SCIVIAS 319
22: HOW IN THEWILL’STABERNACLEALLPOWERS
AREACTIVATED ANDCOMETOGETHER
But the will has in the human breast a tabernacle, the mind, upon which the intellect and
that same will and a sort of force of the soul all breathe in strength. And all these are acti-
vated and come together in the same tabernacle. How? If anger arises, gall is produced
and brings the anger to its height by filling the tabernacle with smoke. If wicked delight
rises up, the flame of lust touches its structure, and so the wantonness that pertains to that
sin is elevated and in that tabernacle united with it. But there is another, lovely kind of
joy, which is kindled in that tabernacle by the Holy Spirit, and the rejoicing soul receives
it faithfully and perfects good works in the desire of Heaven. And there is a kind of sad-
ness that engenders in the tabernacle, out of those humors that surround the gall, the sloth
which produces disdain, obduracy and stubbornness in people and depresses the soul,
unless the grace of God comes quickly to rescue it.
But since in that tabernacle there occur contrary conditions, it is often disturbed
by hatred and other deadly emotions, which kill the soul and try to lay it waste in perdi-
tion. But when the will wills, it can move the implements in the tabernacle and in its
burning ardor dispose of them, whether they are good or evil. But if these implements
please the will, it bakes its food there and offers it to people to enjoy. So in that taber-
nacle a great throng of good and evil things arises, like an army gathered in some place
of assembly; when the commander of an army arrives, if the army pleases him he
accepts it, but if it displeases him he orders it to disband. The will does the same. How?
If good or evil arises in the breast, the will either carries it out or ignores it.
23: ON THEREASON
But both in the intellect and in the will reason stands forth as the loud sound of the soul,
which makes known every work of God or Man. For sound carries words on high, as the
wind lifts the eagle so that it can fly. Thus the soul utters the sound of reason in the hear-
ing and the understanding of humanity, that its powers may be understood and its every
work brought to perfection. But the body is the tabernacle and support of all the powers
of the soul, since the soul resides in the body and works with the body, and the body
with it, whether for good or for evil.
24: ON THESENSES
It is the senses on which the interior powers of the soul depend, so that these powers are
known through them by the fruits of each work. The senses are subject to these powers,
since they guide them to the work, but the senses do not impose work on the powers, for
they are their shadow and do what pleases them. The exterior human being awakens
with senses in the womb of his mother before he is born, but the other powers of the
soul still remain in hiding. What is this? The dawn announces the daylight; just so the
human senses manifest the reason and all the powers of the soul. And as on the two
commandments of God hang all the Law and the prophets, so also on the soul and its
powers depend the human senses. What does this mean?
The Law is ordained for human salvation, and the prophets show forth the hidden
things of God; so also human senses protect a person from harmful things and lay bare