Divine Love (Mongredien) n. 12

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12. [32.] XII

EVERY USE WITHOUT DISTINCTION DRAWS ITS LIFE FROM THE GENERAL BODY, AND FROM THIS THE NECESSARY, USEFUL AND DELIGHTFUL THINGS OF LIFE FLOW IN, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE QUALITY OF THE USE AND THE QUALITY OF AFFECTION FOR IT

This is an arcanum that has not hitherto been unveiled. Something of it indeed presents itself in the world, though not sufficiently clearly to enable it to be seen to be a fact. For in the world it is from the general body that every one gets the necessary, useful and delightful things of life, in accordance with the excellence and extent of the service he renders. It is out of the general body that some are recompensed, others enriched; it is as it were a lake from which flow recompenses and enrichments in abundance. These are determined and produced by the uses and pursuits that are of affection; still one cannot conclude from this that uses in themselves are of such a nature, for the reason that, in the world the wicked equally with the good, both when they do no uses or even do evil uses as well as when they do good uses, are sometimes recompensed or enriched. It is otherwise in the spiritual world where uses are opened to the view and where their source and their situation in the Spiritual Man, who is the Lord in the heavens, are revealed. In that world every one is recompensed in accordance with the excellence of his use, and at the same time in accordance with his affection for it. No idler is tolerated, nor any lazy vagabond, nor any sluggard taking praise for the efforts and labours of others; every one is required to be energetic, active, attentive and diligent in his duty or occupation; nor does he put praise and reward in the first place but in the second or third. It is in accordance with these things that the necessary, useful and delightful things of life flow in with them. [2] The reason they flow in from the general body is because they do not need to be procured for oneself as in the world; they come into existence in a moment, and are given free by the Lord. Moreover, because there is communication and extension round about of all thoughts and affections in the spiritual world-and in heaven the communication and extension of affections for use is according to their quality-and because all in heaven are affected by uses and delighted with them, therefore the necessary, useful and delightful things of life flow back and pour forth in abundance from the general body into each one's use, and, as benefit which he enjoys, into him who does the use.

[3] [33.] The necessary things of life that are given free by the Lord and come into existence in a moment are food, clothing and dwelling, these corresponding exactly to the use in which the angel is. The useful things of life are things subsidiary to those three, and a source of enjoyment to him, besides various decorative things for the table, for garments and for the house, beautiful things according to the angel's use, and magnificent things according to his affection for it. The delightful things of life are those in connection with married partner, with friends and with companions, who all love him and whom he loves; arising out of every affection for use, there is such mutual and reciprocal love.

[4] [34.] The reason there are such things in heaven is because there are such things in man, for heaven corresponds to all things in man ; moreover, a man who is in an affection for use on account of the use, or for the sake of the use, is a heaven in least form. In man there is no portion of his body nor any part of a portion, that does not draw from the general body its necessities, utilities and delights. With him the general body provides for each single part according to its use. Whatever is required by any one part for its functioning, is conveyed to it from neighbouring parts, and to these from their neighbouring parts, thus from the whole body; and in the same way that part gives forth of its own to the other parts according to their need. It is the same in the Divine Spiritual Man which is heaven, because it is the same in the Lord. It is clear from the above that each single use is representative of all the uses in the whole body, and consequently that there is in each single use what is typical of the whole, and thereby an image of man. It is due to this that an angel of heaven is a man in accordance with his use; or rather, if in this instance one may speak in a spiritual manner, it is due to this that a use is an angel-man.


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