Heaven and Hell (Harley) n. 13

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13. THE DIVINE OF THE LORD IN HEAVEN IS LOVE TO HIM AND CHARITY TOWARDS THE NEIGHBOR

The Divine going forth from the Lord is called in heaven Divine Truth, for a reason which will be shown in what follows. This Divine Truth inflows into heaven from the Lord from His Divine Love. The Divine Love and the Divine Truth therefrom are related to each other as are the fire of the sun and the light therefrom in the world, love being as the fire of the sun and the truth therefrom as light from the sun. Moreover, from correspondence fire signifies love, and light, truth going forth from love.# From this, the nature of Divine Truth going forth from Divine Love can be confirmed. In its essence, it is Divine Good conjoined to Divine Truth, and because it is conjoined, it gives life to all things of heaven, just as the heat of the sun conjoined to light in the world makes all things of the earth fruitful, as happens in spring and summer. It is otherwise when heat is not conjoined to light, thus when the light is cold. Then all things are torpid and lifeless. This Divine Good which is compared to heat is the good of love with the angels, whereas the Divine Truth which is compared to light is that through which and from which comes the good of love. # In the Word "fire" signifies love, in a two-fold sense (n. 934, 4906, 5215). "Holy and heavenly fire" signifies Divine Love, and every affection which is of that love (n. 934, 6314, 6832). "Light" from fire signifies truth going forth from the good of love, for light in heaven is Divine Truth (n. 3395, 3485, 3636, 3643, 3993, 4302, 4413, 4415, 9548, 9684).


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