6079. The path of faith, from it, into the will
I spoke with spirits about the path of faith: that it is from the affection of truth to the perception of truth, consequently from understanding to thinking, and either into the memory after this, or from the memory, in this way from the understanding directly into speech; but it is not made a person's own unless it goes from understanding into assent; in this way it goes into the will. If something must be done, it becomes an intention, so it passes into the will and into act, so that it may exist. [The path is:] love, affection of truth, perception, understanding, assent or intention, will, and action or speech.
[2] I spoke with spirits [and said] that to go from faith to good works is to go in reverse order, just like a person, for example, who gathers decorations, furnishings of various kinds, and puts them into room with the windows shuttered. These do not appear unless a candle is brought in. The candle gives light so that everything appears; otherwise they are certainly there, but in darkness. Love or affection is the candle, faith is the light from it, and without spiritual faith, which is the light of life, nothing lives, that is to say nothing is in light that endures.
6079. THE PATHWAY OF FAITH, OR FROM IT, INTO THE WILL.
I conversed with spirits about the pathway of faith; that it proceeds from the affection of truth to the perception of truth, consequently from the understanding to the thought, and afterwards either remains in the memory, or [proceeds] from the memory, thus, from the understanding immediately into the speech, but is not appropriated to man unless he advances from understanding to agent: thus it comes into the will. If it is something to be done, it comes into the intention, thus into the will, and into act; so that [the sequence] is, love, affection of truth, perception of the understanding, assent or intention, will, and action or speech.
I said to spirits that to go from faith to good works is to go in inverted order: as, for example, when one provides himself with decorations and utensils of various kinds, and places them in a room the windows of which are blocked up, they do not appear, unless a flame be brought in. A flame gives light, so that all those things appear; otherwise, they are indeed there, but in darkness. Love, or affection, is the flame faith is the light from it; and without spiritual faith, which is the light of life, nothing lives, or is in a light which endures.
6079. Via fidei in voluntatem ab illa
Loquutus sum cum spiritibus de via fidei, quod sit ab affectione veri, ad perceptionem veri, inde ab intellectu ad cogitationem et sive in memoria postea sive a memoria, sic ab intellectu statim in loquelam; sed non appropriatur homini, nisi ab intellectu veniat in assensum, sic venit in voluntatem, si aliquid faciendum venit in intentionem, sic in voluntatem et in actum, sic ut sit: amor, affectio veri, perceptio, intellectus, assensus vel intentio, voluntas et actio vel loquela.
[2] Loquutus sum cum spiritibus quod ire a fide ad bona opera sit inverso ordine ire, sicut pro exemplo, qui comparat sibi decoramenta, utensilia varii generis, et ponit in camera, occlusis fenestris, haec non apparent nisi flamma inducatur, flamma dat lucem ut omnia appareant, alioquin quidem ibi sunt, sed in tenebris, amor seu affectio est flamma, fides est lux inde, et absque fide spirituali, quae est lux vitae nihil vivit, seu in luce quae manet est.