Page:Heaven Revealed.djvu/160

 must love to be together, and feel happiest and most at home in each other's society. As natural attraction, therefore, is the law in the natural world, that arranges in distinct groups objects most nearly related, so spiritual attraction determined by the spiritual relationship and consequent affinity of spirits, ought to be the law in the spiritual world that distributes both good and evil spirits into many distinct societies.

And precisely this is what has been revealed through Swedenborg on the subject. He says that the angels are distributed into innumerable societies, some of them consisting of myriads and others of thousands. And there is nothing forced or arbitrary in this arrangement. Every one goes in freedom to the society he loves and is nearest akin to. The law that governs in all angelic associations, he says, is the law of spiritual affinity. Through the constant operation and force of this law, angels of like character are drawn together and held together in the same society. To cite his own words:

"The angels do not all dwell together in one place, but are distinguished into larger and smaller societies according to the differences of the good of love and faith in which they are. They who are in similar good form one society. Goods in the heavens are of infinite variety, and every angel is such in character as is his own good. Those of like character are brought together as it were spontaneously; for with their like they are as with their own [relations] and at home; but with others, as with strangers and abroad. When they are with their like they are also in their freedom, and thence in every delight of life.

"All who are in similar good also know each other—although they had never met before—just as men in