Increasing innocence unlocks the Word. Decreasing innocence closes the Word.

 Because of inner turmoil, and not being diligent enough in the processing of anger and other negativity, one felt the teaching light basically decrease in one's heart, so it was not possible to share much with others. But God has been helping me deal with that, hence there is more to share now. Nothing can be shared if it doesn't appear between the ears; and it isn't likely to appear between the ears if we do not make sure the environment is hospitable for warmth and light. God does not want to be around us when we are in angry pants mode. "If we would have friends we must show ourselves friendly, and there is a Friend that sticks closer than a brother."

"Watching over fire in ourselves" therefore constructs a runway for the airplane of God.

Matthew 3:3 - King James Version (KJV)

<3> For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

Revelation 14:18 - King James Version (KJV)

<18> And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.

"It is said that "he had power over fire," because the angels watch over that love in themselves" (Apocalypse Revealed 648).

When we become more innocent -- or rather become more imbued with innocence that we have appropriated from Christ -- then scripture correspondingly opens. When we become less innocent, then scripture correspondingly closes. When we become buffeted by natural life, scripture also closes; but the closing is of a distinct kind relative to the other closing according to ascending or descending innocence.

Matthew 11:25 - King James Version (KJV)

<25> At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.

We must become like a little child, He also told us. It is this sort of babe that is meant here; in which the pairing of ascending innocence with unlocking the Word and descending innocence with closing it is evident. One sees these things happening in interior life now and so relates them; because it is good to correlate as part of spiritual life. It is like the correlation that Swedenborg did between the spiritual and the natural, seeing spirits' relations to his thoughts at the same time as experiencing them normally; such that correlations emerged and were naturalistically and spiritually noted.

Besides which:

Philippians 1:9 - King James Version (KJV)

<9> And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;

In this selection the unlocking nature of love in relation to understanding the Word and its practice -- judgment -- is again evident.

This is the oil trickling down the rock, down the head of the king. In both cases we have oil anointing them for the same reason, albeit with several nuances, being to represent the activation of truth by love; or, to use the earlier language so as frame things within a clear continuity, the activation of spiritual understanding by increases in innocence.

One invites everyone to investigate their interiors and look for increases and decreases in innocence; and to look besides for the way that the Word will make astonishing sense at some times and at other times seem frustratingly opaque. There is much to be learnt from watching over fire in oneself, from watching and praying, from noticing our sin; which is confession of that sin to the Lord.

We confess our sins to the Lord by noticing them in ourselves. We do not confess them by going on at length about How Unworthy We Are. We indicate confession by noticing sin in actions and interiors. We turn from sin by shunning sin noticed in actions and interiors.

Perhaps we ordinarily do not entertain vengeful scenarios, and then for some odd reason there is a 'spike' in vengefulness ideation. If we are in the habit of watching over fire in ourselves, then we notice this 'spike' of cigarette break-like recurrences of vengefulness ideation sooner rather than later. If we are not in this habit, kept in this habit by Lord for our sheer willingness to appropriate it, then we will simply be swept along by the fire and water of our appetites and their associated understandings.

There must, in addition to noticing recurrences of sin, also be a willingness to shun sin in ourselves. This is at one and the same time a willingness to become more innocent; and a willingness to have the better understanding which comes from innocence, as consolation and increased understanding come after temptation overcome; which is Naphtali, the hind let loose, which giveth goodly words.

Genesis 3:24 - King James Version (KJV)

<24> So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

"To "make cherubim from the east to dwell" is to provide against his entering into any secret thing of faith; for the "east toward the garden of Eden" is the celestial, from which is intelligence; and by "cherubim" is signified the providence of the Lord in preventing such a man from entering into the things of faith. By the "flame of a sword turning itself" is signified self-love [amor proprius] with its insane desires and consequent persuasions, which are such that he indeed wishes to enter, but is carried away to corporeal and earthly things, and this for the purpose of "keeping the way of the tree of lives" that is, of preventing the profanation of holy things" (Secrets of Heaven 306).

Elsewhere the Writings speak of an additional meaning to the sword which flicks this way and that: the way any number of Christian sects can turn the literal text of the Word to suit their private interpretations. As is well known, the text of the letter can be plausibly deployed to suit quite a number of interpretations; the interior meaning of scripture itself comes of no private interpretation, yet the 'public interpretation which is God's merciful instruction is not open without watching over fire in oneself; yes, one would even watch over fire in oneself to pass the angel with the flaming sword, to pass the guardians which respond only to our become more childlike in the mature sense expected by Jesus Christ.