4284. About innocence, and the sleep of a spirit
Once more evil spirits were attacking me in sleep, and were punished.
Afterwards I awoke, and for the next passing hour, the spirits around me were sleeping, which shows that when people are awake, the spirits around them can be sleeping.
Certain ones then, when others wanted to trouble their rest, said innocently, under their breath, that they should be quiet, the Lord is sleeping, which, because it was from childlike innocence, was highly acceptable. This shows how the case is with innocence, that it is accepted, even if it is ignorant of truth. 1749, 1 June.
4284. CONCERNING INNOCENCE AND SLEEP OF A SPIRIT.
Evil spirits again infested me in my sleep and were punished.
Being afterwards awakened, and remaining so for an hour, the same thing occurred again, the spirits around me being meantime asleep; from which it appears that while man is awake spirits may be sleeping around him.
While some were then prompted to produce disquiet, others wishing them to be silent said to them from innocence, "Keep still - the Lord is asleep," which, because it was from a kind of infantile innocence, was highly acceptable; from whence we may conclude how the case is with innocence - that it is accepted though it be ignorant of truth. - 1749, June 1.
4284. De innocentia, et somno spiritus
Iterum infestarunt me mali spiritus in somno, et puniti. Postea evigilatus, et per horam, quod recurrit, spiritus circum me dormiebant, ex quo constare potest, quod cum homo vigilat circum eum dormire possint spiritus. Quidam tunc, cum alii vellent irrequietare, dicebant ex innocentia, tacite, ut sint taciti, Dominus dormit, quod quia erat ex innocentia ut infantile, acceptissimum fuit, inde constare potest, quomodo se habet cum innocentia, quod accepta, tametsi non sciat verum. 1749, 1 Junius.