this ultimate truth they are apparently conjoined, but thatnevertheless there is no conjunction; and that as soon as the matteris explained, there is disjunction. And then this ultimate truthserves the natural man as a witness against the spiritual man for as itwere mocking at him. So in all other cases.5029. And fled out. That this signifies that then it separated itselfis evident from the signification of “fleeing out” as being to separateitself (as above n. 5020); and consequently that it had no truthwhereby to defend itself (as in n. 5009).5030. Verses 19, 20. And it came to pass when his lord heard thewords of his wife, which she spoke unto him, saying, According to thesewords did thy servant to me; that his anger was kindled. And Joseph’slord took him, and put him into the prison house, the place where theking’s bound ones were bound; and he was there in the prison house.“And it came to pass” signifies a new state; “when his lord heardthe words of his wife, which she spoke unto him” signifiescommunication of falsity which appeared as truth; “saying,