is in the heavens, consequently he is a heaven or kingdom of the Lord in particular; and to such a degree as he is from truths in good, and afterwards as he is from good in truths: and [what is an arcanum] the angels themselves appear in a human form in the heavens altogether according to the truths which appertain to them in good, with a beauty and splendor according to the quality of good from truths; the men of the church in like manner appear as to the soul in heaven; this is an effect of the divine truth itself proceeding from the Lord, as may be manifest from what hath been shown concerning heaven as the grand man, and concerning its correspondence with singular the things in man, at the close of several chapters: this arcanum is what is meant by these words in the Revelations: "He measured the wall of the Holy Jerusalem a hundred forty-four cubits, which is the measure of a man, that is, of an angel,” xxi. 17; who could ever understand these words, unless he knows what is signified by the Holy Jerusalem, what by its wall, what by a measure, what by the number 144, and thus what by a man, that is, an angel; by the New and Holy Jerusalem is signified the New Church of the Lord, which is about to succeed to the christian [church] existing at this day, by wall are signified the truths of faith which are to defend that church, by measuring and a measure is signified state as to truth, by the number 144 is signified the like as by 12, for 144 is a number compounded of 12 multiplied into 12; by those numbers are signified all truths in the complex, hence it is clear what is signified by the measure of a man, that is, of an angel, viz. the truth itself proceeding from the Lord in its form, which is a man-angel in heaven, as was said above; hence the arcanum is evident, which the above words involve, viz. that they are descriptive of the truths of that church, which is to succeed the christian [church] existing at this day: that they are truths grounded in good, is described in the verse which next follows, in these words: "The structure of the wall was jasper, but the city was pure gold like to pure glass," verse 18; by jasper is signified truth such as is about to be the truth of that church, for by stones in general are signified truths, and by precious stones the truths which are from the Lord; by gold is signified the good of love and wisdom: who could ever conjecture that such things are involved in the above words; and who cannot see from these considerations, that innumerable arcana lie concealed in the Word, which do not at all appear to any one except by [or through] the internal sense; and that by that sense, as by a key, are opened truths divine such as are in heaven, consequently heaven and the Lord Himself, who is all in all of the Word in its inmost sense.

(To be continued.)

AN HIEROGLYPHIC KEY

ΤΟ

NATURAL AND SPIRITUAL MYSTERIES.

[BY EMANUEL SWEDENBORG.]

EXAMPLE I.

As long as motion endures, so long does effort endure; for effort is the moving power of nature: but effort alone is a dead power.

As long as action is continued, so long is will continued, for will is an effort of the human mind towards action. From will alone no action follows.

As perpetual is the divine operation, as is the divine providence; for providence is the divine will of operating: but from providence alone no operation follows.

The following expressions mutually correspond to each other. (1.) Motion, action, operation. Action, indeed, is also attributed to nature, wherefore, instead of motion, action might be substituted; but, properly speaking, action flows from a principle, which can act of itself, or in which is implanted a will; consequently it flows from the human mind. In like manner action, but more frequently, operation, is wont to be predicated of the divine providence, although it is not a spiritual word. (2.) Effort, will, providence. With respect to effort, it is a mere natural term; but will is applicable to rational minds: providence is predicated of God alone. That will and effort mutually correspond to each other, may be seen in the paragraph concerning will; but that providence likewise corresponds, is evident from hence, that as the will involves every human action, so does providence involve every divine operation, or God's universal will. (3.) Nature, human mind, divine mind, or God. In the first class are contained all those things which are purely natural; in the second class, such as are rational and intellectual, and of course such as are moral also, as having relation to the human mind; but in the third class are contained theological and divine things: wherefore they mutually corresspond to each other.

Confirmation of the propositions. (1.) That as long as motion endures, so long does effort: this is the common opinion of philosophers; for they assert, that in motion there exists nothing real but effort; as also that motion is perpetual effort. Instead of motion may also be substituted action, which likewise may exist purely natural, viz. when it flows from some power, or when it is followed by an effect. (2.) That effort is the moving power of nature: it is an axiom in philosophy, that power consists in a continual effort or tendency to action, and that power is the beginning of actions and changes; hence that the moving power consists in a continual effort or tendency to change place. (3.) That effort without motion is a dead power, is also agree

able to the rule of Wollfius, namely: That it is a dead power which consists in effort alone, and that a living power is attended with change of place. (4.) In regard to will, it is to be observed, that I mean the human will, which takes its rise from the rational mind, whence flows rational action. There are also animal actions, which flow from a will nearly resembling the rational will. (5.) That providence is sometimes non-operative, may be gathered from the scriptures; for there are some human minds which repel all divine power. It may therefore be said, that providence is not admitted or received, but it cannot be said that it ceases; just as we may say, that will continues, notwithstanding the cessation of action.

Rules. (1.) The first class I call the class of natural things; the second, the class of rational animals, which includes also things moral; but the third class I call that of spiritual things, or theological class. (2.) The principal matter is not to be expressed by the same words, but by different terms suited to each class respectively; thus, effort, will, providence. (3.) And, indeed, it ought to be expressed by such words as at first sight do not seem to signify or represent the same thing; for it is not instantly comprehended, that the will corresponds to effort, and providence to the will; nor that the rational mind corresponds to nature, and God to the rational mind, and so on. (4.) That expressions purely natural are to be explained and defined by other natural terms easier to be understood: but that expressions belonging to the class of rationals are to be defined by terms belonging to the class of naturals; in like manner expressions in the theological class, by terms in the class of rationals: as, for example, effort is defined to be the power of acting; will, to be an effort of the human mind towards action; providence to be the divine will of operating; and so on. (5.) That in many cases it is proper to use the same and similar words in every class; otherwise the sense would be rendered too obscure, as in the following expressions: as long as, to endure, to be continued, alone is, it follows, and; for these are not essential words; although these terms may be changed for others proper to the class, yet it is best to retain the usual ones, for a clearer understanding of the matter. (6.) It is also proper to express one rule in one class by several words, and by circumlocution: for example: effort alone is a dead power; in the following classes it is said, will alone is an effort, which is succeeded by no action; that is, no action or inaction is the same thing as dead action; but the phrase dead action sounds rather aukwardly. The same observations will apply to the third or theological class.

EXAMPLE II.

Throughout all nature there is a beginning of effecting something, implanted in its cffort: therefore, as is that beginning, such is the faculty or power of effecting; as is the faculty, such is the effort; and as is the effort, such is the motion, and consequently such the effect. There is in every human mind a view and love of a certain end, VOL. II. No. 10.

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implanted in its will: therefore, as is the love, such is the desire; as is the desire, such is the benevolence and will; and as is the will, such is the action, and consequently such the attainment of the end.

In God is a most pure love towards us and for our salvation, which is the end of creation, implanted in his providence: therefore, as is that love, such is his grace and providence; and as is his providence, such is the operation, and such our salvation, which is the end of all ends.

Order and the representative world are in the most perfect state, when harmony subsists between the providence of God, the wills and ends of human minds, and the efforts and effects of nature. But order and the world are in an imperfect state, when these do not harmonize; and in such degree imperfect, as they fall short of harmony.

The following mutually correspond to each other. (1.) The begin ning of effecting, the view of an end, and the love of the end of creation, or our salvation in God. At first sight it seems as if some other thing besides love in God, might correspond to the beginning of effecting in nature; but since God is the beginning and end of all things, there cannot be said to be in him a beginning, unless it be that which he himself is but of his providence there may be a beginning, for providence is operative; but this beginning can be no other than his most pure love towards mankind, and for their salvation, which is the end of creation. (2.) Effect, end, end of ends, or the salvation of souls. Effect is predicated of nature, but end of the human mind, for minds view ends before effects, and afterwards effects as instrumental causes to promote those ends. It is altogether the province of human creatures from the effect to infer the end, that is, from the simple presence of things to gather wisdom, and further than this, to judge nothing at all of futurity. But in human minds particular ends only are considered; but the end of ends, or most universal of all ends, is under the eye of God himself, which, to be understood, ought to be described; namely, an heavenly society of souls, or in other words, the salvation of mankind. (3.) Faculty, benevolence, grace. It is well known that benevolence is applicable to man, and grace to God; neither is it to be doubted, that the most proper correspondent thereto in nature is a greater or lesser faculty, proneness, promptitude of effecting, that is, facility, from which also the term faculty is derived, which in other cases signifies power, possibility, &c.

Confirmation of the propositions. (1.) That nature is the beginning of effecting something: this may appear from the definition which philosophers give of nature; for the celebrated Wollfius says, Universal nature, or nature simply so called, is the beginning of changes in the world; and there is an active or moving power, or a combination of moving powers, that is, of efforts, for effort consists in power, so that that beginning must of necessity be implanted in the effort. Aristotle likewise says, that God and nature do nothing in vain, but all for

the sake of an end; so the beginning of effecting, and the effect itself, are of nature, but the end is of God: but, indeed, both end and effect together come under the cognizance of the human mind or man. (2.) That the love of the end is implanted in the will of the human mind, is sufficiently evident; for the will is seldom determined to action, unless there be a certain incitement thereto from love, or a desire of obtaining some certain end. But consult the passage which treats of the will. (3.) That ends alone are in God, and that nature spontaneously concurs to promote ends by effects, is sufficiently plain from hence, that God is above nature, neither has he any thing in common with it; for nature was formed and created to promote the ends of divine providence, which is the cause of correspondences and representations; nor can any thing else be the end of creation, than an universal society of souls, from which God may be regarded as the end of all things.

Rules. (1.) There are two modes of proof, in order to know whether we have acquired truth: to know whether it be a physical truth in the first class, may be gathered from the second and third, or moral and theological classes; and to know whether it be a moral truth, may appear from the physical and theological classes; for every thing ought to agree and harmonize, or confirm the truth itself, for when there is a correspondence, if in any place it be thwarted or interrupted, it is a plain mark of error. (2.) There is also another kind of proof, namely: when the contents of the three classes so harmonize, as, by being placed in regular sequence, to produce another fourth truth, for example: in order that the representative world may be perfect, the following should agree, viz. the providence of God, the wills and ends of minds, and the efforts and effects of nature, thus: the first is an exemplar, the second a type, and the third a resemblance for all divine things are exemplars; intellectual, moral, and civil things, are types and images; but natural and physical things are resemblances: thus exemplars, types, and resemblances, must fully represent each other; there is also a mutual correspondence and harmony betwixt them, for the one acknowledges and is acknowledged by the other, as its proper relative and correspondent.

EXAMPLE III.

Motion cannot exist without effort, but effort without motion may ; for if all effort were to break forth into open motion, the world would perish, inasmuch as there would then be no equilibrium.

Action cannot exist without will, but will without action may; if all will were to break forth into open action, man would perish, for then there would be no rational counterpoise, or reason to moderate.

No divine operation can exist without providence, but, indeed, providence may exist without operation or effect; if all providence were