Page:The Swedenborg Library Vol 1.djvu/81

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ever disagrees; for every love desires to be nourished by its proper aliments,—evil love by falsities, and good love by truths. I have several times observed that certain simple good spirits wished to instruct the evil in truths and goods, but that the latter fled far away from the proffered instruction; and when they came to their associates, they caught with much pleasure at the falsities which were in agreement with their love. I have also seen good spirits conversing with each other about truths, which were listened to with eager affection by the good spirits present; but some evil spirits who were also present paid no attention to what was said, and behaved as if they did not hear.

In the world of spirits there appear ways, some of which lead to heaven and some to hell, and every one to some society. The good spirits go only in those ways which lead to heaven, and to the society distinguished by the good of their peculiar love; nor do they see the ways that tend in other directions. But the evil spirits go only in the ways which lead to hell, and to that society there distinguished by the evil of their peculiar love; nor do they see the ways that tend in other directions; and if they do see them, still they are unwilling to walk in them. Such ways in the spiritual world are real appearances, which correspond to truths or falsities; therefore ways in the Word signify truths or falsities.

By these proofs from experience, the truths before