imals while they are worms, and of his heavenly
state in the same when they become butterflies? whereas those who
confirm themselves in favor of nature, see indeed such things; but as
they have rejected from their minds all thought of man's heavenly state,
they call them mere instincts of nature.

419. "Again, everyone may confirm himself in favor of the Divine from
what is visible in nature, while he attends to the discoveries made
respecting bees,--how they have the art to gather wax and suck honey
from herbs and flowers, and build cells like small houses, and arrange
them into the form of a city with streets, through which they come in
and go out; and how they can smell flowers and herbs at a distance, from
which they may collect wax for their home and honey for their food; and
how, when laden with these treasures, they can trace their way back in a
right direction to their hive; thus they provide for themselves food and
habitation against the approaching winter, as if they were acquainted
with and foresaw its coming. They also set over themselves a mistress as
a queen, to be the parent of a future race, and for her they build as it
were a palace in an elevated situation, and appoint guards about her;
and when the time comes for her to become a mother, she goes from cell
to cell and lays her eggs, which her attendants cover with a sort of
ointment to prevent their receiving injury from the air; hence arises a
new generation, which, when old enough to provide in like manner for
itself, is driven out from home; and when driven out, it flies forth to
seek a new habitation, not however till it has first collected itself
into a swarm to prevent dissociation. About autumn also the useless
drones are brought forth and deprived of their wings, lest they should
return and consume the provision which they had taken no pains to
collect; not to mention many other circumstances; from which it may
appear evident, that on account of the use which they afford to mankind,
they have by influx from the spiritual world a form of government, such
as prevails among men in the world, yea, among angels in the heavens.
What man of uncorrupted reason does not see that such instincts are not
communicated to bees from the natural world? What has the sun, in which
nature originates, in common with a form of government which vies with
and is similar to a heavenly one? From these and similar circumstances
respecting brute animals, the confessor and