281. I have talked much with angels about innocence, and have been told that innocence is the being (esse) of all good, and that good is therefore good to the extent that it has innocence in it, consequently that wisdom is wisdom to the extent that it partakes of innocence. The same is true of love, charity, and faith.# Therefore, no one can enter heaven unless he has innocence. This is what is meant by the Lord when He says:
Suffer little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of the heavens. Verily I say unto you, Whoever shall not receive the kingdom of the heavens as a little child, he shall not enter into it. Mark x. 14, 15; Luke xviii. 16, 17.
There as elsewhere in the Word by "little children" is meant those who are innocent. A state of innocence is also described by the Lord in Matthew (vi. 25-34), but by correspondences only. Good is good so far as it has innocence in it, for the reason that all good is from the Lord, and innocence is a willingness to be led by the Lord. I have also been told that truth can be conjoined to good and good to truth only by means of innocence. So it is also that an angel is not an angel of heaven unless he has innocence in him; for heaven is not in anyone until truth is conjoined to good in him. Hence the conjunction of truth and good is called the heavenly marriage, and the heavenly marriage is heaven. Again, I have been told that love truly conjugial derives its existence from innocence, because it derives its existence from the conjunction of the good and truth in which are the two minds of husband and wife. This conjunction, when it descends, presents the appearance of conjugial love; for married partners are in mutual love, as their minds are. This is why in conjugial love there is a playfulness like that of childhood and innocence.## # Every good of love and truth of faith, to be good and true, must have innocence in it (n. 2526, 2780, 3111, 3994, 6013, 7840, 9262, 10134). Innocence is the essential of good and truth (n. 2780, 7840). No one is admitted into heaven unless he has something of innocenee (n. 4797). ## Love truly conjugial is innocence (n. 2736). Conjugial love consists in willing what the other wills, thus mutually and reciprocally (n. 2731). They who are in conjugial love dwell together in the inmosts of life (n. 2732). There is a union of the two minds, and thus from love they are a one (n. 10168, 10169). Love truly conjugial derives its origin and essence from the marriage of good and truth (n. 2728, 2729). About angelic spirits who have a perception from the idea of the conjunction of good and truth whether anything of the conjugial exists (n. 10756). Conjugial love is wholly like the conjunction of good and truth (n. 1904, 2173, 2508, 2729, 3103, 3132, 3155, 3179, 3180, 4358, 5807, 5835, 9206, 9207, 9495, 9637). Therefore in the Word "marriage" means the marriage of good and truth, such as there is in heaven and such as there will be in the Church (n. 3132, 4434, 4835).