1624. Furthermore, when I took the Word only literally, there were closings, as it were, to the understanding of inward matters. So, in those who cling to the literal meanings of the Word, the brains are hardened, and cut off, so that the way is not open to the inward meaning, still less to the very inward meaning. In this way a crust develops, glued together out of outer bodily and sensual elements. It is different when the way lies open to the sensation of inward elements, the way to the spirit. This way is opened by the Lord Alone. When the mind clings to the literal meaning, and does not go beyond it, another thing that happens is that when people on their own power open the way to inward regions, there are stumbling blocks one after another, as I can confirm from much experience.
But such people do not realize what it means to open the way to inward regions on their own power, because they think it cannot happen in any other way. So one who is not led by the Lord can never see, thus never believe, this and similar truths. This is quite evident from the case of spirits, who do not see this either. 1748, 21 March. Some of them know it but do not like to know it, namely, those who are given to know it from actual experience, then let back [into their normal state of mind]. When they are let back into this state, they know that it is so, but do not understand it.
1624. Moreover, when I apprehended only the literal sense of the Word, there was a closing up, as it were, of the way to the understanding of interior things. Accordingly those who inhere only in the literal sense of the Word have the brain hardened and [its functions] so clogged that the way is not opened to an interior [interiori], much less to a more interior [intimiori] sense, and in this way a kind of crust or shell is induced, which is conglutinated from the corporeal or sensual things of the external man. The case is otherwise when a way is opened to the sense of interiors, or to the spirit, which way is opened by the Lord alone. While the mind dwells in the literal sense without penetrating beyond, then if it attempt to open a way from itself to interiors, continual scandals are present, which I am able to confirm from abundant experience. But such a man does not perceive what is implied in his opening a way to interiors, for he supposes that this is the only way in which it can be done; and accordingly he who is not led by the Lord can by no means perceive this and similar things, and therefore cannot believe it; which may appear from the case of spirits who lack that kind of perception. - 1748, March 21. Some of them know, but yet are unwilling to know, those, namely, to whom it was given by a lively experience to know the fact mentioned, and who were afterwards remitted [into another state]; when in this state of remission they have a kind of knowledge how the fact is, but they do not perceive it.
1624. Praeterea, quando solum sensum literalem Verbi cepi, tunc erant clausa quasi ad interiorum intellectum; ita qui modo haerent in sensu literali Verbi, indurantur cerebra, et finiuntur, ita ut non pateat via sensui interiori, minus intimiori, ita crusta inducitur, quae ex corporeis seu sensualibus externis conglutinatur, aliter cum via patet ad interiorum sensum, seu ad spiritum; quae via a Solo Domino aperitur; dum animus haeret in sensu literali, nec ultra, tunc quoque, dum aperit is viam ex semet ad interiora, continua scandala 1
adsunt; quod ab experientia multa, confirmare possum; sed talis homo non percipit, quid hoc sit, quod is aperiat viam ad interiora, quia putat id non aliter fieri posse, quare qui non ducitur a Domino, id ac similia nequaquam percipere potest, ita nec credere; quod satis constare potest a spiritibus, qui id nec percipiunt. 1748, 21 Martius. Quidam eorum sciunt, sed non volunt scire; quibus nempe per experientiam vivam id scire datum est, ac dein remissi, in quo statu, nempe dum remissi, id sciunt, quod tale sit, sed non percipiunt.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has scandula