And as they have defiled Divine
truths by the self-love in which they have immersed them, some of
them are so insane as to think themselves gods; and are consequently
in hell among those like themselves. Some are cunning and deceitful,
and are in the hells of the deceitful. These are such as by means of
cunning arts and devices have maintained such pious conduct as
induced the common people to believe that they possessed a Divine
sanctity. [3] Of this character are many of the Roman Catholic
saints. I have been permitted to talk with some of them, and their
life was then plainly disclosed, such as it had been in the world and
as it was afterwards. All this has been said to make known that the
life that leads to heaven is not a life withdrawn from the world, but
a life in the world; and that a life of piety separated from a life
of charity, which is possible only in the world, does not lead to
heaven; but a life of charity does; and a life of charity consists in
acting honestly and justly in every employment, in every business,
and in every work, from an interior, that is, from a heavenly,
motive; and this motive is in that life whenever man acts honestly
and justly because doing so is in accord with the Divine laws.
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