SD 4471 - the Lord really is watching

SD 4471
Evil souls or evil spirits return at first into their own life,
and afterwards, in the world of spirits,
exercise their wickedness according to their various dispositions;
and when they then exceed the delight of their life they are punished,
and this frequently, until they are deterred -
which punishment may take place to the number of twenty, fifty,
an hundred, or two hundred times and more.
Still, however, it is provided by the Lord
that they shall not do evil to the good,
and those evils which they attempt to inflict
are turned by the Lord into good;
these are the temptations by which the good are fortified.

SD 4442 - an angelic idea of the Divine, the Human, and the Holy of the Lord

SD 4442
There were . . .certain angelic spirits who were in a sublime idea
because they thought, perceived, and heard
so many things concerning
the Divine, the Human, and the Holy of the Lord.
. . . a sublime idea that those three were one,
which idea cannot be described
because it is possible only in the other life,
and words will not express it.
The Divine was for the celestial,
the Human for the rest who were beneath
 - though the Divine was also applicable to the latter -
while the Holy [of the Lord] was all the sphere proceeding,
because there is nothing in the Lord but the Divine Holy.
These things were represented by an angelic idea,
and this as a One adapted to the whole heaven,
in which idea they had their blessedness. 

AC 3212 - being made new

AC 3212 [3-4]
When a person is being regenerated,
he is then becoming altogether another, and is being made new;
therefore also when he has been regenerated,
he is called "born again," and "created anew."
Then, although he has a similar face and a similar speech,
yet his mind is not similar;
his mind, when he is regenerate, is open toward heaven,
and there dwells within love to the Lord and charity toward his neighbor,
together with faith.
It is the mind that makes a person another, and a new person.
This change of state cannot be perceived in the body of a person,
but in his spirit,
the body being merely the covering of his spirit;
and when it is put off, then his spirit appears,
and this (provided he has been regenerated) in altogether another form,
for it then has the form of love and charity in beauty inexpressible . . ..

From this image it may in some measure be conceived
what the glorification of the Lord is.
He was not regenerated as a person is;
but became Divine,
and this from the very Divine Love itself,
for He was made the Divine Love itself.
What His form then was,
was made apparent to Peter, James, and John
when it was given them to see Him,
not with the eyes of the body but with the eyes of the spirit,
namely - that His countenance shone like the sun (Matt. 17:2);
and that this was His Divine Human
is evident from the voice which then came out of the cloud, saying,
"This is my beloved Son" (verse 5).

AC 3195 - "light"

AC 3195 [2-3]
In the Word frequent mention is made of "light,"
and by this in the internal sense
is signified the truth which is from good
but in the supreme internal sense
there is signified the Lord Himself,
because He is good and truth itself.
. . . there actually is light in heaven,
but infinitely brighter than the light on earth;
and in this light spirits and angels see one another,
and by means of it is displayed all the glory which is in heaven.
In regard to its lucidity,
this light does indeed appear like the light in the world;
but still it is not like it, for it is not natural,
but spiritual, having in it wisdom;
so that it is nothing else than wisdom
which so shines before the eyes of the angels;
and therefore the wiser the angels are,
the brighter is the light in which they are.
. . .  this light illumines the understanding of a person,
especially that of a regenerate person;
but it is not perceived by a person
so long as he is in the life of the body . . ..

As regards the very origin of light,
this has been from eternity from the Lord alone;
for Divine good itself and Divine truth,
from which light comes, is the Lord.
The Divine Human, which was from eternity, was this light itself.
And whereas this light could no longer affect the human race,
which had removed itself so far from good and truth,
thus from light,
and had cast itself into darkness,
therefore the Lord willed to put on by birth the human itself;
for so He could illumine not only the rational
but also the natural things of a person;
for He made both the rational and the natural in Himself Divine,
in order that He might also be a light
to those who were in such gross darkness. 

SD 4433 - the common good

SD 4433
. . . he who, in the life of the body, is for the common good,
is also for the common good in the other life;
the common good in the other life is the kingdom of the Lord;
and he is thus for the kingdom of the Lord,
consequently for the Lord himself,
who is the all in all things of His kingdom.
Consequently,
how much zeal anyone has in the world for the common good,
so much he has for the kingdom of the Lord. 

AC 3190 - night and day

AC 3190
. . . when truth is elevated out of the natural into the rational,
it is taken out of the sphere of worldly light into the sphere of heavenly light,
thus as it were from the obscurity of night into the clearness of day;
for the things which are of the light of the world,
in which are all natural things,
are relatively as in night,
but the things which are of the light of heaven,
in which are spiritual things,
are relatively as in day;
and therefore when truth is elevated 
out of the natural toward the rational,
the person is at the same time elevated 
into intelligence and into wisdom;
moreover all intelligence and wisdom with a person are from this source.
This is what is signified by
the intellectual part being elevated 
above natural memory-knowledges.

SD 4412-4413 - Paul

SD 4412-4413
Paul is among the worst of the apostles . . ..
The love of self, in which he was ensnared before he preached the gospel,
remained with him also afterwards,
and because he was then, for the most part, in a like state,
he was prompted by that love 
and by his nature to wish to be in scenes of tumult.
He did all things from the end of being greatest in heaven,
and of judging the tribes of Israel.
That he remained such afterwards appears from very much experience,
for I spoke with him more than with others;
and he is such,
that the rest of the apostles in the other life rejected him from their company,
and no longer recognize him for one of themselves.
. . . he associated himself to one of the worst devils,
who would fain rule all things,
and pledged himself to this spirit to obtain for him his end;
besides many other things, which it would be too tedious to relate.
If all the things which I know concerning Paul should be related,
they would be enough to fill sheets.
That he wrote epistles does not prove
that he was such [as that would seem to imply],
for even the impious can preach well and write epistles;
it is one thing to be,
and another to speak and to write, as was also said to him.
Moreover he has not mentioned, in his epistles,
the least word of what the Lord taught, nor cited one of his parables,
so that he received nothing from the life and discourse of the Lord,
as was also said to him,
when yet in the Evangelists is the very Gospel itself.

There was a certain one 
who was insensible to the internal sense of the Word,
because he wished to place merit in his actions (:Paul:).
He was for a long time at a distance from me,
and also among the worst class of spirits.
He now associated himself with the worst devils,
and now wished to form a heaven to himself [of spirits]
to whom he might give joys from himself,
but the joys of cupidities and pleasures;
this also he attempted, but he became worse in consequence of it,
and was cast down. I then spoke to him that this was not heaven but hell;
and it was actually turned into a black hell.
He wished especially to have hypocrites [about him]
concerning whom I spoke with him;
there were hypocrites with me for several days,
which I was able to know by the pain in my teeth:
they tacitly pressed upon me without intermission;
and it was perceived and said that this was from Paul,
who hates the internal sense,
and that the anger of that hatred
has the effect of drawing hypocrites [about him],
and that such is the connection of things,
for hypocrites believe nothing,
but still esteem the literal sense of the Word,
because they can then take many things
and apply them in persuading the vulgar,
and thus contrive to appear pious.  

SD 4405 - the language of spirits; SD 4409 - the inmost of conjugial love

SD 4405
I spoke with him in the language of spirits,
illustrated by representative ideas;
for the language of spirits is such that,
in expressing anything,
they also present it, as it were visible,
but in modes which cannot be described.
Affections, cupidities, and similar things
are presented to the life by variations of light,
and these too modified with an almost endless variety.
This speech is perceived very rapidly,
so that more can be expressed [by it] in a moment,
than by human speech in hours.

SD 4409
. . . in love truly conjugial,
the inmost is a principle of conscience.

AC 3179 - what we know

AC 3179 [2]
. . . the things that take place during a person's regeneration
are altogether unknown to him;
and if he were to know only one out of ten thousand of them
he would be astounded.
There are countless, indeed an endless number
of secret things by which a person is at that time led of the Lord,
only some of which shine forth from the internal sense of the Word. 

SD 4376 - the Lord willed to be born on this earth

SD 4376
. . . the Lord willed to be born on this earth,
because, if He had not done so,
earth would have perished;
and as the human race inhabiting our earth
corresponds for the most part to corporeal things,
they could not be otherwise united with interiors
than by the Lord's becoming man;
especially after the correspondence had begun to perish,
which continued
as long as there was anything of a celestial church,
that is, of love to the Lord.
(August 25, 1749)

AC 3170 - all peace is from good and truth

AC 3170
And they passed the night.
(Genesis 24:54)
 . . . the signification of "passing the night," as being to rest,
and in the internal sense to have peace.
The case within is this:
When spiritual things are being appropriated to the natural person,
those things recede
which belong to cupidity of evil and persuasion of falsity,
which thus induce unrest;
and those approach
which belong to the affection of good and of truth,
consequently those things which cause peace;
for all unrest is from evil and falsity,
and all peace is from good and truth. 

AC 3158 - conjunction & freedom

AC 3158
. . . the initiation and conjunction of good and truth
are spiritual betrothal and spiritual marriage.
In each there is required a free state of deliberation.
That this is necessary in betrothal and marriage,
is well known;
but that it is required
in the initiation and conjunction of good and truth,
is not so well known,
because it is not apparent to the natural person,
and because such initiation and conjunction
are among the things that are accomplished
without a person's reflecting upon them;
nevertheless during every moment
when a person is being reformed and regenerated,
it comes to pass that he is in a state of freedom
when truth is being conjoined with good.
. . . truth, which is of faith,
never becomes a person's as his
until it has been received by the will, that is,
until it has been initiated and conjoined with the good there;
and that this cannot be effected except in a free state.

SD 4352 - hypocrites; SD 4354 - ratiocinators

SD 4252
. . . hypocrites and the deceitful
are far more foolish and stupid than others
who openly utter what is right and true.
It was found, upon his being explored,
that he accounted himself most prudent and wise,
supposing that no one closely observed him;
whereas all could take note of his hypocrisy and deceit,
which in fact is granted to nearly every person . . ..
That they should think that no one could see
and know this is to be attributed to their folly,
and is a proof that they discern less than others.
All the deceitful are of this character.
(August 14, 1749)
This holds still more in the other life,
but they still retain the idea
of their being able to do everything they wish,
and that no one knows or observes them,
when yet it is altogether the reverse.

SD 4364
Those who were deceived by his hypocrisy or pride
were ratiocinators,
such as do not know what goodness and truth are,
but suffer themselves to be seduced by such characters
and to be borne away wherever they please,
and consequently drinking in delight.
Ratiocinators are the arms and hands of evil spirits;
as soon as ever such spirits perceive
their propensity in this direction
they captivate them by their own dialetic arts,
and by insinuating delight
lead them whithersoever they will,
although they deal only in what is most false and deceitful. 

AC 3142 - sweeping (to prepare); AC 3147 - washing (to purify)

AC 3142
The reason "to sweep" signifies to prepare and to be filled,
is that nothing else is required of a person than to sweep the house;
that is, to reject the cupidities of evil
and the derivative persuasions of falsity;
for he is then filled with goods,
because good is continually flowing in from the Lord -
but into "the house," that is, into the person
who is purified from such things as impede the influx . . ..
So it was common with the ancients
to speak of sweeping or cleaning the house,
and of sweeping and preparing the way;
and by sweeping the house
was meant to purify one's self from evils,
and thereby to prepare one's self for goods to enter;
but by sweeping the way
was meant to prepare one's self so that truths might be received
(for by a "house" was signified good;
and by a "way," truth.  As in Isaiah:

The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
Sweep [prepare] ye the way of Jehovah;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
(Isaiah 40:3)

AC 3147
. . . washing with water, as being to purify . . ..
In the representative church it was customary to wash the feet with water,
and thereby to signify
that the unclean things of the natural person were washed away.
The unclean things of the natural person
are all those things which are of the love of self
and of the love of the world;
and when these unclean things have been washed away,
then goods and truths flow in,
for it is solely these unclean things
that hinder the influx of good and truth from the Lord.

SD 4350 - the celestial affection of conjugial love

SD 4350
. . . with those who are in true conjugial love
the interiors are opened towards heaven and the Lord
for it is an affection which derives its origin from the Lord alone,
who flows in through the inmost,
so that its quality and source cannot be adequately described;
but it is a consequence of this influx that the interiors are opened,
and that one who is the subject of it is in celestial affection,
and thus has the Lord's kingdom within himself.
From the same source also is derived the love towards infants,
and because such an one is so receptible of celestial loves,
he receives also mutual love towards the neighbor,
for this follows from genuine conjugial love
as from a kind of fountain.
(August 13, 1749)

AC 3131 - truth & apparent truth

AC 3131[3]
For no truth in its earliest stages is the actual truth
but an appearance of truth.
In the course of time however it sheds the cloak of appearance
and puts on the real essence of truth.
To make this intelligible it can be illustrated by examples,
for the moment by this alone:
It is a Divine truth that the Lord is never angry,
never punishes anyone, let alone does evil to anyone,
and that from the Lord nothing but good ever comes.
Nevertheless in its earliest stages
this truth declares that the Lord is angry when someone sins,
and that the Lord therefore punishes;
indeed with some people it declares that evil comes from the Lord.
But as a person progresses from early childhood, grows up,
and matures in judgement
he casts away that which from the appearance
seemed to him to be the truth
and gradually takes up the truth itself,
which is that the Lord is never angry and does not punish,
let alone perform evil.
Accordingly it is by means of apparent truth
that a person is introduced into actual truth;
for it is a general concept that enters first, which in itself is obscure,
containing scarcely anything that is to be seen
until it has been enlightened by means of particular ideas,
and these in turn by specific details.
And once it has been enlightened interior things can be seen.
In this way the delusions and appearances
which are truths at the time of ignorance
are dispersed and banished.

SD 4340 - What is Meant by Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

SD 4340
The Lord commanded [the disciples] to baptize
in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit;
these titles, in the internal sense,
signify nothing else than the Good, the True,
and the all of Goodness and Truth consequently resulting.
The Father is the Good,
the Son the True,
and the Holy Spirit is the Good and the True
proceeding from them.
All this is in the Lord alone.
(August 5, 1749)

AC 3118 - bending and bowing

AC 3118
The man bent himself, and bowed himself down to Jehovah.
(Genesis 24:26)
That this signifies gladness and joy,
is evident from the signification of "bending himself,"
and of "bowing himself down,"
as denoting to be glad and to rejoice.
Bending and bowing down are gestures of humiliation,
that is, they are humiliation in act,
whether in a state of grief or in a state of joy
- in a state of grief when that which is wished for does not come to pass,
but in a state of joy when it does come to pass. . .;
The term "gladness" is used, and also "joy,"
for the reason that in the Word 

"gladness" is predicated of truth,
and "joy" of good.
Moreover gladness is of the countenance,
but joy of the heart; or what is the same, 

gladness is of spiritual affection or of truth,
but joy is of celestial affection or of good;
thus gladness is in a degree less than joy,
as bending is likewise less than bowing down;
which is also evident from the fact
that the person of the spiritual church
merely bends himself before the Lord,
and invokes grace;
whereas the person of the celestial church
bows himself down before the Lord and implores mercy.
Both terms are used by reason 

of the marriage of truth and good
in every single thing of the Word.

AC 3105 - bracelets

AC 3105
And two bracelets.
(Genesis 24:22)
That this signifies Divine truth,
is evident from the signification of "bracelets," as being truth,
here Divine truth,
because the Lord is treated of in the internal sense;
they are said to have been "two," to denote fullness.
Bracelets were placed on the hands of a bride,
because by a bride was signified the church,
and by her hands were signified powers from truth.
Bracelets were not only for a bride,
but also for a king . . .they were on the arm,
for the reason that royalty was representative and significative
of Divine truth pertaining to the Lord. 

AC 3102 - the reception of truth

AC 3102 [2]
Every truth that is elevated out of the natural person,
that is, . . . out of memory-knowledges
(or out of knowledges and doctrinal things,
for these are of the natural person)
into the rational, and there received,
must first be acknowledged for what it is,
and whether it is in agreement
with the good that is in the rational or not;
if it is in agreement, it is received;
and if not, it is rejected. 

SD 4223 - the ends are what judge a person

SD 4323
There was a certain one who thought himself
to be the devil that seduced Adam and Eve . . ..
He appeared like another spirit, not speaking badly,
as if he were a person, but still in a kind of obscurity.
I wondered at his quality, as a sense of hatreds, revenges,
cruelties, and adulteries was not perceived from him as from others;
but I was instructed that he cared not for such things,
had in view only the end of destroying good and truth,
so that nothing else entered into his intention.
Ends are what judge a person,
and because of those this class are prompted by such ends
they are very devils,
for they deeply conceal their aims,
and act from the detestable prompting above mentioned,
regardless of the means whether profane or holy.
(July 12, 1749)

AC 3094 - enlightenment

AC 3094 [2]
There is nothing else that receives good but truth,
and such as is the truth,
such is the reception,
and such is the consequent enlightenment.
So when there is enlightenment by means of truth,
the enlightenment appears to be from the truth,
as if it were its own;
although it is of good,
which thus gives light through the truth.
. . . The light of heaven
is from the Divine good of the Lord through His Divine truth;
and because it is through the Divine truth in His Human,
it penetrates not only to those who are celestial,
but also to the spiritual,
and enlightens with wisdom and intelligence all who are in heaven.
And because this is the source of wisdom and intelligence,
therefore the Divine good and the Divine truth in the Lord's Human
are so much treated of in the internal sense of the Word;
and in the present passage,
this sense treats of the first enlightenment of truth from good,
and of good through truth.

SD 4275 - the Lord sees; SD 4280 - the Lord provides

SD 4275
That All Evil is from a Person,
And That by the Lord Evil is Foreseen, Not Provided. 
Permission.
Evil spirits are constantly disposed
to attribute the evil of punishment to the Lord,
but it was often said to them
that every evil is from a person,
and that it is previded, or foreseen,
but not provided by the Lord;
for since a person's nature is such
that he believes himself able to do good,
the evil which he does is appropriated to him,
whereas it would be otherwise
did he believe it to be not from himself, but from evil spirits.
If a person was in the truth of faith,
and in the faith which is of charity,
evil would not then be appropriated to him.
(May 17, 1749)

SD 4280
Concerning Spheres of Affection
All spheres of the affection of goodness and truth
are from the Lord.
The more a spirit or an angel can be reduced
into a state of harmony with such a sphere,
the more perfect he is,
both [as we may say] as to quality and quantity.
(May 21, 1749)

AC 3086 - arcana (secrets) within the Word

AC 3086 [2]
At the very least it may in this way be seen
what great arcana there are in the internal sense of the Word;
also that the arcana are such
as scarcely to be seen in the light of the world,
in which a person is during his life in the body,
but that they always appear more distinctly and clearly
in proportion as a person comes
from the light of the world into the light of heaven,
into which he comes after death;
thus into the light in which blessed and happy souls are,
that is, the angels.

AC 2972 - tree

AC 2972
. . . the signification of a "tree,"
as being perceptions when the celestial church is treated of,
but knowledges when the spiritual church is treated of . . ..
Mention is made of the tree that was in the field
and in the borders thereof round about,
on account of that internal sense;
otherwise it would not be worthy of mention
in a Word that is Divine.

AC 3068 - vessels

AC 3068
. . . every memory-knowledge is a vessel in which is truth;
and every truth is a vessel for good.
Memory-knowledge without truth is an empty vessel;
and so too is truth without good;
but memory-knowledge in which there is truth,
and truth in which there is good,
are full vessels.
Affection which is of love is that which conjoins
so that they may be within in order;
for love is spiritual conjunction. 

AC 3066 - that which is loved

AC 3066
No one is ever instructed by means of truths,
but by means of the affections of truth;
for truths apart from affection
do indeed come to the ear as sound,
but do not enter into the memory;
that which causes them to enter into the memory
and to abide in it, is affection.
For the good of affection is like soil,
in which truths are sown as seeds;
but such as the soil is (that is, such as the affection is),
such is the produce of that which is sown.
The end or use determines the quality of the soil,
or of the affection,
and thus the quality of the produce of what is sown;
or, if you prefer to say so, 
the love itself determines it;
for in all things the love is the end and the use,
for nothing is regarded as the end and use
except that which is loved.

AC 3049 - in the use

AC 3049
. . . in itself truth is good, because from good;
and truth is the form of good, that is to say,
when good is formed so as to be perceived intellectually,
it is then called truth . . ..
In themselves general memory-knowledges are not goods,
nor are they alive;
it is the affection of them that causes them to be goods,
and to be alive;
for when there is this affection they are for the sake of use;
since no one is affected by any memory-knowledge or truth
except for some use;
use makes it a good;
and such as the use is,
such is the good.

AC 3033 - knowing what is in the heart

AC 3033 [2]
When a person has the affection of good,
that is, when he wills good from the heart,
then whenever anything is to be thought of that is to be willed and done,
his good willing flows into his thinking,
and there it applies itself to the knowledges which are there,
and joins itself with them as its recipient vessels,
and by this conjunction impels him so to think, to will, and to act.
It is as it were an inserting of good in truths
or in the knowledges of truth.
But when a person has not the affection of good,
but the affection of evil, that is, then he wills evil
(as when he believes all to be good that is for himself,
so that he may become great and may be rich,
thus possess honor and wealth, and this is his end),
then when anything is to be thought of that is to be willed and done,
his willing equally flows into his thinking,
and there excites knowledges
which appear in the semblance of truth;
and so it impels the person to think, to will, and to do;
and this by a wrong application of knowledges,
and by looking upon certain general truths
which he has drawn from the sense of the letter of the Word
or from other knowledge as being applicable in every sense:
it is in this way that evil is coupled with falsity,
for in this case the truth which is in it
is deprived of all the essence of truth..

AC 3023 - in heaven (internal) & on earth (external)

AC 3023
. . . the Lord is called "Jehovah the God of heaven"
from His Divine that is in the heavens;
and He is called the "God of the earth"
from His Divine that is on earth.
The Divine in the heavens
is also that which is with a person in his internals;
but the Divine on earth is that which is in his externals;
for the internals of a person are his heaven,
because by them he is conjoined with the angels;
but his externals are his earth,
for by them he is conjoined with people.
When a person is regenerate,
the internals flow into the externals,
and the externals are from the internals.
.

AC 3016 - progression

AC 3016
. . . human life, from infancy to old age,
is nothing else than a progression from the world to heaven;
and the last age, which is death, is the transition itself.

AC 3004, 3005 - Jesus Christ

AC 3004, 3005
By the name "Jesus,"
when named by a person who is reading the Word,
the angels perceive Divine good;
and by "Christ," Divine truth;
and by the two names,
the Divine marriage of good and truth,
and of truth and good;
thus the whole Divine in the heavenly marriage,
which is heaven.

That "Jesus" is Divine good comes from the fact that
"Jesus" means "safety," "salvation," and "Savior;"
and because it means these,
it signifies the Divine good;
for all salvation is from the Divine good
which is of the Lord's love and mercy;
and thus is effected by the reception of that good.
That "Christ" is Divine truth
comes from the fact that the name means
"Messiah," "Anointed," and "King;"
and that these names signify the Divine truth . . ..

AC 2993 - the causes of all natural things

AC 2993
. . . the causes of all natural things are from spiritual things,
and the beginnings of these causes are from celestial things;
or what is the same,
all things in the natural world derive their cause 
from truth which is the spiritual,
and their beginning from good which is the celestial;
and natural things proceed from there
to all the differences of truth and of good in the Lord's kingdom;
thus from the Lord Himself,
from whom is all good and truth.
These things must needs appear strange,
especially to those who will not or cannot 
raise their thought beyond nature,
and who do not know what the spiritual is,
and therefore do not acknowledge it.

AC 2982 - the churches of the Lord & the practices of life

AC 2982
With the churches of the Lord, the case is this:
In ancient times there were many churches at the same time;
and there were, as at this day, distinctions among them
in regard to doctrinal matters;
but still they made a one in the fact
that they acknowledged love to the Lord and charity toward the neighbor
as the principal and very essential thing;
and therefore that the purpose of doctrinal things
was not to teach them how to think,
but how to live.
And when with each and all,
love to the Lord and charity toward the neighbor
- that is, the good of life - is the essential thing;
then churches, however numerous they may be, make one church,
all then being one in the Lord's kingdom.
Such also is heaven; there are innumerable societies there,
all distinct; but still they constitute one heaven,
because in all there is love to the Lord and charity toward the neighbor.

[2] But the case is wholly different
with churches that call faith the essential of the church;
supposing that if they know this and think this they are saved,
no matter what their life may be.
In this case the several churches do not make one church,
nor indeed are they churches.
The good of faith,
that is, the very life of love and of charity according to the things of faith,
is that which makes the church.
Doctrinal matters are for the sake of life.
Everyone may know this:
what are doctrinal matters except for the sake of all end?
and what is the end but life?
or that a person may become such as those doctrinal things teach? 
It is indeed said that the very faith itself which saves is confidence;
but this confidence is quite impossible except in the good of life.
Without the good of life there is no reception,
and where there is no reception there is no confidence,
except at times a certain apparent confidence,
in suffering conditions of mind or body,
when the evil desires of the love of self and of the world are at rest.
But with those who are in evil of life,
when this crisis passes or the condition is changed,
such fallacious confidence altogether vanishes;
for a confidence is found even with the wicked.
But whoever desires to know the quality of his confidence,
him examine in himself the affections and ends,
as well as the practices of his life.

AC 2965, 2967 - capacity

AC 2965
. . . capacity depends on the reception,
and thus on the obedience
accordingly as one perceives and wills . . .

AC 2967 [2]
. . . until corporeal things . . . become quiescent
(such as the things of the love of self and of the world),
celestial and spiritual things,
which are of the affection of good and truth,
cannot flow in;
this is the reason why everyone is reformed
according to his state and capacity.

This also the Lord teaches in the parable
concerning the man who went abroad:

Who called his own servants and delivered unto them his goods;
and unto one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one;
to each according to his several ability.
He that received the five talents traded with them,
and made other five talents;
in like manner he also that received the two,
he also gained other two.
(Matthew 25:14-17, etc.)

So too concerning the ten servants,
to whom were given ten pounds,
that they might trade with them.
(Luke 19:12-13, etc.)