251. UNIVERSAL NATURE IN GENERAL AND IN PARTICULARS REPRESENTS THE STATUS OF CELESTIAL AND SPIRITUAL THINGS. mARTIFICIAL THINGS [artificiales]* ARE TRIFLES IN RESPECT TO NATURAL THINGSn I was conversing with spirits and angels concerning the things that exist in visible nature, upon which no one reflects that they are, as it were, the images of things celestial and spiritual: as for example, that a plant or tree is produced from its seed, and grows; that the sap, which is the life of the plant or tree is drawn up through the outer bark and inner skin, and is thence distributed into all its middle [fibers] and centers: so in like manner, spiritual things ought to refer themselves to celestial things. Also that each and all things regard the fruit as their end, that is, the renovation and hence perpetuation of their life. It is similar in all fruit, even with those which are encompassed by hard shells, and whose kernels lie hidden within; there are shells or different coverings there, one within another, by means of which the sap is conveyed to the interior and inmost parts until at length it is matured. These things must represent similar things in man when being regenerated; namely, the shells represent natural, scientific, rational, and intellectual things, which are spiritual: so that from a common plane divided into an infinite number of paths, they can refer and distribute themselves to each and all things in the inmost recesses. Hence there follows in such things a perpetuity which, in the life of man, corresponds to eternity. The case is similar with regard to each and all things in the animal kingdom, in the human body, and in all its lesser and least parts. 1747, Nov. 15, o.s. * The Latin word "artificiales" means made by skill or art, thus both what is artistic and what is artificial.