4131. I have observed that spirits and angels are never able on their own power to find and to utter anything of truth. When left to themselves in order to find something of truth, they were never able to do so. No matter what they come up with, it is not true, as concerns, for example, the inward sense of the Word, they were never able to find anything true from their own power. On several occasions spirits became indignant, and I realized that the reason was because it was from themselves. Thus those who would do so from self can never do anything of good, or think anything of truth, even though they may seem to, yet it is false, as is the case with those who trust in their own wisdom - they think it is from themselves, yet it tends toward evil, if it does not in the life of the body, as it seems to them, still it does in the other life. This shows that all good and truth is from the Lord. 1749, 4 Jan.
4131. I observed moreover, that spirits and angels are never able to discover or utter anything of truth from themselves; as often as they were left to themselves, with a view to such discovery, they were wholly incompetent to it. Whatever they lay hold of, it is not truth, as, for instance, in respect to the interior sense of the Word, they were never able to discover it of themselves, and when the spirits were sometimes indignant, I perceived that it was in consequence of this inability. The case is the same with a man, who is never able of himself to do anything good or to think anything true, though it seems to himself that he does, but the impression is false; as when one trusts to his own prudence, he thinks the result to be due to himself, and yet it tends to evil, if not in the life of the body, as it seems to him, yet still in the other life. It hence appears evident that all good and truth is from the Lord. - 1749, January 4.
4131. observatum est, subinde, quod spiritus et angelus, nusquam aliquid veri ex semet invenire et dicere possint, quoties sibi relicti, ut invenirent, nusquam potuerunt, quicquid arripiunt, non est verum, ut quod interiorem sensum Verbi attinet, nusquam a se invenire potuerunt, aliquoties spiritus indignati, et percepi quod ideo non potuerint quia a semet: ita homo, qui a semet, nusquam aliquid boni facere, aut veri cogitare potest, tametsi sibi videtur, sed usque est falsum, ut qui prudentiae suae fidit, putat a se, sed usque tendit in malum, si non in vita corporis, ut ei videtur, tamen usque ei in altera vita; inde constat, quod omne bonum et verum a Domino. 1749, 4 Jan.