8. The four changes of state, which are called "morning," "day," "evening," and "night," are in the Word predicated of the church, because the church consists of men, and a man is a church in particular, and the assembly of these men is what is called the church. Those in this assembly or the church, who live according to the order described above (n. 7), are trees of life, which also are trees of good use; but those who do not live according to that order are trees of the knowledge of good and evil, which also are trees of evil use. The latter are those of whom "evening" and "night," or, what is the same, vastation and consummation, are predicated; but not the former. These things, however, will be made evident to the reason in the following pages; but it is proper, that, at the beginning of this volume, some preliminary observations should be made, because knowledges must precede before any one can know that by "morning" is meant the rise of the church, and that this is preceded by redemption; by "day," the progression of the new church into light, and its intelligence; by "evening," the decline of that church from good and truth, which is called vastation; and by "night," its end and destruction, which is called consummation; and so on.