216、根据天使的智慧，除非意愿和理解力，也就是说情感和思维，以及仁和信尽可能地以行为或作为来进入并包裹自己，否则，它们完全就像逝去的一缕空气，或消失在空中的幻影；此外，当人将它们实践并行出来时，它们首次在人里面成为永恒，变成他生命的一部分。原因在于，最终元素是在先元素的复合物、容器和基础。脱离善行的信仰就是这样一缕空气或这样一个幻影，没有运用和实践出来的信和仁也是如此。唯一不同的是，那些持守信和仁的人知道何为良善，也能意愿去行善，而那些陷入与仁分离之信的人则不能。
216. According to angelic wisdom, unless volition and discernment, or desire and thought, or charity and faith, devote themselves to involvement in works or deeds whenever possible, they are nothing but passing breezes, so to speak, or images in the air that vanish. They first take on permanence in us and become part of our life when we perform and do them. The reason is that the final stage is the composite, vessel, and foundation of the prior stages.
Faith apart from good works is just this kind of airy nothing or image, and so are faith and charity apart from their practice. The only difference is that people who put faith and charity together know what is good and are able to intend and do it, but not people who are devoted to faith apart from charity.
216. I have it from angelic wisdom that unless the will and intellect, or affection and thought, or charity and faith, enter into and clothe themselves in works or deeds when possible, they are altogether like puffs of air which pass away, or like mirages which fade and vanish; furthermore, that they remain for the first time in a person and become matters of his life when the person puts them into practice and does them. That is because the final element embraces, contains, and is the foundation of the prior ones.
Such a puff of air or mirage is faith separated from good works, and so, too, are faith and charity without their exercise and practice. The only difference is that people who postulate both faith and charity have the knowledge and ability to will to do good works, while people caught up in faith separated from charity do not.
216. According to angelic wisdom, unless will and understanding, that is, affection and thought, as well as charity and faith, clothe and invest themselves, whenever possible, with works and deeds, they are only like something airy which passes away, or like phantoms in the air which perish; and they first become permanent with man and become a part of his life, when he practises and does them. The reason is that the ultimate is the complex, containant and base of things prior. Such an airy nothing and such a phantom is faith separated from good works, and such also are faith and charity without their practice, only with the difference that those who regard faith and charity, know and can will to do good, but not so those who are in faith separated from charity.
216. It is according to angelic wisdom that unless the will and understanding, that is, affection and thought, as well as charity and faith, clothe and wrap themselves in works or deeds, whenever possible, they are only like something airy which passes away, or like phantoms in air which perish; and that they first become permanent in man and a part of his life, when he practices and does them. The reason is that the outmost is the complex, containant, and base of things prior. Such an airy nothing and such a phantom is faith separated from good works; such also are faith and charity without their exercise, with this difference only, that those who hold to faith and charity know what is good and can will to do it, but not so those who are in faith separated from charity.
216. Ex sapientia angelica est, quod nisi voluntas et intellectus, seu affectio et cogitatio, tum charitas et fides, indant ac involvant se operibus seu factis, quando possibile est, non sint nisi quam sicut aerea quae transeunt, aut sicut imagines in aere, quae pereunt; et quod illae tunc primum maneant apud hominem, ac fiant ejus vitae, quando homo operatur et facit illa: causa est, quia ultimum est complexus, continens et basis priorum. Tale aereum et talis imago est fides separata a bonis operibus, et quoque tale est fides et charitas absque suis exercitiis; cum sola differentia, quod qui fidem et charitatem ponunt, sciant et possint velle facere bona, non autem illi qui in fide separata a charitate sunt.