1313. THAT THE LORD GOD ALONE LIVES Spirits were very indignant when I said that the Lord God alone lives, and that no man, spirit, or angel lives from himself or has life from himself, but is only an organ of life. Because the spirits cannot comprehend this I have demonstrated it in various ways: (1) That the senses of the body or the body does not live from itself but from the spirit, neither does the spirit live from itself but from its soul, so neither does the soul live from itself but from the Lord. (2) Further, that man supposes no otherwise than that his body lives, and yet the souls after death, or spirits, with whom I have conversed are still living even though their body is lacking, a fact they had not believed in their lifetime. Also, that a soul supposes that he lives from the corporeal things in which alone he places life, when yet souls know that the corporeal life of the soul can be removed and they can still live in an interior life in a similar manner. This was shown before their very eyes so that it is not denied. (3) In what way did they want to conceive of the life of a man or spirit? In any other manner than as a form or organ? As a vital flame dwelling within and kindling life? Since no one can conceive of these things in spiritual sight they could not but agree. Whatever men may say to the contrary as that life is from life, thus something separate is nothing but words. (4) Thus, also, the better spirits live a more interior life than recently arrived souls; the angels of the interior heaven a life still more interior, having laid to the side their former life; the angels of the more interior heaven, having laid to the side the interior life, lead a more interior life of which the lower angels can have no conception, but which all the higher angels well understand. 1748, Mar. 12. None of them can now say a word; they are silent.