standing. In proportion as any one in that world is in falsities derived from evil, he is encompassed by such a cloud which is black and dense according to the degrees of his evil. From this comparison it may be seen that the Lord is constantly present with every one, but that He is received differently.
Evil spirits are severely punished in the world of spirits, in order that they may thereby be deterred from doing evil. It also appears as if this were the Lord's doing, when yet nothing of the punishment which they there suffer is from Him, but from evil itself; for evil is so conjoined with its own punishment that they cannot be separated. For the infernal crew desire and love nothing more than to do injury, especially to inflict punishment and torture upon others. And they also do injury to, and inflict punishment on, every one who is not protected by the Lord. Therefore when evil is done from an evil heart, then, because it casts away from itself all protection from the Lord, infernal spirits rush upon him who does such evil and punish him.
This may be illustrated in some measure by crimes and their punishments in the world, where also they are conjoined. For the laws prescribe some punishment for every crime, so that whoever rushes into crime, rushes also into the punishment thereof. The only difference is, that in the world crime may be concealed; but in the other life concealment is impossible.
