110. I. That to every one, after death, is imputed the evil in which he is, and in like manner the good. In order to illustrate this with some degree of evidence, it shall be considered under the following distinctions. 1. That every one has his own life. 2. That his own life remains with everyone after death. 3. That to the evil is then imputed the evil of his life, and that to the good is imputed his good. 1. That everyone has his own life, thus a life distinct from that of another, is known. For there is a perpetual variety, and no two things are alike; hence it is that everyone has his own. This manifestly appears from the faces of men, there is not given one face exactly like that of another, nor ever can be to eternity, because there do not exist two minds alike, and the face is from the mind, for it is, as is said, the type of the mind, and the mind derives its origin and form from the life. Unless a man had his own life as he has a mind and face of his own, he would not have any life after death distinct from that of another; nay, heaven could not exist, for this consists of perpetual varieties; the form of this is solely from the varieties of souls and minds disposed into such an order, as to make one; and they constitute one from that One whose life is in the whole and every particular there, as the soul is in man. Unless this were the case, heaven would be dispersed, because its form would be dissolved. The One from whom the life of all and everyone proceeds, and from whom that form coheres together, is the Lord. 2. That the life of everyone remains with him after death, is known in the church from the Word, and particularly from the following passages:
The Son of man shall come, and then He shall render unto everyone according to his deeds (Matt. 16:27). I saw the books opened, and all were judged according to their works (Rev. 20:12, 13). In the day of judgment God will render unto everyone according to his works (Rom. 2:6; 2 Cor. 5:10). The works, according to which it shall be rendered unto everyone, are the life, for the life effects them, and they are according to the life. Forasmuch as it has been granted me for many years to be with angels, and to speak with newcomers from the world, I can testify as a matter of certainty, that everyone is there explored as to the quality of his past life, and that the life which he had contracted in the world, abides with him to eternity. I have spoken with those who lived many ages ago, whose life was known to me from history, and I found them similar to the description. I have also heard from the angels, that no one's life can be changed after death, because it is organized according to his love and faith, and hence according to his works; and that if the life were changed, the organization would be destroyed, which never can be done. They further added, that a change of organization can only take place in the material body, and by no means in the spiritual body, after the former is rejected. 3. That to the evil is then imputed the evil of his life, and that to the good is imputed his good. The imputation of evil after death, does not consist in accusation, blame, censure, or in passing judgment, as in the world; but the evil itself effects this. For the evil of their own accord separate themselves from the good, because they cannot be together; the delights of the love of evil are averse to the delights of the love of good, and delights exhale from everyone, as odors from every vegetable on earth; for they are no longer absorbed and concealed by the material body as before, but freely flow forth into the spiritual atmosphere from their loves; and inasmuch as evil is there perceived as it were in its odor, it is this which accuses, blames, inculpates, and judges; not before any judge, but before everyone who is in good; and this is what is meant by imputation. The imputation of good is effected in the same manner; this takes place with those who in the world had acknowledged that every good in them was and is from the Lord, and nothing thereof from themselves. These, after they have been prepared, are let into the interior delights of their own good, and then a way is opened for them towards a society in heaven, whose delights are homogeneous. This is done by the Lord.
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