1145# “各样香木”表示属世人中与真理结合的一切良善。这从“木”的含义清楚可知，“木”是指属世人的良善（对此，我们稍后会提到）；但“香木”表示属世人中与真理结合的良善，因为在希腊语中，香木一词源自二这个词；“二”表示这种结合。“香木”表示与真理结合的良善，这一点从上下文也明显看出来；从上文来看，表示属天良善和真理的事物，并表示属灵良善和真理的事物被列举出来，这些事物是“细麻布、紫色料、丝绸、朱红色料”；从下文来看，表示属世良善和真理的事物被列举出来，这些事物是“象牙的器皿，极宝贵的木头和铜、铁、大理石的器皿”。这清楚表明，“香木”表示由上述良善和真理产生的属世人中与真理结合的良善。因为人里面有三个生命层级，就其次序而言，这些层级被称为属天的、属灵的和属世的；这节经文就按这种次序提到了那些表示各个层级的良善和真理的事物。但由于前面所提到的事物表示被亵渎的真理和良善，这些真理和良善本身是虚假和邪恶，所以与真理结合的良善，也就是“香木”，是指被亵渎的良善，这种良善是与虚假结合的邪恶。该良善因属于属世人而尤其被以下东西亵渎：对骨头和坟墓的崇敬，敬拜中所用的成圣的各种事物，与行列行进活动有关的不同事物，以及总体上讨属世人喜欢、因而被感觉为良善、被称为真理的具有偶像崇拜性质的所有事物。
“木头”表示良善，因为它来自结果子的树，还因为木头能燃烧，能用来温暖身体，建造房屋，制造各种便利和有用的物品，而且表示爱之良善的油可以从木头中提取；它还包含给予热的东西或炎热原理在自己里面。而另一方面，“石头”在此表示属世人的真理，因为它是冷的，并且不能燃烧。由于“木头”表示良善，所以在处于爱之良善的上古之人当中，圣殿是用木头建造的，这些圣殿被称为神的家或房屋，而不是圣殿；而对许多人来说，他们的帐幕就用于这个目的，他们在其中不仅居住，还举行神性敬拜。出于同样的原因，第三层天堂的天使住在木头房子中，因为他们处于对主之爱的良善，“木头”对应于这种良善。此外，他们所拥有的各种不同的木头照着它们所来自的树木而具有对应关系；因为一棵树表示人，它的果实表示人的良善。这就是为何圣言提到各种树木的木头，如橄榄木、葡萄树的木头、香柏木、杨木和橡木。橄榄木表示属天良善，葡萄树的木头表示属灵良善，香柏木表示理性良善，杨木表示属世良善，橡木表示感官良善。
由于圣言中的一切事物都是对应关系，木头对应于良善，在反面意义上对应于邪恶，所以“木头或柴”在此表示良善，在反面意义上表示邪恶，这可从以下经文明显看出来。耶利米哀歌：我们出银钱才得水喝，我们的柴也是付代价而来的。（耶利米哀歌5:4）
经上如此描述真理和良善的知识的缺乏；“出银钱才得水喝”表示真理知识的缺乏，“柴也是付代价而来的”表示良善知识的缺乏。以西结书：
他们必掳去你的财富，以你的货财为掠物；他们必破坏你的墙垣，推倒你渴望的房屋；将你的石头、木头、尘土都抛在海中间。（以西结书26:12）
这段经文描述了邪恶和虚假对教会的真理和良善的一切的摧毁。他们所掳去的“财富”是指真理的知识；他们以之掠物的“货财”是指良善的知识；他们所破坏的“墙垣”是指教义；他们所推倒的“渴望的房屋”是指心智、因而理解力和意愿的事物，因为人正是住在那里；他们抛在海中间的“石头、木头、尘土”是指属世人的真理和良善，“石头”表示属世人的真理，“木头”表示属世人的良善，“尘土”表示最最低级的事物，也就是感官人的事物。
同一先知书：人子啊，你要取一根木杖，上面写上，为犹大和他的同伴以色列人；又取一根木杖，上面写上，为约瑟，就是为以法莲和他的同伴以色列支派的木杖；然后将这两根木杖彼此相接，连成一根木杖，使它们在我手中合而为一，我要使它们成为一根杖。（以西结书37:16–17,19–20）
这些事物代表主的属天和属灵国度通过爱之良善的结合。“犹大和他的同伴以色列人”表示主的属天国度；“犹大”表示良善方面的属天国度，“他的同伴以色列人”表示真理方面的属天国度；而“约瑟和他的同伴以色列支派”表示主的属灵国度，“约瑟”表示良善方面的属灵国度，“他的同样以色列支派”表示真理方面的属灵国度。“以法莲”表示对真理的理解；由于那些处于对来自属灵良善的真理的理解之人在主的属灵国度，所以这根木杖被称为“以法莲的木杖”。主“将这两根木杖彼此相接，连成一根木杖，使两者在耶和华手中合而为一，成为一根杖”是指主通过对主之爱的良善和对邻之仁的良善将这两个国度合而为一。玛拉的苦水因丢在其中的木头就变甜了（出埃及记15:25）代表并表示源于虚假的事物通过良善得以纠正。“苦水”是指那些表面上真实，但却源于虚假的事物；“木头”是指属世人的良善。由于“木头”因对应关系而表示爱之良善，所以有律法刻在其上的石版被放在皂荚木制成的柜子中；出于同样的原因，会幕的各种东西都是由皂荚木制成的，耶路撒冷的圣殿也是用木头砌成的。
圣言中的大多数事物都有反面意义，木头也是如此，它在反面意义上表示邪恶，因为邪恶是良善的对立面；侍奉的木石（申命记4:23–28;以赛亚书37:19;耶利米书3:9;以西结书20:32;以及别的地方）就表示这种邪恶。以赛亚书：
他拣选不会朽坏的木头，为自己寻找巧匠，预备不能动摇的雕像。（以赛亚书40:20）
“木头”在此表示被当作良善来崇拜的邪恶，因为“雕像”是指敬拜的邪恶；“拣选不会朽坏的木头”表示被玷污，因而变成邪恶的来自圣言的某种良善；经上之所以说拣选它，是因为来自圣言的东西说服人，因而不会在心智中灭亡；通过圣言证实或确认的一切邪恶和虚假都是这种情况。“寻找巧匠”表示寻找一个出于自我聪明而具有确认或证实和歪曲的才能之人。
耶利米书：
这些民族的雕像是虚空；从森林中砍来的一根木头，匠人用斧头做成的手工……他们都愚蠢无知，他们的木头是虚无的教义。（耶利米书10:3,8）
“这些民族的雕像是虚空”表示那些处于邪恶之人的敬拜的一切；“从森林中砍来的木头和匠人用斧头做成的手工”表示一种敬拜形式所源于的邪恶，这种敬拜形式是由源于自我聪明的虚假人为塑造的，“木头”是指雕像所指的敬拜的邪恶，“匠人做成的手工”是指来自自我聪明的东西，“斧头”表示摧毁良善，并确认邪恶的虚假。
同一先知书：声音好像蛇行一样，他们像伐木的人拿着斧子而来。（耶利米书46:22）“蛇的声音”是指狡猾和欺诈；“拿着斧子”表示用摧毁良善的虚假；“像伐木的人”表示就好像愿意根除邪恶，然而，他们却根除良善。摩西五经：
若有人与同伴同入森林，斧头脱了木柄，飞落在同伴身上，以致于误杀了同伴，他就可以逃往避难城。（申命记19:5）
此处通过一个很少发生的例子来说明一个因失误而犯罪的人被允许逃往避难城，但经上引用这个例子是为了说明，误杀是什么意思。经上引用这个例子，是因为木头、斧头和森林都具有意义，“木头”是指良善，“斧头”是指虚假，“森林”是指属世人。因此，这些话表示如果一个处于属世良善的人通过他不知道是虚假的虚假摧毁了另一个人的灵魂，那么这要被视为失误造成的，因为这不是出于邪恶所做的。哈巴谷书：石头必从墙里呼叫，栋梁必从木中应声。（哈巴谷书2:11）
这段经文的意思是，邪恶确认并煽动虚假；“石头必从墙里呼叫”表示人缺乏真理，因而愿意被教导虚假；“栋梁必从木中应声”表示人缺乏良善，“木”表示确认虚假，并与它一致的邪恶。耶利米书：
他们向木头说，你是我的父，向石头说，你是生我的；因为他们把颈项转向我，不将脸转向我。（耶利米书2:27）
“向木头说,你是我的父”表示从邪恶中孕育出来；“向石头说，你是生我的”表示从邪恶之虚假中生出来；“转颈项，而不是转脸”表示转身离开一切良善和真理。撒迦利亚书（12:6）和以赛亚书（30:33）提到“火和木”，因为“火”表示邪恶的爱，“木”表示由此而来的邪恶。
由于“剑”表示摧毁真理的虚假，“木”表示摧毁良善的邪恶，所以在大祭司的命令下，一大群人带着剑棒跟着犹大出来（马太福音26:47;马可福音14:43,48;路加福音22:52）。这事发生，是因为与主受难有关的一切都代表犹太人对良善和真理的一切的摧毁。以色列人有两种常见的惩罚方式，即用石头砸死和挂在木头上，伤害或摧毁真理就用石头砸死，伤害或摧毁良善则挂在木头上。因此，挂在木头上是一种诅咒（申命记21:22–23）。这一切清楚表明，“木头”表示良善，尤表属世人的良善，在反面意义上表示属世人的邪恶。
（关于《亚他那修信经》续）
世上有天使-人和魔鬼-人；天堂由天使-人构成，地狱由魔鬼-人构成。对天使-人来说，其生命的一切层级都向主打开；而对魔鬼-人来说，只有最低层级是打开的，较高层级都是关闭的。天使-人被主从里面和外面引导；而魔鬼-人被他自己从里面引导，被主从外面引导。天使-人被主照着秩序，也就是出于秩序从里面引导，并从外面被引向秩序；而魔鬼-人被主从外面引向秩序，被他自己从里面逆着秩序引导。天使-人不断被主引离邪恶，并被引向良善；魔鬼-人也不断被主引离邪恶，但却是从更重的邪恶被引向更轻的邪恶，因为他不能被引向良善。天使-人不断被主引离地狱，并越来越内在地被引向天堂；魔鬼-人也不断被引离地狱，但却是从更严重的地狱被引向更温和的地狱，因为他不能被引入天堂。
天使-人因被主引导，故被文明、道德和属灵的律法引导，这是为了这些律法里面的神性；而魔鬼-人同样被这些律法引导，但这是为了它们里面的他自己。天使-人出于主热爱教会的良善，也就是天堂的良善，因为它们是良善；他也热爱教会的真理，因为它们是真理；但他出于自己热爱身体和世界的良善，因为它们是为了功用和消遣；同样，他热爱各种知识或科学分支的真理；表面上看，他是出于自己热爱这一切，实际上是出于主来爱它们。魔鬼-人也出于自己热爱身体和世界的良善，因为它们是为了功用和消遣；他同样热爱各种知识或科学分支的真理；表面上看，他是出于自己爱这一切，实际上是出于地狱来爱它们。当天使-人出于良善实行良善时，以及当他不作恶时，他就处于自由和他内心的快乐；而当魔鬼-人出于邪恶实行良善时，以及当他正在作恶时，他就处于自由和他内心的快乐。天使-人和魔鬼-人在外在上很相似，但在内在上却截然不同；因此，当外在事物通过死亡被撇弃时，他们之间的不同就变得显而易见了。这一个被提到天堂，那一个则下入地狱。
1145. And all thyme wood.- That this signifies all good conjoined to truth in the natural man, is evident from the signification of wood, which denotes good of the natural man, of which we shall speak presently; but thyme wood signifies good conjoined to truth in the natural man, for the word thyme is derived from two in Greek, and two signifies that conjunction. That thyme wood signifies good conjoined to truth is clear also from those things that precede, and those that follow. It is evident from what precedes, because those things are mentioned that signify celestial goods and truths, and spiritual goods and truths, which are fine linen, crimson, silk, and scarlet; from what follows, because things that signify natural goods and truths are mentioned, which are vessels of ivory, and vessels of precious wood, of brass, and iron, and marble. It is therefore evident that thyme wood signifies good conjoined to truth in the natural man, arising from those goods and truths which have been referred to above. For there are three degrees of life in man, which regarded in their order, are called celestial, spiritual, and natural; such things are named in the same order in this verse as signify goods and truths according to their degrees. But since those things mentioned above, signify truths and goods, profaned, which in themselves are falsities and evils, so also by the good conjoined to truth - which is thyme wood - is meant that good profaned, which is evil conjoined to falsity. That good, because it belongs to the natural man, is especially profaned by the veneration paid to bones and sepulchres, by the sanctification of various things used in worship, by the different things connected with processions, in general by all those things of an idolatrous nature that are pleasing to the natural man, and are consequently felt to be good, and are called true.
[2] Wood signifies good, because it is a from trees which bear fruits, and because wood can be kindled, and serve the purpose of warming the body, constructing houses and fabricating various articles of convenience and use, and because oil, by which the good of love is signified, is expressed from wood. Wood also conceals in itself a fiery principle (calidum); but, on the other hand, stone, because of a cold nature and uninflammable, here signifies the truth of the natural man.
Since wood signifies good, therefore also, among most ancient peoples, who were in the good of love, temples were constructed of wood, which were not called temples, but houses of God, while with many these were in their tabernacles, in which they not only lived, but also held Divine worship. The angels, therefore, of the third heaven dwell in houses of wood, because they are in the good of love to the Lord, and wood corresponds to that good; they have also woods different according to the correspondences of the trees from which they come; for a tree signifies man, and from its fruit the good of man. It is from this fact that woods of various kinds of trees are mentioned in the Word, as the wood of the olive, the vine, the cedar, the poplar, and the oak. Wood of the olive signifies celestial good, of the vine, spiritual good, of the cedar, rational good, of the poplar, natural good, and of the oak, sensual good.
[3] Now because all things in the Word are correspondences, and because wood corresponds to good, and, in the opposite sense, to evil; therefore wood here signifies good, and in the opposite sense evil. This is evident from the following passages.
In Lamentations:
"We drink our waters for silver, and our woods come for a price" (5:4).
The want of the knowledges of truth and good is thus described; the want of the knowledges of truth by drinking waters for silver, and the want of the knowledges of good by the woods coming for a price.
In Ezekiel:
"They shall make a spoil of thy wealth, and make a prey of thy merchandise; they shall destroy thy walls, and overturn the houses of thy desire; thy stones, thy woods, and thy dust shall they give into the midst of the sea" (26:12).
These things are said concerning the devastation of all things of the truth and good of the church by evils and falsities. The wealth which they shall make a spoil are the knowledges of truth; the merchandise which they shall make a prey are the knowledges of good; the walls which they shall destroy are doctrinals; the houses which they shall overturn are things belonging to the mind, thus the things of the understanding and will, for it is there that the man dwells. The stones, the woods, and the dust, which they shall give into the midst of the sea, are the truths and goods of the natural man, stones denoting its, truths, woods its goods, and dust its very lowest things, which are those of the sensual man.
[4] In the same prophet:
"Son of man, take unto thee one stick (lignum), and write upon it, for Judah and the sons of Israel his companions; then take one stick, and write upon it, for Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and of the tribes of Israel his companions; afterwards join them for thee one to another into one stick, that both may be one in my hand, and I will make them into one stick" (37:16, 17, 19, 20).
By these things are represented the conjunction of the celestial and spiritual kingdoms of the Lord by the good of love. Judah and the sons of Israel his companions, signify the Lord's celestial kingdom; Judah signifies that kingdom as to good, and the sons of Israel his companions signify the same as to truth. But Joseph and the tribes of Israel his companions, signify the Lord's spiritual kingdom, Joseph signifies that kingdom as to good, and the tribes of Israel his companions, signify the same as to truth. Ephraim signifies the understanding of truth, and because those who are in the understanding of truth from spiritual good are in the Lord's spiritual kingdom, therefore it was called "the stick of Ephraim." That the Lord conjoins these two kingdoms into one by means of the good of love to Him, and the good of charity towards the neighbour, is meant by their being joined by the Lord one to the other into one wood, that they might both be one in the hand of Jehovah, and become one stick.
That those things which come from falsities are amended by good, was represented and signified by the bitter waters at Marah being made sweet by the wood cast into them (Exodus 15:25). Bitter waters are those things that are apparently true, but draw [their quality] from falsities. Wood is the good of the natural man. Because wood, from correspondence, signifies the good of love, therefore the tables of stone on which the law was written were placed in an ark made of shittim wood. And for the same reason various things belonging to the tabernacle were formed of the same wood; and the temple also at Jerusalem was lined with wood.
[5] As most things in the Word have also an opposite sense, and this is the case with wood, which in an opposite sense signifies evil, because evil is the opposite of good, therefore this is signified by serving wood and stone (Deuteronomy 4:23-28; Isaiah 37:19; Jerem. 3:9; Ezekiel 20:32; and other places). To the same purpose are these words in Isaiah:
"He chooseth wood that will not rot, he seeketh unto him a wise artificer, to prepare a graven image, that it may not be moved" (40:20).
Wood here signifies evil which is adored as good, for the graven image denotes the evil of worship; wood which will not rot signifies some good from the Word which is adulterated, and therefore becomes evil; this he is said to choose, because that which is from the Word persuades, and consequently does not perish in the mind. This is the case with every evil and falsity confirmed by means of the Word. His seeking a wise artificer, signifies to seek one who from his own intelligence has the faculty to confirm and falsify.
[6] In Jeremiah:
"The statutes of the nations are vanity, for one heweth wood out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman with the axe; they are brutish and become foolish, their wood is a doctrine of vanities" (10:3, 8).
The statutes of the nations, which are vanity, signify all things belonging to the worship of those who are in evil. By the wood hewn out of the forest and the work of the hands of the workman with the axe, is signified evil, from which is derived a form of worship, contrived by falsities originating in [man's] own intelligence; wood denotes the evil of worship, meant by the graven image; the work of the hands of the workman denotes what is from [man's] own intelligence; the axe is the falsity which destroys good and confirms evil.
[7] In the same prophet:
"The voice shall go as that of a serpent; and they came with axes, as hewers of wood" (46:22).
The voice of a serpent means craftiness and deceit; with axes signifies with falsities destroying good; as hewers of wood, signifies as if willing to uproot evils, when nevertheless they uproot good.
Also in Moses:
"If any one slay his companion through error; as when a man cometh with his companion into a forest, and the axe falleth out of the wood upon his companion, he shall flee to the city of refuge" (Deuteronomy 19:5).
The contingency of a person sinning through error who is allowed to flee to a city of refuge, is here illustrated by a case that can rarely happen, but which is nevertheless used to illustrate what is meant by slaying another through error. The illustration is used because wood is significative, as are also axe and forest; wood denotes good, axe falsity, and forest the natural man. These words therefore signify that if any one who is in natural good should destroy the soul of another by means of falsity which he does not know to be falsity, it shall be accounted as done through error, because not done from evil.
[8] In Habakkuk:
"The stone crieth out of the wall, and the beam out of the wood answereth" (2:11).
This means that evil confirms falsity, and incites. The wall out of which the stone crieth, signifies man void of truths, and who thus from falsity desires to be instructed; the beam which answereth out of the wood signifies man destitute of goods, wood denoting evil which confirms and assents to falsity.
In Jeremiah:
"Saying to the wood, Thou art my father, and to the stone, Thou hast begotten me, because they have turned the neck to me and not the face" (2:27).
By saying to the wood, Thou art my father, is signified that they were conceived from evil; and by saying to the stone, Thou hast begotten me, is signified that they were born from the falsity of evil; by turning the neck and not the face, is signified that they have turned themselves away from all good and truth. Fire and wood are spoken of in Zechariah (12:6), and in Isaiah (30:33), because fire signifies evil love, and wood evils therefrom.
[9] Because swords signify falsities destroying truths, and [staves of] wood (ligna) evils destroying good, therefore, by the command of the chief priests, a multitude went out with Judas Iscariot against Jesus, with swords and staves (lignis) (Matthew 26:47; Mark 14:43, 48; Luke 22:52). This took place because all things relating to the Lord's passion were representative of the destruction of everything belonging to good and truth by the Jews. Among the sons of Israel there were two common forms of punishment, stoning, and hanging upon wood, stoning for the injury and destruction of truth, and hanging upon wood for the injury and destruction of good; hanging upon wood was therefore a curse (Deuteronomy 21:22, 23). From these things it is evident, that wood signifies good, in particular the good of the natural man, and in the opposite sense its evil.
[10] Continuation concerning the Athanasian Creed.- There are in the world men-angels, and there are men-devils; heaven is from men-angels, and hell is from men-devils. With a man-angel all the degrees of his life even up to the Lord are open; but with a man-devil only the ultimate degree is open, and time higher degrees are closed. A man-angel is led by the Lord both from within and from without; but a man-devil is led by himself from within, and of the Lord from without. A man-angel is led by the Lord according to order - from within from order, from without to order; but a man-devil is led by the Lord to order from without, but by himself against order from within. A man-angel is continually withdrawn from evil by the Lord, and led to good; but a man-devil is also continually withdrawn by the Lord from evil, but from a more grievous to a less one, for he cannot be led to good. A man-angel is continually withdrawn from hell by the Lord, and led more and more interiorly into heaven; but a man-devil is also continually withdrawn from hell, but from a more grievous to a milder hell, for he cannot be led into heaven. A man-angel, because he is led by the Lord, is led by civil, moral, and spiritual laws, on account of the Divine which is in them; a man-devil is led by the same laws, but it is on account of his own in them.
[11] A man-angel, from the Lord, loves the goods of the church, which are also the goods of heaven, because they are goods; similarly he loves its truths, because they are truths; but from himself he loves the goods of the body and of the world, because they are for use and pleasure; similarly he loves the truths of the various branches of knowledge (scientiarum); he loves both the one and the other apparently of himself, but actually from the Lord. But a man-devil, from himself, also loves the goods of the body and of the world, because they are for use and pleasure; he similarly loves the truths of the various branches of knowledge; but he loves both the one and the other apparently from himself, but actually from hell. A man-angel is in freedom and in the delight of his heart when he is doing good from good, and also when he is not doing evil; but a man-devil is in freedom and in the delight of his heart when he is doing good from evil, and also while he is doing evil. A man-angel and a man-devil resemble each other in externals, but they are altogether unlike in internals; when, therefore, external things are laid aside by death, the difference between them becomes clear; the one is carried up into heaven, and the other is borne down into hell.
1145. And all thyine wood signifies all good conjoined to truth in the natural man. This is evident from the signification of "wood," as being the good of the natural man (of which presently); but "thyine wood" signifies good conjoined to truth in the natural man, for the word thyine in the Greek is derived from the word that means two; and "two" signifies such conjunction. That "thyine wood" signifies good conjoined to truth is evident also from what precedes and from what follows; from what precedes the things that signify celestial goods and truths and the things that signify spiritual goods and truths are enumerated, which are "fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet;" and from what follows, the things that signify natural goods and truths are enumerated, which are "vessel of ivory, and vessel of precious wood, of brass, iron, and marble." This makes clear that "thyine wood" signifies good conjoined to truth in the natural man, arising from those goods and truths that are mentioned above. For there are three degrees of life in man, which viewed in their order are called celestial, spiritual, and natural; in this verse such things as signify goods and truths according to their degrees are mentioned in this order. But as the things mentioned above signify truths and goods profaned, which in themselves are falsities and evils, so good conjoined to truth, which is "thyine wood," means such good profaned, which is evil conjoined to falsity. And because such good is of the natural man, it is especially profaned by venerations of bones and sepulchers, by sanctifications of many things used in worship, by many things relating to processions, and in general by all things idolatrous that are delightful to the natural man, and are consequently felt to be good and are called true.
[2] "Wood" signifies good, because it is from a tree from which are fruits; also because wood can be burned and be useful in keeping the body warm, and in building houses and making various articles of convenience and use; also because an oil, which signifies the good of love, may be expressed from wood; it also contains in it that which gives heat. "Stone" on the other hand signifies here the truth of the natural man, because it is cold and cannot be burned. Because "wood" signifies good, with the most ancient people who were in the good of love the temples were of wood, which were not called temples but houses of God; and with many their tabernacles were used for this purpose, in which they not only dwelt but also had Divine worship. For the same reason the angels of the third heaven dwell in houses of wood, and this because they are in the good of love to the Lord, to which "wood" corresponds. Moreover, their different kinds of wood have a correspondence according to the trees from which they are; for a tree signifies man, and its fruit the good of man. This is why woods from various kinds of trees are mentioned in the Word, as the olive, the vine, the cedar, the poplar, the oak; and the wood of the olive signifies celestial good, of the vine spiritual good, of the cedar rational good, of the poplar natural good, and of the oak sensual good.
[3] Now as all things in the world are correspondences, and wood corresponds to good, and in the contrary sense to evil, so "wood" here signifies good, and in the contrary sense evil, as can be seen from the following passages. In Lamentations:
We drink our waters for silver, and our wood comes at a price (Lamentations 5:4).
The lack of the knowledges of truth and good is thus described; the lack of the knowledges of truth by "drinking waters for silver," and the lack of the knowledges of good by "wood coming at a price." In Ezekiel:
They shall pillage thy riches, and make a prey of thy merchandise; they shall break down thy walls, and overthrow the houses of thy desire; thy stones, thy woods, and thy dust shall they place in the midst of the sea (Ezekiel 26:12).
This describes the devastation of all things of truth and good of the church by evils and falsities. The "riches" which they pillage are the knowledges of truth; the "merchandise" of which they shall make a prey are the knowledges of good; the "walls" which they shall break down are doctrinals; "the houses of desire" which they shall overthrow are the things of the mind, thus of the understanding and will, for there man dwells; the "stones, woods, and dust, which they shall place in the midst of the sea," are the truths and goods of the natural man, "stones" its truths, "woods" its goods, and "dust" the lowest things, which are of the sensual man.
[4] In the same:
Son of man, take thee one stick and write upon it, For Judah and the sons of Israel his companions; then take one stick and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and of the tribes 1of Israel his companions; then join them to thee one with the other into one stick, that the two may be one in My hand, and I will make them into one stick (Ezekiel 37:16-17, 19-20).
This represents the conjunction of the celestial and spiritual kingdoms of the Lord by the good of love. "Judah and the sons of Israel his companions" signify the Lord's celestial kingdom; "Judah" that kingdom as to good, and "the sons of Israel his companions" as to truth; but "Joseph and the tribes of Israel his companions" signify the Lord's spiritual kingdom, "Joseph" that kingdom as to good, and the "tribes of Israel his companions" as to truth. "Ephraim" signifies the understanding of truth; and as those who are in the understanding of truth from spiritual good are in the Lord's spiritual kingdom, the stick is called Ephraim's. That the Lord conjoins these two kingdoms into one by the good of love to Him and by the good of charity towards the neighbor is meant by the Lord's "joining them one with the other into one stick, that the two may be one in the hand of Jehovah, and be made one stick." That things derived from falsities are corrected by means of good was represented and signified by:
The bitter waters in Marah were made sweet by the wood cast into them (Exodus 15:25).
"Bitter waters" mean the things that are apparently true but are derived from falsities; "wood" means the good of the natural man. Because "wood" from correspondence signifies the good of love, the tables of stone on which the law was inscribed were placed in an ark made of shittim wood; and for the same reason other things of the tabernacle were made of the same wood, and the temple of Jerusalem was covered with wood.
[5] Now as most things in the Word have also a contrary sense, so does wood, and in that sense it signifies evil, because evil is opposite to good. This is signified by:
Serving wood and stone (Deuteronomy 4:23-28; Isaiah 37:19; Jeremiah 3:9; Ezekiel 20:32).
In Isaiah:
He chooseth wood that will not rot, he seeketh for himself a wise artificer to prepare a graven image that shall not be moved (Isaiah 40:20).
"Wood" here signifies evil which is adored as good, for a "graven image" means the evil of worship; "to choose wood that will not rot" signifies some good from the Word that is becoming adulterated and thus evil; this is chosen because that which is from the Word persuades, and thus does not perish in the mind, which is the case with evil and falsity confirmed by the Word. "He seeks a wise artificer" signifies to seek one who from self intelligence has a gift for confirming and falsifying.
[6] In Jeremiah:
The statutes of the nations are vanity; since one cutteth wood from the forest, the labor of the hands of the workman with the axe. . . . They are stupid and foolish, the wood is a doctrine of vanities (Jeremiah 10:3, 8).
"The statutes of the nations, which are vanity," signify all things of worship of those who are in evil; "the wood cut from the forest and the labor of the hands of the workman with the axe" signify evil from which is worship that has been fashioned by falsities from self-intelligence, "wood" being the evil of the worship that is meant by a graven image, "the labor of the hands of the workman" being what is from self-intelligence, and the "axe" the falsity that destroys good and confirms evil.
[7] In the same:
The voice shall go like that of a serpent, and they came with axes like hewers of wood (Jeremiah 46:22).
"The voice of a serpent" means craft and deceit; "with axes" signifies with falsities destroying good; "like hewers of wood" signifies as if willing to extirpate evil, and yet they extirpate good. In Moses:
If one should kill his companion by error, as in coming with a companion into a forest, and the axe slip from the wood upon his companion, he shall flee to a city of refuge (Deuteronomy 19:5).
That one who sins by error is permitted to flee to a city of refuge is here illustrated by an example that rarely happens, but it is cited to show what is meant by slaying by error; this example is cited because wood and axe and forest are significative, "wood" being good, "axe" falsity, and "forest" the natural man; therefore these words signify that if one who is in natural good should bring destruction upon another's soul by falsity which he does not know to be falsity, it would be done by error, because it is not done from evil.
[8] In Habakkuk:
The stone crieth out of the wall, and the beam from the wood answereth (Habakkuk 2:11).
This means that evil confirms and incites falsity; the "wall out of which the stone crieth" signifies man devoid of truths, and thus wishing to be taught falsity; "the beam that answereth from the wood" signifies man destitute of good, "wood" signifying the evil that confirms falsity and agrees with it. In Jeremiah:
Saying to the wood, Thou art my father, and to the stone, Thou hast begotten me; for they have turned the neck to Me and not the face (Jeremiah 2:27).
"Saying to the wood, Thou art my father," signifies to be conceived from evil; and "saying to the stone, Thou hast begotten me," signifies to be born from falsity of evil; "to turn the neck and not the face" signifies to turn away from all good and truth. "Fire and wood" are mentioned in Zechariah (Zechariah 12:6), and in Isaiah (Isaiah 30:33), because "fire" signifies evil love, and "wood" evils therefrom.
[9] As "swords" signify falsities destroying truths, and "woods" signify evils destroying good, so by command of the chief priests:
A multitude went out with Judas Iscariot against Jesus, with swords and staves (Matthew 26:47; Mark 14:43, 48; Luke 22:52).
This was done because all things relating to the Lord's passion were representative of the destruction by the Jews of all things of good and truth. With the sons of Israel there were two general punishments, stoning and hanging upon wood, stoning for injuring or destroying truth, and hanging upon wood for injuring or destroying good. For this reason:
Hanging upon wood was a curse (Deuteronomy 21:22-23).
All this makes clear that "wood" signifies good, specifically the good of the natural man, and in the contrary sense its evil.
(Continuation respecting the Athanasian Faith)
[10] In the world there are angel-men and devil-men; heaven is constituted of angel-men, and hell of devil-men. With an angel-man all the degrees of his life are open to the Lord; but with a devil-man only the lowest degree is open, and the higher degrees are closed. An angel-man is led by the Lord both from within and from without; but a devil-man is led by himself from within, and by the Lord from without. An angel-man is led by the Lord according to order, from within from order, and from without to order; but a devil-man is led by the Lord to order from without, but by himself against order from within. An angel-man is continually led away from evil by the Lord, and led to good; a devil-man also is continually led away from evil by the Lord, but from a more to a less grievous evil, for he cannot be led to good. An angel-man is continually led away from hell by the Lord, and is led into heaven more and more interiorly; a devil-man is also continually led away from hell, but from a more grievous to a milder hell, for he cannot be led into heaven.
[11] Because an angel-man is led by the Lord he is led by civil law, by moral law, and by spiritual law, for the sake of the Divine in them; a devil-man is led by the same laws, but for the sake of himself [suum] in them. An angel-man from the Lord loves the goods of the church, which are the goods of heaven, because they are goods, also its truths because they are truths; but he loves from self the goods of the body and of the world because they are for use and because they are for pleasure, likewise the truths that belong to the sciences; but although he loves all these in appearance from self, in reality he loves them from the Lord. A devil-man also loves from self the goods of the body and of the world, because they are for use and because they are for pleasure, likewise the truths that belong to the sciences; but although he loves all these in appearance from self, in reality he loves them from hell. An angel-man is in freedom and in the delight of his heart when he is doing good from good, and when he is not doing evil; but a devil-man is in freedom and in the delight of his heart when he is doing good from evil, and when he is doing evil. An angel-man and a devil-man in externals appear alike, but in internals they are wholly unlike; therefore when external things are laid aside by death they are manifestly unlike. The one is taken up into heaven, and the other is taken down into hell.
Footnotes:
1. The photolithograph has "tribes;" the Hebrew has "house," but in verse 19 below it has "tribes."
1145. "Et omne lignum thyinum." - Quod significet omne bonum conjunctum vero in naturali homine, constat ex significatione "ligni", quod sit bonum naturalis hominis (de qua sequitur); "lignum" autem "thyinum" significat bonum conjunctum vero in naturali homine; "thyinum" enim derivatur ex duo in lingua Graeca, et "duo" significant illam conjunctionem; quod "lignum thyinum" significet bonum conjunctum vero, patet etiam ex illis quae antecedunt, et ex illis quae sequuntur; ex illis quae antecedunt, quod nominentur talia quae significant bona et vera caelestia, ac bona et vera spiritualia, quae sunt "byssus et purpura, ac sericum et coccinum"; et ex sequentibus, quod nominentur talia quae significant bona et vera naturalia, quae sunt "vas ex ebore et vas ex ligno pretioso, ex aere, ferro et marmore": inde patet quod "lignum thyinum" significet bonum conjunctum vero in naturali homine ex illis bonis et veris quae supra nominata sunt, oriundum. Sunt enim tres gradus vitae in homine, qui in suo ordine spectati vocantur caelestis, spiritualis et naturalis; in eodem ordine in hoc versu nominata sunt talia quae significant bona et vera secundum gradus. Sed sicut per illa quae supra memorata sunt, significantur vera et bona profanata, quae in se sunt falsa et mala, ita etiam per bonum conjunctum vero, quod est "lignum thyinum", significatur id bonum profanatum, quod est malum conjunctum falso. Id bonum, quia est naturalis hominis, imprimis profanatur per venerationes ossium et sepulcrorum, per sanctificationes plurium quae pro cultu sunt, per plura circa processiones, in genere per omnia idololatrica, quae naturali homini jucunda sunt, et inde sentiuntur sicut bona, ac vocantur vera.
Quod "lignum" significet bonum est quia ex arbore est, ex qua sunt fructus; et quia lignum potest incendi, ac inservire usui pro calefactione corporis, tum pro domibus construendis, ac pro diversis fabricis ex quibus usus et commoda; et quia ex ligno exprimitur oleum, per quod significatur bonum amoris; recondit etiam in se calidum: vicissim autem "lapis" hic significat verum naturalis hominis, ex causa quia est frigidus, et non potest incendi.
[2] Quoniam "lignum" significat bonum, ideo etiam apud antiquissimos, qui in bono amoris fuerunt, templa ex ligno erant, quae non vocabantur templa, sed Domus Dei; apud plures fuerunt illa in tabernaculis illorum, in quibus non modo habitaverunt, sed etiam sanctum cultum habuerunt: ideo quoque angeli tertii caeli habitant in domibus ex lignis; hoc illis est quia in bono amoris in Dominum sunt, et lignum illi correspondet: ligna etiam illis sunt secundum correspondentiam arborum ex quibus sunt, "arbor" enim significat hominem, et ex fructu bonum hominis: ex eo est, quod in Verbo nominentur ligna ex variis arboribus, ut ex olea, ex vite, ex cedro, ex populo, ex quercu; et "lignum ex olea" significat bonum caeleste, "ex vite" bonum spirituale, "ex cedro" bonum rationale, "ex populo" bonum naturale, et "ex quercu" bonum sensuale.
[3] Nunc quia omnia Verbi correspondentiae sunt, et quia lignum correspondet bono, et in opposito sensu malo, ideo per "lignum" ibi significatur bonum, et in opposito sensu malum, ut ex sequentibus locis constare potest: – In Threnis,
"Aquas nostras pro argento bibimus, et ligna nostra pro pretio veniunt" (5:4):
defectus cognitionum veri et boni ita describitur; defectus cognitionum veri per quod "aquas pro argento bibant", ac defectus cognitionum boni per quod "ligna pretio veniant."
Apud Ezechielem,
"Diripient opes tuas, ..depraedabuntur merces tuas, ..destruent muros tuos, et domus desiderii tui evertent;..lapides tuos, et ligna tua, et pulverem tuum in medium maris dabunt" (26:12 1
);
haec de devastatione omnium veri et boni ecclesiae per mala et falsa; "opes" quas diripient sunt cognitiones veri; "merces" quas depraedabuntur sunt cognitiones boni; "muri" quos destruent sunt doctrinalia; "domus desiderii" quas evertent sunt illa quae mentis sunt, ita quae intellectus et voluntatis sunt, ibi enim homo habitat; "lapides, ligna et pulvis", quae in medium maris dabunt, sunt vera et bona naturalis hominis, "lapides" sunt vera ejus, "ligna" sunt bona ejus, ac "pulvis" sunt infima ejus, quae sunt sensualis hominis.
[4] Apud eundem,
"Fili hominis, sume tibi lignum unum, et scribe super illo, Jehudae et filiis Israelis sociis ejus: deinde sume lignum unum, et scribe super illo, Josephi, lignum Ephraimi" et 2
tribuum Israelis sociorum ejus: postea conjunge illa unum cum altero tibi lignum in unum; .... ut sint unum ambo in manu 3
mea, et faciam eos in lignum unum" (37:16, 17, 19, 20):
per haec repraesentabatur conjunctio regni caelestis ac regni spiritualis Domini per bonum amoris; per "Jehudam et filios Israelis socios ejus" significatur regnum caeleste Domini, per "Jehudam" illud quoad bonum, et per "filios Israelis socios ejus" illud quoad verum: per "Josephum" autem ac "tribus Israelis socios ejus", significatur regnum spirituale Domini, per "Josephum" illud quoad bonum, ac per "tribus Israelis socios ejus", illud quoad verum; per "Ephraimum" significatur intellectus veri, et quia illi qui in intellectu veri ex bono spirituali sunt, in regno spirituali Domini sunt, ideo vocabatur "lignum ab Ephraimo": quod duo illa regna in unum conjuncta sint a Domino per bonum amoris in Ipsum et per bonum charitatis erga proximum, intelligitur per quod "a Domino conjungentur, unum cum altero, in lignum unum, ut sint unum ambo in manu Jehovae, ac fient in lignum unum." Quod illa quae trahunt a falsis emendentur per bonum, repraesentatum et significatum est per quod
Aquae amarae in Marah dulces factae sint per lignum injectum (Exod. 15:25 4
):
"aquae amarae" sunt illa quae apparenter vera sunt, et trahunt a falsis; "lignum" est bonum naturalis hominis. Quoniam "lignum" ex correspondentia significat bonum amoris, ideo tabulae lapideae, quibus Lex fuit inscripta, repositae sunt in arca ex ligno schittim facta; et ideo quoque plura Tabernaculi ex eodem ligno confecta erant: ac ideo Templum Hierosolymae ligno fuit investitum.
[5] Nunc sicut pleraque in Verbo etiam oppositum sensum habent, ita quoque "lignum", et in illo sensu significat malum, quia malum est oppositum bono; hoc significatur
Per servire ligno et lapidi (Deuteronomius 4:23-28; Esaias 37:19; Jeremias 3:9; Ezechiel 20:32: et alibi).
Apud Esaiam,
"Lignum, quod non putrescet, eligit, artificem sapientem quaerit sibi, ad praeparandum sculptile, non commoveatur" (40:20):
per "lignum" hic significatur malum, quod, sicut bonum, adoratur; "sculptile" enim est malum cultus; quod "eligat lignum quod non putrescet", significat quod aliquod bonum ex Verbo, quod adulteratur et inde fit malum; hoc eligitur, quia id quod ex Verbo est persuadet, et sic in animis non perit, nam ita est cum omni malo et falso per Verbum confirmato: quod "sapientem artificem quaerat, significat quod illum quaerat cui ex propria intelligentia dos confirmandi et falsificandi est.
[6] Apud Jeremiam,
Statuta gentium vanitas, siquidem lignum de silva excidit, opus manuum fabri per securim, .... infatuantur et stultescunt, doctrina vanitatum lignum est" (10:3, 8):
per "statuta gentium" quae vanitas, significantur omnia cultus illorum qui in malo sunt; per "lignum e silva" quod excidit, et "opus manuum fabri per securim", significatur malum, ex quo cultus, qui ex propria intelligentia per falsa effictus est; "lignum" est malum cultus, quod intelligitur per "sculptile"; opus manuum fabri" est quod ex propria intelligentia est, "securis" est falsum quod destruit bonum et confirmat malum.
[7] Apud eundem,
"Vox..sicut serpentis ibit, .... et cum securibus venerunt, sicut excisores lignorum" (46:22):
per "vocem serpentis" intelligitur astus et dolus; "cum securibus" significat cum falsis destruentibus bonum; "sicut excisores lignorum", significat sicut vellent exstirpare malum, cum tamen exstirpant bonum.
Apud Mosen,
Si quis occiderit socium suum per errorem, ut si cum socio veniat in silvam, et cadat securis ex ligno in socium, fugiet ad urbem azyli (Deuteronomius 19:5):
quisnam peccat per errorem, cui liceat in urbem azyli fugere, illustratum est per exemplum quod raro contingit, sed usque adducitur ad illustrandum quid intelligitur per occidere per errorem; adducitur quia "lignum" est significativum, tum "securis" et quoque "silva"; "lignum" est bonum, "securis" est falsum, et "silva" est naturalis homo; quare per id significatur, Si quis in bono naturali est, et per falsum, quod ignorat falsum esse, aliquem quoad animam perdit, quod id sit factum per errorem, ex causa quia ex malo non fuit.
[8] Apud Habakuk,
"Lapis e pariete clamat, et trabs e ligno respondet" (2:11):
per hoc intelligitur quod malum confirmet falsum, et instiget; per "parietem" e quo lapis clamat, significatur homo a veris vacuus, et qui sic ex falso vult instrui; per "trabem" quae ex ligno respondet, significatur homo absque bonis, et per "lignum" significatur malum, quod falsum confirmat et ei assentitur.
Apud Jeremiam,
"Dicentes ligno, Pater meus tu; et lapidi, Tu genuisti me; quia obverterunt Mihi cervicem et non faciem" (2:27):
quod "ligno dicant, Patrem", significat quod ex malo concepti sint; quod "lapidi dicant, Tu genuisti me", significat quod ex falso mali nati sint; quod "obvertant cervicem et non faciem", significat quod averterint se ab omni bono et vero.
"Ignis" et "ligna" dicuntur apud Sachariam (cap. 12:6), et apud Esaiam (cap. 30:33 5
);
quae dicuntur quia "ignis" significat amorem malum, et "lignum" mala inde.
[9] Quoniam "gladii" significant falsa destruentia vera, ac ligna" significant mala destruentia bonum, ideo ex mandato pontificum,
Exivit turba cum Juda Iscariote contra Jesum cum gladiis et lignis (Matthaeus 26:47; Marcus 14:43, 48; Luc. 22:52 6
):
hoc factum est quia omnia passionis Domini fuerunt repraesentativa destructionis omnium boni et veri a Judaeis.
Apud filios Israelis fuerunt duae poenae communes, lapidatio et suspensio super ligno: lapidatio propter verum laesum et destructum, ac suspensio super ligno propter bonum laesum et destructum; inde erat
Suspensio super ligno maledictio (Deuteronomius 21:22, 23).
Ex his patet quod "lignum" significet bonum, in specie bonum naturalis hominis, et in opposito sensu malum ejus.
[10] (Continuatio de Fide Athanasiana, et de Domino.)
Sunt in mundo homines angeli et sunt homines diaboli; ex hominibus angelis est caelum, et ex hominibus diabolis est infernum.
Apud hominem angelum aperti sunt omnes gradus Vitae ejus usque ad Dominum; apud hominem autem diabolum, apertus modo est gradus ultimus, ac superiores sunt occlusi. Homo angelus ducitur a Domino tam ab intra quam ab extra; homo autem diabolus ducitur a semet ab intra, et a Domino ab extra. Homo angelus ducitur a Domino secundum ordinem, ab intra ex ordine, ab extra ad ordinem; homo diabolus autem ducitur a Domino ad ordinem ab extra, sed a semet contra ordinem ab intra. Homo angelus a Domino continue abducitur a malo, et ducitur ad bonum; homo autem diabolus a Domino continue etiam abducitur a malo, sed a graviori ad minus, non enim duci potest ad bonum. Homo angelus a Domino continue abducitur ab inferno, et ducitur in caelum, interius et interius; homo autem diabolus continue etiam abducitur ab inferno, sed a graviori ad mitius, non enim duci potest in caelum.
[11] Homo angelus, quia ducitur a Domino, ducitur a lege civili, a lege morali, et a lege spirituali, propter Divinum in illis; homo diabolus ducitur ab iisdem legibus, sed propter suum in illis. Homo angelus a Domino amat bona ecclesiae, quae etiam sunt bona caeli, quia sunt bona; similiter ejus vera quia sunt vera; a semet autem amat bona corporis et mundi, quia sunt usui et quia sunt voluptati, similiter vera quae sunt scientiarum, sed amat haec et illa apparenter ex se, actualiter vero a Domino: homo autem diabolus a se etiam amat bona corporis et mundi quia sunt usui et quia sunt voluptati, similiter vera quae sunt scientiarum; sed amat haec et illa apparenter ex se, actualiter vero ex inferno. Homo angelus in libero est, et in cordis sui jucundo, cum bonum facit ex bono, et quoque dum malum non facit; homo autem diabolus in libero et in cordis sui jucundo est, cum bonum facit ex malo, et quoque dum malum facit. Homo angelus et homo diabolus sibi similes apparent quoad externa, sed prorsus dissimiles sunt quoad interna: quare cum externa per mortem deponuntur, sunt plane dissimiles; unus aufertur in caelum, et alter defertur in infernum.
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