Arcana Coelestia 7763. The subject treated of in this chapter in the internal sense is the damnation of faith separate from charity, which is signified by the firstborn of Egypt that were given up to death at midnight; and also the memory-knowledges of truth and good that were to be transferred to those who are of the spiritual church, which knowledges are signified by the vessels of silver and of gold that the sons of Israel were to ask from the Egyptians.

7762. The confidence or assurance which is spoken of as a confidence in faith, and is called faith, is not spiritual, only natural confidence or assurance. Spiritual confidence or assurance derives its existence and life from the good of love, not from the truth of faith separated from good. Confidence in separated faith is dead. Accordingly true confidence cannot exist with those who have led an evil life. Nor does even the confidence itself - confidence that a person is saved through the Lord's merit irrespective of the life he led - have any basis in the truth.