Angelic Wisdom Concerning the Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom
by Emanuel Swedenborg · English · Gutenberg #16627 · 549,873 chars · public domain (US)
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Title: Angelic Wisdom Concerning the Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom
Author: Emanuel Swedenborg
Translator: John C. Ager
Release date: August 31, 2005 [eBook #16627]
Most recently updated: December 12, 2020
Language: English
Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/16627
Credits: Produced by E-text donated by the Kempton Project, submitted by William Rotella
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING THE DIVINE LOVE AND THE DIVINE WISDOM ***
Produced by E-text donated by the Kempton Project, submitted
by William Rotella
ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING THE DIVINE LOVE AND THE DIVINE WISDOM
BY
EMANUEL SWEDENBORG
Standard Edition
Swedenborg Foundation
Incorporated
New York
--------
Established 1850
First Published in Latin, Amsterdam, 1763
First English translation published in U.S.A., 1794
55th Printing, 1988
ISBN 0-87785-056-9
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 76-46144
Manufactured in the United States of America
TRANSLATOR'S NOTE
The previous translation of this work has been carefully revised. In
this revision the translator has had the valuable assistance of
suggestions by the Rev. L.H. Tafel and others. The new renderings of
_existere_ and _fugere_ are suggestions adopted by the Editorial Committee
and accepted by the translator, but for which he does not wish to be
held solely responsible.
1. PART FIRST.
LOVE IS THE LIFE OF MAN.
Man knows that there is such a thing as love, but he does not know what
love is. He knows that there is such a thing as love from common speech,
as when it is said, he loves me, a king loves his subjects, and subjects
love their king, a husband loves his wife, a mother her children, and
conversely; also, this or that one loves his country, his fellow citizens,
his neighbor; and likewise of things abstracted from person, as when it
is said, one loves this or that thing. But although the word love is so
universally used, hardly anybody knows what love is. And because one is
unable, when he reflects upon it, to form to himself any idea of thought
about it, he says either that it is not anything, or that it is merely
something flowing in from sight, hearing, touch, or interaction with
others, and thus affecting him. He is wholly unaware that love is his
very life; not only the general life of his whole body, and the general
life of all his thoughts, but also the life of all their particulars.
This a man of discernment can perceive when it is said: If you remove
the affection which is from love, can you think anything, or do anything?
Do not thought, speech, and action, grow cold in the measure in which the
affection which is from love grows cold? And do they not grow warm in the
measure in which this affection grows warm? But this a man of discernment
perceives simply by observing that such is the case, and not from any
knowledge that love is the life of man.
2. What the life of man is, no one knows unless he knows that it is love.
If this is not known, one person may believe that man's life is nothing
but perceiving with the senses and acting, and another that it is merely
thinking; and yet thought is the first effect of life, and sensation and
action are the second effect of life. Thought is here said to be the first
effect of life, yet there is thought which is interior and more interior,
also exterior and more exterior. What is actually the first effect of life
is inmost thought, which is the perception of ends. But of all this
hereafter, when the degrees of life are considered.
3. Some idea of love, as being the life of man, may be had from the sun's
heat in the world. This heat is well known to be the common life, as it
were, of all the vegetations of the earth. For by virtue of heat, coming
forth in springtime, plants of every kind rise from the ground, deck
themselves with leaves, then with blossoms, and finally with fruits, and
thus, in a sense, live. But when, in the time of autumn and winter, heat
withdraws, the plants are stripped of these signs of their life, and they
wither. So it is with love in man; for heat and love mutually correspond.
Therefore love also is warm.
4. GOD ALONE, CONSEQUENTLY THE LORD, IS LOVE ITSELF, BECAUSE HE IS LIFE
ITSELF AND ANGELS AND MEN ARE RECIPIENTS OF LIFE.
This will be fully shown in treatises on Divine Providence and on Life;
it is sufficient here to say that the Lord, who is the God of the universe,
is uncreate and infinite, whereas man and angel are created and finite.
And because the Lord is uncreate and infinite, He is Being [Esse] itself,
which is called "Jehovah," and Life itself, or Life in itself. From the
uncreate, the infinite, Being itself and Life itself, no one can be
created immediately, because the Divine is one and indivisible; but their
creation must be out of things created and finited, and so formed that
the Divine can be in them. Because men and angels are such, they are
recipients of life. Consequently, if any man suffers himself to be so
far misled as to think that he is not a recipient of life but is Life,
he cannot be withheld from the thought that he is God. A man's feeling
as if he were life, and therefore believing himself to be so, arises from
fallacy; for the principal cause is not perceived in the instrumental
cause otherwise than as one with it. That the Lord is Life in Himself,
He Himself teaches in John:
As the Father hath life in Himself, so also hath He given to the Son
to have life in Himself (5:26)
He declares also that He is Life itself (John 11:25; 14:6).
Now since life and love are one (as is apparent from what has been said
above, n. 1, 2), it follows that the Lord, because He is Life itself, is
Love itself.
5. But that this may reach the understanding, it must needs be known
positively that the Lord, because He is Love in its very essence, that
is, Divine Love, appears before the angels in heaven as a sun, and that
from that sun heat and light go forth; the heat which goes forth therefrom
being in its essence love, and the light which goes forth therefrom being
in its essence wisdom; and that so far as the angels are recipients of
that spiritual heat and of that spiritual light, they are loves and
wisdoms; not loves and wisdoms from themselves, but from the Lord. That
spiritual heat and that spiritual light not only flow into angels and
affect them, but they also flow into men and affect them just to the
extent that they become recipients; and they become recipients in the
measure of their love to the Lord and love towards the neighbor. That
sun itself, that is, the Divine Love, by its heat and its light, cannot
create any one immediately from itself; for one so created would be Love
in its essence, which Love is the Lord Himself; but it can create from
substances and matters so formed as to be capable of receiving the very
heat and the very light; comparatively as the sun of the world cannot by
its heat and light produce germinations on the earth immediately, but
only out of earthy matters in which it can be present by its heat and
light, and cause vegetation. In the spiritual world the Divine Love of
the Lord appears as a sun, and from it proceed the spiritual heat and
the spiritual light from which the angels derive love and wisdom, as may
be seen in the work on Heaven and Hell (n. 116-140).
6. Since, then, man is not life, but is a recipient of life, it follows
that the conception of a man from his father is not a conception of life,
but only a conception of the first and purest form capable of receiving
life; and to this, as to a nucleus or starting-point in the womb, are
successively added substances and matters in forms adapted to the
reception of life, in their order and degree.
7. THE DIVINE IS NOT IN SPACE.
That the Divine, that is, God, is not in space, although omnipresent and
with every man in the world, and with every angel in heaven, and with
every spirit under heaven, cannot be comprehended by a merely natural
idea, but it can by a spiritual idea. It cannot be comprehended by a
natural idea, because in the natural idea there is space; since it is
formed out of such things as are in the world, and in each and all of
these, as seen by the eye, there is space. In the world, everything great
and small is of space; everything long, broad, and high is of space; in
short, every measure, figure and form is of space. This is why it has
been said that it cannot be comprehended by a merely natural idea that
the Divine is not in space, when it is said that the Divine is everywhere.
Still, by natural thought, a man may comprehend this, if only he admit
into it something of spiritual light. For this reason something shall
first be said about spiritual idea, and thought therefrom. Spiritual idea
derives nothing from space, but it derives its all from state. State is
predicated of love, of life, of wisdom, of affections, of joys therefrom;
in general, of good and of truth. An idea of these things which is truly
spiritual has nothing in common with space; it is higher and looks down
upon the ideas of space which are under it as heaven looks down upon the
earth. But since angels and spirits see with eyes, just as men in the
world do, and since objects cannot be seen except in space, therefore in
the spiritual world where angels and spirits are, there appear to be
spaces like the spaces on earth; yet they are not spaces, but appearances;
since they are not fixed and constant, as spaces are on earth; for they
can be lengthened or shortened; they can be changed or varied. Thus because
they cannot be determined in that world by measure, they cannot be
comprehended there by any natural idea, but only by a spiritual idea. The
spiritual idea of distances of space is the same as of distances of good
or distances of truth, which are affinities and likenesses according to
states of goodness and truth.
8. From this it may be seen that man is unable, by a merely natural idea,
to comprehend that the Divine is everywhere, and yet not in space; but
that angels and spirits comprehend this clearly; consequently that a man
also may, provided he admits into his thought something of spiritual light;
and this for the reason that it is not his body that thinks, but his
spirit, thus not his natural, but his spiritual.
9. But many fail to comprehend this because of their love of the natural,
which makes them unwilling to raise the thoughts of their understanding
above the natural into spiritual light; and those who are unwilling to do
this can think only from space, even concerning God; and to think according
to space concerning God is to think concerning the expanse of nature. This
has to be premised, because without a knowledge and some perception that
the Divine is not in space, nothing can be understood about the Divine
Life, which is Love and Wisdom, of which subjects this volume treats; and
hence little, if anything, about Divine Providence, Omnipresence,
Omniscience, Omnipotence, Infinity and Eternity, which will be treated
of in succession.
10. It has been said that in the spiritual world, just as in the natural
world, there appear to be spaces, consequently also distances, but that
these are appearances according to spiritual affinities which are of love
and wisdom, or of good and truth. From this it is that the Lord, although
everywhere in the heavens with angels, nevertheless appears high above
them as a sun. Furthermore, since reception of love and wisdom causes
affinity with the Lord, those heavens in which the angels are, from
reception, in closer affinity with Him, appear nearer to Him than those
in which the affinity is more remote. From this it is also that the
heavens, of which there are three, are distinct from each other,
likewise the societies of each heaven; and further, that the hells under
them are remote according to their rejection of love and wisdom. The same
is true of men, in whom and with whom the Lord is present throughout the
whole earth; and this solely for the reason that the Lord is not in space.
11. GOD IS VERY MAN.
In all the heavens there is no other idea of God than that He is a Man.
This is because heaven as a whole and in part is in form like a man, and
because it is the Divine which is with the angels that constitutes heaven
and inasmuch as thought proceeds according to the form of heaven, it is
impossible for the angels to think of God in any other way. From this it
is that all those in the world who are conjoined with heaven think of God
in the same way when they think interiorly in themselves, that is, in
their spirit. From this fact that God is a Man, all angels and all spirits,
in their complete form, are men. This results from the form of heaven,
which is like itself in its greatest and in its least parts. That heaven
as a whole and in part is in form like a man may be seen in the work on
Heaven and Hell (n. 59-87); and that thoughts proceed according to the
form of heaven (n. 203, 204). It is known from Genesis (1:26, 27), that
men were created after the image and likeness of God. God also appeared
as a man to Abraham and to others. The ancients, from the wise even to
the simple, thought of God no otherwise than as being a Man; and when at
length they began to worship a plurality of gods, as at Athens and Rome,
they worshiped them all as men. What is here said may be illustrated by
the following extract from a small treatise already published:
The Gentiles, especially the Africans, who acknowledge and worship one
God, the Creator of the universe, have concerning God the idea that He
is a Man, and declare that no one can have any other idea of God. When
they learn that there are many who cherish an idea of God as something
cloud-like in the midst of things, they ask where such persons are; and
on being told that they are among Christians, they declare it to be
impossible. They are informed, however, that this idea arises from the
fact that God in the Word is called "a Spirit," and of a spirit they have
no other idea than of a bit of cloud, not knowing that every spirit and
every angel is a man. An examination, nevertheless, was made, whether the
spiritual idea of such persons was like their natural idea, and it was
found not to be so with those who acknowledge the Lord interiorly as God
of heaven and earth. I heard a certain elder from the Christians say that
no one can have an idea of a Human Divine; and I saw him taken about to
various Gentile nations, and successively to such as were more and more
interior, and from them to their heavens, and finally to the Christian
heaven; and everywhere their interior perception concerning God was
communicated to him, and he observed that they had no other idea of God
than that He is a man, which is the same as the idea of a Human Divine
(C.L.J. n. 74).
12. The common people in Christendom have an idea that God is a Man,
because God in the Athanasian doctrine of the Trinity is called a
"Person." But those who are more learned than the common people pronounce
God to be invisible; and this for the reason that they cannot comprehend
how God, as a Man, could have created heaven and earth, and then fill the
universe with His presence, and many things besides, which cannot enter
the understanding so long as the truth that the Divine is not in space
is ignored. Those, however, who go to the Lord alone think of a Human
Divine, thus of God as a Man.
13. How important it is to have a correct idea of God can be known from
the truth that the idea of God constitutes the inmost of thought with
all who have religion, for all things of religion and all things of
worship look to God. And since God, universally and in particular, is
in all things of religion and of worship, without a proper idea of God
no communication with the heavens is possible. From this it is that in
the spiritual world every nation has its place allotted in accordance
with its idea of God as a Man; for in this idea, and in no other, is the
idea of the Lord. That man's state of life after death is according to
the idea of God in which he has become confirmed, is manifest from the
opposite of this, namely, that the denial of God, and, in the Christian
world, the denial of the Divinity of the Lord, constitutes hell.
14. IN GOD-MAN ESSE AND EXISTERE* ARE ONE DISTINCTLY**
Where there is Esse [being] there is Existere [taking form]; one is not
possible apart from the other. For Esse is by means of Existere, and not
apart from it. This the rational mind comprehends when it thinks whether
there can possibly be any Esse [being] which does not Exist [take form],
and whether there can possibly be Existere except from Esse. And since
one is possible with the other, and not apart from the other, it follows
that they are one, but one distinctly. They are one distinctly, like Love
and Wisdom; in fact, love is Esse, and wisdom is Existere; for there can
be no love except in wisdom, nor can there be any wisdom except from
love; consequently when love is in wisdom, then it EXISTS. These two are
one in such a way that they may be distinguished in thought but not in
operation, and because they may be distinguished in thought though not
in operation, it is said that they are one distinctly.*** Esse and
Existere in God-Man are also one distinctly like soul and body. There
can be no soul apart from its body, nor body apart from its soul. The
Divine soul of God-Man is what is meant by Divine Esse, and the Divine
Body is what is meant by Divine Existere. That a soul can exist apart
from a body, and can think and be wise, is an error springing from
fallacies; for every man's soul is in a spiritual body after it has cast
off the material coverings which it carried about in the world.
* To be and to exist. Swedenborg seems to use this word "exist" nearly
in the classical sense of springing or standing forth, becoming manifest,
taking form. The distinction between esse and existere is essentially the
same as between substance and form.
** For the meaning of this phrase. "distincte unum," see below in this
paragraph, also n. 17, 22, 34, 223, and DP 4.
*** It should be noticed that in Latin, distinctly is the adverb of the
verb distinguish. If translated distinguishably, this would appear.
15. Esse is not Esse unless it Exists, because until then it is not in a
form, and if not in a form it has no quality; and what has no quality is
not anything. That which Exists from Esse, for the reason that it is
from Esse, makes one with it. From this there is a uniting of the two
into one; and from this each is the others mutually and interchangeably,
and each is all in all things of the other as in itself.
16. From this it can be seen that God is a Man, and consequently He is
God-Existing; not existing from Himself but in Himself. He who has
existence in Himself is God from whom all things are.
17. IN GOD-MAN INFINITE THINGS ARE ONE DISTINCTLY.
That God is infinite is well known, for He is called the Infinite; and
He is called the Infinite because He is infinite. He is infinite not from
this alone, that He is very Esse and Existere in itself, but because in
Him there are infinite things. An infinite without infinite things in it,
is infinite in name only. The infinite things in Him cannot be called
infinitely many, nor infinitely all, because of the natural idea of many
and of all; for the natural idea of infinitely many is limited, and the
natural idea of infinitely all, though not limited, is derived from
limited things in the universe. Therefore man, because his ideas are
natural, is unable by any refinement or approximation, to come into a
perception of the infinite things in God; and an angel, while he is
able, because he is in spiritual ideas, to rise by refinement and
approximation above the degree of man, is still unable to attain to
that perception.
18. That in God there are infinite things, any one may convince himself
who believes that God is a Man; for, being a Man, He has a body and every
thing pertaining to it, that is, a face, breast, abdomen, loins and feet;
for without these He would not be a Man. And having these, He also has
eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and tongue; also the parts within man, as the
heart and lungs, and their dependencies, all of which, taken together,
make man to be a man. In a created man these parts are many, and regarded
in their details of structure are numberless; but in God-Man they are
infinite, nothing whatever is lacking, and from this He has infinite
perfection. This comparison holds between the uncreated Man who is God
and created man, because God is a Man; and He Himself says that the man
of this world was created after His image and into His likeness
(Gen. 1:26, 27).
19. That in God there are infinite things, is still more evident to the
angels from the heavens in which they dwell. The whole heaven, consisting
of myriads of myriads of angels, in its universal form is like a man. So
is each society of heaven, be it larger or smaller. From this, too, an
angel is a man, for an angel is a heaven in least form. (This is shown
in the work Heaven and Hell, n. 51-86.) Heaven as a whole, in part, and
in the individual, is in that form by virtue of the Divine which angels
receive; for in the measure in which an angel receives from the Divine
is he in complete form a man. From this it is that angels are said to be
in God, and God in them; also, that God is their all. How many things
there are in heaven cannot be told; and because the Divine is what makes
heaven, and consequently these unspeakably many things are from the
Divine, it is clearly evident that there are infinite things in Very Man,
who is God.
20. From the created universe a like conclusion may be drawn when it is
regarded from uses and their correspondences. But before this can be
understood some preliminary illustrations must be given.
21. Because in God-Man there are infinite things which appear in heaven,
in angel, and in man, as in a mirror; and because God-Man is not in space
(as was shown above, n. 7-10), it can, to some extent, be seen and
comprehended how God can be Omnipresent, Omniscient, and All-providing;
and how, as Man, He could create all things, and as Man can hold the
things created by Himself in their order to eternity.
22. That in God-Man infinite things are one distinctly, can also be seen,
as in a mirror, from man. In man there are many and numberless things, as
said above; but still man feels them all as one. From sensation he knows
nothing of his brains, of his heart and lungs, of his liver, spleen, and
pancreas; or of the numberless things in his eyes, ears, tongue, stomach,
generative organs, and the remaining parts; and because from sensation he
has no knowledge of these things, he is to himself as a one. The reason
is that all these are in such a form that not one can be lacking; for it
is a form recipient of life from God-Man (as was shown above, n. 4-6).
From the order and connection of all things in such a form there comes
the feeling, and from that the idea, as if they were not many and
numberless, but were one. From this it may be concluded that the many
and numberless things which make in man a seeming one, a Very Man who
is God, are one distinctly, yea, most distinctly.
23. THERE IS ONE GOD-MAN, FROM WHOM ALL THINGS COME.
All things of human wisdom unite, and as it were center in this, that
there is one God, the Creator of the universe: consequently a man who
has reason, from the general nature of his understanding, does not and
cannot think otherwise. Say to any man of sound reason that there are
two Creators of the universe, and you will be sensible of his repugnance,
and this, perhaps, from the mere sound of the phrase in his ear; from
which it appears that all things of human reason unite and center in
this, that God is one. There are two reasons for this. First, the very
capacity to think rationally, viewed in itself, is not man's, but is
God's in man; upon this capacity human reason in its general nature
depends, and this general nature of reason causes man to see as from
himself that God is one. Secondly, by means of that capacity man either
is in the light of heaven, or he derives the generals of his thought
therefrom; and it is a universal of the light of heaven that God is one.
It is otherwise when man by that capacity has perverted the lower parts
of his understanding; such a man indeed is endowed with that capacity,
but by the twist given to these lower parts, he turns it contrariwise,
and thereby his reason becomes unsound.
24. Every man, even if unconsciously, thinks of a body of men as of one
man; therefore he instantly perceives what is meant when it is said that
a king is the head, and the subjects are the body, also that this or
that person has such a place in the general body, that is, in the kingdom.
As it is with the body politic, so is it with the body spiritual. The
body spiritual is the church; its head is God-Man; and from this it is
plain how the church thus viewed as a man would appear if instead of one
God, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, several were thought of.
The church thus viewed would appear as one body with several heads; thus
not as a man, but as a monster. If it be said that these heads have one
essence, and that thus together they make one head, the only conception
possible is either that of one head with several faces or of several
heads with one face; thus making the church, viewed as a whole, appear
deformed. But in truth, the one God is the head, and the church is the
body, which acts under the command of the head, and not from itself; as
is also the case in man; and from this it is that there can be only one
king in a kingdom, for several kings would rend it asunder, but one is
able to preserve its unity.
25. So would it be with the church scattered throughout the whole globe,
which is called a communion, because it is as one body under one head.
It is known that the head rules the body under it at will; for
understanding and will have their seat in the head; and in conformity
to the understanding and will the body is directed, even to the extent
that the body is nothing but obedience. As the body can do nothing except
from the understanding and will in the head, so the man of the church can
do nothing except from God. The body seems to act of itself, as if the
hands and feet in acting are moved of themselves; or the mouth and tongue
in speaking vibrate of themselves, when, in fact, they do not in the
slightest degree act of themselves, but only from an affection of the
will and the consequent thought of the understanding in the head.
Suppose, now, one body to have several heads and each head to be free
to act from its own understanding and its own will, could such a body
continue to exist? For among several heads singleness of purpose, such
as results from one head would be impossible. As in the church, so in
the heavens; heaven consists of myriads of myriads of angels, and unless
these all and each looked to one God, they would fall away from one
another and heaven would be broken up. Consequently, if an angel of
heaven but thinks of a plurality of gods he is at once separated; for
he is cast out into the outmost boundary of the heavens, and sinks
downward.
26. Because the whole heaven and all things of heaven have relation to
one God, angelic speech is such that by a certain unison flowing from
the unison of heaven it closes in a single cadence - a proof that it
is impossible for the angels to think otherwise than of one God; for
speech is from thought.
27. Who that has sound reason can help seeing that the Divine is not
divisible? also that a plurality of Infinites, of Uncreates, of
Omnipotents, and of Gods, is impossible? Suppose one destitute of reason
were to declare that a plurality of Infinites, of Uncreates, of
Omnipotents, and of Gods is possible, if only they have one identical
essence, and this would make of them one Infinite, Uncreate, Omnipotent,
and God, would not the one identical essence be one identity? And one
identity is not possible to several. If it should be said that one is
from the other, the one who is from the other is not God in Himself;
nevertheless, God in Himself is the God from whom all things are (see
above, n. 16).
28. THE DIVINE ESSENCE ITSELF IS LOVE AND WISDOM
Sum up all things you know and submit them to careful inspection, and in
some elevation of spirit search for the universal of all things, and you
cannot conclude otherwise than that it is Love and Wisdom. For these are
the two essentials of all things of man's life; everything of that life,
civil, moral, and spiritual, hinges upon these two, and apart from these
two is nothing. It is the same with all things of the life of the
composite Man, which is, as was said above, a society, larger or smaller,
a kingdom, an empire, a church, and also the angelic heaven. Take away
love and wisdom from these, and consider whether they be anything, and
you will find that apart from love and wisdom as their origin they are
nothing.
29. Love together with wisdom in its very essence is in God. This no one
can deny; for God loves every one from love in Himself, and leads every
one from wisdom in Himself. The created universe, too, viewed in relation
to its order, is so full of wisdom coming forth from love that all things
in the aggregate may be said to be wisdom itself. For things limitless
are in such order, successively and simultaneously, that taken together
they make a one. It is from this, and this alone, that they can be held
together and continually preserved.
30. It is because the Divine Essence itself is Love and Wisdom that man
has two capacities for life; from one of these he has understanding, from
the other will. The capacity from which he has understanding derives
everything it has from the influx of wisdom from God, and the capacity
from which he has will derives everything it has from the influx of love
from God. Man's not being truly wise and not loving rightly does not
take away these capacities, but merely closes them up; and so long as
they are closed up, although the understanding is still called
understanding and the will is called will, they are not such in essence.
If these two capacities, therefore, were to be taken away, all that is
human would perish; for the human is to think and to speak from thought,
and to will and to act from will. From this it is clear that the Divine
has its seat in man in these two capacities, the capacity to be wise and
the capacity to love (that is, that one may be wise and may love). That
in man there is a possibility of loving [and of being wise], even when
he is not wise as he might be and does not love as he might, has been
made known to me from much experience, and will be abundantly shown
elsewhere.
31. It is because the Divine Essence itself is Love and Wisdom, that all
things in the universe have relation to good and truth; for everything
that proceeds from love is called good, and everything that proceeds
from wisdom is called truth. But of this more hereafter.
32. It is because the Divine Essence itself is Love and Wisdom, that the
universe and all things in it, alive and not alive, have unceasing
existence from heat and light; for heat corresponds to love, and light
corresponds to wisdom; and therefore spiritual heat is love and spiritual
light is wisdom. But of this, also, more hereafter.
33. From Divine Love and from Divine Wisdom, which make the very Essence
that is God, all affections and thoughts with man have their
rise-affections from Divine Love, and thoughts from Divine Wisdom; and
each and all things of man are nothing but affection and thought; these
two are like fountains of all things of man's life. All the enjoyments
and pleasantnesses of his life are from these-enjoyments from the
affection of his love, and pleasantnesses from the thought therefrom.
Now since man was created to be a recipient, and is a recipient in the
degree in which he loves God and from love to God is wise, in other
words, in the degree in which he is affected by those things which are
from God and thinks from that affection, it follows that the Divine
Essence, which is the Creator, is Divine Love and Divine Wisdom.
34. DIVINE LOVE IS OF DIVINE WISDOM, AND DIVINE WISDOM IS OF DIVINE LOVE.
In God-Man Divine Esse [Being] and Divine Existere [Taking Form] are one
distinctly (as may be seen above, n. 14-16). And because Divine Esse is
Divine Love, and Divine Existere is Divine Wisdom, these are likewise
one distinctly. They are said to be one distinctly, because love and
wisdom are two distinct things, yet so united that love is of wisdom,
and wisdom is of love, for in wisdom love is, and in love wisdom Exists;
and since wisdom derives its Existere from love (as was said above, n. 15),
therefore Divine Wisdom also is Esse. From this it follows that love and
wisdom taken together are the Divine Esse, but taken distinctly love is
called Divine Esse, and wisdom Divine Existere. Such is the angelic idea
of Divine Love and of Divine Wisdom.
35. Since there is such a union of love and wisdom and of wisdom and love
in God-Man, there is one Divine Essence. For the Divine Essence is Divine
Love because it is of Divine Wisdom and is Divine Wisdom, because it is
of Divine Love. And since there is such a union of these, the Divine
Life also is one. Life is the Divine essence. Divine Love and Divine
Wisdom are a one because the union is reciprocal, and reciprocal union
causes oneness. Of reciprocal union, however, more will be said elsewhere.
36. There is also a union of love and wisdom in every Divine work; from
which it has perpetuity, yea, its everlasting duration. If there were more
of Divine Love than of Divine Wisdom, or more of Divine Wisdom than of
Divine Love, in any created work, it could have continued existence only
in the measure in which the two were equally in it, anything in excess
passing off.
37. The Divine Providence in the reforming, regenerating and saving of
men, partakes equally of Divine Love and of Divine Wisdom. From more of
Divine Love than of Divine Wisdom or from more of Divine Wisdom than of
Divine Love, man cannot be reformed, regenerated and saved. Divine Love
wills to save all, but it cam save only by means of Divine Wisdom; to
Divine Wisdom belong all the laws through which salvation is effected;
and these laws Love cannot transcend, because Divine Love and Divine
Wisdom are one and act in unison.
38. In the Word, Divine Love and Divine Wisdom are meant by "righteousness"
and "judgment," Divine Love by "righteousness," and Divine Wisdom by
"judgment;" for this reason "righteousness" and "judgment" are predicated
in the Word of God; as in David:
Righteousness and judgment are the support of Thy Throne (Ps. 89:14).
Jehovah shall bring forth righteousness as the light, and judgment as
the noonday (Ps. 37:6).
In Hosea:
I will betroth thee unto Me for ever, in righteousness, and in
judgment (2:18).
In Jeremiah:
I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, who shall reign as King
and shall execute judgment and righteousness in the earth (23:5).
In Isaiah:
He shall sit upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to
establish it in judgment and in righteousness (9:7).
Jehovah shall be exalted, because He hath filled the earth with
judgment and righteousness (33:5).
In David:
When I shall have learned the judgments of Thy righteousness. Seven
times a day do I praise Thee, because of the judgments of Thy
righteousness (Ps. 119:7, 164).
The same is meant by "life" and "light" in John:
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men (1:4).
By "life" in this passage is meant the Lord's Divine Love, and by "light"
His Divine Wisdom. The same also is meant by "life" and "spirit" in John:
Jesus said, The words which I speak unto you, they are spirit, and
they are life (6:63).
39. In man love and wisdom appear as two separate things, yet in themselves
they are one distinctly, because with man wisdom is such as the love is,
and love is such as the wisdom is. The wisdom that does not make one with
its love appears to be wisdom, but it is not; and the love that does not
make one with its wisdom appears to be the love of wisdom, but it is not;
for the one must derive its essence and its life reciprocally from the
other. With man love and wisdom appear as two separate things, because
with him the capacity for understanding may be elevated into the light
of heaven, but not the capacity for loving, except so far as he acts
according to his understanding. Any apparent wisdom, therefore, which
does not make one with the love of wisdom, sinks back into the love which
does make one with it; and this may be a love of unwisdom, yea, of
insanity. Thus a man may know from wisdom that he ought to do this or
that, and yet he does not do it, because he does not love it. But so far
as a man does from love what wisdom teaches, he is an image of God.
40. DIVINE LOVE AND DIVINE WISDOM ARE SUBSTANCE AND ARE FORM.
The idea of men in general about love and about wisdom is that they are
like something hovering and floating in thin air or ether or like what
exhales from something of this kind. Scarcely any one believes that they
are really and actually substance and form. Even those who recognize that
they are substance and form still think of the love and the wisdom as
outside the subject and as issuing from it. For they call substance and
form that which they think of as outside the subject and as issuing from
it, even though it be something hovering and floating; not knowing that
love and wisdom are the subject itself, and that what is perceived outside
of it and as hovering and floating is nothing but an appearance of the
state of the subject in itself. There are several reasons why this has
not hitherto been seen, one of which is, that appearances are the first
things out of which the human mind forms its understanding, and these
appearances the mind can shake off only by the exploration of the cause;
and if the cause lies deeply hidden, the mind can explore it only by
keeping the understanding for a long time in spiritual light; and this
it cannot do by reason of the natural light which continually withdraws
it. The truth is, however, that love and wisdom are the real and actual
substance and form that constitute the subject itself.
41. But as this is contrary to appearance, it may seem not to merit belief
unless it be proved; and since it can be proved only by such things as
man can apprehend by his bodily senses, by these it shall be proved. Man
has five external senses, called touch, taste, smell, hearing and sight.
The subject of touch is the skin by which man is enveloped, the very
substance and form of the skin causing it to feel whatever is applied to
it. The sense of touch is not in the things applied, but in the substance
and form of the skin, which are the subject; the sense itself is nothing
but an affecting of the subject by the things applied. It is the same
with taste; this sense is only an affecting of the substance and form of
the tongue; the tongue is the subject. It is the same with smell; it is
well known that odor affects the nostrils, and that it is in the nostrils,
and that the nostrils are affected by the odoriferous particles touching
them. It is the same with hearing, which seems to be in the place where
the sound originates; but the hearing is in the ear, and is an affecting
of its substance and form; that the hearing is at a distance from the ear
is an appearance. It is the same with sight. When a man sees objects at a
distance, the seeing appears to be there; yet the seeing is in the eye,
which is the subject, and is likewise an affecting of the subject.
Distance is solely from the judgment concluding about space from things
intermediate, or from the diminution and consequent indistinctness of
the object, an image of which is produced interiorly in the eye according
to the angle of incidence. From this it is evident that sight does not
go out from the eye to the object, but that the image of the object enters
the eye and affects its substance and form. Thus it is just the same
with sight as with hearing; hearing does not go out from the ear to catch
the sound, but the sound enters the ear and affects it. From all this it
can be seen that the affecting of the substance and form which causes
sense is not a something separate from the subject, but only causes a
change in it, the subject remaining the subject then as before and
afterwards. From this it follows that seeing, hearing, smell, taste,
and touch, are not a something volatile flowing from their organs, but
are the organs themselves, considered in their substance and form, and
that when the organs are affected sense is produced.
42. It is the same with love and wisdom, with this difference only, that
the substances and forms which are love and wisdom are not obvious to the
eyes as the organs of the external senses are. Nevertheless, no one can
deny that those things of wisdom and love, which are called thoughts,
perceptions, and affections, are substances and forms, and not entities
flying and flowing out of nothing, or abstracted from real and actual
substance and form, which are subjects. For in the brain are substances
and forms innumerable, in which every interior sense which pertains to
the understanding and will has its seat. The affections, perceptions,
and thoughts there are not exhalations from these substances, but are
all actually and really subjects emitting nothing from themselves, but
merely undergoing changes according to whatever flows against and affects
them. This may be seen from what has been said above about the external
senses. Of what thus flows against and affects more will be said below.
43. From all this it may now first be seen that Divine Love and Divine
Wisdom in themselves are substance and form; for they are very Esse and
Existere; and unless they were such Esse and Existere as they are substance
and form, they would be a mere thing of reasoning, which in itself is nothing.
44. DIVINE LOVE AND DIVINE WISDOM ARE SUBSTANCE AND FORM IN ITSELF, THUS
THE VERY AND THE ONLY.
That Divine Love and Divine Wisdom are substance and form has been proved
just above; and that Divine Esse [Being] and Existere [Taking Form] are
Esse and Existere in itself, has also been said above. It cannot be said
to be Esse and Existere from itself, because this involves a beginning,
and a beginning from something within in which would be Esse and Existere
in itself. But Very Esse and Existere in itself is from eternity. Very
Esse and Existere in itself is also uncreated, and everything created
must needs be from an Uncreate. What is created is also finite, and the
finite can exist only from the Infinite.
45. He who by exercise of thought is able to grasp the idea of and to
comprehend, Esse and Existere in itself, can certainly perceive and
comprehend that it is the Very and the Only. That is called the Very
which alone is; and that is called the Only from which every thing else
proceeds. Now because the Very and the Only is substance and form, it
follows that it is the very and only substance and form. Because this
very substance and form is Divine Love and Divine Wisdom, it follows
that it is the very and only Love, and the very and only Wisdom;
consequently, that it is the very and only Essence, as well as the
very and only Life: for Life is Love and Wisdom.
46. From all this it can be seen how sensually (that is, how much from
the bodily senses and their blindness in spiritual matters) do those
think who maintain that nature is from herself. They think from the
eye, and are not able to think from the understanding. Thought from the
eye closes the understanding, but thought from the understanding opens
the eye. Such persons cannot think at all of Esse and Existere in itself,
and that it is Eternal, Uncreate, and Infinite; neither can they think
at all of life, except as a something fleeting and vanishing into
nothingness; nor can they think otherwise of Love and Wisdom, nor at
all that from these are all things of nature. Neither can it be seen
that from these are all things of nature, unless nature is regarded,
not from some of its forms, which are merely objects of sight, but from
uses in their succession and order. For uses are from life alone, and
their succession and order are from wisdom and love alone; while forms
are only containants of uses. Consequently, if forms alone are regarded,
nothing of life, still less anything of love and wisdom, thus nothing
of God, can be seen in nature.
47. DIVINE LOVE AND DIVINE WISDOM MUST NECESSARILY HAVE BEING [Esse]
AND HAVE FORM [Existere] IN OTHERS CREATED BY ITSELF.
It is the essential of love not to love self, but to love others, and
to be conjoined with others by love. It is the essential of love,
moreover, to be loved by others, for thus conjunction is effected. The
essence of all love consists in conjunction; this, in fact, is its life,
which is called enjoyment, pleasantness, delight, sweetness, bliss,
happiness, and felicity. Love consists in this, that its own should be
another's; to feel the joy of another as joy in oneself, that is loving.
But to feel one's own joy in another and not the other's joy in oneself
is not loving; for this is loving self, while the former is loving the
neighbor. These two kinds of love are diametrically opposed to each
other. Either, it is true, conjoins; and to love one's own, that is,
oneself, in another does not seem to divide; but it does so effectually
divide that so far as any one has loved another in this manner, so far
he afterwards hates him. For such conjunction is by its own action
gradually loosened, and then, in like measure, love is turned to hate.
48. Who that is capable of discerning the essential character of love
cannot see this? For what is it to love self alone, instead of loving
some one outside of self by whom one may be loved in return? Is not this
separation rather than conjunction? Conjunction of love is by
reciprocation; and there can be no reciprocation in self alone. If there
is thought to be, it is from an imagined reciprocation in others. From
this it is clear that Divine Love must necessarily have being (esse) and
have form (existere) in others whom it may love, and by whom it may be
loved. For as there is such a need in all love, it must be to the fullest
extent, that is, infinitely in Love Itself.
49. With respect to God: it is impossible for Him to love others and to
be loved reciprocally by others in whom there is anything of infinity,
that is, anything of the essence and life of love in itself, or anything
of the Divine. For if there were beings having in them anything of
infinity, that is, of the essence and life of love in itself, that is,
of the Divine, it would not be God loved by others, but God loving
Himself; since the Infinite, that is, the Divine, is one only, and if
this were in others, Itself would be in them, and would be the love of
self Itself; and of that love not the least trace can possibly be in
God, since it is wholly opposed to the Divine Essence. Consequently, for
this relation to be possible there must be others in whom there is
nothing of the Divine in itself. That it is possible in beings created
from the Divine will be seen below. But that it may be possible, there
must be Infinite Wisdom making one with Infinite Love; that is, there
must be the Divine Love of Divine Wisdom, and the Divine Wisdom of Divine
Love (concerning which see above, n. 35-39)
50. Upon a perception and knowledge of this mystery depend a perception
and knowledge of all things of existence, that is, creation; also of all
things of continued existence, that is, preservation by God; in other
words, of all the works of God in the created universe; of which the
following pages treat.
51. But do not, I entreat you, confuse your ideas with time and with
space, for so far as time and space enter into your ideas when you read
what follows, you will not understand it; for the Divine is not in time
and space. This will be seen clearly in the progress of this work, and
in particular from what is said of eternity, infinity, and omnipresence.
52. ALL THINGS IN THE UNIVERSE WERE CREATED FROM THE DIVINE LOVE AND THE
DIVINE WISDOM OF GOD-MAN.
So full of Divine Love and Divine Wisdom is the universe in greatest and
least, and in first and last things, that it may be said to be Divine
Love and Divine Wisdom in an image. That this is so is clearly evident
from the correspondence of all things of the universe with all things of
man. There is such correspondence of each and every thing that takes
form in the created universe with each and every thing of man, that man
may be said to be a sort of universe. There is a correspondence of his
affections, and thence of his thoughts, with all things of the animal
kingdom; of his will, and thence of his understanding, with all things
of the vegetable kingdom; and of his outmost life with all things of
the mineral kingdom. That there is such a correspondence is not apparent
to any one in the natural world, but it is apparent to every one who
gives heed to it in the spiritual world. In that world there are all
things that take form in the natural world in its three kingdoms, and
they are correspondences of affections and thoughts, that is, of
affections from the will and of thoughts from the understanding, also
of the outmost things of the life, of those who are in that world, around
whom all these things are Visible, presenting an appearance like that of
the created universe, with the difference that it is in lesser form. From
this it is very evident to angels, that the created universe is an image
representative of God-Man, and that it is His Love and Wisdom which are
presented, in an image, in the universe. Not that the created universe
is God-Man, but that it is from Him; for nothing whatever in the created
universe is substance and form in itself, or life in itself, or love and
wisdom in itself, yea, neither is man a man in himself, but all is from
God, who is Man, Wisdom and Love, also Form and Substance, in itself.
That which has Being-in-itself is uncreate and infinite; but whatever
is from Very Being, since it contains in it nothing of Being-in-itself,
is created and finite, and this exhibits an image of Him from whom it
has being and has form.
53. Of things created and finite Esse [Being] and Existere [Taking Form]
can be predicated, likewise substance and form, also life, and even love
and wisdom; but these are all created and finite. This can be said of
things created and finite, not because they possess anything Divine, but
because they are in the Divine, and the Divine is in them. For everything
that has been created is, in itself, inanimate and dead, but all things
are animated and made alive by this, that the Divine is in them, and that
they are in the Divine.
54. The Divine is not in one subject differently from what it is in
another, but one created subject differs from another; for no two things
can be precisely alike, consequently each thing is a different containant.
On this account, the Divine as imaged forth presents a variety of
appearances. Its presence in opposites will be discussed hereafter.
55. ALL THINGS IN THE CREATED UNIVERSE ARE RECIPIENTS OF THE DIVINE LOVE
AND THE DIVINE WISDOM OF GOD-MAN.
It is well known that each and all things of the universe were created
by God; hence the universe, with each and every thing pertaining to it,
is called in the Word the work of the hands of Jehovah. There are those
who maintain that the world, with everything it includes, was created
out of nothing, and of that nothing an idea of absolute nothingness is
entertained. From absolute nothingness, however, nothing is or can be
made. This is an established truth. The universe, therefore, which is
God's image, and consequently full of God, could be created only in
God from God; for God is Esse itself, and from Esse must be whatever
is. To create what is, from nothing which is not, is an utter
contradiction. But still, that which is created in God from God is not
continuous from Him; for God is Esse in itself, and in created things
there is not any Esse in itself. If there were in created things any
Esse in itself, this would be continuous from God, and that which is
continuous from God is God. The angelic idea of this is, that what is
created in God from God, is like that in man which has been derived from
his life, but from which the life has been withdrawn, which is of such a
nature as to be in accord with his life, and yet it is not his life. The
angels confirm this by many things which have existence in their heaven,
where they say they are in God, and God is in them, and still that they
have, in their esse, nothing of God which is God. Many things whereby
they prove this will be presented hereafter; let this serve for present
information.
56. Every created thing, by virtue of this origin, is such in its nature
as to be a recipient of God, not by continuity, but by contiguity. By
the latter and not the former comes its capacity for conjunction. For
having been created in God from God, it is adapted to conjunction; and
because it has been so created, it is an analogue, and through such
conjunction it is like an image of God in a mirror.
57. From this it is that angels are angels, not from themselves, but by
virtue of this conjunction with God-Man; and this conjunction is according
to the reception of Divine Good and Divine Truth, which are God, and which
seem to proceed from Him, though really they are in Him. This reception
is according to their application to themselves of the laws of order,
which are Divine truths, in the exercise of that freedom of thinking and
willing according to reason, which they possess from the Lord as if it
were their own. By this they have a reception, as if from themselves, of
Divine Good and of Divine Truth, and by this there is a reciprocation of
love; for, as was said above, love is impossible unless it is reciprocal.
The same is true of men on the earth. From what has been said it can now
first be seen that all things of the created universe are recipients of
the Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom of God-Man.
58. It cannot yet be intelligibly explained how all other things of the
universe which are unlike angels and men, that is, the things below man
in the animal kingdom, and the things below these in the vegetable
kingdom, and the things still below these in the mineral kingdom, are
also recipients of the Divine Love and of the Divine Wisdom of God-Man;
for many things need to be said first about degrees of life, and degrees
of the recipients of life. Conjunction with these things is according to
their uses; for no good use has any other origin than through a like
conjunction with God, but yet different according to degrees. This
conjunction in its descent becomes successively such that nothing of
freedom is left therein, because nothing of reason, and therefore nothing
of the appearance of life; but still they are recipients. Because they
are recipients, they are also re-agents; and forasmuch as they are
re-agents, they are containants. Conjunction with uses which are not good
will be discussed when the origin of evil has been made known.
59. From the above it can be seen that the Divine is in each and every
thing of the created universe, and consequently that the created universe
is the work of the hands of Jehovah, as is said in the Word; that is, the
work of Divine Love and Divine Wisdom, for these are meant by the hands
of Jehovah. But though the Divine is in each and all things of the
created universe there is in their esse nothing of the Divine in itself;
for the created universe is not God, but is from God; and since it is
from God, there is in it an image of Him like the image of a man in a
mirror, wherein indeed the man appears, but still there is nothing of
the man in it.
60. I heard several about me in the spiritual world talking together,
who said that they were quite willing to acknowledge that the Divine is
in each and every thing of the universe, because they behold therein the
wonderful works of God, and these are the more wonderful the more
interiorly they are examined. And yet, when they were told that the Divine
is actually in each and every thing of the universe, they were displeased;
which is a proof that although they assert this they do not believe it.
They were therefore asked whether this cannot be seen simply from the
marvelous power which is in every seed, of producing its own vegetable
form in like order, even to new seeds; also because in every seed an
idea of the infinite and eternal is presented; since there is in seeds
an endeavor to multiply themselves and to fructify infinitely and
eternally? Is not this evident also in every living creature, even the
smallest? In that there are in it organs of sense, also brains, a heart,
lungs, and other parts; with arteries, veins, fibers, muscles, and the
activities proceeding therefrom; besides the surpassing marvels of animal
nature, about which whole volumes have been written. All these wonderful
things are from God; but the forms with which they are clothed are from
earthy matters, out of which come plants, and in their order, men.
Therefore it is said of man,
That he was created out of the ground, and that he is dust of the
earth, and that the breath of lives was breathed into him
(Genesis 2:7).
From which it is plain that the Divine is not man's own, but is adjoined
to him.
61. ALL CREATED THINGS HAVE RELATION IN A KIND OF IMAGE TO MAN.
This can be seen from each and all things of the animal kingdom, from
each and all things of the vegetable kingdom, and from each and all things
of the mineral kingdom.
A relation to man in each and all things of the animal kingdom is evident
from the following. Animals of every kind have limbs by which they move,
organs by which they feel, and viscera by which these are exercised;
these they have in common with man. They have also appetites and
affections similar to man's natural appetites and affections; and they
have inborn knowledges corresponding to their affections, in some of
which there appears a resemblance to what is spiritual, which is more
or less evident in beasts of the earth, and birds of the air, and in
bees, silk-worms, ants, etc. From this it is that merely natural men
consider the living creatures of this kingdom to be like themselves,
except in the matter of speech.
A relation to man arising out of each and all things of the vegetable
kingdom is evident from this: they spring forth from seed, and thereafter
proceed step by step through their periods of growth; they have something
akin to marriage, followed by prolification; their vegetative soul is use,
and they are forms thereof; besides many other particulars which have
relation to man. These also have been described by various authors.
A relation to man deducible from each and every thing of the mineral
kingdom is seen only in an endeavor to produce forms which exhibit such
a relation (which forms, as said above, are each and all things of the
vegetable kingdom), and in an endeavor to perform uses thereby. For when
first a seed falls into the bosom of the earth, she cherishes it, and
out of herself provides it with nourishment from every source, that it
may shoot up and present itself in a form representative of man. That
such an endeavor exists also in its solid parts is evident from corals
at the bottom of the seas and from flowers in mines, where they originate
from minerals, also from metals. This endeavor towards vegetating, and
performing uses thereby, is the outmost derivation from the Divine in
created things.
62. As there is an endeavor of the minerals of the earth towards
vegetation, so there is an endeavor of the plants towards vivification:
this accounts for insects of various kinds corresponding to the odors
emanating from plants. This does not arise from the heat of this world's
sun, but from life operating through that heat according to the state
of its recipients (as will be seen in what follows).
63. That there is a relation of all things of the created universe to
man may be known from the foregoing statements, yet it can be seen only
obscurely; whereas in the spiritual world this is seen clearly. In that
world, also, there are all things of the three kingdoms, and in the midst
of them the angel; he sees them about him, and also knows that they are
representations of himself; yea, when the inmost of his understanding
is opened he recognizes himself in them, and sees his image in them,
hardly otherwise than as in a mirror.
64. From these and from many other concurring facts which there is not
time to adduce now, it may be known with certainty that God is a Man;
and that the created universe is an image of Him; for there is a general
relation of all things to Him, as well as a particular relation of all
things to man.
65. THE USES OF ALL CREATED THINGS ASCEND BY DEGREES FROM LAST THINGS TO
MAN, AND THROUGH MAN TO GOD THE CREATOR, FROM WHOM THEY ARE.
Last things, as was said above, are each and all things of the mineral
kingdom, which are materials of various kinds, of a stony, saline, oily,
mineral, or metallic nature, covered over with soil formed of vegetable
and animal matters reduced to the finest dust. In these lie concealed
both the end and the beginning of all uses which are from life. The end
of all uses is the endeavor to produce uses, and the beginning is the
acting force from that endeavor. These pertain to the mineral kingdom.
Middle things are each and all things of the vegetable kingdom, such as
grasses and herbs of every kind, plants and shrubs of every kind, and
trees of every kind. The uses of these are for the service of each and
all things of the animal kingdom, both imperfect and perfect. These they
nourish, delight, and vivify; nourishing the bellies of animals with
their vegetable substances, delighting the animal senses with taste,
fragrance, and beauty, and vivifying their affections. The endeavor
towards this is in these also from life. First things are each and all
things of the animal kingdom. Those are lowest therein which are called
worms and insects, the middle are birds and beasts, and the highest,
men; for in each kingdom there are lowest, middle and highest things,
the lowest for the use of the middle, and the middle for the use of the
highest. Thus the uses of all created things ascend in order from outmost
things to man, who is first in order.
66. In the natural world there are three degrees of ascent, and in the
spiritual world there are three degrees of ascent. All animals are
recipients of life. The more perfect are recipients of the life and the
three degrees of the natural world, the less perfect of the life of two
degrees of that world, and the imperfect of one of its degrees. But man
alone is a recipient of the life both of the three degrees of the natural
world and of the three degrees of the spiritual world. From this it is
that man can be elevated above nature, while the animal cannot. Man can
think analytically and rationally of the civil and moral things that are
within nature, also of the spiritual and celestial things that are above
nature, yea, he can be so elevated into wisdom as even to see God. But
the six degrees by which the uses of all created things ascend in their
order even to God the Creator, will be treated of in their proper place.
From this summary, however, it can be seen that there is an ascent of
all created things to the first, who alone is Life, and that the uses
of all things are the very recipients of life; and from this are the
forms of uses.
67. It shall also be stated briefly how man ascends, that is, is elevated,
from the lowest degree to the first. He is born into the lowest degree
of the natural world; then, by means of knowledges, he is elevated into
the second degree; and as he perfects his understanding by knowledges
he is elevated into the third degree, and then becomes rational. The
three degrees of ascent in the spiritual world are in man above the three
natural degrees, and do not appear until he has put off the earthly body.
When this takes place the first spiritual degree is open to him,
afterwards the second, and finally the third; but this only with those
who become angels of the third heaven; these are they that see God. Those
become angels of the second heaven and of the last heaven in whom the
second degree and the last degree can be opened. Each spiritual degree
in man is opened according to his reception of Divine Love and Divine
Wisdom from the Lord. Those who receive something thereof come into the
first or lowest spiritual degree those who receive more into the second
or middle spiritual degree, those who receive much into the third or
highest degree. But those who receive nothing thereof remain in the
natural degrees, and derive from the spiritual degrees nothing more than
an ability to think and thence to speak, and to will and thence to act,
but not with intelligence.
68. Of the elevation of the interiors of man, which belong to his mind,
this also should be known. In everything created by God there is reaction.
In Life alone there is action; reaction is caused by the action of Life.
Because reaction takes place when any created thing is acted upon, it
appears as if it belonged to what is created. Thus in man it appears as
if the reaction were his, because he has no other feeling than that life
is his, when yet man is only a recipient of life. From this cause it is
that man, by reason of his hereditary evil, reacts against God. But so
far as man believes that all his life is from God, and that all good of
life is from the action of God, and all evil of life from the reaction
of man, so far his reaction comes to be from [God's] action, and man
acts with God as if from himself. The equilibrium of all things is from
action and simultaneous reaction, and in equilibrium everything must be.
These things have been said lest man should believe that he himself
ascends toward God from himself, and not from the Lord.
69. THE DIVINE, APART FROM SPACE, FILLS ALL SPACES OF THE UNIVERSE.
There are two things proper to nature - space and time. From these man
in the natural world forms the ideas of his thought, and thereby his
understanding. If he remains in these ideas, and does not raise his mind
above them, he is in no wise able to perceive things spiritual and Divine,
for these he involves in ideas drawn from space and time; and so far as
that is done the light [lumen] of his understanding becomes merely
natural. To think from this lumen in reasoning about spiritual and
Divine things, is like thinking from the thick darkness of night about
those things that appear only in the light of day. From this comes
naturalism. But he who knows how to raise his mind above ideas of thought
drawn from space and time, passes from thick darkness into light, and has
discernment in things spiritual and Divine, and finally sees the things
which are in and from what is spiritual and Divine; and then from that
light he dispels the thick darkness of the natural lumen, and banishes
its fallacies from the middle to the sides. Every man who has
understanding is able to transcend in thought these properties of nature,
and actually does so; and he then affirms and sees that the Divine,
because omnipresent, is not in space. He is also able to affirm and to
see the things that have been adduced above. But if he denies the Divine
Omnipresence, and ascribes all things to nature, then he has no wish to
be elevated, though he can be.
70. All who die and become angels put off the two above- mentioned
properties of nature, namely, space and time; for they then enter into
spiritual light, in which objects of thought are truths, and objects of
sight are like those in the natural world, but are correspondent to their
thoughts. The objects of their thought which, as just said, are truths,
derive nothing at all from space and time; and though the objects of
their sight appear as if in space and in time, still the angels do not
think from space and time. The reason is, that spaces and times there
are not fixed, as in the natural world, but are changeable according to
the states of their life. In the ideas of their thought, therefore,
instead of space and time there are states of life, instead of spaces
such things as have reference to states of love, and instead of times
such things as have reference to states of wisdom. From this it is that
spiritual thought, and spiritual speech therefrom, differ so much from
natural thought and natural speech therefrom, as to have nothing in
common except as regards the interiors of things, which are all spiritual.
Of this difference more will be said elsewhere. Now, because the thoughts
of angels derive nothing from space and time, but everything from states
of life, when it is said that the Divine fills spaces angels evidently
cannot comprehend it, for they do not know what spaces are; but when,
apart from any idea of space, it is said that the Divine fills all things,
they clearly comprehend it.
71. To make it clear that the merely natural man thinks of spiritual and
Divine things from space, and the spiritual man apart from space, let the
following serve for illustration. The merely natural man thinks by means
of ideas which he has acquired from objects of sight, in all of which
there is figure partaking of length, breadth, and height, and of shape
determined by these, either angular or circular. These [conceptions] are
manifestly present in the ideas of his thought concerning things visible
on earth; they are also in the ideas of his thought concerning those not
visible, such as civil and moral affairs. This he is unconscious of; but
they are nevertheless there, as continuations. With a spiritual man it
is different, especially with an angel of heaven, whose thought has
nothing in common with figure and form that derives anything from
spiritual length, breadth, and height, but only with figure and form
derived from the state of a thing resulting from the state of its life.
Consequently, instead of length of space he thinks of the good of a thing
from good of life; instead of breadth of space, of the truth of a thing
from truth of life; and instead of height, of the degrees of these. Thus
he thinks from the correspondence there is between things spiritual and
things natural. From this correspondence it is that in the Word "length"
signifies the good of a thing, "breadth" the truth of a thing, and
"height" the degrees of these. From this it is evident that an angel of
heaven, when he thinks of the Divine Omnipresence, can by no means think
otherwise than that the Divine, apart from space, fills all things. And
that which an angel thinks is truth, because the light which enlightens
his understanding is Divine Wisdom.
72. This is the basis of thought concerning God; for without it, what is
to be said of the creation of the universe by God-Man, of His Providence,
Omnipotence, Omnipresence and Omniscience, even if understood, cannot be
kept in mind; since the merely natural man, even while he has these
things in his understanding, sinks back into his life's love, which is
that of his will; and that love dissipates these truths, and immerses
his thought in space, where his lumen, which he calls rational, abides,
not knowing that so far as he denies these things, he is irrational.
That this is so, may be confirmed by the idea entertained of this truth,
that GOD is a MAN. Read with attention, I pray you, what has been said
above (n. 11-13) and what follows after, and your understanding will
accept it. But when you let your thought down into the natural lumen
which derives from space, will not these things be seen as paradoxes? and
if you let it down far, will you not reject them? This is why it is said
that the Divine fills all spaces of the universe, and why it is not said
that God-Man fills them. For if this were said, the merely natural lumen
would not assent. But to the proposition that the Divine fills all space,
it does assent, because this agrees with the mode of speech of the
theologians, that God is omnipresent, and hears and knows all things.
(On this subject, more may be seen above, n. 7-10.).
73. THE DIVINE IS IN ALL TIME, APART FROM TIME.
As the Divine, apart from space, is in all space, so also, apart from
time, is it in all time. For nothing which is proper to nature can be
predicated of the Divine, and space and time are proper to nature. Space
in nature is measurable, and so is time. This is measured by days, weeks,
months, years, and centuries; days are measured by hours; weeks and months
by days; years by the four seasons; and centuries by years. Nature derives
this measurement from the apparent revolution and annual motion of the sun
of the world. But in the spiritual world it is different. The progressions
of life in that world appear in like manner to be in time, for those there
live with one another as men in the world live with one another; and this
is not possible without the appearance of time. But time there is not
divided into periods as in the world, for their sun is constantly in the
east and is never moved away; for it is the Lord's Divine Love that
appears to them as a sun. Wherefore they have no days, weeks, months,
years, centuries, but in place of these there are states of life, by
which a distinction is made which cannot be called, however, a distinction
into periods, but into states. Consequently, the angels do not know what
time is, and when it is mentioned they perceive in place of it state; and
when state determines time, time is only an appearance. For joyfulness of
state makes time seem short, and joylessness of state makes time seem
long; from which it is evident that time in the spiritual world is nothing
but quality of state. It is from this that in the Word, "hours," "days,"
"weeks," "months," and "years," signify states and progressions of state
in series and in the aggregate; and when times are predicated of the
church, by its "morning" is meant its first state, by "mid-day" its
fullness by "evening" its decline, and by "night" its end. The four
seasons of the year "spring," "summer," "autumn," and "winter," have a
like meaning.
74. From the above it can be seen that time makes one with thought from
affection; for from that is the quality of man's state. And with
progressions of time, in the spiritual world, distances in progress
through space coincide; as may be shown from many things. For instance,
in the spiritual world ways are actually shortened or are lengthened in
accordance with the longings that are of thought from affection. From
this, also, comes the expression, "spaces of time." Moreover, in cases
where thought does not join itself to its proper affection in man, as
in sleep, the lapse of time is not noticed.
75. Now as times which are proper to nature in its world are in the
spiritual world pure states, which appear progressive because angels
and spirits are finite, it may be seen that in God they are not
progressive because He is Infinite, and infinite things in Him are one
(as has been shown above, n. 17-22). From this it follows that the
Divine in all time is apart from time.
76. He who has no knowledge of God apart from time and is unable from
any perception to think of Him, is thus utterly unable to conceive of
eternity in any other way than as an eternity of time; in which case,
in thinking of God from eternity he must needs become bewildered; for
he thinks with regard to a beginning, and beginning has exclusive
reference to time. His bewilderment arises from the idea that God had
existence from Himself, from which he rushes headlong into an origin of
nature from herself; and from this idea he can be extricated only by a
spiritual or angelic idea of eternity, which is an idea apart from time;
and when time is separated, the Eternal and the Divine are the same, and
the Divine is the Divine in itself, not from itself. The angels declare
that while they can conceive of God from eternity, they can in no way
conceive of nature from eternity, still less of nature from herself and
not at all of nature as nature in herself. For that which is in itself
is the very Esse, from which all things are; Esse in itself is very life,
which is the Divine Love of Divine Wisdom and the Divine Wisdom of Divine
Love. For the angels this is the Eternal, an Eternal as removed from time
as the uncreated is from the created, or the infinite from the finite,
between which, in fact, there is no ratio.
77. THE DIVINE IN THINGS GREATEST AND LEAST IS THE SAME.
This follows from the two preceding articles, that the Divine apart from
space is in all space, and apart from time is in all time. Moreover, there
are spaces greater and greatest, and lesser and least; and since spaces
and times, as said above, make one, it is the same with times. In these
the Divine is the same, because the Divine is not varying and changeable,
as everything is which belongs to nature, but is unvarying and
unchangeable, consequently the same everywhere and always.
78. It seems as if the Divine were not the same in one person as in
another; as if, for instance, it were different in the wise and in the
simple, or in an old man and in a child. But this is a fallacy arising
from appearance; the man is different, but the Divine in him is not
different. Man is a recipient, and the recipient or receptacle is what
varies. A wise man is a recipient of Divine Love and Divine Wisdom more
adequately, and therefore more fully, than a simple man; and an old man
who is also wise, more than a little child or boy; yet the Divine is the
same in the one as in the other. It is in like manner a fallacy arising
from appearance, that the Divine is different with angels of heaven from
what it is with men on the earth, because the angels of heaven are in
wisdom ineffable, while men are not; but the seeming difference is not
in the Lord but in the subjects, according to the quality of their
reception of the Divine.
79. That the Divine is the same in things greatest and least, may be
shown by means of heaven and by means of an angel there. The Divine in
the whole heaven and the Divine in an angel is the same; therefore even
the whole heaven may appear as one angel. So is it with the church, and
with a man of the church. The greatest form receptive of the Divine is
the whole heaven together with the whole church; the least is an angel
of heaven and a man of the church. Sometimes an entire society of heaven
has appeared to me as one angel-man; and it was told that it may appear
like a man as large as a giant, or like a man as small as an infant; and
this, because the Divine in things greatest and least is the same.
80. The Divine is also the same in the greatest and in the least of all
created things that are not alive; for it is in all the good of their use.
These, moreover, are not alive for the reason that they are not forms of
life but forms of uses; and the form varies according to the excellence
of the use. But how the Divine is in these things will be stated in what
follows, where creation is treated of.
81. Put away space, and deny the possibility of a vacuum, and then think
of Divine Love and of Divine Wisdom as being Essence itself, space having
been put away and a vacuum denied. Then think according to space; and you
will perceive that the Divine, in the greatest and in the least things of
space, is the same; for in essence abstracted from space there is neither
great nor small, but only the same.
82. Something shall now be said about vacuum. I once heard angels talking
with Newton about vacuum, and saying that they could not tolerate the
idea of a vacuum as being nothing, for the reason that in their world
which is spiritual, and which is within or above the spaces and times
of the natural world, they equally feel, think, are affected, love, will,
breathe, yea, speak and act, which would be utterly impossible in a vacuum
which is nothing, since nothing is nothing, and of nothing not anything
can be affirmed. Newton said that he now knew that the Divine, which is
Being itself, fills all things, and that to him the idea of nothing as
applied to vacuum is horrible, because that idea is destructive of all
things; and he exhorts those who talk with him about vacuum to guard
against the idea of nothing, comparing it to a swoon, because in nothing
no real activity of mind is possible.
83. PART SECOND.
DIVINE LOVE AND DIVINE WISDOM APPEAR IN THE SPIRITUAL WORLD AS A SUN.
There are two worlds, the spiritual and the natural. The spiritual world
does not draw anything from the natural, nor the natural world from the
spiritual. The two are totally distinct, and communicate only by
correspondences, the nature of which has been abundantly shown elsewhere.
To illustrate this by an example: heat in the natural world corresponds
to the good of charity in the spiritual world, and light in the natural
world corresponds to the truth of faith in the spiritual world; and who
does not see that heat and the good of charity, and that light and the
truth of faith, are wholly distinct? At first sight they appear as
distinct as two entirely different things. They so appear when one
inquires what the good of charity has in common with heat, or the truth
of faith with light; when in fact, spiritual heat is that good, and
spiritual light is that truth. Although these things are in themselves
so distinct, they make one by correspondence. They make one in this way:
when man reads, in the Word, of heat and light, the spirits and angels
who are with the man perceive charity instead of heat, and faith instead
of light. This example is adduced, in order that it may be known that the
two worlds, the spiritual and the natural, are so distinct as to have
nothing in common with each other; yet are so created as to have
communication, yea, conjunction by means of correspondences.
84. Since these two worlds are so distinct, it can be seen very clearly
that the spiritual world is under another sun than the natural world. For
in the spiritual world, must as in the natural, there is heat and light;
but the heat there, as well as the light, is spiritual; and spiritual
heat is the good of charity, and spiritual light is the truth of faith.
Now since heat and light can originate only in a sun, it is evident that
the spiritual world has a different sun from the natural world; and
further, that the sun of the spiritual world in its essence is such that
spiritual heat and light can come forth from it; whereas the sun of the
natural world in its essence is such that natural heat can come forth
from it. Everything spiritual has relation to good and truth, and can
spring from no other source than Divine Love and Divine Wisdom; for all
good is of love and all truth is of wisdom; that they have no other origin
any discerning man can see.
85. That there is any other sun than that of the natural world has
hitherto been unknown. The reason is, that the spiritual of man has so
far passed over into his natural, that he does not know what the
spiritual is, and thus does not know that there is a spiritual world,
the abode of spirits and angels, other than and different from the natural
world. Since the spiritual world has lain so deeply hidden from the
knowledge of those who are in the natural world, it has pleased the Lord
to open the sight of my spirit, that I might see the things which are in
that world, just as I see those in the natural world, and might afterwards
describe that world; which has been done in the work Heaven and Hell, in
one chapter of which the sun of the spiritual world is treated of. For
that sun has been seen by me; and it appeared of the same size as the sun
of the natural world; also fiery like it, but more glowing. It has also
been made known to me that the whole angelic heaven is under that sun;
and that angels of the third heaven see it constantly, angels of the
second heaven very often, and angels of the first or outmost heaven
sometimes. That all their heat and all their light, as well as all things
that are manifest in that world, are from that sun will be seen in what
follows.
86. That sun is not the Lord Himself, but is from the Lord. It is the
Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom proceeding from Him that appear as a
sun in that world. And because Love and Wisdom in the Lord are one (as
shown in Part I.), that sun is said to be Divine Love; for Divine Wisdom
is of Divine Love, consequently is Love.
87. Since love and fire mutually correspond, that sun appears before the
eyes of the angels as fiery; for angels cannot see love with their eyes,
but they see in the place of love what corresponds to it. For angels,
equally with men, have an internal and an external; it is their internal
that thinks and is wise, and that wills and loves; it is their external
that feels, sees, speaks and acts. All their externals are correspondences
of internals; but the correspondences are spiritual, not natural. Moreover,
Divine love is felt as fire by spiritual beings. For this reason "fire,"
when mentioned in the Word, signifies love. In the Israelitish Church,
"holy fire" signified love; and this is why, in prayers to God, it is
customary to ask that "heavenly fire," that is Divine Love, "may kindle
the heart."
88. With such a difference between the spiritual and the natural (as shown
above, n. 83), nothing from the sun of the natural world, that is, nothing
of its heat and light, nor anything pertaining to any earthly object, can
pass over into the spiritual world. To the spiritual world the light of
the natural world is thick darkness, and its heat is death. Nevertheless,
the heat of the world can be vivified by the influx of heavenly heat, and
the light of the world can be illumined by the influx of heavenly light.
Influx is effected by correspondences; and it cannot be effected by
continuity.
89. OUT OF THE SUN THAT TAKES FORM [existit] FROM THE DIVINE LOVE AND THE
DIVINE WISDOM, HEAT AND LIGHT GO FORTH.
In the spiritual world where angels and spirits are there are heat and
light, just as in the natural world where men are; moreover in like
manner as heat, the heat is felt and the light is seen as light. Still
the heat and light of the spiritual world and of the natural world are
(as said above) so entirely different as to have nothing in common. They
differ one from the other as what is alive differs from what is dead.
The heat of the spiritual world in itself is alive; so is the light; but
the heat of the natural world in itself is dead; so is its light. For
the heat and light of the spiritual world go forth from a sun that is
pure love, while the heat and light of the natural world go forth from
a sun that is pure fire; and love is alive, and the Divine Love is Life
itself; while fire is dead, and solar fire is death itself, and may be
so called because it has nothing whatever of life in it.
90. Since angels are spiritual they can live in no other than spiritual
heat and light, while men can live in no other than natural heat and
light; for what is spiritual accords with what is spiritual, and what is
natural with what is natural. If an angel were to derive the least
particle from natural heat and light he would perish; for it is totally
discordant with his life. As to the interiors of the mind every man is
a spirit. When he dies he withdraws entirely from the world of nature,
leaving behind him all its belongings, and enters a world where there
is nothing of nature. In that world he lives so separated from nature
that there is no communication whatever by continuity, that is, as
between what is purer and grosser, but only like that between what is
prior and posterior; and between such no communication is possible except
by correspondences. From this it can be seen that spiritual heat is not
a purer natural heat, or spiritual light a purer natural light, but that
they are altogether of a different essence; for spiritual heat and light
derive their essence from a sun which is pure Love, and this is Life
itself; while natural heat and light derive their essence from a sun
which is pure fire, in which (as said above) there is absolutely nothing
of life.
91. Such being the difference between the heat and light of the two
worlds, it is very evident why those who are in the one world cannot
see those who are in the other world. For the eyes of man, who sees
from natural light, are of the substance of his world, and the eyes
of an angel are of the substance of his world; thus in both cases they
are formed for the proper reception of their own light. From all this
it can be seen from how much ignorance those think who, because they
cannot see angels and spirits with their eyes, are unwilling to believe
them to be men.
92. Hitherto it has not been known that angels and spirits are in a
totally different light and different heat from men. It has not been known
even that another light and another heat are possible. For man in his
thought has not penetrated beyond the interior or purer things of nature.
And for this reason many have placed the abodes of angels and spirits in
the ether, and some in the stars - thus within nature, and not above or
outside of it. But, in truth, angels and spirits are entirely above or
outside of nature, and are in their own world, which is under another sun.
And since in that world spaces are appearances (as was shown above),
angels and spirits cannot be said to be in the ether or in the stars; in
fact, they are present with man, conjoined to the affection and thought of
his spirit; since man is a spirit, and because of that thinks and wills;
consequently the spiritual world is wherever man is, and in no wise away
from him. In a word, every man as regards the interiors of his mind is in
that world, in the midst of spirits and angels there; and he thinks from
its light, and loves from its heat.
93. THE SUN OF THE SPIRITUAL WORLD IS NOT GOD, BUT IS A PROCEEDING FROM
THE DIVINE LOVE AND DIVINE WISDOM OF GOD-MAN; SO ALSO ARE THE HEAT AND
LIGHT FROM THAT SUN.
By that sun which is before the eyes of the angels, and from which they
have heat and light, is not meant the Lord Himself, but the first
proceeding from Him, which is the highest [degree] of spiritual heat.
The highest [degree] of spiritual heat is spiritual fire, which is Divine
Love and Divine Wisdom in their first correspondence. On this account that
sun appears fiery, and to the angels is fiery, but not to men. Fire which
is fire to men is not spiritual, but natural; and between the two fires
there is a difference like the difference between what is alive and what
is dead. Therefore the spiritual sun by its heat vivifies spiritual beings
and renews spiritual objects. The natural sun does the same for natural
beings and natural objects; yet not from itself, but by means of an influx
of spiritual heat, to which it renders aid as a kind of substitute.
94. This spiritual fire, in which also there is light in its origin,
becomes spiritual heat and light, which decrease in their going forth.
This decrease is effected by degrees, which will be treated of in what
follows. The ancients represented this by circles glowing with fire and
resplendent with light around the head of God, as is common also at the
present day in paintings representing God as a Man.
95. That love begets heat, and wisdom light, is manifest from actual
experience. When man loves he grows warm, and when he thinks from wisdom
he sees things as it were in light. And from this it is evident that the
first proceeding of love is heat, and that the first proceeding of wisdom
is light. That they are also correspondences is obvious; for heat takes
place [existit] not in love itself, but from love in the will, and thence
in the body; and light takes place not in wisdom, but in the thought of
the understanding, and thence in the speech. Consequently love and wisdom
are the essence and life of heat and light. Heat and light are what
proceed, and because they are what proceed, they are also correspondences.
96. That spiritual light is altogether distinct from natural light, any
one may know if he observes the thoughts of his mind. For when the mind
thinks, it sees its objects in light, and they who think spiritually see
truths, and this at midnight just as well as in the daytime. For this
reason light is predicated of the understanding, and the understanding
is said to see; thus one sometimes declares of something which another
says that he sees (that is, understands) that it is so. The understanding,
because it is spiritual, cannot thus see by natural light, for natural
light does not inhere in man, but withdraws with the sun. From this it
is obvious that the understanding enjoys a light different from that of
the eye, and that this light is from a different origin.
97. Let every one beware of thinking that the sun of the spiritual world
is God Himself. God Himself is a Man. The first proceeding from His Love
and Wisdom is that fiery spiritual [substance] which appears before the
angels as a sun. When, therefore, the Lord manifests Himself to the
angels in person, He manifests Himself as a Man; and this sometimes in
the sun, sometimes outside of it.
98. It is from this correspondence that in the Lord the Lord is called
not only a "sun" but also "fire" and "light." And by the "sun" is meant
Himself as to Divine Love and Divine Wisdom together; by "fire" Himself
in respect to Divine Love, and by "light" Himself in respect to Divine
Wisdom.
99. SPIRITUAL HEAT AND LIGHT IN PROCEEDING FROM THE LORD AS A SUN, MAKE
ONE, JUST AS HIS DIVINE LOVE AND DIVINE WISDOM MAKE ONE.
How Divine Love and Divine Wisdom in the Lord make one has been explained
in Part I.; in like manner heat and light make one, because they proceed
from these, and the things which proceed make one by virtue of their
correspondence, heat, corresponding to love, and light to wisdom. From
this it follows that as Divine Love is Divine Esse [Being] and Divine
Wisdom is Divine Existere [Taking form] (as shown above, n. 14-16), so
spiritual heat is thy Divine proceeding from Divine Esse, and spiritual
light is the Divine proceeding from Divine Existere. And as by that union
Divine Love is of Divine Wisdom, and Divine Wisdom is of Divine Love (as
shown above, n. 35-39), so spiritual heat is of spiritual light, and
spiritual light is of spiritual heat And because there is such a union
it follows that heat and light, in proceeding from the Lord as a sun,
are one. It will be seen, however, in what follows, that they are not
received as one by angels and men.
100. The heat and light that proceed from the Lord as a sun are what in
an eminent sense are called the spiritual, and they are called the
spiritual in the singular number, because they are one; when, therefore,
the spiritual is mentioned in the following pages, it is meant both
these together. From that spiritual it is that the whole of that world
is called spiritual. Through that spiritual, all things of that world
derive their origin, and also their name. That heat and that light are
called the spiritual, because God is called Spirit, and God as Spirit
is the spiritual going forth. God, by virtue of His own very Essence,
is called Jehovah; but by means of that going forth He Vivifies and
enlightens angels of heaven and men of the church. Consequently,
vivification and enlightenment are said to be effected by the Spirit
of Jehovah.
101. That heat and light, that is, the spiritual going forth from the
Lord as a Sun, make one, may be illustrated by the heat and light that
go forth from the sun of the natural world. These two also make one in
their going out from that sun. That they do not make one on earth is
owing not to the sun, but to the earth. For the earth revolves daily
round its axis, and has a yearly motion following the ecliptic, which
gives the appearance that heat and light do not make one. For in the
middle of summer there is more of heat than of light, and in the middle
of winter more of light than of heat. In the spiritual world it is the
same, except that there is in that world no daily or yearly motion of
the earth; but the angels turn themselves, some more, some less, to the
Lord; those who turn themselves more, receive more from heat and less
from light, and those who turn themselves less to the Lord receive more
from light and less from heat. From this it is that the heavens, which
consist of angels, are divided into two kingdoms, one called celestial,
the other spiritual. The celestial angels receive more from heat, and
the spiritual angels more from light. Moreover, the lands they inhabit
vary in appearance according to their reception of heat and light. If
this change of state of the angels is substituted for the motion of the
earth, the correspondence is complete.
102. In what follows it will be seen, also, that all spiritual things
that originate through the heat and light of their sun, make one in
like manner when regarded in themselves, but when regarded as proceeding
from the affections of the angels do not make one. When heat and light
make one in the heavens, it is with the angels as if it were spring; but
when they do not make one, it is either like summer or like winter - not
like the winter in the frigid zones, but like the winter in the warmer
zone. Thus reception of love and wisdom in equal measure is the very
angelic state, and therefore an angel is an angel of heaven according
to the union in him of love and wisdom. It is the same with the man of
the church, when love and wisdom, that is, charity and faith, make one
in him.
103. THE SUN OF THE SPIRITUAL WORLD APPEARS AT A MIDDLE ALTITUDE, FAR
OFF FROM THE ANGELS, LIKE THE SUN OF THE NATURAL WORLD FROM MEN.
Most people take with them out of the world an idea of God, as being
above the head, on high, and an idea of the Lord, as living in heaven
among the angels. They take with them this idea of God because, in the
Word, God is called the "Most High," and is said to "dwell on high;"
therefore in prayer and worship men raise their eyes and hands upwards,
not knowing that by "The Most High" is signified the inmost. They take
with them the idea of the Lord as being in heaven among the angels,
because men think of Him as they think of another man, some thinking
of Him as they think of an angel, not knowing that the Lord is the Very
and Only God who rules the universe, who if He were among the angels in
heaven, could not have the universe under His gaze and under His care and
government. And unless He shone as a sun before those who are in the
spiritual world, angels could have no light; for angels are spiritual,
and therefore no other than spiritual light is in accord with their
essence. That there is light in the heavens, immensely exceeding the light
on earth, will be seen below where degrees are discussed.
104. As regards the sun, therefore, from which angels have light and heat,
it appears above the lands on which the angels dwell, at an elevation of
about forty-five degrees, which is the middle altitude; it also appears
far off from the angels like the sun of the world from men. The sun
appears constantly at that altitude and at that distance, and does not
move from its place. Hence it is that angels have no times divided into
days and years, nor any progression of the day from morning, through
midday to evening and into night; nor any progression of the year from
spring, through summer to autumn, into winter; but there is perpetual
light and perpetual spring; consequently, with the angels, as was said
above, in place of times there are states.
105. The sun of the spiritual world appears at a middle altitude chiefly
for the following reasons: First, the heat and light which proceed from
that sun are thus at their medium intensity, consequently are equally
proportioned and thus properly attempered. For if the sun were to appear
above the middle altitude more heat than light would be perceived, if
below it more light than heat; as is the case on earth when the sun is
above or below the middle of the sky; when above, the heat increases
beyond the light, when below, the light increases beyond the heat; for
light remains the same in summer and in winter, but heat increases and
diminishes according to the degree of the sun's altitude. Secondly, the
sun of the spiritual world appears in a middle altitude above the angelic
heaven, because there is thus a perpetual spring in all the angelic
heavens, whereby the angels are in a state of peace; for this state
corresponds to springtime on earth. Thirdly, angels are thus enabled to
turn their faces constantly to the Lord, and behold Him with their eyes.
For at every turn of their bodies, the angels have the east, thus the Lord,
before their faces. This is peculiar to that world, and would not be the
case if the sun of that world were to appear above or below the middle
altitude, and least of all if it were to appear overhead in the zenith.
106. If the sun of the spiritual world did not appear far off from the
angels, like the sun of the natural world from men, the whole angelic
heaven, and hell under it, and our terraqueous globe under these, would
not be under the view, the care, the omnipresence, omniscience,
omnipotence, and providence of the Lord; comparatively as the sun of
our world, if it were not at such a distance from the earth as it
appears, could not be present and powerful in all lands by its heat
and light, and therefore could not render its aid, as a kind of
substitute, to the sun of the spiritual world.
107. It is very necessary to be known that there are two suns, one
spiritual, the other natural; a spiritual sun for those who are in the
spiritual world, and a natural sun for those who are in the natural world.
Unless this is known, nothing can be properly understood about creation
and about man, which are the subjects here to be treated of. Effects may,
it is true, be observed, but unless at the same time the causes of effects
are seen, effects can only appear as it were in the darkness of night.
108. THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE SUN AND THE ANGELS IN THE SPIRITUAL WORLD
IS AN APPEARANCE ACCORDING TO RECEPTION BY THEM OF DIVINE LOVE AND DIVINE
WISDOM.
All fallacies which prevail with the evil and the simple arise from
appearances which have been confirmed. So long as appearances remain
appearances, they are apparent truths, according to which every one
may think and speak; but when they are accepted as real truths, which
is done when they are confirmed, then apparent truths become falsities
and fallacies. For example: It is an appearance that the sun is borne
around the earth daily, and follows yearly the path of the ecliptic. So
long as this appearance is not confirmed it is an apparent truth,
according to which any one may think and speak; for he may say that the
sun rises and sets and thereby causes morning, midday, evening, and
night; also that the sun is now in such or such a degree of the ecliptic
or of its altitude, and thereby causes spring, summer, autumn, and
winter. But when this appearance is confirmed as the real truth, then
the confirmer thinks and utters a falsity springing from a fallacy. It
is the same with innumerable other appearances, not only in natural,
civil, and moral, but also in spiritual affairs.
109. It is the same with the distance of the sun of the spiritual world,
which sun is the first proceeding of the Lord's Divine Love and Divine
Wisdom. The truth is that there is no distance, but that the distance is
an appearance according to the reception of Divine Love and Wisdom by the
angels in their degree. That distances, in the spiritual world, are
appearances may be seen from what has been shown above (as in n. 7-9,
That the Divine is not in space; and in n. 69-72, That the Divine, apart
from space, fills all spaces). If there are no spaces, there are no
distances, or, what is the same, if spaces are appearances, distances
also are appearances, for distances are of space.
110. The sun of the spiritual world appears at a distance from the angels,
because they receive Divine Love and Divine Wisdom in the measure of
heat and light that is adequate to their states. For an angel, because
created and finite, cannot receive the Lord in the first degree of heat
and light, such as is in the sun; if he did he would be entirely consumed.
The Lord, therefore, is received by angels in a degree of heat and light
corresponding to their love and wisdom. The following may serve for
illustration. An angel of the lowest heaven cannot ascend to the angels
of the third heaven; for if he ascends and enters their heaven, he falls
into a kind of swoon, and his life as it were, strives with death; the
reason is that he has a less degree of love and wisdom, and the heat of
his love and the light of his wisdom are in the same degree as his love
and wisdom. What, then, would be the result if an angel were even to
ascend toward the sun, and come into its fire? On account of the
differences of reception of the Lord by the angels, the heavens also
appear separate from one another. The highest heaven, which is called
the third, appears above the second, and the second above the first; not
that the heavens are apart, but they appear to be apart, for the Lord is
present equally with those who are in the lowest heaven and with those
who are in the third heaven. That which causes the appearance of distance
is not in the Lord but in the subjects, that is, the angels.
111. That this is so can hardly be comprehended by a natural idea, because
in such there is space, but by a spiritual idea, such as angels have, it
can be comprehended, because in such there is no space. Yet even by a
natural idea this much can be comprehended, that love and wisdom (or what
is the same, the Lord, who is Divine Love and Divine Wisdom) cannot
advance through spaces, but is present with each one according to
reception. That the Lord is present with all, He teaches in Matthew (28:20),
and that He makes His abode with those who love Him, in John (14:23).
112. As this has been proved by means of the heavens and the angels, it
may seem a matter of too exalted wisdom; but the same is true of men. Men,
as to the interiors of their minds, are warmed and illuminated by that
same sun. They are warmed by its heat and illuminated by its light in the
measure in which they receive love and wisdom from the Lord. The difference
between angels and men is that angels are under the spiritual sun only, but
men are not only under that sun, but also under the sun of this world; for
men's bodies can begin and continue to exist only under both suns; but not
so the bodies of angels, which are spiritual.
113. ANGELS ARE IN THE LORD, AND THE LORD IN THEM; AND BECAUSE ANGELS ARE
RECIPIENTS, THE LORD ALONE IS HEAVEN.
Heaven is called "the dwelling-place of God," also "the throne of God,"
and from this it is believed that God is there as is a king in his kingdom.
But God (that is, the Lord) is in the sun above the heavens, and by His
presence in heat and light, is in the heavens (as is shown in the last
two paragraphs). But although the Lord is present in heaven in that manner,
still He is there as He is in Himself. For (as shown just above, n. 108-112)
the distance between the sun and heaven is not distance, but appearance of
distance; and since that distance is only an appearance it follows that the
Lord Himself is in heaven, for He is in the love and wisdom of the angels
of heaven; and since He is in the love and wisdom of all angels, and the
angel constitute heaven, He is in the whole heaven.
114. The Lord not only is in heaven, but also is heaven itself; for love
and wisdom are what make the angel, and these two are the Lord's in the
angels; from which it follows that the Lord is heaven. For angels are not
angels from what is their own; what is their own is altogether like what
is man's own, which is evil. An angel's own is such because all angels
were once men, and this own clings to the angels from their birth. It is
only put aside, and so far as it is put aside the angels receive love and
wisdom, that is, the Lord, in themselves. Any one, if he will only elevate
his understanding a little, can see that the Lord can dwell in angels,
only in what is His, that is, in what is His very own, which is love and
wisdom, and not at all in the selfhood of angels, which is evil. From this
it is, that so far as evil is put away so far the Lord is in them, and so
far they are angels. The very angelic of heaven is Love Divine and Wisdom
Divine. This Divine is called the angelic when it is in angels. From this,
again, it is evident that angels are angels from the Lord, and not from
themselves; consequently, the same is true of heaven.
115. But how the Lord is in an angel and an angel in the Lord cannot be
comprehended, unless the nature of their conjunction is known. Conjunction
is of the Lord with the angel and of the angel with the Lord; conjunction,
therefore, is reciprocal. On the part of the angel it is as follows. The
angel, in like manner as man, has no other perception than that he is in
love and wisdom from himself, consequently that love and wisdom are, as
it were, his or his own. Unless he so perceived there would be no
conjunction, thus the Lord would not be in him, nor he in the Lord. Nor
can it be possible for the Lord to be in any angel or man, unless the one
in whom the Lord is, with love and wisdom, has a perception and sense as
if they were his. By this means the Lord is not only received, but also,
when received, is retained, and likewise loved in return. And by this,
also, the angel is made wise and continues wise. Who can wish to love
the Lord and his neighbor, and who can wish to be wise, without a sense
and perception that what he loves, learns, and imbibes is, as it were,
his own? Who otherwise can retain it in himself? If this were not so, the
inflowing love and wisdom would have no abiding-place, for it would flow
through and not affect; thus an angel would not be an angel, nor would man
be a man; he would be merely like something inanimate. From all this it
can be seen that there must be an ability to reciprocate that there may
be conjunction.
116. It shall now be explained how it comes that an angel perceives and
feels as his, and thus receives and retains that which yet is not his;
for, as was said above, an angel is not an angel from what is his, but
from those things which he has from the Lord. The essence of the matter
is this:- Every angel has freedom and rationality; these two he has to
the end that he may be capable of receiving love and wisdom from the Lord.
Yet neither of these, freedom nor rationality, is his, they are the Lord's
in him. But since the two are intimately conjoined to his life, so
intimately that they may be said to be joined into it, they appear to
be his own. It is from them that he is able to think and will, and to
speak and act; and what he thinks, wills, speaks, and does from them,
appears as if it were from himself. This gives him the ability to
reciprocate, and by means of this conjunction is possible. Yet so far as
an angel believes that love and wisdom are really in him, and thus lays
claim to them for himself as if they were his, so far the angelic is not
in him, and therefore he has no conjunction with the Lord; for he is not
in truth, and as truth makes one with the light of heaven, so far he cannot
be in heaven; for he thereby denies that he lives from the Lord, and
believes that he lives from himself, and that he therefore possesses
Divine essence. In these two, freedom and rationality, the life which
is called angelic and human consists. From all this it can be seen that
for the sake of conjunction with the Lord, - the angel has the ability
to reciprocate, but that this ability, in itself considered, is not his
but the Lord's. From this it is, that if he abuses his ability to
reciprocate, by which he perceives and feels as his what is the Lord's,
which is done by appropriating it to himself he falls from the angelic
state. That conjunction is reciprocal, the Lord Himself teaches
(John 14:20-24; 154-6); also that the conjunction of the Lord with man
and of man with the Lord, is in those things of the Lord that are called
His words (John 15:7).
117. Some are of the opinion that Adam was in such liberty or freedom of
choice as to be able to love God and be wise from himself, and that this
freedom of choice was lost in his posterity. But this is an error; for
man is not life, but is a recipient of life (see above, n. 4-6, 54-60);
and he who is a recipient of life cannot love and be wise from anything
of his own; consequently, when Adam willed to be wise and to love from
what was his own he fell from wisdom and love, and was cast out of Paradise.
118. What has just been said of an angel is likewise true of heaven, which
consists of angels, since the Divine in greatest and least things is the
same (as was shown above n. 77-82). What is said of an angel and of heaven
is likewise true of man and the church, for the angel of heaven and the
man of the church act as one through conjunction; in fact, a man of the
church is an angel, in respect to the interiors which are of his mind. By
a man of the church is meant a man in whom the church is.
119. IN THE SPIRITUAL WORLD THE EAST IS WHERE THE LORD APPEARS AS A SUN,
AND FROM THAT THE OTHER QUARTERS ARE DETERMINED.
The sun of the spiritual world and its essence, also its heat and light,
and the presence of the Lord thereby, have been treated of; a description
is now to be given of the quarters in the spiritual world. That sun and
that world are treated of, because God and love and wisdom are treated of;
and to treat of those subjects except from their very origin would be to
proceed from effects, not from causes. Yet from effects nothing but
effects can be learned; when effects alone are considered no cause is
brought to light; but causes reveal effects. To know effects from causes
is to be wise; but to search for causes from effects is not to be wise,
because fallacies then present themselves, which the investigator calls
causes, and this is to turn wisdom into foolishness. Causes are things
prior, and effects are things posterior; and things prior cannot be seen
from things posterior, but things posterior can be seen from things prior.
This is order. For this reason the spiritual world is here first treated
of, for all causes are there; and afterwards the natural world, where all
things that appear are effects.
120. The quarters in the spiritual world shall now be spoken of. There are
quarters there in like manner as in the natural world, but like that world
itself, they are spiritual; while the quarters in the natural world, like
that world itself, are natural; the difference between them therefore is
so great that they have nothing in common. In each world there are four
quarters, which are called east, west, south, and north. In the natural
world, these four quarters are constant, determined by the sun on the
meridian; opposite this is north, on one side is east, on the other, west.
These quarters are determined by the meridian of each place; for the sun's
station on the meridian at each point is always the same, and is therefore
fixed. In the spiritual world it is different. The quarters there are
determined by the sun of that world, which appears constantly in its own
place, and where it appears is the east; consequently the determination
of the quarters in that world is not from the south, as in the natural
world, but from the east, opposite to this is west, on one side is south,
and on the other, north. But that these quarters are not determined by
the sun, but by the inhabitants of that world, who are angels and spirits,
will be seen in what follows.
121. As these quarters, by virtue of their origin, which is the Lord as
a sun, are spiritual, so the dwelling-places of angels and spirits, all
of which are according to these quarters, are also spiritual. They are
spiritual, because angels and spirits have their places of abode according
to their reception of love and wisdom from the Lord. Those in a higher
degree of love dwell in the east; those in a lower degree of love in the
west; those in a higher degree of wisdom, in the south; and those in a
lower degree of wisdom, in the north. From this it is that, in the Word,
by "the east," in the highest sense, is meant the Lord, and in a relative
sense love to Him; by the "west," a diminishing love to Him; by the "south"
wisdom in light; and by the "north" wisdom in shade; or similar things
relatively to the state of those who are treated of.
122. Since the east is the point from which all quarters in the spiritual
world are determined, and by the east, in the highest sense, is meant the
Lord, and also Divine Love, it is evident that the source from which all
things are, is the Lord and love to Him, and that one is remote from the
Lord in the measure in which he is not in that love, and dwells either in
the west, or in the south, or in the north, at distances corresponding to
the reception of love.
123. Since the Lord as a sun is constantly in the east, the ancients,
with whom all things of worship were representative of spiritual things,
turned their faces to the east in their devotions; and that they might do
the like in all worship, they turned their temples also in that direction.
From this it is that, at the present day, churches are built in like manner.
124. THE QUARTERS IN THE SPIRITUAL WORLD ARE NOT FROM THE LORD AS A SUN,
BUT FROM THE ANGELS ACCORDING TO RECEPTION.
It has been stated that the angels dwell separate from each other; some
in the eastern quarter, some in the western, some in the southern, and
some in the northern; and that those who dwell in the eastern quarter are
in a higher degree of love; those in the western, in a lower degree of
love; those in the southern, in the light of wisdom; and those in the
northern, in the shade of wisdom. This diversity of dwelling-places
appears as though it were from the Lord as a sun, when, in fact it is
from the angels. The Lord is not in a greater and lesser degree of love
and wisdom, that is, as a sun He is not in a greater or lesser degree of
heat and light with one than with another, for He is everywhere the same.
But He is not received by one in the same degree as by another; and this
makes them appear to themselves to be more or less distant from one
another, and also variously as regards the quarters. From this it follows
that quarters - in the spiritual world are nothing else than various
receptions of love and wisdom, and thence of heat and light from the
Lord as a sun. That this is so is plain from what was shown above
(n. 108-112), that in the spiritual world distances are appearances.
125. As the quarters are various receptions of love and wisdom by angels,
the variety from which that appearance springs shall now be explained.
The Lord is in the angel, and the angel in the Lord (as was shown in a
preceding article). But on account of the appearance that the Lord as a
sun is outside of the angel, there is also the appearance that the Lord
sees him from the sun, and that he sees the Lord in the sun. This is
almost like the appearance of an image in a mirror. Speaking, therefore,
according to that appearance, it may be said that the Lord sees and looks
at each one face to face, but that angels, on their part, do not thus
behold the Lord. Those who are in love to the Lord from the Lord see Him
directly in front; these, therefore, are in the east and the west; but
those who are more in wisdom see the Lord obliquely to the right, and
those who are less in wisdom obliquely to the left; therefore the former
are in the south, and the latter in the north. The view of these is
oblique because love and wisdom (as has been said before), although they
proceed from the Lord as one, are not received as one by angels; and the
wisdom which is in excess of the love, while it appears as wisdom, is
not wisdom, because in the overplus of wisdom there is no life from love.
From all this it is evident whence comes the diversity of reception
according to which angels appear to dwell according to quarters in the
spiritual world.
126. That this variety of reception of love and wisdom is what gives
rise to the quarters in the spiritual world can be seen from the fact
that an angel changes his quarter according to the increase or decrease
of love with him; from which it is evident that the quarter is not from
the Lord as a sun, but from the angel according to reception. It is the
same with man as regards his spirit. In respect to his spirit, he is in
some quarter of the spiritual world, whatever quarter of the natural
world he may be in, for quarters in the spiritual world, as has been
said above, have nothing in common with quarters in the natural world.
Man is in the latter as regards his body, but in the former as regards
his spirit.
127. In order that love and wisdom may make one in an angel or in a man,
there are pairs in all the things of his body. The eyes, ears, and
nostrils are pairs; the hands, loins, and feet are pairs; the brain is
divided into two hemispheres, the heart into two chambers, the lungs
into two lobes, and in like manner the other parts. Thus in angel and
man there is right and left; and all their right parts have relation to
the love from which wisdom comes; and all the left parts, to the wisdom
which is from love; or, what is the same, all the right parts have
relation to the good from which truth comes; and all the left parts, to
the truth that is from good. Angel and man have these pairs in order that
love and wisdom, or good and truth, may act as one, and as one, may have
regard to the Lord. But of this more in what follows.
128. From all this it can be seen in what fallacy and consequent falsity
those are, who suppose that the Lord bestows heaven arbitrarily, or
arbitrarily grants one to become wise and loving more than another, when,
in truth, the Lord is just as desirous that one may become wise and be
saved as another. For He provides means for all; and every one becomes
wise and is saved in the measure in which he accepts these means, and
lives in accordance with them. For the Lord is the same with one as with
another; but the recipients, who are angels and men, are unlike by reason
of unlike reception and life. That this is so can be seen from what has
just been said of spiritual quarters, and of the dwelling-places of the
angels in accordance with them; namely, that this diversity is not from
the Lord but from the recipients.
129. ANGELS TURN THEIR FACES CONSTANTLY TO THE LORD AS A SUN, AND THUS
HAVE THE SOUTH TO THE RIGHT, THE NORTH TO THE LEFT, AND THE WEST BEHIND
THEM.
All that is here said of angels, and of their turning to the Lord as a
sun, is to be understood also of man, as regards his spirit. For man in
respect to his mind is a spirit, and if he be in love and wisdom, is an
angel; consequently, after death, when he has put off his externals,
which he had derived from the natural world, he becomes a spirit or an
angel. And because angels turn their faces constantly toward the sun in
the east, thus toward the Lord, it is said also of any man who is in love
and wisdom from the Lord, that "he sees God," that "he looks to God,"
that "he has God before his eyes," by which is meant that he lives as an
angel does. Such things are spoken of in the world, because they actually
take place [existunt] both in heaven and in the spirit of man. Who does
not look before himself to God when he prays, to whatever quarter his
face may be turned?
130. Angels turn their faces constantly to the Lord as a sun, because
they are in the Lord, and the Lord in them; and the Lord interiorly leads
their affections and thoughts, and turns them constantly to Himself;
consequently they cannot do otherwise than look towards the east where
the Lord appears as a sun; from which it is evident that angels do not
turn themselves to the Lord, but the Lord turns them to Himself. For when
angels think interiorly of the Lord, they do not think of Him otherwise
than as being in themselves. Real interior thought does not cause distance,
but exterior thought, which acts as one with the sight of the eyes; and
for the reason that exterior thought, but not interior, is in space; and
when not in space, as in the spiritual world, it is still in an appearance
of space. But these things can be little understood by the man who thinks
about God from space. For God is everywhere, yet not in space. Thus He is
both within and without an angel; consequently an angel can see God, that
is, the Lord, both within himself and without himself; within himself
when he thinks from love and wisdom, without himself when he thinks about
love and wisdom. But these things will be treated of in detail in
treatises on The Lord's Omnipresence, Omniscience, and Omnipotence. Let
every man guard himself against falling into the detestable false doctrine
that God has infused Himself into men, and that He is in them, and no
longer in Himself; for God is everywhere, as well within man as without,
for apart from space He is in all space (as was shown above, n. 7-10,
69-72); whereas if He were in man, He would be not only divisible, but
also shut up in space; yea, man then might even think himself to be God.
This heresy is so abominable, that in the spiritual world it stinks like
carrion.
131. The turning of angels to the Lord is such that at every turn of their
bodies they look toward the Lord as a sun in front of them. An angel may
turn himself round and round, and thereby see the various things that are
about him, still the Lord as a sun appears constantly before his face.
This may seem wonderful, yet it is the truth. It has also been granted
me to see the Lord thus as a sun. I see Him now before my face; and for
several years I have so seen Him, to whatever quarter of the world I have
turned.
132. Since the Lord as a sun, consequently the east, is before the faces
of all angels of heaven, it follows that to their right is the south; to
their left the north; and behind them the west; and this, too, at every
turn of the body. For, as was said before, all quarters in the spiritual
world are determined from the east; therefore those who have the east
before their eyes are in these very quarters, yea, are themselves what
determine the quarters; for (as was shown above, n. 124-128) the quarters
are not from the Lord as a sun, but from the angels according to reception.
133. Now since heaven is made up of angels, and angels are of such a
nature, it follows that all heaven turns itself to the Lord, and that,
by means of this turning, heaven is ruled by the Lord as one man, as in
His sight it is one man. That heaven is as one man in the sight of the
Lord may be seen in the work Heaven and Hell (n. 59-87). Also from this
are the quarters of heaven.
134. Since the quarters are thus inscribed as it were on the angel, as
well as on the whole heaven, an angel, unlike man in the world, knows
his own home and his own dwelling-place wherever he goes. Man does not
know his home and dwelling-place from the spiritual quarter in himself,
because he thinks from space, thus from the quarters of the natural world,
which have nothing in common with the quarters of the spiritual world.
But birds and beasts have such knowledge, for it is implanted in them to
know of themselves their homes and dwelling-places, as is evident from
abundant observation; a proof that such is the case in the spiritual
world; for all things that have form [existunt] in the natural world are
effects, and all things that have form in the spiritual world are the
causes of these effects. There does not take place [existit] a natural
that does not derive its cause from a spiritual.
135. ALL INTERIOR THINGS OF THE ANGELS, BOTH OF MIND AND BODY, ARE TURNED
TO THE LORD AS A SUN.
Angels have understanding and will, and they have a face and body. They
have also the interior things of the understanding and will, and of the
face and body. The interiors of the understanding and will are such as
pertain to their interior affection and thought; the interiors of the
face are the brains; and the interiors of the body are the viscera, chief
among which are the heart and lungs. In a word, angels have each and all
things that men on earth have; it is from these things that angels are
men. External form, apart from these internal things, does not make them
men, but external form together with, yea, from, internals - for otherwise
they would be only images of man, in which there would be no life, because
inwardly there would be no form of life.
136. It is well known that the will and understanding rule the body at
pleasure, for what the understanding thinks, the mouth speaks, and what
the will wills, the body does. From this it is plain that the body is a
form corresponding to the understanding and will. And because form also
is predicated of understanding and will, it is plain that the form of
the body corresponds to the form of the understanding and will. But this
is not the place to describe the nature of these respective forms. In
each form there are things innumerable; and these, in each of them, act
as one, because they mutually correspond. It is from this that the mind
(that is, the will and understanding) rules the body at its pleasure,
thus as entirely as it rules its own self. From all this it follows that
the interiors of the mind act as a one with the interiors of the body,
and the exteriors of the mind with the exteriors of the body. The
interiors of the mind, likewise the interiors of the body, will be
considered further on, when degrees of life have been treated of.
137. Since the interiors of the mind make one with the interiors of the
body, it follows that when the interiors of the mind turn themselves to
the Lord as a sun, those of the body turn themselves in like manner; and
because the exteriors of both, of mind as well as body, depend upon their
interiors, they also do the same. For what the external does, it does
from internals, the general deriving all it has from the particulars from
which it is. From this it is evident that as an angel turns his face and
body to the Lord as a sun, all the interiors of his mind and body are
turned in the same direction. It is the same with man, if he has the Lord
constantly before his eyes, which is the case if he is in love and wisdom.
He then looks to the Lord not only with eyes and face, but also with all
the mind and all the heart, that is, with all things of the will and
understanding, together with all things of the body.
138. This turning to the Lord is an actual turning, a kind of elevation;
for there is an uplifting into the heat and light of heaven, which takes
place by the opening of the interiors; when these are opened, love and
wisdom flow into the interiors of the mind, and the heat and light of
heaven into the interiors of the body. From this comes the uplifting,
like a rising out of a cloud into clear air, or out of air into ether.
Moreover, love and wisdom, with their heat and light, are the Lord with
man; and He, as was said before, turns man to Himself. It is the reverse
with those who are not in love and wisdom, and still more with those who
are opposed to love and wisdom. Their interiors, both of mind and body,
are closed; and when closed, the exteriors re-act against the Lord, for
such is their inherent nature. Consequently, such persons turn themselves
backward from the Lord; and turning oneself backward is turning to hell.
139. This actual turning to the Lord is from love together with Wisdom;
not from love alone, nor from wisdom alone; for love alone is like esse
[being] without its existere [taking form] since love has its form in
wisdom; and wisdom without love is like existere without its esse, since
wisdom has its form from love. Love is indeed possible without wisdom;
but such love is man's, and not the Lord's. Wisdom alone is possible
without love; but such wisdom, although from the Lord, has not the Lord
in it; for it is like the light of winter, which is from the sun; still
the sun's essence, which is heat, is not in it.
140. EVERY SPIRIT, WHATEVER HIS QUALITY, TURNS IN LIKE MANNER TO HIS
RULING LOVE.
It shall first be explained what a spirit is, and what an angel is. Every
man after death comes, in the first place, into the world of spirits,
which is midway between heaven and hell, and there passes through his own
times, that is, his own states, and becomes prepared, according to his
life, either for heaven or for hell. So long as one stays in that world
he is called a spirit. He who has been raised out of that world into
heaven is called an angel; but he who has been cast down into hell is
called either a satan or a devil. So long as these continue in the world
of spirits, he who is preparing for heaven is called an angelic spirit;
and he who is preparing for hell, an infernal spirit; meanwhile the
angelic spirit is conjoined with heaven, and the infernal spirit with
hell. All spirits in the world of spirits are adjoined to men; because
men, in respect to the interiors of their minds, are in like manner
between heaven and hell, and through these spirits they communicate with
heaven or with hell according to their life. It is to be observed that
the world of spirits is one thing, and the spiritual world another; the
world of spirits is that which has just been spoken of; but the spiritual
world includes that world, and heaven and hell.
141. Since the subject now under consideration is the turning of angels
and spirits to their own loves by reason of these loves, something shall
be said also about loves. The whole heaven is divided into societies
according to all the differences of loves; in like manner hell, and in
like manner the world of spirits. But heaven is divided into societies
according to the differences of heavenly loves; hell into societies
according to the differences of infernal loves; and the world of spirits,
according to the differences of loves both heavenly and infernal. There
are two loves which are the heads of all the rest, that is, to which all
other loves are referable; the love which is the head of all heavenly
loves, or to which they all relate, is love to the Lord; and the love
which is the head of all infernal loves, or to which they all relate, is
the love of rule springing from the love of self. These two loves are
diametrically opposed to each other.
142. Since these two loves, love to the Lord and love of rule springing
from love of self, are wholly opposed to each other, and since all who
are in love to the Lord turn to the Lord as a sun (as was shown in the
preceding article), it can be seen that all who are in the love of rule
springing from love of self, turn their backs to the Lord. They thus face
in opposite directions, because those who are in love to the Lord love
nothing more than to be led by the Lord, and will that the Lord alone
shall rule; while those who are in the love of rule springing from love
of self, love nothing more than to be led by themselves, and will that
themselves alone may rule. This is called a love of rule springing from
love of self, because there is a love of rule springing from a love of
performing uses, which is a spiritual love, because it makes one with
love towards the neighbor. Still this cannot be called a love of rule,
but a love of performing duties.
143. Every spirit, of whatever quality, turns to his own ruling love,
because love is the life of every one (as was shown in Part I., n. 1-3);
and life turns its receptacles, called members, organs, and viscera, thus
the whole man, to that society which is in a love similar to itself, thus
where its own love is.
144. Since the love of rule springing from love of self is wholly opposed
to love to the Lord, the spirits who are in that love of rule turn the
face backwards from the Lord, and therefore look with their eyes to the
western quarters of the spiritual world; and being thus bodily in a
reversed position, they have the east behind them, the north at their
right, and the south at their left. They have the east behind them because
they hate the Lord; they have the north at their right, because they love
fallacies and falsities therefrom; and they have the south at their left,
because they despise the light of wisdom. They may turn themselves round
and round, and yet all things which they see about them appear similar to
their love. All such are sensual-natural; and some are of such a nature
as to imagine that they alone live, looking upon others as images. They
believe themselves to be wise above all others, though in truth they are
insane.
145. In the spiritual world ways are seen, laid out like ways in the
natural world; some leading to heaven, and some to hell; but the ways
leading to hell are not visible to those going to heaven, nor are the
ways leading to heaven visible to those going to hell. There are countless
ways of this kind; for there are ways which lead to every society of
heaven and to every society of hell. Each spirit enters the way which
leads to the society of his own love, nor does he see the ways leading
in other directions. Thus it is that each spirit, as he turns himself to
his ruling love, goes forward in it.
146. DIVINE LOVE AND DIVINE WISDOM PROCEEDING FROM THE LORD AS A SUN AND
PRODUCING HEAT AND LIGHT IN HEAVEN, ARE THE PROCEEDING DIVINE, WHICH IS
THE HOLY SPIRIT.
In The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord it has been shown,
that God is one in person and essence in whom there is a trinity, and that
that God is the Lord; also, that the trinity in Him is called Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit; and that the Divine from which, (Creative Divine) is
called the Father; the Human Divine, the Son; and the proceeding Divine,
the Holy Spirit. This is called the "proceeding Divine," but no one knows
why it is called proceeding. This is not known, because until now it has
been unknown that the Lord appears before the angels as a sun, from which
sun proceeds heat which in its essence is Divine Love, and also light
which in its essence is Divine Wisdom. So long as these things were
unknown, it could not be known that the proceeding Divine is not a Divine
by itself; consequently the Athanasian doctrine of the trinity declares
that there is one person of the Father, another of the Son, and another
of the Holy Spirit. Now, however, when it is known that the Lord appears
as a sun, a correct idea may be had of the proceeding Divine, which is
called the Holy Spirit, that it is one with the Lord, but proceeds from
Him, as heat and light from a sun. For the same reason angels are in
Divine heat and Divine light just so far as they are in love and wisdom.
Without knowing that the Lord appears as a sun in the spiritual world,
and that His Divine thus proceeds, it can in no way be known what is meant
by "proceeding," whether it means simply communicating those things which
are the Father's and the Son's, or simply enlightening and teaching. But
inasmuch as it has been known that God is one, and that He is omnipresent,
it is not in accord with enlightened reason to recognize the proceeding
Divine as a Divine per se, and to call it God, and thus divide God.
147. It has been shown above that God is not in space, and that He is
thereby omnipresent; also that the Divine is the same everywhere, but
that there is an apparent variety of it in angels and men from variety
of reception. Now since the proceeding Divine from the Lord as a sun is
in light and heat, and light and heat flow first into universal recipients,
which in the world are called atmospheres, and these are the recipients
of clouds, it can be seen that according as the interiors pertaining to
the understanding of man or angel are veiled by such clouds, is he a
receptacle of the proceeding Divine. By clouds are meant spiritual clouds,
which are thoughts. These, if from truths, are in accordance, but if from
falsities, are at variance with Divine Wisdom; consequently, in the
spiritual world thoughts from truths, when presented to the sight, appear
as shining white clouds, but thoughts from falsities as black clouds. From
all this it can be seen that the proceeding Divine is indeed in every man,
but is variously veiled by each.
148. As the Divine Itself is present in angel and man by spiritual heat
and light, those who are in the truths of Divine Wisdom and in the goods
of Divine Love, when affected by these, and when from affection they think
from them and about them, are said to grow warm with God; and this
sometimes becomes so evident as to be perceived and felt, as when a
preacher speaks from zeal. These same are also said to be enlightened by
God, because the Lord, by His proceeding Divine, not only kindles the
will with spiritual heat, but also enlightens the understanding with
spiritual light.
149. From the following passages in the Word it is plain that the Holy
Spirit is the same as the Lord, and is truth itself, from which man has
enlightenment:
Jesus said, When the spirit of truth is come, He will guide you into
all truth; He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall
have heard, that shall He speak (John 16:13).
He shall glorify Me; for He shall receive of Mine, and shall show
it unto you (John 16:14, 15).
That He will be with the disciples and in them (John 14:17; 15:26).
Jesus said, The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and
they are life (John 6:63).
From these passages it is evident that the Truth itself which proceeds
from the Lord, is called the Holy Spirit; and because it is in light,
it enlightens.
150. Enlightenment, which is attributed to the Holy Spirit, is indeed
in man from the Lord, yet it is effected by spirits and angels as media.
But the nature of that mediation cannot yet be described; only it may be
said that angels and spirits can in no way enlighten man from themselves,
because they, in like manner as man, are enlightened by the Lord; and as
they are enlightened in like manner, it follows that all enlightenment is
from the Lord alone. It is effected by angels or spirits as media, because
the man when he is enlightened is placed in the midst of such angels and
spirits as, more than others, receive enlightenment from the Lord alone.
151. THE LORD CREATED THE UNIVERSE AND ALL THINGS OF IT BY MEANS OF THE
SUN WHICH IS THE FIRST PROCEEDING OF DIVINE LOVE AND DIVINE WISDOM.
By "the Lord" is meant God from eternity, that is, Jehovah: who is called
Father and Creator, because He is one with Him, as has been shown in The
Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord; consequently in the
following pages, where also creation is treated of, He is called the
Lord.
152. That all things in the universe were created by Divine Love and
Divine Wisdom was fully shown in Part I., (particularly in n. 52, 53);
here now it is to be shown that this was done by means of the sun, which
is the first proceeding of Divine Love and Divine Wisdom. No one who is
capable of seeing effects from causes, and afterwards by causes effects
in their order and sequence, can deny that the sun is the first of
creation, for all the things that are in its world have perpetual
existence from it; and because they have perpetual existence from it,
their existence was derived from it. The one involves and is proof of
the other; for all things are under the sun's view, since it is determined
that they should be, and to hold under its view is to determine
perpetually; therefore it is said that subsistence is perpetual existence.
If, moreover, any thing were to be withdrawn entirely from the sun's
influx through the atmospheres, it would instantly be dissipated; for
the atmospheres, which are purer and purer, and are rendered active in
power by the sun, hold all things in connection. Since, then, the
perpetual existence of the universe, and of every thing pertaining to it,
is from the sun, it is plain that the sun is the first of creation, from
which [is all else]. The sun is spoken of as creating, but this means the
Lord, by means of the sun; for the sun also was created by the Lord.
153. There are two suns through which all things were created by the Lord,
the sun of the spiritual world and the sun of the natural world. All
things were created by the Lord through the sun of the spiritual world,
but not through the sun of the natural world, since the latter is far
below the former; it is in middle distance; above it is the spiritual
world and below it is the natural world. This sun of the natural world
was created to render aid, as a kind of substitute; this aid will be
spoken of in what follows.
154. The universe and all things thereof were created by the Lord, the
sun of the spiritual world serving as a medium, because that sun is the
first proceeding of Divine Love and Divine Wisdom, and from Divine Love
and Divine Wisdom all things are (as was pointed out above, n. 52-82).
In every thing created, greatest as well as least, there are these three,
end, cause and effect. A created thing in which these three are not, is
impossible. In what is greatest, that is, in the universe, these three
exist in the following order; in the sun, which is the first proceeding
of Divine Love and Divine Wisdom, is the end of all things; in the
spiritual world are the causes of all things; in the natural world are
the effects of all things. How these three are in things first and in
things last shall be shown in what follows. Since, then, no created thing
is possible in which these three are not, it follows that the universe
and all things of it were created by the Lord through the sun, wherein
is the end of all things.
155. Creation itself cannot be brought within man's comprehension unless
space and time are removed from thought; but if these are removed, it can
be comprehended. Removing these if you can, or as much as you can, and
keeping the mind in ideas abstracted from space and time, you will
perceive that there is no difference between the maximum of space and
the minimum of space; and then you cannot but have a similar idea of the
creation of the universe as of the creation of the particulars therein;
you will also perceive that diversity in created things springs from
this, that there are infinite things in God-Man, consequently things
without limit in the sun which is the first proceeding from Him; these
countless things take form, as in an image, in the created universe. From
this it is that no one thing can anywhere be precisely the same as
another. From this comes that variety of all things which is presented to
sight, in the natural world, together with space, but in the spiritual
world with appearance of space; and it is a variety both of generals and
of particulars. These are the things that have been pointed out in PartI.,
where it is shown that in God-Man infinite things are one distinctly
(n. 17-22); that all things in the universe were created by Divine Love
and Divine Wisdom, (n. 52, 53); that all things in the created universe
are recipients of the Divine Love and of the Divine Wisdom of God-Man
(n. 54-60); that the Divine is not in space (n. 7-10); that the Divine
apart from space fills all spaces (n. 66 - 72); that the Divine is the
same in things greatest and least (n. 77-82).
156. The creation of the universe, and of all things of it, cannot be
said to have been wrought from space to space, or from time to time,
thus progressively and successively, but from eternity and from infinity;
not from eternity of time, because there is no such thing, but from
eternity not of time, for this is the same with the Divine; nor from
infinity of space, because again there is no such thing, but from infinity
not of space, which also is the same with the Divine. These things, I
know, transcend the ideas of thoughts that are in natural light, but they
do not transcend the ideas of thoughts that are in spiritual light, for
in these there is nothing of space and time. Neither do they wholly
transcend ideas that are in natural light; for when it is said that
infinity of space is not possible, this is affirmed by every one from
reason. It is the same with eternity, for this is infinity of time. If
you say "to eternity," it is comprehensible from time; but "from eternity"
is not comprehensible, unless time is removed.
157. THE SUN OF THE NATURAL WORLD IS PURE FIRE, CONSEQUENTLY DEAD; NATURE
ALSO IS DEAD, BECAUSE IT DERIVES ITS ORIGIN FROM THAT SUN.
Creation itself cannot be ascribed in the least to the sun of the natural
world, but must be wholly ascribed to the sun of the spiritual world;
because the sun of the natural world is altogether dead; but the sun of
the spiritual world is living; for it is the first proceeding of Divine
Love and Divine Wisdom; and what is dead does not act at all from itself,
but is acted upon; consequently to ascribe to it anything of creation
would be like ascribing the work of an artificer to the tool which is
moved by his hands. The sun of the natural world is pure fire from which
everything of life has been withdrawn; but the sun of the spiritual world
is fire in which is Divine Life. The angelic idea of the fire of the sun
of the natural world, and of the fire of the sun of the spiritual world,
is this; that in the fire of the sun of the spiritual world the Divine
Life is within, but in the fire of the sun of the natural world it is
without. From this it can be seen that the actuating power of the natural
sun is not from itself, but from a living force proceeding from the sun
of the spiritual world; consequently if the living force of that sun were
withdrawn or taken away, the natural sun would have no vital power. For
this reason the worship of the sun is the lowest of all the forms of
God-worship, for it is wholly dead, as the sun itself is, and therefore
in the Word it is called "abomination."
158. As the sun of the natural world is pure fire, and therefore dead,
the heat proceeding from it is also dead, likewise the light proceeding
from it is dead; so also are the atmospheres, which are called ether and
air, and which receive in their bosom and carry down the heat and light
of that sun; and as these are dead so are each and all things of the earth
which are beneath the atmospheres, and are called soils, yet these, one
and all, are encompassed by what is spiritual, proceeding and flowing
forth from the sun of the spiritual world. Unless they had been so
encompassed, the soils could not have been stirred into activity, and
have produced forms of uses, which are plants, nor forms of life, which
are animals; nor could have supplied the materials by which man begins
and continues to exist.
159. Now since nature begins from that sun, and all that springs forth
and continues to exist from it is called natural, it follows that nature,
with each and every thing pertaining thereto, is dead. It appears in man
and animal as if alive, because of the life which accompanies and actuates
it.
160. Since these lowest things of nature which form the lands are dead,
and are not changeable and varying according to states of affections and
thoughts, as in the spiritual world, but unchangeable and fixed, therefore
in nature there are spaces and spatial distances. There are such things,
because creation has there terminated, and abides at rest. From this it
is evident that spaces are a property of nature; and because in nature
spaces are not appearances of spaces according to states of life, as they
are in the spiritual world, these also may be called dead.
161. Since times in like manner are settled and constant, they also are
a property of nature; for the length of a day is constantly twenty-four
hours, and the length of a year is constantly three hundred and sixty-five
days and a quarter. The very states of light and shade, and of heat and
cold, which cause these periods to vary, are also regular in their return.
The states which recur daily are morning, noon, evening, and night; those
recurring yearly are spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Moreover, the
annual states modify regularly the daily states. All these states are
likewise dead because they are not states of life, as in the spiritual
world; for in the spiritual world there is continuous light and there
is continuous heat, the light corresponding to the state of wisdom, and
the heat to the state of love with the angels; consequently the states of
these are living.
162. From all this the folly of those who ascribe all things to nature can
be seen. Those who have confirmed themselves in favor of nature have
brought such a state on themselves that they are no longer willing to
raise the mind above nature; consequently their minds are shut above and
opened below. Man thus becomes sensual-natural, that is, spiritually dead;
and because he then thinks only from such things as he has imbibed from
his bodily senses, or through the senses from the world, he at heart even
denies God. Then because conjunction with heaven is broken, conjunction
with hell takes place, the capacity to think and will alone remaining; the
capacity to think, from rationality, and the capacity to will, from
freedom; these two capacities every man has from the Lord, nor are they
taken away. These two capacities devils have equally with angels; but
devils devote them to insane thinking and evil doing, and angels to
becoming wise and doing good.
163. WITHOUT A DOUBLE SUN, ONE LIVING AND THE OTHER DEAD, NO CREATION IS
POSSIBLE.
The universe in general is divided into two worlds, the spiritual and the
natural. In the spiritual world are angels and spirits, in the natural
world men. In external appearance these two worlds are entirely alike, so
alike that they cannot be distinguished; but as to internal appearance
they are entirely unlike. The men themselves in the spiritual world, who
(as was said above) are called angels and spirits, are spiritual, and,
being spiritual, they think spiritually and speak spiritually. But the
men of the natural world are natural, and therefore think naturally and
speak naturally; and spiritual thought and speech have nothing in common
with natural thought and speech. From this it is plain that these two
worlds, the spiritual and the natural, are entirely distinct from each
other, so that they can in no respect be together.
164. Now as these two worlds are so distinct, it is necessary that there
should be two suns, one from which all spiritual things are, and another
from which all natural things are. And as all spiritual things in their
origin are living, and all natural things from their origin are dead, and
these origins are suns, it follows that the one sun is living and the
other dead; also, that the dead sun itself was created by the Lord through
the living sun.
165. A dead sun was created to this end, that in outmosts all things may
be fixed, settled, and constant, and thus there may be forms of existence
which shall be permanent and durable. In this and in no other way is
creation founded. The terraqueous globe, in which, upon which, and about
which, things exist, is a kind of base and support; for it is the outmost
work [ultimum opus], in which all things terminate, and upon which they
rest. It is also a kind of matrix, out of which effects, which are ends
of creation, are produced, as will be shown in what follows.
166. That all things were created by the Lord through the living sun, and
nothing through the dead sun, can be seen from this, that what is living
disposes what is dead in obedience to itself, and forms it for uses, which
are its ends; but not the reverse. Only a person bereft of reason and who
is ignorant of what life is, can think that all things are from nature,
and that life even comes from nature. Nature cannot dispense life to
anything, since nature in itself is wholly inert. For what is dead to
act upon what is living, or for dead force to act upon living force, or,
what is the same, for the natural to act upon the spiritual, is entirely
contrary to order, therefore so to think is contrary to the light of
sound reason. What is dead, that is, the natural, may indeed in many ways
be perverted or changed by external accidents, but it cannot act upon life;
on the contrary life acts into it, according to the induced change of form.
It is the same with physical influx into the spiritual operations of the
soul; this, it is known, does not occur, for it is not possible.
167. THE END OF CREATION HAS FORM [existat] IN OUTMOSTS, WHICH END IS
THAT ALL THINGS MAY RETURN TO THE CREATOR AND THAT THERE MAY BE
CONJUNCTION.
In the first place, something shall be said about ends. There are three
things that follow in order, called first end, middle end, and last end;
they are also called end, cause, and effect. These three must be together
in every thing, that it may be anything. For a first end without a middle
end, and at the same time a last end, is impossible; or, what is the same,
an end alone, without a cause and an effect is impossible. Equally
impossible is a cause alone without an end from which and an effect in
which it is, or an effect alone, that is, an effect without its cause
and end. That this is so may be comprehended if it be observed that an
end without an effect, that is, separated from an effect, is a thing
without existence, and therefore a mere term. For in order that an end
may actually be an end it must be terminated, and it is terminated in its
effect, wherein it is first called an end because it is an end. It
appears as if the agent or the efficient exists by itself; but this so
appears from its being in the effect; but if separated from the effect
it would instantly vanish. From all this it is evident that these three,
end, cause, and effect, must be in every thing to make it anything.
168. It must be known further, that the end is everything in the cause,
and also everything in the effect; from this it is that end, cause, and
effect, are called first end, middle end, and last end. But that the end
may be everything in the cause, there must be something from the end [in
the cause] wherein the end shall be; and that the end may be everything
in the effect, there must be something from the end through the cause
[in the effect] wherein the end shall be. For the end cannot be in itself
alone, but it must be in something having existence from it, in which it
can dwell as to all that is its own, and by acting, come into effect,
until it has permanent existence. That in which it has permanent
existence is the last end, which is called effect.
169. These three, namely, end, cause, and effect, are in the created
universe, both in its greatest and least parts. They are in the greatest
and least parts of the created universe, because they are in God the
Creator, who is the Lord from eternity. But since He is Infinite, and
in the Infinite in finite things are one distinctly (as was shown above,
n. 17-22), therefore also these three in Him, and in His infinites, are
one distinctly. From this it is that the universe which was created from
His Esse, and which, regarded as to uses, is His image, possesses these
three in each and all of its parts.
170. The universal end, that is, the end of all things of creation, is
that there may be an eternal conjunction of the Creator with the created
universe; and this is not possible unless there are subjects wherein His
Divine can be as in Itself, thus in which it can dwell and abide. In
order that these subjects may be dwelling-places and mansions of Him,
they must be recipients of His love and wisdom as of themselves; such,
therefore, as will elevate themselves to the Creator as of themselves,
and conjoin themselves with Him. Without this ability to reciprocate no
conjunction is possible. These subjects are men, who are able as of
themselves to elevate and conjoin themselves. That men are such subjects,
and that they are recipients of the Divine as of themselves, has been
pointed out above many times. By means of this conjunction, the Lord is
present in every work created by Him; for everything has been created
for man as its end; consequently the uses of all created things ascend
by degrees from outmosts to man, and through man to God the Creator from
whom [are all things] (as was shown above, n. 65-68).
171. To this last end creation progresses continually, through these
three, namely, end, cause, and effect, because these three are in the
Lord the Creator (as was said just above); and the Divine apart from
space is in all space (n. 69-72); and is the same in things greatest
and least (77 - 82); from which it is evident that the created universe,
in its general progression to its last end, is relatively the middle end.
For out of the earth forms of uses are continually raised by the Lord the
Creator, in their order up to man, who as to his body is also from the
earth. Thereafter, man is elevated by the reception of love and wisdom
from the Lord; and for this reception of love and wisdom, all means are
provided; and he has been so made as to be able to receive, if he will.
From what has now been said it can be seen, though as yet only in a
general manner, that the end of creation takes form [existat] in outmost
things; which end is, that all things may return to the Creator, and that
there may be conjunction.
172. That these three, end, cause, and effect, are in each and every
thing created, can also be seen from this, that all effects, which are
called last ends, become anew first ends in uninterrupted succession
from the First, who is the Lord the Creator, even to the last end, which
is the conjunction of man with Him. That all last ends become anew first
ends is plain from this, that there can be nothing so inert and dead as
to have no efficient power in it. Even out of sand there is such an
exhalation as gives aid in producing, and therefore in effecting something.
173. PART THIRD.
IN THE SPIRITUAL WORLD THERE ARE ATMOSPHERES, WATERS AND LANDS, JUST AS
IN THE NATURAL WORLD; ONLY THE FORMER ARE SPIRITUAL, WHILE THE LATTER ARE
NATURAL.
It has been said in the preceding pages, and shown in the work Heaven
and Hell, that the spiritual world is like the natural world, with the
difference only that each and every thing of the spiritual world is
spiritual, and each and every thing of the natural world is natural. As
these two worlds are alike, there are in both, atmospheres, waters, and
lands, which are the generals through and from which each and all things
take their form [existunt] with infinite variety.
174. As regards the atmospheres, which are called ethers and airs, they
are alike in both worlds, the spiritual and the natural, with the
difference only that they are spiritual in the spiritual world, and
natural in the natural world. The former are spiritual, because they
have their form from the sun which is the first proceeding of the Divine
Love and Divine Wisdom of the Lord, and from Him receive within them the
Divine fire which is love, and the Divine light which is wisdom, and
carry these down to the heavens where the angels dwell, and cause the
presence of that sun there in things greatest and least. The spiritual
atmospheres are divided substances, that is, least forms, originating
from the sun. As these each singly receive the sun, its fire, distributed
among so many substances, that is, so many forms, and as it were enveloped
by them, and tempered by these envelopments, becomes heat, adapted finally
to the love of angels in heaven and of spirits under heaven. The same is
true of the light of that sun. In this the natural atmospheres are like
spiritual atmospheres, that they also are divided substances or least
forms originating from the sun of the natural world; these also each
singly receive the sun and store up its fire in themselves, and temper
it, and carry it down as heat to the earth, where men dwell. The same is
true of natural light.
175. The difference between spiritual and natural atmospheres is that
spiritual atmospheres are receptacles of Divine fire and Divine light,
thus of love and wisdom, for they contain these interiorly within them;
while natural atmospheres are receptacles, not of Divine fire and Divine
light, but of the fire and light of their own sun, which in itself is
dead, as was shown above; consequently there is nothing interiorly in
them from the sun of the spiritual world, although they are environed
by spiritual atmospheres from that sun. That this is the difference
between spiritual and natural atmospheres has been learned from the
wisdom of angels.
176. That there are atmospheres in the spiritual, just as in the natural
world, can be seen from this, that angels and spirits breathe, and also
speak and hear - just as men do in the natural world; and respiration,
speech, and hearing are all effected by means of a lowest atmosphere,
which is called air; it can be seen also from this, that angels and
spirits, like men in the natural world, have sight, and sight is possible
only by means of an atmosphere purer than air; also from this, that
angels and spirits, like men in the natural world, think and are moved
by affection, and thought and affection are not possible except by means
of still purer atmospheres; and finally from this, that all parts of the
bodies of angels and spirits, external as well as internal, are held
together in connection by atmospheres, the external by air and the
internal by ethers. Without the surrounding pressure and action of these
atmospheres the interior and exterior forms of the body would evidently
dissolve away. Since angels are spiritual, and each and all things of
their bodies are held together in connection, form, and order by means
of atmospheres, it follows that these atmospheres are spiritual; they
are spiritual, because they arise from the spiritual sun which is the
first proceeding of the Lord's Divine Love and Divine Wisdom.
177. That there are also waters and lands in the spiritual as well as in
the natural world, with the difference that these waters and lands are
spiritual, has been said above and has been shown in the work Heaven and
Hell; and because these are spiritual, they are moved and modified by
the heat and light of the spiritual sun, the atmospheres therefrom serving
as mediums, just as the waters and lands in the natural world are moved
and modified by the heat and light of the sun of their world, its
atmospheres serving as mediums.
178. Atmospheres, waters, and lands are here specified, because these
three are generals, through and from which each and all things have
their form [existunt] in infinite variety. The atmospheres are the
active forces, the waters are the mediate forces, and the lands are
the passive forces, from which all effects have existence. These three
forces are such in their series solely by virtue of life that proceeds
from the Lord as a sun, and that makes them active.
179. THERE ARE DEGREES OF LOVE AND WISDOM, CONSEQUENTLY DEGREES OF HEAT
AND LIGHT ALSO DEGREES, OF ATMOSPHERES.
The things which follow cannot be comprehended unless it be known that
there are degrees, also what they are, and what their nature is, because
in every created thing, thus in every form, there are degrees. This Part
of Angelic Wisdom will therefore treat of degrees. That there are degrees
of love and wisdom can be clearly seen from the fact that there are angels
of the three heavens. The angels of the third heaven so far excel the
angels of the second heaven in love and wisdom, and these, the angels
of the lowest heaven, that they cannot be together. The degrees of love
and wisdom distinguish and separate them. It is from this that angels of
the lower heavens cannot ascend to angels of higher heavens, or if allowed
to ascend, they do not see the higher angels or anything that is about
them. They do not see them because the love and wisdom of the higher
angels is of a higher degree, transcending the perception of the lower
angels. For each angel is his own love and his own wisdom; and love
together with wisdom in its form is a man, because God, who is Love
itself and Wisdom itself, is a Man. It has sometimes been permitted me
to see angels of the lowest heaven who have ascended to the angels of
the third heaven; and when they had made their way thither, I have heard
them complaining that they did not see any one, and all the while they
were in the midst of the higher angels. Afterwards they were instructed
that those angels were invisible to them because their love and wisdom
were imperceptible to them, and that love and wisdom are what make an
angel appear as a man.
180. That there must be degrees of love and wisdom is still more evident
when the love and wisdom of angels are compared with the love and wisdom
of men. It is well known that the wisdom of angels, when thus compared,
is ineffable; also it will be seen in what follows that to men who are
in natural love, this wisdom is incomprehensible. It appears ineffable
and incomprehensible because it is of a higher degree.
181. Since there are degrees of love and wisdom, there are also degrees
of heat and light. By heat and light are meant spiritual heat and light,
such as angels in the heavens have, and such as men have as to the
interiors of their minds; for men have a heat of love similar to that
of the angels, and a similar light of wisdom. In the heavens, such and
so much love as the angels have, such and so much is their heat; and
the same is true of their light as compared with their wisdom; the reason
is, that with them love is in the heat, and wisdom in the light (as was
shown above). It is the same with men on earth, with the difference,
however, that angels feel that heat and see that light, but men do not,
because they are in natural heat and light; and while they are in the
natural heat and light spiritual heat is not felt except by a certain
enjoyment of love, and spiritual light is not seen except by a perception
of truth. Now since man, so long as he is in natural heat and light,
knows nothing of the spiritual heat and light within him, and since
knowledge of these can be obtained only through experience from the
spiritual world, the heat and light in which the angels and their
heavens are, shall here be especially spoken of. From this and from
no other source can enlightenment on this subject be had.
182. But degrees of spiritual heat cannot be described from experience,
because love, to which spiritual heat corresponds, does not come thus
under ideas of thought; but degrees of spiritual light can be described,
because light pertains to thought, and therefore comes under ideas of
thought. Yet degrees of spiritual heat can be comprehended by their
relation to the degrees of light, for the two are in like degree. With
respect then to spiritual light in which angels are, it has been granted
me to see it with my eyes. With angels of the higher heavens, the light
is so glistening white as to be indescribable, even by comparison with
the shining whiteness of snow, and so glowing as to be indescribable
even by comparison with the beams of this world's sun. In a word, that
light exceeds a thousand times the noonday light upon earth. But the
light with angels of the lower heavens can be described in a measure
by comparisons, although it still exceeds the most intense light of
our world. The light of angels of the higher heavens is indescribable,
because their light makes one with their wisdom; and because their
wisdom, compared to the wisdom of men, is ineffable, thus also is their
light. From these few things it can be seen that there must be degrees
of light; and because wisdom and love are of like degrees, it follows
that there must be like degrees of heat.
183. Since atmospheres are the receptacles and containants of heat and
light, it follows that there are as many degrees of atmospheres as there
are degrees of heat and light; also that there are as many as there are
degrees of love and wisdom. That there are several atmospheres, and that
these are distinct from each other by means of degrees, has been
manifested to me by much experience in the spiritual world; especially
from this, that angels of the lower heavens are not able to breathe in
the region of higher angels, and appear to themselves to gasp for
breath, as living creatures do when they are raised out of air into
ether, or out of water into air. Moreover, spirits below the heavens
appear in a kind of cloud. That there are several atmospheres, and that
they are distinct from each other by means of degrees, may be seen
above (n. 176).
184. DEGREES ARE OF A TWOFOLD KIND, DEGREES OF HEIGHT AND DEGREES OF
BREADTH.
A knowledge of degrees is like a key to lay open the causes of things,
and to give entrance into them. Without this knowledge, scarcely
anything of cause can be known; for without it, the objects and
subjects of both worlds seem to have but a single meaning, as if there
were nothing in them beyond that which meets the eye; when yet compared
to the things which lie hidden within, what is thus seen is as one to
thousands, yea, to tens of thousands. The interiors which are not open
to view can in no way be discovered except through a knowledge of
degrees. For things exterior advance to things interior and through
these to things inmost, by means of degrees; not by continuous degrees
but by discrete degrees. "Continuous degrees" is a term applied to the
gradual lessenings or decreasings from grosser to finer, or from denser
to rarer; or rather, to growths and increasings from finer to grosser,
or from rarer to denser; precisely like the gradations of light to shade,
or of heat to cold. But discrete degrees are entirely different: they
are like things prior, subsequent and final; or like end, cause, and
effect. These degrees are called discrete, because the prior is by
itself; the subsequent by itself; and the final by itself; and yet
taken together they make one. There are atmospheres, from highest to
lowest, that is, from the sun to the earth, called ethers and airs that
are separated into such degrees; they are like simples, collections of
simples, and again collections of these, which taken together are called
a composite. Such degrees are discrete [or separate], because each has
a distinct existence, and these degrees are what are meant by "degrees
of height;" but the former degrees are continuous, because they increase
continuously and these degrees are what are meant by "degrees of breadth."
185. Each and all things that have existence in the spiritual world and
in the natural world, have conjoint existence from discrete degrees and
from continuous degrees together, that is, from degrees of height and
from degrees of breadth. The dimension which consists of discrete degrees
is called height, and the dimension that consists of continuous degrees
is called breadth; their position relatively to the sight of the eye does
not alter the designation. Without a knowledge of these degrees nothing
can be known of how the three heavens differ from each other; nor can
anything be known of the differences of love and wisdom of the angels
there; nor of the differences of heat and light in which they are; nor
of the differences of atmospheres which environ and contain these. Nor
without a knowledge of these degrees can anything be known of the
differences among the interior powers of the minds of men, thus nothing
of their state as regards reformation and regeneration; nor anything
of the differences among the exterior powers of the bodies both of angels
and men; and nothing whatever can be known of the distinction between
spiritual and natural, thus nothing of correspondence. Nor, indeed, can
anything be known of any difference between the life of men and that of
beasts, or between the more perfect and the less perfect animals; neither
of the differences among the forms of the vegetable kingdom, nor among
the matters of the mineral kingdom. From which it can be seen that they
who are ignorant of these degrees are unable to see causes from anything
of judgment; they see only effects, and from these judge of causes,
which is done for the most part by an induction that is continuous
with effects. But causes produce effects not continuously but discretely;
for cause is one thing, and effect is another. The difference between the
two is like the difference between prior and subsequent, or between that
which forms and that which is formed.
186. That it may be still better comprehended what discrete degrees are,
what their nature is, and how they differ from continuous degrees, the
angelic heavens may serve as an example. There are three heavens, and
these are separated by degrees of height; therefore the heavens are one
below another, nor do they communicate with each other except by influx,
which proceeds from the Lord through the heavens in their order to the
lowest; and not contrariwise. Each heaven by itself, however, is divided
not by degrees of height but by degrees of breadth. Those who are in the
middle, that is, at the center, are in the light of wisdom; but those
who are around about, even to the boundaries, are in the shade of wisdom.
Thus wisdom grows less and less even to ignorance, as light decreases to
shade, which takes place continuously. It is the same with men. The
interiors belonging to their minds are separated into as many degrees
as the angelic heavens; and these degrees are one above another;
therefore the interiors of men which belong to their minds are separated
by discrete degrees, that is, degrees of height. Consequently a man may
be in the lowest degree, then in a higher, and also in the highest
degree, according to the degree of his wisdom; moreover, when he is
in the lowest degree only, the higher degree is shut, - but is opened
as he receives wisdom from the Lord. There are also in a man, as in
heaven, continuous degrees, that is degrees of breadth. A man is like
the heavens because as regards the interiors of his mind, he is a heaven
in least form, in the measure in which he is in love and wisdom from the
Lord. That man as regards the interiors of his mind is a heaven in least
form may be seen in the work Heaven and Hell (n. 51-58.)
187. From all this it can be seen, that one who knows nothing about
discrete degrees, that is, degrees of height, can know nothing about the
state of man as regards his reformation and regeneration, which are
effected through the reception of love and wisdom of the Lord, and
then through the opening of the interior degrees of his mind in their
order. Nor can he know anything about influx from the Lord through the
heavens nor anything about the order into which he was created. For if
anyone thinks about these, not from discrete degrees or degrees of
height but from continuous degrees or degrees of breadth, he is not able
to perceive anything about them from causes, but only from effects; and
to see from effects only is to see from fallacies, from which come
errors, one after another; and these may be so multiplied by inductions
that at length enormous falsities are called truths.
188. I am not aware that anything has been known hitherto about discrete
degrees or degrees of height, only continuous degrees or degrees of
breadth have been known; yet nothing of the real truth about cause can
become known without a knowledge of degrees of both kinds. These degrees
therefore shall be treated of throughout this Part; for it is the object
of this little work to uncover causes, that effects may-be seen from
them, and thus the darkness may be dispelled in which the man of the
church is in respect to God and the Lord, and in respect to Divine things
in general which are called spiritual things. This I may mention, that
the angels are in grief for the darkness on the earth; saying that they
see light hardly anywhere, and that men eagerly lay hold of fallacies
and confirm them, thereby multiplying falsities upon falsities; and to
confirm fallacies men search out, by means of reasonings from falsities
and from truths falsified, such things as cannot be controverted, owing
to the darkness in respect to causes and the ignorance respecting truths.
The angels lament especially over confirmations respecting faith separate
from charity and justification thereby; also over men's ideas about God,
angels and spirits, and their ignorance of what love and wisdom are.
189. DEGREES OF HEIGHT ARE HOMOGENEOUS, AND ONE IS FROM THE OTHER IN
SUCCESSION LIKE END, CAUSE, AND EFFECT.
As degrees of breadth, that is continuous degrees, are like gradations
from light to shade, from heat to cold, from hard to soft, from dense
to rare, from thick to thin, and so forth; and as these degrees are
known from sensuous and ocular experience, while degrees of height, or
discrete degrees, are not, the latter kind shall be treated of especially
in this Part; for without a knowledge of these degrees, causes cannot be
seen. It is known indeed that end, cause, and effect follow in order,
like prior, subsequent, and final; also that the end begets the cause,
and, through the cause, the effect, that the end may have form; also about
these many other things are known; and yet to know these things, and not
to see them in their applications to existing things is simply to know
abstractions, which remain in the memory only so long as the mind is in
analytical ideas from metaphysical thought. From this it is that although
end, cause, and effect advance according to discrete degrees, little if
anything is known in the world about these degrees. For a mere knowledge
of abstractions is like an airy something which flies away; but when
abstractions are applied to such things as are in the world, they become
like what is seen with the eyes on earth, and remains in the memory.
190. All things which have existence in the world, of which threefold
dimension is predicated, that is, which are called compounds, consist
of degrees of height, that is, discrete degrees; as examples will make
clear. It is known from ocular experience, that every muscle in the human
body consists of minute fibers, and these put together into little bundles
form larger fibers, called motor fibers, and groups of these form the
compound called a muscle. It is the same with nerves; in these from minute
fibers larger fibers are compacted, which appear as filaments, and these
grouped together compose the nerve. The same is true of the rest of the
combinations, bundlings and groupings out of which the organs and viscera
are made up; for these are compositions of fibers and vessels variously
put together according to like degrees. It is the same also with each and
every thing of the vegetable and mineral kingdoms. In woods there are
combinations of filaments in threefold order. In metals and stones there
are groupings of parts, also in threefold order. From all this the
nature of discrete degrees can be seen, namely, that one is from the
other, and through the second there is a third which is called the
composite; and that each degree is discreted from the others.
191. From these examples a conclusion may be formed respecting those
things that are not visible to the eye, for with those it is the same;
for example, with the organic substances which are the receptacles and
abodes of thoughts and affections in the brains; with atmospheres; with
heat and light; and with love and wisdom. For atmospheres are receptacles
of heat and light; and heat and light are receptacles of love and wisdom;
consequently, as there are degrees of atmospheres, there are also like
degrees of heat and light, and of love and wisdom; for the same principle
applies to the latter as to the former.
192. That these degrees are homogeneous, that is, of the same character
and nature, appears from what has just been said. The motor fibers of
muscles, least, larger, and largest, are homogeneous. Woody filaments,
from the least to the composite formed of these, are homogeneous. So
likewise are parts of stones and metals of every kind. The organic
substances which are receptacles and abodes of thoughts and affections,
from the most simple to their general aggregate which is the brain, are
homogeneous. The atmospheres, from pure ether to air, are homogeneous.
The degrees of heat and light in series, following the degrees of
atmospheres, are homogeneous, therefore the degrees of love and wisdom
are also homogeneous. Things which are not of the same character and
nature are heterogeneous, and do not harmonize with things homogeneous;
thus they cannot form discrete degrees with them, but only with their
own, which are of the same character and nature and with which they are
homogeneous.
193. That these things in their order are like ends, causes, and effects,
is evident; for the first, which is the least, effectuates its cause by
means of the middle, and its effect by means of the last.
194. It should be known that each degree is made distinct from the others
by coverings of its own, and that all the degrees together are made
distinct by means of a general covering; also, that this general covering
communicates with interiors and inmosts in their order. From this there
is conjunction of all and unanimous action.
195. THE FIRST DEGREE IS THE ALL IN EVERYTHING OF THE SUBSEQUENT DEGREES.
This is because the degrees of each subject and of each thing are
homogeneous; and they are homogeneous because produced from the first
degree. For their formation is such that the first, by bundlings or
groupings, in a word, by aggregations of parts, produces the second,
and through this the third; and discretes each from the other by a
covering drawn around it; from which it is clear that the first degree
is chief and singly supreme in the subsequent degrees; consequently that
in all things of the subsequent degrees, the first is the all.
196. When it is said that degrees are such in respect to each other, the
meaning is that substances are such in their degrees. This manner of
speaking by degrees is abstract, that is, universal, which makes the
statement applicable to every subject or thing which is in degrees of
this kind.
197. This can be applied to all those things which have been enumerated
in the preceding chapter, to the muscles, the nerves, the matters and
parts of both the vegetable and mineral kingdoms, to the organic
substances that are the subjects of thoughts and affections in man, to
atmospheres, to heat and light, and to love and wisdom. In all these,
the first is singly supreme in the subsequent things; yea, it is the
sole thing in them, and because it is the sole thing in them, it is the
all in them. That this is so is clear also from these well-known truths;
that the end is the all of the cause, and through the cause is the all
of the effect; and thus end, cause, and effect are called first, middle,
and last end. Further, that the cause of the cause is also the cause of
the thing caused; and that there is nothing essential in causes except
the end, and nothing essential in movement excepting effort [conatus];
also, that the substance that is substance in itself is the sole substance.
198. From all this it can clearly be seen that the Divine, which is
substance in itself, that is, the one only and sole substance, is the
substance from which is each and every thing that has been created; thus
that God is the All in all things of the universe, according to what has
been shown in Part First, as follows. Divine Love and Divine Wisdom are
substance and form (n. 40-43); Divine Love and Divine Wisdom are
substance and form in itself, therefore the Very and the Only (n. 44-46);
all things in the universe were created by Divine Love and Divine Wisdom
(n. 52-60); consequently the created universe is His image (n. 61-65);
the Lord alone is heaven where angels are (n. 113-118).
199. ALL PERFECTIONS INCREASE AND ASCEND ALONG WITH DEGREES AND ACCORDING
TO THEM.
That degrees are of two kinds, degrees of breadth and degrees of height
has been shown above (n. 185-188); also that degrees of breadth are like
those of light verging to shade, or of wisdom verging to ignorance; but
that degrees of height are like end, cause and effect, or like prior,
subsequent and final. Of these latter degrees it is said that they ascend
or descend, for they are of height; but of the former that they increase
or decrease for they are of breadth. These two kinds of degrees differ so
much that they have nothing in common; they should therefore be perceived
as distinct, and by no means be confounded.
200. All perfections increase and ascend along with degrees and according
to them, because all predicates follow their subjects, and perfection and
imperfection are general predicates; for they are predicated of life, of
forces and of forms.
Perfection of life is perfection of love and wisdom; and because the will
and understanding are receptacles of love and wisdom, perfection of life
is also perfection of will and understanding, consequently of affections
and thoughts; and because spiritual heat is the containant of love, and
spiritual light is the containant of wisdom, perfection of these may also
be referred to perfection of life.
Perfection of forces is perfection of all things that are actuated and
moved by life, in which, however, there is no life. Atmospheres as to
their active powers are such forces; the interior and exterior organic
substances with man, and with animals of every kind, are such forces;
all things in the natural world that are endowed with active powers both
immediately and mediately from its sun are such forces.
Perfection of forms and perfection of forces make one, for as the forces
are, such are the forms; with the difference only, that forms are
substances but forces are their activities; therefore like degrees of
perfection belong to both. Forms that are not at the same time forces
are also perfect according to degrees.
201. The perfection of life, forces, and forms that increase or decrease
according to degrees of breadth, that is, continuous degrees, will not
be discussed here, because there is a knowledge of these degrees in the
world; but only the perfections of life, forces, and forms that ascend
or descend according to degrees of height, that is, discrete degrees;
because these degrees are not known in the world. Of the mode in which
perfections ascend and descend according to these degrees little can be
learned from things visible in the natural world, but this can be seen
clearly from things visible in the spiritual world. From things visible
in the natural world it is merely found that the more interiorly they
are looked into the more do wonders present themselves; as, for instance,
in the eyes, ears, tongue; in muscles, heart, lungs, liver, pancreas,
kidneys, and other viscera; also, in seeds, fruits and flowers; and in
metals, minerals and stones. That wonders increase in all these the more
interiorly they are looked into is well known; yet it has become little
known thereby that the objects are interiorly more perfect according to
degrees of height or discrete degrees. This has been concealed by
ignorance of these degrees. But since these degrees stand out
conspicuously in the spiritual world (for the whole of that world from
highest to lowest is distinctly discreted into these degrees), from that
world knowledge of these degrees can be drawn; and afterwards conclusions
may be drawn therefrom respecting the perfection of forces and forms that
are in similar degrees in the natural world.
202. In the spiritual world there are three heavens, arranged according
to degrees of height. In the highest heavens are angels superior in
every perfection to the angels in the middle heaven; and in the middle
heaven are angels superior in every perfection to the angels in the
lowest heaven. The degrees of perfections are such, that angels of the
lowest heaven cannot attain to the first threshold of the perfections
of the angels of the middle heaven, nor these to the first threshold of
the perfections of the angels of the highest heaven. This seems incredible,
yet it is a truth. The reason is that they are consociated according to
discrete, not according to continuous degrees. I have learned from
observation that the difference between the affections and thoughts,
and consequently the speech, of the angels of the higher and the lower
heavens, is such that they have nothing in common; and that communication
takes place only through correspondences, which have existence by
immediate influx of the Lord into all the heavens, and by mediate influx
through the highest heaven into the lowest. Such being the nature of
these differences, they cannot be expressed in natural language,
therefore not described; for the thoughts of angels, being spiritual,
do not fall into natural ideas. They can be expressed and described
only by angels themselves, in their own languages, words, and writings,
and not in those that are human. This is why it is said that in the
heavens unspeakable things are heard and seen. These differences may be
in some measure comprehended when it is known that the thoughts of
angels of the highest or third heaven are thoughts of ends; the thoughts
of angels of the middle or second heaven thoughts of causes, and the
thoughts of angels of the lowest or first heaven thoughts of effects.
It must be noted, that it is one thing to think from ends, and another
to think about ends; that it is one thing to think from causes, and
another to think about causes; and that it is one thing to think from
effects, and another to think about effects. Angels of the lower heavens
think about causes and about ends, but angels of the higher heavens
from causes and from ends; and to think from these is a mark of higher
wisdom, but to think about these is the mark of lower wisdom. To think
from ends is of wisdom, to think from causes is of intelligence, and to
think from effects is of knowledge. From all this it is clear that all
perfection ascends and descends along with degrees and according to them.
203. Since the interior things of man, which are of his will and
understanding, are like the heavens in respect to degrees (for man,
as to the interiors of his mind, is a heaven in least form), their
perfections also are like those of the heavens. But these perfections
are not apparent to any one so long as he lives in the world, because
he is then in the lowest degree; and from the lowest degree the higher
degrees cannot be known; but they are known after death, because man
then enters into that degree which corresponds to his love and wisdom,
for he then becomes an angel, and thinks and speaks things ineffable
to his natural man; for there is then an elevation of all things of
his mind, not in a single, but in a threefold ratio. Degrees of height
are in threefold ratio, but degrees of breadth are in single ratio. But
into degrees of height none ascend and are elevated except those who in
the world have been in truths, and have applied them to life.
204. It seems as if things prior must be less perfect than things
subsequent, that is, things simple than things composite; but things
prior out of which things subsequent are formed, that is, things simple
out of which things composite are formed, are the more perfect. The
reason is that the prior or the simpler are more naked and less covered
over with substances and matters devoid of life, and are, as it were,
more Divine, consequently nearer to the spiritual sun where the Lord
is; for perfection itself is in the Lord, and from Him in that sun which
is the first proceeding of His Divine Love and Divine Wisdom, and from
that in those things which come immediately after; and thus in order
down to things lowest, which are less perfect as they are farther removed.
Without such preeminent perfection in things prior and simple, neither
man nor any kind of animal could have come into existence from seed, and
afterwards continue to exist; nor could the seeds of trees and shrubs
vegetate and bear fruit. For the more prior anything prior is, or the
more simple anything simple is, the more exempt is it from injury,
because it is more perfect.
205. IN SUCCESSIVE ORDER THE FIRST DEGREE MAKES THE HIGHEST, AND THE
THIRD THE LOWEST; BUT IN SIMULTANEOUS ORDER THE FIRST DEGREE MAKES THE
INNERMOST, AND THE THIRD THE OUTERMOST.
There is successive order and simultaneous order. The successive order
of these degrees is from highest to lowest, or from top to bottom. The
angelic heavens are in this order; the third heaven there is the highest,
the second is the middle, and the first is the lowest; such is their
relative situation. In like successive order are the states of love and
wisdom with the angels there, also states of heat and light, and of the
spiritual atmospheres. In like order are all the perfections of the
forms and forces there. When degrees of height, that is, discrete degrees,
are in successive order, they may be compared to a column divided into
three stories, through which ascent and descent are made. In the upper
rooms are things most perfect and most beautiful; in the middle rooms,
things less perfect and beautiful; in the lowest, things still less
perfect and beautiful. But simultaneous order, which consists of like
degrees, has another appearance. In it, the highest things of successive
order, which are (as was said above) the most perfect and most beautiful,
are in the inmost, the lower things are in the middle, and the lowest in
the circumference. They are as if in a solid body composed of these three
degrees: in the middle or center are the finest parts, round about this
are parts less fine, and in the extremes which constitute the
circumference are the parts composed of these and which are therefore
grosser. It is like the column mentioned just above subsiding into a
plane, the highest part of which forms the innermost of the plane, the
middle forms the middle, and the lowest the outermost.
206. As the highest of successive order becomes the innermost of
simultaneous order, and the lowest becomes the outermost, so in the Word,
"higher" signifies inner, and "lower" signifies outer. "Upwards" and
"downwards," and "high" and "deep" have a like meaning.
207. In every outmost there are discrete degrees in simultaneous order.
The motor fibers in every muscle, the fibers in every nerve, also the
fibers and the little vessels in all viscera and organs, are in such
an order. Innermost in these are the most simple things, which are the
most perfect; the outermost is a composite of these. There is a like
order of these degrees in every seed and in every f
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