3310. One who wishes for more heavenly joy, is covetous
Speaking with spirits, I said that every good person obtains from the Lord the maximum of joy, that is, even to the deepest for them, more than which they cannot bear. And even though in the deeper level there may be immeasurably greater joy, nevertheless those who wish for greater joy than the innermost one they have attained, are covetous. Moreover, if one should receive that deeper joy, one would be receiving something destructive of all, and of oneself, because one cannot bear it. So this is covetousness, that is, evil, as spirits confirmed, for when coveting was mentioned, they were almost dumbfounded, and became silent. 1748, 24 Sept.
3310. (THAT THE ANGELS CAN KNOW THE QUALITY OF A MAN, NOT ONLY FROM A SINGLE WORD, BUT EVEN FROM A SINGLE SIGH.
I spoke with spirits, [saying] that every good [person] receives the highest amount of joy from the Lord, that is, to his inmost [degree] so that he can bear no more; and although in the interior degree is granted immensely more, still he who desires more than his inmost, which he obtains, is a cupidity; besides that if he should accept it, he would accept what was destructive of all things, and of himself, because he cannot bear it; wherefore that he is a cupidity, that is, evil; [this was] confirmed by spirits; for when it was, called cupidity, they were silent, as if amazed. - 1748, September 24.
3310. Qui plus gaudii coelestis optat, quod sit cupiditas
Loquutus cum spiritibus, quod quisque bonus summum gaudii nanciscatur a Domino, hoc est ad intimum suum 1
, sic ut sufferre plus nequeat, et tametsi detur in interiori gradu immense majus, usque qui optat majus quam suum intimum, quod nanciscitur, [ei] sit cupiditas 2
, praeter si illud acciperet, quod acciperet omnium et sui destructivum, quia non sufferre potest, quare quod sit cupiditas, hoc est malum, confirmatum a spiritibus, nam cum cupiditas dicta, quasi obstupefacti sunt, silebant. 1748, 24 Sept.
Footnotes:
1. contra in J.F.I. Tafel's edition ut et indicem ad Coelum et Gaudium
2. imperfectum in the Manuscript, vel secundum orthographiam suecicam