5796. But with true Christians, whose faith and life is such, the inward self is entirely different; it is turned to heaven. The Lord leads their will, or love, and gives them affection for goodness, that is, they are affected or gladdened by goodness; and He leads their understanding so that it is affected by truth and immediately on hearing it they are also made glad, and it is implanted in their life; and to the extent they learn what is true, to that extent it is present in them and they are led by the Lord through it; for those who do not know what goodness and truth are cannot be led by the Lord. They are led through what they know; the Lord flows in through the things that they know and so leads their affections and thoughts. This is what is meant by being affected by truth for the sake of truth, and by goodness for the sake of goodness, and loving truth and goodness for the sake of life. It is not that from this they contemplate what they will now implant in their lives. This would be from their own self, but the Lord leads them through those things that they learn from affection, or better, from love.
5796. With the truly Christian man whose faith and life is of such a quality, the internal is altogether different. It is turned towards heaven. The Lord leads his will, or love, and gives him the affection of good, that is, the faculty of being affected, or made glad, by reason of good; he also leads his understanding, so that he may be affected with truth, and so that, immediately he hears it, he is also gladdened, and it is implanted in his life; and, so far as he learns the truth, so far it abides in him, and, by its means, he is led by the Lord. For he who does not know what good and truth are, cannot be led by the Lord. A man is led through that which he knows. The Lord inflows into those things which he knows, and so leads his affections and thoughts. This is understood by being affected by truth for the sake of truth, and by good for the sake of good, and loving truth and good for the sake of life. It is not that he reflects therefrom that he will now implant it in his life: this would be from proprium; but the Lord leads him, through those things which he learns, from affection or love.
5796. Apud vere Christianum cujus fides et vita est talis, est internum prorsus aliud, est versum ad coelum, Dominus ducit ejus voluntatem seu amorem, et dat ei affectionem boni, hoc est, quod afficiatur seu laetetur ex bono; et ducit ejus intellectum ut afficiatur vero; et statim ut audit id, etiam laetatur, et implantatur ejus vitae, et quantum veri discit, tantum inest ei, et per id ducitur a Domino, nam qui non scit quid bonum et verum, non duci potest a Domino, ducitur per id quod homo novit, influit Dominus in ea quae novit, et sic ducit ejus affectiones et cogitationes; hoc intelligitur per affici vero propter verum, et bono propter bonum, et amare verum et bonum propter vitam, non ut ex eo cogitet quod nunc implantabit id vitae suae, hoc foret ex proprio, sed Dominus ducit illum per illa quae discit ex affectione seu amore.