Page:The Swedenborg Library Vol 1.djvu/52

 man in the spiritual and his life in the natural world, is great, as well with respect to the external senses and their affections, as with respect to the internal senses and their affections. The senses of those in heaven are far more exquisite than they were in the world; that is, they see and hear more perfectly and also think more wisely; for they see by the light of heaven, which exceeds by many degrees the light of the world; and they hear by a spiritual atmosphere, which also surpasses by many degrees the atmosphere of the earth.

The difference between these external senses is like the difference between a clear sky and a dark mist, or between the light of noon-day and the shade of evening. For since the light of heaven is divine truth, it enables the sight of the angels to perceive and discriminate the minutest objects. Their external sight also corresponds to their internal sight, or their understanding; for with the angels one sight flows into the other, and they act as one. Hence their wonderful acuteness of vision.

In like manner also their hearing corresponds to their perception, which is both of the understanding and the will. Therefore in the tone and words of the speaker, they perceive the minutest particulars of his affection and thought,—in his tone, the things which belong to his affection, and in his words, the things which belong to his thought.

But the other senses with the angels are not so