really is. The quality of the church as derived from the Word is also signified by man, n. 920, and also in other places.

610. "And his number is six hundred sixty and six," signifies this quality, that all the truth of the Word is falsified by them. By the number of the beast is signified the quality of the confirmations of doctrine and faith from the Word among them, n. 608, 609; by six hundred sixty and six is signified every truth of good, and as this is said of the Word, it signifies every truth of good in the Word, here the same falsified, because it is the number of the beast. The reason of this signification is, because six signifies the same as three multiplied by two, and three signifies what is full and all, and is predicated of truths, n. 505, and two signifies the marriage of truth and good; and as six is composed of those two numbers multiplied by each other, it therefore signifies every truth of good in the Word, but here the same falsified: that it is also falsified by them, may be seen above, n. 566. The number six hundred sixty and six is used, because in that number six is tripled, and triplication completes; the multiplying by one hundred, whence comes six hundred, and by ten, whence comes sixty, makes no difference, as may be seen above, n. 348. That six signifies what is full and all, and is used where the truths of good are treated of, may appear from those passages in the Word where that number occurs; but this signification of this number does not clearly appear except to those who see the things concerning which it treats in the spiritual sense, as when the Lord says, "That the seed which fell on good ground, brought forth fruit, some thirty-fold, some sixty-fold, some an hundred-fold," Mark iv. 8, 20, Matt. xiii. 8, 23. That the householder went out and brought laborers into his vineyard at the third hour and at the sixth hour, Matt. xx. 3, 5. That upon the table in the tabernacle the cakes of bread were set in two rows, six on a row, Levit. xxiv. 6. That there were set six water pots, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, John ii. 6. That there were six cities of refuge or asylums, Numb. xxxv. 6, 7, Deut. xix. 1-9. That the measur

ing reed with which the angel measured all parts of the new temple and new city, was six cubits long, Ezek. xl. 5. That the prophet was to drink water by measure, the sixth part of an hin, Ezek. iv. 11. That they were to take for an offering the sixth part of an ephah of an homer of wheat, Ezek. xlv. 13. Because six signifies what is full, the word to sextate, or give a sixth part, came into use, by which, in a spiritual sense, is signified what is complete and entire; as, That they should offer the sixth part of an ephah out of an homer of wheat, Ezek. xlv. 13, and it is said of Gog, I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, or will sextate thee, Ezek. xxxix. 2, by which is signified, that with him every truth of good in the Word should be utterly destroyed: who are meant by Gog, may be seen at n. 859.

611. I shall here subjoin this MEMORABLE RELATION. All who are prepared for heaven, a process which takes place in the world of spirits, which is in the midst between heaven and hell, after a certain time, begin to have an earnest desire and longing for heaven, and presently their eyes are opened, and they see a way which leads to some society in heaven; they take this way and ascend, and as they ascend there is a gate, and a keeper at it; the keeper of the gate opens it, and they go in. They are then accosted by an examiner, who tells them from the governor, that they may enter in still further, and inquire whether there are any houses which they can acknowledge as their own, for there is a new house for every novitiate angel; and if they find any, they give notice and remain there, and if they do not find any, they come back and report the same; and then they are examined by a certain sage there, to discover whether the light that is in them accords with the light of that society, and particularly whether the heat accords; for the light of heaven in its essence is divine truth, and the heat of heaven in its essence is divine good, both proceeding from the Lord as the sun there; if any other light and any other heat than the light and heat of that society is in them, they are not received, that is, if any other truth and any other

good is in them, therefore they depart thence, and proceed in the ways which are opened among the societies in heaven, and this till they find a society which accords in every respect with their affections, and here they take up their abode to eternity; for they are here among their like, as among relations and friends, whom, as being in a similar affection, they cordially love, and there they are in the enjoyment of their life, and in a fulness of bosomdelight derived from peace of soul; for there is in the heat and light of heaven an ineffable delight, which is communicated. Such is the case with those who become angels. But they who are in evils and falses, may, indeed, by permission, ascend into heaven; but when they enter, they begin to draw their breath or to respire with difficulty, and presently their sight is obscured, their understanding is darkened, and thought ceases, and death seems present before their eyes, and thus they stand like a stock; and then they begin to have a beating at the heart, and a straitness over the breast, the mind is seized with anguish, and they become more and more tormented, and in that state writhe themselves about, like a serpent laid before the fire; therefore they roll themselves away, and cast themselves headlong down a precipice which then appears to them; nor do they rest till they are in hell among their like, where they can respire, and their heart can vibrate freely. Afterwards they hate heaven, and reject truth, and in heart blaspheme the Lord, being persuaded that their anguish and torments in heaven proceeded from him. From these few circumstances it may be seen, what their lot is who make no account of truths, which yet constitute the light in which the angels of heaven dwell, and who make no account of good, which yet constitutes the heat in which the angels of heaven dwell. From the same considerations also it may appear, how much they are mistaken, who imagine that every one may enjoy heavenly beatitude, provided only he be admitted into heaven. For the common belief at this day is that to be received into heaven depends solely upon mercy; and that reception into heaven is the same thing as being admitted, in this world, into a house where

there is a marriage, and there partaking of the amusements and festivity of the place. But let them know, that there is a communication of affections in the spiritual world, man being then a spirit, and the life of a spirit being affection, from which, and according to which, thought proceeds; and that homogeneous affection conjoins and heterogeneous affection disjoins, and that heterogeneity would torment a devil in heaven, and an angel in hell; for which reason they are separated exactly according to the diversities, varieties, and differences of the affections which are of love.

It was granted me to see upwards of three hundred of the clergy of the Reformed Church, all men of learning, who knew how to confirm the doctrine of faith alone even to justification, and some of them still further; and because there prevailed a belief among them also, that heaven consists only in admission by favor, leave was given them to ascend to a society in heaven, though not to a superior one; and as they ascended together, they appeared at a distance like calves, and upon their entrance into heaven they were received with civility by the angels, but when they discoursed with them, they were seized with trembling, afterwards with horror, and lastly with the agonies as it were of death, upon which they cast themselves down headlong, and in their descent they appeared like dead horses. The reason of their appearing like calves as they ascended, was, because from correspondence the natural exulting affection of seeing and knowing has the appearance of a calf; and the reason why they appeared like dead horses as they fell, was, because from correspondence the understanding of truth from the Word has the appearance of a horse, and the non-understanding of truth in the Word has that of a dead

horse.

There were some children below, who saw them falling, to whom in their descent they seemed like dead horses; at which they turned away their faces, and said to their master, who was with them, "What is the meaning of this? We beheld men, and now instead of them there are dead horses, the sight of which we could not bear,

and we therefore turned away our faces; master, let us not stay in this place, but let us go:" and they departed. The master then instructed them, as they went along, upon the signification of a dead horse, saying, "A horse signifies the understanding of the Word; all the horses which you saw, had that meaning; for when a man goes meditating from the Word, then his meditation, at a distance, has the appearance of a horse, a generous and sprightly horse according as he meditates spiritually upon the Word, and, on the contrary, a poor and dead horse according as he meditates thereon materially." The children then inquired, What it is to meditate on the Word spiritually and materially? To which the master replied, "I will illustrate it by examples: Who, when he reads the Word, does not think of God, his neighbor, and heaven? Every one who thinks of God only from an idea of his person, and not from an idea of his essence, thinks materially; so he who thinks of his neighbor only from his form, and not from his quality, thinks materially; and he who thinks of heaven only from place, and not from the love and wisdom, which constitute heaven, thinks also materially." Upon which the children said, "We have thought of God from person, of our neighbor from form, as being a man, and of heaven as a place; did we therefore, whilst we were reading the Word, appear to any one like dead horses?" "No," replied the master, "you are but children, and could not think otherwise; but I have perceived in you an affection of knowing and understanding, which being spiritual, you have also thought spiritually. But I will return to what I observed at first, that he who thinks materially, when reading the Word or meditating upon it, appears at a distance like a dead horse, but he who reads it spiritually, like a living horse; and that he thinks materially concerning God and the Trinity, who thinks of God only from an idea of person, and not from essence; for there are many attributes of the divine essence, such as omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, mercy, grace, eternity, and others; and there are attributes proceeding from the divine essence, which are creation and preservation, salvation and re