891[a.]* HE WHO IS LED BY THE LORD PERCEIVES IN THE SINGLE THINGS HE DOES WHETHER IT IS A PERMISSION, WHETHER IT IS GIVEN BY LEAVE, AND WHETHER IT IS WELL PLEASING: IN A WORD, WHETHER IT IS THUS TO BE DONE With those who are led by the Lord there is a certain interior perception or observance as to those things which are to be done, especially in the doing of them. This is so manifest to those led by the Lord that in the single things they do there is nothing but what is either from the Lord's good pleasure, or from leave, or from permission. These are distinct in themselves, and can also be distinctly perceived. But this cannot be understood by a man unless he is such; others, howsoever these things are described with their circumstances, still do not believe them because they do not understand, even as spirits who are intellectual enough still cannot be persuaded that it is so. Those who know, and who have no desire to think from themselves, and so are in the way of truth, acquire such a perception. The reason that others cannot believe is principally because they suppose that they would thus be entirely deprived of their liberty of doing, as also of thinking, which they love; they suppose that thus they would be as if dead. I said to them that they then live, because to live from one's self is rather death, there being nothing of good from the proprium. Wherefore no one ought to wonder if any one say that he perceives what should be done, for this is the truth, and this is of faith. 1748, Feb. 20. * In the manuscript the number 891 is repeated here and 892 does not occur. It is left unchanged on account of references in the Index.