Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 10530

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10530. '[Go up] to a land flowing with milk and honey' means feelings of pleasure and delight derived from the good of faith and love. This is clear from the meaning of 'a land' as the Church, dealt with in the places referred to in 9325; from the meaning of 'milk' as spiritual good, which is the good of faith, dealt with in 2184; from the meaning of 'honey' as celestial good, which is the good of love; and from the meaning of 'flowing' as being full. And since these things are meant by 'a land flowing with milk and honey', feelings of pleasure and delight derived from the good of faith and love are also meant, see 5620. 'Feelings of pleasure and delight' derived from such good are spoken of because the good of faith and love brings real heavenly pleasure and delight. All good brings its own delight; for the word 'good' is used to denote that which is loved, and every feeling of delight owes its existence to love. The feelings of delight meant by heavenly joy and eternal happiness spring from nothing other than the love of what is true and good. The superiority of these feelings of delight to all those belonging to any love that exists in the world is completely unknown to those who suppose that all delight resides in worldly, bodily, and earthly things.


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