2956. Spirits have no power, and their life is still happy
I was prompted to tell that to spirits, which I clearly perceived by a general spiritual mental image, as now and then previously, [namely] that they have nothing from themselves, also that that life is a happy one. Both of these points I saw by a general spiritual idea, but they were very indignant that they have no power of themselves either to think, or to speak, since they are thinking, as they perceive the matter, that they live even more than the person on earth.
I also slipped in the fact that they are unable to recall things past, or consider things future, either-thus that they are ruled by the Lord. On this account, I said their life is happy, but they were indignant. 1748, 27 Aug.
2956. THAT SPIRITS HAVE NO POWER, AND THAT YET THEIR LIFE IS HAPPY.
It was granted to tell to spirits, a thing which I plainly perceived, by a general spiritual idea, as previously at times; that they can do nothing of themselves; also, that their life is a happy [one]. I perceived both these things in a general spiritual idea. But they were highly indignant, that they of themselves can neither think nor speak, according to perception, when they supposed that they live rather than man. It was also insinuated, that they cannot remember the past, and so cannot weigh the future; therefore, are ruled by the Lord. Wherefore I said their life is a happy one, but they were indignant. - 1748, August 27.
2956. Quod spiritus nihil potentiae habeant, et quod vita usque eorum felix sit
Dicere dabatur spiritibus illud, quod manifeste percepi, per ideam communem spiritualem, sicut prius passim, quod nihil ex semet possint, tum quod vita ista felix sit, utrumque percepi idea communi spirituali, sed indignati valde, quod non ex semet possint, nec cogitare, nec loqui, secundum perceptionem, cum ii [essent] putantes [se] vivere magis quam homo; insinuando quoque, quod praeteritorum recordari nequeant, nec sic futura expendere, ita [eos] regi a Domino, quare felicem eorum vitam esse dicebam, sed indignati. 1748, 27 Aug.