5058. There was another spirit who in the world had been one of the quite distinguished. I had been acquainted with him then, though not with what he was like inwardly. In the next life however, after his state of life underwent a number of changes, he was shown to be deceitful. Having been some while among deceitful ones in the next life and having suffered severely there, he wished to be parted from them. I heard him saying at this time that he wished to enter heaven, for he too had believed that acceptance there was attributable to mercy alone. But he was told that if he entered heaven he would not be able to remain there and that he would suffer torment like those in the world experiencing death-throes. But in spite of being told this he persisted with his desire. He was allowed into a community where some of the simple good dwelt, in front overhead. But once he entered that community he began, in keeping with the life he had led, to act cunningly and deceitfully. Soon after this the simple good there started to complain that he was taking away their perception of what was good and true and consequently their delight, and that he was destroying their state as he did so. At that point some light from a more internal heaven was let in. In that light he looked like a devil, with the upper part of his nose horribly disfigured from some dreadful wound; and he also began to suffer torment within himself. Having experienced that torment he thrust himself away from there into hell. From this it is evident that what leads to heaven is not election and acceptance attributable to mercy, but a person's life. Yet every aspect of a life consisting of goodness and every aspect of a faith composed of truth is, so far as those in the world who are recipients of mercy are concerned, attributable to mercy. To them being accepted into heaven is an act of mercy, and these are the ones who are called the elect, 3755 (end), 3900.

1163. 'Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan' were just so many nations who in the internal sense mean cognitions, knowledge, and the forms of ritual which belong to faith separated from charity. This becomes clear from the Word where these nations are mentioned in various places, for these nations mean such things in those places. That is to say, 'Cush' or Ethiopia means interior cognitions of the Word by which people confirm false assumptions. 'Mizraim' or Egypt means knowledge, or the various facts by which they wish to probe into the arcana of faith and in so doing confirm assumptions that are false. 'Put' or Libya means cognitions drawn from the literal sense of the Word by means of which in a similar way they confirm false assumptions. 'Canaan' or the Canaanites means forms of ritual or external worship that are separated from internal. Since all of these have been separated from charity they are called 'the sons of Ham'. The same nations also mean simply cognitions and knowledge, 'Cush' meaning interior cognitions of the Word, 'Egypt' knowledge, 'Put' cognitions obtained from the literal sense of the Word. This is the reason they are used in both senses, bad as well as good, as becomes clear from the places quoted below.