1907. About the will
I noticed something in myself that can illustrate what the will is. The spirits around me were not in agreement-as I was allowed to find out-about which way I should walk, whether I should go ahead, or turn back. This affected my will, as I went on, not only with a resistance, but even with the kind of burdensome difficulty in going on that is apt to cause fatigue. But as I was enabled to see by actual experience, as soon as they agreed that I should go ahead, there was a quickening in walking that made my steps easy.
Then I also saw that when spirits are granted leave to do so, they were able to guide me at their will to wherever they wanted, to lighten my steps to ease my progress, even on steeper stretches-it was as if I were carried up by them, something that has happened several times before. 1748, 8 May.
1907. CONCERNING THE WILL.
I perceived within myself something that may serve to illustrate the working of the will. The spirits around me disagreed as to which way I should go, whether forwards or backwards, which it was given me to know; thence the affection of the will, when I would advance, was not only a resistance, but even a kind of grave difficulty in the way of my progress, such as is apt to produce fatigue. As soon, however, as they agreed that I should go forward, there was an alacrity in the motion, so that my steps were entirely easy, which it was given me to perceive by living experience. Moreover, when leave was granted to spirits of leading me by their will whithersoever they pleased, they would lighten my steps, so as to make the progress easy; and in passing over steep places, I would be, as it were, lifted up by them, which has hitherto happened to me in repeated instances. - 1748, May 8.
1907. De voluntate
In me percepi aliquid, quo illustrari potest, qualis voluntas, spiritus circum me, non concordabant, qua via irem, num progrederer, vel reverterer, quod scire mihi dabatur; inde affectio voluntatis, cum progrederer, non solum renisus erat, sed etiam quasi difficultas gravis procedendi, quae solet fatigare; utprimum ii concordabant, quod progrederer, tunc alacritas eundi erat, sic ut facilis gressus, quod mihi experientia viva dabatur percipere; praeter, cum permittitur aut datur venia, quod spiritus per eorum voluntatem ducere me potuerint, quocunque vellent, allevare gressus, ut facilis progressio, etiam per decliviora, ita quasi sublatus ab iis, quod antea factum aliquoties. 1748, 8 Maj.