2589. No mercy, nor innocence, can belong to mankind
Since mankind is such as to be nothing but love of self and of the world, so that in their least parts as in the greatest there is [nothing but] love of self and of the world, consequently hatred of the neighbor and of the Lord - which necessarily follows from love of self and of the world - they can by no means be other than unmerciful and nothing but mercilessness and what is contrary to innocence. Therefore mercy and innocence in their origin must come from and flow in from a different source, and where is any other spring than the Divine, or the Lord, Who Himself is Mercy and Innocence? I was given a better view of this by a spiritual mental image. 1748, 13 July.
2589. THAT NO MERCY OR INNOCENCE CAN BELONG TO MAN.
Since man is such that he is nothing but self-love and love of the world, thus from his least to his greatest principle is self-love and world-love, hence hatred of the neighbor and of the Lord, which necessarily flows from love of self and of the world, he can by no means be otherwise than unmerciful, and nothing but mercilessness, and what is contrary to innocence; wherefore mercy and innocence must come and inflow from an origin which is elsewhere, and from whence is there any other fountain than the Divine one, or [that which springs] from the Lord, who is Mercy and Innocence Itself. This it was granted to see into, more fully [melius] by a spiritual idea. - 1748, July 13.
2589. Quod nulla misericordia, nec innocentia esse possit hominis
Cum homo talis, ut nihil nisi amor sui et mundi, sic ut [in] minimis ejus sicut 1
in maximo sit amor sui et mundi, proinde odium proximi, et Domini, quod necessario sequitur ex amore sui et mundi, nequaquam aliter esse potest, quam ut immisericors sit, et nihil nisi immisericordia, et quod contrarium est innocentiae, quare misericordia et innocentia ab origine sua aliunde venire, et influere debet; et unde {a} alius fons, quam Divinus, seu Dominus 2
, Qui Ipse Misericordia et Innocentia? hoc idea spirituali 3
perspicere melius datum est. 1748, 13 Julius.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has sit sed cf. indicem ad Dominus
2. imperfectum in the Manuscript
3. This is how it appears in J.F.I. Tafel's edition; the Manuscript has spiritualia