Page:A Compendium of the Theological Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg.djvu/467

 sented; and thus the names too of the Most Ancient and of the Ancient church were retained. (A. C, n. 3686.)

There was a church in the land of Canaan from the most ancient times; whence it came to pass that all places there, and which were circumjacent in whatever direction, with the mountains and rivers, that are mentioned in the Word, became representative and significative of such things as constitute the internals of the church, which are what are called its spiritual things. (H. D, n. 5.)

As the Israelitish nation were in externals, without internals, and yet something of the church was to be established among them, it was provided of the Lord that communication with heaven might still be effected, through the representatives which constituted the externals of worship with that nation. This communication, however, was effected miraculously. But, that this might be, two things were requisite; one, that the internal within them should be entirely closed; and the other, that they might be in a holy external while engaged in worship. For, when the internal is entirely closed, then the internal of the church and of worship is neither denied nor acknowledged; it is as if there were none; and then there can be a holy external, and it can even be exalted, because nothing opposes and prevents. This nation was therefore also in entire ignorance of internal things,—which are the things pertaining to love and faith towards the Lord, and to eternal life by means of them. But as soon as the Lord came into the world and revealed Himself, and taught love and faith in Himself, then that nation as they heard these things began to deny them, and so could no longer be kept in such ignorance as before. Therefore they were then driven out of the land of Canaan; that they might not defile and profane internal things, by denial, in that land where, from the most ancient times, all places were made representative of such things as pertain to heaven and the church. (A. C. n. 10, 500.)