successively in man; also, that the natural degree is first opened;
afterwards, if man flees from evil as sins and looks to the Lord, the
spiritual degree is opened; and lastly, the celestial. Since these
degrees are opened successively according to man's life, it follows that
the two higher degrees may remain unopened, and man then continues in
the natural degree, which is the outmost. Moreover, it is known in the
world that there is a natural and a spiritual man, or an external and an
internal man; but it is not known that a natural man becomes spiritual
by the opening of some higher degree in him, and that such opening is
effected by a spiritual life, which is a life conformed to the Divine
precepts; and that without a life conformed to these man remains natural.

249. There are three kinds of natural men; the first consists of those
who know nothing of the Divine precepts; the second, of those who know
that there are such precepts, but give no thought to a life according to
them; and the third, of those who despise and deny these precepts. In
respect to the first class, which consists of those who know nothing of
the Divine precepts, since they cannot be taught by themselves they must
needs remain natural. Every man is taught respecting the Divine precepts,
not by immediate revelations, but by others who know them from religion,
on which subject see The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Concerning the
Sacred Scriptures (n. 114-118). Those of the second class, who know that
there are Divine precepts but give no thought to a life according to
them, also remain natural, and care about no other concerns than those
of the world and the body. These after death become mere menials and
servants, according to the uses which they are able to perform for those
who are spiritual; for the natural man is a menial and servant, and the
spiritual man is a master and lord. Those of the third class, who despise
and deny the Divine precepts, not only remain natural, but also become
sensual in the measure of their contempt and denial. Sensual men are the