Heaven and Hell - Swedenborg Foundation

HEAVEN AND HELL 435
that the thought is derived from the will; neither is life from
the faith except so far as the faith is derived from love. Angels
are grieved that these persons do not know that faith alone is
impossible in anyone, since faith apart from its origin, which is
love, is nothing but knowledge, and in some is merely a sort of
persuasion that has the semblance of faith (see above, n. 482).
Such a persuasion is not in the life of man, but outside of it,
since it is separated from man unless it coheres with his love.
[3] The angels said further that those who hold to this
principle concerning the essential means of salvation in man
must needs believe in mercy apart from means, for they
perceive both from natural light and from the experience of
sight that faith separate does not constitute the life of man,
since those who lead an evil life are able to think and to be
persuaded the same as others; and from this comes the belief
that the evil as well as the good can be saved, provided that at
the hour of death they talk with confidence about intercession,
and about the mercy that is granted through that intercession.
The angels declared that they had never yet seen anyone who
had lived an evil life received into heaven from mercy apart
from means, whatever trust or confidence (which is
preeminently meant by faith) he had exhibited in his talk in
the world.
[4] When asked about Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, and the
apostles, whether they were not received into heaven from
mercy apart from means, the angels replied that not one of
them was so received, but each one in accordance with his life
in the world; that they knew where these were, and that they
were no more esteemed there than others. They said that these
persons are mentioned with honor in the Word for the reason
that in the internal sense the Lord is meant by them—by
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Lord in respect to the Divine
and the Divine human; by David the Lord in respect to the
Divine royalty; and by the apostles the Lord in respect to
Divine truths; also that when the Word is read by man the
angels have no perception whatever of these men, for their