4471. About the state of evil spirits in general, before and when they are let down into hell
Evil souls or evil spirits go back at first into their own life; next, in the world of spirits, they practice their malice in keeping with their own characters; and then when they go too far in the pleasure of their life, they are punished, and this as often as needed to deter them - which can happen up to 20, 50, 100, 200 times, and more. But still it is provided by the Lord lest they bring evils upon the good, and evils that they try to bring upon them are turned by the Lord into good, being temptations by which the good are strengthened. When they have led this life for several years, practicing their malice, then they bundle their evils, and become nothing but their kind of evils, and then good qualities are then taken away from them, and their malice is consummated to the point that they are terrified at committing evils. So they cast themselves headlong into hell, amidst their like,
[2] and there they torment one another in various ways, making use of all their magic, meanwhile sitting like skeletons with ugly body and face, sometimes tormented inwardly and are now and then let back among themselves into pleasure, but return to those aforementioned. Then they do not dare to rise up into the world of spirits, for they know that they would at once undergo severe punishments; therefore they go back into their own hells. Finally after many centuries of this torment, their bodily pleasures can be somewhat put to sleep, and sometimes they are then lifted up into the world of spirits, so that they may perform most vile uses, with very little life and scarcely any pleasure. For there is no one born in the world who does not pass on into the other life, and no one is tormented or punished unless some use may come of it. All things there regard use. Such is the lot of the evil.
4471. CONCERNING THE STATE OF EVIL SPIRITS BEFORE AND WHEN THEY ARE LET DOWN INTO HELL IN GENERAL.
Evil souls or evil spirits return at first into their own life, and afterwards, in the world of spirits, exercise their wickedness according to their various dispositions; and when they then exceed the delight of their life they are punished, and this frequently, until they are deterred - which punishment may take place to the number of twenty, fifty, an hundred, or two hundred times and more. Still, however, it is provided by the Lord that they shall not do evil to the good, and those evils which they attempt to inflict are turned by the Lord into good; these are the temptations by which the good are fortified. After they have led this life for several years, and exercised their wickedness, they then collect their evils together and become nothing else but evil of their own genus, and goods are then taken away from them; thus their wickedness is at length consummated, until they are made thoroughly fearful of doing evils, whereupon they precipitate themselves into the hell where are those of their own quality. There they torment one another in various ways, according to all their skill and magic, and, in the meantime, sit like skeletons, or those deformed in body and face; they are tormented from time to time interiorly, and are every where then remitted among themselves into their delights; although they still return to the state above mentioned. They do not then dare to rise into the world of spirits, for they know immediately that grievous punishments await them in that case, and they therefore recede into their hells. At length, after many ages passed in this kind of torment, their corporeal delights can be laid asleep to some extent, and they are then from time to time elevated into the world of spirits, that they may serve for the vilest uses, with very little life and scarce any delight; for everyone born in the world passes into the other life, and no one is tormented or punished unless that some use may arise from it; all things there are on account of use. Such is the lot of the evil.
4471. De statu spirituum malorum antequam et cum demittantur in infernum in genere
Animae malae seu spiritus mali redeunt primum in vitam suam, dein in mundo spirituum malitias suas secundum suas indoles exercent, et tunc cum excedunt vitae suae jucundum, puniuntur, et hoc tam saepe usque dum absterrentur, quod fieri potest, ad 20, 50, 100, 200 vices et plures, sed usque providetur a Domino ne bonis mala inferant, et quae inferre conantur, illa vertuntur a Domino in bonum, sunt tentationes per quas fortificantur; cum ita transegerint vitam per aliquot annos, et malitias suas exercuerint, tunc colligunt mala sua, et fiunt non nisi quam mala sui generis, et bona tunc illis auferuntur, ita tandem eorum malitia consummatur, usque dum perterriti sint a faciendo mala, ita in infernum se praecipitant, ubi tales, et ibi se mutuo cruciant vario modo, secundum omnem eorum magiam, ac interea sedent sicut sceleta, aut deformes corpore et facie, et quandoque cruciantur interius, et passim tunc remittuntur inter se in jucunda, sed redeunt ad illa quae dicta, tunc non hiscunt assurgere in mundum spirituum, nam sciunt illico, quod iis punitiones graves, ideo recedunt in sua inferna: tandem post plura saecula, cum ita cruciati sunt, tunc corporea eorum jucunda sopiri aliquatenus possunt, et quandoque tunc elevantur in mundum spirituum, ut serviant pro vilissimis usibus, cum exigua vita, et cum vix aliquo jucundo; nam nullus non natus in mundo, in alteram vitam transit, et nullus cruciatur aut punitur nisi ut aliquis usus inde, omnia ibi propter usum: talis est sors malorum.