[2] The reason for saying that they consequently possess intelligence and wisdom with which to see truth is that the nature of the light of truth present with a person is conditioned altogether by the state of his love; how much love is kindled determines how much truth shines there. For the good of love is the actual fire of life burning in him, while the truth of faith is the actual light, that is, intelligence and wisdom, shining in his understanding. The love and truth go together, in step with each other.

[3] The words 'intelligence and wisdom' are not used to mean the ability to think and reason about any matter whatever, for this ability exists with the evil just as much as it does with the good. Instead they are used to mean the ability to see and perceive the truths and forms of good that belong to faith and charity, and that go with love to the Lord. This ability exists only with those who receive enlightenment from the Lord; and the amount of enlightenment they receive is determined by the amount of love to Him and charity towards the neighbour which they possess. For the Lord comes in through the good, that is, through the love and charity present in the person, and leads him to truths in agreement with that good. But if alien loves - which is what loves turned away from the Lord and the neighbour towards self and the world are - reign there, then these loves lead the person. They lead away from truths to falsities; yet the ability to think and reason still remains.

[4] The reason for all this is that these people do not receive enlightenment from the Lord, only from self and the world, and such enlightenment consists of thick and total darkness in spiritual matters, that is, in things which have to do with heaven and the Church. With those people the internal man seeing things in the light of heaven is closed and the external man seeing them in the light of the world is open. But seeing something in the light of the world without the light from heaven flowing in means that things belonging to heaven are seen in thick darkness. Indeed to the extent that the person has at this time through self-love and love of the world fostered inferior natural light, he plunges into falsities and consequently annihilates the truths of faith. This is why the learned people of the world who are ruled by self-love, having a greater opportunity to substantiate falsities, are blinder than simple people.

[5] These things have been stated in order that people may know that as is anyone's love, so is his faith, and in order that they may understand how it is that truth comes into its own light when love comes into clearness, meant by burning incense every single morning when the lamps were 'adorned'.