;=^i' m Ste^v \'-,i\>\\ ¦^ ¦ ¦•¦¦¦ -mm^rr- % -. --".i- I' iVn ".:¦¦¦" - ;'>,'5".-r{r:'. ':^^! ri^3?f:K- 0[ "I give tkeft ButlS fft' fie faundoig nf a. CeUtgt ttuih^ Cob/y" 'Y^ILE»¥IMII¥EI^SII'ir¥« From the Library of SIMEON E. BALDWIN, Y '61. Gift of his children HELEN BALD'WIN OILMAN ROGER SHERMAN BALDWIN, Y '90 1927 DIVINE PROVIDENCE ANGELIC V^ISDOM CONCERNING THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE BY EMANUEL SWEDENBORG First publishedin Latin, Amsterdam, 1764 Eottb esitton BOSTON AND NE'W YORK HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN AND COMPANY ^6j Bitier^iDe ^xtii, Cambri&oe CONTENTS No. The Divine Providence is the Government of the Lord's Divine Love and Wisdom 1-26 I. The universe with the things, each and all, belonging to it, has been created from the Divine Love by the Di vine 'Wisdom 3 II. The Divine Love and 'Wisdom proceed from the Lord as one 4 I. There cannot be a one without a form, but the form itself makes the one 4 2. The form malces a one the more perfectly, as the things entering into the form are individually dis tinct and yet united 4 III. This one is in a certain image in every created thing . . 5 IV. It is of the Divine Providence for every created thing, in general and in particular, to be such a one ; and if it is not, for it to be made so 7 V. The good of love is not good any further than it is united to the truth of wisdom ; and the truth of wisdom is not truth any further than it is united to the good of love 10 VI. The good of love not united to the truth of wisdom is not good in itself, but is apparent good ; and the truth of wisdom not united to the good of love is not truth in itself, but is apparent truth 14 VII. The Lord does not suffer any thing to be divided ; where fore it must either be in good and at the same time in truth, or it must be in evil ,and at the same time in fal sity 16 VIII. That which is in good and at the same time in truth, is something ; and that which is in evil and at the same time in falsity, is not any thing 19 IX. The Lord's Divine Providence causes evil and falsity that are together to serve for equilibrium, for relation, for purification, and thus for the conjunction of good and truth in others ai vi CONTENTS. Ka The Lord's Divine Providence has for its end a heaven FROM the human RACE 27-4S I. Heaven is conjunction with the Lord 28 II. Man is from creation such that he can be more and more closely conjoined with the Lord 32 I. How a man is more and more closely conjoined with the Lord 33 2. How that conjunction appears closer and closer . . 33 III. The more closely a man is conjoined with the Lord, the wiser he becomes 34 IV. The more closely a man is conjoined with the Lord, the happier he becomes . . 37 V. The more closely a man is conjoined with the Lord, the more distinctly he seems to himself as if he were his own [suus}, and the more clearly he recognizes that he is the Lord's ... . 42 The Lord's Divine Providence, in all that it does, re gards THE INFINITE AND THE ETERNAL 46-69 I. The Infinite in itself and Eternal in itself is the same as the Divine 48 II. Tbe Infinite and Eternal in itself cannot but regard what is infinite and eternal from itself in the finite . . -52 III. The Divine Providence, in all which it does, regards what is infinite and eternal from itself, especially in saving the human race 55 I. An image of the infinite and eternal in the variety of all things 56 2. An image of the infinite and eternal in the fructifica tion and multiplication of all things 56 IV. An image of the Infinite and Eternal is shown in the angelic heaven 60 V. To regard the Infinite and Eternal in forming the angelic heaven, that it may be before the Lord as one man, the image of Himself, is the inmost of the Divine Provi dence 64 There are Laws of the Divine Providence which are UNKNOWN to men 70 It is a Law of the Divine Providence that man should act FROM freedom according TO reason 71-99 I. Man has reason and freedom, or rationality and liberty, and these two faculties are from the Lord in man . . 73 CONTENTS. vii Na II. Whatever a man does from freedom, whether it be of reason or not, provided it is according to his reason, appears to him as his 74 III. Whatever a man does from freedom, according to his thought, is appropriated to him as his, and remains . 78 IV. By means of these two faculties man is reformed and re generated by the Lord; and he cannot be reformed and regenerated without them Si I. Man's first state, which is a state of damnation . . 83 2. Man's second state, which is the state of reforma tion 83 3. Man's third state, which is the state of regeneration 83 V. With these two faculties as the means, a man can be re formed and regenerated so far as by them he can be led to acknowledge that every thing good and true which he thinks and does, is from the Lord and not from himself 87 VI. The conjunction of the Lord with man, and the recipro cal conjunction of man with the Lord, is effected by means of these two faculties 92 VII. The Lord keeps these two faculties in man, unimpaired and as sacred, in all the course of His Divine Providence . 96 I. Without these two faculties man would not have a will and an understanding, and so would not be man 96 Z. Without these two faculties man would not have been able to be conjoined with the Lord, and so would not have been able to be reformed and re generated 96 3. Without these two faculties man would not have immortality and eternal life 96 VIII. Therefore it is of the Divine Providence that man should act from freedom according to reason 97 It is a Law of the Divine Providence that man should, AS from himself, remove evils as sins in the external man ; and thus, but not otherwise, the Lord can remove evils in the internal man, and then at the same time in the external 100-128 I. Every man has an external and an internal of thought . 103 II. The external of man's thought is in itself of the same quality as its internal 106 III. The internal cannot be cleansed from the lusts of evil as viii CONTENTS. No. long as the evils in the external man are not removed, because they obstruct '" IV. The evils in the external man cannot be removed by the Lord, except by means of the man 114 V. Therefore man ought, as from himself, to remove evils from the external man 118 VI. The Lord then cleanses man from the lusts of evil in the internal man, and from the evils themselves in the ex ternal ¦ 119 VII. The continual [working] of the Lord's Divine Provi dence is to conjoin man with Himself, and Himself with man, that He may be able to give him the happy things of eternal life ; which can be done only so far as evils with their lusts are removed 123 I. The Lord in no wise acts upon any particular in man, singly, without acting at the same time on all things belonging to him 124 2. The Lord acts from inmosts and from ultimates at the same time ... 124 It is a Law of THfe Divine Providence that man should not be compelled by external means to think and WILL, thus to believe AND LOVE, THE THINGS OF RELIGION; BUT THAT MAN SHOULD BRING HIMSELF TO IT, AND SOME TIMES COMPEL HIMSELF I29-I53 I. No man is reformed by miracles and signs, because they compel 130 II. No one is reformed by visions and by conversations with those who have died, because they compel .... 134 III. No one is reformed by threats and punishments, because they compel 136 I. The external cannot compel the internal, but the in ternal can compel the'external 136 2. The internal is so averse to compulsion by the ex ternal that it turns itself away 136 3. External enjoyments allure the internal to consent, and also to love . 136 4. There is a forced internal and a free internal . . . 136 IV No one is reformed in states that are not of rationality and liberty : — 138 t. In a state of fear, 139 2. In a state of misfortune, , . 140 3. In a state of disordered mind, 141 CONTENTS. Ix No 4. In a state of bodily disease, . ..... 142 5. In a state of ignorance, 143 6. In a state of blindness of the undei standing, . . . 144 V. It is not contrary to rationality and liberty to compel oneself 145 VI. The external man must be reformed by means of the in ternal, and not the reverse 150 It is A Law of the Divine Providence that man should BE LED and taught BY THE LoRD FROM HEAVEN, THROUGH THE Word, and doctrine and preaching from it, and THIS in all appearance AS BY HIMSELF I54-I74 I. Man is led and taught by the Lord alone 155 I. There is an only essence, an only substance, and an only form, from which are all the essences, sub stances, and forms that have been created . . . 157 2. That only essence, substance, and form, is the Di vine Love and Wisdom, from which are all things having relation to love and wisdom in man . . . 157 3. In like manner it is Good itself, and Truth itself, to which all things have relation 157 4. They are the life, from which are the life of all things and all things of life 157 5. This Only [from which all else is], and Itself [which alone is], is omnipresent, omniscient, and omni potent 157 6. This Only and Itself is the Lord from eternity or Jehovah 157 II. Man is led and taught by the Lord alone through the angelic heaven and from it 162 III. Man is led by the Lord by influx, and taught by enlight enment 165 IV. Man is taught by the Lord through the Word, and doc trine and preaching from it, and thus immediately from Him alone . . _ 171 I, The Lord is the Word, because it is from Him, and concerning Him 17* 2. The Lord is the Word, because it is the Divine Truth of the Divine Good .172 3. So to be taught from the Word is to be taught by the Lord Himself 17* 4. Its being done mediately through preaching does not take away the immediateness V/i A* X CONTENTS. Na V. Man is led and taught by the Lord in externals to all appearance as by himself . . I74 It is a Law of the Divine Providence that man should not have a perception and sense of any thing of the operation of the dlvine providence, but yet should know and acknowledge it i75-i90 I. If man had a perception and sense of the working of the Divine Providence, he would not act from freedom ac cording to reason ; nor would any thing appear to him as his. It would be the same if he foreknew events . . 176 II. If man clearly saw the Divine Providence he would intrude self in the order and tenor of its course, and pervert and destroy it 180 I. Externals are so connected with internals that they make one in every operation 180 2. If man were at the same time in the internals, he would pervert and destroy all the order and tenor of the Divine Providence 180 XII. If man clearly saw the Divine Providence, he would either deny God, or make himself to be God .... 182 IV. It is granted man to see the Divine Providence in the back and not in the face ; also, in a spiritual state, and not in his natural state . . 187 There is no such thing as one's own prudence; there ONLY appears TO BE; AND IT ALSO OUGHT TO APPEAR AS IF THERE WERE ; BUT THE DiVINE PROVIDENCE IS UNrVER- SAL FROM BEING IN THINGS MOST PARTICULAR, SEVERALLY 191-213 I. All man's thoughts are from the affections of his life's love ; and there are no thoughts whatever, nor can there be, apart from them 193 II. The affections of a man's life's love are known to the Lord alone 197 III. The Lord by His Divine Providence leads the affections of a man's life's love, and at the same time also the thoughts from which is human prudence 200 IV. The Lord by His Divine Providence gathers the affec tions [of the whole human race] into one form, which is the human 201 V. Heaven and hell are in such form 204 VI. They who have acknowledged nature alone, and human prudence alone, make hell ; and they who have ac- CONTENTS. xi No. knowledged God and His Divine Providence, make heaven ... 205 I. Whence and what man's own prudence is ... 206 2. Whence and what the Divine Providence is . . ,, 207 3. Who and of what quality are those of each class . 208 VII. All these things cannot be done without its appearing to man that he thinks from himself and makes disposition from himself 210 The Divine Providence regards eternal things, and TEMPORAL things SO FAR ONLY AS THEY ACCORD WITH THE ETERNAL 214-22O I. Temporal things relate to dignities and riches, thus to honors and possessions, in the world 215 I. What dignities and riches are, and whence they are 215 2. Of what quality is the love of dignities and riches for their own sake ; and of what quality is the love of dignities and riches for the sake of uses . 215 3. These two loves are distinct from each other, like hell and heaven 21 j 4. The difference between these loves is with difficulty known by man 215 II. Eternal things relate to spiritual honors and wealth, which are of love and wisdom, in heaven 216 I. Honors and wealth are blessings, and they are curses 217 2. Dignities and wealth, when they are blessings, are spiritual and eternal ; and, when curses, are tem poral and perishable 217 3. The dignities and wealth which are curses, compared with those which are blessings, are as nothing to every thing ; or as that which in itself is not, to that which in itself is 217 III. By man, things temporal and eternal are separated ; but they are conjoined by the Lord 218 I. What temporal things are, and what eternal things 219 2. Man is in himself temporal, and the Lord is in Him self eternal ; and therefore from man can proceed only what is temporal, and from the Lord only what is eternal 219 3. Temporal things separate from themselves the eter nal, and things eternal conjoin the temporal to themselves 219 4. The Lord conjoins man with Himself by appearances 219 XII CONTENTS. No. 5. The Lord conjoins man with Himself by correspond ences 219 IV. The conjunction of things temporal and eteriial in man is the Lord's Divine Providence 220 I. Itis from the Divine Providence that man by death puts off natural and temporal things, and puts on spiritual and eternal 220 2. The Lord by His Divine Providence conjoins Him self with natural things by spiritual, and with tem poral by eternal things, according to uses . . . 220 3. The Lord conjoins Himself with uses by corre spondences, and thus by appearances according to the confirmations of them by man 22t 4. Such conjunction of temporal and eternal things is the Divine Providence . . 220 Man is not admitted interiorly into the truths of faith and into the goods of charity, except so far as he can be KEPT IN THEM EVEN TO THE END OF LIFE 22I-233 I. A man can be admitted into the wisdom of spiritual things, and also into a love of them, and still not be reformed 222 II. If a man afterwards recedes from them, and goes away into what is contrary, he profanes holy things . . . 226 I . Whatever man thinks, says, and does from the will, whether good or evil, is appropriated to him and remains 227 2. But the Lord by His Divine Providence continually watches and disposes things so that evil may be by itself, and good by itself, and thus that they may be separated 227 3. But this cannot be done if man first acknowledges truths of faith and lives according to them, and afterwards falls back and denies them .... 2^7 4. He then commingles good and evil even so that they cannot be separated 227 5. As the good and the evil in every human being must be separated, and in such a one cannot be, he is therefore destroyed as to all that is truly human . 227 III There are many other kinds of profanation of what is holy, but this is the worst of all 229 I. The first kind of profanation is committed by those who make jests from the Word, and about it, or CONTENTS. xiii No from the Divine things of the church and about them 231 2. A second kind of profanation is committed by those who understand and acknowledge Divine 'Tiuths, and still live contrary to them 231 3. A third kind of profanation is committed by those who apply the literal sense of the Word to the confirmation of evil loves aind false principles . . 231 4. A fourth kind of profanation is committed by those who with the mouth say pious and holy things, and also simulate the affections of the love of them in tone and in gesture, and yet in heart do not be lieve and love them 231 5. A fifth kind of profanation is committed by those who attribute to themselves what is Divine . . 231 6. A sixth kind of profanation is committed by those who acknowledge the Word, and still deny the Divinity of the Lord 231 7. The seventh kind of profanation is committed by those who first acknowledge Divine truths, and live according to them, and afterwards fall back and deny them 231 IV. Therefore the Lord does not admit man interiorly into the truths of wisdom and at the same time into the goods of love, except so far as man can be Icept in them even to the end of life 232 I. Good and evil cannot be in man's interiors together, nor, therefore, the falsity of evil and the truth of good together 233 2. Good and the truth of good cannot be brought by the Lord into man's interiors, except so far as evil and the falsity of evil have been there removed . 233 3. If good with its truth were brought in sooner or more than as evil with its falsity is removed, man wouKl fall back from good and return to his evil . . . 233 4. When man is in evil, many truths may be brought into his understanding, and these may be stored in the memory, and yet not be profaned 233 5. But the Lord by His Providence is most especially watchful that there shall not be reception there from by the will, sooner or more than man as from himself removes the evil in the external man . . 233 6. If there were reception sooner and. more, then the XIV CONTENTS No. will would adulterate good and the understanding would falsify truth by commingling them with evils and the falsities from them ... . • • ' 3.1 7. Therefore the Lord does not admit man interiorly into the truths of wisdom, and into the goods or love, except so far as he can be kept in them even to the end of life ^33 The Laws of Permission are also Laws op the Divine Providence 234-274 Some things explained which are things of permission, and still according to the laws of the Divine Providence, by which the merely natural man confirms himself in favor of nature against God, and in favor of human prudence against the Divine Providence (see n. 236- 240) : — I. The wisest of mankind, Adam and his wife, suffered themselves to be seduced by a serpent, and God did not avert this by His Divine Providence 241 II. Their first son Cain killed his brother Abel, and God did not then withhold him by speaking with him, but only after the deed by cursing him . 242 III. The Israelitish nation worshipped a golden calf in the wilderness, and acknowledged it as God Who led them out of the land of Egypt ; when yet Jehovah saw this from Mount Sinai near by, and did not take precautions against it ... 243 IV. David numbered the people, and therefore a plague was sent upon them, by which so many thousands of men perished ; and God, not before but after the deed, sent Gad the prophet to him, and denounced punishment . 244 V. Solomon was permitted to establish idolatrous worship . 245 VI. Many Icings after Solomon were permitted to profane the temple and the holy things of the church 246 VII. That nation was permitted to crucify the Lord . . . 247 And further : — I. Every worshipper of himself and of nature confirms him self against the Divine Providence when he sees in the world so many impious people, and so many of their impieties, and at the same time the glorying of some in them, and yet no punishment of them from God . . . 24Q And the worshipper of himself and of nature confirms himself still more against the Divine Providence, when CONTENTS. XV No. he sees that plots, devices, and craft are successful even against the pious, just, and sincere ; and that in justice triumphs over justice in the courts and in busi ness 249 H. The worshipper of himself and of nature confirms himself against the Divine Providence, when he sees the im pious exalted to honors, and becoming great men and leaders, also abounding in wealth, and living in elegance and magnificence, and sees the worshippers of God in contempt and poverty 250 III. The worshipper of himself and of nature confirms himself against the Divine Providence, when he reflects that wars are permitted, and in them the slaughter of so many men, and the plundering of their wealth . . . 251 IV. The worshipper of himself and of nature confirms himself against the Divine Providence, when, according to his perception, he reflects that victories are on the side of prudence, and sometimes not on that of justice ; and that it makes no difference whether the commander is an upright man or not . . 252 Still further : — I. The merely natural man confirms himself against the Di vine Providence, when he views the matters of religion in various nations ; as that some people are found who are totally ignorant of God ; some who worship the sun and moon ; some who worship idols and graven images 254 II. The merely natural mar. confirms himself against the Divine Providence when he sees the Mohammedan re ligious system received by so many empires and king doms 25s III. The merely natural man confirms himself against the Divine Providence when he sees that the Christian re ligion is only in the smaller division of the habitable globe called Europe, and that it is divided there . . . 25G IV. The merely natural man confirms himself against the Divine Providence from the fact, that in most of the kingdoms where the Christian religion is received, there are some who claim for themselves Divine power, and wish to be worshipped as gods ; and that they in voke the dead ZSt V. The merely natural man confirms himself against the Divine Providence from the fact, that among those who XVI CONTENTS. No profess the Christian religion, there are some who place salvation in certain words which they may think of and say, and none in the goods that they may do . 258 VI. The merely natural man confirms himself against the Divine Providence from the fact, that there have been and still are so many heresies in the Christian world, as Quakerism, Moravianism, Anabaptism, and more besides 259 vn. The merely natural man confirms himself against the Divine Providence from the fact that Judaism still con tinues 200 And once more : — I. A doubt may be inferred against fhe Divine Providence from the fact, that the whole Christian world worships one God under three Persons, which is to worship three Gods ; and that hitherto it has not known that God is one in Person and Essence, in Whom is a Trinity, and that the Lord is that God 262 II. A doubt may be inferred against the Divine Providence from the fact, that hitherto men have not known that in the particulars of the Word there is a spiritual sense, and that the holiness of the Word is therefrom . . . 264 I. The spiritual sense of the Word was not revealed before, because if it had been, the church would have profaned it, and would thereby have profaned the very holiness of the Word 264 2. Neither were genuine truths, in wliich is the spirit ual sense of the Word, revealed by the Lord until after the last judgment was accomplished, and the new church which is meant by the Holy Jerusalem was about to be established by the Lord , . . . 264 III. A doubt may be inferred against the Divine Providence from the fact, that hitherto men have not known that to shun evils as sins is the Christian religion itself . . 265 IV. A doubt may be inferred against the Divine Providence t from the fact, that men have hitherto not known that man lives a man after death ; and that this has not been disclosed before 274 Evils are permitted for the sake of the end, which is salvation 275-284 I. Every man is in evil, and must be led away from evil in order to be reformed . ™, CONTENTS. xvii No. II. Evils cannot be removed unless they appear 278 I. Of those who confess themselves guilty of all sins, and do'not search out any one sin in themselves . 278 2. Of those who from religion omit the search . . . 278 3. Of those who on account of worldly matters think nothing about sins, and therefore do not know them 278 4. Of those who favor sins, and therefore cannot know them 278 5. With these, sins do not appear, and therefore cannot be removed 278 6. The cause, hitherto hidden, why evils cannot be removed without the examination, appearance, acknowledgment, confession, and resistance of them 278 III So far as evils are removed, they are remitted .... 279 I. It is an error of the age to believe that evils have been separated, and even cast out, when they have been remitted 279 2. It is an error of the age to believe that the state of man's life can be changed in a moment, and so that man from being evil can become good, consequently can be led out of hell, and transferred straightway into heaven, and this from the Lord's immediate mercy 279 3. They who so believe do not know at all what evil is and what good is 279 4. They who believe in instantaneous salvatipn and immediate mercy do not know that affections, which belong to the will, are mere changes of the state of the purely organic substances of the mind ; and that thoughts, which belong to the understanding, are mere changes and variations of the form of those substances ; and that memory is the per manent state of these changes and variations . . 279 IV. The permission of evil is thus for the sake of the end, that there may be salvation 281 The DrviNE Providence is equally with the evil and the good 285-307 I. The Divine Providence, not only with the good but also with the evil, is universal in the most minute particulars severally ; and still it is not in their evils . . 287 xviii CONTENTS. No, Certain ones, convinced that no one thinks from him self, but from influx through heaven from the Lord, said, — I. That thus they would not be to blame for doing evil 294 2. That thus it seems that evil is from the Lord . . . 294 3. That they do not comprehend that the Lord alone . can cause all to think in such different ways . . 294 II. The evil are continually leading themselves into evils, but the Lord is continually leading them away from evils 29s I. In every evil there are things innumerable .... 296 2. An evil man from himself continually leads himself deeper into his evils • 296 3. The Divine Providence with the evil is a continual permission of evil, to the end that there may be a continual withdrawal from it 296 4. The withdrawal from evil is effected by the Lord in a thousand ways, even the most secret .... 296 IIL The evil cannot be wholly led by the Lord away from evil and into good, so long as they believe their own intelligence to be all, and the Divine Providence nothing 297 I. One's own intelligence, when the will is in evil, sees nothing but falsity, and does not desire nor is it able to see any thing else 298 2. If one's own intelligence then sees truth, it either turns itself away, or it falsifies the truth .... 298 3. The Divine Providence continually causes man to see truth, and also gives an affection for per ceiving it and for receiving it 29S 4. Man is thereby withdrawn from evil, not by himself but by the Lord 298 IV. The Lord governs hell by opposites ; and the evil who are in the world He governs in hell as to interiors, and not as to exteriors 299 The Divine Providence appropriates neither evil nor good to any one, but man's own prudence appropriates BOTH 308-321 I. What one's own prudence is, and what prudence not one's own is 3x0 II. Man from his own prudence persuades himself and con firms in himself that all good and truth are from him- CONTENTS. XIX Na self and in himself ; in like manner all evil and fal sity 31? IIL Every thing of which man has persuaded himself and which he has confirmed in himself, remains in him as his own 317 I. Every thing whatever can be confirmed, and falsity more than the truth 318 2. When falsity has been confirmed, truth does not ap pear ; but from confirmed truth, falsity becomes apparent .... 318 3. Ability to confirm whatever one pleases is not intelli gence, but only ingenuity, which may be even in the worst of men 318 4. There is confirmation that is intellectual and not at the same time voluntary, but all voluntary confir mation is also intellectual . 318 5. The confirmation of evil that is voluntary and at the same time intellectual, causes man to believe that his own prudence is all, and the Divine Providence nothing ; not so, intellectual confirmation alone . 318 6. Every thing confirmed by the will and at the same time from the understanding, remains for ever; but not that which has been confirmed by the un derstanding only 318 IV. If man believed, as is the truth, that all good and truth are from the Lord, and all evil and falsity from hell, he would not appropriate good to himself and make it meritorious, nor appropriate evil to himself and make himself guilty of it 320 I. He who confirms in himself the appearance that wis dom and prudence are from man and in man as his, cannot see but that otherwise he would not be a man, but a beast, or a statue ; when yet the con trary is the case 321 2. To believe and think, as is the truth, that all good and truth are from the Lord, and all evil and fal sity from hell, appears like an impossibility ; when yet it is truly human, and thus angelic 321 3. So to believe and think, is impossible to those who do not acknowledge the Divine of the Lord, and who do not acknowledge that evils are sins ; but is possible to those who are in these two acknowl edgments . , 321 XX CONTENTS. No, 4. They who are in these two acknowledgments only reflect upon the evils within them, and cast them back from themselves to hell, from whence, they are, as far as they shun them and are averse to them as sins 32' 5. Thus the Divine Providence does not appropriate evil to any one, nor good to any one, but his own prudence appropriates both 321 Every man can be reformed, and there is no predestina tion 322-330 L The end of creation is a heaven from the human race . 323 I. Every man has been cheated that he may live for ever 324 2. Every man has been created that he may live for ever in a blessed state 324 3. Thus every man has been created that he may come into heaven 324 4. The Divine Love cannot but will this, and the Di vine Wisdom cannot but provide it 324 II. Hence it is from the Divine Providence that every man can be saved ; and they are saved who acknowledge God and live well 325 1. The acknowledgment of God makes a conjunction of God with man, and of man with God ; and the denial of God makes separation 326 2. Every one acknowledges God and is conjoined with Him according to the good of his life 326 3. Good of life, or to live well, is to shun evils because they are against religion, thus against God . . . 326 4. These are the general principles of all religions, by which every one can be saved 326 III. Man himself is in fault if he is not saved 327 I. In process of time every religion decreases and is consummated 328 2. Every religion decreases and is consummated by the inversion of God's image in man 328 3. This comes to pass from the continual increase of hereditary evil in successive generations .... 328 4. Still it is provided by the Lord that every one can be saved 328 5. It is provided also that a new church should succeed in place of the former Jt Tastated church . . . 328 CONTENTS. XXI No. IV. Thus all have been predestined to heaven, and no one to hell 329 I. Any predestination except to heaven is contrary to the Divine Love, which is infinite 330 2. Any predestination except to heaven is contiary to the Divine Wisdom, which is infinite 330 3. That only those born within the church are saved, is an insane heresy 330 4. That any of the human race have been damned from predestination, is a cruel heresy • 330 The Lord cannot act contrary to the laws of the Di vine Providence, because to act contrary to them would be to act contrary to His Divine Love and con trary TO His Divine Wisdom, thus contrary to Him self 331-340 I. The operation of the Divine Providence to save man be gins at his birth, and continues even to the end of his life, and afterward for ever 332 II. The operation of the Divine Providence continually goes on by means, from pure mercy 335 III. Instantaneous salvation from immediate mercy is not pos sible 338 I, The belief concerning instantaneous salvation from immediate mercy has been taken from man's nat ural state 338 2. This belief is from ignorance of the spiritual state, which is altogether different from the natural . . 338 3. The doctrines of the churches in the Christian world, viewed interiorly, are opposed to instantaneous salvation from immediate mercy ; but still the ex ternal men of the church establish it 338 IV. Instantaneous salvation from immediate mercy is the fiery flying serpent in the church 340 I. Religion is abolished thereby 340 2. By a belief in instantaneous salvation from pure mercy and it alone, a security of life is induced . 340 3. By that belief damnation is attributed to the Lord . 340 ANGELIC WISDOM concerning THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE. THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE IS THE GOVERNMENT OF THE LORD'S DIVINE LOVE AND WISDOM. I. In order to understand what the Divine Providence is, and that it is the Government of the Lord's Div.ine Love and 'Wisdom, it is important to know the things con cerning the Divine Love and Wisdom that have already been said and shown in the treatise upon them. They are these : In the Lord the Divine Love is of the Divine Wisdom, and the Divine Wisdom is of the Divine Love (n. 34-39). The Divine Love and Divine Wisdom must needs be and exist in others, created by them (n. 47-51). All things of the universe have been created by the Divine Love and Wisdom (n. 52, 53, 151-156). All things of the universe are recipients of the Divine Love and Wisdom (n. 55-60). The Lord appears before the angels as a Sun ; the heat thence proceeding is love, and the light thence proceeding is wisdom (n. 83-88, 89-92, 93-98, 296-301). The Divine Love and Wisdom which proceed from the Lord make one (n. 99-102). The Lord from eternity, who is Jehovah, created the universe and all things thereof from Himself, and not from nothing (n. 282-284, 290-295). These things are in the treatise entitled " Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and Wisdom." 2. From these things, when compared with the things concerning Creation presented in the same treatise, it may 2 ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING [No. 3. indeed be evident that the Government of the Lord's Divine Love and Wisdom is what is called the Divine Providence ; but as creation was there treated of, and not the preservation of the state of things after creation, which is the Lord's government, therefore this is now to be treated of. But the present article will treat of the preservation of the union of Divine Love and Wisdom, or of Divine Good and Truth, in the things which are created ; and of these things we are to speak in the following order : I. The uni verse with the things, each and all, belonging to it has been created from the Divine Love by the Divine Wisdom. II. The Divine Love and Wisdom proceed from the Lord as one. III. This one is in a certain image in every created thing. IV. It is of the Divine Providence for every created thing, in general and in particular, to be such a one ; and if it is not, for it to be made so. V. The good of love is not good any further than it is united to the truth of wis dom ; and the truth of wisdom is not truth any further than it is united to the good of love. VI. The good of love not united to the truth of wisdom is not good in itself, but is apparent good ; and the truth of wisdom not united to the good of love is not truth in itself, but is apparent truth. VII. The Lord does not suffer any thing to be divided ; wherefore it must either be in good and truth together, or it must be in evil and falsity together. VIII. That which is in good and truth together is something ; and that which is in evil and falsity together is nQt any thing. IX. The Lord's Divine Providence causes evil and falsity that are together to serve for equilibrium, for relation, and for puri fication ; and thus for the conjunction of good and trutli in others. 3. I. The universe with the things, each and all, belonging to it has been created frorn the- Divine Love by the Divine Wisdom. It has been shown in the treatise concerning the " Divine Love and Wisdom," that the Lord from eternity, who is Jehovah, is, as to essence, Divine Love and Wisdom, No. 3.] THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE. 3 and that He has created the universe and all things of it from Himself. It follows from this, that the universe with the things, each and all, belonging to it has been created from the Divine Love by the Divine Wisdom. In the same treatise it was also shown that love without wisdom cannot do any thing, nor can wisdom do any thing without love. For love without wisdom, or will without understanding, can not think any thing, nor yet can it see and feel any thing, nor can it say any thing ; therefore love without wisdom, or will without understanding, cannot do any thing. In like manner wisdom without love, or understanding with out will, cannot think any thing, nor can it see and feel any thing, nor yet can it say any thing ; therefore wisdom with out love, or understanding without will, cannot do any thing ; for if love is taken away, there is no longer any willing, and so there is no acting. Since it is so with a man when he is doing any thing, much more was it so with God, who is Love itself and Wisdom itself, when He created and made the universe and all things thereof. That the uni verse with the things, each and all, belonging to it has been created from the Divine Love by the Divine Wisdom may be proved from all things submitted to the sight in the world. Only take a particular object, and examine it with some wisdom, and you will be convinced. Take a tree, 01 its seed, its fruit, its flower, or its leaf, gather the wisdom that is in you, view the object with a good microscope, and you will see wonderful things ; and the interiors, which you do not see, are more wonderful still. Mark the order in its progression ; how the tree grows from the seed even till new seed is produced ; and consider whether at every suc cessive stage there is not a continual endeavor to propa gate itself further ; for the last thing to which it is tending is seed, in which is its prolific principle anew. If then you wish to think spiritually also, and you can do this if you desire, will you not see wisdom here ? And if you are will ing to go far enough in spiritual thought, will you not further 4 ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING [No. + see that this is not from the seed, nor from the sun of liie world, which is pure fire, but that it is in the seed from God the Creator, whose wisdom is infinite ? And that it not only was in the seed at creation, but is continually in it afterwards? — for upholding is perpetual creation, as subsistence is perpetual existence. This is just as if you should take away will from action ; the work then stops : if from speech you take away thought, speech stops; or if from motion you take away effort, motion stops ; in a word, if from an effect you take away the cause, the effect per ishes ; and so on. Every such created thing is gifted with power ; but power acts not from itself, but from him who gave the power. Subject any thing else on earth to observa tion, as the silkworm, the bee, or some other little object of the animal kingdom ; look at it first naturally, afterwards rationally, and at length spiritually : then, if you can think deeply, you will be astonished at all things ; and if you let wisdom speak within you, you will say in amazement, " Who does not see the Divine in these things ? All things are of the Divine Wisdom." Still more will this be so, if you look to the uses of all created things, seeing how they follow on in their order even to man, and from man to the Creator from whom they are ; seeing, too, that upon the conjunction of the Creator with man the connection of all things is dependent ; and, if you are willing to acknowledge it, the preservation of all things. In what follows it will be seen that the Divine Love created all things, but nothing without the Divine Wisdom. 4. II. The Divine Love and Wisdom proceed from the Lord as one. This, also, is manifest from what was shown in the treatise concerning the " Divine Love and Wisdom," especially from these things there : Esse and Existere [to be and to exist'] are in the Lord distinctly one (n. 14-17). In the Lord infinite things are distinctly one (n. 17-22). The Divine Love is of the Divine Wisdom, and the Divine Wisdom is of the Divine Love (n. 34-39). Love without No. 4.J THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE. 5 marriage with wisdom cannot do any thing (n. 401-403). Love acts in nothing except in conjunction with wisdom (n. 409-, 410). Spiritual heat and spiritual light, in pro ceeding from the Lord as a Sun, make one, as the Divine Love and Divine Wisdom in the Lord are one (n. 99-102). From what is shown in the places referred to, the truth of the proposition is manifest. But as it is not known how two things distinct from each other can act as one, I wish to show here that there cannot be a one without a form, but the form itself makes the one ; and next, that the form makes a one the more perfectly, as the things entering into the form are individually distinct and yet united. There camiot be a one without a form, but the form itself makes the one: — Every person who thinks intently, may see clearly that there is not a one without a form, and if there is a one it is a form ; for every thing existing derives from its form that which is called quality, and whatever is called predicate, also that which is called change of state, that too which is called relation, and the like. Wherefore, that which is not in a form is not [the subject] of any power to affect; and what is not [the subject] of any power to affect is [the subject] of nothing real. Form itself gives all these things. And because all the things which are in a form, if the form is perfect, mutually regard each other, as link does link in a chain, therefore it follows that the form itself makes the one; and thus makes a subject, of which may be predicated quality, state, power to affect, thus any thing, according to the perfec tion of the form. Such a one is every thing that the eye can see in the world ; and such a one also is every thing that is not seen with the eye, whether it be in inte rior nature or in the spiritual world : such a one is man, and such a one is human society ; the church is such a one, and the whole angelic heaven before the Lord ; in a word, such a one is the created universe, not only in general but also in every particular. For things, each and all, to be 6 ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING [No. 4. forms, it must needs be that He who created all things is Form itself, and that all things which have been created in forms are from Form itself: this, therefore, is what was shown in the treatise concerning the "Divine Love and Wisdom," as follows : The Divine Love and Wisdom are substance and are form (n. 40-43). The Divine Love and Wisdom are Form in itself, thus the Itself [which alone is, n. 45], and the Only [from which all else is, n. 45], n. 44-46. The Divine Love and Wisdom are one in the Lord (n. 14-17, n. 18-22). And they proceed as one from the Lord (n. 99-102, and in other places). The form makes a 07ie the more perfectly, as the things entering into the form are individually distinct and yet united: — This comes with difficulty into the understanding, unless it is elevated ; for the appearance is that a form can make a one only by similitudes coming from uniformity in the things that enter into the form. On this subject I have frequently spoken with angels, who said that it is an arcanum which their wiser ones perceive clearly, and the less wise obscurely ; but that the truth is, that a form is the more perfect as the things that make it are individually distinct, and yet, each in its own way, united. They con firmed this by the societies in the heavens, which, taken together, constitute the form of heaven ; also by the angels of each society, for the form of a society is more perfect in proportion as each angel is more distinctly his own [j««j], and thus free, and so loves his consociates as from himself and his affection. They illustrated it also by the marriage of good and truth ; showing that the more distinctly they are two, the more perfectly they can make one ; so, too, with love and wisdom ; and that what is not distinct is confused, giving rise to every imperfection of form. But how things perfectly distinct are united and so make one, they also proved by many things, especially by the things that are in the human body, in which innumerable parts are thus distinct and yet united, distinct by their coverings No. 5-] THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE. 7 and united by their ligaments ; showing that it is likewise so with love and all that belongs to it, and with wisdom and all the tilings belonging to it, which are perceived only as one. More on these subjects may be seen in the treatise on the "Divine Love and Wisdom" (n. 14-22), and in the work concerning "Heaven and Hell" (n. 56 and 489). This has been adduced because it is of Angelic Wisdom. 5. III. This one is in a certain image in every created thing. That the Divine Love and Wisdom, which in the Lord are one and proceed as one from Him, are in a cer tain image in every created thing may be evident from what is shown throughout the treatise concerning the Divine Love and Wisdom, and especially in n. 47-51, 55- 60, 282-284, 290-295, 313-318, 319-326, 349-357; where it is shown that the Divine is in every created thing, be cause God the Creator, Who is the Lord from eternity, had produced from Himself the Sun of the spiritual world, and by that Sun all things of the universe ; consequently that that Sun, which is from the Lord, and in which the Lord is, is not only the first substance, but is also the only substance from which all things are ; and because it is the only substance, it follows that it is in every created thing, but with infinite variety according to uses. Now because Divine Love and Wisdom are in the Lord, and Divine fire and brightness are in the Sun from Him, and from the Sun are spiritual heat and spiritual light, and these two make one, it follows that this one is in a certain image in every created thing. Hence ,it is that all things in the universe have relation to good and truth, yea, to their conjunction ; or, what is the same, that all things in the universe have relation to love and wisdom, and to their conjunction ; for good is of love, and truth is of wisdom; for love calls all belonging to it good, and wisdom calls all belonging to it truth. That there is a conjunction of these in every created thing will be seen in what follows. . 8 ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING [No. 6 6. It is acknowledged by many that there is an only sub stance, which is also the first, from which all things are ; but what that substance is in quality is not known. It is believed to be so simple that nothing is more simple ; that it may be likened to a point, with no dimension ; and that from an infinite number of such the forms of dimension have their existence. This, however, is a fallacy, originat ing from the idea of space ; for, from this idea, there seems ,to be such a least thing ; but still the truth is, that the sim pler and purer any thing is, the more and the fuller it is. For this reason, the more deeply any object is examined, the more wonderful, perfect, and beautiful are the things seen in it ; and thus in the first substance are the most wonderful, perfect, and beautiful of all. This is so, because the first substance is from the spiritual Sun, which, as was said, is from the Lord, and the Lord is in it ; thus that Sun is itself the only substance which, as it is not in space, is the all in all, and is in the greatest and the least things of the created universe. Since that Sun is the first and only substance, from whicll all things are, it follows that tliere are in that substance infinitely more things than can ap pear in the substances originating from it, which are called substantiated [D. L. & W. n. 229], and at length mat ter; they cannot appear in these, because they descend from that Sun by degrees of a twofold kind, according to which all perfections decrease. Hence, as was said above, the more deeply any thing is examined, the more wonder ful, perfect, and beautiful are the things that are seen. These things are said, to prove tha,t in a certain image the Divine is in every created thing ; but that it is less and less apparent in descending through the degrees, and still less when the lower degree, separated from the higher by closing. is blocked up with earthly matters. But these things must needs seem obscure, unless the things have been read and understood which are shown in the treatise on the " Divine Love and Wisdom," concerning the spiritual Sun, n. 83- No. 8.] THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE. g 172 ; concerning degrees, n. 173-281 ; and concerning the creation of the universe, n. 282-357. 7. IV. It is of the Diviiie Providence for every created thing, in general and in particular, to be such a one ; and if it is not, for it to be made so : that is, that in every created tiling there shall be something from the Divine Love and at the same time from the Divine Wisdom ; or, what is the same, that in every created thing there is good and truth, or the conjunction of good and truth. Since good is of love and truth is of wisdom, as was said above (n. 5), in the following pages the terms good and truth will be used throughout instead of love and wisdom ; and the marriage of good and truth, instead of the union of love and wisdom. 8. From tlie preceding article it is manifest that the Divine Love and Wisdom, which in the Lord are one, and which proceed as one from the Lord, are in a certain image in every thing created by Him. Now, also, some thing shall be said particularly concerning that one, or the union which is called the marriage of good and truth. This marriage is, I. In the Lord Himself ; for, as was said, the Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom are one in Him. II. It is from the Lord ; for, in every thing that proceeds from Him, love and wisdom are fully united ; the two pro ceed from the Lord as a Sun, the Divine Love as heat, and the Divine Wisdom as light. III. They are indeed received as two by the angels, but they are united in them by the Lord ; so, too, with the men of the church. IV. It is from the influx of' love and wisdom as one from the Lord whh the angels of, heaven and the men of the church, and from their reception by angels and men, that the Lord is called in the Word the Bridegroom and the Husband, and heaven and the church are called the bride and the wife. V. As far, therefore, as heaven and the church in general, and an angel of heaven and a man of the church in particular, are in that union, or in the marriage of good and truth, so far I* IO ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING [No. lo, they are the Lord's image and likeness ; since these two are one in the Lord, yea, are the Lord. VI. Love and wisdom, in heaven and in the church in general, also in an angel of heaven and in a man of the church, are one when the will and the understanding, thus when good and truth, make one ; pr, what is the same, when charity and faith make one ; or, what is still the same, when doctrine from the Word and a life according to it make one. VII. How the two make one in man and in all belonging to him is shown in the treatise concerning the " Divine Love and Wisdom " (Part V., n. 358-432), where it treats of the crea tion of man, and especially of the correspondence of the will and understanding with the heart and lungs. 9. In what now follows it will throughout be told how the two make one in things below man or external to him, in the animal and the vegetable kingdoms ; but these three things are to be premised : First, In the universe and in each and all of the things belonging to it, as created by the Lord, there was the marriage of good and truth. Second, This marriage was severed in man after creation. Third, It is of the Divine Providence that the separated should be made one, and thus the marriage of good and truth restored. As these three things are abundantly proved in the treatise concerning the "Divine Love and Wisdom," further proof is unnecessary. Any one may also see from reason, that, as there was from creation the marriage of good and truth in eveiy created thing, and as it was after wards severed, the Lord is continually working to restore it ; consequently that its restoration, and thence the con junction of the created universe with the Lord through man, is of the Divine Providence. 10. V. The good of love is not good any further than it is united to ihe truth of wisdom ; and the truth of wisdom is not truth any further than it is united to the good of love. Good and truth have this from their origin. Good in its origin is in the Lord, and likewise truth; for the Lord is Good No. II.] THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE. 1 1 itself and Truth itself ; and the two in Him are one. Hence it is, that good in the angels of heaven and in men of an earth is not good in itself, except so far as it is united to truth ; and that truth is not truth in itself, except so far as it is united to good. It is known that every good and every truth is from the Lord ; hence, as good makes one with truth, and truth, with good, it follows that good to be good in itself, and truth to be truth in itself, must make one in the recipient ; that is, in an angel of heaven and a man of an earth. II. It is indeed known that all things in the universe have relation to good and truth ; because by good is under stood that which universally comprehends and involves all things of love, and by truth is understood that which uni versally comprehends and involves all things of wisdom. But it is not yet known that good is not any thing unless united to truth, and that truth is not any thing unless united to good. The appearance indeed is that good is something without truth, and that truth is something without good, but still they are not ; for love (all things of which are called goods) is the esse [to be] of a thing ; and wisdom (all things of which are called truths) is the existere [to exist] of a thing from that esse, as is shown in the treatise concerning " Divine Love and Wisdom" (n. 14-16); wherefore, as esse without existere is not any tiling, nor existere without esse, so good without truth is not any thing, nor truth without good. So, too, what is good without relation to something ? Can it be called good, as it does not affect, and causes no per ception? The something connected with good, which affects, and which gives itself to be perceived and felt, has I elation to truth, for it has relation to what is in the under standing. Speak to any one simply of good, not saying that this or that is good, and is the good any thing ? But from this or from that which is perceived as one with the good, it is something. This is united to good nowhere but in the understanding, and every thing of the understanding 12 ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING [No. 12. has relation to truth. It is the same with willing ; to will, without knowing, perceiving, and thinking what one wills, is not any thing ; but together with these, it becomes some thing. All willing is of the love, and has relation to good ; and all knowing, perceiving, and thinking are of the under standing, and have relation to truth ; hence it is manifest that willing is not any thing, but willing this or that is some thing. It is the same with every use, because a use is a good. Unless determined to something with which it m.ay be one, it is not use, and thus it is not any thing. Use derives from the understanding its something to which it may be determined ; and what comes from the understand ing, and is conjoined or adjoined to the use, has relation to truth ; and from it the use derives its quality. From these few things it may be evident that good without truth is not any thing ; also, that truth without good is not any thing. It is said that good with truth and truth with good are something ; and from this it follows, that evil with falsity and falsity with evil are not any thing ; for the latter are opposite to the former, and opposition destroys, and in this case destroys that something. But more concerning this in what follows. 12. But there is a marriage of good and truth in the cause, and there is a marriage of good and truth from the cause in the effect. The marriage of good and trvith in the cause is the marriage of will and understanding, or of love and wisdom ; this marriage is in every thing which a man wills and thinks, and which he thence concludes and purposes. This marriage enters the effect and makes it ; but in passing into effect the good and the truth appear dis tinct, because the simultaneous then makes the successive. For example : While a man is willing and thinking about being fed, clothed, having a dwelling, doing business and work, or enjoying society, then at first he wills and thinks of it, both at once, or concludes and purposes ; but when he has determined the good and truth into effects, then one No. I4.J THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE. 13 of them follows the other, while in his will and thought they StiU continue to make one. In these effects the uses are what belong to love or to good, while the means to the uses belong to the understanding or to truth. Any one may confirm these general truths by particulars, if he per ceives distinctly what has relation to the good of love, and what to the truth of wisdom, and also how the relation is in the cause, and how it is in the effect. 13. It has been said several times that love makes man's life ; but this does not mean love separate from wisdom, or good separate from truth, in the cause ; for love separate, or good separate, is not any thing; wherefore the love which makes man's inmost life, which life is from the Lord, is love and wisdom together ; the love, too, that makes the life of man so far as he is a recipient, is not love separate in the cause, but in the effect ; for love cannot be under stood apart from its quality, and its quality is wisdom ; and quality, or wisdom, can be given only from its esse [to be], which is love ; hence they are one. It is the same with good and truth. Now because truth is from good, as wis dom is from love, therefore both taken together are called love or good ; for love in its form is wisdom, and good in its form is truth. From form and from no other source is all quality. From these things it may now be evident that good is not good any further than as it is united to its truth, and that truth is not truth any further than as it is united to its good. 1 4. VI. The good of love not united to the truth of wisdom is not good in itself, but is apparent good ; and the truth of wis dom not united to the good of love is not truth in itself, but it apparent truth. The truth is that there is no good which is good in itself, unless united to its truth ; nor any truth which is truth in itself, unless united to its good. Nevertheless good is found separate from truth, and truth separate from good. They are so in hypocrites and flatterers, in evil per sons of every kind, and also in those who are in natural good 14 ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING [No. 15. and no spiritual good. Both of these classes can do good to the church, their country, society, their fellow-citizens, the needy, the poor, the widow, and the orphan ; and they also can understand truths, from understanding can think of them, and from thought can speak and teach them ; but still, the goods and truths in them are not interiorly, thus not in themselves, goods and truths, but they are so outwardly, and thus are only apparent ; for they are only for the sake of self and the world, and not for the sake of good itself and truth itself, corisequently they are not from good and truth ; so they are of the mouth and the body only, and not of the heart. They may be likened to gold and silver with which dross or rotten wood or dung is overlaid ; and the truths that are uttered are like a breath that passes away, or a delusive light that vanishes, though they appear out wardly like real truths. In those who speak them, how ever, such truths are only apparent '; but still, they may be otherwise to those who hear and receive them, not knowing this ; for an external thing affects every one according to his internal ; a truth, from whatever mouth it is uttered, enters into another's hearing, and is taken up by the mind according to its state and quality. Nearly the same as has been described is really the case with those who are hereditarily in natural good and are in no spiritual good ; for the internal of every good and of every truth is spiritual, and this repels falsities and evils ; but these are favored by the natural alone ; and to favor evils and falsities and to do good are not in agreement. 15. Good may be separated from truth, and truth from good, and, when separated, still appear as good and truth, because man has the faculty of acting, which is called liberty, and the faculty of understanding, which is called rationality. It is from the abuse of these faculties that man can seem in externals different from what he is in internals ; and that a bad man can do good and speak truth, or that a devil can feign himself an angel of light. But on this subject No. i6.| THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE. 15 see the following passages in the treatise on the Divine Love and Wisdom : " The origin of evil is from the abuse of the faculties proper to man, which are called rationality and liberty (n. 264-270). As these two faculties are in the good, so they are in the evil (n. 425). Love without mar riage with wisdom, or good without marriage with truth, cannot do any thing (n. 401). Love acts in nothing except in conjunction with wisdom or the understanding (n. 409). Love conjoins itself with wisdom or the understanding, and it causes wisdom or the understanding to be reciprocally conjoined with it (410-412). Wisdom or the understand ing, from the power given it by love, may be elevated, and perceive the things which are of the light from heaven, and may receive them (n. 413). Love can in like manner be elevated, and receive the things which are of the heat from heaven, if it loves its partner wisdom in that degree (n. 414, 415). Otherwise love draws wisdom or the understanding down from its elevation, to act as one with itself (n. 416- 418). Love is purified in the understanding, if they are elevated together (n. 419-421). Love purified by wisdom in the understanding becomes spiritual and heavenly [celestial] ; but love defiled in the understanding becomes sensual and corporeal (n. 422-424). It is the same with charity and faith and their conjunction as it is with love and wisdom and their conjunction (n. 427-430). What charity is in the heavens (n. 431). 16. VII. The Lord does not suffer any thing to be divided ; wherefore it must either be in good and at the same time in truth, or it must be in evil and at the same time in falsity. The Divine Providence of the Lord especially has for its end that man should be in good and at the same time in truth, and it works for this ; for thus a man is his own [j-?«^j-] good and his owii love, and also is his own truth and his own wisdom ; for thus man is man, being then the Lord's image. But because a man while living in the world can be in good and at the same time in falsity, — can 1 6 ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING [No. 17- be in evil and at the same time in truth, — yea, can be in evil and at the same time in good, and thus as it were be double, — and because this division destroys that image and so destroys the man, therefore the Lord's Divine Provi dence in all and in each of the things belonging to it has in view that this division shall not be. And because it is to a man's advantage to be in evil and at the same time in falsity rather than to be in good and at the same time in evil, therefore the Lord permits it to be so, not as if willing, but as if unable to prevent, because of the end which is salvation. The reason that a man has the ability to be in evil and at the same time in truth, and that the Lord is un able to prevent because of His end which is salvation, is as follows : A man's understanding can be elevated into the light of wisdom, and see truths, or acknowledge them when heard, while his love remains below, for a man can so be in heaven with the understanding, but in hell with the love. And further : The ability to be so cannot be de nied man, because he cannot be deprived of the two facul ties, rationality and liberty, by which he is a man and is distinguished from the beasts, and by which only he can be regenerated and so saved. For by these a man can act according to wisdom, and can also act according to a love that is not of wisdom ; by these also, from wisdom above he can see the love below, and thus see the thoughts, the intentions, the affections, thus the evils and falsities and also the goods and truths of his life and doctrine ; without a knowledge and acknowledgment of which in himself, he cannot be reformed. Of these two faculties something has already been said, and more will be said in what follows. This is the reason why man can be in good and at the same time in truth, also in evil and at the same time in fal sity, and also in their various combinations. 17. In the world a man can hardly come into the one or the other conjunction or union, — that is, of good and truth or of evil and falsity ; for as long as he lives in the world No. 18.] THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE. 17 he is held in a state of reformation or of regeneration ; but after death every man comes into one or the other, because he then can no longer be reformed and regenerated ; he then remains such as his life in the world, that is, such aa his reigning love has been. If his life, therefore, has been a life of the love of evil, all the truth is taken away that he acquired in the world from a teacher, from preaching, or the Word ; and this having been taken away, as a sponge takes up water so he drinks-in falsity agreeing with his evil. And on the other hand : If his life has been a life of the love of good, then is removed all the falsity which he gathered in the world from hearing and from reading, but which he did not confirm in himself ; and in its place there is given him truth agreeing with his good. This is meant by these words of the Lord : Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him that hath ten talents ; for unto every one that hath shall be given, that he may have abundance ; but from him that hath not, shall be taken away even that which he hath (Matt. xxv. 28, 29 ; xiii. 12 ; Mark iv. 25 ; Luke viii. 18 ; xix. 24—26). 18. That every one after death must be either in good and at the same time in truth, or in evil and at the same time in falsity, is because good and evil cannot be con joined, nor can good and the falsity of evil that are to gether, nor evil and the good of truth that are together ; for they are opposites, and opposites fight each other until one destroys the other. Those who are in evil and at the same time in good are meant by these words of the Lord to the church of the Laodiceans, in the Apocalypse : I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot ; T would ihou wert cold or hot ; so then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, T will spew thee out of my mouth (iii. 15, 16) : and also by these words of the Lord : No man can serve two masters ; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will lold to the one and -neglect the other (Matt. vi. 24). l8 ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING [No. za 19. VIII. That which is in good and at the same time in truth, is something ; and that which is in evil and at the same time in falsity, is not any thing. It may be seen above (n. 11), that what is in good and at the same time in truth is something ; and from this it follows that what is evil and at the same time false is not any thing. By its not being any thing, is meant that it has no power and no spiritual life. Those who are in evil and at the same time in falsity, who are all in hell, have indeed power with one another ; for one who is evil can do evil, and he also does it in a thousand ways ; nevertheless, he can do evil to the evil only from [their] evil ; but he cannot harm the good in the least, except, as is sometimes done, by a conjunction with their evil ; whence come temptations, which are infestations by the evil who are with them, and the combats thence arising, whereby the good can be freed from their evils. Since the evil have no power, all hell before the Lord is not only as nothing, but is absolutely nothing in power, as I have seen proved by abundant experience. But it is wonderful that the wicked all believe themselves to be powerful, and the good all believe themselves to be without power. This is because the evil attribute all things to their own power, and thus to cunning and malice, and attribute nothing to the Lord ; but the good attribute nothing to their own prudence, but all to the Lord who is Almighty. Furthermore, evil and falsity together are not any thing, because there is no spiritual life in them ; for this reason the life of the infernals is not called life, but death ; there fore, since all that is any thing belongs to life, there can not be any thing belonging to death. 20. They who are in evil and at the same time in truths, may be compared to eagles that soar on high, but drop when deprived of the use of their wings ; for so do men after death, when they have become spirits, if they have understood truths, have spokei) them, and have taught them, and yet have had no regard to God in the life. They No. 22.1 THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE. 1 9 raise themselves on high, by means of the things belonging to their understanding ; and sometimes they enter the heavens and feign themselves angels of light; but when truths are taken from them and they are sent out, they fall down into hell. Eagles, moreover, signify men given to apine, who have intellectual sight ; and wings signify spiritvial truths. It was said that they are such, who have had no regard to God in their life. Looking to God in the life, means nothing else than thinking this evil or that to be sin against Him, and therefore not doing it. 21. IX. The Lord's Divine Providence causes evil and falsity that are together to serve for equilibrium, for relation, for purification, and thus for the conjunction of good and truth in others. From what has been said it may be evident that the Lord's Divine Providence continually works for truth to be united to good, and good to truth in man, because this union is the church and is heaven. For this union is in the Lord, and in all things that proceed from Him. It is from this union that heaven and the church are called a marriage ; therefore the kingdom of God is likened in the Word to a marriage. It is from that union that in the Israelitish church the Sabbath was a most holy thing of worship ; for it signified that union. It is also from the same, that in the Word, and in each and all of the things in it, there is a marriage of good and truth ; concerning which see the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scripture " (n. 80-90). The marriage of good and truth is from the Lord's marriage with the church; and this is from the marriage of Love and Wisdon> in the Lord ; for good is of love, and truth is of wisdom. From these things it may be seen, that the perpetual object of the Divine Providence is to unite good to truth and truth to good in man, for so man is united to the Lord. 22. But as many have broken and are breaking this mar riage, especially by the separation of faith from charity, — for faith is of truth and truth is of faith, and charitj' is of 20 ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING [No. 24. good and good is of charity, — and as they thereby conjoin in themselves evil and falsity, and have thus become and are becoming opposed [to the Lord], it is nevertheless pro vided by the Lord, by means of equilibrium, relation, and purification, that they may still be of service for the con junction of good and truth in others. 23. The conjunction of good and truth in others is pro vided by the Lord, by means of the Equilibrium between heaven and hell ; for there is a constant exhalation of evil together with falsity from hell ; but from heaven there is a constant exhalation of good together with truth. In this equi librium every man is kept as long as he lives in the world ; and by means of it he is kept in that liberty of thinking, of willing, of speaking, and of doing, in which he can be re formed. Concerning this spiritual equilibrium, from whicll man has freedom, see the work concerning " Heaven and Hell " (n. 589-596, and n. 597-603). 24. The conjunction of good and truth is provided by the Lord by means of Relation ; for there is cognition of the quality of good only by its relation to what is less good, and by its contrariety to evil. Hence comes all that gives perception and sensation, because from this is their quality ; for thus every thing pleasing is perceived and felt from the less pleasing and by means of the unpleasant ; every thing beautiful, from the less beautiful and by means of the unbeautiful ; and likewise every good which is of love, from the less good and by means of evil ; and every truth which is of wisdom, from the less true and by means of falsity. There must be variety in every real thing, from the greatest to the least of it ; and when there is the variety in its opposite also, from the least to the greatest, and there comes equilibrium between them, then a relation is estab lished according to the degrees on both sides ; and the perception of the thing and the sensation increase or are lessened. But it is to be known that an opposite may take away or may exalt the perceptions and sensations ; when No. 26.] THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE. 2 1 an opposite commingles itself with its opposite, it takes them away ; but when it does not commingle itself, it ex alts them ; on which account the Lord exquisitely separates -good and evil in man that they may not be mingled, as He separates heaven and hell. 25. The conjunction of good and truth in others is pro vided by the Lord by means of Purification, which is effected in two ways, one by temptations, and the other by fermentations. Spiritual temptations are nothing else than combats against the evils and falsities that are exhaled from hell and affect man. By these combats he is purified from evils and falsities, and good is conjoined to truth in him, and truth to good. Spiritual fermentations take place in many ways, in the heavens as well as on earth ; but in the world it is not known what they are and how they are effected. For there are evils having falsities with them, which do a work, when introduced into societies, like that done by the things put into meal and into new wine to cause fermentation, by which heterogeneous things are separated and homogeneous things conjoined, and purity and clearness are the result. They are what are meant by these words of the Lord : The kingdom of the heavens is like unto leaven, which a woman took and hid in three meas ures of meal, till the whole was leavened Qs/lsXt. xiii. 33, Luke xiii. 21). 26. These uses are provided by the Lord from the con junction of evil and falsity in those who are in hell ; for the Lord's kingdom, which is not only over heaven, but also over hell, is a kingdom of uses ; and it is the Lord's Prov idence that there shall be there no person by whom use is not performed, and no thing by means of which it is not done, 22 ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING [No. 27. THE LORD'S DIVINE PROVIDENCE HAS FOR ITS END A HEAVEN FROM THE HUMAN RACE. 27. By long-continued intercourse with angels and spirits, it has been made known to me and proved that heaven is not from any angels so created from the beginning, and that hell is not from any devil created an angel of light and cast down from heaven ; but that both heaven and hell are from the human race, — heaven from those who are in the love of good and thence in the understanding of truth, and hell from those who are in the love of evil and thence in the understanding of falsity. On this subject see also what has been shown in the work concerning " Heaven and Hell" (n. 3 1 1-3 16); in the little work concerning the "Last Judgment" (n. 14-27); and in the "Continuation concerning the Last Judgment and concerning the Spir itual World," from beginning to end. Now as heaven is from the human race, and as heaven is abiding with the Lord for ever, it follows that it was the Lord's end in creation ; and because heaven was the end in creation, it is the end of His Divine Providence. The Lord did not create the universe for the sake of Himself, but for the sake of those with whom He will be in heaven ; for spirit ual love is such that it wishes to give its own [suum] to another ; and so far as it can do this, it is in its esse [to be], in its peace, and its blessedness. Spiritual love has this from the Lord's Divine Love, which is such infinitely. From this it follows, that the Divine Love, and hence the Divine Providence, has for its end a heaven, consisting of men who have become and who are becoming angels, to whom the Lord can give all the blessings and happiness of love and wisdom, and give these from Himself in them. Nor can He give them in any other way ; for there is in them from creation the image and likeness of Himself; the image in them is wisdom, and the likeness in them is love ; and the Lord in them is love united to wisdom and No. 28.] THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE. 23 wisdom united to love ; or, wh.it is the same, is good united to truth and truth united to good ; which union was treated of in the preceding article. But as it is not known what heaven is in general or with many persons, and what it is in particular or with any one, what it is in the spiritual world and what in the natural world, — and yet it is im portant to know this, because heaven is the end of tbe Divine Providence, — I wish to present the subject in some measure of light, in the following order : I. Heaven is conjunction with the Lord. II. Man is from creation such that he can be more and more closely conjoined with the Lord. III. The more closely a man is conjoined with the Lord, the wiser he becomes. IV. The more closely a man is conjoined with the Lord, the happier he becomes. V. The more closely a man is conjoined with the Lord, the more distinctly he seems to himself as if he were his own [suus], and the more clearly he recognizes that he is the Lord's. 28. I. Heaven is conjunction with the Lord. Heaven is not heaven from the angels, but from the Lord ; for the love and wisdom in which the angels are, and which make heaven, are not from them, but from the Lord, and are indeed the Lord in them. And since love and wisdom are the Lord's, and are the Lord in heaven, and since love and wisdom make the life of the angels, it is also manifest that their life is the Lord's, yea, is the Lord. The angels them selves confess that they live from the Lord ; and from this it may be evident that heaven is conjunction with the Lord. But as conjunction with the Lord is various, and hence heaven is not the same to one as to another, it also follow? that heaven is according to the conjunction with the Lord. It will be seen in the following article that the conjunction is closer and closer, or is more and more remote. Some thing will now be said concerning that conjunction, how it is effected, and of what quality it is : It is a conjunction of the Lord with the angels, and of the angels with the 24 ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING [No. 28. Lord ; thus it is reciprocal. The Lord flows into the life's love of the angels, and the angels receive Him in wisdom, and by this they in turn conjoin themselves with the Lord. But it is to be well known that it appears to the angels as if they conjoin themselves with the Lord by wisdom, but still the- Lord conjoins them with Himself by wisdom ; for their wisdom also is from the Lord. It is the same if it is said that the Lord conjoins Himself with the angels by good, and that the angels in turn conjoin themselves with the Lord by truth ; for all good is of love, and all truth is of wisdom. But as this reciprocal conjunction is an arcanum which few can understand without explanation, I wish to unfold it, as far as possible, by things that are adapted to the comprehension. In the treatise concerning the " Divine Love and Wisdom " (n. 404, 405), it is shown how love conjoins itself with wisdom ; namely, by the affection for knowing, from which comes the affection for truth, and by the affection for understanding, from which comes the perception of truth, and by the affection for see ing what is known and understood, from which comes thought. The Lord flows into all these affections, for they are derivations from the life's love of every one ; and the angels receive the influx in the perception of truth and in the thought, for in these the influx becomes apparent to them, but not in the affections. Now, as perceptions and thoughts appear to the angels as if they were theirs, when yet they are from affections which are from the Lord, tlierefore there is that appearance that the angels conjoin themselves reciprocally with the Lord, when yet the Lord conjoins them with Himself ; for affection itself produces the perceptions and thoughts, as affection which is of love is their soul ; for no one can perceive and think any thing without affection, and every one perceives and thinks ac cording lo affection. Hence it is manifest that the recip rocal conjunction of the angels with the Lord is not from the angels, but as from them. Such also is the conjunction No. 29.] THE DIVI^E PROVIDENCE. 25 of the Lord with the church, and of the church with the Lord, which is called the heavenly and spiritual mar riage. 29. All conjunction in the spiritual world is effected by means of looking to [another]. When any one there is thinking of another from an affection for speaking with him, the other becomes present forthwith, and they see each other face to face. And so it is when any one is thinking of another from an affection of love ; but by this affection conjunction is effected ; by the other, presence only. This is peculiar to the spiritual world, for the reason that all are spiritual there ; it being otherwise in the natu ral world, in which all are material. In the natural world the same takes place with men in the affections and thoughts of their spirit ; but because there are spaces in the natural world, while in the spiritual world the spaces are only appearances, therefore in the spiritual world that takes place actually, which takes place in the thought of every one's spirit. This has been said that it may be known how the Lord's conjunction with the angels is effected, and also how the apparent reciprocal conjunction of the angels with the Lord. For all the angels turn the face to the Lord, and the Lord looks at them in the forehead, and the angels look to the Lord with the eyes, for the reason that the forehead corresponds to love and its affections, and the eyes correspond to wisdom and its perceptions ; but still the angels do not from themselves turn the face to the Lord, but the Lord turns them to Himself ; and He turns them by influx into their life's love, and through that He enters into the perceptions and thoughts, and so He turns them round. Such a circle of love to the thoughts, and from the thoughts to the love from love, is in all things of the human mind ; which circle may be called the circle of life. On these subjects some things may also be seen in the treatise concerning the "Divine Love and Wis dom;" as these: The angels constantly turn the face 26 ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING " [No. J2. to the Lord as a Sun (n. 129-134). All the interiors, both of the mind and the body of the angels, are likewise turned to the Lord as a Sun (n. 135-139). Every spirit, of what ever quality, turns himself likewise to his reigning love (n. 140-145). Love conjoins itself with wisdom, and makes wisdom to be reciprocally conjoined (n. 410-412). The angels are in the Lord, and the Lord is in them ; and be cause the angels are recipients, the Lord alone is heaven (n. T 1 3-1 18). 30. The Lord's heaven in the natural world is called the church ; and an angel of this heaven is a man of the , ;hurch who is conjoined with the Lord ; he also becomes in angel of the spiritual heaven after his departure from the world. And from this it is manifest that what has aeen said concerning the angelic heaven must be under stood likewise of the human heaven that is called the church. The reciprocal conjunction with the Lord which makes heaven in man is revealed by the Lord in these words : Abide in Me and I in you. He that abideth in Me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fntit ; for with out Me ye can do nothing (John xv. 4, 5). 31. From these things it maybe evident that the Lord is heaven not only in general with all there, but also in particular with every one there. For every angel is a heaven in the least form ; and heaven in general consists of as many heavens as there are angels, as may be seen in the work concerning "Heaven and Hell" (n. 51-58), Since this is so, let no one cherish the error which enters into the first thought with many, that the Lord is in heaven among the angels, or that He is with them as a king in his kingdom. As to aspect He is above them, in the Sun there ; but as to the life of their love and wisdom, He is in them. 32. II. Man is from creation such that he can be more and more closely conjoined with the Lord. This may be evident from what is shown concerning Degrees, in the No. 32.] THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE. 2/ treatise on the " Divine Love and Wisdom," Part III., and especially from the following: There are three discrete degrees or degrees of height in man from creation (n. 230- 235). These three degrees are in every man from birth ; and as they are opened, the man is in the Lord and the Lord in him (n. 236-241). All perfections increase and ascend with the degrees, and according to them (n. 199- 204). From which it is manifest that man is from creation such that he can be more and more closely conjoined with the Lord, by the degrees. But it is necessary to know well what degrees are, and that they are of a two-fold kind, dis crete or degrees of height, and continuous or degrees of breadth, and the difference between them ; — to know, also, that every man from creation, and thence from birth, has the three discrete degrees or the degrees of height ; — and that man comes into the first degree; which is called the natural, when he is born, and may enlarge this degree in himself by continuous additions even till he becomes rational ; — and that he comes into the second degree, which is called the spiritual, if he lives according to the spiritual laws of order, which are Divine truths ; — and that he can also come into the third degree, which is called the heavenly [celestial], if he lives according to the heavenly laws of order, which are .Divine goods. These degrees are opened by the Lord in man according to his life, actually in the world, but not perceptibly and sensibly till after he leaves the world ; and as they are opened and afterwards perfected, man is more and more closely con joined with the Lord. By drawing nearer, this conjunction may be increasing for ever, and with the angels it is foi ever increasing ; but still an angel cannot attain or even touch the first degree of the Lord's Love and Wisdom, be cause the Lord is Infinite and an angel is finite, and there is no ratio between the Infinite and the finite. Since no one can understand man's state, and the state of his ele vation and approximation to the Lord, unless he has a 28 ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING [No. 33. knowledge of these degrees, they have been particularly considered in the treatise concerning the "Divine Love and Wisdom " (n. 173-281), which may be seen. 33. It will now be briefly told how a man can be more closely conjoined with the Lord, and then how the conjunc tion appears closer and closer. A man is more and more closely conjoined with the Lord, not by knowledge alone, nor by intelligence alone, nor even by wisdom alone, but by the life conjoined with them. Man's life is his love, and love is manifold. In general, there is the love of evil, and the love of good. The love of evil is the love of committing adultery, of taking revenge, of defrauding, of blaspheming, of depriving others of their goods ; the love of evil finds pleasure and enjoyment in thinking of these things and doing them. The derivations of this love, which are its affections, are as -many as the evils are to which it has de termined itself ; and the perceptions and thoughts of this love are as many as the falsities are which favor the evils and confirm them. These falsities make one with the evils, as the understanding makes one with the will ; they are not separated from each other, for one is of the other. Now because the Lord flows into the life's love of every one, and through its affections into the perceptions and thoughts, and not the reverse, as was said above, it follows that He can conjoin Himself closely only in proportion as the love of evil with its affections, which are lusts, has been removed. And as these reside in the natural man, and as man feels as if he does from himself whatever he does from the natural man, therefore man ought as if from him self to remove the evils of that love ; and then, as far as he removes them, the Lord draws nearer and conjoins Him self with him. Any one may see from reason that lusts with their enjoyments block the way and close the doors before the Lord, and cannot be cast out by the Lord while man himself is keeping the doors shut, and is pressing and pushing from the outside, that they may not be opened. No. 33] THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE. 29 That man ought hfanself to open them, is manifest from the Lord's words in the Apocalypse : Behold T stand at the door and knock; if any man hear My voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup. with him and he with Me (iii. 20). It is hence manifest that, as far as one shuns evils as diabolical and as obstacles to the Lord's entrance, he is more and more closely conjoined with the Lord, and he the most closely who abominates them as so many dusky and fiery devils ; for evil and the devil are one, and the falsity of evil and Satan are one. For as the Lord's influx is into the love of good and into its affections, and through these affections into the perceptions and thoughts (and it is from the good in which the man is that these all are truths), so the influx of the devil, that is, of hell, is into the love of evil and into its affections which are lusts, and through these into the perceptions and thoughts (and it is from the evil in which the man is that these all are falsities). How that conjtcnction appears closer and closer : The more fully the evils in the natural man are removed by shunning them and becoming averse to them, the more closely is the man conjoined with the Lord. And as love and wisdom, which are the Lord Himself, are not in space, for affection which is of love and thought which is of wisdom have nothing in common with space, therefore according to the conjunction by love and wisdom the Lord seems nearer ; and, on the other hand, more remote according to the re jection of love and wisdom. There is not space in the spiritual world, but distances and presence there are ap pearances in accordance with similarities and dissimilari ties of affections ; for, as before said, affections which are of love, and thoughts which are of wisdom, and which in themselves are spiritual, are not in space. On this subject see what is shown in the treatise on the " Divine Love and Wisdom" (n. 7-10, 69-72, and elsewhere). The Lord's conjunction with the man in whom evils have been re moved, is meant by these words of the Lord : The pure in 30 ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING [No. 34. heart shall see God (Matt. v. 8) : and by these : He thai hath My commandments and keepeth them . . . We will come unto him and make our abode with him (John xiv. 21, 23). To have the commandments is to know, and to keep them is to love ; for it is also there said. He that keepeth My com mandments, he it is that loveth Me. 34. III. The more closely a man is conjoined with tht Lord, the wiser he becomes. Since there are three degrees of life in man from creation, and thence from birth (of which just above, n. 32), there are especially three degrees of wisdom in him. These are the degrees which are opened in man according to conjunction ; they are opened according to love, for love is conjunction itself. But of the ascent of love according to degrees, man has only an. obscure perception ; the ascent of wisdom, however, ii clearly perceived with those who know and see what wisdom is. The degrees of wisdom are perceived, because love en ters through the affections into the perceptions and thoughts, and these place themselves within the mind's internal sigh;, which corresponds to the external sight of the body. It Is owing to this that wisdom appears, but not the affection of love that produces it. It is with this as with all things tLat are actually done by man. How the body does them is ob served ; but not how the soul. So, also, man's modvi of meditation, perception, and thought is perceived ; but the manner in which their soul, which is the affection of good and truth, produces the meditation, perception, and thought, is not perceived. But there are three degrees of wisdom, the natural, the spiritual, and the heavenly [celestial]. Man is in the natural degree of wisdom while he lives in the world. This degree may then be perfected in him to its highest point, and , still it cannot enter the spiriiual de gree, because this degree is not connected with the natural degree continuously, but is conjoined with it by coirespon- dences. After death man is in the spiritual d(,gree of wisdom ; and this degree is also such that it ma / be per No. 36.1 THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE. 3 1 fected to tie highest point, but still it cannot enter the heavenly degiee of wisdom, for this degree is not conne( ted with the spiritual continuously, but is conjoined with it by correspondences. From this it may be evident that wisdom can be elevated in a triplicate ratio ; and that in each de gree it may be perfected to the highest point, in a simple ratio. One who comprehends the steps of elevation and the perfecting of these degrees can in some measure per ceive the truth of what is said concerning angelic wisdom, that it is ineffable ; and, moreover, it is so ineffable that a thousand ideas in the thought of the angels from their wisdom can present but a single idea in the thought of men from their wisdom ; the nine hundred and ninety-nine ideas in the thought of the angels not being able to gain entrance, for they are supernatural. That this is so, it has been given me to know by repeated living experience. But, as was said above, no one can come into that ineffable wisdom of the angels, unless by conjunction with the Lord and according to it, for the Lord alone opens the spiritual degree and the heavenly [celestial] degree, and in those only who are wise from Him ; and they are wise from the Lord who reject the devil, that is, evil, from themselves. 35. But let no one believe that it is wisdom in any one to know many things, to perceive them in some light, and to be able to discourse intelligently concerning them, unless the wisdom is conjoined with love; for love by its affec tions produces wisdom ; and if it is not conjoined with love, • it is like a meteor vanishing in the air, and like a falling star. But wisdom conjoined with love is like the abiding light of the sun, and like a fixed star. A man has the love of wisdom so far as he holds in aversion the diabolic crowd of the lusts of evil and falsity. 36. The wisdom that comes to the perception is the per ception of truth from the affection for it, especially the perception of spiritual truth, — for there is civil truth, moral truth, and spiritual truth. They who are in the per- 32 ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING [No. 38. ception of spiritual truth from the affection for it, are also in the perception of moral and of civil truth ; for the affec tion for spiritual truth is the soul of these perceptions. I have sometimes spoken with the angels concerning wisdom ; and they said that wisdom is conjunction with the Lord, because He is Wisdom itself ; and that one comes into that conjunction who rejects hell from himself and as far as he rejects it. They said that they represent wisdom to them selves as a palace, magnificent and highly adorned, the ascent to which is by twelve steps ; and tliat no one reaches the first step unless from the Lord by conjunction with Him ; and every one goes higher according to the conjunc tion ; and as he ascends, he perceives that no one is wise from himself, but from the Lord ; also, that the things in which a man is wise, compared with the things in which he is not wise, are as a few drops to a great lake. The twelve steps to the palace of wisdom signify goods conjoined with truths and truths conjoined with goods. 37. IV. The more closely a man is conjoined with the Lord, the happier he becomes. Things may be said concerning degrees of happiness like what were said above (n. 32 and 34), concerning the degrees of life and wisdom according to conjunction with the Lord. For felicities or beatitudes and delights rise, as the higher degrees of the mind which are called tlie spiritual and the heavenly [celestial] are opened in man ; and after his life in the world these de grees for ever grow. 38. No one who is in the enjoyments of the lusts of evil can know any thing concerning the enjoyments of the affections of good in which the angelic heaven is ; for the enjoyments are wholly opposite to each other in internals, and consequently are interiorly opposite in externals ; but yet they differ but little on the mere surface. For ever}' love has its own enjoyments ; ev.en a love of evil has them with those who are in lusts, — as the love of committing- adultery, of taking revenge, of defrauding, stealing, doing No. 39] THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE. 33 cruel deeds ; yea, in the most wicked, of blaspheming the holy things of the church, and pouring out their venom in words against God. The love of bearing rule from self- love is the fountain-head of these delights ; they are from the lusts that beset the interiors of the mind ; fiom them they flow down into the body, and there excite the unclean things that titillate the fibres ; and thus from the mind's enjoyment, according to the lusts, comes enjoyment to the body. What the unclean things are that titillate the bodily fibres of those who are in such lusts, and their quality, any one may know after death, in the spiritual world. In gen eral, they are cadaverous, excrementitious, stercoraceous, nidorous, and urinous ; for their hells abound in such un clean tilings. That they are correspondences may be seen in the treatise on the " Divine Love and Wisdom " (n. 422- 424). But after those in whom they are have entered hell, the filthy delights are turned into direful things. These things have been said, to aid in understanding what and of what quality the happiness of heaven is, — of which, in what now follows ; for every thing is cognized from its opposite. 39. The blessings, the charms, the delights and ameni ties, in a word the felicities of heaven, cannot be described by words, though perceptible to the sense in heaven ; for what is perceptible to sense only, cannot be described ; for it does not fall into ideas of thought, nor, therefore, into words ; for only the understanding sees ; and it sees the things which are of wisdom or truth, not the things that are of, love or good ; wherefore those felicities are inexpressible, but still they rise in a like degree with wisdom. Their varieties are unlimited, and each is ineffable. I have heard this and have perceived it. But the felicities enter as man removes the lusts of the love of evil and falsity as if from himself but still from the Lord ; for these felicities are the felicities of the affections of good and truth, which are noposite to the lusts of the love of evil nnd falsity. The 34 ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING [No. 42. felicities of the affections of the love of good and truth begin from the Lord, thus" from the inmost ; and they dif fuse themselves thence into lower things even to the ulti mates ; and so they fill the angel, making him to be as it were wholly a delight. Such felicities, in infinite variety, are in every affection of good and truth, especially in the affection of wisdom. 40. The delights of the lusts of evil and the delights of che affections of good cannot be compared ; because the devil is inwardly in the delights of the lusts of evil, and the Lord is inwardly in the delights of the affections of good. If a comparison is to be made, the delights of the lusts of evil can be compared only with the lascivious delights of frogs in stagnant waters, and of serpents amid stenches ; while the delights of the affections of good may be compared to the delights of the mind [animus] in gardens and flower beds ; for things like those which affect the frogs and the serpents, also affect those in the hells vdio are in the lusts of evil ; and things like those which affect the mind [animus] in gardens and flower-beds, also affect those in the heavens who are in the affections of good; for, as was said above, corresponding unclean things affect the evil, and corresponding clean tilings affect the good. 41. It may be evident from these things that the more closely any one is conjoined with the Lord, the happier he becomes. But this happiness rarely shows itself in the world ; for man is then in the natural state, and the natural does not communicate with the spiritual by continuity, but by correspondences ; and this communication is not felt except by a certain quiet and peace of mind [animus], chiefly following combats against evils. But when man puts off the natural state and enters the spiritual, which he does after his departure from the world, then the hap piness above described gradually manifests itself. 42. V. Tfie more closely a man is conjoined with the Lord, No. 43.[ TIIE DIVINE PROVIDENCE. 35 the more distinctly he seems to himself as if he were his own \suus], and the more clearly he. recognizes that he is the.Lord's. There is an appearance that the more closely one is con joined with the Lord, the less he is his own [suus]. It appears so to all the evil ; it also appears so to those who from religion believe that they are not under the yoke of the law, and that no one can do good from himself. For these last, and also the evil, are unable to see otherwise than this, — that not to be allowed to think and will evil, but only good, is not to be one's own [suus] ; and because those who are conjoined with the Lord are neither willing nor able to think and will evil, these two classes conclude, from the appearance to themselves, that this is not to be one's own ; when nevertheless the contrary is the truth. 43. There is infernal freedom and there is heavenly free dom. It is from infernal freedom that one thinks and wills evil, and speaks and does it so far as civil and moral laws do not hinder ; but it is from heavenly freedom that one thinks and wills good, and speaks and does it so far as op portunity is granted. A man perceives as his whatever he thinks, wills, speaks, and does from freedom ; for every one's freedom is all from his love ; therefore they who are in the love of evil do not perceive that infernal freedom is not freedom itself ; but they who are in the love of good perceive that heavenly freedom is freedom itself, and that, consequently, the opposite is slavery to both. Still it can not be denied by any one that tlie one or the other is freedom ; for two kinds of freedom, in themselves opposite, cannot each be freedom itself. Moreover, it cannot be denied that to be led by good is freedom, and to be led by evil is slavery ; for to be led by good is to be led by the Lord, and to be led by evil is to be led by the devil. Now, because all that a man does from freedom ap pears as his, for it is of his love (and to do from one's love is to do from freedom, as was said above), it fol lows that conjunction with the Lord makes a man seem 36 ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING [No. 45. to himself free and therefore his own [suus] ; and the closer the conjunction with the Lord is, the more free he seems, and hence, the more his own. That he seems to himself more distinctly as his own, is because the Divine Love is such that it wills its own to be another's, thus to be a man's and an angel's. Such is all spiritual love, and pre eminently the Divine Love. And further : the Lord in no wise compels any one ; for any thing whatever to which one is forced, does not appear as his ; and what does not seem as one's own, cannot be made his love's, and thus appropriated to him as his. Therefore man is led by the Lord continually in freedom, and is also reformed and regenerated in freedom. But concerning this, more will be said in what follows ; something may also be seen above (n. 4). 44. That the more distinctly a man appears to himself as his own [suus], the more clearly he recognizes that he is the Lord's, is because the more closely he is conjoined with the Lord the wiser he becomes, as shown above (n. 34- 36) ; and wisdom teaches this, and also recognizes it. The angels of the third heaven, as they are the wisest of the angels, also perceive this ; and further, they call it freedom itself; but they call it slavery to be led by themselves. They also give the reason : That the Lord does not flow immediately into the things that are of their perception and thought coming from wisdom, but into the affections of the love of good, and through these into the others ; and that they have a perception of the influx in the affec tion from which they have wisdom ; and that, thereafter, all which they think from wisdom appears as from them selves, thus as their own ; and that by this a reciprocal conjunction is established. 45. As the Lord's Divine Providence has a heaven from the human race for its end, it follows that its end is the conjunction of the human race with Himself (of which, n. 28-31) : and again, that its end is, for man to be more and more closely conjoined with Him (of which, n. 32, 33), No. 46.1 THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE. 37 for thus man has heaven more interiorly : and also, that its end is for man by this conjunction to become wiser (n. 34-36) ; and he becomes happier (n. 37-41), because it is from wisdom and according to it that man has heaven, and by it he has happiness also ; and finally, that its end is for man to appear to himself more distinctly as his own [suus], and still to recognize more clearly that he is the Lord's (of which, n. 42-44). All these things are of the Lord's Divine Providence ; for they all are heaven, which it has for its end. THE LORD'S DIVINE PROVIDENCE, IN ALL THAT IT DOES, REGARDS THE INFINITE AND THE ETERNAL. 46. It is known in the Christian world that God is In finite and Eternal ; for, in the Doctrine of the Trinity that has its name from Athanasius, it is said that God the Father is Infinite, Eternal, and Omnipotent, in like manner God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit ; and that, nevertheless, there are not three Infinite, Eternal, and Omnipotent, but One. It follows from this that, as God is Infinite and Eternal, nothing can be predicated of God but the Infinite and the Eternal. But what the Infinite and Eternal is cannot be comprehended by the finite, and also it can be ; it cannot be comprehended because the finite cannot hold the infinite ; and it can, because there are abstract ideas, by which things are seen to be, though what they are in quality be not seen. Such ideas are given concerning the Infinite ; as, that God because He is Infinite, or the Di vine because it is Infinite, is Esse itself, is Essence and Substance itself, is Love itself and Wisdom itself, or is Good itself and Truth itself, is thus the Itself, yea, is Man Him self ; they are given, too, if it is said that the Infinite is the All, — as, that Infinite Wisdom is [All Knowledge or] Omniscience, and that Infinite Power is [All Might or] Omnipotence. But still these things fall into indistinctness J8 ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING [No 47 of thought, and, from being incomprehensible, perchance into denial, unless the things which thought derives from nature be withdrawn from the idei ; especially the things which thought has from the two properties of nature, space and time ; for these cannot but limit ideas, and cause ab stract ideas to be as nothing. But if those things can be withdrawn from the idea in man, as they are in an angel, then may the Infinite be comprehended by means of such ideas as were enumerated above ; hence, also, it may be comprehended that man is something, because he was created by the Infinite God who is All ; and again, that he is a finite substance, because he was created by the In finite God who is Substance itself; and also, that he is wisdom, because he was created by the Infinite God who is Wisdom itself ; and so on. For unless the Infinite God were the All, Substance itself, and Wisdom itself, man would not be any thing ; thus would either be noth ing, or merely an idea of being, according to the visionaries called idealists. From the things shown in the trea tise concerning the "Divine Love and Wisdom," it is manifest that the Divine Essence is Love and Wisdom (n. 28-39) ') that the Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom are Substance itself and Form itself, also the Itself [which alone is], and the Only [from which all else is] (n. 40-46) ; and that God created the universe and all things thereof from Himself and not from nothing (n. 282-284). It fol lows from this, that every created thing, and especially man, and the love and wisdom in him, are something, and not merely ideas of being. For unless God were Infinite, there would not be the finite ; and unless the Infinite were All, there would not be any thing ; and unless God had created all things from Himself, there would be nullity or nothing. In a word. We are because God Is. 47. As the Divine Providence is now treated of, and as it is here to be shown that, in all which it does, it regards the infinite and the eternal, and as this cannot be set forth No. 48.] THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE. 39 distinctly unless in some order, the order shall be as fol lows : I. The Infinite in itself and Eternal in itself is the same as the Divine. II. The Infinite and Eternal in itself cannot but regard what is infinite [and eternal] from itself in the finite. III. The Divine Providence, in all which it does, regards what is infinite and eternal from itself, especially in saving the human race. IV. An image of the Infinite and Eternal is shown in the angelic heaven from a saved human race. V. To regard the Infinite and Eternal in forming the angelic heaven, that it may be be fore the Lord as one man, the image of Himself, is the inmost of the Divine Providence. 48. I. The Infinite in itself and Eternal in itself is the same as the Divine. This may be evident from what has been shown in many places in the treatise concerning the " Divine Love and Wisdom." That the Infinite in itself and Eternal in itself is the Divine, is according to the angelic idea ; by the Infinite, the angels understand nothing else than the Divine Esse [To be], and by the Eternal, the Divine Existere [To exist]. But that the Infinite in itself and Eternal in itself is the Divine, can be seen by men, and cannot be seen. It can be seen by those who think of the Infinite, not from space, and of the Eternal, not from time ; but it cannot be seen by those who think of the infinite and the eternal from space and time. Thus it can be seen by those who think on a higher plane, that is, interiorly in the rational [mind] ; but it cannot be seen by those who think on a lower plane, that is, externally. Those by whom it can be seen, reflect that an infinity of space cannot be ; so neither an infinity of time, which is an eternity from which [things have been] ; because infinity has no end, either first or last, or is without limits. They also reflect that neither can there be an Infinite from itself ; because from itself supposes limit, and a beginning or prior from which it is ; and therefore it is unmeaning to speak of the Infinite and Eternal from itself, for this would be like say- 40 ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING [No. 50, ing Esse [To be] from itself, which is contradictory ; for an Infinite from itself would be an Infinite from an Infinite, and Esse from itself would be Esse from Esse; and this Infinite and Esse would either be the same with The In finite, or would be finite. From these and similar reasons, which may be seen interiorly in the rational [mind], it is manifest that there is the Infinite in itself, and the Eternal in itself ; and that this Infinite and Eternal is the Divine from which all things are. 49. I know that many will say within themselves. How can one interiorly in his rational [mind] comprehend a something without space and without time ; and that it not only is, but also that it is the all, and is the itself from which all things are ? But reflect interiorly whether love or any one of its affections, or wisdom or any one of its per ceptions, yea, whether thought, is in space and in time; and you will find that they are not. And since the Divine is Love itself and Wisdom itself, it follows that the Divine cannot be conceived of as in space and time ; so neither can the Infinite. For a clearer perception of this, examine the question whether thought is in time and space : Sup pose thought to go on for ten or twelve hours ; may not this space of time seem but an hour or two ? and may it not possibly seem to be one or two days ? Its appearance is according to the state of the affection from which the thought comes. If the affection is one of gladness, in which there is no thought of time, ten or twelve hours spent in thought seem hardly one or two. But the reverse is the case if the affection is one of sorrow, in which time is noticed. From this it is manifest, that time is only an ap pearance according to the state of affection from which thought comes. So it is with distance in space while in thought, when walking or when journeying. 50. Since angels and spirits are affections that are of love, and thoughts from affection, they, therefore, are not in space and time, but only in the appearance of them. To No. so.] THE DIVINE i-kOVIDENCE. 4I them there is an appearance of space and time according to the states of the affections and of the thoughts from the affections. Wherefore, when one is thinking of another from affection, with the purpose and wish to see him or to speak with him, he is forthwith presented before him. Hence it is, that there are spirits present with every man who are in like affection with himself ; evil spirits with one who is in the affection of similar evil, and good spirits with one who is in the affection of similar good ; and they are as really present as if the man were included in their society. Space and time do nothing towards the presence ; because affection and the thought from it are not in space and time ; and spirits and angels are affections, and thoughts from affection. It has been given me to know that this is so from the living experience of many years ; , and also from having conversed with many after their death, some in Europe and its various kingdoms, and some in Asia and Africa and their various kingdoms ; and they were all near me : so if there were space and time with them, a journey and time to make it would inter vene. Indeed every man knows this from what is in herent in himself or in his own mind, of which I have had evidence in this, — that no one has thought of any dis tance in space when I have told him that I had spoken with some one who died in Asia, Africa, or in Europe ; as, for example, with Calvin, Luther, Melancthon, or with, some king, ruler, or priest in a distant land ; nor did even the thought arise, — How could he speak with those who lived there ? and how could they come and be with him, while land and sea lie between ? From this also it has been manifest to me that one does not think from space and time while he is thinking of those who are in the spiritual world. Nevertheless, that there is to them the appearance of space and of time may be seen in the work concerning "Heaven and Hell" (n. 162-169, 191-199). 42 ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING [No. 53. 51. From these things it may now be evident that the Infinite and Eternal, thus the Lord, is to be thought of without space and time ; and that such thought is possible ; also that they have such thought who think interiorly in the rational [mind] ; and that then the Infinite and Eternal is the same as the Divine. So do angels and spirits think. From thought abstracted from time and space, there is a comprehension of the Divine Omnipresence and the Divine Omnipotence, also of the Divine from Eternity ; but none at all from thought to which cleaves the idea from space and time. From these things it is manifest that there can be thought concerning God from eternity, but in no wise concerning nature from eternity ; consequently, there can be thought concerning the creation of the universe by God, but none at all concerning creation from nature ; for space and time are properties of nature, but the Divine is without them. That the Divine is without space and time may be seen in the treatise concerning the " Divine Love and Wis dom " (n. 7-10, 69-72, 73-76, and elsewhere). 52. II. The Infinite and Eternal ill itself cannot but regard what is infinite and eternal from itself in the finite. By the Infinite and Eternal in itself is meant the Divine itself, as was shown in the preceding article; by the finite are meant all things created by It, and especially men, spirits, and angels ; and to regard what is infinite and eternal from Itself, is to regard the Divine, that is, Itself in them, as a man looks at an image of himself in a mirror. That it is so, is shown in many places in the treatise concerning the " Divine Love and Wisdom," especially where it is shown that in the created universe there is an image of man, and an image of the infinite and the eternal (n. 317, 318), thus an nnage of God the Creator, that is, of the Lord from eternity. But it is to be known that the Divine in itself is in the Lord ; but the Divine from itself is the Divine from the Lord in created things. S3. But this must be illustrated, that it may be n;ore No. S3-] THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE. 43 fully understood. The Divine can regard only the Divine ; and it can regard this nowhere but in things created by Itself. That it is so is evident from this, that no one can regard another except from what is his own [suus] in him self. He who loves another regards him from his own love in himself ; one who is wise regards another from his own wisdom in himself. He may indeed see that the other loves him or does not love him, and that he is wise or that he is not wise ; but he sees this from the love and the wis dom in himself. Therefore he . conjoins himself with the other so far as the other loves him as he loves the other, or so far as the other is wise as he is wise ; for so they make one. It is similar with the Divine in itself ; for the Divine in itself cannot regard Itself from another, as from a man, a spirit, or an angel ; for in them there is nothing of the Divine in itself, from which [all things are] ; and to regard the Divine from another in whom there is nothing of the. Divine, would be to regard the Divine from what is not Divine, which is impossible. From this it is, that the Lord is so conjoined with man, spirit, and angel, that all which has relation to the Divine is from the Lord, and not from them. For it is known that all the good and all the truth which any one has, is not from him but from the Lord ; yes, that one cannot even name the Lord, or speak His names Jesus and Christ, unless from Him. From this it now follows, that the Infinite and Eternal, which is the same as the Divine, regards all things in the finite infinitely ; and that He conjoins Himself with them according to the degree of the reception of wisdom and love in them. In a word, the Lord cannot have a dwelling-place in man and angel, and abide with them, except in His Own; not in what belongs to them, for this is evil ; and if it were good, still it is finite, which in itself and from itself is not capable of holding the Infinite. From the things that have been said, it is manifest that a finite one can in no wise behold the Infinite, but that the Infinite One regards what is in finite from Himself in the finite. 44 ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING [No. 5O. 54. It appears as if the Infinite could not be conjoined with the finite, because there is no ratio between them, and because the finite is incapable of holding what is infinite ; but still there is conjunction, both because the Infinite One created all things from Himself (according to what is shown in the treatise concerning the " Divine Love and Wisdom " (n. 282, 283), and because the Infinite One can not regard any thing in those who are finite except what is infinite from Himself, and [He provides] that this may ap pear to the finite as in them. And thus there is a ratio between the finite and the infinite, not from the finite, but from the infinite in the finite ; and also one who is finite is thus capable of holding what is infinite ; not the finite one in himself, but as in hiniself, from what is infinite from itself, in him. But of this more in what now follows. 55. III. The Divine Providence, in all which it does, re gards what is infinite and eternal from itself, especially in saving the human race. The Infinite and Eternal in itself is the Divine itself, or the Lord in Himself ; but the Infi nite and Eternal from itself is the proceeding Divine, or the Lord in others created from Himself, thus in men and in angels ; and this Divine is the same as the Divine Provi dence ; for the Lord, by the Divine from Himseff, provides for all things to be held together in the order in which and into which they were created. And because the proceed ing Divine works this, it follows that all this is the Divine Providence. 56. That the Divine Providence in all which it does re gards what is infinite and eternal from itself, may be evident from this, — that every created thing proceeds from the First, who is the Infinite and Eternal, to ultimates ; and from ultimates to the First from whom it came ; as is shown in the treatise concerning the "Divine Love and Wisdom," in the part which treats of the creation of the universe. And because most interiorly in all progression is the First from which it is, it follows that the proceeding No. S7-] THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE. 45 Divine or the Divine Providence regards,, in all that it does, some image of the infinite and eternal : it regards this in all things ; ih some things so that perception is a witness, in others not. It presents that image to tht evidence of perception in the variety of all things, and in the fructifi cation and multiplication of all things. An image of the infinite and eternal in the variety of all things, is apparent in this, — that there is not one thing which is the same as another, nor can there be to eternity. This is manifest to the eye, in the faces of human beings from their first crea tion ; also from their minds [animus], of which their faces are the types; and also from the affections, perceptions, and thoughts, for the mind [animus] is from these. For this reason, there are no two angels in the whole heaven, nor two spirits, who are the same ; nor can there be, to eternity. And so it is with every object of sight, in both worlds, the natural and the spiritual. From this it may be evident that variety is infinite and eternal. An image of the infinite and eternal in the fructification and multiplication of all things, is evident from the power inherent in the seeds of the vegetable kingdom, and from prolification in the animal kingdom, especially in the family of fishes ; for if they were fructified and multiplied according to their ability, they would within a century fill the space of the whole world, and even of the universe. From this it is manifest that in the power of increase lies hidden the en deavor to propagate oneself to infinity. And as fructifica tion and multiplication have not failed from the beginning of creation, and will never cease, it follows that in this faculty there is the endeavor to propagate oneself to eternity. 57. It is the same with men as to their affections which are of love, and their perceptions which are of wisdom. The variety of them both is infinite and eternal ; so, too, their fructification and multiplication, which are spiritual. No man enjoys an affection and perception so like another's 46 ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING [No. 58. as to be the same ; nor can such ever be. Moreover, affections may be fructified and perceptions multiplied without end. That knowledge is inexhaustible is known. This faculty of fructification and multiplication without limit, or to infinity and eternity, men have in natural things ; but it is in spiritual things with the spiritual angels, and in heavenly things with the heavenly [celestial] angels. Not only are affections, perceptions, and knowledges such in general ; but also every single thing in them, even the most minute, in particular. They are such because they have their existence from the Infinite and Eternal in itself, by what is infinite and eternal from itself. But because the finite has not any thing of the Divine in itself, there is therefore no such thing, not even the most minute, in man or angel, as his ; for a man or an angel is finite, and only a receptacle, in itself dead. What is living, in him, is from the proceeding Divine conjoined with him by contiguity, and appearing to him as his. That the case is so will be seen in what follows. 58. The Divine Providence regards what is infinite and eternal from itself especially in saving the human race, be cause a heaven from the human race is the end of the Divine Providence, as was shown above (n. 27-45) ; and this being the end, it follows that the reformation and the regeneration of man, thus his salvation, is what the Divine Providence especially regards ; for from those who are saved, or the regenerate, heaven has existence. Since to regenerate man is to unite in him good and truth, or love and wisdom, as they are united in the Divine which pro ceeds from the Lord, therefore the Divine Providence piimarily regards this in saving the human race ; the image of the Infinite and Eternal is nowhere in man but in the marriage of good and truth. That tlie proceeding Divine does this in the human race, is known from those who, filled with the proceeding Divine which is called the Holy Spirit, have prophesied, of whom in the Word ; also No. 60.1 THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE. 47 from those who, being enlightened, see Divine truths in the light of heaven ; especially with the angels, who sensibly perceive the presence, the influx, and the conjunction ; but the angels also recognize that the conjunction is only what may be called adjunction. 59. It has not been known that the Divine Providence, in all the jarogression in man regards his eternal state ; but it cannot regard any thing else, because the Divine is the Infinite and the Eternal, and the Infinite and Eternal 01 the Divine is not in time, and hence all things that are to be are present to It ; and as the Divine is such, it follows that the eternal is in all things and in each thing that It does. But they who think from time and space hardly per ceive this, not only because they love the things of time, but also because they think from the present in the world and not from the present in heaven, this being to them as far away as the end of the earth. But because they who are in the Divine think from the Lord, they think also from what is eternal while they think from the present ; saying within themselves, — What is this which is not eternal ? Is not the temporal comparatively as nothing, and does it not also become nothing when it is ended ? It is different with the eternal ; this alone Is ; for its esse [to be] is not ended. To think thus is to think at the same time from the eternal while one is thinking from the present ; and when a man thinks so, and at the same time lives so, then the proceed ing Divine with him, or the Divine Providence, in all the progression, regards the state of his eternal life in heaven, and leads to that. That the Divine, in every man, evil and good, regards what is eternal, will be seen in what fol lows. 60. IV. An image ofthe Infinite a?sd Eternal is shown in the angelic heaven. Among the things of which it is neces sary to have knowledge, is also tlie angelic heaven ; for every one who has a religion thinks of it, and wishes to reach it. But heaven is given to none tut those who know 48 ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING [No. 6i, the way to it, and who walk in that way. This way may also be somewhat known from a cognition of the quality of those who constitute heaven, and that no one becomes an angel, or comps into heaven, unless he carries with him from the world what is angelic ; and in the angelic there is a cognition of the way from walking in it, and a walking in the way by cognition of it. In the spiritual world, also, there are actually ways, running to every society of heaven and to every society of hell ; and each one, as from him self, sees his way. That he sees it, is because the ways there are one for every love ; and the love opens it, and leads one to his fellows. No one sees other ways than the way of his love. From which it is manifest that the angels are no other than heavenly loves ; for otherwise they would not have seen the ways leading to heaven. But this may be more evident from a description of heaven. 6i. Every man's spirit is affection and the thought from it ; and as all affection is of love and thought is of the un derstanding, every spirit is his own love [suus], and thence his own understanding. For this reason, when a man is thinking only from his own spirit, which he does while meditating at home by himself, he thinks from the affection which is of his love. It may hence be evident that a man when he becomes a spirit, as he does after death, is the affection from his own love, and is no other thought than what is of his affection. He is an evil affection, which is lust, if his love has been the love of evil ; and he is a good affection if his love has been the love of good ; and with every one, there is good affection as he has shunned evils as sins ; and with every one there is evil affection as he has not so shunned evils. Now because all spirits and angels are affections, it is manifest that the universal angelic heaven is nothing but the love of all the affections of good, and thence the wisdom of all the perceptions of truth. And as all good and truth are from the Lord, and the Lord is liOve itself and Wisdom itself, it follows that the antrelic No. 63.] THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE. 49 heaven is His image. And as the Divine Love and Wis dom in their Form are Man, it follows, also, that the angelic heaven cannot be otherwise than in such a form. But of this more will be said in the following article. 62. The angelic heaven is an image of the Infinite and F.ternal because it is an image of the Lord, and the Lord is the Infinite and Eternal. An image of His Infinite ahd Eternal appears in this, that there are myriads of myriads of angels constituting heaven, and that as many societies constitute it as there are general , affections of heavenly love, and that every angel in each society is his own affec tion [suus], distinctly ; and that from so many affections, generally and particularly, is the Form of Heaven, which before the Lord is as one, even as a man is one ; and that this form is for ever perfecting according to the increase of members, for the more they are who enter the form of the Divine Love, which is the Form of forms, the more perfect the union becomes. From these things it is clearly mani fest that an image of the Infinite and Eternal is presented in the angelic heaven. 63. From the cognition of heaven given by this brief de scription, it is manifest that the affection which is from the love of good, makes heaven with a man. But who at the present day knows this ? or who knows even what an affec tion from the love of good is ? and that the affections from the love of good are innumerable, yes, infinite? — for, as was said, every angel is his own affection, distinctly ; and the Form of Heaven is the form of all the affections of the Divine Love there. To unite all the affections into this form, no other is able than He who is Love itself and Wisdom itself together, and who at once is Infinite and Eternal ; for what is infinite and eternal is in all of the form, the infinite in the conjunction, and the eternal in the perpetuity ; if the infinite and the eternal were withdrawn from it, in a moment it would crumble. Who else can unite affections into form ? Or who f Ise can even unite a 3 50 ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING [No. 65 single one that enters it ? For its unit cannot be united without a universal idea of all ; and the universal of all cannot, unless from a particular idea of each. There are myriads of myriads composing that form ; myriads enter it every year, and will for ever. All infants come into it ; and as many adults as are affections from the love of good. From these things again may be seen the image of the In finite and Eternal in the angelic heaven. 64. V. To regard the Infinite and Eternal in forming the angelic heaven, that it may be before the Lord as one man, the image of Himself, is the inmost of the Divine Providence. That the universal heaven is as one man before the Lord, and every society of heaven likewise, and that it is thence that every angel is a man in perfect form, and this because God the Creator, who is the Lord from eternity, is Man, may be seen in the work concerning " Heaven and Hell " (n. 59-86) ; and again, that thence there is a correspon dence of all the things of heaven with all the things of man (n. 87-102). It has not been manifested to my sight that the universal heaven is as one man, for the universal heaven can be seen only by the Lord ; but that an entire society of heaven, greater and smaller, appeared as one man, has several times been seen by me ; and it has then been said that the greatest society, which is heaven in the whole aggregate, appears so likewise, but before the Lord ; and that this is the cause of every angel's being in all his form a man. 65. Since the universal heaven in the Lord's sight is as one man, therefore heaven is distinguished into as ma'ny general societies as there are organs, viscera, and members in a man ; and every general society, into as many less general or particular societies as there are larger divisions in each of the viscera and organs ; from which is manifest the quality of a heaven. Now because the Lord is The Man, and heaven is His image, therefore to be in heaven is called being in the Lord. That the Lord is The Man, No. 68.] THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE. ;,j maybe seen in the treatise concerning the "Divine 1 jv