Spiritual Life and the Word of GodSwedenborg, Emanuel
Religion
Spiritual Life and the Word of God
Swedenborg, Emanuel
Spiritual life; Ten commandments; Word of God (Christian theology)
As the heavens are divided into two kingdoms, namely, into a celestial
kingdom and a spiritual kingdom, so are the hells divided into two
domains opposite to those kingdoms. The domain opposite to the celestial
kingdom is called devilish, and the domain opposite to the spiritual
kingdom is called infernal. These domains are distinguished in the Word
by the names Devil and Satan. There are two domains in the hells,
because the heavens and the hells are opposite to each other; and
opposite must fully correspond to opposite that there may be
equilibrium. For the springing forth and permanence of all things, both
in the natural world and in the spiritual world, depend upon an exact
equilibrium between two activities that are opposite; and when these act
against each other manifestly, they act by forces, but when not
manifestly they act by endeavors (canatus). By means of equilibriums
all things in both worlds are preserved; without this all things would
perish. In the spiritual world the equilibrium is between good from
heaven and evil from hell; and thus between truth from heaven and
falsity from hell. For the Lord arranges unceasingly that all kinds and
species of good and truth in the heavens shall have opposite to them in
the hells evils and falsities of kinds that correspond by opposition;
thus goods and truths from a celestial origin have for their opposites
evils and falsities that are called devilish; and in like manner goods
and truths from a spiritual origin have for their opposites evils and
falsities that are called infernal. The cause of these equilibriums is
to be found in the fact that the same Divine goods and Divine truths
that the angels in the heavens receive from the Lord, the spirits in the
hells turn into evils and falsities. All angels, spirits, and men are
kept by the Lord in equilibrium between good and evil, and thus between
truth and falsity, in order that they may be in freedom; and thus may be
led from evil to good and from falsity to truth easily and as if by
themselves, although in fact they are led by the Lord. For the same
reason they are led in freedom from good to evil, and from truth to
falsity, and this, too, as if by themselves, although the leading is
from hell. (A.E., n. 1043.)
II. The First Kind of Profanation
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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