AE 1162, 1163, 1166 - Turning

AE 1162 [2], 1163, 1166

The eighth law of the Divine providence is
that the Lord is continually withdrawing man from evils
so far as man is willing from freedom to be withdrawn;
that so far as man can be withdrawn from evils
the Lord leads him to good and thus to heaven;
but so far as man cannot be withdrawn from evils
the Lord cannot lead him to good and thus to heaven;
for so far as man has been withdrawn from evils
so far he does good from the Lord,
and that good is good in itself;
but so far as he has not been withdrawn from evils,
so far he does good from himself,
and that good has evil within it.


. . . the interiors of all things of the human mind,
and with them the interiors of all things of the spirit,
are capable of being turned
either downwards or upwards.
They are turned downwards
when man loves himself above all things;
and they are turned upwards
when he loves the Lord above all things.
This is an actual turning.
Man from himself turns them downwards,
while the Lord from Himself turns them upwards.
The ruling love is what turns.
Thoughts do not turn the interiors of the mind
except so far as they are derived from the will.
That all this is true man does not know;
and yet he ought to know it
in order that he may understand
how he is led out of hell and led into heaven by the Lord.


The Lord alone resists the evils with man by Himself
and not through any angels of heaven,
because to resist evils with man
is a work of Divine omnipotence,
Divine omniscience,
and Divine providence.