982. And it was given unto him to scorch men with fire. That this signifies the lusts of falsifying truths arising from the evils of the loves of self and of the world, is evident from the signification of scorching, as denoting the lust of falsity, and for falsity (concerning which see n. 481); and from the signification of fire, as denoting love in both senses, that is, love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour; and, in the opposite sense, the love of self and the love of the world, and, consequently, the lust of evils of every kind. That the loves of self and of the world are the origins of all evils may be seen (n. 162, 171, 506, 510, 512, 517, 650, 653, 950, 951). And because those loves are the origins of all evils, and in their continuity are called cupidities, and also lusts, therefore by scorching men with fire, is signified the cupidity or lust of falsities from evils of every kind, and thence also for doing evil or hurt to others; for this is the delight of the life of those who are in the love of self and in the love of the world. It is from this delight that the continuations of those loves are called cupidities and lusts.

[2] It is scarcely known in the world that all those who are in the love of self are, according to the delight of that love, in the delight of injuring those who do not make one with them. That this is the case is quite evident in regard to the same persons after death, the delight of their life then being to injure and do evil to others, especially to the good, in any manner whatever. This, their delight, is the delight of hatred; for they hate, and from hatred persecute, all those who worship the Lord. This hatred is not manifested with them in the world, because of external bonds, which are fear of the punishment of the civil law, and of the loss of reputation, honour, gain, employment, pleasures, and of life. They are withheld and restrained, lest it should come forth to the sight of others; but it lies concealed in their spirit; and therefore after death, when a man becomes a spirit, and external bonds are taken away from him, it breaks out; and as far as the reins are loosened, he goes on even to murder. Such things also are signified by scorching men with fire.

[3] The reason why it is said that the angel poured out his vial into the sun, and that it was given him to scorch men with fire, and that by the sun is signified love to God; and by the scorching with fire, the lust of falsity and of doing evil is, also, that the loves and the lusts of falsity and evil therefrom come forth and are manifested, with the evil, by the influx of the love or affection of good and truth from heaven. For so far as heavenly loves and affections flow in with the evil, so far they are enkindled with the ardour and lust of doing evil and speaking falsity. The reason is, that every good of heaven with them is turned into evil, and every truth of heaven into falsity; for their interiors, which pertain to the will and the thought therefrom, are in a contrary direction to heavenly things; and whatever flows into that which is contrary is turned into the contrary. And if that which flows in becomes powerful it is turned into fury, and, if it prevails, into torment. As when good flows in powerfully into the evil, then the evil either rush into fury, or come into infernal torment; but when evil flows in powerfully with the good, then also the good come into anguish, and also into a certain torment of conscience.

[4] The inmost cause of these effects is, that the life of the affections and of the thoughts therefrom of all in the whole world, both the spiritual and the natural, proceed from one only fountain of life, which is the Lord; and because this life is received by every one according to the quality of his own life, thus according to the quality of his love, therefore, those who have turned heavenly love in themselves into infernal love, cannot but turn the influx of love from heaven into their own love, just as the heat and light of the sun flowing into objects of the earth are accustomed to do. Some of these by virtue of that influx emit a sweet-smelling odour, and some a foul odour, when, nevertheless, the heat and light in themselves are alike, and also are from one only source - the sun.

Continuation concerning the Sixth Precept:-

[5] Because adultery is hell with a man, and marriage is heaven with him, it follows, that so far as a man loves adultery, so far he removes himself from heaven, consequently, that adulteries close heaven and open hell. They do this in proportion as they are believed to be lawful, and are perceived to be more delightful than marriage. Wherefore, the man who confirms himself in adulteries, and commits them from leave and consent of his will, and turns away from marriage, closes heaven against himself, until at length he does not believe anything of the church or of the Word, and becomes altogether a sensual man, and, after death, an infernal spirit. For, as said above, adultery is hell, and therefore the adulterer is a form of it.

Because adultery is hell, it follows, that unless a man abstains from adulteries, and shuns and turns away from them as infernal, he closes heaven against himself, nor can he receive the least influx therefrom. He afterwards reasons that marriage and adultery are alike, but that marriage must be guarded in kingdoms for the sake of order and the education of the offspring; and that adulteries are not criminal, because children are also born from them, and that they cause no injury to women, because they can endure them, and that by them the procreation of the human race is promoted. They do not know that such and similar reasonings in favour of adulteries ascend from the Stygian waters of hell, and that the lustful and bestial nature of man, inhering in him from birth, attracts and absorbs them with delight, as a swine does what is excrementitious. That such reasonings, which at this day possess the minds of most men in the Christian world, are Stygian, will be seen in what follows.