3904. A certain spirit known to me during his life, among those of his own time, who knew above others what faith is, and what the knowledge of faith, came to me and said that he now knew nothing, and that he was in so much obscurity, that he knew as it were nothing as to what was true. I was aware that he had been of those who had not only understood the knowledges of true faith above others, but had zealously defended them; and yet now he declared that he was in such obscurity that he knew nothing. It was given to say in reply, that he was now reduced to a state of obscurity or ignorance, not from his merely not knowing what was true - for he knew it better than [many] others - but because that, in the other life, knowledges are confirmed that they may become the truths of faith, with which, since his life was repugnant, it was a consequence that he knew nothing, and was in obscurity; for although one is in the light of knowledges, yet if his life is repugnant, he does not love the things confirmatory of the knowledges of faith contrary to life, but he loves rather the things confirmatory of life against knowledges; and when there is such a conflict, it follows that he will be in obscurity and ignorance, into which state I was myself reduced, before it was given to speak with spirits and angels. It was thus granted to comfort him [by the consideration] that that is a state into which those are at first reduced, who are in the knowledges of the truth of faith, and yet their life is not concordant, which is a species of vastation, wherein the Lord first inseminates truths, and the light of truths begins gradually to shine forth from this obscure or darkened [condition].