alike doing good to others, attending public worship, hearing sermons, and praying; and wholly ignorant that external deeds and external acts of worship are of no avail, but only the internals from which the externals proceed.  There is hardly one out of thousands who knows what internals are, and that it is in them that man must find heaven and the church.  Still less is it known that outward acts are such as the intentions and thoughts are, and the love and faith in these from which they spring.  And even when taught they fail to comprehend that thinking and willing are of any avail, but only speaking and acting.  Such for the most part are those that go at this day from the Christian world into the other life.

496.  Such, however, are explored by good spirits to discover what they are, and this in various ways; since in this the first state the evil equally with the good utter truths and do good acts, and for the reason mentioned above, that like the good they have lived morally in outward respects, since they have lived under governments, and subject to laws, and have thereby acquired a reputation for justice and honesty, and have gained favor, and thus been raised to honors, and have acquired wealth.  But evil spirits are distinguished from good spirits chiefly by this, that the evil give eager attention to whatever is said about external things, and but little attention to what is said about internal things, which are the truths and goods of the church and of heaven.  These they listen to, but not with attention and joy.  The two classes are also distinguished by their turning repeatedly in specific directions, and following, when left to themselves, the paths that lead in those directions.  From such turning to certain quarters and going in certain ways it is known by what love they are led.

497.  All spirits that arrive from the world are connected with some society in heaven or some society in hell, and yet only as regards their interiors; and so long as they are in exteriors their interiors are manifested to no one, for externals cover and conceal internals, especially in the case of those who are in interior evil.  But afterwards, when they come into the second state, their evils become manifest, because their interiors are then opened and their exteriors laid asleep.

498.  This first state of man after death continues with some for days, with some for months, and with some for a year; but seldom with any one beyond a year; for a shorter or longer time with each one according to the agreement or disagreement of his interiors with his exteriors.  For with everyone the exteriors and interior must make one and correspond.  In the spiritual world no one is permitted to think and will in one way and speak and act in another.  Everyone there must be an image of his own affection or his own love, and therefore such as he is inwardly such he must be outwardly; and for this reason a spirit’s exteriors are first disclosed and reduced to order that they may serve the interiors as a corresponding plane.