shrub, bush, and vegetable—in fact, every type of grass and herb—has this
characteristic in whole and in part. The overall cause of this is that
divine truths are shaped this way. We read that all things were created
by the Word, that is, by divine truth; and also that the world was
made by the Word (John 1 : 1 and following). From all this you can see
that if the human mind lacked a comparable organization of its sub-
stances, we would lack the analytical reasoning power that we all have.
This reasoning power depends on how organized our minds are; that
is, it depends on our having a quantity of truths that are bound
together like strands in a cable. The level of organization in our minds
in turn depends on our use of reason in freedom.
[c] Our faith improves depending on the quantity of truths we have and 352
how well they fit together.This follows from what I said before. Further-
more, it is revealed to anyone who methodically investigates how com-
plex structures function when they are interwoven as one thing: each part
strengthens and supports the next; together they make one form; and
when that form becomes active, its parts accomplish one action.
Since faith in its essence is truth, our faith becomes more spiritual,
and more perfectly spiritual, depending on the quantity of truths we have
and how well they fit together. That is, our faith becomes less and less
sense-oriented and earthly, because it then rises up into a higher region of
our mind. From that perspective it sees below itself a host of things in the
nature of the world that strengthen and support it. True faith, achieved
through a quantity of truths that fit together like strands in a cable, also
becomes more enlightening, perceivable, obvious, and clear. True faith
also becomes more easily united with acts of goodwill, and therefore
more alienated from evils and progressively more remote from the entice-
ments of the eye and the cravings of the flesh. Therefore faith becomes
more truly happy. Above all, it becomes more powerful against evils and
falsities, and therefore more and more living and empowered to save.
Just above I made the statement that every truth shines in heaven, 353
and as a result, faith in its essence is truth shining [§§ 348 , 349 ]. When
the truths of this faith are multiplied, their shining light gives faith a
beauty and attractiveness like that of forms, objects, and works of art
whose colors harmonize well. It is like the precious stones of different
colors on Aaron’s breastplate that were collectively called the Urim and
Thummim. It is also like the precious stones that the foundations of the
wall of the New Jerusalem were made of (Revelation 21 ); and also like
precious stones of different colors in a royal crown. In fact, precious
§353 faith 421