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thickness。 If； for example； this statement； 'Some angels are
solitary；' affected me powerfully for a time； I was； on reflection；
unable to reconcile this solitude with their marriages。 I have not
understood why the Virgin Mary should continue to wear blue satin
garments in heaven。 I have even dared to ask myself why those gigantic
demons； Enakim and Hephilim； came so frequently to fight the cherubim
on the apocalyptic plains of Armageddon； and I cannot explain to my
own mind how Satans can argue with Angels。 Monsieur le Baron
Seraphitus assured me that those details concerned only the angels who
live on earth in human form。 The visions of the prophet are often
blurred with grotesque figures。 One of his spiritual tales； or
'Memorable relations；' as he called them； begins thus： 'I see the
spirits assembling； they have hats upon their heads。' In another of
these Memorabilia he receives from heaven a bit of paper； on which he
saw； he says； the hieroglyphics of the primitive peoples； which were
composed of curved lines traced from the finger…rings that are worn in
heaven。 However； perhaps I am wrong； possibly the material absurdities
with which his works are strewn have spiritual significations。
Otherwise； how shall we account for the growing influence of his
religion？ His church numbers to…day more than seven hundred thousand
believers；as many in the United States of America as in England；
where there are seven thousand Swedenborgians in the city of
Manchester alone。 Many men of high rank in knowledge and in social
position in Germany； in Prussia； and in the Northern kingdoms have
publicly adopted the beliefs of Swedenborg； which； I may remark； are
more comforting than those of all other Christian communions。 I wish I
had the power to explain to you clearly in succinct language the
leading points of the doctrine on which Swedenborg founded his church；
but I fear such a summary； made from recollection； would be
necessarily defective。 I shall； therefore； allow myself to speak only
of those 'Arcana' which concern the birth of Seraphita。〃
Here Monsieur Becker paused； as though composing his mind to gather up
his ideas。 Presently he continued； as follows：
〃After establishing mathematically that man lives eternally in spheres
of either a lower or a higher grade； Swedenborg applies the term
'Spiritual Angels' to beings who in this world are prepared for
heaven； where they become angels。 According to him； God has not
created angels； none exist who have not been men upon the earth。 The
earth is the nursery…ground of heaven。 The Angels are therefore not
Angels as such （'Angelic Wisdom；' 57）； they are transformed through
their close conjunction with God； which conjunction God never refuses；
because the essence of God is not negative； but essentially active。
The spiritual angels pass through three natures of love； because man
is only regenerated through successive stages （'True Religion'）。
First； the LOVE OF SELF： the supreme expression of this love is human
genius； whose works are worshipped。 Next； LOVE OF LIFE： this love
produces prophets；great men whom the world accepts as guides and
proclaims to be divine。 Lastly； LOVE OF HEAVEN； and this creates the
Spiritual Angel。 These angels are； so to speak； the flowers of
humanity； which culminates in them and works for that culmination。
They must possess either the love of heaven or the wisdom of heaven；
but always Love before Wisdom。
〃Thus the transformation of the natural man is into Love。 To reach
this first degree； his previous existences must have passed through
Hope and Charity； which prepare him for Faith and Prayer。 The ideas
acquired by the exercise of these virtues are transmitted to each of
the human envelopes within which are hidden the metamorphoses of the
INNER BEING； for nothing is separate； each existence is necessary to
the other existences。 Hope cannot advance without Charity； nor Faith
without Prayer； they are the four fronts of a solid square。 'One
virtue missing；' he said； 'and the Spiritual Angel is like a broken
pearl。' Each of these existences is therefore a circle in which
revolves the celestial riches of the inner being。 The perfection of
the Spiritual Angels comes from this mysterious progression in which
nothing is lost of the high qualities that are successfully acquired
to attain each glorious incarnation； for at each transformation they
cast away unconsciously the flesh and its errors。 When the man lives
in Love he has shed all evil passions： Hope； Charity； Faith； and
Prayer have； in the words of Isaiah； purged the dross of his inner
being； which can never more be polluted by earthly affections。 Hence
the grand saying of Christ quoted by Saint Matthew； 'Lay up for
yourselves treasures in Heaven where neither moth nor rust doth
corrupt；' and those still grander words： 'If ye were of this world the
world would love you； but I have chosen you out of the world； be ye
therefore perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect。'
〃The second transformation of man is to Wisdom。 Wisdom is the
understanding of celestial things to which the spirit is brought by
Love。 The Spirit of Love has acquired strength； the result of all
vanquished terrestrial passions； it loves God blindly。 But the Spirit
of Wisdom has risen to understanding and knows why it loves。 The wings
of the one are spread and bear the spirit to God； the wings of the
other are held down by the awe that comes of understanding： the spirit
knows God。 The one longs incessantly to see God and to fly to Him； the
other attains to Him and trembles。 The union effected between the
Spirit of Love and the Spirit of Wisdom carries the human being into a
Divine state during which time his soul is WOMAN and his body MAN； the
last human manifestation in which the Spirit conquers Form； or Form
still struggles against the Spirit；for Form； that is； the flesh； is
ignorant； rebels； and desires to continue gross。 This supreme trial
creates untold sufferings seen by Heaven alone；the agony of Christ
in the Garden of Olives。
〃After death the first heaven opens to this dual and purified human
nature。 Therefore it is that man dies in despair while the Spirit dies
in ecstasy。 Thus； the NATURAL； the state of beings not yet
regenerated； the SPIRITUAL； the state of those who have become Angelic
Spirits； and the DIVINE； the state in which the Angel exists before he
breaks from his covering of flesh； are the three degrees of existence
through which man enters heaven。 One of Swedenborg's thoughts
expressed in his own words will explain to you with wonderful
clearness the difference between the NATURAL and the SPIRITUAL。 'To
the minds of men；' he says； 'the Natural passes into the Spiritual；
they regard the world under its visible aspects； they perceive it only
as it can be realized by their senses。 But to the apprehension of
Angelic Spirits； the Spiritual passes into the Natural； they regard
the world in its inward essence and not in its form。' Thus human
sciences are but analyses of form。 The man of science as the world
goes is purely external like his knowledge； his inner being is only
used to preserve his aptitude for the perception of external truths。
The Angelic Spirit goes far beyond that； his knowledge is the thought
of which human science is but the utterance； he derives that knowledge
from the Logos； and learns the law of CORRESPONDENCES by which the
world is placed in unison with heaven。 The WORD OF GOD was wholly
written by pure Correspondences； and covers an esoteric or spiritual
meaning； which according to the science of Correspondences； cannot be
understood。 'There exist；' says Swedenborg （'Celestial Doctrine' 26）；
'innumerable Arcana within the hidden meaning of the Correspondences。
Thus the men who scoff at the books of the Prophets where the Word is
enshrined are as densely ignorant as those other men who know nothing
of a science and yet ridicule its truths。 To know the Correspondences
which exist between the things visible and ponderable in the
terrestrial world and the things invisible and imponderable in the
spiritual world； is to hold heaven within our comprehension。 All the
objects of the manifold creations having emanated from God necessarily
enfold a hidden meaning； according； indeed； to the grand thought of
Isaiah； 'The earth is a garment。'
〃This mysterious link between Heaven and the smallest atoms of created
matter constitutes what Swedenborg calls a Celestial Arcanum； and his
treatise on the 'Celestial Arcana' in which he explains the
correspondences or significances of the Natural with； and to； the
Spiritual； giving； to use the words of Jacob Boehm； the sign and seal
of all things； occupies not less than sixteen volumes containing
thirty thousand propositions。 'This marvellous knowledge of
Correspondences which the goodness of God granted to Swedenborg；' says
one of his disciples； 'is the secret of the interest which d