Page:The Other Life.djvu/106

 the mechanical work is done with such celerity, that Swedenborg says the thoughts apparently throw themselves upon paper.

He saw the books and writings in all the heavens. In the celestial spheres a character somewhat resembling the Hebrew and the Arabic is used. In the spiritual spheres it is more like our Roman alphabet. The vowels predominate in the celestial heavens; the consonants in the spiritual heavens.

He was not permitted to read these books, but only to glance at them, so as to see their general structure and character. He gives as a reason, that it is against the laws of the divine order for man, still living in the natural world, to be instructed by spirits or angels. He must derive his spiritual light from the Divine Word, and from those who are authorized to interpret it. So important is it that man should be protected from all the fantasies, hallucinations, visible images, involuntary writing, aerial voices, clairvoyance, and mesmeric excitations by which spirits would impose themselves upon him as messengers of divine truth!

Whoever doubts that there are books and writings in heaven must also doubt the evidence of Ezekiel the prophet.