211. [verse 18] 'I counsel thee to buy from Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich' signifies an admonition to acquire for themselves the good of love from the Lord by means of the Word, so that they may be wise. For 'to buy' signifies to acquire for oneself; 'from Me' signifies from the Lord by means of the Word; 'gold' signifies good, and 'gold tried in the fire' the good of celestial love; and to be enriched thereby signifies to understand and be wise. 'Gold' signifies good, because the metals in their order signify such things as are of good and truth; gold, celestial good and spiritual good; silver, the truth of those loves*; bronze, natural good; and iron, natural truth. These things are signified by the metals out of which Nebuchadnezzar's statue [was made], of which:-
The head was gold, the breast and arms silver, the belly and thighs bronze, the legs iron, and the feet part of iron and part of clay Dan. ii 32, 33.
By this the successive states of the Church as to the good of love and the truth of wisdom were signified. Because the states of the Church had followed one after another in this manner, the Ancients therefore gave like names to times, calling them golden, silver, bronze, and iron ages, and by the 'golden age' they understood a first time when the good of celestial love was ruling. Celestial love is a love [progressing] into the Lord from the Lord. They had their wisdom then out of this love. 'Gold' signifies the good of love, as may be seen below (n. 913). * The Original Edition has amorum (of loves), which may be a slip for bonorum (of goods).
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