3542. About little children
Little children have frequently been sent to me, and indeed, streams of them, who were around me, and from the sound of them I was able to hear that they were little children, for they sounded like something tender and unregimented, but their gentle and unordered sound cannot easily be described, floating, so to speak, around just above my head.
As I have heard them so many times, it is permitted to mention this about them, that the spirits who are present can almost never refrain from or stop leading them, or compelling them to speak so that those spirits speak through them, though unwillingly. The little children resist every time and become almost indignant that others should control them and compel them to speak. I observed their refusal every time, and when it was granted them they said that they wanted to speak and that they do not wish to speak in this way. They are seldom allowed to say more. I was instructed that this is the manner of their temptation, that they are in constant struggle against those who are trying to control and lead them, so that in this way they may be initiated and become accustomed to the Lord only ruling and leading them, and to thinking and speaking from the Lord; so they grow up.
3542. CONCERNING INFANTS.
Infants were oftentimes sent to me in bands, which surrounded me, and from the sound they made I was enabled to know that they were infants. They were heard as something tender, yet inordinate, though their sound cannot well be described. They flowed, as it were, round about and just above the head. It is proper to state concerning them, that as often as they were heard, the spirits who were present could scarce refrain from leading them, or compelling them to speak, that they might speak through them. But this was resisted as often as attempted, and the infants were, as it were, indignant that others should think to rule them and compel them to speak. I observed their resistance as often as the attempt was made, and when allowed they said they wished to speak, and yet did not wish to do it in this way; yea, it was given them to speak freely. This, I was informed, was their temptation, that they might be kept in a constant repugnance towards those who might wish to lead and rule them, and might be initiated into the habit of regarding the Lord alone as he that is to lead and rule them, and from whom they are to think and speak; thus they grow up.
3542. De infantibus
Pluries ad me missi sunt infantes, et quidem agmina eorum, qui circum me fuerunt, et ex eorum sono audire potui quod infantes, tum auditi sicut tenerum non ordinatum, sed sonus eorum tener et non ordinatus facile non describi potest, circum caput meum, proxime supra, quasi fluitant; quia toties auditi, haec memorare de iis licet, quod spiritus qui adsunt, nusquam fere possunt se retinere seu desistere, quin eos ducant, seu adigant eos ad loquendum, ut loquantur per eos, sed hoc invito, infantes toties resistunt, et quasi indignantur, quod alii eos regant, et adigant ad loquendum, renuentiam eorum toties observavi, et quando iis data copia, dicebant, quod vellent ii loqui, et quod ita non velint dicere, raro iis datum ut plura dicant: instructus sum, quod hoc eorum sit tentatio, ut in repugnantia continua sint contra eos, qui eos regere et ducere volunt, ut sic adsuescant et initientur, ut solum Dominus eos regat, et ducat, et ex Domino cogitent et loquantur; ita adolescunt.