Page:A Compendium of the Theological Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg.djvu/278

182 series that they constitute as it were a column increasing from the highest part to the lowest. In the interiors of this are those things which precede in the series; what is first [or highest] is inmost, and what follows in order adds itself in succession to the inmost, and thus it increases. What is inmost governs universally in those things which are round about it, that is in each and all things, for hence is the essential of the existence of all. (A. C. 8864.)

That there are innumerable things within the ideas of thought, and that they are within them in order from the interiors, has been evident to me when in the morning and evening I have been reading the Lord's Prayer. The ideas of my thought were then constantly opened towards heaven, and innumerable things flowed in, so that I clearly observed that the ideas of thought received from the contents of the Prayer were made full from heaven. And such things were poured in, too, as cannot be uttered, and such also as I cannot comprehend; I was only sensible of the general affection thence resulting. And it is wonderful that the things which flowed in were varied every day. From this it was given me to know that there are more things in the contents of that Prayer than the universal heaven has capacity to comprehend; and that to man there are more things in it in proportion as his thought is more opened towards heaven; and on the other hand that there are fewer things in it in proportion as his thought is more closed. To those indeed whose thought is closed nothing more appears therein than the sense of the letter, or the sense which is nearest to the words, (ib. n. 6619.)

The Lord's Prayer is daily read in heaven, as it is by men on earth. And the angels do not then think of God the Father, because He is invisible; but they think of Him in His Divine Human, because in this He is visible. And in this Human He is not called by them Christ, but Lord; and thus the Lord is their Father in heaven. . . . In that prayer it is said, "Hallowed he Thy name" and "Thy kingdom come." The name of the Father is His Divine Human; and the Kingdom of the Father comes when the Lord is immediately approached, and by no means when God the Father is approached immediately. (A. R. n. 839.)

Concerning the Lord's transfiguration, we read: "Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, and was transfigured, before them; and His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light.