THE DIVINE LOVE IS DIVINE GOOD, AND THE DIVINE WISDOM IS DIVINE TRUTH

This is because everything love does is "a good," and everything wisdom teaches is "a truth". This shows that it is in virtue of what it effects, which is a use, that the Divine Love is spoken of as Divine Good, and that also the Divine Wisdom in virtue of what it effects, which is a use, is spoken of as Divine Truth. For the effect is a doing or a teaching, the one being what love effects, the other what wisdom effects; and every effect is a use, the use being what is called "a good" and "a truth," but the good is the essence of the use, and the truth is the form of it. To explain and amplify this further would be superfluous, as every one, by employing his own reason, can see that love does, and that wisdom teaches, and that anything love does is a good, and that anything wisdom teaches is a truth, and further that a good done by love is a use, and that a truth taught by wisdom is also a use. Think over in your own mind, what love is, apart from good in an effect, and what good in an effect is, apart from its use. Is the love anything? Is the good anything? In a use, however, they are some thing, and consequently it is in use that love has its existence; similarly wisdom has its existence by means of truth; for wisdom teaches, and love does. It is on this account that the heat coming from the Sun that is the Lord, is called Divine Good, and the light from that Sun is called Divine Truth. They are so called in virtue of what they effect, the heat being the effect of love, and the light the effect of wisdom; and both effects are uses, for the heat vivifies angels, and the light enlightens them. They vivify and enlighten men likewise.

[[2]] [114.] What the Divine Love is, was stated in the preceding part; here it is necessary to state what the Divine Wisdom is. The Divine Wisdom is what is termed Divine Providence, and also Divine Order; and Divine Truths are what are called the laws of Divine Providence, treated of above,* and also laws of Divine Order. These laws have regard, on the one side to the Lord, and on the other side to man, and on both they have regard to conjunction. The Divine Love has for its object to lead man and bring him to Itself: and the Divine Wisdom has for its object to teach man the way he ought to go in order to come into conjunction with the Lord. This way the Lord teaches in the Word, and specially in the Decalogue, on which account the two tables were at the time inscribed by the finger of the Lord Himself: one table has regard to the Lord, the other has regard to man, and both have regard to conjunction. For the way to be known, therefore, the Decalogue will need to be explained, which will be done later.

[[3]] Inasmuch as man is a recipient both of Divine Love and of Divine Wisdom, he has been provided with a Will and with an Understanding, a Will in which to receive Divine Love, and an Understanding in which to receive Divine Wisdom, Divine Love to be received in the Will by means of a man's life, and Divine Wisdom in the Understanding by means of doctrine. But how the reception is effected, in a man's life by means of doctrine, and in doctrine by means of his life, is the very thing that will be taught, as clearly as it is possible to do, in explaining the Decalogue. * APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED, NOS. 1135-1191.