Heaven and Hell - Swedenborg Foundation

HEAVEN AND HELL 457
that whatever he does he does from himself, and in
consequence of this the evil that he does sticks to him as his
own; and for this reason man is the cause of his own evil, and
in no way the Lord. Evil in man is hell in him, for it is the
same thing whether you say evil or hell. And since man is the
cause of his own evil he is led into hell, not by the Lord but by
himself. For so far is the Lord from leading man into hell that
it is he who delivers man from hell, and this he does so far as
man does not will and love to be in his own evil. All of man’s
will and love continues with him after death (n. 470–484). He
who wills and loves evil in the world wills and loves the same
evil in the other life, but he no longer suffers himself to be
withdrawn from it. If, therefore, a man is in evil he is tied to
hell, and in respect to his spirit is actually there, and after death
desires nothing so much as to be where his evil is; consequently
it is man who casts himself into hell after death, and not the
Lord.
548. How this comes about shall also be explained. When
man enters the other life he is received first by angels, who
perform for him all good offices, and talk with him about the
Lord, heaven, and the angelic life, and instruct him in things
that are true and good. But if the man, now a spirit, be one
who knew about these things in the world, but in heart denied
or despised them, after some conversation he desires and seeks
to get away from these angels. As soon as the angels perceive
this they leave him. After some association with others he at
length unites himself with those who are in evil like his own
(see above, n. 445–452). When this takes place he turns
himself away from the Lord and turns his face toward the hell
to which he had been joined in the world, in which those abide
who are in a like love of evil. All this makes clear that the Lord
draws every spirit to himself by means of angels and by means
of influx from heaven; but those spirits that are in evil
completely resist, and as it were tear themselves away from the
Lord, and are drawn by their own evil, thus by hell, as if by a
rope. And as they are so drawn, and by reason of their love of
evil are eager to follow, it is evident that they themselves cast