5774. And laded everyone his ass, and returned to the city. That this signifies that truths were brought back from things of sense into memory-knowledges, is evident from the signification of an "ass," as being memory-knowledge (see n. 5492) that "lading the ass" means bringing back from things of sense, is because by "making their bags come down to the earth" is signified bringing what was in the natural down to things of sense (n. 5767); and raising it from them is therefore here meant by "lading;" and from the signification of a "city," as being doctrinal truth (n. 402, 2449, 2943, 3216).
[2] What it is to bring back truths from things of sense into memory-knowledges must be briefly explained. Things of sense are one thing, memory-knowledges another, and truths another. They succeed one another in turn; for memory-knowledges come forth from things of sense, and truths from memory-knowledges; for the things which enter by the senses are laid up in the memory, and from them the man concludes memory-knowledge, or perceives from them memory-knowledge which he learns; from the memory-knowledges he then concludes truths, or perceives from them truth which he learns. Every man so progresses as he grows up from childhood. When he is a child he thinks and apprehends things from things of sense; when older he thinks and apprehends things from memory-knowledges; and afterward from truths. This is the way to the judgment into which man grows with age.
[3] From this it may be seen that things of sense, memory-knowledges, and truths, are distinct, and even remain distinct-so much so that a man is sometimes in things of sense, as when he thinks only of what meets the senses; sometimes in memory-knowledges, as when he elevates his mind out of things of sense, and thinks interiorly; and sometimes in truths which have been concluded from memory-knowledges, as in the case when he thinks more interiorly. Everyone who reflects upon it can know these things from himself. Man can also bring truths down into memory-knowledges, and see them in these, and he can also bring memory-knowledges down into things of sense, and contemplate them therein; as well as the converse. From this it is now plain what is meant by bringing what is in the natural down to things of sense, and by bringing truths back from things of sense into memory-knowledges.