Spirits are extremely perplexed about how to understand that no one can do anything good except from the Lord, when yet they are commanded to do what is good, to want what is good, to think what is good, while still of themselves they can think, want, do nothing of good. So they do not understand what they are to do, whether to hang down their hands and just let themselves be driven. Such at times was their talk, because they cannot understand or see the matter any better. But they were told that they should by all means think, want and do good, and not hang down their hands. And while they may suppose at the time that it comes of their own power, nevertheless, when they consider where their thought of goodness and their will for truth* come from, then they have to acknowledge that that is from the Lord, not from themselves. The Lord gives both the thought of goodness and the will for goodness. So all should do good, yet should know and understand that Good is not theirs, but the Lord's. * The original has veri, but a few lines below it has boni. The index at Bonum and Proprium has cogitare verum et velle bonum.