5058. There was also a certain person who in the world had been a man of position, and who was then known to me, although not as to his inner quality; but in the other life, after some revolvings of the state of his life, it became evident that he was deceitful. When he had been for some time among the deceitful in the other life, and had suffered hard things there, he desired to be separated from them. I heard him then saying that he desired to come into heaven; and he too had believed that reception is of mere mercy. But he was told that if he got there he could not stay there, and that he would be tormented like those who in the world are in the death agony. Nevertheless he insisted, and was therefore admitted into a society consisting of the simple good who are in front above the head; but as soon as he arrived he began to act craftily and deceitfully, according to his life. The result was that within an hour the good in that society, who were simple, began to lament, saying that he took away from them their perception of good and of truth, and consequently their delight, thus destroying their state. Then some light from the interior heaven was admitted, in which he appeared as a devil, with the upper part of his nose loathsomely furrowed with a foul wound. He also began to be inwardly tortured; and when he felt this, he cast himself down into hell. From this it is plain that it is not election and reception from mercy, but the life, that makes heaven; nevertheless all things of the life of good and of the faith of truth are from mercy given to those who receive mercy in the world; and with these there is reception from mercy, and they are those who are called the "elect" (see n. 3755e, 3900).