Spiritual Experiences (Buss) n. 1259

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1259. The same spirit afterwards prayed imploringly that he might be liberated from that infernal prison-house, and this with considerable earnestness, setting forth at the time many reasons, as this, that if a man had thought evil, this could not condemn him when he had not committed evil in his life, for no one can reprove him, besides like arguments. He therefore prayed that he might be sent into other societies, that is, into societies of upright spirits. This was also permitted him, for he supposed that because he could be in the company of the upright in the world, he could also do likewise in that life, and that he could thus simulate good as he had done in the life of the body, and be among the upright and be loved. He was therefore permitted to enter into a company of good spirits above the forehead, in whose company he wanted to maintain himself; and he did compel himself to be like them, but yet he could not do so for long, resistance being observed in each single thing, on which account he complained. He further begged that these spirits should be adjoined to him so that he might more readily be forced into agreement with them, which was also permitted; but a similar resistance was still observed, so that he begged to be sent away to go into other societies, or into some chamber where he might be alone, and thus be safe. So he was sent into a long vaulted chamber and sitting there upon a stool, he was circumrotated, which signified that he was inconstant, and could not be in any such society. At length he returned to me; and because they still wanted to thrust him down into the infernal chamber, and he insisted that he was innocent, therefore when he was sent there he was rotated in gyres, hither and thither, being rotated to the right and to the left, and also into opposing gyres, being turned to this side and that. This signified like things, namely, that he could remain nowhere, because he supposed that he was blameless. He was at length sent back into the infernal chamber, and indeed to his former associates, but they were then unwilling to admit him. They complained about him that he was then the same as before, for he wanted as formerly to devise deceits with them; and they cast him out for the reason that he prayed as a supplicant, and supposed himself to be blameless.


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