LITMIR.BIZ

Скачать книгу

force them back again into the temple to a repetition of their prayers and praises; but in vain: they insisted on being left to themselves to recruit their spirits; "we shall else die," they said, "through mere faintness and weariness." At that instant, lo! there appeared four men in white garments, with mitres on their heads; one of them while on earth had been an archbishop, and the other three bishops, all of whom had now become angels. As they approached, they addressed themselves to the priests, and said, "We have observed from heaven how you feed these sheep. Your instruction tends to their infatuation. Do you not know that to glorify God means to bring forth the fruits of love; that is, to discharge all the duties of our callings with faithfulness, sincerity, and diligence? for this is the nature of love towards God and our neighbor; and this is the bond and blessing of society. Hereby God is glorified, as well as by acts of worship at stated times after these duties. Have you never read these words of the Lord, Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bring forth much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples, John xv. 8. Ye priests indeed may glorify God by your attendance on his worship, since this is your office, and from the discharge of it you derive honor, glory, and recompense; but it would be as impossible for you as for others thus to glorify God, unless honor, glory, and recompense were annexed to your office." Having said this, the bishops ordered the doorkeepers to give free ingress and egress to all, there being so great a number of people, who, from their ignorance of the state and nature of heaven, can form no other idea of heavenly joy than that it consists in the perpetual worship of God.

      10. After this the angel returned with his companions to the place of assembly, where the several companions of the wise ones were still waiting; and next he addressed those who fancied that heavenly joy and eternal happiness depend only on admittance into heaven, which is obtained merely by divine grace and favor; and that in such case the persons introduced would enter into the enjoyments of heaven, just as those introduced to a court-festival or a marriage, enter into the enjoyment of such scenes. "Wait here awhile," said the angel, "until I sound my trumpet, and call together those who have been most distinguished for their wisdom in regard to the spiritual things of the Church." After some hours, there appeared nine men, each having a wreath of laurel on his head as a mark of distinction: these the angel introduced into the house of assembly, where all the companies before collected were still waiting; and then in their presence he addressed the nine strangers, and said, "I am informed, that in compliance with your desire, you have been permitted to ascend into heaven, according to your ideas thereof, and that you have returned to this inferior or sub-celestial earth, perfectly well informed as to the nature and state of heaven: tell us therefore what you have seen, and how heaven appeared to you." Then they replied in order; and the First thus began: "My idea of heaven from my earliest infancy to the end of my life on earth was, that it was a place abounding with all sorts of blessings, satisfactions, enjoyments, gratifications, and delights; and that if I were introduced there, I should be encompassed as by an atmosphere of such felicities, and should receive it with the highest relish, like a bridegroom at the celebration of his nuptials, and when he enters the chamber with his bride. Full of this idea, I ascended into heaven, and passed the first guard and also the second; but when I came to the third, the captain of the guard accosted me and said, 'Who are you, friend?' I replied, 'Is not this heaven? My longing desire to ascend into heaven has brought me hither; I pray you therefore permit me to enter.' Then he permitted me; and I saw angels in white garments, who came about me and examined me, and whispered to each other, 'What new guest is this, who is not clothed in heavenly raiment?' I heard what they said, and thought within myself, This is a similar case to that which the Lord describes, of the person who came to the wedding, and had not on a wedding garment: and I said, 'Give me such garments;' at which they smiled: and instantly one came from the judgment-hall with this command: 'Strip him naked, cast him out, and throw his clothes after him;' and so I was cast out." The Second in order then began as follows: "I also supposed that if I were but admitted into heaven, which was over my head, I should there be encompassed with joys, which I should partake of to eternity. I likewise wished to be there, and my wish was granted; but the angels on seeing me fled away, and said one to another, 'What prodigy is this! how came this bird of night here?' On hearing which, I really felt as if I had undergone some change, and was no longer a man: this however was merely imaginary, and arose from my breathing the heavenly atmosphere. Presently, however, there came one running from the judgment-hall, with an order that two servants should lead me out, and conduct me back by the way I had ascended, till I had reached my own home; and when I arrived there, I again appeared to others and also to myself as a man." The Third said, "I always conceived heaven to be some place of blessedness independent of the state of the affections; wherefore as soon as I came into this world, I felt a most ardent desire to go to heaven. Accordingly I followed some whom I saw ascending thither, and was admitted along with them; but I did not proceed far; for when I was desirous to delight my mind (animus) according to my idea of heavenly blessedness, a sudden stupor, occasioned by the light of heaven, which is as white as snow, and whose essence is said to be wisdom, seized my mind (mens) and darkness my eyes, and I was reduced to a state of insanity: and presently, from the heat of heaven, which corresponds with the brightness of its light, and whose essence is said to be love, there arose in my heart a violent palpitation, a general uneasiness seized my whole frame, and I was inwardly excruciated to such a degree that I threw myself flat on the ground. While I was in this situation, one of the attendants came from the judgment-hall with an order to carry me gently to my own light and heat; and when I came there my spirit and my heart presently returned to me." The Fourth said that he also had conceived heaven to be some place of blessedness independent of the state of the affections. "As soon therefore," said he, "as I came into the spiritual world, I inquired of certain wise ones whether I might be permitted to ascend into heaven, and was informed that this liberty was granted to all, but that there was need of caution how they used it, lest they should be cast down again. I made light of this caution, and ascended in full confidence that all were alike qualified for the reception of heavenly bliss in all its fulness: but alas! I was no sooner within the confines of heaven, than my life seemed to be departing from me, and from the violent pains and anguish which seized my head and body, I threw myself prostrate on the ground, where I writhed about like a snake when it is brought near the fire. In this state I crawled to the brink of a precipice, from which I threw myself down, and being taken up by some people who were standing near the place where I fell, by proper care I was soon brought to myself again." The other Five then gave a wonderful relation of what befell them in their ascents into heaven, and compared the changes they experienced as to their states of life, with the state of fish when raised out of water into air, and with that of birds when raised out of air into ether; and they declared that, after having suffered so much pain, they had no longer any desire to ascend into heaven, and only wished to live a life agreeable to the state of their own affections, among their like in any place whatever. "We are well informed," they added, "that in the world of spirits, where we now are, all persons undergo a previous preparation, the good for heaven, and the wicked for hell; and that after such preparation they discover ways open for them to societies of their like, with whom they are to live eternally; and that they enter such ways with the utmost delight, because they are suitable to their love." When those of the first assembly had heard these relations, they all likewise acknowledged, that they had never entertained any other notion of heaven than as of a place where they should enter upon the fruition of never-ceasing delights. Then the angel who had the trumpet thus addressed them: "You see now that the joys of heaven and eternal happiness arise not from the place, but from the state of the man's life; and a state of heavenly life is derived from love and wisdom; and since it is use which contains love and wisdom, and in which they are fixed and subsist, therefore a state of heavenly life is derived from the conjunction of love and wisdom in use. It amounts to the same if we call them charity, faith, and good works; for charity is love, faith is truth whence wisdom is derived, and good works are uses. Moreover in our spiritual world there are places as in the natural world; otherwise there could be no habitations and distinct abodes; nevertheless place with us is not place, but an appearance of place according to the state of love and wisdom, or of charity and faith. Every one who becomes an angel, carries his own heaven within himself, because he carries in himself the love of his own heaven; for a man from creation is the smallest effigy, image, and type of the great heaven, and the human form is nothing else; wherefore every one after death comes into that society of heaven

Скачать книгу