Heaven and its Wonders and HellSwedenborg, Emanuel
Religion
Heaven and its Wonders and Hell
Swedenborg, Emanuel
Future life -- Christianity -- Early work to 1800; Heaven -- Christianity; Hell -- Christianity
{Footnote 1} The angels of heaven acknowledge all good to be
from the Lord, and nothing from themselves, and the Lord dwells
in them in His own and not in their own (n. 9338, 10125, 10151,
10157). Therefore in the Word by "angels" something of the Lord
is meant (n. 1925, 2821, 3039, 4085, 8192, 10528). Furthermore,
angels are called "gods" from the reception of the Divine from
the Lord (n. 4295, 4402, 7268, 7873, 8192, 8301). Again, all
good that is good, and all truth that is truth, consequently
all peace, love, charity, and faith, are from the Lord (n.
1614, 2016, 2751, 2882, 2883, 2891, 2892, 2904). Also all
wisdom and intelligence (n. 109, 112, 121, 124).
{Footnote 2} Those who are in heaven are said to be in the Lord
(n. 3637, 3638).
9. Angels from their wisdom go still further. They say that not only
everything good and true is from the Lord, but everything of life as
well. They confirm it by this, that nothing can spring from itself,
but only from something prior to itself; therefore all things spring
from a First, which they call the very Being [Esse] of the life of
all things. And in like manner all things continue to exist, for
continuous existence is a ceaseless springing forth, and whatever is
not continually held by means of intermediates in connection with the
First instantly disperses and is wholly dissipated. They say also
that there is but One Fountain of life, and that man's life is a
rivulet therefrom, which if it did not unceasingly continue from its
fountain would immediately flow away. [2] Again, they say that from
this One Fountain of life, which is the Lord, nothing goes forth
except Divine good and Divine truth, and that each one is affected by
these in accordance with his reception of them, those who receive
them in faith and life find heaven in them while those who reject
them or stifle them change them into hell; for they change good into
evil and truth into falsity, thus life into death. Again, that
everything of life is from the Lord they confirm by this: that all
things in the universe have relation to good and truth,-the life of
man's will, which is the life of his love, to good; and the life of
his understanding, which is the life of his faith, to truth; and
since everything good and true comes from above it follows that
everything of life must come from above. [3] This being the belief of
the angels they refuse all thanks for the good they do, and are
displeased and withdraw if any one attributes good to them. They
wonder how any one can believe that he is wise from himself or does
anything good from himself. Doing good for one's own sake they do not
call good, because it is done from self. But doing good for the sake
of good they call good from the Divine; and this they say is the good
that makes heaven, because this good is the Lord.{1}
{Footnote 1} Good from the Lord has the Lord inwardly in it,
but good from one's own has not (n. 1802, 3951, 8480).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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