Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 9055

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9055. Burning for burning. That this signifies if anything of the affection of love which is interiorly in the will, is evident from the signification of "burning," as being the injuring or extinction of the good of love. It is said "in the will," because the good which is of love is of the will, and the truth which is of faith is of the understanding (see n. 9050, 9051). That it signifies interiorly in the will, is because a "wound" (of which below) signifies the injury or extinction that belongs to love exteriorly in the will. For here, as in what precedes, the subject treated of is the injuries which are done in both the internal man and the external man, because the injuring of the interior understanding is signified by "the eye," and the injuring of the exterior understanding by "the tooth;" and the injuring of the power of truth of the internal man by "the hand," and the injuring of the power of the external man by "the foot;" as has been shown. Thus here the injuring of the will of the internal man is signified by "burning," and that of the external man by "wound." [2] Man has an internal will and an external will, as he has an internal and an external understanding (n. 9050, 9051). The internal will is where the internal understanding is, and the external will is where the external understanding is, because they must be conjoined. For where truth is, there is good; and where good is, there is truth; because truth without good is not truth, and good without truth is not good, for good is the being of truth, and truth is the coming-forth of good. The case is similar with the understanding and the will of man, for the understanding has been allotted to the reception of truth, and the will to the reception of good. Hence it is plain that when man is being regenerated, a new understanding is given him by the Lord by means of the truths of faith, and a new will by means of the good of charity; and that there must be both, and moreover that they must be conjoined, in order that man may be regenerated. [3] The reason why "burning" signifies the injuring of the good of love, is that by "fire" is signified love (n. 934, 2446, 4906, 5071, 5215, 6314, 6832, 6834, 6849, 7324, 7575, 7852), and the injuring of the good of love is concupiscence from the love of self (that this is called "burning," see n. 1297, 5215). Concupiscence is signified by "burning" also in Isaiah:

Instead of spice there shall be rottenness; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of curls baldness; and instead of a gown a girding of sackcloth; burning instead of beauty (Isa. 3:24);

speaking of the daughter of Zion, by whom is signified the celestial church, that is, the church which is in love to the Lord; "burning" here denotes the evil of concupiscence from the love of self. [4] He who does not know that there is an internal sense in the Word, believes that the proud ornaments of the daughters of Zion, mentioned in that chapter (verses 16-24), signify such ornaments, and that on account of such ornaments among the daughters of Zion, the Jewish and Israelitish people were punished and fell by the sword, as is said in the same chapter (verses 25, 26); but the case is very different. The spiritual and celestial things of that church are signified by those ornaments. That by "the daughter of Zion" is not meant in the Word any daughter of Zion, can be seen by everyone who reads the Word, provided he consults and considers the passages in the prophets where mention is made of "Zion" and of "the daughter of Zion," from which he will see that "the daughter of Zion" denotes the church.


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