Divine Love and Wisdom (Harleys) n. 368

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368. (v) Such as the love is, such is the wisdom, and therefore such is the man. For such as are the love and wisdom, such are the will and understanding, since the will is the receptacle of love, and the understanding of wisdom, as was shown above; and these two make the man and his character. Love is manifold, and so manifold that the varieties are unlimited, as can be established from the human race in the earths and in the heavens. There is no man or angel so like another that there is not any difference. Love is what distinguishes, for every man is his own love. It is supposed that wisdom makes a distinction, but wisdom comes from love and is the form of love; for love is the Esse of life, and wisdom is the Existere of life from that Being. It is believed in the world that the understanding makes the man; but this is believed because the understanding can be raised into the light of heaven, as was shown above, and the man may thus have the appearance of being wise; but as much of the understanding as transcends, that is, does not belong to the love, appears to be the man's, so far he has that character, but it is only an appearance. For as much of the understanding as transcends has really to do with the love of knowing and being wise, but not at the same time with the love of applying to life what the man knows and understands. Wherefore in the world with time that part passes away, or it lingers without in the borders, a thing of the memory, ready to fall away; on which account it is separated after death, and nothing more remains than agrees with the spirit's own love. Because love makes the life of man, and thus the man himself, all the societies of heaven and all the angels in the societies, are arranged according to the affections belonging to their love. But no society nor any angel in a society is arranged according to anything of the understanding apart from their love. It is the same in the hells and their societies, but in accordance with loves opposed to the heavenly loves. From these things it may be evident that such as the love is, such is the wisdom, and therefore such is the man.


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