Divine Love and Wisdom (Harleys) n. 242

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242. SPIRITUAL LIGHT FLOWS IN WITH MAN THROUGH THREE DEGREES, BUT NOT SPIRITUAL HEAT EXCEPT SO FAR AS MAN SHUNS EVILS AS SINS, AND LOOKS TO THE LORD

From the things shown above it is established that from the Sun of heaven, which is the first proceeding of the Divine Love and Wisdom (which was treated in Part II), proceed light and heat, light from its wisdom, and heat from its love; also that light is the receptacle of wisdom, and heat the receptacle of love, and that so far as man comes into wisdom, so he comes into that Divine light, and so far as he comes into love, to that extent he comes into that Divine heat. It is also established from things shown above that there are three degrees of light and three degrees of love, and that these degrees have been formed in man that he may be a receptacle of the Divine Love and Wisdom, thus of the Lord. It is now to be shown that spiritual light flows in through these three degrees in man, but not spiritual heat except in so far as a man shuns evils as sins and looks to the Lord; or what is the same thing, that man is able to receive wisdom even to the third degree, but not love, unless he shuns evils as sins, and looks to the Lord; or what is still the same, that a man's understanding may be raised into wisdom, yet not his will except in so far as he shuns evils as sins.


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