152. "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches," signifies, that he who understands these things, ought to obey what the Divine Truth of the Word teaches those who are to be of the New Church, which is the New Jerusalem, as above, n. 87.

153. To the above I will add a Memorable Relation, concerning the lot of those after death, who have confirmed themselves in faith alone unto justification, both in doctrine and life. I. When they are dead, and revive as to their spirit, which commonly happens on the third day after the heart has ceased to beat, they appear to themselves in a body like that which they had before in the world, so that they know no otherwise than that they are living in the former world; yet they are not in a material body, but in a spiritual body, this appearing to their senses, which are also spiritual, as if it was material, although it is not so. II. After some days they see that they are in a world where there are various societies instituted, which world is called the world of spirits, and is intermediate between heaven and hell: all the societies there, which are innumerable, are wonderfully arranged according to natural affections, good and evil; the societies arranged according to good natural affections communicate with heaven, and the societies arranged according to evil affections communicate with hell. III. The novitiate spirit, or the spiritual man, is conducted and introduced to various societies, both good and evil, and examination is made, to discover whether he is affected by truths, and in what manner; and whether, and in what manner, he is affected by falses. IV. If he is affected by truths, he is withdrawn from evil societies, and introduced into good societies, and also into various ones, until he comes into a society corresponding with his own natural affection, where he enjoys the good which accords with that affection; and this until he has put off his natural affection and has put on a spiritual affection, and then he is elevated into heaven: but this takes place with those who in the world have lived a life of charity, and thus also a life of faith, which consists in believing

in the Lord, and shunning evils as sins. V. But they who have confirmed themselves in doctrine and life in faith alone unto justification, by reason of their not being affected by truths, but by falses, and because they have rejected the goods of charity, which are good works, from the means of salvation, are withdrawn from good societies, and introduced into evil societies, and also into various ones, until they come into the society which corresponds to the concupiscences of their love; for he who loves falses, cannot but love evils. VI. But as in the world they had feigned good affections in externals, although in their internals there was nothing but evil affections or concupiscences, they are at first kept by turns in externals; and they who in the world presided over companies of men, are here and there set over societies in the world of spirits, in general or in part according to the extent and importance of the offices they had formerly exercised: but as they neither love truth nor justice, nor are capable of being illuminated so as to know what truth and justice are in themselves, therefore after some days they are dismissed. I have seen such removed from one society to another, and some administration given them in each, but only to be as quickly and repeatedly dismissed. VII. After frequent dismissals, some out of weariness will not, and others from the fear of losing reputation do not, venture to seek for offices any further, but withdraw, and become disheartened: they are next led away into a desert, where there are cottages, into which they enter, and work of some kind is given them to do, and as they do it, they receive food, and if they do not do it, they are hungry and receive none, so that at length necessity compels them. Food there is similar to the food in this world, but it is from a spiritual origin, and is given from heaven from the Lord to all according to the uses they perform; to the idle nothing is given, because they are useless. VIII. After a time they loathe work, and then they go out of the cottages; and if they have been priests, they have an inclination to build; and there appear then immediately heaps of hewn stones, bricks, rafters, and boards, also heaps of reeds and bul

rushes, clay, lime, and bitumen, which when they see, the lust of building is kindled, and they begin to construct a house, taking now a stone, and then wood, now a reed, and then clay, and placing them irregularly one upon another, but in order as it seems to themselves; but what they build by day falls down by night; and the next day they gather materials from among the rubbish, and build again, and this they continue to do, until they are tired of building. From this cause it is, they collect together falses to confirm salvation by faith alone, and such falses cannot serve to build up a church in any other manner. IX. Afterwards from weary feeling they go away, and sit solitary and idle; and as the idle have no food given them from heaven, as was before observed, they begin to hunger, and think of nothing else but how they shall get food and satisfy their hunger. When they are in this state, there come to them some, of whom they ask alms; and they say, Why do ye thus sit idle, come with us to our houses, and we will give you work to do, and food ; and then they rise up with joy, and go with them to their houses, and there each has his work given him, and food for his work: but as all who have confirmed themselves in falses of faith are unable to do works of good use, but only works of evil use, neither do they do these faithfully, but only so as to save appearances for the sake of honor or interest, therefore they leave their work, and only love to converse, talk, walk about, and sleep; and then, because they cannot any longer be induced by their masters to work, they are cast out as useless. X. When they are cast out, their eyes are opened, and they see a way leading to a certain cavern; to which when they are come, a door is opened, and they enter, and inquire whether there is any food there, and when they receive for answer that there is, they ask leave to remain, and are told that they may, and are introduced, and the door shut after them; and then comes the overseer of that cavern, and says to them, Ye cannot go out from hence any more behold your companions, they all labor, and as they labor, food is given them from heaven; I tell you this for your information. And their companions also

say, our overseer knows what work every one is fit for, and assigns it to every one daily; on the day you finish it, food is given you, but if you do not, neither food nor clothing is granted; and if any one does evil to another, he is cast into a corner of the cavern, upon a certain bed of accursed dust, where he is miserably tormented, until such time as the overseer sees signs of repentance in him, and then he is released, and commanded to do his work. He is told also, that every one, after his task is done, is permitted to walk about, to converse, and afterwards to sleep; and he is carried into an interior part of the cavern, where there are harlots, from among whom each is permitted to take one to himself as a female companion, and promiscuous fornication is forbid under pain of chastisement. Of such caverns, which are nothing but eternal workhouses, the universal hell consists. It has been permitted me to enter into and have a view of some of them, to the end that I might make it known, and they all seemed vile, neither did any one of the inhabitants know who, or in what office he had been in the world; but the angel who was with me, told me, that such a one had been a servant in the world, another a soldier, a third a governor, a fourth a priest, this one in dignity, and that in opulence, and yet that none of them knew otherwise than that they had always been servants and companions, for this reason, because they were all interiorly alike, although they had been unlike exteriorly, and interiors associate all in the spiritual world. Such is the lot of those who have removed the life of charity, and who thence have not lived that life in the world.

With respect to the hells in general, they consist merely of such caverns and workhouses, but those inhabited by satans are of a different kind from those inhabited by devils; satans are they who have been in falses and thence in evils, and devils are they who have been in evils and thence in falses. Satans appear in the light of heaven like dead corpses, and some of them black like mummies; and devils appear in the light of heaven of a dark and fiery color, and some of them black like soot; but they are all, as to their faces and bodies, monstrous; yet in

their own light, which is like the light of a coal fire, they appear not as monsters, but men; this is granted them for the sake of consociation.

CHAPTER III.

1. AND unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith He that hath the seven spirits of God, and the seven stars: I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.

2. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works full before God. 3. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard ; and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, Í will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

4. Thou hast a few names even in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white; for they are worthy.

5. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life; and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

6. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

7. And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith He that is holy, He that is true, He that hath the key of David, He that openeth and no one shutteth, and shutteth and no one openeth.

8. I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no one is able to shut it: for thou hast a little power, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

9. Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of satan, who say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

10. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

11. Behold, I come quickly; hold fast that thou hast, that no one take thy crown.

12. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out; and I will write upon him the name of my God; and the name of the city of my God, the New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God; and my new name.