Heaven and Hell (Harley) n. 272

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272. There is yet another reason, which in heaven is the primary reason, why angels are able to receive so great wisdom, namely, that they are without the love of self. For to the extent that anyone is without the love of self he can become wise in Divine things. It is that love which closes up the interiors against the Lord and heaven, and opens the exteriors and turns them to self. Consequently, all in whom that love has dominion are in thick darkness in respect of the things of heaven, however much light they may have in worldly matters. The angels, on the other hand, are in the light of wisdom because they are without the love of self. For the heavenly loves in which they are, which are love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour, open the interiors, because those loves are from the Lord and the Lord Himself is in them. That these loves make heaven in general, and form heaven in each one in particular, may be seen above (n. 13-19). As heavenly loves open the interiors to the Lord so all angels turn their faces towards the Lord (n. 142). For, in the spiritual world, it is the love which turns the interiors of every one to itself, and whichever way it turns the interiors, it also turns the face, since the face there makes one with the interiors, of which it is their outward form. Because the love turns the interiors and the face to itself, it also conjoins itself to them, love being spiritual conjunction, and shares its own with them. From that turning and consequent conjunction and sharing, the angels have their wisdom. That all conjunction and all turning in the spiritual world are in accord may be seen above (n. 255).


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