Α

CONTINUATION.

CONCERNING THE

SPIRITUAL WORLD.

32.

Of the Spiritual World.

HE Spiritual World has been treated

TH

of in a particular Work on HEAVEN AND HELL, wherein many Things appertaining to that World are described; and as every Man after Death cometh into that World, a Defcription of his State there is also given in the same Work. Who doth not know, that Man continues to live after Death, seeing that he is born a Man, and created after the Image of God, and that the Lord hath fo taught in his Word? But the true Nature of his future Life has hitherto been unknown; it has been fuppofed that he will then be a Soul, of which no other Idea is entertained, than that of Air or Ether, in which will refide Something of a thinking Principle, without Sight like that of the Eye, without Hearing like that of the Ear, and without Speech

like

1

like that of the Mouth; when nevertheless after Death Man is equally a Man as before, fo much fo, that he doth not know but what he is ftill in the former World; for he fees, hears, and fpeaks, as in the former World; he walks, runs, and fits, as in the former World; he eats and drinks as in the former World; he fleeps and wakes as in the former World; he enjoys the conjugal Delight as in the former World; in a Word, he is a Man in every Respect, both as to Generals and Particulars From all which it plainly appears, that Death is only a Continuation of Life, and that it is merely a Paffage from one World to another.

1

33. There are many Caufes why Man has been ignorant of this his State after Death, among which this alfo is one, viz. that he could not be enlightened, fo little Faith had he in the. Immortality of the Soul; as may appear evident from the Cafe of many, even of the Learned, who believe themselves to be like the Beafts, with only this Degree of Perfection above them, that they are endued with the Faculty of Speech; and therefore in their Hearts they deny that there is any Life after Death, although with their Mouths they confefs it. In Confequences of thus thinking, they are, become fo fenfual, that they cannot believe that Man is a Man after Death, because they do not fee him with their

Eyes;

Eyes; for, fay they, how can the Soul exist in fuch a Manner? [or how can a Spirit be a Man?] But the Cafe is otherwife with thofe who be lieve they shall live after. Death; such think inwardly within themselves, that they shall go to Heaven, enjoy Delights with the Angels, fee heavenly Paradifes, and stand before the Lord in white Garments, and the like: This is their interior Thought; their exterior Thought may be different, when they think about the Soul from the Hypothefis of the Learned.

34 That Man after Death is equally a Man as before, although not visible to the bodily Eye, may appear evident from the Angels feen by Abraham, Gideon, Daniel, and others of the Prophets; from the Angels feen in the Lord's Sepulchre, and many Times after that by John. in the Apocalypfe; but principally from the Lord himself, who fhewed to his Disciples that he was a Man, by permitting them to touch him, and by eating with them; and nevertheless he became invifible to their Sight. They faw him in Confequence of their fpiritual Eyes being open; for when these are opened, the Things which are in the Spiritual World appear as clearly and diftinctly, as the Things which are in the Natural World.

35. As it has pleased the Lord to open the

Eyes

Eyes of my Spirit, and to keep them open now for the Space of nineteen Years, it has been given me to see the Things which are in the Spiritual World, and alfo to defcribe them. I can with the utmost Confidence affirm, that they are not Vifions, but THINGS SEEN in the most perfect State of Wakefulness.

36. The Difference between a Man in the Natural World, and a Man in the Spiritual World, is this, viz. that the latter is clothed with a fpiritual Body, but the former with a natural Body, and a spiritual Man fees a spiritual Man as clearly as a natural Man fees a natural Man; but a natural Man cannot see a spiritual Man, nor can a spiritual Man see a natural Man, by Reason of the Difference between what is natural, and what is fpiritual; the Nature whereof may be described, but not in a few Words.

37. From what I have feen for so many Years, I am enabled to relate what follows; namely, that in the Spiritual World there are Earths, as well as in the Natural World; that there are Hills and Mountains, Plains and Vallies; likewife Fountains and Rivers, Lakes and Seas; that there are Paradifes and Gardens, Groves and Woods; that there are Palaces and Houses; likewife Writings and Books; that there are Profeffions and Trades; and that there

arc

are precious Stones, Gold, and Silver: In a Word, that every Thing which exifts in the Natural World, both in general and in particular, is alfo to be found in the Spiritual World; but in an infinitely more perfect State in the Heavens.

"

38. The Difference however in general confifts in this, that all Things in the Spiritual World are from a fpiritual Origin, and hence as to their Effence are fpiritual, being from the Sun of that World, which is pure Love; and that all Things in the Natural World are from a natural Origin, and hence as to their Effence are natural, being from the Sun of the Natural World, which is pure Fire. Hence it is, that the fpiritual Man must be nourished with Food from a fpiritual Origin, juft as the natural Man is nourished with Food from a natural Origin. More on this Subject may be seen in the Treatife on HEAVEN AND HELL.

Of