Friday, June 07, 2013

AC 5854 - the Lord works hard

AC 5854 [2]
The Lord could
through angels
 lead man into good ends by omnipotent force;
but this would be to take away the person's life,
for his life consists in entirely contrary loves.
Therefore the Divine law is inviolable,
that a person shall be in freedom,
and that good and truth, or charity and faith,
shall be implanted in his freedom,
and by no means in compulsion;
because what is received in a state of compulsion
does not remain, but is dissipated.
. . .The Lord therefore rules a person through his freedom,
and as far as possible withholds him
from the freedom of thinking and willing evil;
for unless a person were withheld by the Lord,
he would be continually plunging into the deepest hell.

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