302. I have talked with angels about the conjunction of heaven with the human race, and I said that, while the man of the Church declares that all good is from God, and that angels are with man, yet few believe that angels are conjoined to man, still less that they are in his thought and affection. To this the angels replied that they know that there is such a belief and even such a mode of speaking in the world, and especially, to their surprise, within the Church, where yet there is the Word to teach men about heaven and its conjunction with man. Nevertheless, there is such a conjunction that man is unable to think the least thing apart from the spirits adjoined to him, and on this his spiritual life depends. They said that the cause of ignorance of this matter is man's belief that he lives from himself, without a connection with the First Being (Esse) of life; and that he does not know that this connection exists by means of the heavens; and yet if that connection were broken man would instantly fall down dead. If man believed, as is really true, that all good is from the Lord and all evil from hell, he would not make the good in him a matter of merit nor would evil be imputed to him; for he would then look to the Lord in all the good he thinks and does, and all the evil that inflows would be cast down to hell whence it comes. But because man does not believe that there is any influx into him either from heaven or from hell, and so supposes that all the things that he thinks and wills are in himself, and therefore from himself, he appropriates the evil to himself, and the inflowing good he defiles with merit.

148. FROM THE ARCANA COELESTIA.

All freedom is of love or affection, for what a man loves, he does freely (n. 2870, 3158, 8987, 8990, 9585, 9591). As freedom is of love, it is the life of everyone (n. 2873). There is heavenly freedom and infernal freedom (n. 2870, 2873-2874, 9589-9590). Heavenly freedom is of the love of good and truth (n. 1947, 2870, 2872). And because the love of good and truth is from the Lord, that being led by the Lord is true freedom (n. 892, 905, 2872, 2886, 2890-2892, 9096, 9586, 9587-9591). Man by regeneration is introduced into heavenly freedom by the Lord (n. 2874-2875, 2882, 2892). Man ought to be in freedom, that he may be regenerated (n. 1937, 1947, 2876, 2881, 3145, 3158, 4031, 8700). Otherwise the love of good and truth cannot be implanted in and appropriated to man, so as to appear his own (n. 2877, 2879-2880, 2888). Nothing is conjoined to man which is done in compulsion (n. 2875, 8700). If man could be reformed by compulsion, all would be saved (n. 2881). Compulsion is hurtful in reformation (n. 4031).

Worship from freedom is worship, but not worship from compulsion (n. 1947, 2880, 7349, 10097). Repentance should take place in a free state, and what is done in a forced state is of no avail (n. 8392). What forced states are (n. 8392).

Man is allowed to act from the freedom of reason, in order that good may be provided for him, and therefore man is in the freedom of thinking and willing, and even of doing evil, so far as the laws do not forbid (n. 10777). Man is kept by the Lord between heaven and hell, and thus in equilibrium, that he may be in freedom for the sake of reformation (n. 5982, 6477, 8209, 8987). What is inseminated in freedom remains, but not what is inseminated in compulsion (n. 9588, 10777). Therefore freedom is never taken away from anyone (n. 2876, 2881). No one is compelled by the Lord (n. 1937, 1947). How the Lord leads man by means of freedom into good; by means of freedom he turns him from evil, and bends him to good, so gently and tacitly that the man knows no other than that all proceeds from himself (n. 9587).

To compel himself is from liberty, but not to be compelled (n. 1937, 1947). Man ought to compel himself to resist evil (n. 1937, 1947, 7914). And also to do good as from himself, but still to acknowledge that it is from the Lord (n. 2883, 2891-2892, 7914). Man has a stronger freedom in the combats of temptations in which he conquers, since he then interiorly compels himself to resist evils, although it appears otherwise (n. 1937, 1947, 2881). There is freedom in every temptation, but this freedom is interiorly with man from the Lord; and he therefore combats and wills to conquer, and not to be overcome, which he would not do without freedom (n. 1937, 1947, 2881). The Lord does this by means of an affection of truth and good impressed on the internal man, the man himself not knowing (n. 5044).

Infernal freedom consists in being led by the loves of self and of the world, and their lusts (n. 2870, 2873). They who are in hell do not know any other freedom (n. 2871). Heavenly freedom is as far from infernal freedom as heaven is from hell (n. 2873-2874). Infernal freedom in itself regarded is slavery (n. 2884, 2890). Because it is slavery to be led by hell (n. 9586, 9589-9591).

All freedom is as the proprium, and according to it (n. 2880). Man receives a heavenly proprium from the Lord by regeneration (n. 1937, 1947, 2882-2883, 2891). The nature of the heavenly proprium (n. 164, 5660, 8480). This proprium appears to man as his own, but it is not his, but the Lord's with him (n. 8497). They who are in this proprium are in true liberty, because true liberty consists in being led by the Lord and His proprium (n. 892, 905, 2872, 2886, 2890-2892, 4096, 9586-9587, 9589-9591).

597. IT IS BY MEANS OF THE EQUILIBRIUM BETWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL THAT MAN IS IN FREEDOM

The equilibrium between heaven and hell has been described above, and it has been shown that it is an equilibrium between the good that is from heaven and the evil that is from hell, thus that it is a spiritual equilibrium, which in its essence is freedom. A spiritual equilibrium in its essence is freedom because it is an equilibrium between good and evil, and between truth and falsity, and these are spiritual. Therefore to be able to will either what is good or what is evil and to think either what is true or what is false, and to choose one in preference to the other, is the freedom which is here treated of. This freedom is given to every man by the Lord, and is never taken away; in fact, by virtue of its origin it is not man's but the Lord's, since it is from the Lord. Nevertheless, it is given to man with his life as if it were his; and this is done that man may be reformed and saved; for without freedom there can be no reformation or salvation. With any rational intuition anyone can see that it is a part of man's freedom to be able to think wrongly or rightly, honestly or dishonestly, justly or unjustly; also that he is able to speak and act rightly, honestly, and justly; but not to speak and act wrongly, dishonestly, and unjustly, because of the spiritual, moral, and civil laws whereby his external is held in bonds. From these things it is clear that it is man's spirit, which thinks and wills, that is in freedom, and not his external which speaks and acts, except in agreement with the above-mentioned laws.