548、还要说说这是如何发生的。当人进入来世后，首先被天使接待，天使为他做各样的善事，并与他谈论主、天堂和天使的生活，教导他良善和真理。然而，倘若这人（现在是一个灵人了）在世上就知道这些事，但从心里否认或鄙视它们，那么经过一番交谈后，他渴望并寻求摆脱这些天使，一旦天使们感知到这一点，就会离开他。经过与不同的人交往后，最终，他和那些在类似自己的邪恶中的人结交（参见第445-452节）。当出现这种情况时，他转身离开主，转脸朝向他在世时就连接的地狱，住在那里的人都在类似的邪恶之爱中。
由此清楚地可见，主通过天使和来自天堂的流注将每个灵人引向祂自己，但那些沉溺在邪恶中的灵人却全力抗拒，而且，可以说是把自己与主撕裂开来，被自己的邪恶、也就是被地狱牵引，如同被一根绳索牵引着。既然他们被如此牵引，并且因着他们邪恶的爱而愿意跟从，可以确定的是，他们将自己投入地狱是出于他们的自由。世人因为自己的地狱观念而无法相信这是真的。事实上，在来世，在地狱以外的人看来，也很不一样，进入地狱仿佛不是自愿的，唯独对那些将自己投入地狱的人而言，情况并非如此，他们是自愿进入的。那些因恶欲中烧而进入地狱的人，看上去似乎是头朝下、脚朝上地被抛了下去。正是由于这种表象，他们看上去似乎是被上帝的大能投入地狱的。对此，下文会有更多的介绍（参见第574节）。由此可见，无论是人活在世上时，还是他死后来到灵人当中时，主不会将任何人投入地狱，但人自甘堕落到地狱。
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548. 我需要解释一下这是如何发生的. 人进入来世后, 首先被天使接纳, 他们为他做一切事, 也告诉他关于主, 天堂和天使生活的事, 教导他良善和真理. 然而, 现为一个灵的这个人若在世时就知道这些事, 却从心里否认或弃绝它们, 那么经过一番交谈后, 就想离开这些天使, 并试图离开. 天使一察觉到这一点, 就会离开他. 经过与各种各样的人交往一段时间后, 他最终与那些陷入类似邪恶的人混在一起(参看445-452节). 当出现这种情况时, 他便背离主, 转面朝向他在世时就与之相联的地狱, 住在那里的人都陷入类似的邪恶之爱. 由此可见, 主通过天使和来自天堂的流注将每个灵人引向祂自己, 但那些沉迷于邪恶的人却极力抵制, 可以说生生将自己与主撕裂开. 他们被自己的邪恶, 因而被地狱, 如同被一根绳索那样牵引. 由于他们被如此牵引, 并因喜爱邪恶而愿意跟从, 故可知, 他们是在自由状态下将自己投入地狱的. 世人因对地狱所持的观念, 很难相信这一点. 事实上, 在来世, 在那些身处地狱之外的人眼里, 它看上去也不是那样, 但在那些将自己投入地狱的人看来, 的确如此, 因为这种人是自动进入的. 那些因充满恶欲而如此行的人似乎一头栽下去, 头朝下, 脚朝上. 正是由于这种表象, 他们似乎是被神性大能投入地狱的. 对此, 详情可见下文(天国的奥秘 574节). 由此清楚可知, 主不将任何人投入地狱, 而是人将自己投入地狱, 无论他活在世上时, 还是死后来到灵人当中时.
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548. 我需要解釋一下這是如何發生的。當我們進入靈界以後, 首先會有天人來接收我們, 給我們提供一切幫助, 也告訴我們有關主, 天國, 天人的生活等方面的一切, 指示我們何為善與理。倘若我們在人間聽過這些道理, 且從心裡表示了拒絕, 那麼經過一些交往, 我們就想離開。天人一察覺到這一點, 便會離開。經過與各種各樣的人交往, 我們最終與陷入一樣罪惡的人混在一起。就這樣, 我們背離了主, 趨向了在人間便已聯屬的地獄, 住在那裡的是陷入一樣惡欲的人。
由此可見, 主一直藉天人和天國之流將每一個靈引向祂, 只是深陷惡欲的靈極力反抗, 將自己與主隔開。他們為惡欲所牽制, 即是被地獄所牽制。惡如一條繩索, 將他們緊緊拉住。他們既迷戀惡, 願意為惡所牽制, 那麼走入地獄便是他們自己的選擇。
鑒於世人對地獄所懷的觀念, 這事確實令人難以置信。事實上, 在靈界, 走入地獄的人, 在地獄之外的人看來, 仿佛不是自願進入的。那些因惡欲中燒而迫切往地獄直奔的人, 仿佛是倒身跳入其中的。正因如此, 他們仿佛是被上帝打入地獄的。
由此可見, 主並不將任何人投入地獄。投入地獄是人自己的選擇, 在人間如此, 進入靈界以後也是如此。
548. I need to mention how this happens. When we arrive in the other life, we are first taken up by angels who do everything for us and also tell us about the Lord, heaven, and angelic life and offer us lessons in what is good and true. However, if we as spirits are the kind of people who have been familiar with things like this in the world but have denied or rejected them at heart, then after some conversation we want to get away from them and try to leave. When the angels notice this, they leave us. After spending some time with various other people, we eventually take up with people who are devoted to similar evils (see above, 445-452). When this happens, we are turning away from the Lord and turning our faces toward the hell we were united to in the world, where people live who are engaged in a similar love of evil.
We can see from this that the Lord is leading every spirit toward himself through angels and through an inflow from heaven, but that spirits who are absorbed in evil resist strenuously and virtually tear themselves away from the Lord. They are drawn by their evil - by hell, that is - as though it were a rope; and because they are drawn and want to follow because of their love of evil, it follows that they freely cast themselves into hell.
This is hard to believe in the world because of people's notions about hell. In fact, it does not even look that way in the other life. It looks different for people who are outside of hell, though not to the people who are actually casting themselves in. They are entering voluntarily, and the ones who are doing so out of a burning desire for evil look as though they were diving in headfirst. This is why it looks as though they were being thrown into hell by divine power. There will be more on this below (see 574).
We can now see that the Lord does not throw anyone into hell. We throw ourselves in, not only while we are living in this world but after death as well, when we arrive among spirits.
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548. How this comes about will also be stated. When man enters the other life he is received first by angels, who perform for him all good offices, and talk with him about the Lord, heaven, and the angelic life, and instruct him in truths and goods. But if the man, now a spirit, be one who knew about these things in the world, but in heart denied or despised them, after some conversation he desires and seeks to get away from these angels. As soon as the angels perceive this they leave him. After some intercourse with others he at length associates with those who are in evil like his own (see above, 445-452). When this takes place, he turns himself away from the Lord and turns his face towards the hell to which he had been joined in the world, in which those abide who are in a like love of evil. From these things it is clear that the Lord draws every spirit to Himself by means of angels and by means of influx from heaven; but those spirits who are in evil completely resist, and, as it were, tear themselves away from the Lord, and are drawn by their own evil, thus by hell, as if by a rope. And as they are so drawn, and by reason of their love of evil are willing to follow, it is established that, from their freedom, they cast themselves into hell. Men in the world, because of their idea of hell, are unable to believe that this is so. In fact, in the other life before the eyes of those who are outside hell, it does not appear otherwise; but not so to those who cast themselves into hell, for such enter of their own accord. Those who enter from a burning love of evil appear to be cast headlong, with the head downwards and the feet upwards. It is because of this appearance that they seem to be cast into hell by Divine power. (But about this more will be said below, 574.) From these things now it can be seen that the Lord casts no one into hell, but each one casts himself into hell, both while he is living in the world and also after death when he comes among spirits.
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548. How this comes about shall also be explained. When man enters the other life he is received first by angels, who perform for him all good offices, and talk with him about the Lord, heaven, and the angelic life, and instruct him in things that are true and good. But if the man, now a spirit, be one who knew about these things in the world, but in heart denied or despised them, after some conversation he desires and seeks to get away from these angels. As soon as the angels perceive this they leave him. After some interaction with others he at length unites himself with those who are in evil like his own (see above, 445-452). When this takes place he turns himself away from the Lord and turns his face towards the hell to which he had been joined in the world, in which those abide who are in a like love of evil. All this makes clear that the Lord draws every spirit to Himself by means of angels and by means of influx from heaven; but those spirits that are in evil completely resist, and as it were tear themselves away from the Lord, and are drawn by their own evil, thus by hell, as if by a rope. And as they are so drawn, and by reason of their love of evil are eager to follow, it is evident that they themselves cast themselves into hell by their own free choice. Men in the world because of their idea of hell are unable to believe that this is so. In fact, in the other life before the eyes of those who are outside of hell it does not so appear; but only so to those who cast themselves into hell, for such enter of their own accord. Those who enter from a burning love of evil appear to be cast headlong, with the head downwards and the feet upwards. It is because of this appearance that they seem to be cast into hell by Divine power. (But about this more will be said below, 574.) From all this it can be seen that the Lord casts no one into hell, but everyone casts himself into hell, both while he is living in the world and also after death when he comes among spirits.
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548. Quomodo hoc fit, etiam dicetur. Quando homo alteram vitam intrat, primum excipitur ab angelis, qui ei omnia officia praestant et quoque cum illo loquuntur de Domino, de caelo, de vita angelica, atque instruunt illum in veris et bonis: at si homo, tunc spiritus, talis est, ut similia in mundo quidem noverit, sed corde negaverit, aut spreverit, tunc post aliquam collocutionem ab illis cupit, et quoque discessum quaerit; quod cum appercipiunt angeli, relinquunt illum. Is post aliqua consortia cum aliis, tandem associatur illis qui in simili malo secum sunt (videatur supra, 445-452): quod cum fit, avertit se a Domino, ac vertit faciem ad infernum, cui conjunctus fuerat in mundo, ubi illi qui in simili amore mali sunt. Ex his patet, quod Dominus adducat omnem spiritum ad Se per angelos, et quoque per influxum e caelo; sed quod spiritus qui in malo sunt, prorsus renitantur, et quasi divellant se a Domino, et trahantur a suo malo sicut a fune, ita ab inferno; et quia trahuntur, et ex amore mali volunt sequi, constat quod se ex libero in infernum conjiciant. Quod ita sit, non credi potest in mundo, ex idea inferni immo nec apparet in altera vita, aliter coram oculis illorum qui extra infernum sunt, non autem apud illos qui se illuc conjiciunt: intrant enim sua sponte et illi qui ex ardente amore mali intrant, apparent sicut conjiciantur supinati capite deorsum et pedibus sursum. Ex hac apparentia est, quod videatur sicut ex vi Divina in infernum dejiciantur. (De hac re videantur plura infra, 574) Ex his nunc videri potest, quod Dominus non aliquem in infernum dejiciat, sed quisque semet non modo cum in mundo vivit, sed etiam post mortem cum inter spiritus venit.