5552. Man, or mankind, is the lowest plane, in which heaven comes to rest. This is because man has heaven in himself and corresponds to it. His faculty of sense perception which is manifest in the world is the lowest plane itself, and therefore also is the foundation on which the heavens come to rest, like a house on its foundation, for there is a connection of all things from first things to the lowest. And man's faculty of sensation is relatively unchanging and stable. How it is with this stability can be known simply by the fact that all things which are on earth are also in the heavens, but there they are not unchanging but yet have the appearance of being fixed: many things might be enumerated, such as houses, fields, gardens, carriages, animals. From this is evident that when people live in the world, they acquire a fixed plane for themselves, and that therefore this cannot be changed. It is due to this that people remain to eternity such as they had become in the world. They have this plane with them, but it is entirely at rest. Nevertheless their inward things come to rest in it; and unless this has a correspondence with inward things in them, it cannot be well with them there, and it also is well to the degree that it does correspond. But the inward things must be good; if the inward things are evil, then they come into hell.
5552. Man, or the human race, is the ultimate, and what heaven closes in; for the reason that man has heaven in himself and corresponds to it. His sensual which stands forth in the world, is the ultimate itself, and therefore, also, the foundation upon which heaven rests, like a house upon its foundation - for there is a connection of all things, from firsts to lasts: also, man's sensual is comparatively fixed. What sort of fixity it is, can only be known by this, that all things which are on earth, are also in the heavens, but there they are not fixed; still however, there is the appearance as of fixity. Many things may be enumerated, as houses, fields, gardens, carriages, animals. It is hence plain, that, when man lives in the world, he acquires to himself a plane of fixity, and that this, therefore, cannot be changed; whence it is that man remains to eternity of the quality he has been in the world. He has this plane with him, but it is entirely passive. Still, his interiors close in it. Except he has this correspondence with internals in him, it cannot be well with him. It is well with him, also, to the extent to which this correspondence prevails. But he must have his interiors good: if the interiors are evil then he comes into hell.
5552. Homo seu humanum genus est ultimum, in quod coelum desinit, ex causa quia homo in se habet coelum, et correspondet ei, sensuale ejus quod exstat mundo, est ipsum ultimum, et ideo quoque est fundamentum, super quo coeli sicut domus super suo fundamento quiescunt, nam nexus est omnium a primis ad ultima; et sensuale hominis est respective fixum; quale fixum est sciri unice potest per id, quod omnia quae in tellure sunt etiam in coelis sint, sed ibi non fixa, verum usque apparentia ut fixa, recenseantur plura, ut domus, agri, horti, currus, animalia; inde patet, quod cum homo vivit in mundo, acquirat sibi planum fixum, et quod illud ideo non possit mutari, unde est, quod homo in aeternum maneat qualis in mundo factus est, hoc planum secum habet, sed prorsus quiescit, sed usque interiora ejus desinunt in illud; et nisi id correspondentiam habeat cum internis apud illum, non potest bene ibi esse, etiam tantum ei bene est quantum correspondet; sed interiora habebit bona; si mala interiora sunt, tunc in infernum venit.