Arcana Coelestia #34
34. Love and faith cannot possibly be separated for they constitute one and the same thing. This is why, when first the [great] lights are dealt with and they are taken to be one, it is said [using a singular verb with a plural noun], 'Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens'. Let some marvels relating to this be mentioned here. Since celestial angels possess from the Lord that kind of love, they possess by virtue of that love every cognition of faith, and by virtue of that love the kind of life and light of understanding that almost defies description altogether. On the other hand spirits who without love have a knowledge of the doctrinal matters concerning faith live such cold lives and are in such dull light that they cannot approach even the outer gateway to heaven before running off in the opposite direction. Some claim to have believed in the Lord, but they have not lived according to His teaching. The Lord refers to these people in Matthew as follows,
Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does My will. Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? and so on. Matthew 7:21-22-end.
[2] From this is clear that those who have love have faith as well, and so heavenly life, whereas those who claim to have faith and yet have none of the life inherent in love do not. The life of faith devoid of love is like sunlight devoid of warmth, as is the case in wintertime when nothing grows and every single thing is inactive and dies off. But faith deriving from love is like the sunlight in springtime when everything grows and blossoms, for it is the warmth of the sun that brings it out. It is similar with spiritual and celestial things, which are normally represented in the Word by the things found in the world and on earth. An absence of faith, and faith devoid of love, are also compared by the Lord to winter where He foretold the close of the age in Mark,
Pray that your flight may not happen in winter, for those will be days of affliction. Mark 13:18-19.
'Flight' means the final period, also the time when a person dies; 'winter' is life which is destitute of love, 'days of affliction' his wretched condition in the next life.
Matthew 14
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At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus,
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And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.
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For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife.
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For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her.
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And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.
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But when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod.
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Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask.
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And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist's head in a charger.
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And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath's sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her.
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And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison.
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And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother.
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And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.
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When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities.
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And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.
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And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals.
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But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat.
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And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.
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He said, Bring them hither to me.
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And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
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And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.
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And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.
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And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.
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And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.
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But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.
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And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.
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And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
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But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
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And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
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And he said, Come. And when Peter was Come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
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But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
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And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
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And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.
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Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.
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And when they were gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret.
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And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased;
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And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.
