22. Grace be unto you and peace. That this signifies the delight of truth and of good, is evident from the signification of grace, as being the delight of truth, of which more will be said in what follows; and from the signification of peace, as being the delight of the good of innocence and love (respecting which see the work, Heaven and Hell, where the State of Peace in heaven is treated of, n. 284-290). The reason why grace denotes the delight of truth, is because there are two things that go forth from the Lord, united in their origin, but divided in those who receive them. For there are some who receive Divine truth more than Divine good, and some who receive Divine good more than Divine truth. Those who receive Divine truth more than Divine good, are in the spiritual kingdom of the Lord, and are therefore called spiritual; but those who receive Divine good more than Divine truth, are in the celestial kingdom of the Lord, and are therefore called celestial. (Respecting those two kingdoms in heaven and the church, see the work, Heaven and Hell, n. 20-28.) To those who are in the spiritual kingdom it is granted by the Lord to be in the affection of truth for the sake of truth, and this Divine gift is what is called grace; for this reason, so far as anyone is in that affection, so far is he in the Lord's Divine grace, nor is there any other Divine grace given I with man, spirit, or angel, than that of being affected with truth because it is truth, since in that affection they have heaven and all its blessedness (as may be seen in The New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Doctrine, n. 232, 236, 238; and in the work, Heaven and Hell, n. 395-414). It is the same thing whether you say the affection of truth or the delight of truth; for there is no affection without delight. This is what is specifically meant by grace in the Word; as in John:
"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, as the glory of the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth; of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" (i 14, 16, 17).
As grace is the affection and delight of truth, therefore mention is made of both grace and truth.
And in Luke, after the Lord had explained in the synagogue the prophetic declaration of Isaiah concerning Himself, thus concerning Divine truth, it is said,
"And all wondered at the words of grace which proceeded out of his mouth" (iv. 22).
The Divine truths which the Lord spoke are called words of grace proceeding out of His mouth, because they were acceptable, grateful, and delightful. In general, Divine grace is everything given by the Lord; and as every such thing given has reference to faith and love, and faith is the affection of truth from good, therefore, this is specifically meant by Divine grace; for to be gifted with faith and love, or with the affection of truth from good, is to be gifted with heaven, thus with eternal blessedness.
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