210. VII. NONE OF THESE THINGS CAN BE EFFECTED UNLESS IT APPEARS TO MAN THAT HE THINKS FROM HIMSELF AND DISPOSES FROM HIMSELF. It has been fully demonstrated in the preceding pages that unless it appeared to man that he lived as from himself and thus that he thought and willed, spoke and acted as of himself he would not be man. From this it follows that if man as from his own prudence did not dispose all things pertaining to his function and life he could not be led and disposed from the Divine Providence; for he would be like one standing with his hands hanging down, his mouth open, his eyes closed and holding his breath, awaiting influx. He would thus divest himself of the human, which he has from the perception and sensation that he lives, thinks, wills, speaks and acts as from himself; and at the same time he would divest himself of his two faculties, liberty and rationality, by which he is distinguished from the beasts. It has been shown above in this treatise, and in THE DIVINE LOVE AND WISDOM, that without this appearance a man would not have the power to receive and to reciprocate, and thus would not have immortality. [2] If therefore, you wish to be led by the Divine Providence use prudence as a servant and steward does who faithfully dispenses the goods of his master. This prudence is the talent which was given to the servants to trade with, of which they must render an account (Luke xix. 13-25; Matt. xxv. 14-31). Prudence itself appears to man as his own; and it is believed to be his own so long as he keeps shut up within him the deadliest enemy of God and the Divine Providence, the love of self. This dwells in the interiors of every man from birth; if you do not recognise it, for it does not wish to be recognised, it dwells securely, and guards the door lest man should open it, and it should thus be cast out by the Lord. Man opens this door by shunning, as of himself evils as sins, with the acknowledgment that he does so from the Lord. This is the prudence with which the Divine Providence acts as one.