AC 3464 - Being in the Doctrinal Things From the Literal Sense

AC 3464

For as before said,
there are interior truths in all the doctrinal things
that are drawn from the literal sense of the Word,
because the literal sense of the Word
is like a well that contains water;
for in each and every thing of the Word
there is an internal sense,
which is also in the doctrinal things
that are from the Word.

As regards the doctrinal things
that are from the literal sense of the Word,
the case is this:
When a person is in them,
and at the same time in a life according to them,
he has a correspondence in himself;
for the angels who are with him
are in interior truths, while he is in exterior ones,
and thus through the doctrinal things
he has communication with heaven,
but according to the good of his life.

As for example, when in the Holy Supper
he thinks in simplicity of the Lord
from the words then used,
"This is My body, and this is "My blood,"
the angels with him
are in the idea of love to the Lord
and charity toward the neighbor;
for love to the Lord corresponds
to the Lord's body, and to bread;
and charity toward the neighbor
corresponds to the blood, and the wine;
and because there is such a correspondence,
there flows an affection out of heaven
through the angels into that holy state
in which the person then is,
which affection he receives
in accordance with the good of his life.

For the angels
dwell with everyone in his life's affection,
thus in the affection of the doctrinal things
according to which he lives;
but in no case if his life disagrees therewith;
for if the life disagrees,
as for instance
if he is in the affection of gaining honors and riches
by means of doctrinal things,
then the angels retire,
 and infernals dwell in this affection,
who either infuse into him
confirmations of the doctrinal things
for the sake of self and the world,
thus a persuasive faith --
which is such
that it is regardless whether a thing is true or false
provided it captivates the minds of others --
or else they take away all faith,
and then the doctrine of his lips
is only a sound excited and modified
by the fire of these loves.