Selection from Apocalypse Explained ~ Emanuel Swedenborg
The Divine love and the Divine wisdom, from which is the life of all things, and of which the Divine attributes (infinity, eternity, providence, omnipotence, omnipresence, and omniscience) are predicated —
Respecting the Divine love:- • In the world it is but little comprehended what love is, and yet it is man's very life.
- • The Lord alone is love itself, because life itself, while men and angels are only recipients.
- • Life, which is love, is not given except in a form, and that form is a form of uses in the whole complex.
- • Such a form is man, individually and collectively, and in such a form is heaven, and also the world.
- • There are genera and species of uses, and varieties of species to infinity; also there are degrees of uses.
- • There are as many affections as there are uses, and consequently there are genera and species of affections, and differences of species to infinity; and there are degrees of affections.
- • Every affection of use in itself is a man, according to its quality and quantity.
- • Each use draws its life from the common good, and flows in from it, and gives the necessary, useful, and delightful things of life.
- • So far as man is in the love of uses so far is he in the Lord, so far he loves the Lord and the neighbor, and so far is he a man.
- • The active force of uses according to their connection in their order produce vital heat, which is perceived in man as love.
- • This is made evident by the fact that man wills this thing or that, or this or that is good or not good to him, and finally by his delight.
- • All things in man are formed and grow and are held in connection by the Lord by means of love and its heat.
- • Man does not know what affection is, and still less that there are as many various affections as there are men born into the world, and will be born to eternity, thus that they are infinite.
- • Man does not know otherwise than that he is thought, and yet he is affection.
- • Neither does he know that he has eternal life according to his affection of use.
(from Apocalypse Explained 1229)