1167. THE DIFFERENCE OF CONDITION BETWEEN MEN AND SPIRITS AS REGARDS SOCIETIES That man cannot be thus amended, can be evident from the fact that the human race is in such a perverse state that it adjoins itself to the society to which it is addicted, and from which it can with difficulty recede. Therefore such as is the society, such for the most part is the man. Man's state is different when as to his spirit he is in heaven; he is then like the spirits or souls in that he can be inserted into different and various societies of spirits, even of angels, and such as is the society of spirits, such is the man, that is, his spirit. The contrary has come to pass with the human race, namely, that such as is the society of men, such for the most part is the society of the spirits by whom they are led. But, indeed, in the true Church in which all are brethren, it is different. There the societies can be varied in like manner since they are led like spirits, for they do not seek societies for the reason of self-love or of gain, but only for the sake of faith and friendship, thus they can be arranged according to an order instituted more immediately by the Lord than can associations in a perverse state of life. 1748, Mar. 4.