AE 701a - conjunction, covenant, Divine light, & freedom

AE 701
. . . it was called "the ark of the covenant" because the law was in it,
and the "law," which in a broad sense means the Word,
signifies the Lord in relation to Divine truth, which is the Word,
. . . for all Divine truth proceeds from Him,
and when this is received by a person
conjunction with the Lord is effected,
and this conjunction is what is signified by "covenant."

. . . The Lord continually flows into all people with light that enlightens,
and with the affection of knowing and understanding truths,
also for willing and doing them;
and as that light and that affection continually flow in from the Lord,
it follows that a person becomes rational to the extent
that he receives of that light,
and he becomes wise and is led by the Lord
so far as he receives of that affection.
That affection with its light draws to itself and conjoins to itself
the truths that person from infancy has learned from the Word,
from doctrine out of the Word, and from preaching;
for every affection desires
to be nourished by the knowledges that are in harmony with it.
From this conjunction a person's spiritual love or affection is formed,
through which he is conjoined to the Lord,
that is, through which the Lord conjoins a person to Himself.

[2] But in order that that light and that affection may be received,
freedom of choice has been given to a person,
and as that freedom is from the Lord,
it is also a gift of the Lord with a person
and is never taken away from him;
for that freedom belongs to a person's affection or love,
and consequently also to his life.
From freedom a person can think and will what is evil,
and can also think and will what is good.
So far, therefore, as from that freedom,
which belongs to his love and so to his life,
a person thinks falsities and wills evils,
which are the opposites of the truths and goods of the Word,
so far he is not conjoined to the Lord;
but so far as he thinks truths and wills goods, which are from the Word,
so far he is conjoined to the Lord,
and the Lord makes those truths and goods to be of his love,
and consequently of his life.
From this it is evident that this conjunction is reciprocal,
namely, of the Lord with a person and of a person with the Lord;
such is the conjunction that is meant in the Word by "covenant."

[3] . . . If one lets his hands hang down and waits for influx
he receives nothing,
and can have no reciprocal conjunction with the Lord,
thus he is not in the covenant.
That this is so is clearly evident from this,
that the Lord in a thousand passages in the Word has taught
that a person must do good and must not do evil,
and this the Lord would by no means have said,
unless something had been given to a person by which he has ability to do,
and unless that which has been given to a person
might seem to him to be as if his own, although it is not his.