reformed, he is bent from evil to good so far as he suffers himself to be bent in freedom, and continually from the most grievous hell, into which he labours by every endeavour to plunge himself, into a milder, if he cannot be led to heaven. 6490. Unless the Lord's Providence was in the most single things, it would be totally impossible for man to be saved, or, indeed, to live; for life is from the Lord, and all the moments of life have a series of consequences into eternity. On a time it was given me manifestly to perceive the sphere of ends, which is of Providence from the Lord. 6491. That the Lord's Providence is infinite, and respects eternity, may be manifest from the formation of embryos in the womb, where those parts which are to come are continually delineated and projected, so that one is always a plane for another, and this without any error, until the embryo is formed. Afterwards, also, when it is born, one thing is prepared successively to another and for another, that a perfect man may exist, and at length such a man as to be capable of receiving herein. If each single thing be thus provided, during man's conception, birth, and growth, how much more is this the case as to his spiritual life! 6492. In a dream my father appeared to me, and I discoursed with him, saying, that when a son becomes competent to judge for himself, he ought not to acknowledge his father for a father as heretofore; for the reason why a father is to be acknowledged during education is, because he is then in the place of the Lord, nor does a son know at that time what he ought to do, except by the direction of his father. But when he becomes competent to judge and think for himself, and seems able to direct himself of himself, in this case the Lord is his father, whose vicegerent his natural father had heretofore been. These things I spoke in my dream. When I awoke there seemed to descend from heaven a long roll fastened to rods, and tied by most beautiful woven knots coloured with bright blue, the beauty whereof cannot be described; it was said that the angels gave such gifts one amongst another. 6493. I have often discoursed with spirits concerning fortune, which in the world appears as fortuitous chance, because men know not whence it is; and in consequence of their ignorance some deny its existence. When an accident befell me which appeared fortuitous, it was said by the angels that it befell me because such spirits were present, and that when the accident is evil, the sphere of such spirits prevailed. Evil spirits also, by their arts, had the skill to produce a sphere which gave birth to unfortunate circumstances, which appeared absolutely as if from chance. And it was further said, that all things, yea, the smallest things of all, to the smallest of the smallest things, are directed by the Providence of the Lord, even as to the very steps; and when such a sphere prevails as is contrary thereto, misfortunes happen; and it was confirmed by them that there is no such thing as chance, and that apparent accident or fortune is Providence in the ultimate of order, in which all things are respectively incon stant. 6494. During several years I have attentively observed whether fortune was anything, and I have discovered that it was, and that in such a case prudence availed nothing. All those likewise, who have long reflected on the subject, know and confess this, but they do not know whence it is; scarcely any one knows that it is from the spiritual world, when nevertheless it has its origin from that world. On a time when I was playing in company at a game of chance with dice, the spirits attendant upon me discoursed with me concerning fortune in games, and said, that what is fortunate was represented to them by a bright cloud, and what is unfortunate by a dusky cloud; and when a dusky cloud appeared to attend me, that it was impossible for me to win; and also from that mark they predicted to the turns of fortune in that game. Hence it was given me to know, that what is attributed to fortune, even in games, is from the spiritual world; much more what befalls man as to the vicissitudes in the course of his life; and that what is called fortune is from the influx of Providence in the ultimates of order, where it so exists; thus that Providence is in the most single things of all, according to the Lord's words, that not even a hair falls from the head without the will of God. 6495. From what has been heretofore adduced, it may be manifest that influx from the Lord is immediate, and also mediate through heaven; but the influx which is from the Lord is the good of heavenly love, thus of love towards the neighbour. In this love the Lord is present, for He loves the universal human race, and wills to save each individual to eternity; and whereas the good of that love is from Himself, He Himself is in it, thus He is present with man who is in the good of that love. But when man casts himself into that state that he receives influx from hell, he then feels the life of self-love and the love of the world to be delightful, and the life of the love of his neighbour undelightful, unless it be in favour of himself. And whereas man, who is in this state, desires nothing but evils, and thinks nothing but falses concerning spiritual life, therefore, to prevent his acting as he desires, and speaking as he thinks, he is kept in bonds by his loves themselves, whose privation he fears. Thus he is kept in bonds by the dread of the loss of honour, of gain, of reputation, and of life. Into these bonds, which constitute the ultimate plane, the Lord in such case flows-in, and thereby rules the man. Hence he appears actually moral and civil, sometimes as an angel, nor does he occasion hurt to society and his neighbour, and should he occasion hurt, there are civil laws to punish him. But this plane is nothing in the other life; man is there in the spiritual world, consequently in the sphere of his interiors; thus in that life he is such as he had been within, not such as he appeared in externals; for externals are taken away from him, and then it is evident what his quality had been in the world, either of a devil or of an angel. ON SOCIETIES AND THEIR VARIOUS 6598. It is well known that one man excels another in the faculty of understanding and perceiving that which is honest in moral life, just in civil life, and good in spiritual life. The cause consists in the elevation of the thought to the things of men know not whence it is; and in consequence of their ignorance some deny its existence. When an accident befell me which appeared fortuitous, it was said by the angels that it befell me because such spirits were present, and that when the accident is evil, the sphere of such spirits prevailed. Evil spirits also, by their arts, had the skill to produce a sphere which gave birth to unfortunate circumstances, which appeared absolutely as if from chance. And it was further said, that all things, yea, the smallest things of all, to the smallest of the smallest things, are directed by the Providence of the Lord, even as to the very steps; and when such a sphere prevails as is contrary thereto, misfortunes happen; and it was confirmed by them that there is no such thing as chance, and that apparent accident or fortune is Providence in the ultimate of order, in which all things are respectively incon stant. 6494. During several years I have attentively observed whether fortune was anything, and I have discovered that it was, and that in such a case prudence availed nothing. All those likewise, who have long reflected on the subject, know and confess this, but they do not know whence it is; scarcely any one knows that it is from the spiritual world, when nevertheless it has its origin from that world. On a time when I was playing in company at a game of chance with dice, the spirits attendant upon me discoursed with me concerning fortune in games, and said, that what is fortunate was represented to them by a bright cloud, and what is unfortunate by a dusky cloud; and when a dusky cloud appeared to attend me, that it was impossible for me to win; and also f they predicted to the turns of fortune in that was given me to know, that what is attri in games, is from the spiritual world: man as to the vicissitudes in th what is called fortune is fre words, that not ev ON SOCIETI 6495. From what has been heretofore a manifest that influx from the Lord is imme mediate through heaven; but the Lord is the good of heavenly eve, .. neighbour. In this love the Lora is pres universal human race, and was.. eternity; and whereas the good... He Himself is in it, thus it is prese the good of that love. but when ma state that he receives innax ir. of self-love and the love c: te w.. the life of the love of his me.... in favour of himself. And were:... desires nothing but evic, a cerning spiritual lie, teenet. desires, and speaking as Le loves themselves. woe priva in bonds by the drea tation, and of it. In r ultimate plane, the in rules the man. Hen sometimes as an angli and his neighbor, a v civil laws to punis other life; masu in the sphere i he had been m externals are ad what his quan an ang 444 237 According to › societies, the Luced in man, charity and of ample, accord ciples, and in reement with r own accord, ies into which vhich the affecthe societies of the societies of the thought and and false, extend e degree of evil the thought and iffuse themselves nding and percepsaid according to houghts and affecthis through the r, as was shown, all with the good it is the Lord, and with shown me that in ble things were connetrated into socieIn affection and conshown how many vieties which manihey said what they hat those thoughts ew also to what I ich were thought, ties, which were d, were not so |