ctions enters the perceptions and thoughts, and these present
themselves to the internal mental sight, which corresponds to the
external bodily sight. Thus wisdom appears, but not the affection of love
which produces it. It is the same with all a man's deeds; he is aware how
the body does them, but not how the soul does them. So he perceives how
he meditates, perceives and thinks, but not how the soul of these mental
activities, which is an affection of good and truth, produces them.

[2] There are three degrees of wisdom: natural, spiritual, and celestial.
Man is in the natural degree of wisdom during his life in the world. This
degree can be perfected in him to its height, but even so cannot pass
into the spiritual degree, for the latter is not continuous with it, but
conjoined to it by correspondences. After death man is in the spiritual
degree of wisdom. This degree also is such that it can be perfected to
its height, and yet cannot pass into the celestial degree of wisdom,
because neither is this continuous with the spiritual but conjoined to it
by correspondences. Plainly, then, wisdom can be raised threefold, and in
each degree can be perfected but only to its peak.

[3] One who understands the elevation and perfecting of these degrees can
see to an extent why angelic wisdom is said to be ineffable. So
ineffable, indeed, is it, that a thousand ideas in the thought of angels
in their wisdom can present only a single idea in the thought of men in
their wisdom, the other nine hundred and ninety-nine ideas being
unutterable, because they are supernatural. Many a time have I been given
to know this by living experience. But, as was said, no one can enter
into the ineffable wisdom of the angels except by and according to
conjunction with the Lord, for He alone opens spiritual and celestial
degrees, and only in those who are wise from Him. Those are wise from the
Lord who cast the devil, that is, evil, out of themselves.

35. But let no one believe that he has wisdom because he knows many
things, perceives them in some light, and is able to talk intelligently
about them, unless his wisdom is conjoined to love. For it is love that
through its affections produces wisdom. Not conjoined to love, wisdom is
like a meteor vanishing in the air and like a falling star. Wisdom united
to love is like the abiding light of the sun and like a fixed star. A man
has the love of wisdom when he is averse to the diabolical crew, that is,