nd his own will. It is said one's own will
because everyone's will is his love.

{Footnote 1} A "way," a "path," a "road," a "street," and a
"broad street," signify truths leading to good, or falsities
leading to evil (n. 627, 2333, 10422). "To sweep [or prepare] a
way" means to prepare for the reception of truths (n. 3142).
"To make known the way" means, in respect to the Lord, to
instruct in truths that lead to good (n. 10565).

480. (ii) Man after death continues to eternity such as his will or
ruling love is. This, too, has been confirmed by abundant experience.
I have been permitted to talk with some who lived two thousand years
ago, and whose lives are described in history, and thus known; and I
found that they continued to be just the same as they were described,
that is, in respect to the love out of which and according to which
their lives were formed. There were others known to history, that had
lived seventeen centuries ago, others that had lived four centuries
ago, and three, and so on, with whom I was permitted to talk; and I
found that the same affection still ruled in them, with no other
difference than that the delights of their love were turned into such
things as correspond. The angels declare that the life of the ruling
love is never changed in any one even to eternity, since everyone is
his love; consequently to change that love in a spirit is to take
away or extinguish his life; and for the reason that man after death
is no longer capable of being reformed by instruction, as in the
world, because the outmost plane, which consists of natural
knowledges and affections, is then quiescent and not being spiritual
cannot be opened (see above, n. 464); and upon that plane the
interiors pertaining to the mind and disposition rest as a house
rests on its foundation; and on this account such as the life of
one's love had been in the world such he continues to be to eternity.
The angels are greatly surprised that man does not know that everyone
is such as his ruling love is, and that many believe that they may be
saved by mercy apart from means, or by faith alone, whatever their
life may be; also that they do not know that Divine mercy works by
means, and that it consists in man's being led by the Lord, both in
the world and afterwards to eternity, and that those who do not live
in evils are led by the Divine mercy; and finally that faith is
affection for truth going forth from heavenly love, w