not pass to the truth of faith which is not from good; "although that was near" signifies that it first comes up; "for God said " signifies the Divine foresight; "Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war" signifies that they would decline from truth by reason of assaults; "and they return to Egypt" signifies that from this there would be a lapse into falsities, which are altogether contrary to the truths and goods of faith. "But God led the people about, by the way of the wilderness" signifies that under Divine guidance they were led to confirm the truths and goods of faith through temptations; "by the Red Sea" signifies the damnation which they were first to pass through; "and the sons of Israel went up girded out of the land of Egypt" signifies that they were delivered from a state of infestations, and so prepared to sustain temptations.

8092. And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had sent the people away. That this signifies when they who infested released those who were of the spiritual church, is evident from the signification of sending away, as releasing; from the representation of Pharaoh, as those who infested by falsities (n. 7107, 7110, 7126, 7142, 7220, 7228, 7317); and from the signification of the sons of Israel, who are here the people, as those who were of the spiritual church of which above (n. 8044).

8093. That God led them not by the way of the land of the Philistines. That this signifies that it was provided by the Divine that they should not pass to the truth of faith which is not from good, is evident from the signification of, God led them not by the way, as that it was provided by the Divine that they should not pass, for by leading, when by God, is signified providence, and by way is signified truth (see n. 627, 2333), here passing to the truth; and from the representation of the Philistines, as those who are acquainted with the knowledges which belong to faith, and are not in the life of charity (n. 1197, 1198, 3412, 3413),

thus those who are in the truth of faith which is not from good. That by the Philistines and their land this is signified, may be evident from the passages in the Word where they are named, especially in Jeremiah (chap. xlvii.), where they are described; also in Joel (chap. iii. 5, 6); and likewise from the historicals of the Word, where are described the wars between the sons of Israel and the Philistines, and their subjugation by the Philistines, and then of the Philistines by the sons of Israel. By the Philistines are there represented those who are in faith separate, or to whom acquaintance with the knowledges which belong to faith is the principal thing, but not a life according thereto, consequently those who teach and believe that faith alone saves. The opinion concerning faith alone or separate is 2 not new, or of this time only, but had existed in the ancient churches, and gained strength with evil of life. It is also described in the Word throughout, but by names: first by Cain, that he slew his brother Abel (see n. 337, 340, 1179); Cain there, in the internal representative sense, is such faith, and Abel is charity. It is also described by Ham, when he was cursed by his father (n. 1062, 1063); afterward by Reuben, that he went up to his father's bed (n. 3870, 4601); and by Simeon and Levi, that they slew Hamor and the men of Shechem, and were therefore cursed by their father (n. 3870, 6352). That faith is also described by the Egyptians and by their firstborn being slain (see n. 7766, 7778), and by the Egyptians being overwhelmed in the Red Sea. It is also described by the Philistines (n. 3412, 3413), and likewise by Tyre and Sidon throughout the prophets, where by the Philistines is signified acquaintance by memory with the knowledges which belong. to faith, and by Tyre and Sidon the knowledges themselves interior and exterior Lastly it is also described by Peter, when he thrice denied the Lord (n. 6000, 6073)—but see what has been already shown concerning this faith (n. 36, 379, 389, 916, 1017, 1076, 1077, 1162, 1176, 1798, 1799,

1834, 1844, 2049, 2116, 2228, 2231, 2261, 2343, 2349, 2364, 2383, 2385, 2401, 2435, 2982, 3146, 3242, 3325, 3412, 3413, 3416, 3427, 3773, 4663, 4672, 4673, 4683, 4721, 4730, 4766, 4783, 4925, 5351, 5820, 5826, 6269, 6272, 6273, 6348, 6353, 7039, 7097, 7127, 7317, 7502, 7545, 7623-7627, 7724, 7779, 7790, 7950).

8094. Although that was near. That this signifies that it first comes up, is evident from the signification of near, when it is said of faith separate, as that it first comes up. How it is to be understood that opinion concerning faith separate or alone first comes up, shall be briefly told. Evil of life has with it its own falsity, which falsity lies concealed with the man who is in evil of life, and sometimes he is ignorant that it is with him; but as soon as he thinks concerning the truths of the church, and especially concerning salvation, then that falsity comes forth and manifests itself, and if it cannot deny the truth itself in its general statement, it then explains it in favor of its own evil, and thus falsifies it. When therefore he thinks about faith and charity, which are the essentials of the church and of salvation, then at once faith comes up, but not charity, because charity is opposite to evil of life; for this reason also he removes charity, and chooses faith alone. From this it is plain that the truths of faith are near, but not the goods of faith, that is, that the former come up first, and not the 2 latter. From this erroneous and false principle afterward follow many false and erroneous ideas, as that good works do nothing for salvation; that a man's life does not follow him after death; that man is then saved from mercy alone by faith, howsoever he has lived in the world; that the most wicked may be saved by faith at the last hour of his life; that evils may be wiped away in a moment. These and such like things are thought out and established from that principle, and are then so many links in a chain. But they would be perceived to be altogether otherwise, if charity and life were the first principle.

8095. For God said. That this signifies Divine foresight, is evident from the signification of God said, when of things future, as Divine foresight (see n. 5361, 6946).

8096. Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war. That this signifies that they would decline from the truth by reason of assaults, is evident from the signification of repenting, as declining from the truth of which in what follows; and from the signification of war, as spiritual combats (see n. 1664, 1788, 2686), thus assaults. That repenting means declining from truth, is because by the departure of the sons of Israel from Egypt, and by their stay in the wilderness, and by their introduction into the land of Canaan, is signified that they were led continually to good, and so to heaven. Hence by repenting and returning to Egypt is signified going away from good, thus declining from truth; for by Egypt or the Egyptians are signified those who are in faith separate from charity, and who are opposed to the truths of the church (n. 6692, 7039, 7097, 7317, 7766, 7926). As regards assaults from 2 those who are in the truth of faith which is not from good, who are signified by the Philistines, it is to be known that they in the other life infest the well disposed, and continually assault the good of faith or charity; for the principles which they adopted in the world, they carry with them into the other life and retain until they are vastated, that is, are deprived of all memory of the knowledges of faith, and are let down into hell. There are at this day great numbers of such spirits, and they dwell to the right in front, in a plane beneath the sole of the foot; their habitation is a kind of city. It has been often granted me to speak with them thence, and to hear their reasonings in favor of faith alone, which are acute, and their assaults against charity, which are stubborn. These now are the things which in the internal sense are meant by their being led not by the way of the land of the Philistines, and by their peradventure repenting when they should see war.

8097. And they return to Egypt. That this signifies that from this there would be a lapse into falsities which are altogether contrary to the truths and goods of faith, is evident from the signification of Egypt, as what is contrary to the truths and goods of faith (see n. 6692, 7039, 7097, 7317, 7766, 7926); that to return thither means to lapse into falsities, is plain.

8098. But God led the people about, by the way of the wilderness. That this signifies that under Divine guidance they were led to confirm the truths and goods of faith by temptations, is evident from the signification of God led, as Providence (see n. 8093), or what is the same, Divine guidance; and from the signification of the way of the wilderness, as to undergo temptations, thus to confirm the truths and goods of faith, for they are confirmed by temptations. By the wilderness is signified where the land is uninhabited and uncultivated (see n. 2708), in the spiritual sense, where are no good and truth, also where truth is not yet conjoined with good. Thus by the wilderness is signified the state of those with whom the conjunction will be effected; and because the conjunction is not effected except by temptations, these also are signified, but when the number forty is adjoined, whether forty years, or forty months, or forty days; for forty signifies temptations and their duration whatsoever it be (n. 730, 862, 2272, 2273). These things are signified by the sojournings of the sons of Israel in the wilderness forty years; and the temptations also which they underwent are described. That they were led into the wilderness that they might undergo those temptations and thus represent them, is plain from these words in Moses Thou shalt remember all the way which Jehovah thy God hath led thee these forty years in the wilderness, that He might afflict thee, to tempt thee, to know what was in thy heart. He fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that He might afflict thee, and that He might tempt thee, to do thee good in thy

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