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THE SWEDENBORG LIBRARY.

apparent compulsion in the life of the body, is filled by the Lord in the other life with indefinite delights and felicities.

They, also, who receive this proprium are by degrees enlightened, yea, are confirmed in this truth: that they have not compelled themselves in the least instance from themselves, but that all the movements of their wills therein, even the most minute, were from the Lord; and that the reason why the compulsion appeared to be from themselves, was, that they might be gifted of the Lord with a new will-principle as their own, and that thus the life of heavenly love might be appropriated to them. For the Lord is willing to communicate to every one what is His, consequently to communicate a celestial principle, so that it appear to man as his own, and as in him, although it is not his. The angels are in such a proprium: and in proportion as they are principled in this truth, that all good and truth are from the Lord, they are in the delight and happiness of that proprium.

But they who despise and reject all that is good and true, and who are unwilling to believe anything which is repugnant to their lusts and reasonings, cannot compel themselves; consequently, they cannot receive this proprium of conscience, or new will-principle.

From what has here been offered it appears also that there is a difference between a man's compelling himself, and his being compelled: for no good can possibly come from being compelled, as when one man is com-

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