Swedenborg Arcana Caelestia Vol. IV (1750)

...comes, or flows in from there, and it appears as if it were in him. From these, namely the societies of spirits and angels, to know how the matter stands is to know from the causes themselves; and from the heaven of angels, it is from the ends of the causes. There are also historical things that adjoin themselves and illustrate, and thus they appear more manifest. In the internal sense, it is treated of the adjunction of good to truths, and of the application of these, in the natural; for Jacob is good there, as has been frequently said, and his women are the affections of truth. Good, which is of love and charity, flows in from the Lord, and indeed through the angels who are with man, and not into any other thing with man than into the knowledges that are with him. And because good is fixed there, the thought is held in the truths which are of knowledges, and from thence many things are excited that are related and suitable, and this for so long until he thinks that it is so, and until he wills because it is so, from affection. When this happens, then good conjoins itself to truths, and truths apply themselves, in freedom, for every affection makes a state of freedom (n. 2870, 2875, 3158, 4031). But when this happens, doubts are also excited by the spirits who are adjoined to him, and sometimes even negatives; but as much as the affection prevails, so much is he led to the affirmative, and at the same time he is then confirmed in truths through those things. When good flows in thus, it is not perceived that it is done through angels, because it flows in so interiorly, and into his obscure state, which is his from worldly and bodily things. But it must be known that good does not flow in from the angels, but through the angels from the Lord. This all the angels also confess, which is why they never claim any good to themselves; indeed, they are indignant when anyone attributes it to them. From these things now, as from the causes themselves, it can be seen how the matter stands with the adjunction of good to truths, and the application of these, of which it is treated here in the internal sense.

4097. "Is there any longer a portion and inheritance in our father's house?" that this signifies the first state of their separation from the good signified by Laban, is evident from the signification of "Is there any longer a portion and inheritance," which is, "is there any longer any conjunction?" and from the signification of "our father's house," which is the good represented by Laban. From these it results that by those words is signified the first state of their separation from the good signified by Laban. For the first state is that the mind is held in doubt; the second state is that the doubt is discussed by reasons; the third is affirmation; the last is act; thus good with truths insinuates itself from the intellectual part into the voluntary part, and is appropriated.

4098. "Are we not esteemed as strangers to him, because he sold us?" that this signifies that he had alienated them, so that they were no longer his, is evident from the signification of "to be esteemed as a stranger," which is to be alienated; and from the signification of "selling," which is to so alienate that they are no longer his.

4099. "And he has even consumed our silver," that this signifies the truth of their affections that he would consume if they were not separated, is evident from the signification of "to eat," which is to consume; and from the signification of "silver," which is truth, concerning which see n. 1551, 2954. "Our silver," which is the truth of their affections, is evident, for by Rachel and Leah are represented the affections of truth, as has been shown here and there before. What these things involve cannot be known unless it is known how it is with the goods and truths that are insinuated through an intermediate good...