2589. THAT NO MERCY OR INNOCENCE CAN BELONG TO MAN. Since man is such that he is nothing but self-love and love of the world, thus from his least to his greatest principle is self-love and world-love, hence hatred of the neighbor and of the Lord, which necessarily flows from love of self and of the world, he can by no means be otherwise than unmerciful, and nothing but mercilessness, and what is contrary to innocence; wherefore mercy and innocence must come and inflow from an origin which is elsewhere, and from whence is there any other fountain than the Divine one, or [that which springs] from the Lord, who is Mercy and Innocence Itself. This it was granted to see into, more fully [melius] by a spiritual idea. - 1748, July 13.