Page:Illustrations of the Holy Word.pdf/26

18 spiritual things signified by air and water, viz. truth and knowledge, are given gratis, whereas the spiritual thing signified by bread, viz. the good of heavenly love and charity, requires the labour of man to procure it, as it is written, In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread. (Gen. iii. 19.)

57. God is said to know all the fowls upon the mountains, (Psalm l. 11,) to teach us that He takes particular delight in all those intellectual perceptions and thoughts which are in conjunction with the love of Himself, and have a tendency to confirm that conjunction, by exalting at all times the life of love and charity.

58. In the sepulchre of Jesus, the napkin that was about His head is found not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself, (John xx. 7,) to teach us, that in the resurrection, or regeneration, there is a distinction made and seen between the things represented by the napkin about the head and the linen clothes, that is to say, between the interior and exterior knowledges of good and truth.

59. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. (Matt. vii. 7). A distinction is here made between asking, seeking, and knocking; also between what is given, what is found, and what is opened; from which distinction it would appear, that asking has relation to the desire of saving good, or love and charity in the will; seeking has relation to the desire of saving knowledge,