1531. From this it can be clear that the inhabitants and spirits of our earth are the outer sense, and that they are carnal, and thus approach to the nature of brute animals more than to the human nature, as they even said about the spirits of our earth. But even though they are like this on this earth, nevertheless they possess knowledge of religious truths, which can serve as a kind of soil in which the spiritual and heavenly truths of religion can be implanted. Without such a soil, religious truths do not easily become implanted, and grow. Therefore also, they come more easily into the inward and very inward heaven, after their outward elements have been purged. And because they bring something with them from the life of the body, they also serve as ministering spirits for instructing others who do not have that higher knowledge from revelation. For this reason the Lord loved our earth above others. If there is to be perfect order, heavenly truths, and spiritual ones, must take root in truths of nature. But it should be noted that the higher knowledge and mental imagery of the angels are incalculably more profound that the mental imagery of man, yet are nevertheless rooted in truths of nature; and so truths follow one after another, and correspond. 1748, 18 March.