Page:Heaven Revealed.djvu/331

 lightful things of life. . . The necessaries of life, which are given gratis by the Lord and which exist in a moment, are food, clothing and habitation, which altogether correspond to the use in which the angel is; the useful things are those which are subservient to these three things, and are a delectation to him, besides various things for the table, for garments, and in the house, beautiful according to the use, and shining according to its affections; the delightful things are those which are enjoyed with the conjugial partner, with friends, with companions, with all by whom he is loved, and whom he himself loves. From every affection of use proceeds that love which is mutual and reciprocal."—A. E., Vol, vi., p. 353.

But the Bible, we are told, speaks of the righteous after death as "resting from their labor." How is this language to be understood, and how is its teaching to be reconciled with that of the passage just quoted? We will let Swedenborg himself answer this question, or rather one of the wise ones he encountered in the other world. On a certain occasion three new comers from our earth, who had imbibed many erroneous ideas about heaven, and among others, that all active occupation would there cease, were led about by a wise elder, and shown various things which astonished them. At length "they were led in the city [called Athenæum] to the rulers, administrators, and their subordinate officers, and by the latter to the wonderful specimens of workmanship which are made in a spiritual manner by the artificers." And the narrative proceeds:

"After these were seen, the elder man again spoke with them concerning the eternal rest from labors, into