nto the husband against the attempts
of the violating harlot, which is like grief weeping, and moving the
conscience.

* * * * *

380. To the above I shall add two MEMORABLE RELATIONS. I was once in
much amazement at the great multitude of men who ascribe creation, and
consequently whatever is under the sun and above it, to nature;
expressing the real sentiments of their hearts as to the visible things
of the world, by this question, "What are these but the works of
nature?" And when they are asked why they ascribe them to nature and not
to God, when nevertheless they occasionally join in the general
confession, that God has created nature, and therefore they might as
well ascribe creation to God as to nature, they return for answer, with
an internal tone of voice, which is scarcely audible, "What is God but
nature?" From this persuasion concerning nature as the creator of the
universe, and from this folly which has to them the semblance of wisdom,
all such persons appear so full of their own importance, that they
regard all those who acknowledge the creation of the universe to be from
God, as so many ants which creep along the ground and tread in a beaten
path, and in some cases as butterflies which fly in the air; ridiculing
their opinions as dreams because they see what they do not see, and
deciding all by the question, "Who has seen God, and who has not seen
nature?" While I was thus amazed at the great multitude of such persons,
there stood near me an angel, who asked me, "What is the subject of your
meditation?" I replied, "It is concerning the great multitude of such as
believe that nature created the universe." The angel then said to me,
"All hell consists of such persons, who are there called satans and
devils; satans, if they have confirmed themselves in favor of nature to
the denial of God, and devils, if they have lived wickedly, and thereby
rejected all acknowledgement of God from their hearts; but I will lead
you to the _gymnasia_, which are in the south-west, where such persons
dwell, having not yet departed to their infernal abodes." He took me by
the hand and led me there. I saw some small houses, in which were
apartments for the studious, and in the midst of them one which served
as a principal hall to the rest. It was constructed of a pitchy kind of
stone, covered with a sort of glazed plates, that seemed to sparkle with
gold and silver, like the stones called _Glades M