that an evil life can in
no way be converted into a good life, or an infernal life into an
angelic life, for every spirit from head to heel is such as his love
is, and therefore such as his life is; and to convert his life into
its opposite is to destroy the spirit completely. The angels declare
that it would be easier to change a night-owl into a dove, or a
horned-owl into a bird of paradise, than to change an infernal spirit
into an angel of heaven. That man after death continues to be such as
his life had been in the world can be seen above in its own chapter
(n. 470-484). From all this it is evident that no one can be received
into heaven from mercy apart from means.

528. LV. IT IS NOT SO DIFFICULT TO LIVE THE LIFE THAT LEADS TO HEAVEN
AS IS BELIEVED.

There are some who believe that to live the life that leads to
heaven, which is called the spiritual life, is difficult, because
they have been told that man must renounce the world, must divest
himself of the lusts called the lusts of the body and the flesh, and
must live spiritually; and they understand this to mean that they
must discard worldly things, which consist chiefly in riches and
honors; that they must walk continually in pious meditation on God,
salvation, and eternal life; and must spend their life in prayers and
in reading the Word and pious books. Such is their idea of renouncing
the world, and living in the spirit and not in the flesh. But that
this is not at all true it has been given me to know by much
experience and from conversation with the angels. I have learned, in
fact, that those who renounce the world and live in the spirit in
this manner acquire a sorrowful life that is not receptive of
heavenly joy, since everyone's life continues the same after death.
On the contrary, to receive the life of heaven a man must needs live
in the world and engage in its business and employments, and by means
of a moral and civil life there receive the spiritual life. In no
other way can the spiritual life be formed in man, or his spirit
prepared for heaven; for to live an internal life and not at the same
time an external life is like dwelling in a house that has no
foundation, that gradually sinks or becomes cracked and rent asunder,
or totters till it falls.

529. When the life of man is scanned and explored by rational insight
it is found to be threefold, namely, spiritual, moral, and civil,
with these three lives distinct from each other. For t