No rational person can

which are its ends; but not vice versa. think, that all things, and even life itself, are from nature: he who so thinks, does not know what life is. Nature cannot dispense life to any thing, being in itself altogether inert. It is entirely contrary to order, for what is dead to act on what is living, or for a dead power to act on a living power, or, what is the same thing, for natural to act on spiritual, and, therefore, to think so is contrary to the light of sound reason. What is dead, or natural, may indeed in many ways, by external accidents, be perverted or changed; but still it cannot act on life, but life acts on it, according to the change induced in its form: the same is true with respect to physical influx into the spiritual operations of the soul, which, it is well known, does not exist, because it is not possible.

167. THAT THE END OF CREATION, WHICH IS, THAT ALL THINGS MAY RETURN TO THE CREATOR, AND THAT THERE MAY BE CONJUNCTION, EXISTS IN ITS ULTIMATES. It may be expedient first to speak concerning ends. There are three things which follow in order; these are called the first end, the middle end, and the ultimate end; and they are also called end, cause, and effect. These three must needs be in every thing, in order that it may be any thing; for a first end without a middle end, and an ultimate end, is impossible; or, what is the same, an end without a cause and an effect cannot exist: so neither can a cause exist without the end from which it proceeds, and the effect in which it is (manifested): nor can an effect exist alone, without a cause and an end. This may be comprehended if it be considered, that an end without, or separate from, an effect, has no existence, and is a mere term: for an end, to be actual, must be terminated, and it is terminated in its effect, in which it is first called an end, because it is an end. The agent or efficient appears indeed to exist by itself; but this is an appearance arising from the fact of its being in its effect; if it be separated from the effect, it disappears in a moment. Hence it is evident, that these three, end, cause, and effect, must exist in every thing, to make it any thing.

168. Moreover it is to be observed, that the end is all in the cause, and all in the effect: hence it is that end, cause, and effect, are called the first end, the middle end, and the ultimate end. But that the end may be all in the cause, there must be something from the end in which it may be; and that it may be all in the effect there must be something from the end, through the cause, in which it may be; for the end cannot be in itself alone,—it must be in something existing from itself, in which it may be as to every thing of its own, and by acting become efficient, till it subsists. It subsists in the ultimate end, which is called the effect.

169. In the created universe, both in its greatest and in its least parts, these three, end, cause, and effect, exist, because they exist in God the Creator, who is the Lord from eternity but since He

is infinite, and infinite things in the Infinite are distinctly one, (as was shown above, n. 17 to 22,) therefore these three in Him, and in His infinites, are distinctly one. Hence it is that the universe, which was created from His esse, and which, regarded as to uses, is His image, obtained these three in all and singular the things appertaining to it.

170. The universal end, which is the end of all things in creation, is, that there may be an eternal conjunction of the Creator with the created universe; and this is impossible unless there be subjects, in which His Divine may be as in Himself, consequently in which it may dwell and remain; which subjects, in order that they may be His habitations and mansions, must be recipients of His love and wisdom as from themselves; consequently they must be such as to elevate themselves to the Creator as from themselves, and join themselves with Him: without this reciprocation no conjunction can be effected. These subjects are men, who can elevate and join themselves, as from themselves: that men are such subjects, and that they are recipients of the Divine as from themselves, has been many times shown above. By this conjunction the Lord is present in every work created from Himself; for every created thing is finally for the sake of man; wherefore the uses of all things, which are created, ascend by degrees from ultimates to man, and through man to God the Creator, from whom they originate, as was shown above, n. 65 to 68.

171. Creation is in a continual progression to this ultimate end by these three principles, end, cause, and effect, because these three exist in the Lord the Creator, as was said above; and the Divine is in all space without space, n. 69 to 72; and is the same in the greatest and smallest things, n. 77 to 82. Hence it is evident, that the created universe, in its common progression to its ultimate end, is respectively the middle end; for forms of uses are continually raised up from the earth by the Lord the Creator, in their order to man, who as to his body is likewise from the earth; man is next elevated by the reception of love and wisdom from the Lord; and all means are provided that he may receive them; and he is made such that he can receive them if he will. From what has been now said it may be seen, though as yet only in a general way, that the end of creation, which is, that all things may return to the Creator, and that conjunction may be effected, exists in its ultimates.

172. That end, cause, and effect, are in all and singular the things of creation, is evident when it is considered that all effects, or ultimate ends, become anew first ends, in a continual series from the Lord the Creator, who is the first, to the conjunction of man with Him, which is the last. That all ultimate ends become anew first ends, is evident from the fact, that there is nothing so inert and dead, but has some efficiency in it; even sand exhales such a principle as contributes assistance in producing something and therefore in effecting something.

PART III.

173. THAT IN THE SPIRITUAL WORLD THERE ARE ATMOSPHERES, WATERS, AND EARTHS, AS IN THE NATURAL WORLD; BUT THAT THE FORMER ARE SPIRITUAL, WHEREAS THE LATTER ARE NATURAL. That the spiritual world and the natural world are alike, only that all and every thing of the spiritual world is spiritual, and that all and every thing of the natural world is natural, was mentioned in the preceding pages, and shown in the work ON HEAVEN AND HELL. These two worlds being alike, therefore in both there are atmospheres, waters, and earths, which are the generals, by and from which all and singular things exist with an infinite variety.

hence

174. The atmospheres, which are called æthers and airs, are alike in both the spiritual and natural worlds, only that those in the spiritual world are spiritual, and those in the natural world are natural. The former are spiritual because they exist from the sun, which is the first proceeding of the divine love and divine wisdom of the Lord, and from Him receive in them divine fire which is love, and divine light which is wisdom, and convey these two to the heavens where the angels dwell, and cause the presence of that sun in the greatest and smallest things there. The spiritual atmospheres are discrete substances, or most minute forms, originating from the sun; and as they severally receive the sun, its fire, being divided into so many substances or forms, and as it were covered or enclosed in them, and tempered by these coverings, becomes heat, proportioned finally to the love of angels in heaven, and of spirits under heaven; the same may be said of the light of the sun. The natural atmospheres are similar to the spiritual atmospheres, in being also discrete substances of a very minute form, originating from the sun of the natural world; which sun also they each of them receive, and treasure up in them its fire, and temper it, and convey it as heat to the earth, which is the dwelling-place of men; and in like manner the light.

175. The difference between the spiritual atmospheres and the natural atmospheres, is, that the spiritual atmospheres are receptacles of divine fire and divine light, consequently of love and wisdom, for they contain these within them; whereas the natural atmospheres are not receptacles of divine fire and divine light, but of the fire and light of their own sun, which in itself is void of life, (as was shown above,) and therefore they contain nothing from the sun of the spiritual world, but still they are surrounded by spiritual atmospheres which come from that sun. That this is the difference between the spiritual atmospheres and the natural atmospheres, is learnt from the wisdom of the angels.

176. The existence of atmospheres in the spiritual world, as well as in the natural, may appear from the fact, that angels and spirits breathe, speak, and hear, equally with men in the natural

world; and respiration, like speech and hearing, is effected by means of the air or ultimate atmosphere; also from the fact, that angels and spirits see, equally as men in the natural world, and sight is not possible but by means of an atmosphere purer than air; also from this, that angels and spirits think and are affected equally with men in the natural world, and thought and affection do not exist but by means of still purer atmospheres ; and lastly from this, that all things belonging to the bodies of angels and spirits, as well external as internal, are held in the proper connection by atmospheres; their externals by an aerial atmosphere, and their internals by æthereal atmospheres: were it not for the circumpressure and action of these atmospheres, the interior and exterior forms of the body would evidently be dissolved. Since the angels are spiritual, and their bodies in general and in particular are held in their connection, form, and order, by atmospheres, it follows that those atmospheres are also spiritual; and they are spiritual, because they originate from the spiritual sun, which is the first proceeding of the divine love and divine wisdom of the Lord.

177. That in the spiritual world there are also waters and earths, as in the natural world, but that the waters and earths of the spiritual world are spiritual, was mentioned above, and has been shown in the work ON HEAVEN AND HELL: these, being spiritual, are actuated and modified by the heat and light of the spiritual sun by the atmospheres derived from it, just as the water and the earth in the natural world are acted on and modified by the heat and light of their sun by its atmospheres.

178. Atmospheres, waters, and earths, are here spoken of, as being the generals by and from which all and singular things exist in infinite variety. The atmospheres are active powers, the waters the intermediate powers, and the earths the passive powers, from which all effects exist. These three are such powers in their series, solely from the life which proceeds from the Lord as a sun and causes them to be active.

179. THAT THERE ARE DEGREES OF LOVE AND WISDOM, AND THENCE DEGREES OF HEAT AND LIGHT, AND DEGREES OF ATMOSPHERES. Unless it be known that there are degrees, and what, and of what nature they are, that which follows cannot be comprehended; for there are degrees in every created thing, consequently in every form; wherefore in this PART OF THE ANGELIC WISDOM We shall treat of degrees. The existence of degrees of love and wisdom, may appear manifestly from the angels of the three heavens. The angels of the third heaven excel the angels of the second heaven in love and wisdom, and these last excel the angels of the first heaven, insomuch that they cannot be together; the degrees of love and wisdom distinguish and separate them. Hence it is that the angels of the inferior heavens cannot ascend to the angels of

the superior heavens; and if they are allowed to ascend, they do not see the superior angels, nor any thing that is about them; for their love and wisdom is in a superior degree, which transcends the perception of the inferior angels. Every angel is his own love and his own wisdom; and love with wisdom is in its form a man, because God, who is love itself and wisdom itself, is a Man. It has occasionally been given me to see the angels of the ultimate heaven ascend to the angels of the third heaven, and when they have reached that heaven, I have heard them complaining, that they saw no one, although they were in the midst of its angels: afterwards they were instructed, that those angels were invisible to them, because their love and wisdom were imperceptible to them, and that love and wisdom are what cause an angel to appear

as a man.

180. That there are degrees of love and wisdom, appears still more manifestly from the love and wisdom of the angels, relatively to the love and wisdom of men. It is well known that the wisdom of the angels is relatively ineffable; that it is also incomprehensible to men when they are in natural love, will be seen in what follows. It appears ineffable and incomprehensible, because it is in a superior degree.

181. Since there are degrees of love and wisdom, there are also degrees of heat and light. By heat and light are meant spiritual heat and light, such as the angels have in the heavens, and such as men have as to the interiors of their minds; for the heat of men's love, and the light of their wisdom, are similar to the heat and light of the angels. In the heavens the case is this: the quality and quantity of love which the angels have, determines the quality and quantity of their heat; and their light has the same relation to their wisdom; because there is love in their heat, and wisdom in their light, as was shown before. It is the same with men on earth, only that the angels feel that heat, and see that light, whereas men do not, because men are in natural heat and light; and so long as this is the case, they do not feel spiritual heat, save by a certain delight of love, nor do they see spiritual light, save by a perception of truth. Now as a man, whilst in natural heat and light, knows nothing of spiritual heat and light in himself, and as this cannot be known but by experience from the spiritual world, therefore we shall here first speak of the heat and light in which the angels and their heavens are, this being the only source of enlightenment on the subject.

182. The degrees of spiritual heat cannot, however, be described from experience, because love, to which spiritual heat corresponds, does not fall definitely under the ideas of thought; but the degrees of spiritual light may be described, because it does fall under the ideas of thought, for spiritual light is of thought; and from the degrees of light the degrees of spiritual heat may be comprehended, for they are similar in degree. Now