Page:Arcana Coelestia (Potts) vol 1.djvu/119

 that "they shall lick the dust like a serpent." In David:—

"Barbarians" and " enemies" are those who regard only earthly and worldly things. In Isaiah:—

As "dust" signifies those who do not regard spiritual and celestial things, but only what is corporeal and earthly, therefore the Lord enjoined His disciples that if the city or house into which they entered was not worthy, they should "shake off the dust of their feet" (Matt. x. 14). (That "dust" signifies what is condemned and infernal, will be further shown at verse 19.)

. Verse 15. And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; He shall trample upon thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel. Every one is aware that this is the first prophecy of the Lord's advent into the world; it appears indeed clearly from the words themselves, and therefore from them and from the prophets even the Jews knew that a Messiah was to come. Hitherto however no one has understood what is specifically meant by the "serpent," the "woman," the "serpent's seed," the "woman's seed," the "head of the serpent which was to be trodden upon," and the "heel which the serpent should bruise." They must therefore be explained. By the "serpent" is here meant all evil in general, and specifically the love of self; by the "woman" is meant the church; by the "seed of the serpent," all infidelity; by the "seed of the woman," faith in the Lord; by "He," the Lord Himself; by the "head of the serpent," the dominion of evil in general, and specifically that of the love of self; by to "trample upon," depression, so that it should "go upon the belly and eat dust;" and by the "heel," the lowest natural (as the corporeal), which the serpent should "bruise."

. The reason why the "serpent" means all evil in general, and specifically the love of self, is that all evil has had its rise from that sensuous part of the mind, and also from that memory-knowledge (scientifico), which at first were signified by the "serpent;" and therefore it here denotes evil of every