40. The truths of the sense of the Letter of the Word are, in some cases, not naked truths, but appearances of truth, being, as it were, similitudes and comparisons taken from such things as are in nature, accommodated and adequate to the apprehension of simple people and children; but because they are correspondences, they are the receptacles and abodes of genuine truth. They are like vessels which enclose and contain, as a crystal cup holds noble wine, or a silver dish nourishing food. They are like garments which serve as clothing, like swaddling clothes for an infant, and comely robes for a maiden. They are also like the knowledge of the natural man, which comprises the perceptions and affections of truth of the spiritual man. The truths themselves unveiled, which are included, contained, clothed and comprised, are in the spiritual sense of the Word, and goods unveiled are in its celestial sense. [2] This, however, may be illustrated from the Word:
Jesus said: Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees ... for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup and the platter that the outside of them may be clean also. Matt. xxiii 25, 26.
In this passage the Lord spoke by ultimate things which are containants, and used the words "cup and platter". By the cup is meant wine, and by wine, the truth of the Word; by the platter is meant food, and by food the good of the Word. To cleanse the inside of the cup and of the platter signifies to purify the interiors, which relate to the will and thought, and thus to love and faith, by means of the Word. That the outside may be clean also, signifies that the exteriors may be purified; and the exteriors are deeds and words, for these derive their essence from the interiors. [3] Again,
Jesus said: There was a certain rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:
And there was a certain beggar, named Lazarus, who was laid at his gate, full of sores. Luke xvi 19, 20.
In this passage also the Lord spoke by natural things, which were correspondences, and contained spiritual things. By the rich man is meant the Jewish nation, called rich because they possessed the Word, which contains spiritual riches. By the purple and fine linen with which the rich man was clothed are signified the good and truth of the Word, by the purple its good, and by the fine linen its truth. By faring sumptuously every day is signified the delight of the Jewish nation in having the Word and reading it. By the beggar Lazarus are meant the Gentiles, who do not possess the Word. By Lazarus lying at the gate of the rich man, full of sores, is meant that the Gentiles were despised and rejected by the Jews.
[4] The Gentiles are meant by Lazarus, because the Lord loved the Gentiles as He loved Lazarus, whom He raised from the dead, John xi 3, 5, 36; who is called His friend, John xi 11; and who reclined at table with Him, John xii 2.
From these two passages it is evident that the truths and goods of the sense of the Letter of the Word are like vessels, and like the clothing of unveiled truth and good, which lie concealed in the spiritual and celestial senses of the Word.
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