3940. compared to the larger community, whatever it may be, which is goodness and truth. It also means that we have nothing of life from ourselves, but are a dead force, being only instrumental, and that all life is the Lord's. Therefore. insofar as one lives, one is nothing. From this it follows that one can do nothing on one's own power, or one has to power from oneself. To acknowledge this is to acknowledge that one is nothing. Consequently, because man is nothing but evil, one can have nothing of goodness and truth but from the Lord. Since one can have nothing of goodness and truth from oneself, and since goodness and truth Is, because it is eternal, it follows that man is nothing. 1748, 11 Nov.
3940. It signifies also that one has nothing of life from himself, but that [his nature] is truly dead, because organic, and that all life is of the Lord, wherefore, as far as he lives, he is nothing. It thence follows that he can do nothing from himself, or that he has no power of himself, which to acknowledge is to acknowledge that he is nothing. Consequently being nothing but evil he can have nothing of truth and good but from the Lord, and since he has nothing of truth and good from himself, and the good and the true is because it is eternal, it follows, that he is nothing. - 1748, November 11.
3940. nihilo habet respective ad commune, quodcunque, quod bonum et verum. Significat etiam quod nihil vitae a se habeat, se quod sit vis mortua, quia organica, et quod omnis vita sit Domini, quare, quatenus vivit, est nihil; inde sequitur, quod nihil possit ex semet, seu nihil potentiae habeat ex semet, quod agnoscere, est agnoscere quod nihil sit. Consequenter quia non nisi malum, nihil boni et veri habere potest nisi a Domino, cum nihil boni et veri a se, et bonum et verum Est, quia aeternum, sequitur, quod nihil sit. 1748, 11 Nov.