117. And affliction, signifies anxiety from a longing to know truths. This is evident from the signification of "affliction," as being anxiety of mind from a longing to know truths; for those who wish to understand the Word, but who do not as yet well understand it, are here treated of (see above, n. 112), and these are in anxiety as to the spirit when they do not understand. That these have such anxiety when they do not understand, none can know except those who are in the affection of truth for the sake of truth, that is, who are in spiritual affection; who these are may be seen above (n. 115). The reason of this is, that such are conjoined to the angels of heaven, and angels continually long for truths, because they long for intelligence and wisdom; they long for these as a hungry man longs for food. For this reason also intelligence and wisdom are called spiritual food. This longing also man has from infancy, for when he is an infant, and afterwards when a child, he is conjoined to heaven, and this longing is from heaven; but with those who turn themselves to the world it perishes. From this it may be known what is the anxiety of mind or spiritual anxiety that is here signified by "affliction." [2] They have such anxiety when they read the Word and do not well understand it, because all the truths of heaven and the church are from the Word, and lie concealed therein in its spiritual sense, and are not opened to any except such as are conjoined to heaven, since that sense of the Word is in heaven. Yet the spiritual sense itself of the Word does not flow in with man out of heaven, but it flows into his affection, and through this into the knowledges that he has, and thus kindles his longing, and he then receives the genuine truths of the church so far as he can see them from the literal sense of the Word. Everyone who is in the spiritual affection of truth is conscious that the things that he knows are few, and the things that he does not know are infinite. He is aware, moreover, that knowing and acknowledging this is the first step towards wisdom; and that those who pride themselves on the things they know, and believe themselves on account of these to be most intelligent, have not reached this first step. Such persons also commonly glory more from falsities than from truths, for they have regard to their own reputation, and are affected by that alone, and not by truth itself. Such are they who are in natural affection only and in longing from that (see above, n. 115).