4688. About those in heaven״he more inward [good] there is with people, the better and more beautiful they are
There was a group of those who did not understand that there is an inward goodness and that it is better and more beautiful than outward goodness. They imagined that outward qualities are all there are. A wife was seen by her husband, there were several who assumed her appearance in such a way as to feign being her. They were evil. There were eight of them, and among them was his wife as well. He was asked whether he recognized which one was his wife. Because they were quite alike in outer appearance, he did not know then. He said one was his wife who wasn't.
Then their outer appearances were taken from them, and they now looked like images of devils, except the wife, who was an angel of heaven. Then he shuddered at them and went to his wife. Following this the outer form that the eight evil women had put on for themselves by their magical tricks was taken away from the wife, and the wife then appeared in a dazzling form as an angel, and he was amazed. Eventually also this form was taken away. Then he was astonished, and he himself realized, because his sight had been opened to that extent, that she was in a different state, namely that she had heavenly love, with which she affected him. So it was that he felt what he had not felt before, namely heaven as regards love, which was a love towards all who are good. In this way he grasped that there are inward things which are from the Lord with those who are good and consequently by degrees more perfect ones, and that with the evil there are inward things that are more deformed and foul.
4688. CONCERNING THOSE WHO ARE IN HEAVEN: THAT THE MORE INTERIOR [THE GOOD] IN MAN, THE BETTER AND MORE BEAUTIFUL IT IS.
There were those who did not understand that there should be such a thing as interior good, and that it was better and more beautiful than exterior good. They supposed that the exteriors were all. A wife was beheld by her husband; and there were several who assumed her form, so as to counterfeit her. These were evil; they were eight in number, and the wife was amongst them. It was asked whether he could recognize which was his wife, since they were exactly alike in external form. Then he did not know: he said one was his wife, who was not. Then the exteriors of form were taken from them, and they then appeared like diabolical images, except the wife, who was an angel of heaven. Then was he horrified at them, and went to his wife.
Afterwards the external form, which the eight evil ones attracted to themselves by their magical art, was taken away from the wife; and, then, the wife appeared in a splendid form as an angel, and he was astonished; and, at length, that form also was taken away, and then he was astounded; and he acknowledged, because his sight was opened that far, that he was in another state, to wit, in real celestial love, which so affected him that he felt that which he had not before, to wit, heaven, as regards love towards all who are in good. He thus confessed, that, with the good, interiors are given, which are from the Lord, and thence are more perfect by degrees; and that the interiors with the evil are more deformed and hideous.
4688. De illis in coelo quod quo interius [bonum] apud hominem eo melius et pulchrius.
Fuerunt qui non intellexerunt, quod bonum interius daretur, et quod id melius et pulchrius esset bono exteriori, putabant quod exteriora essent omne; erat uxor visa a viro suo, et erant plures quae assumebant formam ejus, sic ut mentirentur illam, erant malae, erant numero 8, inter illas erat uxor, quaerebatur num agnosceret quaenam esset uxor, quia simillimae externa forma, tunc non sciebat, dicebat esse uxorem quae non erat; tunc ex illis exteriora formae adempta sunt, et apparebant tunc sicut imagines diabolicae praeter uxorem, quae erat angelus coeli; tunc horrescebat ad illas, et uxorem adibat; postea adimebatur uxori forma externa, quam sibi attrahebant 8 malae arte sua magica, et tunc apparebat uxor in forma splendida sicut angelus, et admirabatur, et tandem etiam illa forma adimebatur, et tunc obstupescebat, et agnoscebat ipse, quia visus ejus eousque aperiebatur, quod in alio statu esset, nempe illa in amore coelesti, quo afficiebat illum, sic ut sentiret id quod non prius, nempe coelum quoad amorem, qui fuit erga omnes qui in bono. Sic fassus est, quod interiora darentur apud bonos, quae a Domino, et inde per gradus perfectiora, et quod interiora apud malos, deformiora, et tetra.