suffering themselves evermore to be led by his unerring hand.
Such would this world be if the life in heaven as disclosed to us by Swedenborg, were brought down to earth. And the whole object of this New Revelation is to prepare suitable recipient vessels, and thus aid in bringing it down. And what would this be, but a practical exemplification of the true Christian Religion?—the grand predicted triumph of the gospel of peace and love?—the promised second coming of the Lord, "with power and great glory"?—the blissful period of the church foreshadowed in the Revelation under the figure of "the Holy Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God:" when "the tabernacle of God shall be with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God Himself shall be with them, their God." (xxi. 3.)
But the ruling loves of the angels are not the loves of any of us in our natural or unregenerate state. They are not such loves as we receive hereditarily, but loves that are born of God. Before we can become angels, therefore, a radical change must take place within us. What is the nature of this change, and how is it to be wrought? In other words, how is the heavenly state to be attained? What is the sure pathway to the abodes of bliss? We will answer this question in the next chapter.
