3024. As a result, since there are many spirits, or spirits of diverse character, one spirit, or one kind, takes whatever is in the idea that agrees with him, another kind something else, in fact another kind something far from it that I know from experience is dependent upon it-such as those who saw excrements and nothing else [2843, 2850-2853, 2901], who strive for nothing else but to learn magic from it and [want to turn] all good into evil [2743].
3024. 1/2. The more that ideas have been closed by a person, so that only one thing is being looked at (which results from conviction, from desire, from regarding oneself and worldly things, for so they are closed by the person), the less dangerous it is. For then the ideas of spirits cannot spread around to many things and the person thus be flooded with evils, beyond those which the person had acquired.
But for one who has faith, it is all the better the less the ideas are fixed on one thing, but may be applied to every single movement. That is, the more fluidity, if I may say so, there is in a person, and the less stubbornness and hardness, the more easily such a one is bent by the Lord to whatever pleases Him, and to goodness. 1748, 1 Sept.
3024. Hence it flows, since there are many spirits, or spirits of different disposition, that one [spirit] or one genus, snatches up in the idea this that accords with itself: another genus, that: yea another genus what is distant thence, and because from its experience [it also knows] that it depends thereon, just as is the case with those who have seen excrements and nothing else, who aim at nothing but to learn magic thence, and [turn] every good into evil.
3024 1/2. The more that ideas are closed from man, so that he only looks at one thing, as occurs, from persuasion [and] from cupidity, from his regarding himself and worldly things [for] thus are [ideas] closed from man, the less the danger: for then the ideas of spirits cannot be diffused to [over] many things, and so infuse in man evils in addition to what man has required to himself. But [with him] who is in faith, the less that ideas are determined to one thing, so as to be applicable to each point [momentum]: that is, the more fluid, as I may say, is it with man, the better it is: and the less persistent and hard, the more easily is he bent by the Lord to all things which please the Lord, and to good. - 1748, September 1.
3024. Inde fluit, cum spiritus plures sint, seu spiritus diversae indolis, quod unus seu unum genus arripiat hoc in idea, quod sibi congruit, aliud genus aliud, imo aliud genus quod distat 1
inde, et quod experientia scio etiam quod dependet ab eo; sicut qui viderunt excrementa et non alia [2843, 2850-2853, 2901], qui nihil aliud student quam ut inde magicum discant, qui omne bonum in malum [2743]. 3024a. Ideae quo magis clausae sunt ab homine, sic ut modo unam rem intueatur--quod 2
ex persuasione venit, a cupiditate, ab eo quod semet et mundana spectat, sic clausae sunt ab homine--eo 3
minus periculosum est, nam tunc non possunt ideae spirituum diffundi ad plura, et sic infundere homini quae sunt mala, praeter ea quae homo sibimet acquisivit. At qui in fide, eo melius est, quo minus ideae ad unum determinatae sint, sed ut sint applicabiles ad singula momenta, hoc est quo fluidius ut ita dicam in homine, et minus pertinax et durum, eo facilius a Domino flectitur ad omnia quae beneplacent Domino, et ad bonum. 1748, 1 Sept.
Footnotes:
1. In the Manuscript distant imperfecte in distat emendatum
2. The Manuscript has intuatur (sic!), quod
3. The Manuscript has homine, eo