Divine Love and Wisdom (Harleys) n. 87

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87. The reason why that Sun appears before the angels' eyes as fiery is that love and fire correspond to one another; for their eyes cannot see love but, in place of it, that which corresponds to it. For angels just like men have an internal and an external, the internal [being] that which thinks and is wise, and that which wills and loves, and their external is that which feels, sees, speaks and acts. And all their external things are correspondences of the internals, but spiritual correspondences, however, not natural. The Divine Love is even felt as fire by the spiritual. Hence it is that "fire", when it is mentioned in the Word, signifies love. In the Israelitish church sacred fire signified love and it is also because of this that in prayers to God, it is usual to ask that heavenly fire, that is, Divine Love, may kindle the heart.


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