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828. We have treated above of love to the Lord, in which love are the angels in the third heaven. It now remains to say something about love towards the neighbour among those angels. By neighbour they understand uses, which are indeed works. But uses, to them, are all things done by the Lord in them, which have regard especially to the worship of the Lord, His church, the implantation of the holy things thereof, especially with infants, with whom they have conjunction, and whom they inspire with innocence and its affections; also the good of society in general and particular. These are the things that chiefly pertain to their love, because they pertain to love to the Lord. The Lord operates these things in them by the love implanted in their life, which is such that in them they perceive all the delight of their life.
The reason why such things are their neighbour is, that they do not refer to persons, but to the things that pertain to persons. For they are wiser than the rest of the angels; and it is wisdom to regard others from those things that pertain to them and constitute them. For every angel, spirit, and man is his own love and his own affection, thus his own good and consequently his own truth. And because these things constitute them, it is not possible for them, as being wise, to regard anything else in others but that from which they exist. This is to them a neighbour, or brother and companion, according to what is frequently said in the Word, good being considered by them as a brother, and truth as a companion. It is therefore evident what love towards the neighbour is in the third heaven.
[2] As for other things which concern their moral, civil, and domestic life, these also are works which they do from affection, but they are not such works as are meant by neighbour, or brother and companion; for they derive something from the world, also from what is useful for themselves and their own. They are the derivations and productions of the uses before mentioned, and are those things that proceed from their thought, about which, therefore, they can discourse. These things keep the life of their body in such a state that the life of their love can dwell therein, and perform its uses. Because these angels are of such a character, they do not know what charity or what faith are; but instead of charity they have the love of good, and instead of faith the love of truth. They are also continually in the love of good and truth, because their life is the affection of good, in which and from which is the perception of truth. Therefore, when mention is made of charity from which is faith, or of faith which is from charity, they do not know what these are.
The angels of the third heaven, because they are of such a character, appear before the angels of the lower heavens as infants, and some as children, all in a state of simplicity; they also go naked.
[3] The reason why they appear as infants and as children is that they are in innocence; and love to the Lord from the Lord is innocence. Whence also by infants and children, in the Word, innocence, and also love to the Lord are signified. The reason why they appear simple is, that they cannot speak about the holy things of heaven and the church; for these things with them are not in the memory, from which all discourse comes, but in the life and thence in the understanding; not as thought, but as the affection of good in its form, which does not come down into discourse. And even if it were to descend, it would not speak, but only give forth a sound. And those who cannot speak about such things seem to themselves and to others to be simple. A further reason is, that they are in humility of heart, and know that it is wisdom to see that what they do know is hardly anything in comparison with the things that they do not know. The reason why they go naked is, that nakedness, in the spiritual sense, is innocence; and because garments signify truths clothing good; and the truths that clothe are in the memory, and thence in the thought. But with them truths are in the life, and thus hidden, and only reveal themselves before the perception while others are uttering them, and their ministers preaching them from the Word. They are also perfected from the talk of those who are in the understanding of truth from preachings, and likewise from books. They write also, but not by letters, as other angels, but by curves and inflexions, which contain arcana that are above the understanding of the angels in the lower heavens.
They also dwell in expanses above others, and in gardens there in which are shrubberies and beds of flowers, whence they are in continual representatives of celestial things. And, what is wonderful, stone is not found there, because stone signifies natural truth, whereas wood signifies good, a tree perception, and a flower implantation.
Thus much then about love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour, consequently, concerning celestial love. In what follows we shall speak of spiritual love; also of charity and faith.
828. Love to the Lord, in which love are the angels that are in the third heaven, has been treated of above; it now remains to say something about the love towards the neighbor with those angels. By the "neighbor" they mean uses, which indeed 1are works; but with those angels uses are all things that are done with them from the Lord, and these have relation especially to the worship of the Lord, to His church, to the implantation of its holy things, especially with little children, with whom they have conjunction, and whom they inspire with innocence and its affections; also to the good of society in general and also in particular. These are the things that chiefly belong to their love, because they belong to the Lord's love. The Lord operates these things with them by means of the love that is implanted in their life, which is such that they perceive in these things the delight of their life. Such things are the neighbor to them, because they do not regard persons, but such things as are with persons; for they have more wisdom than other angels, and it is wisdom to regard others from such things as are with them and which constitute them. For every angel, spirit, and man is his love and his affection, thus his good and his truth therefrom; and as these are what constitute them, and as they are wise, they must needs regard others according to what constitutes them. This to them is the neighbor, or the brother and companion, which are often mentioned in the Word, "brother" meaning to them good, and "companion" truth. Thence it is clear what love towards the neighbor is in the third heaven.
[2] As to the other things that relate to moral, civil, and domestic life, these, too, are works done by them from affection, but they are not such works as they mean by "neighbor," or "brother and companion;" for they derive somewhat from the world, and also from what is useful to themselves and their own. These works are derivations and productions of the uses before mentioned, and are such things as proceed from their thought, therefore they can discourse about them. These works keep the life of their body in such a state that the life of their love can dwell in it and perform its uses. These angels, being such, do not know what is meant by charity, or what is meant by faith; but they have the love of good in place of charity, and the love of truth in place of faith. Moreover, they are continually in the love of good and truth because their life is the affection of good, in which and from which is the perception of truth. When, therefore, charity from which is faith, or faith which is from charity, is mentioned, they do not know what is meant. As the angels of the third heaven are such they appear before the angels of the lower heavens like infants, some like boys, and all of them, as it were simple; moreover, they go naked. They appear like infants and like boys because they are in innocence; and love to the Lord from the Lord is innocence; and this is also why infants and boys signify in the Word innocence and also love to the Lord.
[3] They appear simple because they cannot talk about the holy things of heaven and the church; for with them these things are not in the memory, from which all speech comes, but in the life; and from that in the understanding, not as thought but as the affection of good in its form, which does not descend into speech; and if it were to descend it would not be spoken, but only sounded; and those who cannot speak about such things appear to themselves and others as if simple. A further reason is that they are in humility of heart, knowing that wisdom consists in perceiving that the things in which they are wise are scarcely anything in comparison with the things in which they are not wise. They go naked because "nakedness" means in the spiritual sense innocence, and because "garments" signify truths clothing good, and the truths that clothe are in the memory, and from that in the thought; while with them truths are in the life, that is, are hidden, and manifest themselves only before the perception when others are uttering them, or their ministers are preaching them from the Word. Again, they are perfected by the conversation of those who are in the understanding of truth, and by preachings, and also by books. And they write not by letters, like the other angels, but by curves and inflexions that contain arcana that transcend the understanding of the angels in the lower heavens. Furthermore, they dwell in expanses above the others, and in gardens there in which there are shrubberies and beds of flowers, and thus they are in perpetual representatives of heavenly things; and what is wonderful, not a stone is found there; because "stone" signifies natural truth, while "wood" signifies good; a "tree" perception, and a "flower" implantation. Thus much respecting love to the Lord and love towards the neighbor, that is, respecting celestial love. Hereafter spiritual love shall be described, also charity and faith.
Footnotes:
1. The Latin has "in quidem" for "quidem."
828. Actum est supra de amore in Dominum, in quo amore sunt angeli qui in tertio caelo; sequitur nunc ut aliquid dicatur de amore erga proximum apud illos angelos. Per "proximum" ab illis intelliguntur usus, qui 1
quidem sunt opera; sed usus illis sunt omnia quae fiunt apud illos a Domino, quae praecipue spectant cultum Domini, ecclesiam Ipsius, implantationem sanctorum ejus, praecipue apud infantes, cum quibus habent conjunctionem, et quibus inspirant innocentiam et ejus affectiones, etiam bonum societatis in communi et quoque in particulari: haec sunt praecipue amoris illorum, quia sunt amoris Domini; operatur Dominus illa apud eos per amorem implantatum vitae illorum, qui talis est ut in illis percipiant jucunditatem vitae suae. Quod illa sint eorum proximus, est quia non spectant ad personas, sed ad talia quae apud personas; in sapientia enim prae ceteris angelis sunt, et sapientia est spectare alios ex talibus quae apud illos sunt, et quae faciunt illos: unusquisquis enim angelus, spiritus et homo est suus amor et sua affectio, ita suum bonum et inde suum verum; haec quia faciunt illos, non ad aliud spectare possunt, quia sapientes sunt, quam ex quo sunt; hoc illis est proximus, seu frater et socius, ut saepius in Verbo dicitur; "frater" est illis bonum et "socius" est illis verum: inde patet quid amor erga proximum in tertio caelo.
[2] Reliqua quae concernunt vitam civilem, moralem, et domesticam, sunt quoque opera, quae ex affectione faciunt; sed non sunt opera talia quae ab illis intelliguntur per "proximum", seu "fratrem et socium", trahunt enim aliquid ex mundo, tum etiam ex 2
utili pro se et suis; sunt usuum praedictorum derivationes et productiones, et sunt talia quae procedunt ex cogitatione eorum, de quibus ideo possunt sermocinari; haec vitam illorum corporis tenent in statu, ut vita amoris illorum inhabitare possit, ac fungi suis usibus. Hi angeli, quia tales sunt, non sciunt quid charitas nec quid fides; sed pro charitate illis est amor boni, et pro fide illis est amor veri; sunt etiam continue in amore boni et veri, quia vita illorum est affectio boni, in qua et ex qua est perceptio veri; quare cum nominatur charitas ex qua fides, et cum nominatur fides quae ex charitate, non sciunt quid sunt. Angeli tertii caeli, quia tales sunt, apparent coram angelis inferiorum caelorum sicut infantes, quidam sicut pueri, et omnes sicut simplices; tum etiam incedunt nudi. Quod appareant sicut infantes et sicut pueri, est quia in innocentia sunt, et amor in Dominum a Domino est innocentia; inde etiam [per] "infantes" et per "pueros" in Verbo innocentia et quoque amor in Dominum significatur.
[3] Quod appareant simplices, est quia non de sanctis caeli et ecclesiae loqui possunt; illa enim apud eos non in memoria sunt, unde omnis loquela, sed in vita; et inde in intellectu non sicut cogitatio, sed sicut affectio boni in sua forma, quae non descendit in sermonem; quae si descenderet, non loqueretur, sed modo sonaret; et illi qui de talibus non loqui possunt, apparent sibi et aliis sicut simplices: tum etiam quia in humilitate cordis sunt, scientes quod sapientia sit percipere quod vix aliquid sit quod sapiunt, respective ad illa quae non sapiunt. Quod procedant nudi, est quia "nuditas" in sensu spirituali est innocentia, et quia "vestes" significant vera investientia bonum, et vera investientia sunt in memoria, et inde in cogitatione; apud eos autem vera sunt in vita, ita abscondita, et non se manifestantia quam coram perceptione, dum alii loquuntur illa, ac ministri illorum ex Verbo praedicant illa: perficiuntur etiam ex loquelis illorum qui in intellectu veri sunt, ex praedicationibus, et quoque ex libris: scribunt etiam, sed non per litteras, ut alii angeli, sed per curvaturas et inflexiones, quae continent arcana, quae intellectum angelorum in inferioribus caelis transcendunt. Habitant quoque in expansis supra alios, ac ibi in hortis ubi arboreta et floreta, sic in perpetuis repraesentativis caelestium; et quod mirum, non invenitur ibi lapis; causa est, quia "lapis" significat verum naturale, "lignum" autem bonum, "arbor" perceptionem, ac "flos" implantationem. Haec de amore in Dominum, et de amore erga proximum, ita de amore caelesti; in sequentibus dicetur de amore spirituali, tum de charitate et de fide.
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.
2. The editors made a correction or note here.