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Most of those who go from the Christian world into the other life, carry with them the belief that they are to be saved by immediate mercy; for they implore that mercy. But when they are examined they are found to believe that to come into heaven is merely to be admitted; and that those who are admitted are in heavenly joy,—being totally unacquainted with the nature of heaven and of heavenly joy. Therefore they are told that heaven is not denied to any one by the Lord, and that they can be admitted if they wish, and tarry there as long as they please.

They who desired this have also been admitted. But when they reached the first threshold, they were seized with such anguish of heart, from the breathing upon them of heavenly heat which is the love in which the angels are, and from the influx of heavenly light which is divine truth, that they experienced infernal torment instead of heavenly joy; and in consequence of the shock, they cast themselves headlong thence. Thus they were instructed by living experience, that heaven cannot be given to any one from immediate mercy.

I have occasionally conversed on this subject with the angels, and have told them that most of those in the world who live in evil, when they talk with others about heaven and eternal life, seem to have