Page:The New View of Hell.djvu/163

 maining; this lust is held in check by fears, as was said, which fears are the external and compulsory means of amendment. Such is the state of the evil in the other life."—Arcana Cœlestia 6977.

"Every evil spirit in the other life brings punishment and torment on himself, by casting himself into the midst of the diabolical crew who act as the executioners. The Lord never sends any one into hell, but desires to bring all out of hell; still less does He inflict torment. But as the evil spirit rushes into it himself, the Lord turns all punishment and torment to some good account. There would be no such thing as punishment if use were not the end aimed at by the Lord; for his kingdom is a kingdom of ends and uses; but the uses which infernal spirits are able to perform are most ignoble; yet when they are engaged in the performance of these uses, they are not in a state of so great misery [as at other times]."—Ibid. 696.

"Man in the other life enters into new states and undergoes changes. They who are being elevated into heaven, and afterwards when they have been elevated, advance forever towards perfection. But they who are being cast into hell, and afterwards when they have been cast in, endure sufferings more and more grievous, which are continued until they dare not do evil to any one. And afterwards they remain in hell to eternity. They cannot be drawn out, because they cannot be gifted with the ability to do good to any one, only not to do evil from