1498. About a spiritual mental image
Spiritual mental images are much richer than those that people have in the life of the body, and they can scan more detail. For example, while I was being held deep in spiritual thoughts, I could somewhat see how these matters that have been disclosed regarding hell and heaven may enter the belief of a given person. When it has become known what the quality of the life, or the love, of someone on earth or some soul is, then by a spiritual mental image one can find out what they will believe about those matters-whether they will reject them as fables and nonsense, whether they will call them fanaticism, or whether they will call them visions, and what kind of visions; whether they will completely revile them, or will receive them, and like questions.
For when the Lord fills in a mental image, and thus gives sight, these circumstances are quite clearly seen. What then must heaven not see! But He Who Alone sees, is the Lord. So everything that is rightly seen is of the Lord-otherwise people see falsities as truths, and believe truths to be false. The ability to see in this way the Lord diminishes and increases.
But these are only the outward, and nearest inward circumstances. The inward ones pertaining to the rational mind, no one sees but the Lord Alone-such as what is to come, what effect this or that activity permitted to spirits will have, etc. etc. 1748, 18 March.
1498. CONCERNING THE SPIRITUAL IDEA
Spiritual ideas are much fuller than those which man has during the life of the body, and a spirit can clearly view more things than man. Thus, while I was held in spiritual ideas, I could to some extent see how these things which are disclosed concerning hell and heaven will enter into the faith of a man. For as soon as the character of the life or of the love of a man or soul is known, it is thence granted in a spiritual idea to know what he will believe concerning such disclosures - whether they will be rejected as fables and trifles, whether they will be declared enthusiasm or a vision of some kind, whether they will be altogether blasphemed, or whether they will be received, and so on. For when the Lord infills the idea and thus gives the vision, such things are seen quite manifestly. What must not heaven see! But He who alone sees is the Lord, for which reason all things that are rightly seen are of the Lord; otherwise false things are seen as true, and they believe true things to be false. The Lord diminishes and increases the faculty of thus seeing, but only as regards the exterior and proximately interior; the interior things that are of the rational mind, however, no one save the Lord alone sees. Thus the Lord alone sees what is to come, what effect these and the former [disclosures] will have, and what things are permitted to spirits, etc., etc. 1748, Mar. 18.
1498. De idea spirituali
Ideae spirituales multo pleniores sunt iis ideis, quas homo in vita corporis habet, et perspicere possunt 1
plura, quam homo, sicut, dum in ideis spiritualibus tenerer, quodammodo videre potui, quomodo haec, quae de inferno et coelo, detecta sunt, hominis dati fidem ingrediantur, cum enim homo seu anima primum notus sit, qualis ejus vita 2
, seu qualis amor, inde scire datur, spirituali idea, quid credituri de iis, num rejecturi inter fabulas, et nugas, num appellaturi enthusiasmum, num visionem, et cujus generis, num prorsus blasphematuri, num recepturi; et similia; dum enim Dominus ideam implet, et sic visum dat, talia satis manifeste videntur; quid non coelum? sed Qui Solus videt, est Dominus, quare omnia quae vere videntur, sunt Domini, alioquin falsa vident pro veris, et falsa credunt vera: Dominus facultatem ita videndi, diminuit, et auget, sed sunt modo exteriora, et proxime interiora; at interiora quae sunt mentis rationalis, nemo videt, nisi Solus Dominus, ita quid venturum, quem effectum habitura 3
haec et illa, quae permittuntur spiritibus, etc. etc. 1748, 18 Martius.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has potest
2. The Manuscript has vitae
3. The Manuscript has habutura