Conjugial Love (Chadwick) n. 72

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72. Those who come into that love and can remain in it are those who love the truths the church teaches and do the good deeds it prescribes, because no others are accepted by the Lord. For they are linked with Him and can therefore be kept in that love by Him. There are two things which make the church and thus heaven with a man, the truth of faith and goodness of life. The truth of faith causes awareness of the Lord's presence, and goodness of life in accordance with the truths of faith brings about linking with Him, the result making the church and heaven. The truth of faith causes awareness of the Lord's presence, because it is a source of light; spiritual light is precisely this. Goodness of life brings about linking with Him because it is a source of heat; spiritual heat is precisely this, because it is love, and goodness of life is a matter of loving. It is well known that all light, even in winter, causes awareness of things as present, and heat combined with light makes a linking. For gardens and flower-beds can be seen in any light, but they only flower and bear fruit when heat accompanies the light. The conclusion from this is obvious: those who merely know the truths of the church are not endowed by the Lord with truly conjugial love, but only those who know the truths and perform the good deeds it prescribes.


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