533. There are two loves which from long time past have become deeply rooted in the human race, the love of controlling everyone, and the love of possessing everyone's goods. The first of these, if given its head, actually plunges headlong into an ambition to be the God of heaven; the other, if given its head, plunges headlong into an ambition to be the God of the world. All the other evil loves - and they are legion - are subordinate to these two. But it is extremely difficult to examine these two loves, because they lodge so deep within and hide themselves away. They are like vipers lurking in holes in a rock and holding in their poison; and when anyone lies on that rock they inflict a fatal wound before retreating again. They are also like the Sirens described by the ancient writers, who used their singing to entice people and then kill them. These two loves also deck themselves out in lordly robes and clothes, just as a devil does by his wizardry among his followers and others whom he wants to deceive.
[2] It ought, however, to be appreciated that those two loves can be more dominant in the case of humble than exalted people, more in the case of the needy than the rich, more in the case of subjects than kings. Kings are born to rule and possess treasures, and they end by looking on such things just as anyone else does his servants or possessions, as a magistrate does his, an administrator his, a ship-captain his, even as a poor farmer does his. The case is very different when kings have ambitions to extend their sway over other king's domains.
[3] The reason why what the will intends has to be examined is that the will is the seat of love, for the will is a receiver of love, as was shown before. From the will the pleasures emanating from every love spread into the perceptions and thoughts of the understanding, for they are incapable of doing anything of their own accord, but are activated by the will. For they take the will's part, agreeing with and supporting everything to do with its love. So the will is the house in which a person lives, and the understanding is the fore-court through which he goes in and out. That is why it was stated that the intentions of the will must be examined. When they have been examined and banished, a person is lifted up from his natural will, which is beset by evils, inherited and of his own doing, and brought into possession of a spiritual will; and by means of this the Lord reforms and regenerates the natural will, and by means of this the sensory and voluntary parts of the body, and so the whole person.
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