79、木星灵当中也有些他们称之为烟囱清洁工的灵人，因为他们身穿这种衣服，还有一张沾满煤烟的脸。我蒙允许描述他们是谁，是什么样子。有一个这样的灵人来到我这里，恳求我为他代祷，好叫他能进入天堂。他说，他没有意识到自己做了坏事；他只是责备了他星球上的居民，又补充说，责备后他又教导了他们。他贴近我的胳膊肘下面的左侧，仿佛用分叉的舌头说话。他很可能激起了同情心；但我只能回答说，我无法给予他任何帮助，因为这种帮助唯独主给予。我也不能代祷，因为我不知道这样做有没有用处。但他若配得，可能会有希望。然后，他就从他的星球被送回正直的灵人当中；可他们说，他不能与他们在一起，因为他的性质和他们的不一样。然而，他因出于强烈的渴望再三乞求被允许进入天堂，故被送入这个星球的正直灵人的社群。但他们也说，他不能与他们住在一起。他在天堂之光中显得发黑，尽管他声称自己不是黑色，而是棕色。
我被告知，他们一开始是这样，后来被接纳到那些构成巨人或天堂精囊区域的人当中。精液积聚在这些囊泡中，被包裹在适合保持精子的多产原则、防止消散的材料中；这种材料可在子宫颈处脱落，以便包含在里面的东西能服务于怀孕，也就是使卵子受孕的目的。因此，精液也有一种努力，可以有一种燃烧的渴望，即：抛掉自己，留下精子履行它的功能。类似的事可在这个灵人身上看到。他来到我这里时仍穿着污秽的衣服，又说他燃烧着上天堂的渴望，并且现在开始觉得自己是能上天堂的那种。我蒙允许告诉他说，这或许表明他将很快被接纳。然后，天使叫他脱下他的衣服；他如此急切，以至于很快就脱下来，几乎没有比这更快的了。这描绘了那些在对应于精囊的区域里的人之渴望是何性质。
我被告知，这类灵人在预备上天堂时，就会脱下自己的衣服，穿上闪亮的新衣，并成为天使。他们好比毛毛虫，经历恶劣的阶段后变成蛹，进而变成蝴蝶；这时，它们就换上带有蓝、黄，或金色翅膀的衣裳；然后自由飞在空中，如同在自己的天堂，并庆祝自己的婚姻、产卵，从而确保它们种类的繁衍。同时，它们被指定从各种鲜花的汁液和气味中获得甜蜜可口的食物。
79. The spirits from Jupiter also include some whom they call chimney sweeps because the spirits in question dress like sweeps and have sooty faces as well. These too I am allowed to identify and describe.
One such spirit came up to me and earnestly begged me to intercede on his behalf so that he could get into heaven. He said that he was not aware of having done anything evil, only that he had rebuked people from his planet, adding that after he had rebuked them he had instructed them. He attached himself to my left side under the elbow. His voice cracked as he spoke. He was effective at evoking compassion, but all I could say in response was that I could not be of any help to him: that was up to the Lord alone. I could not intercede either, because I did not know whether it would be helpful or not; but if he was worthy, then there was hope for him. He was then sent to the company of some upright spirits from his own planet, but they said he could not be in their group because he was not upright. Since he kept demanding to be let into heaven so earnestly, though, he was sent to a community of upright spirits from our planet; but they too said that he could not be with them. He looked black in the light of heaven, though he himself said that he was not black but reddish brown.
[2] I was told that this is what the spirits are like at first who are later accepted among the ones who make up the province of the seminal vesicles in the universal human, or heaven. These vesicles are where the seed is collected and clothed with a substance 1which is able to prevent the fertility of the seed from being lost, but which can be shed at the entrance of the uterus so that what has been kept safe within will be effective for conception, or for impregnating the egg. So as a result, this seminal matter has a striving, an ardent desire, to shed itself and allow the seed to perform its proper function. You could see something of the sort in this spirit. He came to me again, in shabby clothing, and said again that he yearned to get into heaven, but added that he now began to perceive that he was the sort of spirit who could. I was given the inspiration to tell him that this might be a sign that he would be accepted before long. He was then told by some angels to take off his clothes. He was so eager that he did this faster than one would think possible, which was a representation of the eagerness of the spirits who are in the province that corresponds to the seminal vesicles. 2
[3] I was told that when people like this have been prepared for heaven they remove their old clothes and are dressed in gorgeous new garments, and become angels.
They are like caterpillars, which go through a humble state, but then change into nymphs and then butterflies and are given new clothes, so to speak, including wings of blue, yellow, silver, or gold. These creatures are then granted the freedom to fly through the air as their own heaven, to celebrate their marriages, and to lay their eggs-in this way providing for the continuance of their kind. At the same time they are allowed a sweet and elegant nourishment from the juices and scents of all kinds of flowers.
Footnotes:
1. On the biological mechanics of the theory of human generation held by Swedenborg, see Secrets of Heaven vol. 2 (= Swedenborg [1749-1756] 2013), pages 568-569 note 529. The “substance” that “clothes” the seed is described at length, if somewhat vaguely, in his unpublished Draft on the Reproductive Organs 86 (= Swedenborg 1928, 90) as “a fluid of varied classes and kinds, [including] . . . a quantity containing traces of sulfurous and urinous elements, . . . an appropriately oily matter, . . . liquids suitable for joining these secretions together, . . . and also . . . that extremely fine fluid called the animal spirit” (translated by SS). For Swedenborg’s full discussion of the seminal vesicles, see Draft on the Reproductive Organs 75-96 (= Swedenborg 1928, 81-99). For conjectures concerning the correspondences of the substances “clothing” the seed, see Worcester 1931, 322-327. [SS]
2. Swedenborg’s view of the function of the seminal vesicles needs to be taken into account before this description of the eagerness of these spirits can be understood. In Draft on the Reproductive Organs 83 (= Swedenborg 1928, 87-88), he writes, in the flowery, archaizing prose found in some scientific works in his era, that the seminal vesicles “are organs that excite the other genital organs to action. . . . Thus when we seek for the proximate cause of the operations that occur in the process of generation, we find it in the seminal vesicles. Therefore we consider the vesicles as being the seat and native land, the isle and Paphos of Venus, where her son Cupid is born and from which he aims his darts.” (Paphos was a city in the island of Cyprus famed for its worship of the ancient goddess of love, Aphrodite.) He goes on to ascribe the instigation of all the activity of sexual intercourse to these vesicles. (Translation of Draft on the Reproductive Organs by Alfred Acton, edited by SS.) [SS]
79. Among the spirits of Jupiter there are some they call chimney-sweeps, because they dress like them and have a sooty face. I am allowed to describe who they are and what they are like. A spirit of this kind visited me and begged me insistently to intercede on his behalf, so that he could be admitted to heaven. He said he was unaware of having done evil; he had only criticised the inhabitants of his world, adding that after criticising them he had instructed them. He attached himself to my left side below the elbow; and he spoke as it were with a forked tongue. He might well have inspired pity; but I could only reply to him that I could not give him any help, since this was the Lord's alone to give. Nor could I intercede, not knowing whether it was any use or not. But if he deserved it, I told him he could hope. He was then sent back to join the upright spirits from his world. But they said that his nature made it impossible for him to be in their company. However, since he was so keen that he kept begging to be admitted to heaven, he was sent to a community of upright spirits from this world. But they too said he could not stay with them. He appeared black in the light of heaven, though he claimed himself not to be black, but a reddish brown colour.
[2] I was told that the spirits are like this to begin with who are subsequently found a home among those who make up the province of the SEMINAL VESICLES in the Grand Man or heaven. The semen gathers in those vesicles and is clothed in material suitable for preserving the prolific principle of the semen from being dissipated; but this can be shed at the cervix of the uterus, so that what is contained within can serve the purpose of causing conception, that is, of impregnating the ovum. As a result this part of the semen displays an effort and as it were a burning desire to strip itself off, leaving the semen to perform its function. Something similar was to be seen in the case of this spirit. He came to me in rough clothing and repeated that he was burning with desire to reach heaven, and he now began to perceive that he was the kind of spirit who could. I was allowed to tell him that this was perhaps an indication that he would soon be admitted. He was then told by angels to take off his clothes; he was so eager that he got them off quicker than anything. This was a way of picturing the nature of the desire of those in the province answering to the seminal vesicles.
[3] I was told that such spirits, when prepared for heaven, are stripped of their clothes and dressed in shining new ones, and they become angels. They likened them to grubs, which after passing through their humble stage are changed into nymphs and so into butterflies; these then receive a different dress with wings of blue, yellow, silvery or golden colour. Then they are free to fly in the air, as if their own heaven, celebrate marriages and lay eggs, thus ensuring the propagation of their kind. Then at the same time they are assigned as food the sweet and pleasant nectar and fragrance of various flowers.
79. There are also spirits among those of Jupiter, whom they call chimney-sweepers, because they appear in such garments, and also with a sooty face. Who and what they are, I am also permitted to describe. One such spirit came to me, and earnestly begged me to intercede for him that he might come into heaven. He said that he did not know that he had done evil, only that he had reproved the inhabitants of that earth; adding that after he had reproved, he instructed them. He applied himself to my left side under the elbow, and spoke as with a cracked voice; he could also move to pity. But I could only reply that I could bring him no help, and that this is of the Lord alone; and that I could not intercede, because I did not know whether it would be useful or not, but if he was worthy he might have hope. He was then sent back among the upright spirits from his earth; but they said that he could not be in their company, because he was not such as they. But because from his intense desire he still importuned to be let into heaven, he was sent into a society of upright spirits of this earth; but they also said that he could not be with them. He was of a black color in the light of heaven, but he said that he was not of a black, but of a brown color. It was told me that they are such at first, who are afterward received among those that constitute the province of the seminal vesicles in the Greatest Man, or heaven; for in those vesicles the semen is collected and enclosed around with a suitable material, fitted for preserving the prolific principle of the semen from being dissipated, but such as may be thrown off in the neck of the uterus, that thus what is reserved within may serve for conception, or for the impregnation of the ovulum. Hence also that seminal matter has an effort, and as it were a burning desire, to throw itself off and leave the semen to perform its use, similar to what was seen with that spirit. He still came to me, in vile garments, and said again that he burned to come into heaven, and that he now perceived that he was such that he could. I was then permitted to tell him, that perhaps this was an indication that he would shortly be received. He was then told by angels to cast off his garment, which from his desire he rejected so quickly, that scarce anything could be quicker. By this was represented what are the desires of those who are in the province to which the seminal vesicles correspond. It was said that these spirits when prepared for heaven, put off their garments and are clothed with shining new ones, and become angels. They were likened to caterpillars, which having passed through their vile state, are changed into chrysalises, and thus into butterflies; to which another dress is then given, and also wings of a blue, yellow, silver, or golden color; and then the liberty of flying in the air as in their heaven, of celebrating their marriages and laying their eggs, and thus of providing for the propagation of their kind; and at the same time there is allotted them sweet and pleasant food from the juices and odors of the various flowers.
79. Sunt etiam Spiritus inter Joviales, quos caminorum purgatores vocant, quia in veste illis simili apparent et quoque facie fuliginosa; quinam illi sint, et quales, licet etiam describere. Venit quidam talis spiritus ad me, et sollicite petiit ut intercederem pro illo ut venire posset in coelum; dicebat quod non sciat quod malum egerit, solum quod increpaverit incolas telluris; adjecit quod postquam increpavit, illos instruxerit: applicuit se ad latus meum sinistrum sub ulna, et loquebatur quasi bifide; is etiam potuit miserationem movere: sed non aliud potui respondere, quam quod nihil opis ferre possim, et quod id unice Domini sit; nec intercedere, quia non scio num utile, vel non; at si dignus, quod posset sperare: tunc remissus est inter spiritus probos qui ex sua tellure; sed ii dicebant, quod non posset esse in eorum consortio, quia non talis; at quia usque ex intenso desiderio flagitabat ut intromitteretur in coelum, missus est in societatem proborum spirituum hujus telluris; verum etiam hi dicebant, quod cum illis non esse posset: erat etiam nigri coloris in luce coeli, verum dixit ipse quod non esset coloris nigri sed murrhini. Dictum mihi, quod tales sint principio, qui dein recipiuntur inter illos qui constituunt provinciam VESICULARUM SEMINALIUM in maximo Homine seu Coelo; in Vesiculis enim illis colligitur semen, ac circuminduitur materia conveniente, apta ad conservandum seminis prolificum ne dissipetur, at quae exui potest in cervice uteri, ut sic quod intus reservatum est inserviat conceptioni, seu impregnationi ovuli; inde quoque est seminali illi materiae conatus et quasi flagrans desiderium se exuendi, et relinquendi semen at praestet usum: simile quid etiam apparuit apud illum spiritum: is venit adhuc ad me, in vestitu vili, et dicebat iterum quod arderet venire in coelum, et quod nunc apperciperet se talem esse ut posset; dicere ei tunc dabatur, quod forte id indicium sit quod brevi recipiatur: dicebatur tunc ei ab angelis, ut rejiceret vestem, is ex desiderio tam cito illam rejiciebat, ut vix aliquid citius: per quod repraesentabatur qualia illorum desideria sunt, qui in provincia, cui Vesiculae seminales correspondent. Dictum, quod tales, cum praeparati ad coelum, exuantur vestibus suis, ac induantur novis splendentibus, ac fiant angeli. Hos assimilabant vermiculis, qui peracto statu vili mutantur in nymphas et sic in papiliones, quibus tunc datur amictus alius, et quoque dantur alae coloris caerulei, flavi, argentei aut aurei; et tunc libertas volandi in aere ut in suo coelo, ac conjugia celebrandi, ponendique ova, et sic prospiciendi propagationi sui generis; ac tunc simul addicantur illis victus dulces et amoeni ex succis et odoribus variorum florum.