Page:The New View of Hell.djvu/203

 cannot be suddenly attained. Many previous states must be passed through—states of inward labor, and conflict with the foes of "our own household." These states, however, are all indispensable to the final evolution or creation of the man; and are what is meant in the spiritual sense by the six days of creation spoken of in Genesis. Accordingly Swedenborg says:

"During regeneration the cupidities and falsities [of the natural man] cannot be instantly removed; for that would be to destroy the whole man, seeing that the life of these is the only life he has yet acquired. Therefore evil spirits are permitted to continue with him for some time, that they may excite his cupidities. . . . And unless the Lord defended man every moment, yea, even the smallest part of a moment, he would instantly perish in consequence of the indescribably intense and mortal hatred which prevails in the world of spirits against the things relating to love and faith toward the Lord.

"The times and states of man's regeneration in general and in particular, are divided into six, and are called the days of his creation. For by degrees he is elevated out of a state in which he possesses none of the qualities which properly constitute a man, until by little and little he attains to the sixth day, in which he becomes an image of God.

"During this period the Lord fights continually for him against evils and falsities, and by means of [these internal and spiritual] conflicts confirms him in the true