2250. Everything that is one's own is hard, and therefore bony
By a spiritual mental image I could also see that what is their own in people, or spirits, is not only black in appearance, but also hard, for which reason it is called bony. This is so not only because what is a person's own is merely an instrument, in which, seeing it has no vital sap, spirit and blood, everything hardens and becomes bone-like - but also because people can do nothing on their own power, so that regarded in themselves, they are like bone, having no vital sap.
Only life, which is the Lord's, causes a person to soften, and the more spiritual and heavenly life there is encompassing each and every part of the person, without and within their structure, and around the component structures (that life is outside the person, though appearing to be within)-so the less hard one is, or the less one has from oneself and the softer and more flowing one is, the more perfect one is. This is evident from the tissues that are so very soft in little children, but become hard in the elderly; and also from the innermost tissues containing nothing but what is fluid, because it is the spiritual, which in composition appears hard. 1748, 8 June.
2250. THAT ALL THE PROPRIUM OF MAN IS HARD, CONSEQUENTLY OSSEOUS.
It can also be seen by a spiritual idea that the proprium of man, hence [that] of spirits, is not only black [for] so it appears, but also hard; wherefore also is it called osseous. The reason is, not only that man's Proprium is but an organism [organicum], wherein since there is no vital juice, spirit, and blood, it hardens and becomes, as it were, osseous, but also because man can of himself [do] nothing. Wherefore in himself he is viewed as it were osseous, wherein is not of vital juice. Life, which belongs to the Lord, alone causes man to soften; and the more spiritual and celestial life diffused through each and all the things of man, without and within his structure and around the component structures [the more is this] without, although it appears within. Wherefore the less hard a man is, that is, the less he has from himself, and the softer, as said, or more fluid, so much the more perfect [is he], as may be apparent from the fibers, which in infants are very soft, but in old men are becoming hard, as well as in the inmost fibers, there is nothing but a fluid [principle], because it is the spiritual principle which in compounds appears hard. - 1748, June 8.
2250. Omne quod proprium hominis est durum, proinde osseum
Per ideam spiritualem videri quoque possit, quod proprium hominis, proinde spirituum, sit non solum nigrum, ita apparet, sed etiam durum, quare etiam vocatur osseum; causa non solum est, quod hominis proprium sit modo organicum, in quo cum non succus vitalis, spiritus et sanguis, indurescit, fit sicut osseum, sed etiam quia nihil homo ex se 1
potest, quare est in semet spectatus sicut osseus, cui nihil succi vitalis inest; vita, quae est Domini, solum facit ut mollescat homo, quoque {a} plus vitae spiritualis et coelestis, circumfusae omnia et singula hominis-extra 2
compositionem, et intra eam, et circum compositiones componentes-extra 3
est, tametsi 4
apparet 5
intra, quare quo minus durus est homo, hoc est, quo minus habet a semet, et quo mollior, ita dictum, seu fluidior, eo est perfectior, sicut ex fibris constare potest, quae in infantibus sunt mollissimae, in senibus autem indurescentes, tum in fibris intimis, nihil nisi fluidum, quia spirituale, quod in compositis apparet durum. 1748, 8 Junius.
Footnotes:
1. attactum in the Manuscript aliena manu, ut apparet
2. The Manuscript has hominis, extra
3. The Manuscript has componentes, extra
4. The Manuscript has est tametsi
5. The Manuscript has intra; quare