1139. About spirits who do not want to hear and open their minds to the inward and very inward content of the Word
There are spirits who are good except for the fact, due to which they cannot yet be let into heaven, that they do not want to hear, or open their minds to, the inward and more inward contents of the Word. Consequently, they have thought evilly against me, and given them a wrong interpretation.
They who do not assent to inward things cannot learn about the inward and more inward person [in us], because they do not know that inward things exist, much less very inward things, such as regard the works of faith done in obedience to the Word. They call those works good that are done by the good, from a good heart. But if it is said that good works ought to be works of charity, and charity is from compassion, and thus from the Lord the Savior, they admit to this, but have not thought about it very deeply. Therefore, those who are such and do not let these things enter, cannot as yet be let into the inward heaven by the road of spiritual knowledge.
1139. CONCERNING SPIRITS WHO ARE NOT WILLING TO HEAR AND ADMIT THE INTERIOR AND MORE INTERIOR THINGS OF THE WORD
There are spirits who, although they are good, cannot as yet be admitted into heaven because they are not willing to hear and to admit the interior and more interior things of the Word; on this account they have thought evilly against me, and have interpreted everything as evil. For they who do not assent to interior things cannot learn the things which are of the interior and more interior man, since they do not know that there are interior, still less more interior things, such as those that concern the works of faith done from obedience to the Word. They call those things good which are done by the good, and are done from a good heart. But if it be said that good works ought to be works of charity, and that charity is of mercy and thus of the Lord the Savior, they grant it, but they have not thought so profoundly. Therefore, those who are of such a nature that they do not admit these things cannot as yet be introduced into the interior heaven by the way of cognitions.
1139. De spiritibus qui non interiora ac intimiora Verbi volunt audire et admittere
Sunt spiritus, qui praeterea sunt boni, nec ideo admitti adhuc in coelum possunt, quia interiora ac intimiora Verbi non audire volunt, nec admittere, qui propterea contra me male cogitarunt, ac interpretati sunt in malum, nam qui non approbant interiora, non discere possunt ea quae sunt interioris ac intimioris hominis, nesciunt enim quod interrora dari 1
, minus quod intimiora, sicut quod opera fidei concernit, ex obedientia Verbi, dicunt ea bona, quae fiunt bonis, et a bono corde, sed si dicatur, quod bona opera esse debeant opera charitatis, et charitas misericordiae, et sic Domini Salvatoris, admittunt, sed tam profunde non cogitarunt, ideo qui tales sunt, ut haec non admittunt, non adhuc per viam cognitionum in coelum interius introduci possunt.
Footnotes:
1. sic manuscript; vide praefationem hujus editionis sub capite "Idiosyncrasies"