DLW 237
When a person is born,
he
comes first into the natural degree,
and this grows in him by a
continuous progression
according to his accumulations of knowledge
and
the understanding he acquires by means of them,
until it reaches the
highest point of understanding
called rationality.
But still this does not result
in the opening of the second degree,
which we call spiritual.
This degree is opened by
a love of useful
endeavors
in accord with one's intellectual attainments --
only by a
spiritual love of useful endeavors,
a love which is love for the
neighbor.
This degree may likewise grow
by a continuous progression of
the degree
until it reaches its highest point,
and it grows by the
accumulation of concepts
of truth and good, or of spiritual truths.
But even so, these still do not bring about
the opening
of the third degree,
which we call celestial.
Rather this degree is
opened by
a celestial love of useful endeavors,
a love which is love
toward the Lord;
and love toward the Lord
is nothing other
than to
commit the precepts of the Word to life,
the sum of which is to refrain
from evils
because they are hellish and diabolical,
and to do good
things
because they are heavenly and Divine.
These three degrees are thus
progressively opened in a person.
DLW 240
A person has in him two faculties from the Lord
which distinguish him
from animals.
One of these faculties is his ability to understand
what
is true and what is good.
This faculty is called rationality,
and it is a
faculty of his intellect.
The other faculty is his ability to do
what
is true and good.
This faculty is called freedom,
and it is a faculty of
his will.
For a person can think in accordance with his rationality
whatever he wishes,
either in accord with God or in opposition to God,
or in accord with the neighbor
or in opposition to the neighbor,
and he
can also will and do what he thinks.
Or, when he envisions misfortune or
fears punishment,
he can in freedom refrain from doing it.
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