192. Everyone who is unaware that the Word contains a spiritual sense, as the body contains a soul, can only judge the Word from its literal sense. Yet this is like a case full of precious goods; these are its spiritual sense. So as long as this internal sense remains unknown, one can no more judge the Divine holiness of the Word than one can a precious stone from the matrix in which it is embedded, and which sometimes looks like an ordinary stone; or from a chest made of jasper, lapis lazuli, amianthus (also called mica), or agate, but containing rows of diamonds, rubies, sardonyxes, oriental topazes, etc. So long as this remains unknown, it is no wonder that the chest is not valued more highly than the worth of its visible materials. It is similar with the literal sense in the Word. Therefore to prevent people from doubting that the Word is Divine and most holy, the Lord has revealed to me its internal sense, which in its essence is spiritual. This lies within the external or natural sense like the soul within the body. That sense is the spirit which gives life to the literal form. Consequently that sense can bear witness to the divinity and holiness of the Word, and convince even the natural man, if he is willing to be convinced.