the same “family” join together to form bundles, and also envelop their
bundles, in order to differentiate themselves from other types of good.
This method of formation is clear from all parts of the human body,
large and small.
A similar thing happens in the human mind, as should be inferable
from the constant correspondence of all things related to the mind with all
things related to the body. It follows that on the inside the human mind is
constructed of spiritual substances, and on the outside, of earthly sub-
stances and finally physical materials. The mind that feels a good kind of
pleasure from love is inwardly made of spiritual substances like those in
heaven. The mind that feels an evil kind of pleasure from love is inwardly
made of spiritual substances like those in hell. The evil things in the latter
mind are in bundles tied with falsities. The good things in the former mind
are in bundles tied with truths. Since this is how good things are bound
together, and evil things as well, the Lord says that “the tares need to be
gathered into bundles for burning, and so do all things that offend”
(Matthew 13 : 30 , 40 , 41 ; John 15 : 6 ).39 3. Because God is love itself and wisdom itself, he is life itself, or life in
itself.The Gospel of John says, “The Word was with God, and the Word
was God. In it there was life, and that life was the light for humankind”
(John 1 : 1 , 4 ). “God” in this case means divine love, and “the Word”
means divine wisdom. Divine wisdom is actually life, and life is actually
the light that radiates from the sun in the spiritual world—the sun that
surrounds Jehovah God.
Divine love produces life the way fire produces light. Fire has two
qualities: burning and shining. Its burning radiates heat and its shining
radiates light. Likewise love has two qualities. The burning quality of fire
corresponds to one of them; it is something that affects our will at the
deepest level. The shining quality of fire corresponds to the other; it is
something that affects our intellect at the deepest level. This is where our
love and intelligence come from, because, as I have said several times
now, the heat that radiates from the sun in the spiritual world is essen-
tially love, and its light is essentially wisdom. That love and that wisdom
flow into each and every thing in the universe and affect them at the
deepest level. In us, they flow into our will and intellect; both were cre-
ated as vessels to receive what flows in, the will as a vessel for love and the
intellect as a vessel for wisdom.
From all this three points emerge: that our life finds its home in our
intellect; that that life is only as good as our wisdom; and that that life is
modified by the love in our will.