rd,
who is the Holy itself. So profoundly were they in this thought from
faith, that they were, as it were, outside of themselves, and in that
thought they remained on their knees till the Lord raised them, and
then drew them as it were out of hell. When they thus emerge from
humiliation, they are filled with good and love, and consequently with
joy of heart. When they humble themselves in this manner, they do not
turn their face to the Lord, for this they dare not do then, but avert
it. The spirits who were about me said that never had they seen such
humiliation.

92. Some spirits who were from that earth were surprised that so many
spirits from hell were about me, and that they also spoke to me; but
it was given me to reply that this was permitted them for the purpose
of enabling me to know their characters, and why they are in hell, and
that this is according to their life. It was also given me to state
that there were several among them whom I had known when they lived in
the world, and that some of them had then occupied stations of great
dignity, and that then they had nothing at heart but the world; but
that no evil spirit, even the most infernal, could possibly do me any
injury, because I was continually protected by the Lord.

93. An inhabitant of that earth was exhibited before me. He was not
indeed an inhabitant, but was like one. His face resembled the faces
of the inhabitants of our Earth, but the lower part of the face was
black, not owing to a beard, which he had not, but to blackness in its
place. This blackness extended to underneath the ears on both
sides. The upper part of the face was ruddy, like the faces of the
inhabitants of our Earth who are not quite fair. They said further
that on their earth they subsist on the fruits of trees, especially
on a certain kind of round fruit which grows out of their earth; and
likewise on pulse. They are clothed with garments which they make of
the fibres of the inner bark of certain trees, which fibres have such
a consistence that they can be woven, and also cemented together by a
kind of gum they have among them. They related further that they know
how to make fluid fires, from which they have light during evening and
night.

94. I saw a certain flaming object, exceedingly beautiful; it was of
various colours, crimson, and also a glowing ruby hue, and from the
flame the colours also glowed beautifully. I also saw a hand, to which
this flaming object adhered,