411、⒇在主的引导下，小孩子由女人抚养，并在身量和聪慧上逐渐成长，和世间一样。小孩子照以下方式在天堂被抚养长大：他们从抚育他们的天使那里学习说话。一开始，他们的言语仅仅是一种有声的情感表达，然而却包含了某种思维的初始元素。这种初始元素使得声音中的人性元素突显出来，从而与动物区别开来。这种言语逐渐变得清晰明确，因为情感所生的观念融入了思维。他们的全部情感也在增长，都是从纯真发出的。首先注入他们的，是诸如他们能用眼睛看到，并感到快乐的那类事物。这些因出于一个属灵源头，所以同时也会流入属于天堂的事物，其心智的内层由此被打开。之后，随着孩子的聪明逐渐完善，他们的身量也渐长，看上去更像是成年人。原因在于，聪明智慧是真正的属灵滋养，因此滋养其心智的事物也会滋养他们的身体。不过，天堂的孩子不会超过成人的年龄，而是停在这个阶段，留在其中，直到永远。到了这个阶段后，他们会被赋予婚姻。该婚姻是主为他们安排的，并在少男所在的天堂被庆祝。婚后不久，丈夫便随妻子到她的天堂，若在同一个社群，则随妻子到她的家。为叫我确信，小孩子随着他们在聪明方面增长并成年，也在身量上增长。我得以与一些小孩子交谈，后来又与长大后的他们交谈，他们看上去都是如世上少男和少女那种身量的成年人。
411、（20）他们在主的领导下养育小孩子，小孩子象在世间一样在身体、智慧上成长。天国中的小孩子按以下形式发展。从养母那里学说话。他们第一句话就是一种情感的表达，其中存在着最初的思维的因素，其中有人与动物在声音上的区别。语言会变得越来越清晰。他们的情感也会出于纯真而成长。首先进入他们中的是眼睛能看到的能带来快乐的东西，因为这些是来自于精神性的来源，所以同时流入到他们中的有一种属于天国的性质，他们的头脑会因此而得到开启。
此后，当小孩智力得到完善，身体也在成长，他们看上去更成熟。原因是才智和智慧是精神上的营养的精髓。所以滋养其头脑的东西也会滋养其身体。
但天国中的小孩不会超过成熟的年龄，并会永远停留在那个年龄。当她们长到成婚的年龄后，主会为他们庆祝婚姻，年青小伙若与女孩属于一个社，就会与妻子生活在同一个天国中。
为了使我确认小孩子在智力成长的同时身体也会成长。我曾被允许与一些小孩交谈，后来又与长大后的他们交谈。他们看上去与世间充满青春活力的青年人的一样。
411. (xx) Children are brought up by them under the Lord's guidance, and they grow in stature and intelligence as in the world.
This is how small children are brought up in heaven. They learn to talk from the angel who brings them up. At first their speech is only a sound expressing affection, yet containing some precursor of thought which allows the human element in the sound to be distinguished from that of an animal. By degrees this speech becomes more distinct, as ideas arising from affection enter into thought. All of their affections, which also increase, proceed from innocence.
The first kind of things to be introduced are what they can see with their eyes and find delightful. Since these are from a spiritual source, these are subject at the same time to influences coming from heaven, and these open the inner levels of their minds. Afterwards, as the children are perfected in intelligence, they grow in stature, and look in this respect too more like adults. The reason is that intelligence and wisdom are the real spiritual nourishment, so that the things which feed their minds also feed their bodies.
But children in heaven do not grow up beyond coming of age; they stop at that stage and stay in it for ever. When they reach that stage they are given in marriage; this is arranged for them by the Lord, and celebrated in the heaven where the young man is. He shortly follows his wife to her heaven, or to her house, if they are in the same community. To convince me that children increase in stature and grow up as their intelligence increases, I was allowed to talk to some while they were children, and then again when they had grown up. In appearance they were like young adults, of the same stature as young adults in the world.
411. 20. Little children are reared by them under the Lord's guidance, and they grow in stature and intelligence as in the world. Little children in heaven develop in the following way. From their foster mother they learn to speak. Their first speech is only an expression of affection, in which there is, nevertheless, some initial element of thought, by which something human is distinguished in the sound, different from the sound of an animal. This speech gradually becomes more articulate as ideas arising from the affection enter the thought. All their affections - as these, too, grow - spring from innocence. Introduced into the affections first are such things as are visible to the eyes and give delight; and because these exist from a spiritual origin, flowing into them at the same time are elements pertaining to heaven, by which the inner faculties of their minds are opened.
After that, as the little children are perfected in intelligence, so they grow in stature, and in this respect also look more mature. The reason for this is that intelligence and wisdom are the essence of spiritual nourishment. Therefore the things that nourish their minds there also nourish their bodies.
But little children in heaven do not grow beyond the first age of maturity. They stop at that age and remain in it to eternity. Moreover, when they reach that age, they marry. Their marriage is provided by the Lord and celebrated in the heaven where the young man resides; and he shortly then follows his wife into her heaven, or to her house if they are in the same society.
In order that I might know for certain that little children also grow and develop in stature as they grow and develop in intelligence, I was given to speak with some when they were little children, and again later when they had matured, and they looked like adolescents of a similar stature as that of youthful adolescents in the world.
411. These people bring up children under the Lord's guidance, and the children grow bigger and smarter, as in the world. Children in heaven are educated in this way: From their teacher they learn to talk. Their first talk is only the sounds of affection, yet something of elementary thought is in it, which makes a human sound differ from an animal's sound. This talk gradually becomes more distinct as ideas enter their thought from their feelings. All their feelings, which also grow, come from innocence. First the kind of things that are before their eyes and are pleasant are insinuated into them. Since these are of a spiritual origin, heavenly influences flow into them at the same time, which opens the most inward parts of their minds. After these beginnings, the children grow bigger and also look more mature as they understand more. The reason is that spiritual nutrition is precisely intelligence and wisdom. For that reason, what nourishes their minds also nourishes their bodies there. But children in heaven grow up only to the prime of life, stop there, and stay there forever. And when they reach that age they are given in a marriage that the Lord provides.
It is celebrated in the heaven where the young man is, and he soon follows his wife into her heaven, or, if they are in the same community, into her house.
So that I would know for certain that infants grow and mature in size the same as in intellect, I had a chance to talk with some while they were children and afterwards when they had grown up, and I saw that they were growing to the same size as young adults in the world.
411. XX. THAT UNDER THE LORD'S AUSPICES, INFANTS ARE EDUCATED BY THEM AND GROW IN STATURE AND INTELLIGENCE AS IN THE WORLD. Infants in heaven are educated in the following manner: From their instructress, they learn to speak. Their first speech is merely the sound of affection, wherein, however, is some initiament of thought, and from which what is human in the sound is distinguished from the sound of an animal. Gradually, as ideas from affection enter the thought, this speech becomes more distinct. All their affections, which also grow, proceed from innocence. First are insinuated into them such things as appear before their eyes and are delightful, and into these, being of a spiritual origin, inflow at the same time things which are of heaven whereby the interiors of their mind are opened. Later, as the infants are perfected in intelligence, they so increase in stature that they are seen to become adult as to this also. The reason is because intelligence and wisdom are spiritual nourishment, and therefore, the things which nourish their minds nourish also their bodies. In heaven, however, infants do not grow up beyond the first age. There they stay, and they remain at that age to eternity. When they come to this age, they are given in marriage. This is provided by the Lord and is celebrated in the heaven where the young man dwells; but immediately after the marriage, the latter follows his wife to her heaven, or, if they are in the same society, to her house. That I might know for certain that infants, as they increase and become adult in intelligence increase also in stature, it has been given me to speak with some when they were infants, and afterwards with the same when grown up, and they were seen to be adults of the same stature as young men and women 1in the world.
Footnotes:
1. The Latin adolescentes juvenes means adult men and women in the flower of their age.
411. (xx) Under the Lord's auspices children are educated by these women, and grow in stature and intelligence as in the world. Children are educated in heaven as follows. From their teacher they learn to speak. Their first speech is only an utterance of affection, in which however there is an initial something of thought, by which the human in utterance is distinguished from animal sounds. The speech gradually becomes more articulate as ideas enter the thought from affection. All their affections - these also grow - proceed from innocence. First such things are insinuated in them as appear before the eyes and delight them, into which, too, because they have a spiritual origin, there flow things of heaven by which the interiors of the minds are opened. Then, as the children are perfected in intelligence, they also increase in stature, and in this respect also, look more like adults. This is because intelligence and wisdom are spiritual nutriment itself; hence what nourishes their minds also nourishes their bodies there. But children do not grow up in heaven beyond early youth, stopping there and remaining at that age to eternity. On reaching that age they are given in marriage by the Lord's provision; the marriage is celebrated in the heaven where the young man is, who presently follows his wife into her heaven, or into her home if they are in the same society. That I might know for certain that children grow in stature as well as in intelligence, and become adult, I was permitted to speak with some while they were children and later when they had become adult; and as adults they seemed to be of a like stature with grown youths in the world.
411. (20) That infants are educated by them under the auspices of the Lord, and increase in stature and in intelligence as in the world. Infants in heaven are educated in this manner: From their instructress they learn to speak. Their first speech is but the sound of affection, in which however there is some beginning of thought, whereby the human in sound is distinguished from the sound of an animal. This speech by degrees becomes more distinct as ideas from affection enter the thought. All their affections, which also have growth, proceed from innocence. Into these are insinuated first such things as appear before their eyes and are delightful, which being of spiritual origin, the things which are of heaven flow into them at the same time, whereby the interiors of their mind are opened. After this, just as the infants are perfected in intelligence, they increase also in stature, and in this respect also appear more adult. The reason is that intelligence and wisdom are spiritual nourishment itself, and therefore, what nourishes their minds nourishes their bodies also. But in heaven infants do not grow up beyond the first age; and there they stay and at that age remain to eternity. And when they arrive at that age they are given in marriage, which is provided by the Lord and is celebrated in the heaven where the young man dwells, who soon afterwards follows his wife to her heaven, or into her house if they are in the same society. That I might certainly know that as infants advance in intelligence they also increase and grow up in stature, it has been given me to speak with some while they were infants, and afterwards with them when they were grown up, and the young men were seen to be of similar stature with young men in the world.
411. XX: Quod Infantes sub auspicio Domini per illas educentur, ac statura et intelligentia crescant sicut in Mundo. Infantes in Coelo educantur hoc modo; a sua educatrice discunt loqui; loquela illorum prima est modo sonus affectionis, in quo tamen est aliquid initiale cogitationis, ex quo humanum in sono distinguitur a sono animalis; haec loquela per gradus distinctior fit, sicut ideae ex affectione cogitationem intrant; omnes illorum affectiones, quae etiam crescunt, procedunt ab innocentia: illis insinuantur primum talia, quae ante oculos apparent, et delectabilia sunt; quae quia ex origine spirituali sunt, in illa influunt simul quae Coeli sunt, per quae aperiuntur interiora mentis illorum. Post haec, infantes, sicut perficiuntur intelligentia, ita crescunt statura, ac spectantur etiam quoad hanc adultiores; causa est, quia intelligentia et sapientia est ipsa nutritio spiritualis; idcirco illa, quae nutriunt mentes illorum, etiam ibi nutriunt corpora illorum. Sed infantes in Coelo non adolescunt ultra quam ad primam aetatem, et ibi subsistunt, et in illa manent in aeternum: et cum in illa aetate sunt, dantur nuptui, quod providetur a Domino, et celebratur in Coelo ubi juvenis, qui mox sequitur uxorem in ejus coelum, vel in ejus domum, si in eadem societate sunt. Ut pro certo scirem, quod infantes sicut intelligentia etiam statura crescant et adolescant, datum est loqui cum quibusdam, dum infantes erant, et postea cum illis, cum adoleverant, ac visi sunt adolescentes in simili statura, in qua sunt adolescentes juvenes in Mundo.