1394. The spiritual is in what is earthly, and the earthly appears as nothing

This can be corroborated by many things, so here by only this one example: spoken words all consist of earthly components, so that speech is earthly. But the meaning of the speech is spiritual, or can be; and, of course, the meaning is noticed and not at all the words. So words, like bodily elements, are only tools, thus nothing. The same applies to a loftier meaning, that is, if there are several meanings by which a yet deeper meaning is shaped. If [deeper meanings] are denoted by their own words or symbolized by signs, then their meaning is spiritual, and those component signs or words-that is, the composite mental images of that meaning-are nothing. 1748, 15 March.