Heaven and Hell (Harley) n. 573

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573. Because infernal fire means every lust for doing evil that flows forth from the love of self; this fire means also such torment as exists in the hells. For the lust from that love is a lust for injuring others who do not honour, venerate and worship oneself; and in proportion to the anger thereby excited, and the hatred and revenge from that anger, is there a lust for venting one's rage upon them. When such lust is active in everyone in a society where no external bonds restrain, such as the fear of the law, and of the loss of reputation, honour, gain, and life, everyone from the impulse of his own evil rushes upon another; and, so far as he prevails, subjugates the rest and subjects them to his dominion, and vents his rage with delight upon those who do not submit themselves. This delight is so intimately united with the delight of bearing rule that they exist in the same measure, since the delight of doing harm is contained in all enmity, envy, hatred, and revenge, which, as said above, are the evils of that love. All the hells are such societies, and in consequence every one there in his heart hates the other, and from hatred bursts forth into cruelty so far as he has power. These cruelties and their torments are also meant by infernal fire, for they are the effects of lusts.


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