Divine Providence (Dick and Pulsford) n. 138

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138. IV. NO ONE IS REFORMED IN STATES THAT ARE NOT OF RATIONALITY AND LIBERTY. It was shown above that nothing is appropriated to man except what he does from freedom according to reason. This is because freedom belongs to the will and reason to the understanding; and when man acts from freedom according to reason he acts from the will by means of his understanding; and that which is done when these two are united is appropriated to him. Now since the Lord wills that man should be reformed and regenerated in order that he may have eternal life or the life of heaven; and since no one can be reformed and regenerated unless good is appropriated to his will so as to be as it were his own, and truth is appropriated to his understanding also to be as his own; and since nothing can be appropriated to anyone except what is done from freedom of the will according to reason, it follows that no one is reformed in states that are not of liberty and rationality. There are many such states, but in general they may be referred to the following: states of fear, misfortune, mental disorder (animus), bodily disease, ignorance and blindness of the understanding. Something shall be said of each state in particular.


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