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 of the evil deeds which he had committed in the world, but on account of the evils which he does there. Yet it amounts to the same, and is the same thing, whether it be said that men suffer punishment on account of the evils which they did in the world, or on account of the evils which they do in the other life; since every one after death returns into his own life, and thus into similar evils; for the man is of such a character as he had been in the life of his body. That they are punished, is because the fear of punishment is the only means of subduing evils in this state. Exhortation is no longer of any avail, nor instruction, nor fear of the law or of the loss of reputation, since the spirit now acts according to his nature which cannot be restrained nor broken except by punishments.

But good spirits are never punished although they have done evils in the world; for their evils do not return. And it has also been revealed to me that their evils were of a different kind or nature; for they were not done from purpose contrary to the truth, nor from any evil heart other than that which they had received hereditarily from their parents; but they were led into the evil which they did, from a blind delight, when they were in externals separate from internals.

Every one goes to his own society in which his spirit was while he lived in the world; for every man