116. Evils in the external man cannot be removed except through man's instrumentality, because it is of the Divine Providence of the Lord that whatever a man hears, sees, thinks, wills, says and does should appear to be entirely as his own. It was shown above (n. 71-95, and following numbers), that without this appearance there would be with man no reception of Divine Truth, no determination towards doing good, no appropriation of love and wisdom and of charity and faith, and no conjunction thereby with the Lord, and consequently no reformation and regeneration and thus no salvation. It is clear that without this appearance there can be neither repentance from sins nor even faith. It is also clear that without this appearance a man is not a man, but a being devoid of rational life like a beast. Let anyone who will, consult his reason as to whether it does not appear that a man thinks from himself about good and truth, spiritual as well as moral and civil. Let him then accept this tenet of doctrine that everything that is good and true is from the Lord and nothing from man. He will then acknowledge this as a consequence, that a man ought to do good and think truth as of himself, but yet should acknowledge that he does these things from the Lord, and that a man should remove evils as of himself but yet should acknowledge that he does so from the Lord.