3348. CONCERNING A CERTAIN ONE AMONGST THE WISEST OF THE WORLD; WHAT [WAS] HIS IDEA CONCERNING HEAVENLY JOY. ((((There was a certain one, who in the life of the body enjoyed much dignity and was amongst wisest of the world. In the other life, also, he is so esteemed that no one injured him, because in his life, he was exercised with much zeal, in behalf of the doctrine of faith. Yet, nevertheless, he had displayed to him, the quality of his idea concerning the state of the happy in the other life, to wit: that heavenly joy consisted in a light [lumine] of glory, such a light as when solar rays appear golden in which light [which he called harlighets sken] he supposed heavenly joy to consist, and that if he came into such, he would be in heaven. Wherefore such a light was granted to him, and he in the midst of the light. Then was he so delighted, that he was, as he said, in heaven. Thus may be manifest what sort of idea concerning heavenly joy and concerning heaven, the wisest in this world have with manifold variety. They are so obviously and entirely ignorant, what [is] the felicity [that springs] from mutual love: although that felicity is represented to them, in love towards offspring, and the pleasantness thence [derived]. This, however, inasmuch as it is corporeal amongst the inhabitants of our earth, and is thus external, can never be compared to heavenly felicity. -l748, September 26.)))) It was afterwards said to him, whether or no he could infer to some extent the quality of heavenly joy, merely from conjugial love, which he has called, and others call heaven on earth, since he is so wise; so that as he could thence infer, heaven is likened to a marriage, and the Church is called the bride [betrothed] and wife, and marriages are representative, and hence the law [laid down] by the Lord, that there should be [but] one wife. - 1748, September 26.