Page:The Swedenborg Library Vol 1.djvu/148

 of it; and then, in practicing the sincerity and justice which belong to moral and civil life, he acts from a spiritual origin; and to do what is sincere and just from a spiritual origin, is to do it from sincerity and justice itself, or to do it from the heart. His justice and sincerity in the external form, appear exactly like the justice and sincerity practiced by natural men, and even by wicked men and infernals; but in their internal form, they are totally different.

For the wicked act justly and sincerely only for the sake of themselves and the world; and therefore if they did not fear the law and its penalties, also the loss of reputation, honor, gain and life, they would act altogether insincerely and unjustly; since they have no fear of God nor of any divine law, and therefore are not restrained by an internal bond. Therefore if external restraints were removed, they would defraud, plunder and spoil others as far as they were able to do so, and would take delight in doing it. That they are inwardly of such a character, is abundantly evident from those who are like them in the other life, where external things are removed, and the internals of all are opened, wherein they live to eternity; for being then free from external restraints, which are, as was said above, fear of the law and of the loss of reputation, honor, gain and life, they act insanely and laugh at sincerity and justice.

But they who have acted sincerely and justly from