ardon me for having ascended to you: the
reason is, because from my childhood I have meditated about heaven and
hell, and lately came into this world, where I was told by some who
accompanied me, that here heaven was above my head, and hell beneath my
feet; but they did not tell me the nature and quality of either;
wherefore, becoming anxious from my thoughts being constantly employed
on the subject, I prayed to God; and instantly an angel presented
itself, and said, '_Inquire and learn what delight is, and you will
know._' I have inquired, but hitherto in vain: I request therefore that
you will teach me, if you please, what delight is." To this the wisdoms
replied, "Delight is the all of life to all in heaven and all in hell:
those in delight have the delight of good and truth, but those in hell
have the delight of what is evil and false; for all delight is of love,
and love is the _esse_ of a man's life; therefore as a man is a man
according to the quality of his love, so also is he according to the
quality of his delight. The activity of love makes the sense of delight;
its activity in heaven is with wisdom, and in hell with insanity; each
in its objects presents delight: but the heavens and the hells are in
opposite delights, because in opposite loves; the heavens in the love
and thence in the delight of doing good, but the hells in the love and
thence in the delight of doing evil; if therefore you know what delight
is, you will know the nature and quality of heaven and hell. But inquire
and learn further what delight is from those who investigate causes, and
are called intelligences: they are to the right from hence." He
departed, and came to them, and told them the reason of his coming, and
requested that they would teach him what delight is? And they, rejoicing
at the question, said, "It is true that he that knows what delight is,
knows the nature and quality of heaven and hell. The will-principle, by
virtue whereof a man is a man, cannot be moved at all but by delight;
for the will-principle, considered in itself, is nothing but an affect
and effect of some love, thus of some delight; for it is somewhat
pleasing, engaging, and pleasurable, which constitutes the principle of
willing; and since the will moves the understanding to think, there does
not exist the least idea of thought but from the influent delight of the
will. The reason of this is, because the Lord by influx from himself
actuates all things of the so