158. Since the sun of the natural world is pure fire and thus dead, therefore the heat proceeding from it is also dead, as the light proceeding from it is dead. Similarly the atmospheres which are called ether and air, and receive in their bosom and carry down the heat and light of that sun, are dead. Since these are dead, so each and all things of the earth which lie beneath and are called soils are dead. But yet each and all of these things are encompassed by spiritual things which proceed and flow forth from the Sun of the spiritual world. Unless they were so encompassed, the soils could not have been actuated and have produced forms of uses, which are vegetables, nor forms of life which are animals; nor could they have furnished matters by which man comes into, and remains in existence.