The Doctrines of the New Church Briefly Explained/Chapter33

by Benjamin Fiske Barrett

 

XXXIII.—Connection of the Two Worlds.

There are many passages in the Bible which point to the close connection of the spiritual with the natural world; and Swedenborg often speaks of this connection,—of the intimate association of both good and evil spirits with men, and their influence upon them. As to our spirits, he says, we are actually in the spiritual world now and always, though all unconscious of the fact. Invisible companions are constantly associated with us, and powerfully operate upon our thoughts and feelings, our ends and aims, influencing us for good or for evil according to our own internal leanings, that is, according to our willingness to yield to the whispers of the Spirit and the promptings of unselfish love, or to the suggestions of selfishness or worldly greed. Every soul on earth is in near relation with other souls, most of whom have laid aside their fleshly covering, and are no longer visible to the eye of sense; for the natural eye can see only the objects which belong to the realm of nature.

But we may know the character of our invisible associates, by carefully attending to the motives which we allow to govern us in our ordinary daily intercourse with others—to our ruling purpose, our ends and aims in life. If these are selfish, base, and grovelling, such is the character of our associate spirits; but if unselfish and righteous, so are our invisible companions;—we walk in company with angels and inhale their inspiring breath, while we tabernacle in the flesh.

"Angels and spirits are continually associated with man—angels from heaven and spirits from hell. . . He cannot see them except by the eye of his internal man which, for several reasons, is not opened in him during his abode in the world." (A. C. 5848, '9.)

"The character of the spirits associated with a man, is according to the man's own character. If he is covetous, the spirits are covetous; if haughty, the spirits are haughty; if desirous of revenge, so are the spirits; if deceitful, the spirits are of like character. An [evil] man attaches to himself spirits from hell according to his life." (A. C. 5851.)

"The angels flow into the ends which a man regards, and so, through the ends, into the things which follow from them. This influx is tacit and imperceptible to men, but still operative in a hidden manner, and effective principally in turning from evil ends and insinuating good ones; . . . for the angels cannot be present in evil ends, that is, in the loves of self and the world, except remotely." (A. C. n. 5854.)

"Man regards as an end what belongs to his life or love. When the good of his neighbor, the general good, the good of the church and of the Lord's kingdom, is the end regarded, then man, as to his soul, is in the Lord's kingdom; for his kingdom is none other than a kingdom of ends and uses respecting the good of the human race. The angels attendant on man, have their abode solely in his ends of life. So far as a man has respect to an end of the same kind that influences the Lord's kingdom, 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 only selfish ends rule in hell. Hence we may see the importance of searching and knowing the origin of our affections, which can only be known from the end at which we aim." (A. C. 3796.)