10420. For thy people have corrupted themselves. That this signifies that they have completely turned themselves away from the Divine, is evident from the signification of "corrupting one's self," when said of worship, as being to turn away from the Divine, for all corruption and transgression in worship are a turning back and away from the Divine. As mention is made of "turning away," a few words shall be said about this. All those who are in external things separate from what is internal turn themselves away from the Divine, for they look outward and downward, and not inward and upward. For a man looks inward or upward when his internal is open, thus when it is in heaven; but he looks outward or downward when his internal is closed and only his external is open, for this is in the world. Wherefore when the external is separated from the internal, the man cannot be raised upward, because that is not present into which heaven should work, for it is closed. From this it is that to all such persons the things of heaven and of the church are thick darkness, and therefore these things are not believed by them; but at heart are denied, and with some are denied with the mouth also.
[2] When heaven works in a man, as is the case when the internal has been opened, it withdraws him from the loves of self and of the world, and from the falsities that spring from this source; because when the internal is raised, the external also is raised, for the latter is then kept looking the same way, because it is in subordination. But when on account of its being closed, the internal cannot be raised, then the external looks solely toward itself and the world, because the loves of self and of the world then reign. This is also called looking downward, because it is looking to hell, for these loves reign there, and the man who is in them is in consociation with those who are there, although he is unaware of it. Moreover, in respect to his interiors he actually turns himself away from the Lord, for he turns his back to Him and his face to hell. This cannot be seen in the man while he lives in the body; but as it is his thought and will that do this, it is his spirit which thus turns itself, for the spirit is that which thinks and wills in man.
[3] That this is the case is plainly seen in the other life, where spirits turn themselves according to their loves. Those who love the Lord and the neighbor look continually to the Lord; nay, wonderful to say, they have Him before the face in every turning of their bodies. For in the spiritual world there are no quarters such as are in the natural world; but the quarter there is determined by each person's love, which turns him. But those who love themselves and the world above all things, turn away the face from the Lord, and turn themselves to hell, and everyone to those there who are in a similar love with himself, and this likewise in every turning of their bodies. From this it can be seen what is meant by turning one's self away from the Divine, and also what is properly signified in the Word by "turning one's self away," as in the following passages:
They turn themselves backward that trust in graven images (Isa. 42:17).
The heart hath turned itself backward (Ps. 44:18).
Their transgressions are multiplied, and their turnings away are made strong (Jer. 5:6).
They turn themselves away, so that they do not return; this people turneth itself away, Jerusalem is perpetually turned away; they refuse to return (Jer. 8:4, 5).
They have turned themselves away; into the deep they have let themselves down to dwell (Jer. 49:8);
and in many other passages.