603.  What has been said in this work about heaven, the world of spirits, and hell, will be obscure to those who have no interest in learning about spiritual truths, but will be clear to those who have such an interest, and especially to those who have an affection for truth for the sake of truth, that is, who love truth because it is truth; for whatever is then loved enters with light into the mind’s thought, especially truth that is loved, because all truth is in light.

Extracts from the arcana Coelestia respecting the freedom of man, influx, and the spirits through whom communications are effected.

Freedom.

     All freedom pertains to love or affection, since whatever
     a man loves he does freely (n. 2870, 3158, 8987, 8990,
     9585, 9591).

     Since freedom pertains to love it is the life of everyone
     (n. 2873).

     Nothing appears to be man’s own except what is from
     freedom (n. 2880).

     There is heavenly freedom and infernal freedom (n. 2870,
     2873, 2874, 9589, 9590).

     [2] Heavenly freedom pertains to heavenly love, or the
     love of good and truth (n. 1947, 2870, 2872).

     And as the love of good and truth is from the Lord freedom
     itself consists in being led by the Lord (n. 892, 905,
     2872, 2886, 2890-2892, 9096, 9586, 9587, 9589-9591).

     Man is led into heavenly freedom by the Lord through
     regeneration (n. 2874, 2875, 2882, 2892).

     Man must have freedom in order to be regenerated (n. 1937,
     1947, 2876, 2881, 3145, 3146, 3158, 4031, 8700).

     In no other way can the love of good and truth be
     implanted in man, and appropriated by him seemingly as his
     own (n. 2877, 2879, 2880, 2888).

     Nothing is conjoined to man in a state of compulsion (n.
     2875, 8700).

     If man could be reformed by compulsion all would be saved
     (n. 2881).

     In reformation compulsion is harmful (n. 4031).

     All worship from freedom is worship, but worship from
     compulsion is not worship (n. 1947, 2880, 7349, 10097).

     Repentance must be effected in a free state, and
     repentance effected in a state of compulsion is of no
     avail (n. 8392).

     States of compulsion, what they are (n. 8392).

[3] It is granted to man to act from the freedom of reason, to the end that good may be provided for him, and this is why man has the freedom to think and will even what is evil, and to do it so far as the laws do not forbid (n. 10777).

     Man is kept by the Lord between heaven and hell, and thus
     in equilibrium, that he may be in freedom for the sake of
     reformation (n. 5982, 6477, 8209, 8987).