Heaven Revealed/Chapter 29

by Benjamin Fiske Barrett

XXIX.

CONSOCIATION OF ANGELS WITH MEN..

WE have shown in previous chapters that heaven consists of innumerable societies of wise and happy beings, all of whom were once dwellers in the natural world; and spirits of a very different character, also of human origin, constituting a realm quite the opposite to that of heaven, have often been referred to. Thus we have, in these two realms, the clearly announced Bible doctrine of a heaven of angels and a hell of devils. These in the aggregate constitute the spiritual world—a world not remote from the natural, but intimately present and associated with it as the soul is with the body. While clothed with material flesh, we are dwellers at one and the same time in both worlds; consciously and sensibly in the natural world, unconsciously, because of the closed condition of our spiritual senses, in the spiritual world. And every individual is internally and spiritually associated with one or another class of spirits, by whom he is daily and hourly influenced almost as the body is actuated by the soul. We do not see the spirits that are near and operating upon us, because our spiritual eyes are closed; but we may know their general character by attentively considering the nature of our predominant thoughts and affections,—the ends at which we aim, the prompting and governing motives of our lives. All these flow into our minds and hearts through the medium of spirits in close fellowship with us; and they take their character, therefore, from the character of the spirits. If our ruling purpose is supremely selfish—one that shuts out from the heart all reverent regard for the Word of the Lord and the good of the neighbor, we may know that infernal spirits are our invisible companions—that our souls are in fellowship with devils, inhaling from hour to hour the pestilential atmosphere of hell. But if our aims are good and heavenly, if we regard our neighbor's welfare as our own, and desire above all else to know and do the will of the Lord, then angels are our associates, our spirits receive influx from them, we walk and work in their company, and breathe the balmy air of heaven. This accords with the dictates of enlightened reason, and is precisely what the great law of spiritual affinity would lead us to expect. Accordingly Swedenborg says:

"All spirits are distinguished in the other life by this: they who desire evil against others, are infernal or diabolical; but they who desire good to others, are good and angelic spirits. Man may know which he is among, whether the infernal spirits or the angelic. If he intends evil to his neighbor, thinking nothing but evil concerning him, and actually doing evil when in his power, and finding delight in it, he is among the infernals, and becomes himself also an infernal in the other life: but if he intends good to his neighbor, and thinks nothing but good concerning him, and actually does good when in his power, he is among the angelic, and becomes himself also an angel in the other life. This is the criterion: let every one examine himself by it. It matters not that a person does not do evil when he either cannot or dare not, nor that he does good from some selfish regard: such abstinence from the one and performance of the other, have only their origin in the man's externals, which are removed in the other life where he is such as his thoughts and intentions make him."—A. C. n. 1680.

"There are innumerable societies in the other life, which are disposed and arranged by the Lord according to all the genera of good and truth, also those of an opposite character. . . . Every man is associated with these as to his interiors, that is, as to his thoughts and affections, although he is ignorant of it. Hence comes all which a man thinks and wills. . . . Such as is the good in a man, such is the society of angels with which he is associated, and such as is the evil in him, such is the society of evil spirits with which he is associated. Man invites to himself such societies, or places himself in their midst, since like associates with like. For example: he who is covetous, invites to himself the societies of such as are in a similar lust. He who loves himself in preference to others, and despises others, invites to himself similar spirits. He who takes delight in revenge, invites such as are in a similar delight; and so in other cases. Such spirits communicate with hell, and man is in the midst of them, and is ruled altogether by them, so that he is no longer under his own power and guidance, but under theirs, although he supposes, from the delight and consequent liberty which he enjoys, that he rules himself.

"He, however, who is not covetous, or does not love himself in preference to others, and who does not take delight in revenge, is in the society of similar angels, and by them is led of the Lord, and indeed in freedom, to every good and truth to which he suffers himself to be led. And as he suffers himself to be led to an interior and more perfect good, so he is led to interior and more angelic societies. The changes of his state are nothing else but changes of societies." —A. C. n. 4067.

"The angels attendant on man have their abode solely in his ends of life. So far as he has respect to an end of the same kind as that which influences the Lord's kingdom—that is, to the good of the neighbor, the general good, the good of the church—so far the angels are delighted with him, and join themselves to him as a brother; but so far as he is influenced by selfish ends, the angels recede, and evil spirits from hell draw near; for in hell none but selfish ends have rule."—Ibid. n. 3796.

All this is quite consistent with the preceding disclosures, as well as with the conclusions of a sound mental philosophy and the rational intuitions of the wisest and best men. And we observe that the law governing the association of spirits with men, is the same biological law according to which spirits themselves are arranged into different societies—the law of spiritual affinity. And the Scripture, too, furnishes abundant confirmation of the truth of this disclosure. It teaches that spirits in the flesh are operated upon by opposite forces; that both angels and devils are intimately present with men; the former to enlighten, strengthen, uplift and bless, sympathizing with and helping us in our conflicts with selfishness and sin, and rejoicing at the sincere repentance of every sinner (Luke xv. 7); the latter to tempt, delude, mislead and destroy—described in the aggregate as a single individual, "our adversary, the Devil, walking about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Pet. v. 8).

The evil spirits have access to us and seek to retain dominion over us by virtue of our natural proprium or hereditary selfishness. And the purpose of the Lord's advent in the flesh, was to resist and overcome this malign influence, and place Himself in such a relation to mankind, that all who humbly look to and follow after Him, may be delivered from their state of spiritual bondage. Hence the rejoicing in heaven over the Divine incarnation, and the song of the angelic host at the hour of our Savior's birth, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men"!

And now the promise of his Second Coming is receiving its fulfillment—a coming of Himself and his angels into closer fellowship with all open and receptive souls—a coming with the loud-sounding trumpet of spiritual truth, to gather into the fold of the good Shepherd all who have ears to hear—"his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens even to the other."

And the great practical value of the teaching in the above extracts, is additional evidence of its truth. For every one who examines himself in the light of these disclosures, may know the character of his invisible associates with as much certainty as he knows by sight the members of his own family. If his ends are supremely selfish and worldly, he may know that he is internally associated with infernal spirits, and will, when he enters the other world, choose their society in preference to that of others. But if he is seeking to know and do the will of the Lord, acknowledging his evils and striving to overcome them, he may be sure that angels are his spiritual associates, working mightily in his behalf; and that in the Hereafter he will desire no other companionship than theirs. This thought is inspiring, and can hardly fail to impress every sincere believer, and incite him to daily watchfulness, prayer, self-denial and righteous endeavor.