3025. As long as man lives, the ideas of his memory are varied, changed, diffused to [over] many objects, constrained to fewer things through persuasions; in a word, he can become better and better even till death. But it is not so with spirits. Besides it is thus with ideas, they can be diffused to many goods, so as to have other affinities, be otherwise conjoined, divided, and so contract new affinities, and so forth. - 1748, September l.
(((CONCERNING A CERTAIN ONE WHO SUPPOSED THAT HE WAS ABLE TO DO GOOD AND LOVE THE NEIGHBOR FROM HIMSELF.))) ((((I spoke with a certain one, who [was] on high to the right, at some distance, who said, that he can do good, yea [do] so from himself: but it was granted to tell him, that no one can do anything, save from will. If the will is not present, then indeed he can do apparent good: but this is immediately recognized as not belonging to the will. He said that he wished to attempt to do good, and so compel the will, then it was granted to say, that it was love, that rules the [will].))))
This page is part of 
© 2000-2001 The Academy of the New Church