Page:The Swedenborg Library Vol 1.djvu/122

 Every evil spirit must there think what is false derived from evil, and must speak from such falsity; in both cases from the will, thus from his own proper love and its delight and pleasure; as he did in the world when he thought in his spirit, that is, as he thought in himself when he thought from interior affection. The reason is, that the will is the man himself, and not the thought, except so far as it partakes of the will; and the will is the man's very nature or disposition. Therefore to be let into his will is to be let into his nature or disposition, and also into his life, for man puts on a nature according to his life. And after death, he remains of such a nature as he had procured to himself by his life in the world, which, with the wicked, can no longer be amended and changed by means of thought or the understanding of truth.

In this second state evil spirits rush headlong into evils of every kind, and are therefore frequently and grievously punished. Punishments in the world of spirits are manifold; nor is any respect had to person, whether the culprit when in the world had been a servant or a king.

All evil carries its punishment with it. Evil and punishment are indissolubly conjoined. Therefore whoever is in evil, is also in the punishment of evil. But still no one there suffers punishment on account