mManmade things are of small value compared to those of naturen

I was conversing with spirits and angels about the things that come to sight in nature, and which no one reflects upon as being like images of things heavenly and spiritual - for example, the way a plant or tree is born and grows from its seed. The life-giving sap of the plant or tree is drawn up through the bark and rind, to be distributed throughout its mid and central parts, just as spiritual elements must go back to heavenly ones. Then also, all and the least of its parts regard the fruit as their goal, that is, the renewal and thus perpetuation of life. Likewise, in every fruit, even those surrounded by hard crusts within which the kernels lie concealed, there are coverings or surfaces of various kinds one within another, through which the juice is conveyed to its inward and innermost parts until the fruit is ripe. These things depict similar processes in a person who is being regenerated. The coverings depict earthly elements, matters of knowledge and reason, as well as matters of the understanding which are spiritual elements; and, as from a general plane diverging into an infinite number of pathways, they can go back and be distributed to all and the least parts in the innermost recesses. The resulting perpetuity in such things [of nature] corresponds to eternity in a human being's life. It is similar with all things down to the very least in the animate kingdom, in the human body, and in its smaller and least parts. 1747, the 15th day of November (old calendar).