4226. CONCERNING CONTINUAL REFLECTION, AND THE CONTINUAL PRESENCE OF THE LORD WITH THE ANGELS. CONCERNING SPHERES. It was first perceived how the case is with continual reflection, that it is not innate with man, but that it is imbued by habit from infancy, so that at length it becomes as if natural. Thus is it, for instance, as I have before remarked, with reflection upon the things that one meets with in walking, upon the motions of his body and limbs, upon his gait, into all which he is led by habit; for unless he had previously learned it, he would not even know how to walk upon his feet, and of such things there are a great many with man that are at once acquired and yet naturalized. So also is it with his speech whether vernacular or foreign; the sense falls into words, while the man does not think of it, from custom, although it is the result of previous training; so also it is with those who practice upon musical instruments. All things of the external body are thus imbued, the muscles being wonderfully taught, and also the sight and hearing. When one speaks then the sight is present, as also the hearing in various manner; especially when one speaks with a person of dignified rank, there is a sentiment of respect in every single item of his behavior which is in like manner acquired. The same thing holds likewise with the man who is regenerated, as was perceived; thus in regard to matters of conscience, conscientiousness is present in every particular of the man's thought and action, though he is not aware of it; with the pious man, piety is in everything; with the obedient, obedience; with the charitable, charity; with the conjugial, conjugial love. In all these cases the ruling principle is perpetually present [in the minutest particulars], though the man is not conscious of it. In like manner is the presence of the Lord with the celestial angels; they do not know it, still it is the Lord's presence. Consequently when it is said that the Lord is continually to be thought of, this that I have now described is what is meant by it; not that man is to hold his thoughts perpetually and sensibly on that one theme, which may, however, be done in the outset [and be persisted in] until such a habit of unconscious continuity is acquired. - 1749, April 17. Hence, I now perceive, are the spheres of faith.