2391. CONCERNING THOSE WHO ONLY STUDY THE SENSE OF THE LETTER OF THE LORD'S WORD, AND HENCE MAKE COLLECTIONS. There were with me certain of those who collected those things that belonged only to the sense of the letter in the Lord's Word. When I collected those things which were in the Lord's Word, and then at the same time attended to the interior sense, they only [studied] the sense of the letter, and I must acknowledge that there was such obscurity and such repugnance, as it were, and labor, as is usual when anyone walks [vadit] in deep sand, needs raise his feet at every step. They drew back, when I wished to elevate my mind, so that it was very irksome both to them and to me; for it was a labor which fatigued both parties. Hence it is given to conclude how they will be who inhere only in letters, and study them, when they should give ear to the interiors of the Word, [and] that there is a continual repugnance and continual labor, besides which they delight in letters, as in the strewn sand, and desire to walk there, and do not want to be elevated towards interiors. Hence also it must be evident what sort of difficulty they have in the other life, to be elevated towards interiors and heaven: for in the other life letters and the literal sense of the Word is nothing, but they are destroyed like the body of the soul, before they can be elevated towards heaven. - 1748, June 23.