3348. On someone among the wisest of the world, what his idea was of heavenly joy
There was someone of great dignity in bodily life, and among the wisest of the world, even so esteemed in the other life that no one would injure him, because in his life he had been driven by great zeal for the doctrine of faith. However, it was shown what kind of an idea he had had of the state of the happy in the other life, namely, that heavenly joy consisted in the luster of glory, like the light when golden solar rays appear, in which light- which he called harlighetssken 1-he imagined heavenly joy to consist, and that if he came into it, he would then be in heaven.
So a light of this kind was actually given him, and he was in the midst of that light. Then he was so delighted, as he even said, that he was in heaven. So this showed what kind of an idea of heavenly joy and of heaven the wisest in this world have, with manifold variety. They are quite thoroughly unaware what the happiness from mutual love is, even though that happiness is displayed to them in the love of offspring and its pleasure, which, however, because it is bodily with the inhabitants of our earth, and therefore superficial, is not at all comparable with heavenly happiness. 1748, 26 Sept.
Later he was asked whether, since he is so wise, he could not infer to some extent what heavenly joy is like, just from marriage love, which he had called, and others call, heaven on earth-as he could infer from the fact that heaven is likened to a marriage, and the Church is called the bride and wife, and that marriages are symbolic, and hence is the Law from the Lord that there should be but one wife. 1748, 26 Sept.
Footnotes:
1. Swedish for "shine of glory."
3348. CONCERNING A CERTAIN ONE AMONGST THE WISEST OF THE WORLD; WHAT [WAS] HIS IDEA CONCERNING HEAVENLY JOY.
(There was a certain one, who in the life of the body enjoyed much dignity and was amongst wisest of the world. In the other life, also, he is so esteemed that no one injured him, because in his life, he was exercised with much zeal, in behalf of the doctrine of faith. Yet, nevertheless, he had displayed to him, the quality of his idea concerning the state of the happy in the other life, to wit: that heavenly joy consisted in a light [lumine] of glory, such a light as when solar rays appear golden in which light [which he called harlighets sken] he supposed heavenly joy to consist, and that if he came into such, he would be in heaven. Wherefore such a light was granted to him, and he in the midst of the light. Then was he so delighted, that he was, as he said, in heaven. Thus may be manifest what sort of idea concerning heavenly joy and concerning heaven, the wisest in this world have with manifold variety. They are so obviously and entirely ignorant, what [is] the felicity [that springs] from mutual love: although that felicity is represented to them, in love towards offspring, and the pleasantness thence [derived]. This, however, inasmuch as it is corporeal amongst the inhabitants of our earth, and is thus external, can never be compared to heavenly felicity. -l748, September 26.) It was afterwards said to him, whether or no he could infer to some extent the quality of heavenly joy, merely from conjugial love, which he has called, and others call heaven on earth, since he is so wise; so that as he could thence infer, heaven is likened to a marriage, and the Church is called the bride [betrothed] and wife, and marriages are representative, and hence the law [laid down] by the Lord, that there should be [but] one wife. - 1748, September 26.
3348. De quodam inter sapientissimos mundi, quid ejus idea de gaudio coelesti
Erat quidam multae dignitatis in vita corporis, et inter sapientissimos mundi, in altera vita quoque sic aestimatus, ut nullus ei noceret, quia zelo in vita sua pro doctrina fidei multo actus; usque tamen 1
qualem ideam de statu felicium in altera vita habuerit ostensum, nempe quod coeleste gaudium consisteret in lumine gloriae, sicut lumen cum radii solares 2
aurei apparent, in quo lumine (quod vocabat harlighetssken {a}) putabat coeleste gaudium consistere, et quod in tale si 3
veniret, quod sic in coelum; quare etiam datum ei est tale lumen, et is in medio tali lumine, tunc ita delectatus, sicut etiam dixit, quod in coelo esset, ita qualem ideam de gaudio coelesti, et de coelo habeant sapientissimi in hoc mundo, cum varietate multiplici, constare potuit: ita nesciunt plane et prorsus quid felicitas ex amore mutuo, tametsi 4
felicitas ista iis repraesentatur in amore erra prolem, et jucunditate inde, quae tamen quia est corporea apud nostrae telluris incolas, et sic externa, nusquam comparari potest felicitati coelesti. 1748, 26 Sept. Dictum ei postea, annon deducere aliquantum potuerit, quale gaudium coeleste, solum ex amore conjugiale, quem 5
vocavit, et alii vocant coelum in terris, cum tam sapiens ita, ut potuerit inde, quod coelum assimiletur conjugio, et Ecclesia vocatur sponsa et uxor, et quod conjugia sint repraesentativa, et inde Lex a Domino, quod uxor una esset. 1748, 26 Sept.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has tam sic ut alibi contractum
2. The Manuscript has solarares
3. The Manuscript has tali si
4. The Manuscript has mutuo; tametsi
5. The Manuscript has quod