me myself in the
spirit, and distances with spirits being according to the states of
their affections, and having at that time a desire to see and hear them,
I seemed to myself to be present there, and saw them introduced, and
heard what they said. The seniors or wiser part of the audience sat at
the sides of the auditory, and the rest in the midst; and before these
was an elevated piece of ground. Hither the three strangers, with the
messenger, were formally conducted by attendants, through the middle of
the auditory. When silence was obtained, they were addressed by a kind
of president of the assembly, and asked, "WHAT NEWS FROM THE EARTH?"
They replied, "There is a variety of news: but pray tell us what
information you want." The president answered, "WHAT NEWS IS THERE FROM
THE EARTH CONCERNING OUR WORLD AND HEAVEN?" They replied, "When we first
came into this world, we were informed, that here and in heaven there
are administrations, offices, employments, trades, studies, relating to
all sciences and professions, together with wonderful mechanical arts;
and yet we believed that after our removal or translation from the
natural world into the spiritual, we should enter upon an eternal rest
from labor; and what are employments but labor?" To this the president
replied, "By eternal rest from labor did you understand eternal
inactivity, in which you should be continually sitting and laying down,
with your bosoms and mouths open, attracting and inhaling delights and
joys?" "We conceived something of this sort," said the three strangers
smiling courteously. Then they were asked, "What connection have joys
and delights and the happiness thence resulting, with a state of
inactivity? By inactivity the mind is enfeebled and contracted, instead
of being strengthened and expanded; or in other words, the man is
reduced to a state of death, instead of being quickened into life.
Suppose a person to sit still in the most complete inactivity, with his
hands hanging down, his eyes fixed on the ground, and withdrawn from all
other objects, and suppose him at the same time to be encompassed by an
atmosphere of gladness, would not a lethargy seize both his head and
body, and the vital expansion of his countenance would be contracted,
and at length with relaxed fibres he would nod and totter, till he fell
to the earth? What is it that keeps the whole bodily system in its due
expansion and tension, but the tension of the mind? and whence co