therefrom. [4] I have been told from heaven that children are specially under the Lord’s auspices, and that they receive influx from the inmost heaven, where there is a state of innocence that this influx passes through their interiors, and that in its passing through, their interiors are affected solely by the innocence; and for this reason innocence is shown in their faces and in some of their movements and becomes evident; and that it is this innocence by which parents are inmostly affected, and that gives rise to the love that is called storge.

{Footnote 1} The innocence of children is not true innocence, but true innocence has its abode in wisdom (n. 1616, 2305, 2306, 3494, 4563, 4797, 5608, 9301, 10021).  The good of childhood is not spiritual good, but it becomes such by the implantation of truth (n. 3504).  Nevertheless the good of childhood is a medium whereby intelligence is implanted (n. 1616, 3183, 9301, 10110).  Without the good of innocence in childhood man would be a wild man (n. 3494).  Whatever the mind is imbued with in childhood appears natural (n. 3494).

278.  The innocence of wisdom is genuine innocence, because it is internal, for it belongs to the mind itself, that is, to the will itself and from that to the understanding.  And when there is innocence in these there is also wisdom, for wisdom belongs to the will and understanding.  This is why it is said in heaven that innocence has its abode in wisdom, and that an angel has just so much of innocence as he has of wisdom.  This is confirmed by the fact that those who are in a state of innocence attribute nothing of good to themselves, but regard all things as received and ascribe them to the Lord; that they wish to be led by Him and not by themselves; that they love everything that is good and find delight in everything that is true, because they know and perceive that loving what is good, that is, willing and doing it, is loving the Lord, and loving truth is loving the neighbor; that they live contented with their own, whether it be little or much, because they know that they receive just as much as is good for them-those receiving little for whom a little is useful, and those receiving much for whom much is useful; also that they do not themselves know what is good for them, the Lord alone knowing this, who looks in all things that He provides to what is eternal. [2] Neither are they anxious about the future; anxiety about the future they call care for the morrow, which they define as grief on account of losing or not receiving things that are not necessary for the uses of life.  With companions they never act from an evil end but from what is good, just, and sincere.  Acting from an evil end they call cunning, which they shun as the poison of a serpent, since it is wholly antagonistic to innocence.  As they love nothing so much as to be led of the Lord, attributing all things they receive to Him, they are kept apart from what is their