5933. About the connection of man with heaven, some important points
No one can be joined to heaven, thus to the Divine, except through such things as are in the Word and from this in the Church. A person who does not have these, however morally he lives, that is, honestly and fairly, still is not joined to heaven. The reason is that a person becomes spiritual solely through what is in the Word and from there in the Church, and all who are in the heavens are spiritual. To become spiritual is not only to know these things and speak about them, but also to be affected by them, thus to live in accord with them. Life according to and on account of these makes people spiritual; it is first then that they are connected with heaven. But if they act honestly and justly for worldly reasons, wealth and high offices and because of civil laws, they do not become spiritual because the goal within their actions is a worldly and bodily one, and their uprightness and honesty draw their existence and essential nature from this, which is not spiritual but worldly and bodily.
[2] From much experience it has become clearly evident to me that those who have not acquired spiritual life for themselves by means of what is good and true while yet in this life are not received into heaven but are rejected because there is no connection. Also, anyone can clearly see this from looking into things from natural light alone, namely, that no one can have a connection with spiritual realities, and so with the angels, unless one is spiritual, and that no one is spiritual except through the Church's [teachings about] what is good and true; and that being spiritual is not a matter of knowing these things and speaking about them, but of living according to them, because nothing enters into a person other than what is part of his thought stemming from affection, that is to say, love.
[3] To this must be added that no one can become spiritual unless he acknowledges the Divine of the Lord. Everyone needs to know their God so that they can be connected with heaven, for the Divine of the Lord is what makes heaven. It is on this account that the primary concern of the Church is to acknowledge the Divine of the Lord and that without Him there is no salvation.
5933. SIGNS OF THE CONJUNCTION OF A MAN WITH HEAVEN
Nobody can be conjoined with heaven, and therefore with the Divine, save by such things as are of the Word, and thence of the Church. A man who is not in these, no matter how morally, that is, sincerely and justly, he lives, still has no conjunction with heaven. The reason is, because man becomes spiritual solely by the things which are of the Word and the Church; and all who are in the heavens are spiritual. To become spiritual, is not only to know those things, and to speak of them, but also to be affected therewith, thus to live according to them. The life of a man according to these things, and for the sake of them, makes the man spiritual: then, first, is there effected with him a conjunction with heaven; but, if a man act sincerely and justly for reasons pertaining to the world, gain and honors, and on account of the civil laws, he does not become spiritual, because the end he proposed to himself is worldly and bodily; and the justice and sincerity derive their existence and essence from that, which is not spiritual, but worldly and bodily. By much experience it has become certain to me, that they who have not, by goods and truths carried right into the life, acquired for themselves spiritual life, are not admitted into heaven, because they have no conjunction, but that they are rejected. This, too, every one may see by intuition from natural light alone, namely, that nobody can be conjoined with the spiritual, thus with the angels, unless he be spiritual; and that nobody can become spiritual save by the goods and truths of the Church; also, that knowing those things and talking about them is not spiritual, but living according to them, inasmuch as nothing enters into a man save what is of his thought, from affection or love.
To these observations must be added, that nobody can become spiritual unless he acknowledge the Lord's Divine. Everyone must have knowledge of his God in order that he may be conjoined with heaven; for the Divine of the Lord is what constitutes heaven. Wherefore, the first of the Church, is to acknowledge the Divine of the Lord, and that apart from Him there is no salvation.
5933. De conjunctione hominis cum coelo, digna
Nemo conjungi potest cum coelo, ita cum Divino, nisi per talia quae sunt Verbi et inde Ecclesiae, homo qui non in illis est, utcunque vivit moraliter, hoc est, sincere et juste, usque non habet conjunctionem cum coelo, causa est, quia homo per illa quae sunt Verbi et Ecclesiae, unice spiritualis fit, et omnes qui in coelis sunt, spirituales sunt, spiritualis fieri, est non modo scire illa, et loqui de illis, sed etiam est affici illis, ita vivere secundum illa, vita hominis secundum illa et propter illa, facit hominem spiritualem, tunc primum fit ei conjunctio cum coelo, at si sincerum et justum agit propter causas in mundo, lucra et honores, et propter leges civiles, homo non fit spiritualis, quia finis propter quem est mundanus et corporeus, et justum et sincerum inde trahunt suam existentiam, et essentiam, quod non est spirituale, sed mundanum et corporeum.
[2] A multa experientia testatum mihi factum est, quod qui non per bona et vera usque in vitam acquisiverunt sibi vitam spiritualem, non recipiantur in coelum, quia nulla conjunctio, sed quod rejiciantur. Hoc quoque quisque videre potest solum ex intuitione ex lumine naturali, quod nempe nemo possit conjungi spiritualibus, ita angelis, nisi spiritualis sit; et quod nemo spiritualis fieri possit nisi per bona et vera Ecclesiae, tum quod non spirituale sit scire illa et loqui de illis, sed vivere secundum illa, quia nihil intrat in hominem quam quod est cogitationis ejus ex affectione seu amore.
[3] His addendum est, quod nemo fieri possit spiritualis nisi agnoscat Divinum Domini, quisque cognoscere debet suum Deum, ut conjungi possit coelo, nam Divinum Domini est quod facit coelum; quapropter hoc primum Ecclesiae est agnoscere Divinum Domini, et quod absque Ipso nulla salus.