2. Since Spiritual Influx, as we have said, originates in order and its laws, it has been acknowledged and received by the wise in the learned world in preference to the other two opinions. Everything which originates in order is truth, and truth, in virtue of its own inherent light, manifests itself even in the shade of the reasoning faculty in which hypotheses reside. As, however, there are three things which involve this hypothesis in shade - ignorance as to what the soul is, ignorance as to what is spiritual, and ignorance respecting the nature of influx - these three things must first be explained before the rational faculty can see the truth itself. For hypothetical truth is not truth itself, but a conjecture of the truth. It is like a picture on a wall seen at night by the light of the stars, to which the mind assigns a form varying according to its fancy; but which appears different after daybreak, when the light of the sun shines upon it, and not only reveals and presents to view its general features, but also each of its parts. So, from the shade of truth in which this hypothesis resides, is produced the open truth, when it is known what and of what nature is that which is spiritual respectively to that which is natural; as also what and of what nature is the human soul, and what the nature of the influx into it, and through it into the perceptive and thinking mind, and from this into the body.
[2] But these subjects can be explained by no one, unless it has been granted him by the Lord to be consociated with angels in the spiritual world and at the same time with men in the natural world; and because this has been granted to me, I have been enabled to describe what and of what nature they both are. This has been done in the work on CONJUGIAL LOVE: concerning what is SPIRITUAL, in the memorable relation, nos. 326-329; concerning the HUMAN SOUL, no. 315; and concerning INFLUX, no. 380, and still more fully at nos. 415-422.* Who does not know, or may not know, that the good of love and the truth of faith flow in from God into man, and that they flow into his soul, and are felt in his mind; and that they flow forth from his thought into his speech, and from his will into his actions?
[3] That Spiritual Influx is thence, and also its origin and derivation, shall be shown in the following order:
I There are two worlds: the spiritual world, inhabited by spirits and angels, and the natural world, inhabited by men.
II The spiritual world first existed and continually subsists from its own sun; and the natural world from its own sun.
III The sun of the spiritual world is pure love from Jehovah God, who is in the midst of it.
IV From that sun proceed heat and light; the heat proceeding from it is in its essence love, and the light from it is in its essence wisdom.
V Both that heat and that light flow into man: the heat into his will, where it produces the good of love; and the light into his understanding, where it produces the truth of wisdom.
VI Those two, heat and light, or love and wisdom, flow conjointly from God into the soul of man; and through this into his mind, its affections and thoughts; and from these into the senses, speech, and actions of the body.
VII The sun of the natural world is pure fire; and the world of nature first existed and continually subsists by means of this sun.
VIII Therefore everything which proceeds from this sun, regarded in itself, is dead.
IX That which is spiritual clothes itself with that which is natural, as a man clothes himself with a garment.
X Spiritual things thus clothed in a man enable him to live as a rational and moral man, thus as a spiritually natural man.
XI The reception of that influx is according to the state of love and wisdom with man.
XII The understanding in man can be raised into the light, that is, into the wisdom, in which are the angels of heaven, according to the cultivation of his reason; and his will can be raised, in like manner, into heat, that is, into love, according to the deeds of his life; but the love of the will is not raised, except so far as the man wills and does those things which the wisdom of the understanding teaches.
XIII It is altogether otherwise with beasts.
XIV There are three degrees in the spiritual world, and three degrees in the natural world, according to which all influx takes place.
XV Ends are in the first degree, causes in the second, and effects in the third.
XVI Hence is evident the nature of spiritual influx from its origin to its effects.
Each of these propositions shall now be briefly illustrated. * The same articles may be found in THE TRUE CHRISTIAN RELIGION, no. 280; no. 697; no. 35; no. 77; and no. 12.
This page is part of 
© 2000-2001 The Academy of the New Church