498. XVII. THAT NEVERTHELESS, LIKE OTHERS, THEY STILL POSSESS HUMAN RATIONALITY. That as to the understanding, the natural, sensual, and corporeal man is equally rational as the spiritual man, was demonstrated before me in the case of those satans and devils spoken of here and there in the Memorable Relations who, by leave, rose up out of hell and conversed with angelic spirits in the world of spirits. But because the love of the will makes the man, and this love draws the understanding into consent, therefore, such men are not rational save when in a state removed from the love of their will. When they return to this love, they are insane in a worse way than wild beasts. Without the faculty of elevating his understanding above the love of his will, man would be not a man but a beast, for a beast does not enjoy that faculty. Consequently, he could not choose anything that is good and advantageous and from choice do it, and so could not be reformed and led to heaven and live to eternity. Hence it is that adulterers from purpose and confirmation, although merely natural, sensual, and corporeal, yet like others enjoy the gift of understanding, that is, rationality; but when they are in the lust of adultery, and from that lust think and speak concerning it, they do not enjoy that rationality, and this because then the flesh acts upon the spirit, and not the spirit upon the flesh. It should be known, however, that after death they finally become stupid; not that the faculty of becoming wise is taken away from them, but that they do not wish to be wise, wisdom being undelightful to them.