2184. Continuation about a spiritual mental image
There were certain spirits who were skeptical about whether there are spiritual mental images that could enable them to see and understand many, many things, and more than they thought possible. They were raised up into a slightly higher region, and they were allowed to see many things in the least images of my thought, so that they saw causes by a spiritual mental image, and many things that they had never thought possible. These were brought forward as if they were objects that were something, and they were extremely amazed, declaring that by a spiritual mental image, they were looking at more things than anyone would ever believe.
Thus they saw what was in my mental imagery, what understanding there was, what there was coming from feeling, and what kind of understanding-that is, whether what was being thought came forth from intellect, or from affection, and which affection. And they saw how the one works together with the other, and therefore, what mental belief can accomplish, when it is truth that is believed, and more such details.
They also saw that mental belief likewise streams in from the Lord through heaven, and that a person cannot possibly take hold of belief, or any part of faith, but that it is given by the Lord Alone.
Indeed, I also realized by a spiritual mental image that we cannot possibly make our own way into the heavens by means of mental belief. Before it could ever happen that we reached into heaven by our own power, our mental world would be ruptured. The Lord Alone causes a conviction of what is true, and an insight of what is good, which are matters of belief, to be lifted up toward heaven, and this just to the extent that pleases the Lord. 1748, 4 June.
2184. CONTINUATION CONCERNING THE SPIRITUAL IDEA.
(Certain spirits who were incredulous that spiritual ideas are given, from which may be seen and perceived very many things, and more than they supposed, were raised up to a region somewhat above, and it was granted them to see many things in the separate ideas of my thought, so that by a spiritual idea they saw causes, and more things than ever could be credited, as if some things were displayed to them [as objects] objectively. And they greatly wondered, and acknowledged that they observed in a spiritual idea more things than anyone would ever believe; for instance, what is in ideas, what is the intellectual principle, what proceeds from affection, of what quality is the intellectual principle, whether that which anyone thought proceeded only from the intellectual principle, or from affection, and from what affection, as well as how one thing [agrees] with another, thus what can be operated by intellectual faith when truth is what is believed, and many such things. Moreover that intellectual faith inflows from the Lord through heaven, and that man can by no means catch up faith or aught of true faith, but that it is the gift of the Lord alone.) Yea, a fact which I also perceived in spiritual idea, that man cannot ever by the intellectuals of faith penetrate into the heavens, and that the idea must be broken before from a man's own strength [propria vi] he can attain to heaven, and that the Lord alone causes that such things as belong to the persuasion of the true, and the perception of the good, or faith, are elevated towards heaven, and only so far as suits the Lord's good pleasure. - 1748 June 4.
2184. Continuatio de idea spirituali
Spiritus, quidam, qui increduli erant, quod ideae spirituales dentur, ex quibus permulta, et plura, quam 1
putabant, videre, et percipere possent, ii in superiorem paulo regionem sublati sunt, et dabatur iis videre plura in singulis ideis meae cogitationis, sic ut idea spirituali viderent causas, et plura, quam usquam prius credere potuerunt; sicut objecta offerebantur, quae aliqua erant, et magnopere mirati, et fassi, quod idea spirituali plura perspicerent, quam usquam aliquis credat, sic quid in ideis, quid intellectuale, quid ex affectione, quale intellectuale, num id quod cogitaret {a}, solum ex intellectuali proveniret, vel ex affectione, et qua affectione, tum quomodo unum cum altera {b}, sic quid operari possit fides intellectualis, dum veritas est, quae creditur, et plura similia. Tum quod fides intellectualis quoque a Domino per coelum influat, et quod homo nequaquam fidem ac fidei verae quicquam possit sumere, sed quod a Domino Solo datur; imo quod etiam idea spirituali percepi, quod homo non possit usquam per fidei 2
intellectualia penetrare in coelos, et quod prius idea rumperetur, quam ut pervenire posset ex propria hominis vi in coelum, sed quod Dominus Solus faciat, ut ea quae sunt persuasionis veri, et perceptionis boni, seu fidei, eleventur versus coelum, et tantum, quantum Domino beneplaceat. 1748, 4 Junius.
Footnotes:
1. in J.F.I. Tafel's edition et forte Manuscript quae
2. This is how it appears in J.F.I. Tafel's edition; the Manuscript has fi fide, quod fote prorsus delendum