4561. CONCERNING THOSE WHO ARE IN NATURAL GOOD AND IN NO SPIRITUAL GOOD. There was a certain one whom I supposed to be a good Christian, because he was in natural good. He likewise performed his work diligently, and was also accomplished, and at the same time exceedingly ingenious, in his craft; but I observed that if he had been able [to determine the matter], he would not be such a one. Thence I was led into the thought that his good was from no internal obligation, but only from nature and external pleasure. The quality of such people in the other life was also told and shown to me, that, [namely], they are in the greatest pollution and uncleanness, and are expressly kept away from the good; for they have done good from no religious motive, thus from no internal bond, still less from any conscience. Wherefore, in the other life, they are seduced by the evil, and adhere to them; for the evil obtain ascendancy over them, and, through them, catch the simple good, and acquire to themselves a sphere, so that they may exercise rule. The evil direct that sphere to themselves by every artifice of domineering, and those [in natural good] are the ones to whom they apply themselves, and thus work many evils. The good, however, employ no craft, but simply say that it is not good; and they do not add artifice or inspire desires and pleasures, like the evil: and, because those [first mentioned] have no internal bond, therefore the good which flows in, flows through, and, in the ultimate, is taken possession of by the evil. Hence arise pollutions. They are, also, withheld from the company of the good, because an external sphere of apparent good, inspired by the evil, operates.