and associated with them as friends with friends. But after this
there followed a period when men thought, not from correspondences
themselves, but from a knowledge of correspondences, and there was
then also a conjunction of heaven with man, but less intimate. This
period was called the Silver Age. After this there followed men who
had a knowledge of correspondences but did not think from that
knowledge, because they were in natural good, and not, like those
before them in spiritual good. This period was called the Copper Age.
After this man gradually became external, and finally corporeal, and
then the knowledge of correspondences was wholly lost, and with it a
knowledge of heaven and of the many things pertaining to heaven. It
was from correspondence that these ages were named from gold, silver,
and copper,{1} and for the reason that from correspondence gold
signifies celestial good in which were the most ancient people,
silver spiritual good in which were the ancient people that followed,
and copper natural good in which were the next posterity; while iron,
from which the last age takes its name, signifies hard truth apart
from good.

{Footnote 1} Gold from correspondence signifies celestial good
(n. 113, 1551, 1552, 5658, 6914, 6917, 9510, 9874, 9881).
Silver signifies spiritual good, that is, truth from a
celestial origin (n. 1551, 1552, 2954, 5658). Copper signifies
natural good (n. 425, 1551). Iron signifies truth in the
outmost of order (n. 425, 426).



116. XIV. THE SUN IN HEAVEN.