Heavenly Doctrine (Tafel) n. 39

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39. The man whose Internal is in the light of heaven, and his External in the light of the world, thinks both spiritually and naturally; but in the latter case his spiritual thought flows into his natural thought, and is there perceived. But the man, whose Internal, together with his External, is in the light it of the world, does not think spiritually, but materially; for he thinks from those things which are within the nature of the world, all of which are material. Thinking spiritually means thinking of things as they are in themselves, seeing truths from the light of truth, and perceiving goods from the love of good; also, seeing the qualities of things, and perceiving their affections, abstractly from matter: but thinking materially means thinking seeing, and perceiving those things, together with matter, and in matter, and thus in a way comparatively gross and obscure.


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