already quoted, but also from the following: "Thus says Jeho vah: The whole earth shall be desolate; yet will I not make a consummation; for this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black," (Jer. iv. 27, 28;) where the earth signifies the inhabitants of that country in which the vastated church is situated. In Isaiah: "I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall be moved out of her place," (xiii. 13 :) where the earth signifies man about to be vastated, who dwelt in that tract where the church was. Again, in Jeremiah: ." The slain of Jehovah shall be in that day from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth," (xxv. 33:) where the end of the earth does not signify the whole habitable globe, but only the region where the church was, consequently the men of the church. Again, in the same prophet: "I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth; a tumult shall come to the ends of the earth, because Jehovah hath a controversy with the nations," (xxv. 29, 31;) in which passage in like manner is not meant the universal globe, but only the tract where the church is, consequently the inhabitant, or man of the church; nations there signify falses. So in Isaiah: "Behold Jehovah cometh out of his place to visit the iniquity of the inhabitants of the earth," (xxvi. 21 :) where earth is taken in a similar sense. Again in the same prophet: "Have ye not heard; hath it not been told you from the beginning? Have ye not understood the foundations of the earth?" (xl. 21) again: "Jehovah that createth the heavens, God himself that formeth the earth, and maketn it, he also establisheth it," (xlv. 18:) where earth signifies the man of the church. So in Zechariah: "The saying of Jehovah who stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundations of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man in the midst of him," (xii. 1;) where earth manifestly means the man of the church. Earth is distinguished from ground, as the man of the church and the church itself are distinguished from each other, or as love and faith are distinguished.

663. Verse 18. And I will establish my covenant with thee, and thou shalt enter into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee. To establish a covenant signifies that he should be regenerated: by entering into the ark, he, and his sons, and his sons' wives, is signified, that he should be saved: sons are truths, wives are goods.

664. The preceding verse treated of those who would destroy themselves, but this treats of those who were to be regenerated, and thereby saved, who are called Noah.

665. To establish a covenant signifies that they should be regenerated, as is evident from this consideration, that no other covenant can, intercede between the Lord and man, except conjunction by love and faith, thus a covenant signifies conjunction; for it is the celestial marriage which is the very essential covenant

The celestial marriage, or conjunction, exists only with those who are regenerated, thus regeneration itself in a most extended sense is signified by a covenant; for the Lord enters into a covenant with man when he regenerates him; wherefore with the ancients this alone was represented by a covenant. It is conceived from the literal sense of the Word, that the covenant entered into with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and so frequently with their descendants, had regard merely to them as particular persons, whereas they were such as to be incapable of being regenerated, inasmuch as they placed worship in externals, and supposed external things to be holy without reference to their connection with internal things, wherefore the covenants entered into with them were but representations of regeneration. This also was the case with all their rites and ceremonies, and likewise with Abraham himself, Isaac, and Jacob, who represented the things relating to love and faith; so also the high-priests and priests, of every description, even the most wicked, could represent the celestial and most holy priesthood. In representations it is not the person but the thing which is represented; thus all the kings of Israel and Judah, even the worst, represented the regal office or dominion of the Lord; yea, so did even Pharaoh, who exalted Joseph over the land of Egypt; hence and from many other considerations, which, by the divine mercy of the Lord, will be seen in the following pages, it may appear that the covenants so frequently entered into with the children of Jacob, were nothing else but representative rituals.

666. A covenant signifies nothing but regeneration, and what relates to regeneration, as may appear from the Word throughout, where the Lord himself is called a covenant, because it is he alone who regenerates, and is looked up to by the regenerate man, and who is the all in all of love and faith. That the Lord is the real essential covenant appears in Isaiah : "I, Jehovah, have called thee in righteousness, and hold thy hand and keep thee, and will give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light to the Gentiles," (xlii. 6:) where covenant means the Lord, and the light of the Gentiles faith: (in like manner, xlix. 6, 8.) So in Malachi: "Behold, I send my angel, and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple, and the angel of the covenant whom ye desire; behold he cometh; but who may abide the day of his coming?" (iii. 1,2;) where the Lord is called the angel of the covenant. The Sabbath is called an eternal covenant, (Exod. xxxi. 16,) because it signifies the Lord Himself, and the celestial man regenerated by him. Inasmuch as the Lord is the real essential covenant, it is evident that a covenant is all that which joins man with the Lord, consequently it is love and faith, and whatever appertains to love and faith; for those things are of the Lord, and the Lord is in them, consequently the real essential covenant

is in them, where they are received. These, however, do not exist, except with the regenerate, who receive whatever belongs to the Regenerator, or the Lord, that is, whatever belongs to covenant, or the covenant, as we read in Isaiah: "My mercy shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed," (liv. 10:) where mercy and the covenant of peace are the Lord, and what appertains to the Lord. Again in the same prophet: "Incline your ear, and come unto me, hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make a covenant of an age with you, the sure mercies of David; behold, I have given him a witness to the people, a leader and lawgiver to the Gentiles," (lv. 3, 4.) Here David signifies the Lord, and a covenant of an age is in those things, and by those things, which are the Lord's, and which are understood by coming to him, and hearing that the soul may live. So in Jeremiah: "I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me all their days, for good to them and to their children after them; and I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from after them, to do them good; and I will put my fear in their hearts," (xxxii. 39, 40;) denoting those who are about to be regenerated, and also the things which are with the regenerate, which are one heart and one way, that is, the charity and faith which are of the Lord, consequently of the covenant. Again in the same prophet: "Behold the days come, saith Jehovah, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah; not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers, because they rendered my covenant vain; but this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days; I will put my law in the midst of them, and will write it on their hearts, and will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people," (xxxi. 31, 32, 33;) here the meaning of a covenant is clearly explained, to be the love and faith towards the Lord, which are present with such as are about to be regenerated. Again, in the same prophet, love is called "the covenant of the day, and faith the covenant of the night," (xxxiii. 20.) And in Ezekiel: "I Jehovah will be for a God unto them, and my servant David a prince in the midst of them; and I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil wild beast to cease out of the land; and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods,' (xxxiv. 24, 25;) manifestly denoting regeneration ;-David signifies the Lord. Again in the same prophet, speaking in like manner concerning regeneration: "David shall be their prince for ever; I will make a covenant of peace with them, it shall be a covenant of eternity with them, and I will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for ever," (xxxvii. 25, 26.) David and a sanctuary signify the Lord. Again, in the same: "I entered into a covenant with thee, and thou becamest mine :

and I washed thee with waters, and thoroughly washed away thy bloods from off thee, and I anointed thee with oil," (xvi. 8, 9, 11;) where a covenant manifestly denotes regeneration. So in Hosea: "In that day I will make a covenant for them with the wild beast of the field, and with the fowl of heaven, and with the creeping thing of the earth," (ii. 18:) denoting regeneration. The wild beast of the field signifies the things appertaining to the will, and the fowl of heaven what appertains to the understanding. So in David: "He hath sent redemption unto his people, he hath commanded his covenant for ever," (Psalm cxi. 9;) denoting regeneration:-it is called a covenant because it is given and received. But of those who are not regenerated, or what is the same, who place worship in externals, esteeming and worshipping themselves, and what they desire and think, as gods, it is predicated, that they render the covenant of none effect, and the reason is, because they separate themselves from the Lord; as in Jeremiah: "They have forsaken the covenant of Jehovah their God, and have bowed themselves down to other gods, and served them," (xxii. 9 :) and in Moses: "Whosoever shall transgress the covenant by serving other gods, the sun, the moon, or any of the host of heaven, shall be stoned," (Deut. xvii. 2, and the following verses.) The sun signifies self-love: the moon principles of the false: the host of heaven falses themselves. Hence it is now evident that the Lord Himself was meant by the ark of the covenant, in which was the testimony or covenant. By the book of the covenant, (Exod. xxiv. 7; Deut. iv. 13, 23;) and by the blood of the covenant, (Exod. xxiv. 6, 8;) were likewise meant the Lord, who Alone is the Regenerator:-hence the covenant is real essential regeneration.

667. By his entering into the ark, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives, is signified, that he should be saved, as appears from what was said above, and from its being subsequently stated that he was saved, because he was regenerated.

668. Sons are truths, and wives are goods, as was shown above, (chap. v. 4:) where they are called sons and daughters, but here sons and wives, because wives are those goods which are adjoined to truths. It is not possible for any truth to be produced, unless from good, or delight. In good and delight there is life, but not in truth, except so far as it receives it from good and delight; from this truth is formed, and shoots forth in the way of spiritual growth, as also does faith (which appertains to truth,) originating in love, which appertains to good. Truth in this respect is like light, which cannot have birth except from the sun, or some sort of flame, and is thence alone formed; truth is only the form of good, and faith is only the form of love; truth is thence formed according to the quality of good, and faith according to the quality of love or charity.

This then is the reason why wife and wives, which signify goods adjoined to truths, are here mentioned, hence also it is said in the following verse, that pairs of all should enter into the ark, male and female; for without goods are adjoined to truths there is no regeneration.

669. Verse 19. And of every living thing of all flesh, pairs of all, shalt thou cause to enter into the ark, to be made alive with thee; they shall be male and female. By the living soul are signified those things which are of the understanding; by all flesh, the things which are of the will: by causing pairs of all to enter into the ark, is signified their regeneration: male is truth, female is good."

670. By the living soul are signified the things which are of the understanding, and by flesh the things which are of the will, as may appear from what has been said above, and also from what follows: by the living soul is signified, in the Word, every animal in general of every kind, (as chap. i. verses 20, 21, 24; chap. ii. verse 19.) But here, because all flesh is immediately adjoined to it, it signifies the things which are of the understanding, for a reason mentioned above, that the man of this church was to be regenerated first as to intellectuals, wherefore also in the following verse mention is made first of fowl, which signify intellectuals, or rationals, and afterwards of cattle, which signify the things appertaining to will: flesh signifies in particular the corporeal part or principle, which is of the will.

671. By causing pairs to enter into the ark to be made alive, is signified their regeneration, as may appear from what was said in the preceding verse, that truths cannot be regenerated except by what is good and pleasant, consequently those things which are of faith cannot be regenerated except by those things which are of charity; wherefore it is here said that pairs of all should enter, that is, both of truths which are of the understanding, and of goods which are of the will. With the unregenerate man there exists neither understanding of truth, nor will of good, but they only appear as if they existed, and so also they are called in common discourse; there may however exist with him rational and scientific truths, but then they are not alive; there may also exist a kind of good which is of the will [voluntaria bona] like that which exists among the Gentiles, yea among brutes, but they are only analogous; nor are they ever made alive in man before he is regenerate, and they are thus vivified by the Lord. In another life it is very manifestly perceived what is and what is not alive; truth which is not alive is instantly perceived as somewhat material, filamentous, and exclusive: good which is not alive is perceived as somewhat woody, osseous, and stony; but truth and good vivified by the Lord are open, vital, full of what is spiritual and celestial,