Good
spirits who are not yet in that joy, because not yet raised up into
heaven, when they perceive a sense of that joy from an angel from the
sphere of his love, are filled with such delight that they come as it
were into a delicious trance. This sometimes happens with those who
desire to know what heavenly joy is.
410. When certain spirits wished to know what heavenly joy is they
were allowed to feel it to such a degree that they could no longer
bear it; and yet it was not angelic joy; it was scarcely in the least
degree angelic, as I was permitted to perceive by sharing it, but was
so slight as to be almost frigid; nevertheless they called it most
heavenly, because to them it was an inmost joy. From this it was
evident, not only that there are degrees of the joys of heaven, but
also that the inmost joy of one scarcely reaches to the outmost or
middle joy of another; also that when any one receives his own inmost
joy he is in his heavenly joy, and cannot endure what is still more
interior, for such a joy becomes painful to him.
411. Certain spirits, not evil, sinking into a quiescence like sleep,
were taken up into heaven in respect to the interiors of their minds;
for before their interiors are opened spirits can be taken up into
heaven and be taught about the happiness of those there.
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