91. Concerning the Divine worship of those who dwell on that earth, they said that they acknowledge and adore our Lord, saying that He is the only God, and that He governs both heaven and the universe; that all good is from Him, and that He leads them; also that He very often appears on their earth amongst them. It was then given me to tell them that on our Earth Christians also know that the Lord governs heaven and earth, according to His own words in Matthew, "All power is given unto Me in heaven and on earth" (xxviii. 18), but that they do not believe it as those who belong to the earth Mars do. They said also that there they believe that with themselves there is nothing but what is filthy and infernal, and that all good is of the Lord; nay, they added that of themselves they are devils, and that the Lord draws them out of hell, and continually withholds them from it. On one occasion, when the Lord was named, I saw that those spirits humbled themselves more inwardly and profoundly than can be described: for in their humiliation there was the thought that of themselves they were in hell, and that thus they were utterly unworthy to look to the Lord, who is the Holy itself. So profoundly were they in this thought from faith, that they were, as it were, outside of themselves, and in that thought they remained on their knees till the Lord raised them, and then drew them as it were out of hell. When they thus emerge from humiliation, they are filled with good and love, and consequently with joy of heart. When they humble themselves in this manner, they do not turn their face to the Lord, for this they dare not do then, but avert it. The spirits who were about me said that never had they seen such humiliation.
92. Some spirits who were from that earth were surprised that so many spirits from hell were about me, and that they also spoke to me; but it was given me to reply that this was permitted them for the purpose of enabling me to know their characters, and why they are in hell, and that this is according to their life. It was also given me to state that there were several among them whom I had known when they lived in the world, and that some of them had then occupied stations of great dignity, and that then they had nothing at heart but the world; but that no evil spirit, even the most infernal, could possibly do me any injury, because I was continually protected by the Lord.
93. An inhabitant of that earth was exhibited before me. He was not indeed an inhabitant, but was like one. His face resembled the faces of the inhabitants of our Earth, but the lower part of the face was black, not owing to a beard, which he had not, but to blackness in its place. This blackness extended to underneath the ears on both sides. The upper part of the face was ruddy, like the faces of the inhabitants of our Earth who are not quite fair. They said further that on their earth they subsist on the fruits of trees, especially on a certain kind of round fruit which grows out of their earth; and likewise on pulse. They are clothed with garments which they make of the fibres of the inner bark of certain trees, which fibres have such a consistence that they can be woven, and also cemented together by a kind of gum they have among them. They related further that they know how to make fluid fires, from which they have light during evening and night.
94. I saw a certain flaming object, exceedingly beautiful; it was of various colours, crimson, and also a glowing ruby hue, and from the flame the colours also glowed beautifully. I also saw a hand, to which this flaming object adhered, at first on the back of it, afterwards on the palm or hollow, and from thence it played round about the hand. This continued for some time. Afterwards this hand with the flaming object was removed to a distance and where it rested there was a bright light (lucidum). In that bright light the hand disappeared; and the flaming object was then changed into a bird, whose colours were at first similar to those of the flaming object, and gleamed in the same manner; but these colours gradually changed, and with them the vigour of life in the bird. It flew about, at first about my head, then forwards into a kind of narrow chamber, which appeared like a sanctuary, and as it flew onwards its life departed, and at length it became stony; it was then at first of a pearly, afterwards of a dusky colour; but although without life, it kept on flying. While this bird was flying about my head, and still in the vigour of life, a spirit was seen rising up from below, through the region of the loins to that of the breast, and from there he wished to take that bird; but because it was so beautiful, the spirits who were about me prevented his doing so, for the eyes of all were fixed upon it. But this spirit who had risen up from below used all his power to persuade them that the Lord was with him, and consequently that he was acting from the Lord. Although the most of them did not believe this, they nevertheless no longer hindered him from taking the bird; but as at that moment heaven inflowed he was unable to retain it, but immediately, opening his hand, set it free. When this had taken place, the spirits who were around me, and who had intently watched the bird and its successive changes, began talking with each other about it, and they continued talking for a considerable time. They perceived that such a sight could not but signify something heavenly; they knew that what is flaming signifies celestial love and its affections; that a hand, to which the flaming object adhered, signifies life and its power; that changes of the colours signify the varieties of life as to wisdom and intelligence; that a bird has the same signification with this difference, however, that what is flaming signifies celestial love and the things that belong to celestial love, while a bird signifies spiritual love and the things that belong to that love; (celestial love is love to the Lord, and spiritual love is charity towards the neighbour,[note gg]); and that the changes of the colours and at the same time of the life in the bird, till it became stony, signify the successive changes of spiritual life as to intelligence. They also knew that the spirits who ascend from below, through the region of the loins to that of the breast, are in a strong persuasion that they are in the Lord, and consequently believe that whatever they do, even though it be evil, they do of the Lord's will. But nevertheless this did not enable them to know who were meant by that sight. At length they were instructed from heaven, that the inhabitants of Mars were meant; that their celestial love, in which many of them still are, was signified by the flaming object that adhered to the hand; and that the bird in the beginning, while it was in the beauty of its colours and the vigour of its life, signified their spiritual love: but that the bird when it had become as it were stony and devoid of life, and at length of a dusky colour, signified those inhabitants who have removed themselves from the good of love, and are in evil, and still believe, nevertheless, that they are in the Lord. The same thing was signified by the spirit who rose up and wished to take away the bird.
95. The bird of stone also represented inhabitants of that earth, who by a strange method transmute the life of their thoughts and affections into almost no life, on which subject I have learned the following particulars. There was a certain spirit above my head who spoke with me, and from the tone of his voice he was apperceived to be as it were in a state of sleep. In this state he spoke many things, and with a sagacity (prudentia) that he could not have surpassed when awake. It was given me to perceive that he was a subject through whom angels spoke, and that in that state he apperceived [their speech] and produced it[ll]; for he spoke nothing but what was true; if anything inflowed from any other source, he indeed admitted it, but did not produce it. I questioned him respecting his state. He said that to him that state was a peaceful one, and was free from all solicitude respecting the future; and that at the same time he was performing uses by which he had communication with heaven. I was told that such, in the Grand Man, have relation to the longitudinal sinus, which lies in the brain between its two hemispheres, and is there in a tranquil state, no matter how disturbed the brain may be on either side. While I was in conversation with this spirit, some spirits introduced themselves towards the anterior part of the head where he was, and pressed upon him; wherefore he retired to one side, and gave place to them. The spirit strangers spoke with each other; but neither the spirits about me, nor I myself, understood what they said. I was informed by the angels that they were spirits from the earth Mars, who have the skill to speak with each other in such a way that the spirits present could not understand or perceive anything. I wondered that there could possibly be speech of this kind, since for all spirits there is one speech, which flows from thought, and consists of ideas which are heard as vocal expressions in the spiritual world. I was told that those spirits have a certain method of forming ideas, expressed by the lips and face, unintelligible to others, and that they at the same instant skilfully withdraw their thoughts, guarding particularly lest anything of the affection should manifest itself, because if anything of the affection were perceived, the thought would appear, for the thought flows from the affection, and as it were in it. I was further informed that such speech was contrived by those inhabitants of Mars,—though not by all,—who make heavenly life to consist in knowledges alone, and not in the life of love; and that when they become spirits they retain it. These are they who were specially signified by the bird of stone; for to produce a speech by alterations of the face and motions of the lips, with a removal of the affections and a withdrawal of the thoughts from others, is to deprive speech of life and make it like an image, and by degrees to produce the same effect on themselves. But although they imagine that what they speak among themselves is not understood by others, angelic spirits nevertheless perceive each and all of the things they say, the reason being that no thought can be withdrawn from them. This was also shown them by actual experience. I was thinking of the fact that the evil spirits of our Earth are not affected with shame when they infest others. This [thought] inflowed with me from some angelic spirits who perceived their speech. Those spirits of Mars then acknowledged that this was the subject they were speaking of among themselves, and they were astonished. Besides this, more things, both of their conversation and thought, were disclosed by an angelic spirit, notwithstanding all their endeavours to hide away their thoughts from him. Afterwards those spirits inflowed from above into my face. The influx was felt like fine striated rain, which was a sign that they were not in the affection of truth and of good, for this is represented by what is striated. They then spoke plainly with me, saying, that the inhabitants of their earth speak in the same way among themselves. They were then told that this is evil, as by so doing they block up the internals, and recede from them to the externals, which also they deprive of their life; and especially because it is not sincere to speak in this manner. For they who are sincere do not wish to speak or even to think anything but what others, yea, what all, even the whole heaven, might know. But those who are unwilling that others should know what they say, pass judgment on others, and think ill of others and well of themselves, and at length are led by habit so far as to think and speak ill of the church, and of heaven, yea, of the Lord Himself. I have been told that those who love knowledges, and not so much a life according to them, have relation, in the Grand Man, to the inner membrane of the skull; but that those who accustom themselves to speak without affection, and to draw the thought to themselves and withdraw it from others, have relation to that membrane, when it has become ossified, because, from having some spiritual life, they come at length to have none.
Footnote ll: [(return) ]
Communications are effected by means of spirits sent forth from societies of spirits and angels to other societies, and these emissary spirits are called Subjects, nos. 4403, 5856, 5983, 5985-5989.
96. As the bird of stone represented those also who are in knowledges alone, and in no life of love, and as these consequently have no spiritual life, therefore, by way of appendix, I may here show that those only have spiritual life who are in heavenly love, and thence in knowledges; and that a love contains in itself all the power of knowing (cognitinum) which belongs to that love. Take for example the animals of the earth, and also the living creatures of the heaven, that is, the birds. These have the knowledge (scientia) of all things that belong to their love. Their loves are, to nourish themselves, to dwell safely, to propagate their kind, to take care of their young, and, with some, to provide for the winter. They have, therefore, all the requisite knowledge, for this is inherent in those loves, and inflows into them as into its own receptacles; and this knowledge in some animals is such that man cannot but be amazed at it. Their knowledge is connate and is called instinct; but it belongs to the natural love in which they are. If man were in his own love, which is love to God and towards the neighbour, (this love is man's peculiar love, by which he is distinguished from beasts, and it is heavenly love,) he would not only be in all requisite knowledge, but likewise in all intelligence and wisdom; for these [qualities] would inflow into those loves from heaven, that is, from the Divine through heaven. As, however, man is not born into those loves, but into their contraries, that is to say, into the loves of self and of the world, therefore he cannot but be born in complete ignorance and want of knowledge But by Divine means he is brought to something of intelligence and wisdom, yet not actually into any, unless the loves of self and of the world are removed, and a way is thus opened for love to God and towards the neighbour. That love to God and love towards the neighbour have in them all intelligence and wisdom, may appear from those who have been in those loves in the world. These, when, after death, they come into heaven, know and are wise in things of which they previously knew nothing; yea, they there think and speak, like the rest of the angels, such things as the ear has not heard, nor the mind known, which are ineffable. The reason is, that those loves have the faculty of receiving such things into themselves.
THE EARTH OR PLANET SATURN, AND ITS SPIRITS AND INHABITANTS.
97. The spirits from that earth appear in front at a considerable distance, below, in the plane of the knees, where that earth itself is; and when the eye is opened thither, a multitude of spirits come into view, who are all from that earth. They are seen on this side of that earth, and to the right of it. It has been given me to speak with them also, and thereby to know of what character they are relatively to others. They are well-disposed, and they are modest; and as they esteem themselves little, therefore also in the other life they appear small.