299. [276.] I heard a conversation with those priests in the west, which took place representationally. On one side was represented the devil together with hell, on the other the Lord together with heaven; and I then heard it said: 1) That the devil or hell dwells in the evil qualities in a person, and that the Lord with heaven is in the good qualities in him. 2) Further, that the Lord through heaven is continually driving away the devil along with hell. 3) But that the person who excuses his evils and lives intent on them retains the devil in him together with hell and does not allow them to depart, however much the Lord keeps driving them away. 4) Moreover, that the devil then speaking with him says, "What need is there to know your evils, to do combat with them, when God does this?" And in so doing he convinces the person. Consequently he is retained, and thus the two live together amicably. I heard many other like things as well, including that the devil convinces the person through that faith, saying, "What need is there for any concepts other than those which are matters of that faith? They are of no assistance. What need is there to know one's evils, seeing that a person cannot of himself fight against them? What need is there for combat, seeing that a person of himself accomplishes nothing?" 5) When in fact every particle of life, every particle of reason, and every particle of freedom that a person has is from the Lord, who wills that a person act as if of himself. And that without a person's cooperation as if of himself, evil, and with evil, the devil, remains-and so on, and so on.