Page:The Doctrines of the New Church Briefly Explained.djvu/213

Rh the quality of each one's ruling love which is his life, is revealed, his real character—that which he was interiorly while he lived on earth—becomes more and more manifest. Until finally the externals of every one are put off, or brought into perfect agreement with his internals, and he appears and is outwardly just what he is inwardly.

This process, whereby each one's character or ruling love becomes fully dislosed, takes place in "the world of spirits," and is what is meant by "the judgment" that every one must undergo after death. When this is accomplished, the individual is prepared for his final abode—among the angels in heaven or the devils in hell, according as his real character is angelic or infernal. He then goes freely and willingly to the society of those whose ruling love is most akin to his own. For there, and only there, he finds a congenial home. His inner man (or "book of life") is opened, and out of, or according to, it he is judged.

And here, in this intermediate state or world of spirits, is where those who had been friends and acquaintances on earth, meet and recognize each other, and remain together as long as their society is mutually agreeable. As the character of every one is the same on his first entrance into the other world as it was before his decease, so his voice, manners and looks are the same as before; therefore he is readily recognized by those