5661. They are kept always at their task, which is embroidery, which is on white linen. They embroider flowers and the like, and the things they work on are either for themselves or they give them to others; they do not sell them.
They are given their clothing gratis, not knowing what they are going to put on every day, and [they are given] better clothing for holidays.
And they also have little gardens; and as long as they are virgins there are only flowers, but there is no fruit until they become wives.
When they see spots on their clothing it is a sign that they have had an evil thought and have done something that should not be done, and the spots cannot be wiped off as they can from clothing in the world. 1When they then discover what they have thought and done, because then they always think about it, they see their faults and evils. If they then repent from them, the spots disappear of themselves from their clothing. Similarly when they see some of their clothing missing in their room, they then immediately know that they have done something wrong. This makes them aware of it, and if they themselves do not know, a wife comes and tells them. If they see there is a new garment in their room, then they inwardly rejoice, because they know that they have behaved well.
Footnotes:
1. At this point in the margin is the word "INSTRUCTION"
5665. 1. And when they see the flowers in their little gardens losing color or changing for the worse, they notice. If the flowers change into something better and more beautiful they are happy, because it is a sign that they have had proper thoughts.
1. Before these paragraphs the numbering of paragraphs 5662 to 5664 was deleted by Swedenborg. He placed the paragraphs bearing these numbers instead after paragraph 5669, subsequently re-using numbers 5665-5669.
5666. And silver and gold coins are given to them too. These they carefully store away because they are signs of diligence, or virtue.
They have the written Word and Psalmbooks, and go with these to religious instruction. They also read from them; and if they do not read, either some piece of their clothing is taken away, or their little garden disappears.
5667. Preachers sometimes visit them and give an examination.
5668. Little children's upbringing
1) They are with nurses, whom they call their mothers.
2) They read the Lord's Prayer, and first learn from nurses through an inflow from heaven.
3) There are preachers for them.
4) Intelligence flows in, and wisdom too, that surpasses the intelligence of the teachers in the world, although they have only a childish mental picture of these things.
5) They have symbolic displays from heaven.
6) They are dressed in accord with their diligence, especially with flowers and garlands.
7) They are led into ornamental parks.
8) They are tempted.
9) They grow depending on their state of reception.
10) They have different natures.
11) They are given to nurses who had loved little children in the world just as mothers do, and perception is granted as if these were their own little children, but the children are not given to anyone other than those who are immersed in goodness and are able to receive inflow from heaven.
12) The children who have been brought up in the other life do not know otherwise than that they were born there.
13) They do not know what time is, what space is, and what such earthly things are.
14) Within a month they speak in the angelic language.
5669. About the aura of rape and hell
The aura of rape appears filthy, as is rape's copulation. Those from whom this aura emanates are those who in their heart deny what is Divine and the things that have to do with the Church. But outwardly they appear to be good citizens, mild-mannered, moral. They enter the heavens everywhere, and remain there for some time because they know how to hide their innermost qualities. They are of such a nature that when the destruction of worshipers of the Lord is being discussed, they are quiet and hold off until the time when they see that it is starting to rush to some sort of destruction; then they are immediately present and assist with all their power, not before. Many like this were carried away by the aura of rape and thrown out of the heavens. I saw this. This is what is meant in the internal sense by the rape of virgins, and by rapes in the Word.
[2] Because these men are outwardly mild-mannered and good citizens, when they walk in the streets a kind of brightness appears to radiate from both sides of their face, glimmering with their steps; a burning flame too sometimes appears flitting around them in the streets where they are walking; but it is a consuming fire, which is a sign that is a violent one. A gentle flame that is not consuming is angelic. Besides this, on the part their faces below the nose it is loathsome, darkly cadaverous. This kind was cast down from the heavens appeared in face and body virtually black, as if bony, because inwardly they are evil. When they are cast down from heaven, their inner qualities burst into the whole body, for then pretense is no longer permitted because communication with those who are upright, by whom their civility is kept up, is taken away. Their hell is down deep below the buttocks; there they sit like charred Egyptian Mummies.
5661. They are always kept at their work, which is embroidery worked upon white linen. They embroider flowers and such things; and the things they produce by their labor are either for their own use, or they give them to others: they do not sell them.
5661. Tenentur semper in suo opere, quod est a acupictura, quae est super linteo albo, acupingunt floreta, et similia; et quae laborant, vel pro ipsis sunt, vel donant aliis, non vendunt.