human nature (meaning that he made it divine) in the same way that
he regenerates us (meaning that he makes us spiritual).
The chapters on free choice [§§ 463 – 508 ], goodwill [§§ 392 – 462 ],
faith [§§ 336 – 391 ], and reformation and regeneration [§§ 571 – 625 ] below
will fully demonstrate three things: that all people who go from being
earthly to being spiritual go through these two states; that they are
brought to the second state through the first; and that this is how they
move from this world to heaven. Here I will say only that in the first
state, [also] called the state of being reformed, we have complete freedom
to direct our actions with the faculty of reasoning that we have in our
intellect. In the second state, the state of being regenerated, we have the
same freedom but we intend, act, think, and speak with a new love and a
new intelligence that come from the Lord.
In the first state our intellect plays the lead role while our will plays a
supporting role. In the second state our will plays the leading role while
our intellect plays a supporting role, although it is still the intellect that
acts in connection with the will, not the will that acts through the intellect.
The same process applies to the joining of goodness and truth, the join-
ing of goodwill and faith, and the joining of the inner and the outer self.106 Because these two states follow the divine design, and the divine
design fills everything large and small down to the least detail in the uni-
verse, therefore there are a number of different things in the universe that
represent these two states.
The first state is represented by the stages we all go through from
infancy to childhood and into our teenage years, our twenties, and our
thirties. These stages entail our being deferential and obedient to our
parents, and learning from teachers and ministers.
The second state, however, is represented by our stages later on
when we are responsible for ourselves and our own choices, when we
have our own will and our own understanding, and have authority in
our own home.
The first state, then, is represented by the situation of a prince, the son
of a king, or else a son of a duke, before he becomes the king or the duke
himself; or by the situation of any citizens before they become civic lead-
ers; or of any royal subjects before they take government positions; or of
any students studying for the ministry before they become priests. The
same applies to the situation of those priests before they become rectors,
and of those rectors before they become deans. The same also applies to