Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 6232

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6232. And will make of thee a company of peoples. That this signifies increase indefinitely, is evident from the signification of a "company of peoples," as being truths from good without limit; for "peoples" signify truths (see n. 1259, 1260, 3295), and "company," abundance. Hence "to make a company of peoples" is to cause truths to increase in abundance; that it is indefinitely is because all things in the spiritual world which proceed from the Infinite, as do truths and goods, are capable of being multiplied and increasing indefinitely. That is called indefinite which cannot be defined and limited by number; nevertheless what is indefinite is finite relatively to what is infinite, and so finite that there is no ratio between the two. [2] That truths and goods can increase indefinitely comes from the fact that they proceed from the Lord, who is infinite. That truths and goods are of this nature, may be seen from the fact that the universal heaven is in truth and good, and yet no one is in exactly the same truth and good as another. This would still be the case if heaven were a thousand and a thousand times greater. The same may be seen from the fact that the angels are being perfected to eternity, that is, they continually grow in good and truth, and yet cannot arrive at the grade of any perfection, because there always remains an indefinite scope; for truths are indefinite in number, and each truth has an indefinite scope within it; and so on. [3] This is still more evident from things in nature: though men should increase in number indefinitely, still no one would have the same face as another, nor the same internal face, that is, the same mind, and not even the same tone of voice; hence it is plain that there is an indefinite variety of all things, and that there is never one thing the same as another. This variety is still more indefinite in the truths and goods that belong to the spiritual world; because one thing in the natural world corresponds to thousands and thousands in the spiritual world; and therefore the more interior things are, the more indefinite they are. [4] That there are such indefinite things pertaining to all things in the spiritual world, and also in the natural world, is because they come forth from the Infinite, as was said above; for unless they so came forth they would never be indefinite; and therefore from the indefinite things in both worlds it is very evident that the Divine is infinite.


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