spirits the hells are at this day immensely increased, and wonderful to say, especially from those who are within the church, on account of the cunning, deceit, hatred, revenge, and adultery, which flourish there more than elsewhere; for within the church cunning is now esteemed ingenious, and adultery honorable, and they who deem otherwise are laughed at. Its being so within the church at this day is a sign that its last time is at hand, for "Except there be an end, no flesh would be saved," according to the Lord's words in Matt. xxiv. 22; because all evil is contagious, and infects, as lees do the lump, thus at last all.

6667. With cruelty. That this signifies unmercifulness, can be seen without explication; for they who have just been treated of have no mercy, because they have no love of the neighbor, but only the love of self. The love of the neighbor which appears with them is nothing but the love of self; for in so far as another favors them, that is, so far as he is theirs, so far he is loved; but in so far as he does not favor them, or in so far as he is not theirs, so far he is rejected; and if he had previously been a friend, so far he is hated. Such things lie hidden in the love of self, nor do they show themselves in the world, but in the other life, where they burst forth. The reason why they there burst forth is that externals are there taken away, and then it appears what the man has been inwardly.

6668. And they rendered their life bitter with grievous service. That this signifies until the intention to subjugate became troublesome, is evident from the signification of "the life being rendered bitter," as being to become troublesome; and from the signification of "servitude," as being subjugation, here the intention to subjugate (as above, n. 6666).

6669. In clay, and in bricks. That this signifies by reason of the evils which they contrived, and the falsities which they devised, is evident from the signification of "clay," as being good, and in the opposite sense evil (of which in what follows); and from the signification of "bricks," as being the falsities which they devise (see n. 1296; concerning the evils and falsities which the infernals contrive and devise, see just above, n. 6666). That "clay" denotes evil from which is falsity, is plain from the following passages in the Word:

The wicked are like the driven sea, when it cannot rest; its waters cast up mire and clay (Isa. lvii. 20);

"mire" denotes falsity from which is evil; and "clay," evil from which is falsity. [2] In Jeremiah:

Thy feet are sunk in the clay, they have gone backward (xxxviii. 22); "the feet sunk in the clay" denotes the natural sunk in evil.

Draw thee waters for the siege, strengthen thy fortresses; enter into the mire, and tread the clay, repair the brick-kiln; there shall the fire devour thee, and the sword shall cut thee off (Nahum iii. 14, 15);

"to tread the clay" denotes to think from evil what is false.

He shall say, Woe to him that multiplieth what is not his! how long? and to him that ladeth himself with clay! Shall they not rise up suddenly that bite thee? (Hab. ii. 6, 7);

"to lade himself with clay" denotes with evil. [3] In David:

Jehovah hath made me to come out of the pit of devastation, out of the mire of clay, and He hath set my feet upon a rock (Ps. xl. 2).

I sank in deep clay where there is no standing. I am come into depths of waters, and the wave overwhelmed me; rescue me out of the clay, lest I be submerged, and out of the depths of waters; and let not the deep swallow me up (Ps. lxix. 2, 14, 15);

"clay" denotes evil, from which is falsity. In Isaiah:

The rulers shall come as clay, and as the potter treadeth the mire (xli. 25).

[4] "Clay," however, denotes good in the following passages:— Now, Jehovah, Thou art our Father; we are the clay, and Thou our potter; and we all are the work of Thy hand (Isa. Ixiv. 8); "clay" denotes the man of the church who is being formed, thus the good of faith by means of which man is formed, that is, reformed. [5] So in Jeremiah :—

Jehovah said to Jeremiah, Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will make thee to hear My words. I went down therefore into the potter's house, and behold he wrought his work upon the board; but the vessel he was making was spoiled, as clay in the hand of the potter; and he turned back and made it another vessel, as was right in the hand of the potter to make it. Then was the word of Jehovah effected unto me, saying, Cannot I do with you, O house of Israel, as this potter? saith Jehovah. Behold, as the clay in the hand of the potter, so are ye in My hand, O house of Israel (Jer. xviii. 1–6);

the "house of Israel" denotes the church which was to be formed; and as the formation is done by means of the good of charity and the truth of faith, and these are signified by "clay" and the "potter's vessel," therefore the prophet was ordered to go into the potter's house, which would not have been done unless these things had been signified by "clay" and the "potter's vessel." [6] Jehovah, or the Lord, is called a "potter," and the man who is being reformed is called "clay," namely, in Isa. xxix. 15, 16; xlv. 9; Job x. 9; xxxiii. 6. That the Lord made clay with spittle, and anointed the eyes of the man born blind, and commanded him to wash in the pool of Siloam, and that thereupon he that was blind was made to see (John ix. 6, 7, 11), was done because there was represented the reformation of a man who has been born in ignorance of truth, and that reformation is made through the good of faith, which is the "clay."

6670. And in all service in the field. That this signifies the intention to subjugate directed against the things of the church, is evident from the signification of "service," as being the intention to subjugate (see n. 6666); and from the signification of "field," as being the church (n. 2971, 3766).

6671. With all their service wherein they made them to serve with cruelty. That this signifies the intention to subjugate in many ways by reason of unmercifulness, is evident from the signification of "service," as being the intention to subjugate (see n. 6666, 6668, 6670), and because it is said "all service,” there is signified that it is done in many ways; and from the signification of "cruelty," as being unmercifulness (n. 6667).

6672. Verses 15-21. And the king of Egypt said to the midwives of the Hebrew women, of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah; and he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him; and if it be a daughter, then she shall live. And the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt spake to them, and they kept the boys alive. And the king of Egypt called the midwives, and said to them, Wherefore do ye this word, and keep the boys alive? And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are living,

and they have brought forth before the midwife comes unto them. And God did well to the midwives; and the people was multiplied and became very numerous. And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that He made them houses. "And the king of Egypt said to the midwives of the Hebrew women," signifies influx from the separated memory-knowledges into the natural, where the true memory-knowledges of the church are; "of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah," signifies the quality and state of the natural where memory-knowledges are; "and he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools," signifies a discernment of the truth and good flowing in from the internal into memory-knowledges; "if it be a son, then ye shall kill him,” signifies if it is truth, that they should destroy it in any way they could; "and if it be a daughter, then she shall live," signifies that they should not do so if it is good; "and the midwives feared God," signifies that true memory-knowledges were guarded because by the Divine; "and did not as the king of Egypt spake to them," signifies that it was not done as they who were in falsities intended; "and they kept the boys alive," signifies that truths being of good were preserved; "and the king of Egypt called the midwives," signifies that they who were in falsities conspired against those who were in true memory-knowledges in the natural; "and said unto them, Wherefore do ye this word, and keep the boys alive?" signifies anger because truths were not destroyed; "and the midwives said unto Pharaoh," signifies a discernment of these true memory-knowledges in the natural; "Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women," signifies that the memory-knowledges of the church are not like the memory-knowledges opposed to them; "for they are living," signifies that spiritual life is in them; "and they have brought forth before the midwife comes unto them," signifies that the natural has no knowledge before they have life; "and God did well to the midwives," signifies that the natural was blessed by the Divine;" and the people was multiplied and became very numerous," signifies that truths therein were brought forth continually, and so increased; "and it came to pass, because the midwives feared God," signifies because true memory-knowledges

were guarded by the Divine; "that He made them houses," signifies that they were disposed into the heavenly form.

6673. And the king of Egypt said to the midwives of the Hebrew women. That this signifies influx from the separated memory-knowledges into the natural where the true memoryknowledges of the church are, is evident from the signification of "saying," as being influx (see n. 5743, 6291); from the signification of the "king of Egypt," as being separated memoryknowledges which are opposed to the truths of the church (n. 6651); from the signification of "midwives," as being the natural (n. 4588, 4921); and from the signification of the "Hebrews," as being the things of the church (n. 5136, 5236); thus also true memory-knowledges which are of the church. That "midwives" denote the natural, is because the natural receives that which flows in from the internal, and thus as it were acts as a midwife.

6674. Of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah. That this signifies the quality and state of the natural where memory-knowledges are, is evident from the signification of "name," as being quality (see n. 144, 145, 1896, 2009), and also state (n. 1946, 2643, 3422, 4298); for all names in the Word signify things, and comprise in sum total all things that belong to the subject that is being treated of, thus its quality and state; here therefore the names "Shiphrah and Puah" signify the quality and state of the natural where true memory-knowledges are, because this is the subject treated of, as is plain from what precedes (n. 6673). [2] He who does not know that a name denotes the quality and state of the subject being treated of, can believe that where a name is mentioned, the name merely is meant; thus when the Lord speaks of His "name," that it is merely the name, when yet it is the quality of the worship, that is, everything of faith and charity by which He is to be worshiped, as in these passages:

Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them (Matt. xviii. 20);

here the "name" is not meant, but worship from faith and charity.

As many as received, to them gave He power to be the sons of God, to them that believe in His name (John i. 12);