8162. And they were sore afraid. That this signifies a horrible dread, is evident from the signification of "being afraid," when predicated of temptation, as being horror, or horrible dread. That "fear" denotes a horrible dread, is because when temptation assails, the conscience-thus the internal man, for conscience is of the internal man is disheartened by reason of falsities and evils; whence comes horror, which is aversion conjoined with the fear of spiritual death. Horror arises from the mere influx of falsity and evil with those who have conscience, for conscience is from the truth and good of faith, thus from those things which make the spiritual life. Falsities and evils are destructive of that life, and thus endeavor to inflict death, that is, damnation; and from this comes the horrible dread.
