Divine Providence (Dick and Pulsford) n. 29

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29. All conjunction in the spiritual world is effected by means of looking (inspectio). When anyone there is thinking of another from a desire to speak with him, the other immediately becomes present, and they see each other face to face. It is the same when anyone is thinking of another from an affection of love; but this affection brings about conjunction, while the other produces presence only. This is peculiar to the spiritual world, for the reason that all there are spiritual: it is otherwise in the natural world, where all are material. With men in the natural world the same takes place in the affections and thoughts of their spirit; but as there are spaces in the natural world, while in the spiritual world spaces are only appearances, that which is done in the thought of everyone's spirit, in the spiritual world becomes an act in deed. [2] This has been said in order to make known how the conjunction of the Lord with angels is effected, and how the apparent reciprocal conjunction of angels with the Lord is effected. For all angels turn the face towards the Lord, and the Lord looks upon their forehead, because the forehead corresponds to love and its affections; while angels direct their eyes towards the Lord, because the eyes correspond to wisdom and its perceptions. Nevertheless, the angels do not from themselves turn the face to the Lord, but the Lord turns them to Himself. He turns them by influx into their life's love, and through that love enters into their perceptions and thoughts; and in this way He turns them. [3] There is in all things of the human mind this circle of love to thoughts and from thoughts to love from love, a circle which may be called the circle of life. On this subject something may be seen in the treatise THE DIVINE LOVE AND WISDOM, as for instance: The angels constantly turn the face to the Lord as a Sun (n. 129-134). All the interiors of the angels, of mind as well as of body, are likewise turned to the Lord as a Sun (n. 135-139). Every spirit, whatever his character may be, turns himself likewise to his ruling love (n. 140-145). Love conjoins itself to wisdom, and causes wisdom to be reciprocally conjoined to itself (n. 410-412). The angels are in the Lord, and the Lord is in them; and because angels are recipients the Lord alone is heaven (n. 113-118).


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