5708. 1I have spoken with spirits about the light coming from confirmation: That when a thing has been confirmed, it appears bright, experience attested to this. But I said that they should remove confirming matters and look into the principle itself that has been confirmed. Can they say anything then, namely, whether the principle is true or not true, because whatever comes from another whether it just comes to mind or is absolutely false still can be given light through a confirmation. When they were brought back to the principle itself, they then saw absolutely nothing. They were in darkness, to such a degree that they saw nothing.
[2] It was then given to me to say that they would be able to see if they could allow light from heaven to come on it. But light from heaven enters through goodness, thus through the will. So if they had goodness, then there would be light in the principle itself, so that they would see it clearly, because heaven does not enter through another way than through the way of goodness or of love, thus through the will. For this reason if they had lived a life of goodness, then they would see light in the principle itself, otherwise nothing except darkness. From this they would then see things confirming it in the Word, and they would also see confirmations in their memory. Those things alone that confirm it would be called forth, and in this way too there would be light there. It was shown further that even if it were a truth itself that had received light by a confirmation, still if goodness were not part of how they live, the truth itself would be in darkness in the same way. Therefore I said that even if they knew everything in the whole heaven and yet did not have goodness in the way they live, they would still not have heavenly light, but an inferior light that is merely natural, which is such that if there were evil in their way of life, even that would perish.
Footnotes:
1. Paragraphs 5706ְ7 are missing in the original manuscript.
5708. 1I remarked to spirits, respecting the light arising from confirmation, that, when a thing has been confirmed, it appears luminous. This was made manifest by experiences but I said that they must remove confirming things, and contemplate the principle itself which is confirmed, and examine whether they are able to see anything of light, namely, whether the principle is true or not true; because, whatever exists or comes to the mind from another, even though most false, is yet able to receive light through confirmation. When they were brought back to the principle itself, they saw nothing at all; they were in darknesses, so that they did not see anything. It was then granted me to say that they would be able to see, if they could admit light from heaven into it; but light from heaven enters through good, thus through the will: wherefore, if they were in good, then light [lux] would be in the principle itself, so that they would see it clearly, for heaven does not enter by any other way than by way of good or of love, thus through the will; consequently, that if they have lived the life of good, they would then see light in the principle itself, but otherwise, nothing but darkness. Hence, they would then see confirmatory things in the Word, and would likewise see confirmatory things in their memory; those only which confirm would be called forth, and thus there would be light there too. It was shown, further, that even though it were truth itself which by confirmation had received light, yet if there was not good of life, the truth itself would in like manner be in darkness, also. Wherefore, they were told that, even if they knew all things which were in the universal heaven, and yet were not in the good of life, they would still not have heavenly light, but an inferior light which is merely natural; which is such, that if there were evil of life, it would still perish.
Footnotes:
1. Nos. 5706 and 5707 are missed out in the Latin. It is simply a lapse in the numbering. -TR.
5708. 1
Loquutus cum spiritibus de luce ex confirmatione, quod cum confirmatum est, appareat lucidum, hoc per experientias testatum factum est, sed dixi ut removeant confirmantia et intueantur ipsum principium, quod confirmatum est, num videre possint aliquid tunc, nempe num principium verum sit vel non verum, quia quicquid datur ab alio vel obvenit in mente sive falsissimum, usque per confirmationem potest lucem accipere; cum reducti sunt ad ipsum principium tunc nihil prorsus videbant, erant in tenebris, sic ut nihil viderent; tunc dicere dabatur, quod videre possent, si possint admittere lucem e coelo in illud, sed lux e coelo intrat per bonum ita per voluntatem, quare si in bono essent, tunc lux foret in ipso principio, ut viderent id dare, quia coelum non intrat per aliam viam quam per viam boni seu amoris ita per voluntatem, quare si vixerunt vitam boni, quod tunc viderent lucem in ipso principio, alioquin nihil nisi caliginosum, inde tunc viderent confirmantia in Verbo, et quoque viderent confirmantia in sua memoria, evocarentur solum illa quae confirmant, et sic quoque ibi lux. Ostendebatur porro, si vel foret ipsum verum, quod per confirmationem recepisset lucem, usque si non bonum vitae esset, ipsum verum quoque in tenebris similiter foret, quare dictum si vel nossent omnia quae in universo coelo, et tamen si non in bono vitae, quod usque lucem coelestem non haberent, sed lucem inferiorem quae solum naturalis, quae talis est, si malum vitae foret, quod usque periret.
Footnotes:
1. 5706-5707 desunt