church and heaven in man
(_homo_) are the truth of faith and the good of life; the truth of faith
constitutes the Lord's presence, and the good of life according to the
truths of faith constitutes conjunction with him, and thereby the church
and heaven. The reason why the truth of faith constitutes the Lord's
presence, is, because it relates to light, spiritual light being nothing
else; and the reason why the good of life constitutes conjunction, is,
because it relates to heat; and spiritual heat is nothing but the good
of life, for it is love; and the good of life originates in love; and it
is well known, that all light, even that of winter, causes presence, and
that heat united to light causes conjunction; for gardens and
shrubberies appear in all degrees of light, but they do not bear flowers
and fruits unless when heat joins itself to light. From these
considerations the conclusion is obvious, that those are not gifted by
the Lord with love truly conjugial, who merely know the truths of the
church, but those who know them and practise their good.

73. VIII. THIS LOVE WAS THE LOVE OF LOVES WITH THE ANCIENTS, WHO LIVED
IN THE GOLDEN, SILVER, AND COPPER AGES. That conjugial love was the love
of loves with the most ancient and the ancient people, who lived in the
ages thus named, cannot be known from historical records, because their
writings are not extant; and there is no account given of them except by
writers in succeeding ages, who mention them, and describe the purity
and integrity of their lives, and also the successive decrease of such
purity and integrity, resembling the debasement of gold to iron: but an
account of the last or iron age, which commenced from the time of those
writers, may in some measure be gathered from the historical records of
the lives of some of their kings, judges, and wise men, who were called
_sophi_ in Greece and other countries. That this age however should not
endure, as iron endures in itself, but that it should be like iron mixed
with clay, which do not cohere, is foretold by Daniel, chap. ii. 43. Now
as the golden, silver, and copper ages passed away before the time when
writing came into use, and thus it is impossible on earth to acquire any
knowledge concerning their marriages, it has pleased the Lord to unfold
to me such knowledge by a spiritual way, by conducting me to the heavens
inhabited by those most ancient people, that I might learn from their
own mouths the nature and q