4829. How it would have been if the Lord had not come into the world.
There was a certain person who thought all things flow according to the Divine order, and from this thought he came to the thought that even if the Lord had not taken the human form on Himself, everything would still have flowed according to order. Thus, this person thought that those still would have been saved who are saved now. And because he was not thinking more inwardly about this matter, the angels under whose guidance he was, who are led by the Lord, therefore distanced themselves a little, and consequently there was no inflow from the Lord into him. He was then in the very same condition he would have been in if the Lord had not been protecting him and leading him through angels. Then he began to rage entirely as if he were insane, sword in hand, thrusting away, and thus became savagely seething. Some others who were in his company did the same, falling down as if dead after these rages. And when they were revived, they raged again in the same way. By this was shown what the state of things would have been like if the Lord had not protected all of them through His Divine Human.
This man was in other respects one of those who were able to reflect on these things somewhat well but only in an outward way, because he had something of self-love that interrupted the inflow of more inward thought. He was Pet[er] Schonst[trom]. 1
Footnotes:
1. Peter Schonstrom, 1682ֱ746, Swedish military leader and author.
4829. HOW THE CASE WOULD BE IF THE LORD HAD NOT COME INTO THE WORLD.
There was a certain one who thought that all things flow according to Divine Order; and, from that thought he came to the conclusion that all things would still have flowed according to order, if the Lord had not put on the human; thus, that they who are now saved would still have been saved; and, because he did not think interiorly concerning that matter, therefore the angels, under whose auspices they were who are led by the Lord, removed themselves a little, and, so there was no influx from the Lord to him; but he was then in the like order in which he would have been if not guarded by the Lord and led by means of the angels. He then began to rave altogether like a madman, with a sword in his hand, thrusting, and thus raging wildly. Likewise did some others who were in his company. After these furious outbursts, they fell down as dead; and, when revived, they again raved in a similar way. Thereby was shown of what sort would have been the state of affairs, if the Lord did not guard them all by His Divine Human. In other respects, that man was among those who were able to reflect on matters exceedingly well, but only exteriorly, inasmuch as he possesses somewhat of self-love, which intercepts the influx of interior thought. It was Peter Schonstrom.
4829. Quomodo se haberet si Dominus non venisset in mundum
Fuit quidam, qui id cogitabat, quod omnia fluant secundum ordinem Divinum, et ex hac cogitatione in illam venit, quod usque omnia secundum ordinem fluxissent, si non Dominus assumsisset humanum, ita quod usque salvati fuissent, qui nunc salvantur, et quia non interius cogitabat de illa re, ideo angeli sub quorum auspicio erant, qui a Domino ducuntur, se paulum removebant, et sic influxus a Domino ad illum non fuit, sed ipse tunc in simili ordine, in quo fuisset si non a Domino tutatus et per angelos ductus, tunc incipiebat furere prorsus sicut insanus, cum gladio in manu, fodiendo et sic immaniter fervescendo, similiter fecerunt aliqui alii qui in ejus consortio, qui post furias illas decumbebant postea sicut mortui, et cum resuscitati iterum similiter furebant; per hoc ostensum est, qualis fuisset status rerum, si Dominus non illos per Divinum Humanum suum tutaretur omnes: ille homo fuit alioquin inter illos qui super res admodum bene reflectere potuerunt, sed modo exterius, quia aliquid amoris sui habet, quod intercipit influxum interioris cogitationis. Erat Pet: Schonst.