Divine Love and Wisdom (Harleys) n. 369

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369. It is recognised, that man is of the same character as his reigning love, but only in respect of mind and disposition, not in respect of his body, thus not wholly. But it has been made known to me from much experience in the spiritual world, that man from head to foot, or from the first things in the head to the last things in the body, is of the same nature as his love. For all in that world are forms of their love, angels, forms of heavenly love, devils, of hellish love; devils deformed in face and body, but angels beautiful in face and body; and if their love is assailed, their faces are changed, and wholly disappear if much attacked. This is peculiar to that world and so happens because their bodies make one with their minds. The reason is clear from what has been said above, that all things of the body are derivatives, that is, are woven by means of fibres from beginnings which are receptacles of love and wisdom. When beginnings have this character, their derivatives are bound to be of the same character. The consequence is that where beginnings go, the derivatives follow; they cannot be separated. Hence it is that he who raises his mind to the Lord is wholly raised up to Him, and he who casts his mind down to hell is wholly cast down to hell; wherefore the whole man comes, according to his life's love, either into heaven or into hell. The mind of man is a man because God is Man; the body is the external of the mind, and feels and acts; and thus they are one, and not two. This is a matter of angelic wisdom.


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