5897. A SPIRIT CANNOT REFRAIN FROM DOING AS HIS LOVE DIRECTS. A certain one who was in the lust of revenge and in self-love, plotted many things for destroying those whom the Lord protected. His attempts were numerous. Other spirits afterwards spoke to him, asking why he did so. He said that he could not help it, because he was in the thought of revenge. They asked why he did not think of the consequence. He said that the lust carried away the thought of that, so that it was swept aside as it were of itself: besides many similar things. It was hence observed that he thought as he did when he had been left to himself in the world, and but that external bonds had there restrained him, he would [then] have acted similarly; for he did not now think of his position and the loss of it, for he had no recollection of that, but only of revenge and of the possibility which there was, through his being able to summon many to his assistance, and through arts, of accomplishing his purpose. This also was Jacob Benzelius.