SD 3495 - freedom & slavery

SD 3495
. . . he who is led by the Lord is free,
and he a slave who, in his own opinion, is led by himself . . .

AC 2571 - the order in becoming spiritual & celestial

AC 2571 [2]
That the Lord's thought before this 
had been concerning the doctrine of faith,
but now was concerning the doctrine of love and charity,
comes from the fact
that the Lord adjoined the Human to the Divine
by means of the truths which are of faith
(although at the same time
by means of Divine goods which are of love, in the truths)
according to the order 
by which a person also becomes spiritual and celestial;
but not Divine, so as to have life in himself, like the Lord.
. . . for when a person has become spiritual and celestial
he then no longer thinks from truth, but from good;
yet not from the Divine good united to the Divine truth, 
as did the Lord.

AC 2547 - the Lord's Word; AC 2552 - perception, conscience & thoughts

AC 2547 [4]
. . . regarded in itself the Lord's Word is solely spiritual and celestial;
but in order that it may be read and understood by every person,
the things of heaven are set forth by such things as are on earth.

AC 2552
. . . perception is a higher thing,
and the Lord had it from the Divine Itself;
whereas thought is a lower thing,
and the Lord had it from the intellectual itself;
and as it was perception from which He had the thought,
so the answer of the thought was from perception.
This may be illustrated by something similar with a person.
The celestial person cannot think except from perception,
nor the spiritual person except from conscience.
The perception of the former,
like the conscience [of the latter] is from the Lord,
and it is not apparent to the person himself where it comes from;
but his thought is from the rational,
and appears to him as from himself.
And so again,
when a person is thinking concerning any subject from the rational,
then the conclusion of the thought, or the answer,
comes either from perception or from conscience;
consequently an answer is given him by the Lord
in accordance with his state of life, his affection,
and the truth of doctrine implanted or impressed in conformity with these.

SD 3471 - our brain; SD 3484 - forms

SD 3471
. . . if spirit was nothing but thought,
a person would have no need of so much brain as he has,
for the whole brain is an organ of the internal senses.

SD 3484
. . . there are spiritual forms
within the most subtle forms of nature
which are never perceptible.
(October 5, 1748)

AC 2540 - perspective

AC 2540
. . . he "rose early in the morning,"
this not only signifies clear perception,
but also the light of confirmation from celestial good;
for it is celestial good from which comes the confirming light of truth;
all of which shows that this is the signification.

[2] The reason why the perception
which the Lord had when in the Human,
and His thought concerning what is rational in the doctrine of faith,
are so much treated of in the internal sense,
is that which has been stated above;
as well as that it is angelic
to think with distinctiveness of various things
concerning the Lord's life in the world,
and how He put off the human rational,
and made the rational Divine from His own power;
and at the same time concerning the doctrine of charity and faith,
such as it is when the rational mixes itself with it;
besides many more things dependent on these,
which are interior things of the church and of people.
To the person
whose mind and heart are set upon worldly and corporeal things,
these things appear as unimportant,
and perchance as of no advantage to him;
yet to the angels,
whose minds and hearts are set upon celestial and spiritual things,
these same things are precious;
and their ideas and perceptions respecting them are ineffable*.
This shows that very many things which seem unimportant to a person,
because they transcend his comprehension,
are held in the highest estimation by the angels,
because they enter into the light of their wisdom;
and on the other hand,
things that are most highly esteemed by a person,
because they are of the world,
and therefore come within his comprehension,
are unimportant to the angels,
for they pass outside of the light of their wisdom.
And such is the case with the internal sense of the Word,
relatively to angels and to people, in many places. 
 

*in ef fa ble  /inˈefəbəl/
Too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words:
"ineffable beauty".
Too sacred to be uttered.

(from Google)

SD 3460 - a question

SD 3460
Who worships nature as God
more than those that are skilled in the different sciences?
(October 3, 1748)

AC 2519, 2524 - more on the rational; AC 2535 - prayer

AC 2519
. . . the doctrinal things of faith are in their entirety from the Divine,
which is infinitely above the human rational.
It is from the Divine that the rational receives its good and its truth.
The Divine can enter into the rational,
but not the rational into the Divine;
as the soul can enter into the body,
and form it, but not the body into the soul . . ..

AC 2524
Divine good and Divine truth are united to each other as if by marriage . . ..
But the good and truth of the rational
are not conjoined with each other as by marriage,
but by consanguinity, like brother and sister;
since the rational as to truth is conceived
from the influx of Divine good into the affection of knowledges;
and the good of the rational,
through the influx of Divine good into that truth,
which then becomes the good itself of charity,
which is the "brother" of faith,
or what is the same, of truth.

AC 2535
Prayer, regarded in itself, is speech with God,
and with some internal view at the time of the matters of the prayer,
to which there answers something like an influx
into the perception or thought of the mind,
so that there is a certain opening of the person's interiors toward God;
but this with a difference according to the person's state,
and according to the essence of the subject of the prayer.
If the person prays from love and faith,
and for only heavenly and spiritual things,
there then comes forth in the prayer something like a revelation
(which is made clear in the affection of him that prays)
as to hope, consolation, or a certain inward joy.
It is from this that to "pray" signifies in the internal sense to be revealed. 

SD 3442 - a single expression of the Word

SD 3442
From the incidents related above,
it appeared that a single expression of the Word,
which [one interprets] for himself according to his fantasies,
is able to induce an entirely false doctrine or heresy, and thus a life;
as, for instance, from this alone,
that all goods ought to be common,
thus also wives again from this,
that a person is regenerated while in ignorance of it,
and without the need of knowledges;
from this also, that the Lord has borne iniquities,
[implying] that all the human race is pure,
and that consequently the Lord alone is burdened with sin;
moreover, that life is that which is regarded, but not faith,
because it is something scientific;
besides other similar things;
thus myriads of heresies may exist from the literal sense of the Word. 

AC 2515 & 2516 - thoughts and thinking from the rational

AC 2515
There are thoughts from perception;
thoughts from conscience;
and thoughts from no conscience.

Thoughts from perception exist only with the celestial,
that is, with those who are in love to the Lord;
such thought is the most internal that exists with a person;
and it exists with the celestial angels in heaven,
for it is perception from the Lord
by which and from which their thought exists;
and to think contrary to perception is impossible.

Thoughts from conscience are lower,
and exist with the spiritual, that is,
with those who are in the good of charity and faith 

as to life and as to doctrine.
Moreover with these persons to think contrary to conscience is impossible;
for this would be to think against the good and truth
which are dictated to them from the Lord through conscience.

But thoughts from no conscience exist with those
who do not suffer themselves to be inwardly directed 
by what is good and true,
but only by what is evil and false;
that is, not by the Lord, but by themselves.
Such persons believe that they inwardly think
 just as do those who think from conscience and perception,
for the reason that they do not know what conscience is, still less perception;
but the difference is as great as is that between hell and heaven.
They who think without conscience
think from any cupidities and fantasies whatever; thus from hell;
and when it seems otherwise,
it is from external decorum for the sake of reputation.
But they who think from conscience
think from the affections of good and truth; thus from heaven.
But as regards the Lord's thought,
it transcended all human understanding,
for it was immediately from the Divine.

AC 2516 [2-3]
The reason why there is no doctrine of faith from the rational,
is that the rational is in appearances of good and truth,
which appearances are not in themselves truths.
Moreover the rational has under it
fallacies which are from external sensuous things
confirmed by memory-knowledges,
which induce obscurity in these appearances of truth.
The rational for the most part is merely human,
as also is evident from its birth;
and this is why nothing doctrinal of faith can begin from it,
and still less be constructed from it;
but must be from the Lord's Divine Itself and Divine Human.
This is its origin, and indeed so entirely 
that the Lord is doctrine itself;
on which account also in the Word He is called
the Word, the Truth, the Light, the Way, the Door;
and (what is an arcanum)
all doctrine is from the Divine good and the Divine truth,
and has in itself the heavenly marriage.
Doctrine that has not this in it is not the genuine doctrine of faith.
So it is that in all the particulars of the Word (the source of doctrine)
there is an image of a marriage.

In the literal or external sense of the Word
the doctrine of faith does indeed appear
as if it possessed much from the rational,
and even from the natural; 
but this is because the Word is for mankind,
and has been in this manner accommodated to him;
but still in itself it is spiritual from a celestial origin,
that is, from Divine truth conjoined with Divine good. 

AC 2479-2493 (portions of) - thoughts and memories

AC 2479
. . . insofar as the mind can be withdrawn from sensuous or corporeal things,
so far is it elevated to spiritual and heavenly things.

AC 2488
. . . the spirits with a person know and take note of
the smallest things of his memory and thoughts;
and this much more clearly than the person himself;
and the angels know and take note of the ends themselves,
how they bend themselves from good to evil,
and from evil to good;
and of many more things than the person knows . . .
Let no person therefore any longer believe that his thoughts are hidden,
and that he is not to render an account of his thoughts
and of his deeds according to the degree and the quality
of the thoughts that have been in them;
for the deeds have their quality from the thoughts,
and the thoughts from the ends.

AC 2490
. . . they who are in the faith of truth and the affection of good
retain all things which are true and good,
and are thereby being continually perfected.
Consequently it is that they can be instructed,
and that they are instructed in the other life.

AC 2492
For the exterior memory is the ultimate of order,
in which spiritual and heavenly things are softly terminated and reside
when there are goods and truths therein.

AC 2493
. . . the more interior and perfect the angels are,
the less do they care for past things,
and the less do they think of things to come;
and also that from this comes their happiness.
They say that the Lord gives them every moment what to think,
and this with blessedness and happiness;
and that they are thus free from cares and anxieties.
Also, that this was meant in the internal sense
by the manna being received daily from heaven;
and by the daily bread in the Lord's Prayer;
and likewise by the instruction
not to be solicitous about what they should eat and drink,
and wherewithal they should be clothed.
But although the angels do not care for past things,
and are not solicitous about things to come,
they nevertheless have the most perfect recollection of past things,
and the most perfect mental view of things to come;
because in all their present there are both the past and the future.
Thus they have a more perfect memory
than can ever be thought of or expressed. 

SD 3427 - what it is . . . and the general law of heaven

SD 3427

What Good Is, What the Truth of Good, and What Truth

Let fruit be [taken as an example]:

• The use which fruit answers, is good.
• The manner in which the use is to be applied, is the truth of good.
• The quality of the fruit as to taste, smell, and beauty, is truth.

The odor of fruits or flowers:

• The use which odor subserves relative to the brain,
  the lungs, and the heart, is good.
• The manner in which it is to be applied, so as to answer its use,
  as to the nostrils, the temples, or about the head like a wreath,
  is the truth of good.
• The quality of the odor, and the like, are truth.

Charity:

• The use it serves, is good.
• How charity is to be dispensed, is the truth of good.
• The quality of charity, is truth.

The General Law of Heaven

1. So far as the love of ruling enters with a person,
   so far love towards the neighbor departs.
2. Thus also so far as love towards the neighbor departs,
   so far love to the Lord departs;
   for the good which is from Him is the neighbor,
   and also the truth of good.
3. Consequently it follows, that so far as the love of ruling enters,
   so far a saving faith, which is from the Lord, departs;
   for faith is of truth which is of good.
4. That this is so appears from conjugial love,
   which departs just in proportion as the love of ruling enters.
   Conjugial love is the fundamental of all loves.

Ac 2466, 2468 - the external and the internal

AC 2466 [2]
. . . contaminations of good and perversions of truth
are described in the Word
by adulteries and whoredoms . . ..

AC 2468
. . . those who are in an external worship which appears in a manner holy,
but who are not in internal worship;
and who readily learn as being goods and truths
the things that belong to external worship,
but reject and despise those of internal worship.
Such worship and such religion
fall to the lot of those who are in natural good,
but despise others in comparison with themselves.
They are not unlike fruits which in the external form are not unbeautiful,
but which are moldy or rotten within . . ..

SD 3389 - the brightness of innocence

SD 3389
There were seen by me, infants and mothers in a lucid space,
of such brightness, that anything brighter is never seen.
The brightness was of innocence, thus represented in this sphere;
which brightness is so distinguished from white that there is no comparison.
Snow approaches its appearance;
but still it is such a brightness as cannot be described.

AC 2462 - Zoar

AC 2462
For he feared to dwell in Zoar.
(Genesis 19:30)
That this signifies because he could no longer
regard good from the affection of truth,
is evident from the signification of "Zoar,"
as being the affection of truth (n. 2439);
and when this is vastated
no one can any longer have regard to good from it.
There is then also a fear of all truth,
because this is opposed to the good of an impure love.

SD 3373-3374 - just before the flood

SD 3373-3374
. . . immediately before the flood,
nearly the whole interior man was destroyed,
so that scarcely any human principle was left.

It should be well observed that it is not the force of argument,
. . . which causes their persuasions of so deadly a nature,
but it is their fantasies, whatever they may be, even if the most absurd;
still are they in such a persuasion,
as that they kill every living thing,
that is, the good and true . . ..

AC 2454 - a pillar of salt

AC 2454 [5]
Truth is said to turn itself away from good,
and to look to doctrinal things,
when the person of the church
no longer has at heart what kind of a life he lives,
but what kind of a doctrine he possesses;
when yet it is a life according to doctrine
that makes a person of the church,
but not doctrine separate from life;
for when doctrine is separated from life,
then because good, which is of the life, is laid waste,
truth, which is of doctrine, is also laid waste,
that is, becomes a pillar of salt . . ..

AC 2447 - Will, Good-pleasure, Leave, and Permission

AC 2447 [2]
All order is from Jehovah, that is, from the Lord,
and according to this order
are all things are directed by Him
both in general and in particular,
but in many different ways, that is to say,
from Will, from Good-pleasure, from Leave, and from Permission.
The things that are from His will and good-pleasure
are from the laws of order as to good,
and so also are many of those which are from leave,
and some of those which are from permission.
But when a person separates himself from good
he casts himself into the rule of the laws of order
that are of truth separated from good,
which are such that they condemn;
for all truth condemns a person and casts him down into hell;
whereas the Lord from good, that is, from mercy,
saves him, and uplifts him into heaven.
From this we see that it is a person himself who condemns himself.

SD 3330 - the reasoning faculty

SD 3330
. . . the human reasoning faculty is hidden within when fantasies prevail . . .

AC 2429 - a paradox?

AC 2429 [2-3]
The truth in a person is exactly according to the good that is in him.
Where there is little good, there is little truth.
They are in a like ratio and in a like degree,
or, as we say, they march with even step.
This indeed may seem a paradox, but still the case is so.
Good is the very essence of truth,
and truth without its essence is not truth,
although it appears as if it were . . ..

In order that anyone may have truth in himself,
he must not only know it,
but also acknowledge it,
and have faith in it;
he then for the first time has truth,
because it then affects him, and remains.
It is otherwise when he only knows truth,
and does not acknowledge it, and have faith in it;
for in this case he has not the truth in himself.
This is the case with many who are in evil:
they are able to know truths,
sometimes more than other people;
but still they have not the truth;
indeed they have it so much the less,
because at heart they deny it.

AC 2417 - faith alone and true charity

AC 2417
[2] Doctrine is twofold: that of love and charity, and that of faith.
At first, while it is still a little maid and a virgin,
every church of the Lord has no other doctrine,
and loves no other, than that of charity; for this belongs to life.
But successively the church turns itself away from this doctrine,
until it begins to hold it cheap, and at length to reject it;
and then it acknowledges no other doctrine
than that which is called the doctrine of faith;
and when it separates faith from charity,
this doctrine conspires with a life of evil.

[3] Such was the case with the Primitive Church,
or that of the Gentiles, after the Lord's coming.
In its beginning it had no other doctrine than that of love and charity,
for this the Lord Himself taught.
But after His time, successively, as love and charity began to grow cold,
there arose the doctrine of faith,
and with it dissensions and heresies,
which increased as people came to lay stress on this doctrine.
.
[6] This shows that there are two doctrines,
the one of charity, and the other of faith,
although in themselves the two are one;
for the doctrine of charity involves all things of faith.
But when the doctrine comes to be from those things alone which are of faith,
it is then called twofold, because faith is separated from charity.
That these doctrines are separated at the present day
may be seen from the fact that it is altogether unknown
what charity is, and what the neighbor is.
They who are solely in the doctrine of faith
are not aware that charity toward the neighbor
consists in anything beyond giving of their own to others,
and in feeling pity for anybody who may seem to need it,
because they call everybody the neighbor without distinction;
and yet charity is all good whatever there is in a person:
in his affection, and in his zeal, and from these in his life;
and the neighbor is all the good in others by which one is affected,
consequently those who are in good;
and this with every possible distinction.

[7] For example: that a person is in charity and mercy
who exercises justice and judgment
by punishing the evil and rewarding the good.
There is charity in punishing the evil,
for to this are we impelled by our zeal to amend them,
and at the same time to protect the good,
lest these suffer injury at the hands of the evil.
In this way does a person feeling toward him,
as well as to others, and to the common well-being itself;
and this from charity toward the neighbor.
The case is the same with all the other goods of life;
for the good of life is never possible
unless it comes from charity toward the neighbor,
because it looks to this, and involves it.

AC 2406 - the second state: what the Lord does for us

AC 2406 [1-2]
The first state was described in verses 1-3 of this chapter,
a state when the good of charity exists with them
and they acknowledge the Lord,
and when they are being confirmed by Him in good.
The present verse describes the second state,
a state when among members of the Church themselves
evils start to act against goods
and when people are powerfully withheld from evils
and maintained in goods by the Lord.
This state is dealt with in the present verse
and in verses 16, 17, which follow.

As regards this matter, few, if any,
know that all people without exception are withheld from evils by the Lord,
and this by a mightier force than a person can ever believe.
For the endeavor of every person is continually toward evil,
and this both from what is hereditary, into which he is born,
and from what is actual, which he has procured for himself;
and this to such a degree that if he were not withheld by the Lord,
he would rush headlong every moment toward the lowest hell.
But the mercy of the Lord is so great
that at every moment, even the least,
the person is uplifted and held back,
to prevent him from rushing thither.
This is the case with the good also,
but with a difference according to their life of charity and faith.
Thus the Lord combats continually
with a person,
and for a person
with hell,
although it does not so appear to the person.

AC 2405 - dawn, the morning when the Lord comes

AC 2405 [2,8]
. . . when the upright are being separated from the evil . . .
This time or state is called in the Word the "dawn,"
because the Lord then comes; or what is the same,
His kingdom then approaches.
The case is similar with the good,
for at such a time there shines out with them
a semblance of the morning twilight or dawn;
and therefore in the Word
the advent of the Lord is compared to the "morning,"
and is also called the "morning."

After two days Jehovah will revive us,
on the third day He will raise us up,
and we shall live before Him;
and we shall know,
and we shall follow on to know Jehovah;
His going forth is as the dawn.
(Hosea 6:2-3)

As in the proper sense the "morning" signifies the Lord,
His advent, and thus the approach of His kingdom,
it is evident what it signifies besides,
namely, the rise of a new church (for this is the Lord's kingdom on earth),
and this both in general and in particular, and even in the least particular;
in general, when any church on the globe is being raised up anew;
in particular, when a person is being regenerated, and being made new
(for then the Lord's kingdom is arising in him, and he is becoming a church);
and in the least particular,
whenever the good of love and faith is working in him;
for in this consists the advent of the Lord.
Consequently the Lord's resurrection on the third day in the morning
(Mark 16:2, 9; Luke 24:1; John 20:1) involves all these things
(even in the particular and the least particular)
in regard to His rising again in the minds of the regenerate every day,
and even every moment.

SD 3342-3344 - spheres (or auras)

SD 3342-3344
As to the sphere of faith, their quality as to faith,
he might recognize a like spirit . . .
without exploration of one after another,
also even if one should be thinking of entirely different matters.
Such spheres . . . are human.

Such spheres are of the Lord alone;
for they descend from the sphere of faith in the Lord,
from and through this, the rest of the spheres are distinguished
and they flow forth therefrom;
wherefore spheres of odor correspond;
and so is odor mentioned in the Word
as that Jehovah smelled a sweet odor.

Visual spheres also occur,
distinct from those which belong to odor.
A visual sphere was previously perceived . . .
a sphere of grace, as it were, a golden-yellow atmosphere,
which was reddish when it pertained to mercy;
and I perceived that grace was then in that sphere,
when it was pertained to also of mercy.

AC 2380 - those in the good of charity

AC 2380 [2]
While a person remains in corporeal things,
he is in such a general and obscure idea and perception
that he scarcely knows whether he is in the good of charity or not;
and this for the additional reason
that he does not know what charity is,
and what the neighbor is.
. . . All those are in the good of charity who have conscience
(that is, who are unwilling to depart in any degree
from what is just and fair, and good and true,
and this for the very sake of what is just and fair, and good and true,
for this principle is from conscience),
and who from having conscience
think well of the neighbor and desire his welfare,
even should he be an enemy;
and this without any recompense.
These are they who are in the good of charity,
whether they be without the church or within the church.
If within the church, they adore the Lord,
and willingly hear and do the things that He has taught.

SD 3310 - wishing for more heavenly joy

SD 3310
. . . every good person obtains from the Lord the maximum of joy,
that is, even to the deepest for them,
more than which they cannot bear.
And even though in the deeper level
there may be immeasurably greater joy,
nevertheless those who wish for greater joy
than the innermost one they have attained,
are covetous.
(September 24, 1748)

SD 3254 - do thoughts from earth flow to heaven?

SD 3254
. . . the Lord's life passes through heaven,
and it is varied according to the forms there.
What these are like cannot be described.
The more perfect a society's collective form is,
the more truly and beautifully,
and the more quickly and directly [the Lord's life] streams in.
So it is a fallacy that any person on earth or any spirit
can by their own thought or their own skill penetrate into heaven,
or into spiritual and heavenly regions.
(September 22, 1748)

AC 2380 - esteem

AC 2380
. . . for the angels esteem the body as nothing in comparison with the soul.

SD 3229 - a beautiful rainbow scene

SD 3229
Different kinds of rainbows
such as I had seen previously quite often before my eyes,
were displayed to me just now also.
In the middle of these was something green, like a lawn,
and behind this an earth, with a sun not visible, but shining on it,
and at the same time shedding light round about,
so bright and beautiful that it cannot be described.
No comparison exists of that light with our day or noonday light.
Then in that bright environment
were most beautiful variegations on a light-filled pearl-colored plane.
The variations of color were without number.
(September 21, 1748)

SD 3201, 3231 - the permission and care of the Lord

SD 3201
So that I might know how and why the Lord
sometimes permits spirits in the other life
to undergo such punishments and torments as they do,
I was let into the supposition
as if a certain very friendly spirit
would be brought into most severe punishments . . ..
And then I was held in that supposition
that if he did not undergo the most grievous kinds of punishments,
he would never become good.
In that state of mind I was held with the conviction
that it would be impossible for him to become good
unless he were thus tempered.
In that state I was unable to feel at all sorry for him,
much less come to his aid,
for I had at heart the good that would come of it,
which I was constantly being inspired to turn over in my mind.
From this I am able to know
how the Lord permits such punishments, even severe ones,
because He turns everything into good,
intending nothing else but good,
and it is the means for that spirit's reformation.
(September 19, 1748)

SD 3231
I was overcome with sleep after the noon hour, and quite a sound sleep.
When I awoke there were many around me asleep,
even spirits who had wanted to entrap me were sleeping deeply,
thus all those who came with the intention of harming me.
When they awoke, they said they had slept;
and one after the other fled away,
one saying that he had not meant to fall asleep;
I sensed that he had wanted to do harm.
Consequently I spoke with the spirits,
saying that the Lord alone watches over all,
even His enemies, and does good to them.
(September 21, 1748)

AC 2362 - not what it seems . . .

AC 2362 [5]
From the things contained in this verse
it can be seen how pure the Word is in the internal sense,
although it may not so appear in the letter;
for when these words are read:
"Behold I pray I have two daughters who have not known man;
let me I pray bring them out unto you,
and you may do unto them as is good in your eyes,
only unto these men do not anything,"
(Genesis 19:8)
nothing but what is impure enters the ideas,
especially the ideas of those who are in a life of evil.
And yet how chaste these words are in the internal sense,
is made clear from the explanation,
by which it is shown that
they signify the affections of good and of truth,
and the blessedness which they who do no violence
to the Lord's Divine and Holy
perceive from the enjoyment of them.

SD - 3178 - depends on what you do with the thought

SD 3178
. . . whatever comes into the thought, not the will, is not a sin.
Then if it comes into the will, or something like the will,
and one thinks this is a sin, against the Lord's Word,
and will burden one's conscience, and so shakes it off,
neither can this be a sin, but is a temptation.
But if something comes into the thought, and into the will,
that one desires to carry out provided outer restraints do not hinder
- this is a sin, just as the Lord said,
he who looks at a girl with lust,
has already committed whoredom [Matthew 5:28].
(September 16, 1748)

AC 2338 - doubt & hope; AC 2343 - salvation

AC 2338
. . . temptations are attended with doubt
in regard to the Lord's presence and mercy,
and also in regard to salvation.
The evil spirits who are then with the person
and induce the temptation strongly inspire negation,
but the good spirits and angels from the Lord
in every possible way dispel this state of doubt,
and keep the person in a state of hope,
and at last confirm him in what is affirmative.
The result is that a person who is in temptation
hangs between what is negative and what is affirmative.
One who yields in temptation remains in a state of doubt,
and falls into what is negative;
but one who overcomes is indeed in doubt,
but still, if he suffers himself to be cheered by hope,
he stands fast in what is affirmative.

AC 2343 [3]
. . . all regeneration or new life, thus salvation, is from the Lord alone . . ..
. . . so far as a person is in good, so far he can be in truth;
or so far as he is in charity, so far he can be in faith;
especially in this chief point of faith,
that all salvation is from the Lord.