970. They who constitute this province are chaste virgins, very prone to anxiety, afraid they might be shaken from their condition. They lie quiet at the left part of the side, almost inside but at the side, about where the suprarenal glands are located. They anxiously fear that there might be a [direct] admittance into heaven; for they think that if deprived of their function they would perish, being without any use. So they are among the best, heavenly spirits, who work in silence; and if there is the least thought about their being deprived of their function, they immediately sigh, and are worried.
I have felt this several times, and wondered where it came from. Their anxiety, having now been communicated to me also, shows itself clearly as a kind of holy shiver, which I even openly witnessed, when communication was taken away [from them] and diverted directly to heaven. Beyond this they do not speak at all.
They sometimes said that they felt as if they were being deprived of their function when I came to writing down matters contained in the Word, because they thought that then a direct communication was taking place, thus not through them, so that they were deprived of their spiritual food. 1748, 24 February.
mThey are those undergoing a purging process, as I realized today, who despair of ever being able to come into heaven. For this reason, these female spirits are extremely troubled at the least thought about heaven, and do not know why. I have spoken with them about this. They easily become tearful. 1748, 12 September.n
970. Those who constitute this province are chaste virgins, who are very prone to anxiety, and thus are fearful lest they be disturbed out of their state. They lie quiet at the left part of the side, almost within, but at the side, approximately where the suprarenal glands are in man. They anxiously fear that they will not be admitted into heaven, for they suppose that if deprived of their function, they would perish, because they would be without any office. Thus they are among the best heavenly spirits, who act silently, and if the least thought of being deprived of their office should come to them they at once sigh and are anxious, as I have sometimes clearly perceived and have wondered whence this came. Their anxiety which now is also communicated to me, is evident. It was a certain kind of holy tremor which, moreover, was plainly witnessed when the communication was taken away and directed immediately to heaven. Beyond this, they say nothing. Sometimes, when it came to a description of things in the Word, they said that they felt as though they were being deprived of their office, because they supposed that this would effect an immediate communication, thus not through them, so that they would be deprived of their spiritual food. 1748, Feb. 24.
There are some who, in vastation, despair of ever being able to enter heaven, as I perceived today. Therefore they are exceedingly anxious at the least thought of heaven, without knowing the reason. I spoke with them about this. They weep easily. 1748, Sept. 12. 1
Footnotes:
1. This paragraph was written in the left margin and was added when Swedenborg was indexing the work on Sept. 12, 1748.
970. Sunt castae virgines, quae hanc provinciam constituunt, ad anxietatem quam faciles, sic timidae ne a statu suo turbentur, jacent quietae a sinistra lateris parte, fere intus sed ad latus, ubi fere glandulae suprarenales in homine; timent anxie ne admittantur 1
, 2
in coelum, nam putant, si orbantur functione sua, quod sic periturae, quia absque munere; ita sunt inter spiritus optimos, coelestes, qui tacite agunt, et si minimum de privatione muneris earum cogitatur, illico suspirant, et anxiae sunt, quod aliquoties manifeste percepi, et miratus unde, anxietas earum quoque mihi communicata patet, est quaedam tremoris sancti species, praeter quod 3
aperte testata est, quum communicatio fuit ademta, et immediate derivata in coelum: praeterea nihil loquuntur; dixerunt quandoque, quod sentirent quasi se munere orbari, cum perveniatur ad descriptionem eorum quae in Verbo, quia putarunt sic immediatam communicationem fieri, sic non per eas, ita quod cibo suo spirituali destituerentur. 1748, 24 Febr. [m]Sunt qui in vastatione sunt, sicut hodie percepi, qui desperant quod usquam in coelum venire possint; quare maxime anxiae ad minimam cogitationem de coelo, sciunt causam, de quo cum iis loquutus, facile lachrymant. 1748, 12 Sept.[n]
Footnotes:
1. in J.F.I. Tafel's edition [non] admittantur
2. intellexerim admittatur [immediate] (vide inferius)
3. hoc est absque quod (vide annotationem ad [292a])