5943. About the Angel's outward and inward speech
I was in company with angels and was given the opportunity to know from experience the kinds of speech they have. There are four kinds of speaking just as there are four kinds of angels. These are:
[1] material speech, which is used for visual objects;
[2] a more inward speech used for visual objects, these are forms of speech belonging to the intellect, that is to say, to thought;
[3] speech which is used for the feelings of the body;
[4] and speech which is used for the feelings of the heart, these latter two belong to the will, that is, to feeling. Those who were able to use the speech that expresses the body's feelings spoke with me and using fitting words expressed [all of my] my feelings in sum in respect to the body. What I was amazed at was that they had been able to express this in words and in entirely fitting ones, in fact ranging from outward feelings of my body to inward ones. They were delightfully flattering and connected with many other lesser feelings that were expressed. Certain spirits heard and understood at a distance, but I, because I was giving my attention to what is natural, did not hear the words but [simply] felt the feelings they expressed in the words. This speech is not intelligible to those who are giving their attention solely to visual things, as they also said. But they were told that there also is a speech of the heart, that is to say, a speech of love to Lord. They afterwards spoke with the former ones and told them where they had not heard nor had been able to hear words, but that they did perceive the things that were spoken with affection, just as I had when the former had spoken.
[2] It was said of the prior kind of speech that it was certainly similar to the speech about visual things as to the consonants in the words, but still every letter is enunciated differently, that is, depending on the feeling [being expressed], and it also differs in the respect that different words are not intelligible to those who dwell on visual objects alone. However, this speech used for visual objects is for speaking about and putting into words the things the eye sees and for describing them, doing this in a way that fits with the image as seen and understood, for example, houses, palaces, gardens, people's clothing, etc. This speech is both outward and inward: the outward is about the material object, that is to say, the sensation of the object; the inward is about the nature of the object, that is, the object as understood.
Afterwards I heard spirits speaking with angels of the inward heaven. They said that they heard the speech with their ears but still did not understand it because the things pertaining to inward wisdom were expressed by their own words, and since they had not understood these inward things, neither did they understand the words.
5943. THE SPEECH OF ANGELS, EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR.
I have been in company with the angels, and it has been granted to become acquainted with their speech by experience. There are four kinds of speech, like as there are four kinds of angels: a material speech of visible objects, and an interior speech of visual things; which are speeches of the understanding, or of the thought. There is a speech of the affections of the body, and a speech of the affections of the heart; which are speeches of the will, or of the affection. Some who were able to be in the speech of the affections of the body, conversed with me, and expressed my affections when relating to the body, in suitable terms; at which I was astonished that they were able to express these in terms, and perfectly suitable ones, and the exterior and interior affections of the body without exception. They were delightful and charming, and conjoined with many affections which were expressed. Certain spirits from a distance heard and understood; but I, being in the natural [state], did not hear the words, but I perceived the affections which they uttered in the words. This speech cannot be understood by those who are in the visible things only, as they also said. But it was told them that there is also a speech of the heart, which is a speech of love to the Lord. These afterwards spoke with the former ones, and said that they did not hear, nor were they able to hear the words, but that they perceived the things which they uttered, from affection, as I did when the former ones spoke. Regarding the former speech, it was said that it was indeed similar to the speech of visual things, as regards the words which the letters compose, but still that each letter is uttered differently, namely, according to the affection; and that there is also this difference, that other words are unintelligible to those who are in visual things alone. But the speech of visual things consists in speaking and expressing those things which are seen by the eyes, and describing them, and this according to visual and intellectual ideas; for example, houses, palaces, gardens, men's clothing, and many other things. This speech is both exterior and interior. The exterior is material or sensual; the interior is natural, or intellectual.
I afterwards heard spirits conversing with angels of the interior heaven. They said that they heard speech with the ears, but yet did not comprehend, because things which were of interior wisdom were expressed by their words, and, inasmuch as they did not understand these, therefore neither did they the words.
5943. De loquelis Angelorum exterioribus et interioribus
In societate cum angelis fui, et datum est per experientiam scire loquelas eorum, sunt quatuor genera loquelae, sicut sunt quatuor genera angelorum, loquela materialis visualium, loquela visualium interior, quae sunt loquelae intellectus seu cogitationis; est loquela affectionum corporis et loquela affectionum cordis, quae loquelae sunt voluntatis seu affectionis; loquuti sunt mecum qui in loquela affectionum corporis potuerunt esse, et illi exprimebant vocibus congruis affectiones meas cum una quoad corpus, quod miratus quod potuissent vocibus illa exprimere et prorsus congruis, etiam affectiones exteriores usque ad interiores corporis, erant jucunda blandientia, etiam conjuncta pluribus affectionculis quae exprimebantur; spiritus quidam e longinquo audiebant et intelligebant, sed ego quia in naturali eram, non audivi voces sed percepi affectiones quas enuntiabant vocibus, haec loquela non est intelligibilis illis qui in visualibus solis sunt, ut quoque dixerunt; sed dictum est illis quod etiam sit loquela cordis quae est loquela amoris in Dominum, hi loquuti postea cum illis, et dixerunt quo non audiverint voces nec audire potuerint, sed quod perceperint illa quae loquebantur affectione, sicut ego cum priores loquuti sunt. De priori loquela dicebatur, quod similis quidem esset loquelae visualium quoad voces literales consonantes sed usque quod quaevis litera enuntietur aliter nempe secundum affectionem, quod etiam differat in eo quod aliae voces sint non intelligibiles illis qui in solis visualibus. Loquela autem visualium est loqui et exprimere illa quae oculis videntur et describere illa, hoc secundum ideas visuales et intellectuales, sicut domos, palatia, hortos, amictus hominum et plura; haec loquela est tam exterior quam interior, exterior est materialis seu sensualis, interior est naturalis seu intellectualis.
Audivi postea spiritus loquentes cum angelis interioris coeli, dicebant quod auribus audirent loquelam, sed usque non perciperent, quia illa quae interioris sapientiae erant exprimebantur suisvocibus, quae quia non intellexerunt, inde nec voces.