2679. thus not caring who is acknowledged as God. This I have been enabled to learn also by another experience, namely that when eternity was portrayed as a bottomless abyss, then there were some looking toward the bottom who were driven into that extreme fear called (hissna 1). Then they said that they do not care for such fantasies, but when it was displayed to them anyway, they were struck with that extreme fear. When I prayed the Lord's prayer another time, I was enabled to see that they were more ardent than others.
Footnotes:
1. Swedish for "vertigo."
2679. that they adore those who benefit them: therefore do not care, who is acknowledged as God. Which was also given me to know from another experience: [to wit] when the eternal [oeternum] was represented as a bottomless abyss, then there were those who when they looked into the bottom, were cast into such an exceeding fear as is called [hissna]. They then said, that they do not care for such phantasies, but when it was also presented to them, they are struck with exceeding fear. When at another time I supplicated the Lord's prayer, it was granted to perceive that these were more earnest [ardentiores] than others.
2679. [vide 2678]