(ML) - Wisdom's Delight in Marriage Love: Followed by Insanity’s Pleasure in Promiscuous Love

ML 9

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9. After this the angel guide returned to the house of assembly to those who had firmly persuaded themselves that heavenly joy and eternal happiness consist in a perpetual glorification of God, and a festival continuing to eternity, being persuaded of this because in the world they had believed that they were then to see God, and because from the worship of God, the life of heaven is called a perpetual Sabbath. To these the angel said: "Follow me and I will introduce you into your joys."
He then introduced them into a small city, in the midst of which was a temple, and all the houses of which were called sacred buildings. In this city they saw a great concourse of people flocking in from every corner of the surrounding country, and among them a number of priests. These received the new- comers, and after saluting them, took them by the hand and led them to the temple gate, and from there into some of the buildings round about the temple. There they initiated them into the perpetual worship of God, saying: "This city is an entrance court to heaven, and the city's temple is the entrance to a magnificent and most spacious temple which is in heaven. There God is glorified by the angels with prayers and praises to eternity. The regulations, both here and there, are that new-comers shall first enter the temple and abide there three days and three nights. After this initiation, they are to go to the houses of the city, which are so many buildings consecrated by us, and from building to building, and, in communion with those assembled therein, are to pray, cry out and recite sermons. Take great care that, within yourselves, you think of nothing and, with your companions, speak of nothing but what is holy, pious and religious."
[2] The angel then introduced his company into the temple. It was filled and crowded with many who in the world had been in great dignity, and also with many of the common people. At its doors, guards were stationed lest any one go out before he had stayed there three days. And the angel said: "Today is the second day since those here present came in. Observe them and you will see their glorification of God."
On observation, they saw many of them sleeping, and those who were awake, perpetually yawning. Some, from the continual uplifting of their thoughts to God and no return thereof into the body, they saw as faces shut off from their bodies, for so did they seem to themselves and thus to others also. Some they saw with delirium in their eyes, arising from their perpetual abstraction. In a word, they saw them oppressed in breast and weary in spirit from disgust, all turning away from the pulpit and crying out: "Our ears are stunned. Put an end to your preaching; not a word is any longer listened to and the very sound begins to be loathsome." And then, rising up, they rushed in a body to the doors and, breaking them open, pressed upon the guards and drove them away.
[3] Seeing this, the priests followed and pressed close to them, teaching, beseeching, sighing, and saying: "Celebrate the festival! Glorify God! Sanctify yourselves! In this entrance court of heaven we will initiate you into the eternal glorification of God in a magnificent and spacious temple which is in heaven, and so into the enjoyment of eternal happiness." But these entreaties were not understood by them and were hardly heard on account of the dullness caused by their two days' suspension of mental activity and their detention from their domestic and forensic affairs. When they struggled to tear themselves away from the priests, the latter seized them by their arms and also by their garments, urging them to the sacred buildings where they were to preach, but in vain. "Let us alone"' they cried. "We feel as though our body were in a swoon."
[4] At these words, lo, four men appeared in bright white raiment and wearing miters. In the world, one of them had been an archbishop, and the other three, bishops. They had now become angels. They called the priests together and, addressing them, said: "We saw you from heaven with these sheep, and saw how you feed them. You feed them even t insanity. You do not know what is meant by the glorification of God. It means bringing forth the fruits of love, that is, doing the work of one's employment faithfully, sincerely, and diligently, this being the effect of love to God and of love to the neighbor. Moreover, it is the bond of society and its good. It is by this that God is glorified, and then by worship at set times. Have you not read these words of the Lord:
[5] Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit. And ye shall become my disciples? John 15:8.
You priests can be in the glorification of worship because this is your office, and from it you have honor, glory, and recompense; but even you could not be in that glorification any more than they, were it not that honor, glory, and recompense are connected with your office."
Having thus spoken, the bishop commanded the keepers of the gate to let all in and out freely, "for there are multitudes who, in their ignorance concerning the state of heaven, can think of no other heavenly joy than perpetual worship of God."

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