Heaven and Hell (Harley) n. 347

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347. Heavenly intelligence is interior intelligence, arising from a love of truth, not on account of any glory in the world nor any glory in heaven, but on account of the truth itself, by which they are inmostly affected and delighted. Those who are affected by and delighted with the truth itself are affected by and delighted with the light of heaven; and those who are affected by and delighted with the light of heaven are also affected by and delighted with Divine Truth, and indeed with the Lord Himself, for the light of heaven is Divine Truth, and Divine Truth is the Lord in heaven (see above, n. 126-140). This light enters only into the interiors of the mind, for the interiors of the mind have been formed for the reception of that light, and are affected by and delighted with that light as it enters; for whatever flows in and is received from heaven has in it what is delightful and pleasant. From this comes a genuine affection of truth, which is an affection of truth for truth's sake. Those who are in this affection, or what is the same thing, in this love, are in heavenly intelligence, and "shine in heaven as with the brightness of the firmament". They so shine because Divine Truth, wherever it is in heaven, is what gives light (see above, n. 132); and the "firmament" of heaven signifies from correspondence the intellectual [faculty], both with angels and men, and this is in the light of heaven. [2] But those who are in the love of truth, either on account of glory in the world or glory in heaven, cannot shine in heaven, since they are delighted with and affected by the light of the world, and not with the very light of heaven; and the light of the world without the light of heaven is in heaven mere thick darkness.# For it is the glory of self that rules, because it is the end in view; and when that glory is the end, man regards himself in the first place, and such truths as can be made serviceable to his glory he looks upon simply as means to the end and as servants. For he who loves Divine truths for the sake of his own glory regards himself and not the Lord in Divine truths, thereby turning the sight pertaining to his understanding and faith away from heaven to the world, and away from the Lord to himself. Such, therefore, are in the light of the world and not in the light of heaven. [3] In outward form or in the sight of men they appear just as intelligent and learned as those who are in the light of heaven, because they speak in a like manner; and sometimes to outward appearance they appear wiser, because they are moved by love of self, and are skilled in counterfeiting heavenly affections; but in their inward form in which they appear before the angels they are wholly different. All this confirms in some degree who those are that are meant by "the intelligent that will shine in heaven as with the brightness of the firmament". Who are meant by those that "turn many to righteousness", and who will shine as the stars, will now be told. # The light of the world is for the external man, the light of heaven for the internal man (n. 3222-3224, 3337). The light of heaven flows into the natural light, and so far as the natural man receives the light of heaven he becomes wise (n. 4302, 4408). The things that are in the light of heaven can be seen in the light of heaven but not in the light of the world, which is called natural light (n. 9755). Therefore those who are solely in the light of the world do not perceive those things that are in the light of heaven (n. 3108). To the angels the light of the world is thick darkness (n. 1521, 1783, 1880).


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