AC 2447 - The Rules of the Laws of Order

AC 2447 [2-4]

All order is from Jehovah, that is, from the Lord,
and according to this order are all things directed by Him
both in general and in particular,
but in many different ways, that is to say,
from Will, from Good-pleasure,
from Leave, and from Permission.
The things that are from His will and good-pleasure
are from the laws of order as to good,
and so also are many of those which are from leave,
and some of those which are from permission.
But when a person separates himself from good
he casts himself into the rule of the laws of order
that are of truth separated from good,
which are such that they condemn;
for all truth condemns a person
and casts him down into hell;
whereas the Lord from good, that is, from mercy,
saves him, and uplifts him into heaven.
From this we see that it is person himself
who condemns himself.

The things done from permission
are mostly of this nature, as for example,
that one devil punishes and torments another;
and innumerable other things of this kind.
These things are from the laws of order
as to truth separated from good;
for the devils could not otherwise be held in bonds,
and withheld from rushing upon
all the well disposed and good,
and eternally destroying them.
It is the prevention of this
which is the good the Lord has in view.
The case here is similar to that which exists on earth,
This is similar to what happens on earth
where a benign and compassionate ruler exists
who intends and does nothing but good.
If he did not allow his laws
to punish evil and criminal persons -
though he himself punishes nobody
but instead grieves that those people are such
that their evils must punish them -
he would leave his kingdom itself
open to plunder by such people;
and this would be a manifestation
of a complete lack of  rigor and of unmercifulness.

This shows that Jehovah
in no wise caused it to rain brimstone and fire,
that is in no wise condemned to hell;
but that the people themselves
who were in evil and consequently in falsity did this,
because they had separated themselves from good,
and so had cast themselves
into the rule of the laws of order
that come from truth alone.