earth. Thereafter, man is elevated by the reception of love and wisdom
from the Lord; and for this reception of love and wisdom, all means are
provided; and he has been so made as to be able to receive, if he will.
From what has now been said it can be seen, though as yet only in a
general manner, that the end of creation takes form [existat] in outmost
things; which end is, that all things may return to the Creator, and that
there may be conjunction.

172. That these three, end, cause, and effect, are in each and every
thing created, can also be seen from this, that all effects, which are
called last ends, become anew first ends in uninterrupted succession
from the First, who is the Lord the Creator, even to the last end, which
is the conjunction of man with Him. That all last ends become anew first
ends is plain from this, that there can be nothing so inert and dead as
to have no efficient power in it. Even out of sand there is such an
exhalation as gives aid in producing, and therefore in effecting something.

173. PART THIRD.

IN THE SPIRITUAL WORLD THERE ARE ATMOSPHERES, WATERS AND LANDS, JUST AS
IN THE NATURAL WORLD; ONLY THE FORMER ARE SPIRITUAL, WHILE THE LATTER ARE
NATURAL.

It has been said in the preceding pages, and shown in the work Heaven
and Hell, that the spiritual world is like the natural world, with the
difference only that each and every thing of the spiritual world is
spiritual, and each and every thing of the natural world is natural. As
these two worlds are alike, there are in both, atmospheres, waters, and
lands, which are the generals through and from which each and all things
take their form [existunt] with infinite variety.