277. Of Influx.

Of the influx of heaven into the world, and of the influx of the soul into all things of the body, from experience (n. 6053-6058, 6189-6215, 6307-6327, 6466-6495, 6598-6626). Nothing exists of or from itself, but from what is prior to itself, thus all things from the First (n. 4523-4524, 6040, 6056). As all things existed, they also subsist, because subsistence is perpetual existence (n. 2886, 2888, 3627-3628, 3648, 4523-4524, 6040, 6056). Influx takes place according to that order (n. 7270). Hence it is plain that all things subsist perpetually from the first esse, because they exist from it (n. 4523-4524, 6040, 6056). The all of life flows in from the First, because it is thence derived, thus from the Lord (n. 3001, 3318, 3337-3338, 3344, 3484, 3628-3629, 3741-3743, 4318-4320, 4417, 4524, 4882, 5847, 5986, 6325, 6468-6470, 6479, 9279, 10196). Every existere is from an esse, and nothing can exist unless its esse be in it (n. 4523-4524, 6040, 6056).

All things which a man thinks and wills flow into him, from experience (n. 904, 2886-2888, 4151, 4319-4320, 5846, 5848, 6189, 6191, 6194, 6197-6199, 6213, 7147, 10219). Man's ability of examining things, and of thinking and forming analytic conclusions, is from influx (n. 2888, 4319-4320). Man could not live a moment if the influx from the spiritual world were taken away from him; but still man is in freedom, from experience (n. 2887, 5849, 5854, 6321). The life which flows in from the Lord is varied according to man's state and according to reception (n. 2069, 5986, 6472, 7343). With the evil, the good which flows from the Lord is turned into evil, and the truth into falsity, from experience (n. 3643, 4632). The good and truth, which continually flow from the Lord, are so far received, as evil and falsity do not oppose their reception (n. 2411, 3142, 3147, 5828).

All good flows in from the Lord, and all evil from hell (n. 904, 4151). At this day man believes all things to be in himself and from himself, when nevertheless they inflow, as he might know from the doctrinal of the church, that all good is from heaven, and all evil from hell (n. 4249, 6193, 6206). But if he would believe as the thing is, he would not appropriate evil to himself, but cast it back from himself into hell, neither would he make good his own, and thus would not claim any merit from it (n. 6206, 6324-6325). How happy the state of man would then be, as he would view both good and evil from within, from the Lord (n. 6325). They who deny heaven, or know nothing about it, do not know there is any influx thence (n. 4322, 5649, 6193, 6479). What influx is, illustrated by comparisons (n. 6128, 6190, 9407).

Influx is spiritual, and not physical, thus it is from the spiritual world into the natural, and not from the natural world into the spiritual (n. 3219, 5119, 5259, 5427-5428, 5477, 6322, 9109-9110). Influx is through the internal man, into the external, and not contrariwise (n. 1702, 1707, 1940, 1954, 5119, 5259, 5779, 6322, 9380). Because the internal man is in the spiritual world, and the external in the natural world (n. 978, 1015, 3628, 4459, 4523-4524, 6057, 6309, 9701-9709, 10156, 10472). It appears as if influx is from externals into internals; this is a fallacy (n. 3721). Influx is into man's rational and through this into things scientific, and not contrariwise (n. 1495, 1707, 1940). The order of influx (n. 775, 880, 1096, 1495, 7270).

There is immediate influx from the Lord, and also mediate influx through the spiritual world or heaven (n. 6063, 6307, 6472, 9682-9683). The immediate influx from the Lord enters into the most single of all things (n. 6058, 6474-6478, 8717, 8728). Of the mediate influx of the Lord through heaven (n. 4067, 6982, 6985, 6996). It is effected through the spirits and angels who are adjoined to man (n. 697, 5846-5866). The Lord, by means of angels, flows into the ends from which, and for the sake of which, a man so thinks, wills, and acts (n. 1317, 1645, 5846, 5854). And thus into those things which are of conscience with man (n. 6207, 6213). But by means of spirits into the thoughts, and thence into the things of the memory (n. 4186, 5854, 5858, 6192-6193, 6198-6199, 6319). This can with difficulty be believed by man (n. 6214). The Lord inflows into firsts and at the same time into ultimates, or into inmosts and at the same time into outmosts, how (n. 5147, 5150, 6473, 7004, 7007, 7270). The influx of the Lord is into good with man, and through good into truth, and not contrariwise (n. 5482, 5649, 6027, 8685, 8701,10153). Good gives the faculty of receiving influx from the Lord, but not truth without good (n. 8321[1-2]). It is not what enters the thought, but what enters the will, that is hurtful, because this is appropriated to the man (n. 6308). The Divine in the highest is tacit and pacific, but as it descends towards lower things in man, it becomes unpacific and tumultuous, on account of the things therein being in disorder (n. 8823). The quality of the Lord's influx with the prophets (n. 6212).

There is a general influx, its quality (n. 5850). It is a continual effort of acting according to order (n. 6211). This influx takes place into the lives of animals (n. 5850). And also into the subjects of the vegetable kingdom (n. 3648). That thought is formed into speech and will into gestures with man, according to this general influx (n. 5862, 5990, 6192, 6211).

6324. Spirits who spend much of their time reasoning in the next life have little perception as to what is true or good and therefore cannot be admitted into the more internal angelic communities, for no intelligence at all can be imparted to them there. They have also been given to reasoning among themselves about the idea that every thought or affection anyone has flows into him, saying that if this idea were true, then no one could be found guilty or pay the price for any offence. But they were told in reply that if a person were to believe as things really are, which is that everything good and true comes from the Lord and everything evil and false from hell, he could not have been found guilty of any offence or had evil ascribed to himself. But because he believes that it begins in himself he takes evil as his own; for his belief causes this to happen. Thus evil clings and cannot be separated from him. Indeed the person's nature is such that he would be indignant if anyone told him that his thoughts and desires came from others and did not begin in himself.

880. That 'he waited yet another seven days' means the beginning of the second state of regeneration becomes clear from the fact that the interval between the first state, dealt with in verses 8-9, just above, and this second state, dealt with here in verses 10-11, is being described. So that things may be linked together as though they were historical events, that interval is expressed by the phrase 'he waited'. The nature of the second state of regeneration becomes clear to some extent from what has been stated and shown concerning the first, which was a state in which truths of faith had not as yet been able to take root on account of the falsities that obstructed. Truths of faith first strike root when a person starts to acknowledge and believe. Till then they have not struck root. What a person hears from the Word and retains in the memory is no more than a sowing of the seed; in no way does rooting start until that person receives and welcomes good that stems from charity. Every truth of faith has its roots in the good of faith, that is, in good that stems from charity. It is just like seed that is cast on the land. While it is still winter-time, that is, when the land is frozen hard, there it indeed lies but does not take root. But as soon as the warmth of the sun which arrives in early spring warms up the land, the seed starts to grow roots for the first time and then to strike down into the soil. The same applies to spiritual seed that is sown. This never strikes root until good that stems from charity warms it up so to speak. Only then does it grow a root on itself which it then pushes forth.

[2] With man there are three things which go together and combine - the natural, the spiritual, and the celestial. His natural never acquires any life except from the spiritual; the spiritual never acquires any except from the celestial; and the celestial does so from the Lord alone, who is Life itself. To obtain a clearer picture of this idea, let it be said that the natural is the receptacle that receives, or the vessel into which the spiritual is poured; and the spiritual is the receptacle that receives, or the vessel into which the celestial is poured. Thus it is through celestial things that life from the Lord flows. That is how influx works. The celestial is essentially all the good of faith; with a spiritual man it exists as the good of charity. The spiritual is truth, which in no way becomes the truth of faith unless it has within it the good of faith, that is, good that stems from charity, in which good there is life itself from the Lord. To make the matter more intelligible still: it is man's natural that puts a work of charity into effect, whether by hand or by mouth, and so through the organs of the body. Yet in itself the work is dead and has no life except from what is spiritual within it. Nor does what is spiritual have life except from what is celestial, which has it from the Lord. This is what enables it to be called a good work, for nothing is good if it does not derive from the Lord.

[3] This being so it may become clear to anyone that with every work of charity, the work regarded in itself is a purely physical action, which is made living however by the truth of faith lying within the work. And what is more, the truth of faith is something lifeless, which is however made alive from the good of faith. And the good of faith has no life except from the Lord alone, who is Good itself and Life itself. This explains why celestial angels will not hear of faith, even less of works, see 202, for they trace both faith and works back to love. They attribute faith to love, and they attribute the works produced by faith to love. For them therefore both the works and faith leave their sight, and only love and good deriving from it remain. And within their love is the Lord. Because those angels have ideas so celestial they are differentiated from the angels who are called spiritual. Their very thinking and consequent speaking are more inconceivable by far than the thought and speech of spiritual angels.