4100. About [being] nothing
Spirits especially cannot bear that expression, that they are nothing, but they were told that they are always something, but in whatever respect they are something, that is from the Lord, for goodness and truth, and their ability to understand goodness and truth, to reflect on, and to learn it, are the Lord's, but as to themselves, they are nothing. 1748, 29 Nov. Then it was said that the more they are something, the better they are able to discern and understand goodness and truth; and furthermore, the more they are something of good and truth, because so much the more from the Lord.
4100. CONCERNING [THE BEING] NOTHING.
Spirits are especially unable to bear the expression that they are nothing. But it was said to them that they are indeed always something, but that something, whatever it be, is from the Lord, so far as it has in it anything of the good and true; so also that they should be able to understand the good and the true, to reflect, and to know, this is of the Lord; but that as to themselves they are nothing. - 1748, November 29. It was then said that they were so much the more something in proportion as they could understand the good and the true, and still more, the more they were themselves good and true, because so much more from the Lord.
4100. De nihil
Spiritus imprimis non possunt tolerare eam expressionem quod nihil sint, sed dictum eis, quod semper sint aliquid sed quicquid sunt aliquid, illud a Domino, nam bonum et verum, tum quod possint intelligere bonum et verum, reflectere, et scire, hoc est Domini, at quoad semet nihil sunt. 1748, 29 Nov. Tum dictum, quod eo magis sint aliquid quo melius percipere et intelligere possint bonum et verum; et adhuc magis, quo magis boni et veri sunt: quia eo magis a Domino.