seraphita-第11章

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necessarily　defective。　I　shall；　therefore；　allow　myself　to　speak　only

of　those　'Arcana'　which　concern　the　birth　of　Seraphita。〃



Here　Monsieur　Becker　paused；　as　though　composing　his　mind　to　gather　up

his　ideas。　Presently　he　continued；　as　follows：



〃After　establishing　mathematically　that　man　lives　eternally　in　spheres

of　either　a　lower　or　a　higher　grade；　Swedenborg　applies　the　term

'Spiritual　Angels'　to　beings　who　in　this　world　are　prepared　for

heaven；　where　they　become　angels。　According　to　him；　God　has　not

created　angels；　none　exist　who　have　not　been　men　upon　the　earth。　The

earth　is　the　nursery…ground　of　heaven。　The　Angels　are　therefore　not

Angels　as　such　（'Angelic　Wisdom；'　57）；　they　are　transformed　through

their　close　conjunction　with　God；　which　conjunction　God　never　refuses；

because　the　essence　of　God　is　not　negative；　but　essentially　active。

The　spiritual　angels　pass　through　three　natures　of　love；　because　man

is　only　regenerated　through　successive　stages　（'True　Religion'）。

First；　the　LOVE　OF　SELF：　the　supreme　expression　of　this　love　is　human

genius；　whose　works　are　worshipped。　Next；　LOVE　OF　LIFE：　this　love

produces　prophets；great　men　whom　the　world　accepts　as　guides　and

proclaims　to　be　divine。　Lastly；　LOVE　OF　HEAVEN；　and　this　creates　the

Spiritual　Angel。　These　angels　are；　so　to　speak；　the　flowers　of

humanity；　which　culminates　in　them　and　works　for　that　culmination。

They　must　possess　either　the　love　of　heaven　or　the　wisdom　of　heaven；

but　always　Love　before　Wisdom。



〃Thus　the　transformation　of　the　natural　man　is　into　Love。　To　reach

this　first　degree；　his　previous　existences　must　have　passed　through

Hope　and　Charity；　which　prepare　him　for　Faith　and　Prayer。　The　ideas

acquired　by　the　exercise　of　these　virtues　are　transmitted　to　each　of

the　human　envelopes　within　which　are　hidden　the　metamorphoses　of　the

INNER　BEING；　for　nothing　is　separate；　each　existence　is　necessary　to

the　other　existences。　Hope　cannot　advance　without　Charity；　nor　Faith

without　Prayer；　they　are　the　four　fronts　of　a　solid　square。　'One

virtue　missing；'　he　said；　'and　the　Spiritual　Angel　is　like　a　broken

pearl。'　Each　of　these　existences　is　therefore　a　circle　in　which

revolves　the　celestial　riches　of　the　inner　being。　The　perfection　of

the　Spiritual　Angels　comes　from　this　mysterious　progression　in　which

nothing　is　lost　of　the　high　qualities　that　are　successfully　acquired

to　attain　each　glorious　incarnation；　for　at　each　transformation　they

cast　away　unconsciously　the　flesh　and　its　errors。　When　the　man　lives

in　Love　he　has　shed　all　evil　passions：　Hope；　Charity；　Faith；　and

Prayer　have；　in　the　words　of　Isaiah；　purged　the　dross　of　his　inner

being；　which　can　never　more　be　polluted　by　earthly　affections。　Hence

the　grand　saying　of　Christ　quoted　by　Saint　Matthew；　'Lay　up　for

yourselves　treasures　in　Heaven　where　neither　moth　nor　rust　doth

corrupt；'　and　those　still　grander　words：　'If　ye　were　of　this　world　the

world　would　love　you；　but　I　have　chosen　you　out　of　the　world；　be　ye

therefore　perfect　as　your　Father　in　heaven　is　perfect。'



〃The　second　transformation　of　man　is　to　Wisdom。　Wisdom　is　the

understanding　of　celestial　things　to　which　the　spirit　is　brought　by

Love。　The　Spirit　of　Love　has　acquired　strength；　the　result　of　all

vanquished　terrestrial　passions；　it　loves　God　blindly。　But　the　Spirit

of　Wisdom　has　risen　to　understanding　and　knows　why　it　loves。　The　wings

of　the　one　are　spread　and　bear　the　spirit　to　God；　the　wings　of　the

other　are　held　down　by　the　awe　that　comes　of　understanding：　the　spirit

knows　God。　The　one　longs　incessantly　to　see　God　and　to　fly　to　Him；　the

other　attains　to　Him　and　trembles。　The　union　effected　between　the

Spirit　of　Love　and　the　Spirit　of　Wisdom　carries　the　human　being　into　a

Divine　state　during　which　time　his　soul　is　WOMAN　and　his　body　MAN；　the

last　human　manifestation　in　which　the　Spirit　conquers　Form；　or　Form

still　struggles　against　the　Spirit；for　Form；　that　is；　the　flesh；　is

ignorant；　rebels；　and　desires　to　continue　gross。　This　supreme　trial

creates　untold　sufferings　seen　by　Heaven　alone；the　agony　of　Christ

in　the　Garden　of　Olives。



〃After　death　the　first　heaven　opens　to　this　dual　and　purified　human

nature。　Therefore　it　is　that　man　dies　in　despair　while　the　Spirit　dies

in　ecstasy。　Thus；　the　NATURAL；　the　state　of　beings　not　yet

regenerated；　the　SPIRITUAL；　the　state　of　those　who　have　become　Angelic

Spirits；　and　the　DIVINE；　the　state　in　which　the　Angel　exists　before　he

breaks　from　his　covering　of　flesh；　are　the　three　degrees　of　existence

through　which　man　enters　heaven。　One　of　Swedenborg's　thoughts

expressed　in　his　own　words　will　explain　to　you　with　wonderful

clearness　the　difference　between　the　NATURAL　and　the　SPIRITUAL。　'To

the　minds　of　men；'　he　says；　'the　Natural　passes　into　the　Spiritual；

they　regard　the　world　under　its　visible　aspects；　they　perceive　it　only

as　it　can　be　realized　by　their　senses。　But　to　the　apprehension　of

Angelic　Spirits；　the　Spiritual　passes　into　the　Natural；　they　regard

the　world　in　its　inward　essence　and　not　in　its　form。'　Thus　human

sciences　are　but　analyses　of　form。　The　man　of　science　as　the　world

goes　is　purely　external　like　his　knowledge；　his　inner　being　is　only

used　to　preserve　his　aptitude　for　the　perception　of　external　truths。

The　Angelic　Spirit　goes　far　beyond　that；　his　knowledge　is　the　thought

of　which　human　science　is　but　the　utterance；　he　derives　that　knowledge

from　the　Logos；　and　learns　the　law　of　CORRESPONDENCES　by　which　the

world　is　placed　in　unison　with　heaven。　The　WORD　OF　GOD　was　wholly

written　by　pure　Correspondences；　and　covers　an　esoteric　or　spiritual

meaning；　which　according　to　the　science　of　Correspondences；　cannot　be

understood。　'There　exist；'　says　Swedenborg　（'Celestial　Doctrine'　26）；

'innumerable　Arcana　within　the　hidden　meaning　of　the　Correspondences。

Thus　the　men　who　scoff　at　the　books　of　the　Prophets　where　the　Word　is

enshrined　are　as　densely　ignorant　as　those　other　men　who　know　nothing

of　a　science　and　yet　ridicule　its　truths。　To　know　the　Correspondences

which　exist　between　the　things　visible　and　ponderable　in　the

terrestrial　world　and　the　things　invisible　and　imponderable　in　the

spiritual　world；　is　to　hold　heaven　within　our　comprehension。　All　the

objects　of　the　manifold　creations　having　emanated　from　God　necessarily

enfold　a　hidden　meaning；　according；　indeed；　to　the　grand　thought　of

Isaiah；　'The　earth　is　a　garment。'



〃This　mysterious　link　between　Heaven　and　the　smallest　atoms　of　created

matter　constitutes　what　Swedenborg　calls　a　Celestial　Arcanum；　and　his

treatise　on　the　'Celestial　Arcana'　in　which　he　explains　the

correspondences　or　significances　of　the　Natural　with；　and　to；　the

Spiritual；　giving；　to　use　the　words　of　Jacob　Boehm；　the　sign　and　seal

of　all　things；　occupies　not　less　than　sixteen　volumes　containing

thirty　thousand　propositions。　'This　marvellous　knowledge　of

Correspondences　which　the　goodness　of　God　granted　to　Swedenborg；'　says

one　of　his　disciples；　'is　the　secret　of　the　interest　which　draws　men

to　his　works。　According　to　him；　all　things　are　derived　from　heaven；

all　things　lead　back　to　heaven。　His　writings　are　sublime　and　clear；　he

speaks　in　heaven；　and　earth　hears　him。　Take　one　of　his　sentences　by

itself　and　a　volume　could　be　made　of　it'；　and　the　disciple　quotes　the

following　passages　taken　from　a　thousand　others　that　would　answer　the

same　purpose。



〃'The　kingdom　of　heaven；'　says　Swedenborg　（'Celestial　Arcana'）；　'is

the　kingdom　of　motives。　ACTION　is　born　in　heaven；　thence　into　the

world；　and；　by　degrees；　to　the　infinitely　remote　parts　of　earth。

Terrestrial　effects　being　thus　linked　to　celestial　causes；　all　things

are　CORRESPONDENT　and　SIGNIFICANT。　Man　is　the　means　of　union　between

the　Natural　and　the　Spiritual。'



〃The　Angelic　Spirits　therefore　know　the　very　nature　of　the

Correspondences　which　link　to　heaven　all　earthly　things；　they　know；

too；　the　inner　meaning　of　the　prophetic　words　which　foretell　their

evolutions。　Thus　to　these　Spirits　everything　here　below　has　its

significance；　the　tiniest　flower　is　a　thought；a　life　which

corresponds　to　certain　lineaments　of　the　Great　Whole；　of　which　they

have　a　constant　intuition。　To　them　Adultery　and　the　excesses　spoken　of

in　Scripture　and　by　the　Prophets；　often　garbled　by　self…styled

scholars；　mean　the　state　of　those　souls　which　in　this　world　persist　in

tainting　themselves　with　earthly　affections；　thus　compelling　their

divorce　from　Heaven。　Clouds　signify　the　veil　of　the　Most　High。

Torches；　shew…bread；　horses　and　horsemen；　harlots；　precious　stones；　in

short；　everything　named　in　Scripture；　has　to　them　a　clear…cut　meaning；

and　reveals　the　future　of　terrestrial　facts　in　their　relation　to

Heaven。　They　penetrate　the　truths　contained　in　the　Revelation　of　Saint

John　the　divine；　which　human　science　has　subsequently　demonstrated　and

proved　materially；　such；　for　instance；　as　the　following　（'big；'　said

Swedenborg；　'with　many　human　sciences'）：　'I　saw　a　new　heaven　and　a　new

earth；　for　the　first　heaven　and　the　first　earth　were　passed　away'

（Revelation　xxi。　1）。　These　Spirits　know　the　supper　at　which　the　flesh

of　kings　and　the　flesh　of　all　men；　free　and　bond；　is　eaten；　to　which

an　Angel　standing　in　the　sun　has　bidden　them。　They　see　the　winged

woman；　clothed　with　the　sun；　and　the　mailed　man。　'The　horse　of　the

Apocalypse；'　says　Swedenborg；　'is　the　visible　image　of　human　intellect

ridden　by　Death；　for　it　bears　within　itself　the　elements　of　its　own

destruction。'　Moreover；　they　can　distinguish　beings　concealed　under

forms　which　to　ignorant　eyes　would　seem　fantastic。　When　a　man　is

disposed　to　receive　the　prophetic　afflation　of　Correspondences；　it

rouses　within　him　a　perception　of　the　Word；　he　comprehends　that　the

creations　are　transformations　only；　his　intellect　is　sharpened；　a

burning　thirst　takes　possession　of　him　which　only　Heaven　can　quench。

He　conceives；　according　to　the　greater　or　lesser　perfection　of　his

inner　being；　the　power　of　the　Angelic　Spirits；　and　he　advances；　led　by

Desire　（the　least　imperfect　state　of　unregenerated　man）　towards　Hope；

the　gateway　to　the　world　of　Spirits；　whence　he　reaches　Prayer；　which

gives　him　the　Key　of　Heaven。



〃What　being　here　below　would　not　desire　to　render　himself　worthy　of

entrance　into　the　sphere　of　those　who　live　in　secret　by　Love　and

Wisdom？　Here　on　earth；　during　their　lifetime；　such　spirits　remain

pure；　they　neither　see；　nor　think；　nor　speak　like　other　men。　There　are

two　ways　by　which　perception　comes；one　internal；　the　other　external。

Man　is　wholly　external；　the　Angelic　Spirit　wholly　internal。　The　Spirit

goes　to　the　depth　of　Numbers；　possesses　a　full　sense　of　them；　knows

their　significances。　It　controls　Motion；　and　by　reason　of　its　ubiquity

it　shares　in　all　things。　'An　Angel；'　says　Swedenborg；　'is　ever　present

to　a　man　when　desired'　（'Angelic　Wisdom'）；　for　the　Angel　has　the　gift

of　detaching　himself　from　his　body；　and　he　sees　into　heaven　a