Spiritual Experiences #1974
1974. As for the meaning of "evening and morning," in all phases of regeneration, both general and particular, the progression starts from evening, and tends toward morning. In general, the evening of those who are being regenerated is misery, temptations, despair, but they arrive at the morning. So also in detail, in all phases of regeneration one begins from evils, which are turned into good. And it is worth remembering that evil spirits begin, out of their own fantasies and passions, to arouse the person, but that these evils are turned into good in various ways. This has been revealed to me by experience lasting 3 years. So that is "evening and morning," and it applies to every least phase. Therefore it is the process not only of regeneration, but also of the perception of goodness. 1748, 16 May.
Heaven and Hell #297
297. As to what further concerns the conjunction of heaven with the human race, let it be noted that the Lord Himself flows into each man, in accord with the order of heaven, both into his inmosts and into his outmosts, and arranges him for receiving heaven, and governs his outmosts from his inmosts, and at the same time his inmosts from his outmosts, thus holding in connection each thing and all things in man. This influx of the Lord is called direct influx; while the other influx that is effected through spirits is called mediate influx. The latter is maintained by means of the former. Direct influx, which is that of the Lord Himself, is from His Divine Human, and is into man's will and through his will into his understanding, and thus into his good and through his good into his truth, or what is the same thing, into his love and through his love into his faith; and not the reverse, still less is it into faith apart from love or into truth apart from good or into understanding that is not from will. This Divine influx is unceasing, and in the good is received in good, but not in the evil; for in them it is either rejected or suffocated or perverted; and in consequence they have an evil life which in a spiritual sense is death. 1
Footnotes:
1. [Swedenborg's footnote] There is direct influx from the Lord, and also mediate influx through the spiritual world (Arcana Coelestia 6063, 6307, 6472, 9682-9683).
The Lord's direct influx is into the least particulars of all things (6058, 6474-6478, 8717, 8728).
The Lord flows in into firsts and at the same time into lasts-in what manner (5147, 5150, 6473, 7004, 7007, 7270).
The Lord's influx is into the good in man, and through the good into truth and not the reverse (5482, 5649, 6027, 8685, 8701, 10153).
The life that flows in from the Lord varies in accordance with the state of man and in accordance with reception (2069, 5986, 6472, 7343).
With the evil the good that flows in from the Lord is turned into evil and the truth into falsity; from experience (3642, 4632).
The good and the truth therefrom that continually flow in from the Lord are received just to the extent that evil and falsity therefrom do not obstruct (2411, 3142, 3147, 5828).
