AC 1571 - Strife and Worship

AC 1571

There was strife between
the herdsmen of Abram's cattle
and the herdsmen of Lot's cattle.
(Genesis 13:7)

That this signifies that the internal man and the external
did not agree,
is evident from the signification of
the "herdsmen [or shepherds-pastores] of cattle,"
as being those who teach,
and thus things that are of worship . . ..

As worship is here treated of, namely,
that of the internal man and of the external,
and as these did not yet agree,
it is here said that "there was strife between the herdsmen;"
for Abram represents the internal man,
and Lot the external.
In worship the nature and quality of the disagreement
between the internal man and the external
are especially discernible,
and this even in every single thing of worship;
for when in worship the internal man
desires to regard the ends
that belong to the kingdom of God,
and the external man
desires to regard the ends that belong to the world,
there thus arises a disagreement
which manifests itself in the worship,
and that so plainly
that the smallest bit of such disagreement
is noticed in heaven.