nowledge of future events takes away humanness itself,
which is action in freedom in accord with one's reason, no one is given
to know the future; but everyone is allowed to form conclusions by the
reason about the future; the reason is then fully in its own life.
Accordingly man does not know his lot after death or know any event until
he is on it. For if he knew, he would no longer think from his inner self
how he should act or live so as to meet it, but would think only from his
exterior self that he was meeting it. This state closes the interiors of
his mind where the two faculties of his life, liberty and reason,
especially reside. A desire to know the future is born with most persons
but has its origin in a love of evil. It is taken away, therefore, from
those who believe in divine providence; and trust that the Lord disposes
their lot is given them. Therefore they do not desire to know it
beforehand lest they inject themselves in some way into divine
providence. The Lord teaches this in many sayings in Luke (12:14-48).

[2] Much from the world of the spirit can confirm that this is a law of
divine providence. On entering that world after death most persons desire
to know their lot. The answer they receive is that if they have lived
well their lot is in heaven and if wickedly it is in hell. But as all,
including the wicked, fear hell they ask what they should do and believe
to get into heaven. They are answered that they are to do and believe as
they will, but know that one does not do good or believe truth in hell,
only in heaven. "As you can, seek what is good and true, thinking truth
and doing good." Everyone is thus left to act in freedom according to
reason in the spiritual world as he is in the natural world; but as one
has acted in this world he acts in that, for everyone's life remains to
him and so his lot awaits him, for this is his life's lot.

180. (ii) _If man saw divine providence plainly he would inject himself
into the order and tenor of its course and pervert and destroy them._ To
bring this distinctly to the perception of the rational man and also of
the natural man, it will be illustrated by examples in this order:

1. External things are so connected with internal things that they make
one in all that is done.
2. The human being joins the Lord only in some external things and if he
did in internal things also, he would pervert and destroy the whole order
and tenor of the course of divine provi