875.对此，我补充以下记事：
一天清晨，我一醒来就看见两位天使从天上下来，一位来自天堂的南边，一位来自天堂的东边。他们都驾着套着白马的马车。来自天堂南边的天使所驾的马车银光闪闪，而来自天堂东边的天使所驾的马车则金光灿灿。他们手持的缰绳仿佛闪烁着黎明的火焰色光芒。我从远处所看到的两位天使就是这样，但等到他们靠近时，就不是坐在马车里了，而是他们自己的天使样貌，也就是人的形式。从天堂东边而来的这一位身穿闪亮的紫袍，而从天堂南边来的这一位则身穿闪亮的蓝袍。当抵达天堂下面的低地时，他们跑着迎接对方，仿佛奋勇争先，然后彼此拥抱亲吻。我听说这两位天使在世时就通过内在的友谊而结合，不过如今一个在东方天堂，一个在南方天堂。那些通过主而处于爱的人在东方天堂，而那些通过主而处于智慧的人则在南方天堂。
他们先谈了会儿各自天堂的辉煌事物，然后转向这个话题：就其本质而言，天堂是爱还是智慧。他们很快达成共识：一个属于另一个，不过又讨论哪一个是另一个的起源。来自智慧天堂来的天使问另一位天使：“什么是爱？”对方回答说，来源于显为太阳的主的爱，是天使和世人的生命之热，因而就是他们的生命。他还说，爱的衍生物被称作情感，通过它们产生感知，因而产生思维。“由此可知，智慧凭其起源而成为爱；因此，思维就其起源而言，是那爱的情感。还可知，通过查看在其次序中的衍生物就会发现，思维无非是情感的形式；这一事实却不为人知，因为思维处在光中，而情感处在热中，因而人会反思思维，却不反思情感，声音和言语也是这种情形。思维无非是情感的形式，这一点也可通过言语来说明，因为言语无非是声音的形式。情况之所以相似，是因为声音对应于情感，言语对应于思维；所以，情感发声，思维说话。这一点以这种方式来说明会变得清晰明了，‘若把声音从言语那里拿走，言语还有什么呢？’同样‘把情感从思维那里拿走，思维还有什么呢？’由此明显可知，爱是智慧的全部，因而天堂的本质是爱，它们的存在是智慧；或也可说，天堂出于神性之爱而存在，它们出于藉着神性智慧的神性之爱而逐渐存在，因此，如先前所说，一个属于另一个。”
就在这时，与我同在的一个新灵听到这些话后，就问仁与信的情形是否也如此，因为仁属于情感，信属于思维。这位天使回答说：“完全一样，因为信无非是仁的形式，就像言语是声音的形式一样。事实上，信也由仁形成，就像言语由声音形成。我们在天上还知道是如何形成的，但在此没时间解释。”他又补充说：“我所说的信是指属灵之信，其中的灵和生命唯独源于仁，因为仁是属灵的，信通过仁而成为属灵的。所以，无仁之信是纯属世之信，这样的信是死信。它还与纯属世的情感相结合，而属世的情感无非是欲望。”两位天使属灵地谈论了这些事，属灵的言语包含上千种属世言语所无法表达的事物；令人惊讶的是，这些事物根本无法落入属世的思维观念。请记住这一点，当死后从属世之光进入属灵之光时，你问一部何为信，何为仁，就会清楚发现，信是有形的仁，因而仁是信的全部，所以仁是信的灵魂、生命和本质，正如情感是思维的灵魂、生命和本质，声音是言语的的灵魂、生命和本质。你若愿意，就会发现信通过仁形成就如同言语通过声音形成，因为它们相对应。两位天使谈完这些事后，就离开了；他们各回自己的天堂时，只见有星星出现在他们头周围；他们离开我一段距离后，又和先前一样看似坐在马车里。
这两位天使从我的视线消失后，我看见右边有座园子，里面有橄榄树、葡萄树、无花果树、月桂和棕榈树，照着对应依次种植。我看了看这园子，发现天使和灵人在树林当中边散步边交谈。这时，其中一位天使灵回头看见了我。在灵人界，预备上天堂，然后成为天使的灵人就叫天使灵。这个天使灵便出了园子来到我面前，说：“你愿和我一同进入我们的园子吗？你会听到并看到奇妙的事。”于是，我便与他同去，然后他对我说：“你看到的这些人（他们有很多）全都处于对真理的情感，因而处于智慧之光。这里还有一栋建筑，我们称之为智慧圣殿。不过，凡自以为智慧的人都看不见它，更不用说自以为智慧充足的人，尤其认为凭自己而有智慧的人。这是因为，这等人没有出于对纯正智慧的情感而接受天堂之光。对于一个人来说，纯正的智慧就是凭天堂之光明白，他所知道、理解，并在其中充满智慧的事，相对于他所不知道、理解，并在其中没有智慧的，如此之少，如同一滴水相对于海洋，因而几乎什么也不是。凡在这个乐园里，凭自己里面的感知和洞察承认他的智慧相对来说极其渺小的人，都会看见这座智慧圣殿。因为是内在之光，而非没有内在的外在之光使他看到这殿。”
因我经常这样思想，并由于知识、然后由于觉察、最后由于出于内在之光的视见已经承认，人的智慧极其贫乏，所以我得以看见这殿。这殿的形状非常外观。它高耸于地面之上，呈四角形，墙是水晶的，优雅的拱状殿顶是透明碧玉的，殿基是各样宝石的。通向它的台阶是抛光的雪花石膏做的。只见台阶两侧仿佛有狮子及其幼狮。然后，我询问可否进入，有人说可以。于是，我拾级而上；当我进去时，只见如同基路伯的形像在殿顶下飞行，不过，很快就消失了。行走的地板是香柏木的，整座殿因着透明的殿顶和墙体，几乎就是光的形式。
这位天使灵同我进去，我便告诉他我从两位天使那里听来的有关爱与智慧、仁与信的谈话内容。然后，他说：“他们没提及第三个吗？”“什么第三个？”我问。“就是功用，”他答道。“没有功用，爱和智慧什么也不是，纯粹是想象的实体罢了。在存在于功用之前，它们不会变成实实在在的。因为爱、智慧和功用这三者是不可分割的，否则，其中任何一个就什么也不是了。离了智慧，爱什么也不是，而是在智慧中为某种事物而形成。它为之而形成的这某种事物就是功用，因此当爱藉着智慧而存在于功用中时，它就成了某种事物，事实上，那时才第一次开始存在。这三者完全就像目的，原因和结果。目的若不藉着原因就什么也不是，而是在结果中。若三者当中放出任何一个，一切事物都会散开，并会化为乌有。
“仁、信和行为也一样。无信之仁什么都不是，无仁之信、没有行为的仁与信也是；它们在行为中成为某种事物；该事物的性质取决于行为的功用。情感、思维和活动，以及意愿、认知或理解和行动同样如此。这一事实在这圣殿里看得清清楚楚，因为我们在此所处的光会启发心智的内层。几何学也教导，除非是三维一体，否则就没有完整和完美的事物。因为线若不成为平面，就什么也不是；而平面若不成为立体，同样什么也不是。所以一个必须直接进入另一个，以便它们能够存在，并共存于第三个。这个原理适用于一切受造物，无论总体还是单独，同样是什么情形，它们固定于第三者。正因如此，在圣言中，“三”在灵义上表示完整和完全。既如此，我就纳闷为何有些人只认唯信，有些人只认唯仁，有些人则只认行为。而事实上，第一个离了第二个，第一个和第二个一起却没有第三个，就都什么也不是。”
不过，这时，我问道：“难道人不可以有仁有信却没有行为吗？人不可以拥有对某事的情感和思维，却不将它行出来吗？”天使灵对我说：“理论上是可能的，但实际上是不可能的。他必须处于执行的努力或意愿；意愿或努力本身就是行为，因为里面有行动的不断努力；一旦下定决心，它就会变成一个外在行动。所以，努力和意愿作为一种内在行动被一切智者接受，因为它被神接受，并且只要一有机会，就采取行动，它完全就像是外在行动。”
此后，我出了智慧圣殿，拾级而下，在园中行走，发现有些灵人正坐在月桂树下吃无花果。我便转向他们，请他们给些无花果，于是，他们给了我一些。看哪，无花果在我手里变成了葡萄！我对此惊讶不已，这时，仍与我同在的这位天使灵对我说：“无花果之所以在你手中变成葡萄，是因为按照对应关系，无花果表示属世人或外在人里面的仁、因而信之良善，而葡萄则表示属灵人或内在人里面的仁和信之良善。由于你热爱属灵事物，所以这事才在你身上发生。在我们的世界，万事万物的出现、存在，以及变化都取决于对应。”突然间，我有一种渴望，很想知道人如何靠着神、而又完全貌似凭自己行善。于是，我就问那些正在吃无花果的人是如何理解这个问题的。他们说，他们只能这样理解：“神在人不知不觉的情况下在人里面并通过人运作这一切。因为人若意识到这一点，因而要貌似凭自己行善，也就是靠自己行善，就不会行善，而是作恶。事实上，从人，如同从他自己发出的一切，都是从他的小我（proprium）发出的；而人的小我生来就是邪恶。来自神的良善怎么可能和来自人的邪恶结合，从而联合发出进入行为呢？人的自我在救恩的事上不断寻求功德；越这样做，就越从主那里夺走祂的功德，而这是最不公正、最不敬的。总之，神通过圣灵在人里面所行的良善真要流入人的意愿，并因此流入他的行为，必彻底被玷污和亵渎，而这神所绝不允许的。的确，人能认为他所行的良善来自神，还能说它是经由他而来，并貌似来自他自己的神的良善，只是我们还不能理解这一点。”
于是，我敞开心扉说：“你们不理解，是因为你们根据表象思考，通过表象所确认的思维是谬误。你们之所以会卷入这种表象和由此而来的谬误，是因为你们以为人所思所愿，并由此所行所言的一切事都在他里面，因而来自他。而事实上，除了接受流入之物的状态外，它们丝毫不在他里面。人本身不是生命，只是接受生命的一个器官。唯独主本身才是生命，正如祂在约翰福音中所说的：
因为父怎样在自己有生命，就赐给祂儿子也照样在自己有生命。（约翰福音5:26）
“有两样事物构成生命，即爱和智慧；或也可说，爱之良善和智慧之真理。这些从神那里流入，被人接受，并且在人里面感觉如同在他自己里面；由于人感觉它们如同在自己里面，所以它们貌似从他发出。它们给人的这种感觉是主的恩赐，为的是所流入之物能感染人，从而被接受和保留。但由于一切邪恶也从地狱而非神那里流入，并被快乐地接受（因为人生来就是这样一种器官），所以从神所接受的良善不会多过人貌似凭自己所除去的邪恶；而人只有通过悔改，同时通过对主的信才能貌似凭自己除去邪恶。
“爱与智慧，仁与信，或更通俗地说，爱与仁的良善和智慧与信仰的真理都是流入的；所流入之物在人里面看似在他自己里面，因而貌似来自他，这一点从视、听、嗅、味、触等感觉很清楚地看出来。在这些感官里面所感觉到的一切事物都是从外部流入，但在它们里面被感觉到；内在感官也是同样的道理，唯一不同之处在于，流入内在感官的，是没有显现的属灵之物，而流入外在感官的，则是显现的属世之物。总之，人就是从神那里接受生命的器官；因此，人越接受良善，就越停止作恶。主将停止作恶的能力赐给每个人，因为主赐他貌似凭自己意愿和理解；凡人出于如同自己的意愿照着如同自己的理解所行的，或也可说，凡他出于属于意愿的自由，照着属于理解的理性所行的，都会保留下来。主正是通过这种方式把人带入与祂自己结合的状态，并在这种状态下改造、重生和拯救他。
“流入的生命就是从主发出的生命，这生命也被称为神的灵，在圣言中被称为圣灵；经上说这生命启示人、使人复活；甚至在他里面作工。但这生命会照着此人以他的爱所产生的组织结构而变化和更改。你们也许还知道，一切爱与仁之善和一切智与信之真都是流入的，其实并不在此人里面。这一点从以下事实可知：人若认为自创造时人里面就有这类事物，就不能不认为神将祂自己注入人里面，因而人在某种程度上就是神明。然而，凡出于信而这样想的人都变成了魔鬼，像腐尸一样恶臭。
“此外，人的行为不就是心智的活动吗？因为凡心智所意愿和思考的，就会通过它的器官在身体上行出来；因此，当心智被主引领时，行为也被引领；当信主时，心智和来自它的行为就被主引领。否则，请尽可能地告诉我，为何主在圣言中在上千处地方叮嘱人必须爱自己的邻舍，必须出于仁之良善作工，像树那样结果子，必须遵守祂的诫命，所有这一切都为了他能得救？还有，为何祂说要照各人的行为报应各人，行善的上天堂得生命，作恶的下地狱得死亡？如果从人发出的一切势都是邀功的，因而是邪恶的，那祂怎会说这种话？所以，你们要知道，若心智是仁爱，行为也是仁爱；若心智是唯信，就是脱离属灵之仁的信，那行为也是唯信；这信才是邀功的，因为它的仁是属世的，而非属灵的。仁之信则不然，因为仁不愿邀功，因而它的信也不愿邀功。”
听到这番话，那些坐在月桂树下的人说：“我们知道你说得对，却不理解。”对此，我回答说：“你们能知道我说得对，凭借的是一种普遍感知，就是当人闻听真理时，从来自天堂的光之流注所拥有的那种感知；而你们不理解是由于你们自己的感知，就是从来自世界的光之流注所拥有的那种感知。在智者里面，这两种感知，即内在的和外在的，或属灵的和属世的，合而为一。若注目于主，除去邪恶，你们也能使它们合而为一。”由于他们也能理解这些话，所以我便从我们所坐在下面的月桂树上拧下几根枝子，递给他们说：“你们认为这是出于我，还是出于主？”他们说，他们认为这是通过我，如同来自我；看哪，他们手中的枝子开了花。离别之际，我看到在被葡萄藤蔓所缠绕的树干、青翠的橄榄树下有一张香柏木桌子，桌子上有一本书。我一瞧，看哪，这是我写的书，名为《圣爱与圣智》，还有《圣治》；我说，这两本书充分说明，人是接受生命的器官，并非生命。
之后，我离开那园子，欢欢喜喜地打道回府，那位天使灵与我同在；他在路上对我说：“如果你愿意清楚看到何为信与仁，因而何为与仁分离之信，何为与仁结合之信，我也会在眼前展示它。”我回答说：“请展示。”于是，他说：“请思想光和热，以取代信和仁，你就会看得清清楚楚；因为信本质上是属于智慧的真理，而仁本质上是属于爱的情感；在天上，智慧之真理是光，爱之情感是热；天使所在的光和热并非别的什么。你由此可以清楚看出，何为与仁分离之信，何为与仁结合之信。与仁分离之信就像冬天里的光，与仁结合之信则如同春天里的光。冬光，也就是与热分离之光，因与寒冷结合，故会剥光树上的叶子，将土地冻硬，杀死青草，同样使河水结冰；但春光，也就是与热结合的光，则会使树木复苏，先长出叶子，然后开花，最后结果；它打开并松软大地，使它长出青草、菜蔬、鲜花、灌木，同样融化坚冰，使泉水从源头流出。
“信与仁的情形完全一样。与仁分离之信使万物死亡，与仁结合之信使万物复苏。在我们灵界，这种复苏和死亡能活生生地看到；因为在灵界，信就是光，仁就是热。哪里有与仁结合之信，哪里就有照着结合、令人愉悦的天堂乐园、花圃与草地；而哪里有与仁分离之信，哪里甚至寸草不生；仅有的绿色，还是刺草、荆棘和蒺藜上的。从显为太阳的主那里发出的热和光就在天使和灵人里面，因而在他们之外产生这一切。”有几位神职人员离我们不远，天使灵称他们为唯信的称仁者和成圣者，还称他们为神秘主义者。我们把这些话说给他们听，还进行了论证，好叫他们明白事实的确如此；我们问：“难道不是这样吗？”他们却转过身去，说：“我们没听见。”于是，我们大声向他们喊着说：“那么，现在请听。”他们两手捂住耳朵，叫嚷着：“我们不愿听。”
875. To this I will append the following accounts:
On awakening from sleep one morning I saw two angels descending from heaven - one from the south of heaven and the other from the east of heaven - both in carriages to which white horses were harnessed. The carriage in which the angel from the south of heaven rode shone as though made of silver. And the carriage in which the angel from the east of heaven rode shone as though made of gold. The reins which they held in their hands glistened too, as though with the blazing light of dawn.
Thus did the two angels appear to me at a distance, but when they drew nearer, I saw them not in a carriage, but in their angelic form, which is a human one. The one who came from the east of heaven was dressed in a shiny crimson garment, and the one who came from the south of heaven in a shiny blue garment.
When these angels arrived beneath heaven in the region below, each ran to the other, as though endeavoring to see which would be first to reach the other, and they embraced and kissed each other. I was told that when these two angels lived in the world, they were bound together by an interior friendship, but one was now in the eastern heaven, the other in the southern heaven. The angels in the eastern heaven are ones impelled by love from the Lord, while those in the southern heaven are ones impelled by wisdom from the Lord.
[2] After talking a while about the magnificent sights in their heavens, they began to consider whether heaven in its essence is one of love or one of wisdom. They agreed right away that the two are inseparable, but discussed which one is the origin of the other.
The angel from the heaven of wisdom asked what love is, and the other replied that love originating from the Lord as a sun constitutes the vital warmth of angels and men so as to be their life; that offshoots of that love are called affections; and that these produce perceptions and thus thoughts.
"It follows from this," he said, "that wisdom in its origin is love, consequently that thought in its origin is an affection of that love, and one can see from its derivations examined in turn that thought is nothing else than a form of affection. This is not known, because thoughts are seen, whereas affections are matters of warmth, and people reflect on their thoughts, therefore, but not on their affections.
"The case is the same as with sound and speech. That thought is nothing else than a form of affection can be illustrated by speech, as being nothing else than a form of sound. The case is the same, too, because the sound or tone corresponds to affection, and speech to thought. Consequently it is affection that utters sounds, and thought that speaks.
"This can also be clearly seen when the proposition is put, "Take away sound from speech. Is there any speech left? Similarly, take away affection from thought. Is there any thought left?
"It is now apparent, therefore, that love is everything in wisdom, consequently that the essence of the heavens is love, which expresses itself as wisdom. Or what is the same, that the heavens exist from Divine love, and take manifest form from Divine love by means of Divine wisdom. Accordingly the two are, as we said before, inseparable."
[3] I had with me at the time a newly arrived spirit, who on hearing this asked whether the case is the same with charity and faith, inasmuch as charity has to do with affection and faith with thought.
The angel replied, "It is altogether the same. Faith is nothing else than a form of charity, just as speech is a form of sound. Faith is also formed from charity, as speech is formed from the utterance of sound. In heaven we also know the way it is formed, but we don't have time to explain it here."
The angel added, "By faith I mean spiritual faith, which has its spirit and life solely from charity; for charity is spiritual, and it causes faith to be spiritual, too. Consequently faith divorced from charity is a merely natural faith, and such a faith is a lifeless one. It also combines itself with a merely natural affection, which is nothing else than a lust."
The angels spoke about this spiritually, and spiritual speech embraces thousands of things that natural speech is incapable of expressing. And what is surprising, they cannot even fall within the scope of the ideas of natural thought.
Please remember what has been said here, and when you go from natural light into spiritual light, which happens after death, inquire then what faith and charity are, and you will clearly see that faith is charity in form, and thus that charity is everything in faith, consequently that it is the soul, life and essence of faith, altogether as affection is of thought, and as sound is of speech. Moreover, if you wish, you will see that the formation of faith from charity is like the formation of speech from sound, because the two correspond.
After these angels said all of this, they left, and as they departed, each for his own heaven, stars appeared about their heads. And when they were at some distance from me, I saw them again in carriages as I had before.
[4] After those two angels were out of my sight, I saw to my right a garden in which there were olive trees, vines, fig trees, laurel trees, and palms, placed in order in keeping with their correspondence. I looked over there and saw among the trees angels and spirits walking and talking. One of the angelic spirits then looked back at me. (Those spirits are called angelic spirits who are being prepared in the world of spirits for heaven, and after that become angels.)
The angelic spirit came to me from the garden and said, "Please come with me into our paradise, and you will hear and see marvelous things."
So I went with him, and he said to me then, "The people you see" - for there were many - "all possess an affection for truth and so enjoy the light of wisdom. We have also here a building that we call The Temple of Wisdom. But no one can see it who believes himself to be very wise, even less one who believes himself to be wise enough, and still less one who believes that he is wise on his own. That is because they do not experience a reception of the light of heaven from an affection for genuine wisdom. It is the mark of genuine wisdom for a person to see from the light of heaven that what he knows, understands and perceives is so little in comparison to what he does not know, understand, or perceive, as to be like a drop in the ocean, and so scarcely anything.
"Everyone in this garden paradise who acknowledges from an inner perception and sight that his wisdom is comparatively so little, sees that Temple of Wisdom. For an inner light enables him to see it, but not the light about him without that inner light."
[5] Now because I had often had this thought, and from observation and then from perception, and finally from seeing it from an inner light, had acknowledged that a person's wisdom is so little, it was suddenly granted me to see that temple.
The temple was marvelous in form. It was raised above ground level, foursquare, with walls of crystal, whose roof was of translucent jasper elegantly arched, and having a foundation of various kinds of precious stones. It had steps of polished alabaster leading up into it. On either side of the steps I saw figures of lions with their cubs.
I then asked if it was permissible for me to enter, and I was told that I could. Therefore I ascended, and when I entered, I saw what looked like cherubim flying about the ceiling, but which soon vanished. The floor on which I walked was of cedar, and because of the translucence of the roof and walls the whole temple seemed to be made of light.
[6] The angelic spirit went in with me, and I related to him what I had heard from the two angels regarding love and wisdom and at the same time charity and faith.
And at that the angelic spirit said, "Did they not also speak of a third thing?"
"What third thing?" I said.
"The third thing is useful endeavor," he said. "Love and wisdom without useful endeavor are nothing real. They are only theoretical entities, and do not become real until they find expression in useful endeavor. For love, wisdom and useful endeavor are a trio that cannot be separated. If separated, none of them is real. Love is not real without wisdom; but in wisdom it takes form for some end. This end for which it takes form is useful endeavor. Consequently, when love is engaged through wisdom in some useful endeavor, then it is real. Indeed, then for the first time it exists. The three are altogether like end, cause and effect. An end is not real unless it exists through a cause in an effect. If one of the three fades, the whole fades and becomes as nothing.
[7] "It is the same with charity, faith and works. Charity without faith is not real, nor is faith without charity real, and neither charity nor faith is real without works. But in works they become real, and a reality such as the usefulness of the works.
"It is the same with affection, thought and application. And it is the same with will, intellect and action.
"The fact of this can be clearly seen in the context of this temple, because the light with which we are surrounded is a light that enlightens the interiors of the mind.
"That nothing exists that is complete and perfect without a trine is something that we learn also from geometry. For a line has no real existence unless it defines an area, nor does an area have any real existence unless it defines a volume. Thus for them to exist, one element must extend into another, and they exist together in the third.
"As the case is in this, so it is also with each and all created things, which take fixed form in their third element.
"It is for this reason, now, that the number three in the Word, spiritually understood, symbolizes something complete and entire."
This being the case, I could not but wonder that some people profess faith alone, some charity alone, and some works alone, when in fact the first without the second, and the first and the second together without the third, have no reality.
[8] However, I asked then, "Can't a person have charity and faith and yet no works? Can't a person have an affection and thought regarding some matter, and yet no application of himself to it?"
The angelic spirit said to me, "He can, but only theoretically and not really. He must still have an impulse or will to put them into practice, and the will or impulse is in itself an act, because it is a continual endeavor to act, one that becomes the outward act when a conscious determination permits. Every wise person consequently accepts the impulse or will as the inward act, entirely as though it were the outward act, because it is so accepted by God, provided it does not fail when opportunity presents itself."
[9] After that I went down the steps from The Temple of Wisdom and went walking in the garden, and I saw some people sitting under a laurel tree, eating figs. I turned aside to them and asked them for some figs, which they gave me. And lo, the figs in my hand changed into grapes.
Seeing my astonishment at this, the angelic spirit said to me, "The figs in your hand changed into grapes because figs, owing to their correspondence, symbolize goods of charity and so of faith in the natural or external self, whereas grapes symbolize the goods of charity and faith in the spiritual or internal self. So, because you love spiritual matters, this therefore has happened in your case. For in our world everything happens and comes into being, including also transformations, in accordance with correspondences."
There came over me then a desire to know how a person can do good from God, and yet do so as though of himself. Therefore I asked the people eating figs how they understood the matter.
They said that they could understand it only in this way, that God brings it about inwardly in a person and by means of the person without the person's knowledge. For if a person were to be aware of this and then do it as though of himself, which would be the same as doing it of himself, the person would do not good but evil. That is because everything that emanates from a person as coming from himself, emanates from his native character, and a person's native character is from birth evil.
"How then can good from God and evil from man be combined so as to proceed jointly into act?" they said. "Moreover in matters of salvation a person's native character continually pants after reward, and to the extent it does, it usurps from the Lord the Lord's merit, which constitutes the highest injustice and impiety.
"In a word, if the good that God accomplishes in a person through the Holy Spirit were to flow into a person's willing and so doing, the good would be thoroughly defiled and also profaned, something that God nevertheless never permits.
"A person can indeed think that the good he does comes from God, and call it good done by God through him, and done as though of himself, but still we do not understand this."
[10] However, I opened my mind then and said, "You do not understand it because you think in terms of the appearance, and when affirmed, thought in terms of the appearance is fallacious. You labor under the appearance and consequent fallacious thinking because you believe that everything a person wills and thinks and so does and speaks originates in him and consequently from him, when in fact nothing of this originates in him except a state capable of receiving what flows in. The human being is not a form of life in himself, but an organ receptive of life. The Lord alone is life in Himself, as He also says in John:
...as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself... (John 5:26)
"And so on also elsewhere, as in John 11:25; 14:6, 19.
[11] "Life is formed of two elements: love and wisdom, or what is the same, the goodness of love and the truth of wisdom. These flow in from God and are received by mankind, and a person senses them as though originating in him. And because he senses them so, as though originating in him, they also emanate from him as though they originated from him.
"That a person senses them so is something granted by the Lord, in order that what flows in may affect him and so be received and remain.
"But because every evil also flows in, not from God but from hell, and is received with delight, because the human being is born an organ of that character, therefore a person can receive good from the Lord only to the extent of his banishment of evil from himself as though of himself. This he does by repentance together with faith in the Lord.
[12] "I say that love and wisdom, and charity and faith, or in common speech, the goodness of love and charity and the truth of wisdom and faith, flow in, and that what flows in appears to be present in a person as though originating in him, and so as though originating from him; and this can be clearly seen from the illustrations of sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. Everything sensed in the organs of these senses flows in from without, and yet is sensed in them. So, too, in the organs of the inner senses, with the one difference, that flowing into these are spiritual stimuli that are not apparent, whereas into the physical organs flow natural stimuli that are apparent.
"In short, a person is an organ receptive of life from God. He is accordingly receptive of good to the extent that he desists from evil. The ability to desist from evil is something the Lord grants to everyone, because He grants to everyone the ability to will and understand as though of himself, and whatever a person willingly does as though of his own will in accordance with his thinking as though of his own intellect, remains. Or what is the same, whatever a person does of his own free will, in accordance with the reason of his intellect, remains. By this means the Lord induces in a person a state of conjunction with Himself, and in that state the Lord reforms, regenerates and saves him.
[13] "The life that flows in is life emanating from the Lord, which is also called the Spirit of God - in the Word the Holy Spirit - of which it is said as well that it enlightens and vivifies, indeed that it operates in a person. But this life varies and is modified according to the organic form induced on the person by his love and sight.
"You may also know that every good of love and charity, and every truth of wisdom and faith, flow in and do not originate in a person, from the consideration that someone who thinks that such a capacity is present in a person from creation must also think that God infused Himself into mankind, and that people are therefore partly gods. And yet people who are led by their faith to this thought become devils and stink like decayed corpses.
[14] "Besides, what is a person's action if it is not the mind acting? For whatever the mind wills and thinks, it does by means of its physical body. Therefore, when the mind is led by the Lord, the action is also led by Him; and the mind and its consequent action is led by the Lord when the person believes in the Lord.
"If it were not so, tell me if you can why the Lord has commanded in thousands of places in the Word that a person should love his neighbor, that he should practice goods of charity and produce fruits like a tree, and that he should keep His commandments, and all this in order to be saved. Why did He also say that people would be judged in accordance with their deeds or works, those who do goods to heaven and life, and those who do evils to hell and death? How could the Lord have said such things if everything emanating from a person were merit-seeking and thus evil?
"Know therefore that if the mind is charitable, the action also is charitable. But if the mind embraces faith alone, which is a faith divorced as well from any spiritual charity, the action also is one of the same faith, and that faith is merit-seeking, because its charity is natural and not spiritual. Not so the faith accompanying charity, because charity does not seek merit, and so neither does its accompanying faith."
[15] Hearing this, the people sitting under the laurel tree said, "We discern that you have spoken correctly. But we still do not understand."
To that I replied, "Your discerning that I have spoken correctly is due to the common perception that a person has by virtue of an influx of light from heaven when he hears some truth. But you do not understand it from a perception of your own, which a person has by virtue of an influx of light from the world. These two kinds of perception, namely an internal one and an external one, or a spiritual one and a natural one, merge in people who are wise. You too can combine them if you look to the Lord and put away evils."
Because they comprehended this as well, I took some twigs from the laurel tree under which they were sitting and handed these to them, saying, "Do you believe that these come from me or from the Lord?"
And they said that they believed they came through me, as though from me. And suddenly the twigs in their hands blossomed.
As I was leaving then, I saw a cedar-wood table and on it a book, beneath a green olive tree whose trunk was entwined with a vine. I looked at the book, and behold, it was one I had written, titled Angelic Wisdom Regarding Divine Love and Wisdom, and also Divine Providence. And I said that the book fully demonstrated that a person is an organ receptive of life, and is not life itself.
[16] After that I went home in a cheerful frame of mind because of that garden, accompanied by the angelic spirit, who said to me on the way, "You would like to see clearly the nature of faith and charity, thus the nature of faith divorced from charity, and the nature of faith combined with charity, and I will demonstrate it so that you see it."
"Go ahead and demonstrate it," I replied.
And he said, "Instead of faith and charity, think of light and heat and you will see clearly. For faith in its essence is the truth that is a property of wisdom, and charity in its essence is an affection that is a property of love; and the truth of wisdom in heaven is light, and an affection of love in heaven is warmth. The light and warmth that surround angels are nothing else. You can clearly see from that the nature of faith divorced from charity, and the nature of faith combined with charity.
"Faith divorced from charity is like the light of winter, and faith combined with charity is like the light of spring. The light of winter, a light lacking in warmth, being combined with coldness, strips trees utterly of their leaves, hardens the ground, kills the grass, and freezes bodies of water. On the other hand, the light in spring, a light combined with warmth, causes trees to grow and to produce first leaves, then flowers, and finally fruit, and it expands and softens the ground so that it produces grasses, herbs, flowers and bushes. It also melts ice so that streams flow from their springs.
[17] "The case with faith and charity is entirely the same. A faith divorced from charity kills everything, whereas a faith combined with charity vivifies everything. This killing and vivifying can be empirically seen in our spiritual world, because faith here is light, and charity warmth. For wherever faith is combined with charity, we find paradisal gardens, flower beds, and fields of grass, whose pleasantness accords with the degree of the combination. But wherever faith is divorced from charity, we find not even grass, and where one encounters something green, it is the green of thorn bushes, brambles and nettles. This is the effect in angels and spirits of the warmth and light emanating from the Lord as a sun, and so around them."
Not far from us then were some clergymen, whom the angelic spirit called justifiers and sanctifiers of people by faith alone, and also masters of mystery. We said the same things to them and demonstrated them until the clergymen saw the reality of them. But when we asked whether it was not so, they turned away and said, "We couldn't hear."
At that we shouted at them, saying, "We'll tell you again then!"
They then put their hands over their ears and cried, "We don't want to listen!"
875. To these things I will add these MEMORABLE OCCURRENCES.
One morning, having wakened from sleep, I saw two angels coming down out of heaven, one out of the south of heaven and the other out of the east of heaven, both of them in chariots to which white horses were harnessed. The chariot in which the angel from the south of heaven was carried was shining as if of silver, and the chariot in which the angel from the east of heaven was carried was shining as if of gold. And the reins which they were holding in their hands were gleaming as if from the flame-coloured light of the dawn. Thus were these two angels seen by me from afar off but when they were coming nearer they did not appear in a chariot but in their own angelic form, which is the human form. He who came from the east of heaven was in a shining purple garment, and he who came from the south of heaven was in one of shining blue. When these were in lower [states] below the heavens they were running to meet each other as if they were striving who should be first, and they embraced and kissed each other. I heard that these two angels when they lived in the world had been conjoined by an interior friendship, but now one was in the eastern heaven and the other in the southern heaven. In the eastern heaven are those who are in love from the Lord. In the southern heaven, however, are those who are in wisdom from the Lord.
[2] After they had spoken for some time about the magnificent things in their heavens this question came into their conversation, whether heaven in its essence is love or whether it is wisdom. They were in agreement right away that one is of the other, but were discussing of which one the other has its origin. The angel who was from the heaven of wisdom asked the other angel what love is, and he answered that love, having originated from the Lord as the Sun, is the vital heat of angels and men, thus it is their life. He also said that the derivations of love are termed affections, and that by means of them perceptions are produced and thus thoughts. 'From this it follows that wisdom by virtue of its origin is love; consequently that thought in its origin is the affection of that love. And [it follows] that it can be seen from a survey of the derivations in their order that thought is nothing else but the form of affection, and that this is not known because thoughts are in light but affections are in heat, and that therefore one reflects upon thoughts but not upon affections, as is the case with sound and speech. That thought is nothing else but the form of affection can also be illustrated by speech, for this is nothing else but the form of sound. It is also similar because sound corresponds to affection and speech to thought, and therefore affection sounds and thought speaks. This also can become clearly evident when put in this way (dicitur), "If you take sound away from speech, is there anything of speech?" Similarly "If you take affection away from thought, is there anything of thought?" From this it is plain that Love is everything of Wisdom, consequently that the essence of the heavens is Love and that their existence is Wisdom, or what is the same, that the heavens exist out of Divine Love and that they come into existence out of Divine Love by means of Divine Wisdom, and therefore, as was said before, the one is of the other.'
[3] At that time there was with me a novitiate spirit who on hearing this asked whether it is similar with charity and faith, because charity is of affection and faith is of thought. And the angel answered, 'It is entirely similar, for faith is nothing else but the form of charity as plainly as speech is the form of sound, for faith is also formed by charity just as speech is formed by sound. We in heaven also know about the mode of the formation, but there is not time to explain that here.' He added, 'By faith I understand spiritual faith in which the spirit and life is derived solely from charity, for charity is spiritual and by means of it faith is. Therefore faith without charity is a merely natural faith, and this faith is a dead faith. It also conjoins itself with the merely natural affection that is nothing else but lust.' The angels were speaking about these things spiritually, and spiritual speech embraces thousands of things that natural speech cannot express, and what is astonishing, that cannot at all fall into the ideas of natural thought. Please remember this, and when you come out of natural light into spiritual light, which is effected after death, ask then what faith is and what charity is, and you will clearly see that faith is charity in form and therefore that charity is everything of faith, consequently that it is the soul, life and essence of faith, precisely as affection is of thought and as sound is of speech. And if you desire it, you will come to see the formation of faith from charity like the formation of speech out of sound, because they correspond. After the angels had spoken of all these things (haec et illa) they departed, and as they retired each to his own heaven stars appeared around their heads, and when they had gone from me to a distance they were seen again in the chariots as before.
[4] After these two angels had gone out of my sight I saw on the right a certain garden where there were olive trees, vines, fig trees, laurels and palm trees planted in order according to correspondence. I had a look at it, and among the trees I saw angels and spirits walking and talking. And then one of them, an angelic spirit, looked back at me. They are called angelic spirits who are being prepared for heaven in the world of spirits and afterwards become angels. That spirit came to me from the garden and said, 'Will you go with me into our paradise, and you shall hear and see wonderful things?' And I went with him, and then he said to me, 'Those whom you see (for there were many) are all in the affection of truth and consequently in the light of wisdom. Here also is the building that we call THE TEMPLE OF WISDOM; but no one who thinks himself to be very wise sees it, even less any one who thinks himself wise enough, and still less one who thinks that he is wise from himself. This is because such persons are not in the reception of the light of heaven out of the affection of genuine wisdom. It is genuine wisdom for a man to see out of the light of heaven that the things that he knows, understands and is wise in are so little in respect to what he does not know, understand and have wisdom in as a drop to the ocean, consequently scarcely anything. Everyone who is in this paradisial garden and by virtue of a perception and sight in himself acknowledges that he is comparatively so little wise sees that temple of wisdom, for interior light enables him to see it, but not exterior light without that.'
[5] And because I have often thought, and as the result of knowledge and then of perception and at length of sight out of interior light have acknowledged, that a man is so little wise, behold, it was given me to see that temple. Its form it was wonderful. It was raised above the ground, quadrangular, with walls of crystal, the roof of transparent jasper elegantly arched, and a foundation of various precious stones. The steps leading up to it were of polished alabaster. At the sides of the steps as it were lions with their whelps were visible. And then I asked whether it was allowed to enter, and it was said that it was. I therefore went up and when I entered saw as it were cherubs flying under the roof but presently vanishing. The floor on which one walked was of cedar, and by reason of the transparency of the roof and walls the whole temple was almost the form of light.
[6] The angelic spirit entered with me and I told him what I heard from the two angels concerning love and wisdom, as also concerning charity and faith. And he said then, 'Did they not also speak of a third?' 'What third?' I said. He replied, 'It is USE. Love and wisdom without use are not anything. They are only ideal entities, and they do not become real before they are in use. For there are love, wisdom and use, the three of them, which cannot be separated. If they are separated, none of them is anything. Love is not anything without wisdom, but in wisdom it is formed for something. This something for which it is formed is use, and therefore when love by means of wisdom is in use then it is something, in fact it then first comes into existence. They are altogether as end, cause and effect. An end is not anything unless by means of a cause it is in an effect. If one is loosed out of those three, then everything is loosed and it comes to naught.
[7] It is similar with charity, faith and works. Charity without faith is not anything, neither is faith without charity, nor charity and faith without deeds; but in deeds they become something, the quality of which is determined by the use of the deeds. It is similar with affection, thought and operation; and it is similar with will, understanding and action. That it is so can be clearly seen in this temple, because the light in which we are here is a light enlightening the interior things of the mind. Geometry also teaches that there is not given a complete and perfect thing unless it is a trine; for a line is not anything unless it becomes an area, nor is an area anything unless it becomes a body, and therefore the one must be directed into the other that they may have existence, and they exist together in the third. Just as it is in this instance, so also it is in all created things collectively and separately, which are fixed in their third. It is in consequence of this now that THREE in the Word spiritually understood signifies complete and altogether. This being the case I have not been able to avoid marvelling that some profess faith alone, some charity alone, and some works alone; when yet the first without the second, and the first and second together without the third, is not anything.'
[8] But then I asked, 'Cannot a man have charity and faith and still not have deeds? Cannot a man be in affection and thought concerning some matter and yet not be in the performance of it?' The angelic spirit said to me, 'He cannot except only ideally but not really. He must still be in the endeavour or will to perform, and the will or endeavour is action in itself, because there is a continuous striving for action, and when determination is present it becomes an outward act. Effort and will as an inward act is therefore accepted by every wise man, because it is accepted by God, altogether as an outward act, provided it does not fail when the opportunity is given.'
[9] After this I went down the steps out of the temple of wisdom and walked in the garden, and I saw some [spirits] sitting under a certain laurel eating figs. I turned aside to them and asked them for figs, and they gave me some. And behold, the figs became grapes in my hand. When I marvelled at this the angelic spirit who was still with me, said to me, 'The figs have become grapes in your hand because by correspondence figs signify the goods of charity and of faith therefrom in the natural or external man, but grapes signify the goods of charity and faith in the spiritual or internal man; and because you love spiritual things it has therefore so happened to you. For in our world all things are produced and come into existence and also are changed in accordance with correspondences.' And then there came over me the desire to know how a man can do good from God and yet as from himself and I therefore inquired of the fig-eaters how they comprehended this. They said that they could not comprehend it otherwise than that 'God operates it inwardly in the man, and through the man when he does not know it; since if the man should be conscious of it and thus do it as from himself, which is also to do it from himself, he would not do good but evil. For everything that proceeds from the man so as to be from himself proceeds from his proprium, and the man's proprium is evil from birth. How then can the good from God and the evil from the man be conjoined and proceed thus conjointly into act? A man's proprium also in matters of salvation continually breathes merit and in so far as it does this it detracts from the Lord His merit, which is the height of injustice and impiety. In a word, if the good that God operates in a man by means of the Holy Spirit should inflow into the man's willing and consequent doing, that good would be entirely defiled and also profaned; which, however, God never permits. A man can indeed think that the good that he does is from God and call it the good of God [done] through himself and as from himself, but still we do not comprehend this.'
[10] But then I opened my mind and said, 'You do not comprehend because you are thinking from an appearance, and thought from a confirmed appearance is a fallacy. An appearance and the consequent fallacy is with you because you believe that all the things that a man wills and thinks and thence does and speaks are in him, and consequently derived from himself, when yet there is in him nothing of them except the state of receiving what inflows. A man is not life in himself but is an organ receiving life. The Lord Only is Life in Himself as He Himself says in John:
Just as the Father has Life in Himself, so also does He give to the Son to have Life in Himself. John 5:26; besides elsewhere, as John 11:25; 14:6, 19.
[11] There are two things that make life, love and wisdom, or what is the same, the good of love and the truth of wisdom. These inflow from God and are received by a man and are felt in the man as if in him, and because they are felt by the man as if in him they also proceed as if from him. Their being so felt by the man has been given by the Lord so that what inflows affects him and thus is received and remains. But because all evil also inflows, not from God but from hell, and this is received with delight because the man has been born such an organ, therefore no more of good is received from God than the amount of evil removed by the man as if by himself. This is done by repentance and at the same time by faith in the Lord.
[12] That love and wisdom, charity and faith, or speaking more generally, the good of love and charity and the truth of wisdom and faith, inflow, and that the things that inflow appear in the man as if in him and consequently as if from him, can be clearly seen from sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. All the things that are felt in the organs of those senses inflow from without and are felt in them. It is similar in the organs of the internal senses, the only difference being that into the latter inflow spiritual things that are not visible, but into the former natural things inflow that are visible. In a word, the man is an organ recipient of life from God. Consequently he is a recipient of good to the extent that he desists from evil. The Lord gives to every man the ability to desist from evil because He gives him to will and understand as if from himself; and whatever the man does out of the will as his own in accordance with the understanding as his own or, what is the same, whatever he does out of the freedom that is of the will in accordance with the reason that is of the understanding, this remains. By this means the Lord leads the man into a state of conjunction with Himself and in it reforms, regenerates and saves him.
[13] The life that inflows is the life proceeding from the Lord, which is also called the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit in the Word, of which it is said also that it enlightens and enlivens, indeed that it operates in the man. This life, however, is varied and modified in accordance with the organization induced on the man by his love and point of view (aspectus). That all the good of love and charity and all the truth of wisdom and faith inflow, and are not in the man, you can know also from the fact that he who thinks that such [good and truth] is inherent in the man from creation cannot think otherwise than that God has infused Himself into the man, and thus that men would in part be gods. Nevertheless those who think this from faith become devils and stink like corpses.
[14] Besides, what is a man's action if it is not the mind (mens) acting, for that which the mind wills and thinks, it performs by means of its organ the body; and therefore when the mind is led by the Lord the action is also led, and the mind and the action therefrom are led by the Lord when it believes in Him. Unless it were so, say if you can why the Lord in thousands and thousands of places in the Word has commanded that a man must love his neighbour, carry out the good works of charity, bear fruit like a tree and keep the commandments, and all this in order to be saved. Also why He has said that a man will be judged according to his deeds or works, he who has done good deeds to heaven and life and he who has done evil deeds to hell and death. How could the Lord have spoken such things if everything that proceeds from a man were merit-seeking and therefore evil? Know therefore that if a mind is charity the action also is charity, but if a mind is faith alone, which also is faith separated from spiritual charity, the action also is that faith, and such faith is merit-seeking because its charity is natural and not spiritual. It is otherwise with the faith of charity, because charity does not want to have merit, and consequently neither does its faith.'
[15] Having heard these things those sitting under the laurel said, 'We comprehend that you have spoken justly, but still we do not comprehend.' To which I replied, 'That I have spoken justly, you comprehend from the common perception that a man has from the light out of heaven when he hears anything true, but you do not comprehend from the personal perception (ex propria perceptione) that a man has from the light of the world. Those two perceptions, namely internal and external, or spiritual and natural, make one with the wise. You also can make them one if you look to the Lord and put away evils.' Because they understood these things also I selected some boughs from the laurel under which we sat and held them out and said, 'Do you believe that this is from me or from the Lord?' And they said that they believed it to be 'by means of me as if from me.' And behold, those boughs in their hands were beginning to blossom forth. But when I departed I saw a table of cedar-wood with a book on it, under a green olive-tree around the trunk of which a vine was entwined. I looked, and behold it was the book written by means of me called ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING DIVINE LOVE AND WISDOM, and also concerning DIVINE PROVIDENCE ; and I said that in that book it has been fully shown that a man is an organ recipient of life, and is not life.
[16] After these occurrences I went away home out of the garden exhilarated, and the angelic spirit was with me. On the way he said to me, 'You want to see clearly what faith is, and charity, and what faith separated from charity is, and what faith conjoined to charity, and I will show this before your very eye.' I replied, 'Do so.' And he said, 'Instead of faith and charity, think of light and heat, and you will see clearly; for faith in its essence is the truth (veritas) that is of wisdom, and charity in its essence is the affection that is of love, and the truth (veritas) of wisdom in heaven is light and the affection of love in heaven is heat. The light and heat in which the angels are nothing else. By reason of this you can clearly see what faith separated from charity is, and what faith conjoined with charity is. Faith separated from charity is like a winter light, whereas faith conjoined to charity is like the light in spring. The light in winter, which is a light separated from heat, for it is conjoined to cold, strips the trees quite bare of leaves, hardens the land and kills off the grass, and also freezes the waters. But the light in spring, which is a light conjoined to heat, makes the trees grow, first into leaves, then into flowers and at length into fruits. It opens and softens the land that it may produce grasses, herbage, flowers and fruits, and also melts the ice so that waters may flow out of springs.
[17] It is entirely similar with faith and charity. Faith separated from charity deadens all things and faith conjoined to charity enlivens all things. The enlivening and the deadening can be seen in living reality in our spiritual world, because here faith is light and charity is heat. For where there is faith conjoined to charity there are paradisial gardens, flower beds and lawns in their own pleasantness in accordance with the conjunction. But where there is faith separated from charity there is not even grass, and where it is green it is from thorns, brambles and nettles. The heat and light proceeding from the Lord as the Sun effect this in angels and spirits, and consequently outside of them.' There were then not far from us some of the clergy, whom the angelic spirit called justifiers and sanctifiers of men by faith alone, and also arcanists. We said these same things to them and gave a demonstration of them until they could see that it was so. And when we asked whether it was not so, they turned away and said, 'We did not hear.' But we shouted to them, saying, 'Hear this time, then!' Then putting both hands over their ears they yelled, 'We are not willing to hear.'
875. To the above I will add these Relations. Awaking one morning from sleep, I saw two angels descending out of heaven, one from the southern quarter of heaven and the other from the eastern quarter of heaven, both in chariots to which white horses were harnessed. The chariot in which the angel from the southern quarter of heaven was conveyed, shone like silver, and the chariot in which the angel from the eastern quarter of heaven was conveyed, shone like gold; and the reins which they held in their hands were refulgent as from the flamy light of the dawn. Thus these two angels were seen by me at a distance; but when they came nearer, they did not appear in a chariot, but in their angelic form which is human. He who came from the eastern quarter of heaven, was clad in a bright purple garment, and he who came from the southern quarter of heaven in a garment of hyacinthine blue. When they were below under the heavens, they ran to meet each other, as if they strove which should be first, and mutually embraced and kissed each other. I heard that these two angels, when they lived on earth, had been conjoined in interior friendship; but now one was in the eastern heaven and the other in the southern heaven. In the eastern heaven are they who are in love from the Lord; but in the southern heaven are they who are in wisdom from the Lord.
[2] When they had spoken some time about the magnificence of their heavens, this came up in their discourse, whether heaven in its essence is love, or whether it is wisdom. They immediately agreed that one is of the other, but discussed which was the original. The angel who was from the heaven of wisdom asked the other, what love is; to which he replied, "That love, originating from the Lord as a sun, is the vital heat of angels and men, thus their life: that the derivations of love are called affections; and that by these are produced perceptions and thus thoughts, whence it follows that wisdom in its origin is love; consequently that thought in its origin is the affection of that love; and it is evident from the derivations viewed in their order, that thought is nothing else but the form of affection; and that this is not known, because the thoughts are in the light, but the affections in heat, and that therefore one reflects upon the thoughts, but not on the affections, in the same manner as takes place with sound and with speech. That thought is nothing else but the form of affection, may also be illustrated by speech, which is nothing else but the form of sound; it is also similar, because sound corresponds to affection, and speech to thought, wherefore affection sounds, and thought speaks. This may also be made clear by this, that if you take away sound from speech, nothing of speech remains, and, in like manner, if you take away affection from thought, nothing of thought remains. Hence then it is plain, that love is the all of wisdom, consequently the essence of the heavens is love, and their existence is wisdom, or what is the same thing, the heavens are from the Divine love, and they exist from the Divine love by the Divine wisdom, wherefore, as was said above, the one is of the other."
[3] There was with me at that time a novitiate spirit, who on hearing this, asked, whether it is the same with charity and faith, since charity is of affection, and faith is of thought. The angel replied, "It is altogether the same; for faith is nothing else but the form of charity, just as speech is the form of sound; 1faith is also formed by charity as speech is formed by sound; the mode of its formation we also know in heaven, but there is no leisure to explain it here.""By faith, however," he added, "I mean spiritual faith, the spirit and life of which is derived solely from charity, for charity is spiritual, and by charity, faith; wherefore faith without charity is a merely natural faith, which is dead, which also conjoins itself with merely natural affection, which is nothing else but lust." The angels spake of these things spiritually, and spiritual speech embraces thousands of things which natural speech cannot express, and what is wonderful, which cannot even fall within the ideas of natural thought. Remember this, I pray, and when you come out of natural light into spiritual light, which is done after death, inquire what faith is and what charity is, and you will clearly see that faith is charity in form, and therefore that charity is the all of faith, consequently that it is the soul, life, and essence of faith, just as the affection is of thought, and as the sound is of speech; and if you desire it, you will see the formation of faith from charity like the formation of speech from sound, because they correspond. After discoursing together for some time on these and such like subjects, the angels departed, and as they retired each to his own heaven, their heads appeared encompassed with stars: and when they were some distance from me, they again seemed to be borne in chariots as before.
[4] After these two angels were gone out of my sight, I saw a certain garden on my right hand, in which were olive trees, vines, fig trees, laurels, and palm trees, planted in order, according to correspondence. I looked into the garden, and saw angels and spirits walking and conversing together among the trees; and then a certain angelic spirit observed me. They are called angelic spirits, who in the world of spirits are prepared for heaven, and afterwards become angels. That spirit came out of the garden towards me, and said, "Will you come with me into our paradise, and you shall hear and see wonderful things." And I went with him, and then he said to me, "Those whom you see (for there were many) are all in the affection of truth, and thence in the light of wisdom. Here also is a building which we call the TEMPLE OF WISDOM; but no one sees it who believes himself very wise, much less he who believes himself wise enough, and still less he who believes himself wise from himself; the reason is, because such persons are not in the reception of the light of heaven from the affection of genuine wisdom. Genuine wisdom consists in a man's seeing from the light of heaven, that the things which he knows, understands, and is wise in, are so little respectively to what he does not know, understand, and is wise in, as a drop to the ocean, consequently scarcely anything. Everyone who is in this paradisal garden, and acknowledges in himself from perception and sight that his own wisdom is so little comparatively, sees that temple of wisdom, for interior light enables him to see it, but not exterior light without it."
[5] And because I had often thought this, both from science, and then from perception, and lastly from seeing it from interior light, and had acknowledged that man had so little wisdom, behold, it was given me to see that temple. As to form it was wonderful. It was elevated above the ground, quadrangular, with walls of crystal, its roof of translucent jasper elegantly arched; the foundation consisted of precious stones of various kinds. The steps leading up to it were of polished alabaster. At the sides of the steps appeared figures of lions with their whelps. And I then asked whether it was allowed to enter; and it was said that it was allowed; therefore I ascended, and when I entered, I saw, as it were, cherubs flying beneath the roof, and presently vanishing out of sight; the floor upon which we walked was of cedar, and the whole temple, from the pellucidity of its roof and walls, seemed in the form of light.
[6] The angelic spirit entered with me, to whom I related what I heard from the two angels concerning love and wisdom, as also concerning charity and faith. And he then said, "Did they not speak of a third also?" I said, "What third?" He replied, "It is Use: love and wisdom without use are not anything: they are only ideal entities; nor do they become real before they are in use: for love, wisdom, and use, are three things which cannot be separated. If they are separated, neither is anything. Love is not anything without wisdom, but in wisdom it is formed for something. This something for which it is formed, is use. Therefore, when love through wisdom is in use, it is then something; yea, it then first exists. They are altogether as the end, the cause, and the effect. The end is not anything, unless through the cause it is in the effect. If one of the three is loosed, the whole is loosed, and becomes as nothing. It is similar with charity, faith, and works.
[7] Charity without faith is not anything; nor faith without charity; nor charity and faith without works; but in works they become something, of a quality according to the use of the works. It is similar with affection, thought, and operation; and it is similar with will, understanding, and action. That it is so may be seen clearly in this temple, because the light in which we are here is light that enlightens the interiors of the mind. That there is not given a complete and perfect thing unless it is a trine, geometry also teaches; for a line is not anything, unless it becomes an area; and an area is not anything, unless it becomes a solid; therefore the one must be produced into the other, that they may exist; and they co-exist in the third. As it is in this, so it is in each and every created thing; they are terminated in their third. Hence now it is, that three in the Word, spiritually understood, signifies complete and altogether. Since it is so, I could not but wonder, that some profess faith alone, some charity alone, some works alone; when yet the first without the second, and the first and second without the third, are not anything."
[8] But I then asked, "Cannot a man have charity and faith, and still not works? Cannot a man be in affection and thought about anything, and yet not in the performance of it?" The angelic spirit said to me, "He cannot, except only ideally, but not really. He must still be in the endeavor or the will to operate; and the will or the endeavor is in itself the act, because it is in the continual effort to act; which becomes an outward act when determination is present. On which account the endeavor and will, as an interior act, is accepted by every wise man, because it is by God, altogether as an exterior act, provided it does not fail when opportunity is given."
[9] After this I descended by the steps from the temple of wisdom, and walked in the garden, and saw some sitting under a certain laurel eating figs. I turned aside to them, and asked them for some figs; which they gave me: and, behold, the figs became grapes in my hand. When I wondered at this, the angelic spirit, who was still with me, said to me, "The figs have become grapes in your hand, because figs, from correspondence, signify the goods of charity and thence of faith in the natural or external man, but grapes the goods of charity and faith in the spiritual or internal man; and because you love spiritual things, therefore it so happened to you: for in our world all things come to pass and exist, and also are changed, according to correspondences." And then there came over me the desire of knowing how man can do good from God, and yet as of himself; therefore I asked them that were eating the figs how they comprehended it. They said that they "could not comprehend it otherwise than that God operates it within in man and through man, when he does not know it; since if man were conscious of it, and thus should do it as of himself, which is also to do it of himself, he would not do good, but evil. For all that proceeds from man, as from himself, proceeds from his proprium; and the proprium of man is evil from birth. How then can good from God and evil from man be conjoined, and so proceed conjointly into act? The proprium of man also, in the things of salvation, continually breathes forth merit; and as far as it does this, it takes away from the Lord His merit; which is the highest injustice and impiety. In a word, if the good which God operates in a man by the Holy Spirit should flow in into man's willing and thence his doing, that good would be altogether defiled and also profaned; which, however, God never permits. A man can indeed think that the good which he does is from God, and call it God's good through himself, and as if from himself; but still we do not comprehend this."
[10] But I then opened my mind, and said, "You do not comprehend, because you think from the appearance, and the thought from confirmed appearance is a fallacy. You are in the appearance and the fallacy from it, because you believe that all the things which a man wills and thinks, and thence does and speaks, are in him, and consequently from him; when yet nothing of them is in him except the state of receiving what flows in. Man is not life in himself, but is an organ receiving life. The Lord alone is life in Himself, as He also says in John:
As the Father hath life in Himself, so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself, (John 5:26(; 11:25; 14:6, 19)).
Besides other places (as John 11:25; 14:6, 19).
[11] There are two things which make life, love and wisdom; or what is the same, the good of love and the truth of wisdom. These flow in from God, and are received by man, and are felt in the man as in him; and because they are felt by him as in him, they also proceed as from him. It is given by the Lord, that they should be thus felt by the man, in order that what flows in may affect him, and so be received and remain. But because all evil also flows in, not from God, but from hell, and this is received with enjoyment, because man was born such an organ, therefore no more of good is received from God, than there is of evil removed by the man as of himself; which is done by repentance, and at the same time by faith in the Lord.
[12] That love and wisdom, charity and faith, or speaking more generally, the good of love and charity and the truth of wisdom and faith, flow in; and that the things which flow in appear in the man as in himself, and thence as from him, may be manifestly seen from the sight, the hearing, the smell, the taste, and the touch. All the things which are felt in the organs of those senses flow in from without, and are felt in them: in like manner in the organs of the internal senses, with the difference only that into the latter spiritual things flow in, which do not appear; but into the former natural things, which do appear. In a word, man is an organ recipient of life from God; consequently he is a recipient of good so far as he desists from evil. The Lord gives to every man to be able to desist from evil, because He gives him to will and understand as of himself: and whatever the man does from the will, as his own according to the understanding, as his own, or, what is the same, whatever he does from freedom which is of the will according to reason which is of the understanding, this remains. By this the Lord brings man into a state of conjunction with Himself, and in this reforms, regenerates, and saves him.
[13] The life which flows in is the life proceeding from the Lord, which is also called the Spirit of God, and in the Word the Holy Spirit; of which it is also said, that it enlightens and vivifies; yea, that it operates in man: but this life is varied and modified according to the organization induced upon the man by his love and attitude to it. You may also know that all the good of love and charity and all the truth of wisdom and faith flow in, and are not in the man, from the fact that he who thinks such a thing is in man from creation, cannot think otherwise, than that God infused Himself into a man, and thus that men would in part be Gods; and yet they who think this from faith become devils, and stink like carcasses.
[14] Besides, what is human action but the action of the mind? for that which the mind wills and thinks, it acts through its organ the body: and therefore when the mind is led by the Lord, the action is also led; and the mind and the action from it are led by the Lord, when it believes in Him. Unless it were so, say, if you can, why the Lord has commanded in the Word, in a thousand and a thousand places, that a man must love his neighbor, must work out the good of charity, and bear fruit like a tree, and do His precepts, and all this that he may be saved; also why He has said that man will be judged according to his deeds or works, he who has done goods to heaven and life, and he who has done evils to hell and death. How could the Lord speak such things, if all that proceeds from man were meritorious, and thence evil? You may know, therefore, that if the mind is charity, the action is also charity; but if the mind is faith alone, which is also faith separated from spiritual charity, the action is also that faith; and this faith is meritorious, because its charity is natural, and not spiritual. It is otherwise with the faith of charity, because charity does not wish to merit, and thence neither does its faith."
[15] On hearing this, they that sat under the laurel said, "We comprehend that you have spoken justly; but still we do not comprehend." To which I replied, "That I have spoken justly, you comprehend from the common perception which man has from the influx of light from heaven when he hears any truth; but you do not comprehend from your own perception, which man has from the influx of light from the world. These two perceptions, namely, the internal and the external, or the spiritual and the natural, make one with the wise. You also can make them one, if you look to the Lord and remove evils." Because they understood these things also, I took some shoots from the laurel under which we sat, and held them out, and said, "Do you believe that this is from me, or from the Lord?" And they said, that they believed it to be through me as from me; and, behold, the shoots blossomed in their hands. But when I departed, I saw a cedar table, upon which was a book, under a green olive-tree, the trunk of which was entwined with a vine. I looked, and behold, it was a book written by me, called The Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom, and also concerning The Divine Providence; and I said that it was fully shown in that book, that man is an organ recipient of life, and not life.
[16] After this I went home exhilarated from that garden, and the angelic spirit with me; who said to me on the way, "If you wish to see clearly what faith and charity are, and thus what faith separate from charity is, and faith conjoined to charity, I will also show it to the eye." I answered, "Show it." And he said, "Think of light and heat instead of faith and charity, and you will see clearly; for faith in its essence is truth, which is of wisdom, and charity in its essence is affection, which is of love; and the truth of wisdom in heaven is light, and the affection of love in heaven is heat; the light and heat in which the angels are is nothing else. From this you can see clearly, what faith separate from charity is, and what faith conjoined to charity. Faith separated from charity is like the light in winter, and faith conjoined to charity is like the light in the spring. Wintry light, which is light separated from heat, because it is conjoined to cold, strips the trees entirely of their leaves, hardens the earth and kills the grass, and likewise congeals the waters: but the light of spring, which is light conjoined to heat, quickens the trees, first into leaves, then into blossoms, and at length into fruits; it opens and softens the earth, that it may produce grass, herbs, flowers, and shrubs, and likewise dissolves the ice, that the waters may flow from the springs.
[17] It is altogether similar with faith and charity. Faith separate from charity deadens all things; and faith conjoined to charity vivifies all things. This vivifying and that deadening can be seen to the life in our spiritual world; because here faith is light, and charity is heat. For where there is faith conjoined to charity, there are paradisal gardens, flower beds, and grass plots in their pleasantness, according to the conjunction; but where there is faith separate from charity, there is not even grass there; and where it is green, it is from briers, thorns, and nettles. This the heat and light proceeding from the Lord as the sun effect in the angels and spirits, and thence outside of them." There were then not far from us some of the clergy, whom the angelic spirit called justifiers and sanctifiers of men by faith alone, and likewise arcanists. We said these same things to them, and demonstrated them so that they saw that it was so; and when we asked, "Is it not so?" They turned themselves away, and said, "We did not hear." But we cried out to them, saying, "Hear now, therefore." They then put both hands over their ears, and shouted, "We will not hear."
875. His adjiciam haec MEMORABILIA: -
Quodam mane experrectus a somno vidi duos angelos descendentes e Caelo, unum e meridie Caeli, et alterum ex oriente Caeli, utrumque in curribus quibus alligati erant equi albi. Currus in quo vectus est angelus e meridie Caeli, splendebat sicut ex argento; et currus in quo vectus est angelus ex oriente Caeli, splendebat sicut ex auro; et habenae quas tenebant manibus fulgebant sicut ex luce flammea aurorae. Ita mihi visi sunt bini illi angeli e longinquo; sed e propius veniebant, non apparebant in curru, sed in sua forma angelica quae est humana. Ille qui ab oriente Caeli venit, in veste splendente purpurea, et ille qui a meridie Caeli, in veste splendida hyacinthina. Hi cum sub Caelis in inferioribus erant, accurrebat unus ad alterum, sicut aemularentur quis prior, et se mutuo amplexi et osculati sunt.
Audivi quod bini illi angeli, dum in mundo vixerunt, fuerint amicitia interiore conjuncti; sed nunc unus in Caelo orientali, alter in Caelo meridionali. In Caelo orientali sunt qui a Domino in amore sunt; in Caelo autem meridionali qui a Domino in sapientia sunt.
Illi postquam aliquamdiu locuti sunt de magnificis in Caelis suis, venit in sermonem illorum hoc, Num Caelum in sua essentia sit Amor, vel num Sapientia. Conveniebant illico quod unum sit alterius, sed Cujus ab origine ventilabant.
Ille Angelus qui e Caelo sapientiae erat, quaesivit alterum "Quid Amor;" et respondit quod amor oriundus a Domino ut Sole, sit calor vitae angelorum et hominum, ita vita eorum; et quod derivationes amoris dicantur affectiones; et quod per has producantur perceptiones et sic cogitationes "ex quo fluit, quod sapientia ex origine sua sit amor: consequenter quod Cogitatio in origine sua sit affectio illius amoris: et quod videri possit ex derivationibus in suo ordine lustratis, quod cogitatio non aliud sit quam forma affectionis; et quod hoc nesciatur, quia cogitationes in luce sunt, sed affectiones in calore, et quod ideo super cogitationes reflectatur, non autem super affectiones; similiter ut fit cum sono et cum loquela. Quod cogitatio non sit aliud quam forma affectionis, etiam illustrari potest per loquelam, quod haec non aliud sit quam forma soni; simile etiam est, quia sonus correspondet affectioni, et loquela cogitationi, quare affectio sonat, et cogitatio loquitur. Hoc etiam potest perspicuum fieri, cum dicitur, 'Aufer sonum a loquela, num detur aliquid loquelae; similiter aufer affectionem a cogitatione, num detur aliquid cogitationis.' Inde nunc patet, quod amor sit omne sapientiae, consequenter quod essentia Caelorum sit amor, et quod existentia illorum sit sapientia; seu idem, quod Caeli sint ex Divino Amore, et quod existant ex Divino Amore per Divinam Sapientiam; quare, ut prius dictum est, unum est alterius."
Tunc apud me erat novitius spiritus, qui audiens haec interrogabat, num simile est cum charitate et inde, quia charitas est affectionis et fides cogitationis.
Et respondit Angelus, "Est prorsus simile; fides non est aliud quam forma charitatis, plane sicut loquela 1est forma soni 2Formatur etiam fides a charitate, sicut formatur loquela a sono. Formationis modum etiam novimus in Caelo, sed non vacat illam hic exponere."
Adjecit, "Per fidem intelligo fidem spiritualem, in qua spiritus et vita unice est ex charitate, nam haec spiritualis est, et per illam fides; quare fides absque charitate est fides mere naturalis, et haec fides est fides mortua; conjungit etiam se cum affectione mere naturali, quae non aliud est quam concupiscentia."
Angeli de his loquebantur spiritualiter, ac spiritualis loquela complectitur millia, quae loquela naturalis non potest exprimere, et quod mirum, quae ne quidem possunt in ideas cogitationis naturalis cadere.
Retinete haec, quaeso, et quando e luce naturali in lucem spiritualem venitis, quod fit post mortem, inquirite tunc quid fides - et quid charitas, et videbitis clare quod fides sit charitas in forma, et inde quod charitas sit omne fidei; consequenter quod sit anima, vita et essentia fidei, prorsus sicut affectio est cogitationis, et sicut sonus est loquelae: et si desideraveritis, visuri estis formationem fidei a charitate similem formationi loquelae ex sono, quia correspondent.
Postquam angeli haec et illa locuti sunt, abiverunt, et cum recesserunt, quisque ad suum Caelum, apparebant stellae circum capita illorum; et cum ad distantiam a me elongati sunt, visi sunt iterum in curribus, ut prius.
Postquam bini illi angeli extra meum conspectum fuerunt, vidi quendam hortum a latere dextro, ubi erant oleae, Vites, ficus, laurus, et palmae, in ordine secundum correspondentiam positae.
Illuc prospexi, et inter arbores vidi angelos et spiritus vadentes et colloquentes; et tunc ad me respexit unus spiritus angelicus. Spiritus angelici vocantur, qui in mundo spirituum praeparantur ad Caelum, et postea fiunt angeli.
Ille Spiritus ab horto illo ad me venit, et dixit, "Vis mecum ire in nostrum paradisum et auditurus ac visurus es mirabilia." Et abivi cum illo, et tunc dixit mihi, "Hi quos vides" (erant enim plures) "sunt omnes in affectione veri, et inde in luce sapientiae. Est quoque hic aedificium quod vocamus Templum Sapientiae; sed illud non aliquis videt qui credit se multum sapere, minus qui credit se satis sapere, et adhuc minus qui credit se sapere ex se: causa est, quia illi non in receptione lucis Caeli ex affectione genuinae sapientiae sunt. Genuina sapientia est, quod homo e luce Caeli videat, quod quae scit, intelligit, et sapit, tam parum sint respective ad id quod non scit, intelligit et sapit, sicut est gutta ad oceanum, consequenter vix aliquid. Omnis qui in hoc horto paradisiaco est, et ex perceptione et visu in se agnoscit quod tam parum sapiat respective, is videt Templum illud Sapientiae; nam lux interior dat illud videre, non autem lux exterior absque illa."
Et qua ego hoc saepius cogitavi, et ex scientia, et dein ex perceptione, et demum ex visu e luce interiore, agnovi quod homo tam parum sapiat, ecce datum est mihi videre illud templum. Erat quoad formam mirabile. Erat elevatum supra humum, quadrangulare, parietes ex crystallo, tectum ex jaspide pellucido eleganter arcuatum, substructio ex vario lapide pretioso. Erant gradus, per quos in illud ascendebatur, ex alabastro polito. Ad latera graduum apparebant sicut leones cum catulis.
Et tunc quaesivi num liceat intrare, et dictum est quod liceat. Quare ascendi; et cum intravi, vidi sicut cherubos volantes sub tecto, sed mox evanescentes; solum super quo ambulatur ex cedris, et totum templum ex pellucentia tecti et parietum ad formam lucis.
Intrabat mecum Spiritus angelicus, cui retuli quid audivi ex binis Angelis de amore et sapientia, ut et de charitate et fide. Et tunc dixit, Annon etiam locuti sunt de tertio."
"Quid tertium," dixi.
Respondit, "Est usus; amor et sapientia absque usu non sunt aliquid; sunt modo entia idealia, nec fiunt realia priusquam sunt in usu: sunt enim amor, sapientia et usus, tria, quae non separantur possunt; si separantur, neutrum est aliquid. Non est amor aliquid absque sapientia, sed in sapientia formatur ad aliquid; hoc aliquid ad quod formatur est usus; quare cum amor per sapientiam in usu est, tunc est aliquid, imo tunc primum existit. Sunt prorsus sicut finis, causa et effectus; finis non est aliquid nisi per causam sit in effectu; si solvitur unum ex illis tribus, solvitur omne, et fit sicut nihil. Simile est cum charitate, fide, et operibus; charitas absque fide non est aliquid, nec fides absque charitate, nec charitas et fides absque operibus; at in operibus fiunt aliquid, et tale aliquid quale est operum usus. Simile est cum affectione, cogitatione et operatione; et simile est cum voluntate, intellectu et actione. Quod ita sit, videri potest clare in hoc templo, quia lux, in qua hic sumus, est lux illustrans mentis Interiora. Quod non detur completum et perfectum nisi sit trinum, etiam docet geometria; non enim est linea aliquid nisi fiat area; nec est area aliquid nisi fiat corpus: quare ducetur unum in alterum, ut existant; et coexistunt in tertio. Sicut est in hoc, etiam est in omnibus et singulis Creatis, quae finita sunt in suo tertio. Inde nunc est, quod 'tria' in Verbo spiritualiter intellecta significent completum et prorsus. Quoniam ita est, non potui non mirari, quod quidam profiteantur solam fidem, quidam solam charitatem, quidam sola opera; cum tamen unum absque altero, ac unum et simul alterum absque tertio, non est aliquid."
Sed tunc quaesivi, "Potestne homo charitatem et fidem habere, et usque non opera; potestne homo esse in affectione et cogitatione de aliqua re, et tamen non in operatione ejus."
Dixit mihi Spiritus angelicus, Non potest nisi modo idealiter at non realiter. Erit usque in conatu aut voluntate ad operandum; ac voluntas seu conatus est actus in se, quia est continuus nisus ad agendum, qui fit actus exterior accedente determinatione; quale conatus et voluntas, sicut actus interior, acceptatur ab omni sapiente, quia a Deo, prorsus sicut actus exterior, modo non deficiat quando datur copia."
Post haec descendi per gradus e Templo Sapientiae, et ambulavi in horto, et vidi aliquos sedentes sub quadam lauru comedentes ficus. Ad illos secessi, et petivi ab illis ficus, ac dederunt; et ecce ficus in manu mea factae sunt uvae.
Quod cum miratus sum, dixit mihi Spiritus angelicus, qui adhuc mecum erat, "Ficus in manu tua factae sunt uvae, quia ficus ex correspondentia significant bona charitatis et inde fidei in naturali seu externo homine, at uvae bona charitatis et fidei in spirituali seu interno homine; et quia amas spiritualia, ideo iti factum est tibi: in nostro enim mundo omnia fiunt et existunt, et quoque mutantur, secundum correspondentias."
Et tunc rue supervenit desiderium sciendi quomodo homo potest facere bonum a Deo, et tamen sicut a se; quare interrogavi comedentes ficus; quomodo illi id comprehendunt.
Dixerunt quod non possint id aliter comprehendere, quam quod Deus operetur id intus in homine, ac per hominem quando ille id nescit; quoniam si homo id consciret et sic faceret sicut a se, quod etiam est facere a se, non faceret bonum sed malum: "omne enim quod ab homine, ut ab ipso, procedit, procedit a proprio ejus, ac proprium hominis a nativitate malum est. - Quomodo tunc potest bonum a Deo et malum ab homine conjungi, et sic conjunctim procedere in actum. Et proprium hominis in rebus salutis continue spirat meritum; et quantum hoc facit, tantum derogat Domino Ipsius meritum quod est summa injustitia et Impietas. Verbo, si bonum, quod Deus per Spiritum Sanctum in homine operatur, a hominis velle et inde facere influeret, id bonum omnino conspurcaretur et quoque prophanaretur; quod tamen Deus nusquam permittit. Potest quidem homo bonum quod facit, cogitare quod sit a Deo, et id vocare bonum Dei per se, ac sicut a se; sed usque hoc non comprehendimus.
Sed tunc aperui mentem, et dixi, "Non comprehenditis, quia cogitatis ex apparentia, et cogitatio ex apparentia confirmata est fallacia. Apparentia et inde fallacia vobis est, quia creditis quod omnia quae homo vult et cogitat, et inde facit et loquitur, sint in illo, et consequenter ex ipso; cum tamen nihil eorum est in illo praeter statum recipiendi quod influit. Homo non est vita in se, sed est organum recipiens vitae. Dominus Solus est Vita in Se, ut quoque Ipse dicit apud Johannem:
'Quemadmodum Pater habet Vitam in Se Ipso, ita dedit etiam Filio Vitam habere in Se Ipso - (5:26; praeter alibi, ut 11:25; 14:6, 19).
Sunt duo quae faciunt vitam, amor et sapientia; seu quod idem, bonum amoris et verum sapientiae. Haec influunt a Deo, et recipiuntur ab homine, et sentiuntur in homine sicut in illo; et quia sentiuntur ab illo sicut in illo, procedunt etiam sicut ab illo. Quod ita sentiantur ab homine, datum est a Domino, ut id quod influit, afficiat illum, et sic recipiatur et remaneat. Sed quia omne malum etiam influit, non a Deo sed ab Inferno, et hoc recipitur cum jucunditate, quia homo tale organum est natus, quare non plus boni recipitur a Deo, quam quantum mali removetur ab homine sicut ab illo; quod fit per paenitentiam et simul per fidem in Dominum. Quod amor et sapientia, charitas et fides, seu communius loquendo, bonum amoris et charitatis ac verum sapientiae et fidei, influant, et quod quae influunt appareant in homine sicut in illo et inde sicut ab illo, manifeste videri potest ex visu, auditu, odoratu, gustu et tactu; omnia quae in illorum sensuum organis sentiuntur, influunt ab extra, et sentiuntur in illis; similiter in sensuum internorum organis, cum sola differentia, quod in haec influant spiritualia quae non apparent, in illa autem naturalia quae apparent. Verbo, homo est organum recipiens vitae a Deo; consequenter est recipiens boni, quantum desistit a malo. Posse desistere a malo dat Dominus cuivis homini, quia dat velle et intelligere sicut a se; et quicquid homo ex voluntate ut sua secundum intellectum ut suum, seu quod idem, quicquid ex libero quod voluntatis secundum rationem quae intellectus, agit, hoc permanet. Per id Dominus inducit homini statum conjunctionis Secum, et in hoc illum reformat, regenerat, et salvat. Vita, quae influit, est vita procedens a Domino, quae etiam vocatur Spiritus Dei, in Verbo Spiritus Sanctus, de quo etiam dicitur quod illustret et vivificet, imo quod operetur in homine; sed vita haec variatur et modificatur secundum organizationem inductam homini per ejus amorem et aspectum. Potestis etiam scire quod omne bonum amoris et charitatis et omne verum sapientiae et fidei influant, et non sint in homine, ex eo, quod qui cogitat quod tale homini insit a creatione non possit aliter cogitare quam quod Deus infuderit Se homini, et sic quod homines quoad partem forent Dii; et tamen qui hoc ex fide cogitant, fiunt diaboli et putent sicut cadavera. Praeterea, quid actio hominis nisi mens agens; quod enim mens vult et cogitat, hoc agit per corpus suum organum: quare cum mens ducitur a Domino, ducitur etiam actio; ac mens et inde actio ducitur a Domino cum creditur in Ipsum. Nisi ita foret, dicite si potestis cur Dominus in Verbo mille et mille in locis mandavit, ut homo amaturus sit proximum, operaturus sit bona charitatis, ac (facturus sit) fructus sicut arbor, ac facturus sit praecepta, et hoc et illud, ut salvetur; tum cur dixit, quod homo secundum facta seu opera judicaretur, qui bona fecit ad Caelum et vitam, et qui mala fecit ad Infernum et mortem. Quomodo potuerat Dominus talia loqui, si omne quod procedit ab homine foret meritorium et inde malum. Sciatis itaque, quod si mens est charitas, etiam actio sit charitas; si autem mens est sola fides, quae etiam est fides separata a charitate spirituali, etiam actio sit illa fides; et haec fides est meritoria quia ejus charitas est naturalis et non spiritualis; aliter fides charitatis, quia charitas non vult mereri, et inde nec ejus fides."
His auditis dixerunt sedentes sub lauru, "Comprehendimus quod juste locutus sis, sed usque non comprehendimus."
Quibus respondi, "Comprehenditis quod juste locutus sim ex communi perceptione quae est homini ex influxu lucis e Caelo cum aliquod verum audit, at non comprehenditis ex propria perceptione quae est homini ex influxu lucis e mundo. Binae illae perceptiones, nempe interna et externa, seu spiritualis et naturalis, unam faciunt apud sapientes; vos quoque potestis illas unam facere, si spectatis ad Dominum et removetis mala."
Haec quia etiam intellexerunt, desumpsi termites ex lauru, sub qua sedimus, et porrexi, et dixi, "Num creditis quod hoc a me sit, vel a Domino."
Et dixerunt quod credant per me sicut a me; et ecce termites illi in manibus illorum efflorescebant.
At cum recessi, vidi mensam cedrinam, super qua erat liber, sub olea virente, cujus truncum circumligabat vitis. Aspexi, et ecce erat liber per me scriptus, vocatus sapientia Angelica de Divino Amore et Divina sapientia, et quoque de Divina Providentia; et dixi, quod in illo libro plene ostensum sit, quod homo sit organum recipiens vitae, et non vita.
Post haec ex horto illo exhilaratus abivi domum, et mecum Spiritus angelicus; qui mihi in via dixit, "Vis videre clare quid fides et charitas, ita quid fides separata a charitate, et fides conjuncta charitati, et monstrabo ad oculum."
Respondi, "Monstra."
Et dixit, "Cogita pro fide et charitate lucem et calorem, et clare videbis; fides enim in sua essentia est veritas quae sapientiae, ac charitas in sua essentia est affectio quae amoris; ac veritas sapientiae in Caelo est lux, et affectio amoris in Caelo est calor: lux et calor in quibus sunt angeli, non aliud sunt. Exinde videre potes clare quid fides separata a charitate, et quid fides conjuncta charitati. Fides separata a charitate est sicut lux hyemalis, ac fides conjuncta charitati est sicut lux vernalis. Lux hyemalis, quae est lux separata a calore, quia 3est conjuncta frigori, prorsus denudat arbores etiam a foliis, indurat terram, et enecat gramen, et quoque congelat aquas; lux autem vernalis, quae est lux conjuncta calori, vegetat arbores primum in folia, tum in flores, et denique in fructus, aperit et emollit terram, ut producat gramina, herbas, flores et frutices, et quoque solvit glaciem ut fluant e fontibus aquae. Prorsus simile est cum fide et charitate: fides separata a charitate mortificat omnia, et fides conjuncta charitati vivificat omnia, Vivificatio haec et mortificatio illa ad vivum possunt videri in mundo nostro spirituali, quia hic est fides lux, et charitas calor; ubi enim fides conjuncta charitati est, ibi sunt horti paradisiaci, floreta, et vireta in sua amoenitate secundum conjunctionem; at ubi fides separata a charitate est, ibi ne quidem gramen est; et ubi viride, est id ex vepribus, sentibus et urticis. Hoc efficiunt calor et lux procedentes a Domino ut Sole, in angelis et spiritibus, et inde extra illos."
Erant tunc non procul a nobis aliqui ex Clero, quos Spiritus angelicus vocabat Justificatores et Sanctificatores hominum per solam Fidem, et quoque Arcanistas. Eadem haec diximus illis, et demonstravimus usque ut viderent quod ita sit; et cum quaesivimus, annon ita, averterunt se et dixerunt, "Non audivimus." At clamavimus ad illos, dicentes, "Audite itaque adhuc."
Tunc ponebant ambas manus ante aures suas, ac vociferati, "Non volumus audire."
Footnotes:
1. loquela pro "sonus"
2. soni pro "loquelae"
3. quia pro "quae quia"