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Arcana Coelestia
5846. Of the angels and spirits with man.
The influx from the spiritual world into man is in general of such a nature that man cannot think or will anything of himself, but everything flows in; good and truth from the Lord through heaven, thus through the angels who are with the man; evil and falsity from hell, thus through the evil spirits who are with the man; and this into the man’s thought and will. This I know will appear a very great paradox because it is contrary to the appearance; but experience itself shall declare how the matter stands.
5847. No man, spirit, or angel ever has any life from himself, thus neither can he think and will from himself; because in thinking and willing is the life of man, and speaking and acting is the life thence derived. For there is one only life, that of the Lord, which flows into all, but is variously received, and indeed according to the quality which a man has induced on his soul by his life. Hence with the evil, goods and truths are turned into evils and falsities, but with the good they are received-goods as goods, and truths as truths. This may be compared to the light of the sun flowing into objects, which is modified and varied in them diversely according to the form of the parts, and thus is turned into colors, some sad and some cheerful. While a man lives in the world he induces a form on the purest substances of his interiors, so that it may be said that he forms his soul, that is, its quality; and according to this form is received the life of the Lord, which is the life of His love toward the universal human race. (That there is one only life, and that men, spirits, and angels are recipients of life, see n. 1954, 2021, 2706, 2886-2889, 2893, 3001, 3318, 3337, 3338, 3484, 3741-3743, 4151, 4249, 4318-4320, 4417, 4524, 4882)
Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments offered in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to keep the focus on understanding the Text in terms of its application to the inner life along with reinforcing any key LP principles that have been highlighted in the exchanges.
Using the “in me tool,”
“I am the character I have given my soul through the life I have lead. I am providing an outward form for the most pure substances that constitute my interiors, I am bringing form to my own soul that is fashioning it’s character. This form determines how the Lord‘s life is received by me.“
I’m not sure about this. I wonder if I am missing the point.
oooooo Dianna- that reads so beautifully when you read the “I am” bits in what you just wrote, as the Lord doing it for you but giving you a sense of self in it all. And that outward form is the natural mind that is coming into it’s order .. so that you can have awareness of what He is in you , as He is received and hence experience the soul He has fashioned for you …. makes me think that the natural exterior mind when ordered is really what allows us to see Him and know that he… Read more »
Thank you David. This is a powerful message. The challenge of “what will I DO with it?” is a mighty one. The idea of giving up my sense of self seems like an impossible task. But it is THE task!
Right now I am thinking of Psalm 121: “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.”