3183, 5608).
279. The same is true of everyone who is being regenerated.
Regeneration, as regards the spiritual man, is re-birth. Man is first
introduced into the innocence of childhood, which is that one knows
no truth and can do no good from himself, but only from the Lord, and
desires and seeks truth only because it is truth, and good only
because it is good. As man afterwards advances in age good and truth
are given him by the Lord. At first he is led into a knowledge of
them, then from knowledge into intelligence, and finally from
intelligence into wisdom, innocence always accompanying, which
consists, as has been said, in his knowing nothing of truth, and
being unable to do anything good from himself but only from the Lord.
Without such a belief and such a perception of it no one can receive
any thing of heaven. Therein does the innocence of wisdom chiefly
consist.
280. As innocence consists in being led by the Lord and not by self,
so all who are in heaven are in innocence; for all who are there love
to be led by the Lord, knowing that to lead themselves is to be led
by what is their own, and what is one's own is loving oneself, he
that loves himself not permitting himself to be led by any one else.
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