108.
The same thing may be illustrated by the following experience. African spirits from Abyssinia were present with me. On a certain occasion their ears were opened so that they heard the singing of a Psalm
of David in some place of worship in this world, which affected them with such delight that they too sang along with that congregation. Presently their ears were closed so that they heard nothing
of the singing, but they were then affected with a delight which was still greater, because spiritual, and they were at the same time filled with intelligence, because that Psalm treated of the Lord and
of redemption. The cause of this increase of delight was that there was opened to them a communication with that society in heaven which was in conjunction with those in this world who were singing
that Psalm. From this and many other such experiences it has become evident to me that communication with the universal heaven is effected by means of the Word. And for this reason there exists of the
Lord's Divine Providence a universal commercial exchange of the kingdoms of Europe - and chiefly of those where the Word is read - with the nations outside the church.