not how; for the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself, first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear," (Mark iv. 26—28.) By the kingdom of God, in its universal sense, is meant the universal heaven; in a sense less universal, the true church of the Lord; and in a particular sense, every individual having a true faith, or who is regenerated by the life of faith. Wherefore such a person is also called heaven, because heaven is in him; and likewise the kingdom of God, because the kingdom of God is in him; as the Lord himself teaches in Luke; being "demanded of the Pharisees when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them, and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation; neither shall they say, Lo, here! or, Lo, there! for behold, the kingdom of God is within you," (xvii. 20, 21.) This is the third successive period in the regeneration of man, being his state of repentance, proceeding, like the former periods, from shade to light, or from evening to morning, wherefore it is said, (verse 13,) "And the evening and the morning were the third day."
30. Verses 14—17. And God said, Let there be luminaries in the expanse of heaven, to distinguish between the day and the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and for years: and let them be for luminaries in the expanse of heaven, to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great luminaries, the greater luminary to rule by day, and the lesser luminary to rule by night; and the stars:—and God set them in the expanse of the heavens, to give light upon the earth. What is meant by great luminaries cannot be clearly understood, unless it be first known what is the essence of faith, and also what is its progress with those who are created anew. The very essence and life of faith is the Lord alone; for he who does not believe on the Lord cannot have life, as he Himself has declared in John: "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not on the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him," (iii. 36.) The progress of faith with those who are created anew is as follows. At fist they have no life, for it is only in the good and the true that there is life, and none in evil and the false: afterwards they receive life from the Lord by faith, first by faith of the memory, which is scientific faith; next by faith in the understanding, which is intellectual faith; lastly by faith in the heart, which is the faith of love, or saving faith. Scientific and intellectual faith are represented from verse 3—13, by things inanimate, but faith vivified by love is represented from verse 20—25, by animate things; wherefore love, and faith thence derived, which are called luminaries, are now first treated of. Love is the greater luminary which rules by day; faith derived from love is the lesser luminary which rules by night; and as these two luminaries ought to make a one, therefore they are spoken of
