that is, the same hatred and revenge against those who oppose them. Their greatest delight is to exercise cruelty; but this delight is turned against themselves; for in their hells one rages like a madman against another who derogates from his divine power." And, as might be expected, "within their habitations, they are engaged in continual quarrels, enmities, blows and fightings, while in the streets and lanes of their cities are robberies and depredations"—Heaven and Hell 506, '8, 86.
Such is the sad condition in the great Hereafter of those who, while on earth, have disregarded and trampled on the laws of their spiritual and heavenly life, and have thereby brought themselves into a state to love darkness rather than light, and evil rather than good. And the ruling love, we are told, can never be changed in the other world.
Swedenborg has told us of various kinds of hells which he was permitted to inspect[1]—for no two of the infernal societies are precisely alike; and their punishments are
- ↑ In order that he might learn the actual state of things in hell, from his own personal observation, he says: "I was sometimes let down thither. To be let down into hell, is not to be translated from one place to another; but it is an immission into some infernal society, while the person remains in the same place." On one of these occasions, he continues, "I clearly perceived that a kind of column, as it were, encompassed me, which became sensibly stronger; and I perceived also that this was the wall of brass spoken of in the Word, formed of angelic spirits, in order that I might be let down in safety among the unhappy."—Arcana Cœlestia 699.
