Heaven and Hell - Swedenborg Foundation

HEAVEN AND HELL 36
being far apart, and those who differ but little being but little
apart, and likeness causing them to be together. 45
43. All who are in the same society are arranged in like
manner in respect to each other; those who are more perfect,
that is, who excel in good, thus in love, wisdom, and
intelligence, being in the middle; those who are less preeminent
being round about at a distance in accordance with the
decrease of their perfection. The arrangement is like light
diminishing from the middle to the circumference, those who
are in the middle being in the greatest light, and those toward
the circumference in less and less.
44. Like are drawn spontaneously as it were to their like; for
with their like they are as if with their own and at home, but
with others they are as if with strangers and abroad; also when
with their like they are in their freedom, and consequently in
every delight of life.
45. All this makes clear that all in the heavens are affiliated
by good, and are distinguished according to the quality of the
good. Nevertheless it is not the angels who thus affiliate
themselves, but the Lord, from whom the good is. The Lord
leads them, conjoins and separates them, and preserves them in
freedom proportionate to their good. Thus he holds everyone
in the life of his love and faith, of his intelligence and wisdom,
and the resulting happiness. 46
45. All the societies of heaven have a constant position in accordance
with the differences of their state of life, thus in accordance with the
differences of love and faith (n. 1274, 3638, 3639).
Wonderful things in the other life, that is, in the spiritual world,
respecting distance, situation, place, space and time (n. 1273–1277).
46. All freedom pertains to love and affection, since what a man loves,
that he does freely (n. 2870, 3158, 8987, 8990, 9585, 9591). Because
freedom pertains to love, everyone’s life and delight is therefrom (n. 2873).