277. The innocence of childhood or of little children is not genuine innocence, for it is innocence not in internal, but only in external form. Nevertheless, one may learn from it what innocence is. For it shines forth from the faces of children and from some of their movements and from their earliest speech, and affects those about them. It can be seen that children have no internal thought, for they do not yet know what is good and what is evil, or what is true and what is false, of which such thought consists. [2] Consequently, they have no prudence from their proprium, no purpose or deliberation, thus no intention of an evil nature. They have no proprium acquired from love of self and the world. They do not attribute anything to themselves, regarding all as received from their parents. They are content with the few insignificant things presented to them, and delight in them. They have no anxiety about food and clothing, and none about the future. They do not look to the world and covet many things from it. They love their parents and nurses and their child companions with whom they play in innocence. They suffer themselves to be led, they give heed and obey. [3] Being in this state they receive all things with their life. Therefore, without knowing why, they acquire becoming manners, learn to talk, and have the beginning of memory and thought, their state of innocence serving as a medium whereby these things are received and implanted. But this innocence, as stated above, is external, because it belongs to the body alone, and not to the mind (mens);# for their minds are not yet formed, the mind being understanding and will, and thought and affection therefrom. [4] I have been told from heaven that little children are especially under the Lord's care, and that they receive influx from the inmost heaven, where there is a state of innocence, and that this influx passes through their interiors, and that in its passing through, their interiors are affected solely by the innocence. It is because of this that innocence is shown in their faces and in some of their movements and becomes evident. Also, it is this innocence by which parents are inmostly affected, and that gives rise to the love that is called natural affection (storge). # The innocence of little children is not true innocence, but true innocence dwells in wisdom (n. 1616, 2305, 2306, 3494, 4563, 4797, 5608, 9301, 10021). The good of childhood is not spiritual good, but it becomes such by the implantation of truth (n. 3504). Nevertheless, the good of childhood is a medium whereby intelligence is implanted (n. 1616, 3183, 9301, 10110). Without the good of innocence in childhood man would be a brute. (n. 3494). Whatever the mind is imbued with in childhood appears natural (n. 3494).