2012. One learns this even better in the case of spirits, because [in the spiritual world] communications take place by spiritual methods, so that one can find out their feelings, and the effects these have on them. Spiritual mental images enable one to look into those feelings, so to speak, and to perceive them.
Certain spirits had been angry, and when their anger was covertly removed by a spiritual method, yet there still remained an element of indignation that this had been done and they could not grow angry. Then, by a spiritual method, a little blandishment of their [self-]love was slipped in, a little praise, upon which their angry state of mind was bent into agreeableness, and that anger withdrew.
From this case one may infer how, in other respects, the Lord does not break man's longings [Is. 42:3], but bends them, and even at times permits a person to be led along by strong desires that are nevertheless, in a wonderful manner, eventually bent to what is good. 1748, 20 May.
2012[a]. Evil is ascribed to the Lord
Nothing is more common in the Word than that evil such as anger, vengeance, and the like, are ascribed to Jehovah, when yet this is not at all the reality. But the reason for this is that when a person does not know anything beyond the fact that Jehovah rules the universe, not knowing how He permits evils, and countless other such matters, then from this simple, very general and vague idea nothing else follows than the thought that Jehovah does do evil, as we read in many passages of the Word.
2012. This is still better known among spirits, inasmuch as communications are made by spiritual methods, so that affections and their effects may be [more fully] understood. This is done by means of their intuitions, and at the same time of their perceptions; and of the same character are their spiritual ideas. Certain spirits were indignant when their anger was suddenly snatched from them in a spiritual way; still the indignation excited by the act remained, though they could not be enraged. There was then insinuated something that flattered their self-love, as of praise, administered in a spiritual way, when their resentment was bent into concord, so that the anger would recede. Hence conclusions may be drawn as to other things as, for instance, how it is that the Lord bends without breaking the cupidities of men; as also, that man is sometimes permitted to be led by his concupiscences, while yet they are bent in a wonderful manner to good.-1748, May 20.
2012 1/2. THAT EVIL IS ATTRIBUTED TO THE LORD.
Nothing is more common in the Word than the ascribing of evil, wrath, vengeance, and the like to Jehovah, when yet nothing is farther from being the case. The reason is, that as man does not know more than that the Lord rules the universe, so he is of course ignorant how it is that He permits evils, and indefinite things of a like kind; wherefore, from this simple, most general, and most obscure idea, the obvious result is the idea that the Lord does evil, as is read in a multitude of places in the Word.
2012. Hoc apud spiritus adhuc melius potest sciri, quia modis spiritualibus communicationes fiunt, sic ut sciantur affectiones et affectionum effectus, sunt quasi intuitiones earum 1
, et simul perceptiones, tales sunt ideae spirituales; quidam spiritus indignati, cumque iis surriperetur, per modum spiritualem, iracundia, usque remanebat id, quod indignarentur, quod id factum, et non possent irasci; tunc insinuabatur aliquid quod adblandiretur eorum amori, sicut laudis, per modum spiritualem, tunc iracundia ista flectebatur, in consensum, sic ut ira ista recederet, inde ad caetera concludi potest, quomodo se habet, quod Dominus non frangat hominis cupiditates, sed flectat, tum, quod permittatur homini quandoque a concupiscentiis suis duci, usque tandem 2
flectuntur mirabiliter in bonum. 1748, 20 Maj.
Quod tribuatur Domino malum
2012a. Nihil communius est in Verbo, quam quod malum, sicut ira, vindicta, et similia tribuantur Jehovae, cum tamen res se nequaquam ita habet: sed causa est, quum homo non plus scit, quam quod Jehovah regat universum, sic non, quomodo permittit mala, et indefinita talia, tunc ex simplici, communissima, et obscurissima tali idea, nihil aliud resultat, quam quod etiam Jehovah faciat malum, sicut multis in locis in Verbo legitur.
Footnotes:
1. in J.F.I. Tafel's edition eorum
2. The Manuscript has tanem; in J.F.I. Tafel's edition tamen