120# 倘若没有主所成就的救赎，不义与恶毒必将充斥整个基督教界，自然世界与灵性世界皆不能幸免。缘由众多，其一便是：人离世之后都会进入灵性世界，彼时心性、性情与生前毫无二致。人初入灵性世界之时，无法阻拦他与已故父母、手足、亲眷、友人交谈；每位丈夫必先寻觅自己的妻子，每位妻子也会找寻自己的丈夫。众人又会经由亲友引荐，归入各类团体；这些团体里的灵外表温顺如绵羊，内里却凶狠如豺狼。即便是生前追求虔敬之人，也会被他们败坏心性。再叠加自然世界中种种隐秘可憎的邪术，灵性世界便会遍布心怀恶意的灵，如同池塘滋生蛙卵，整片池水尽数变浊发绿。
【2】与恶人相交沾染恶念所生的恶果，可借几类譬喻明晓：人若长久与盗匪、海盗共处，日久便会同化，行事与他们别无二致；人若常与奸淫之辈相伴，终会视苟合之事为无关紧要；人若混迹叛乱群党，久而久之便不将施暴害人当作过错。一切邪恶皆具备传染性，可比作瘟疫，仅凭气息吞吐便能侵染他人；亦可比作癌肿、坏疽，四处蔓延腐坏周遭，逐步侵蚀更远之处，直至全身朽败灭亡。根源在于，每个人生来便存有喜爱邪恶的私欲。
【3】由此足以确证，若无主的救赎，世人无一能够得救，天使也无法长久持守完整纯全的境界。人若不愿沉沦灭亡，唯一的避难之处便是归向主，祂曾如此言说：
“你们要住在我里面，我也住在你们里面。枝子若不住在葡萄树上，自己就不能结果子；你们若不住在我里面，也是这样。我是葡萄树，你们是枝子；住在我里面的，我也住在他里面，这人就多结果子；因为离了我，你们就不能作什么。人若不住在我里面，就被丢在外面，并且枯干，被扔在火里焚烧。”（约 15:4-6）
120# 没有主的救赎，罪孽和邪恶就会遍及自然界和灵界中的整个基督教界；其原因有很多，其中一个原因是，每个人死后都会进入灵人界，在那里和以前完全是同一个人，或说和死前完全一样。进入灵人界，没有人会被阻止与已故的父母、兄弟、亲戚和朋友交谈。然后每个丈夫都先找他的妻子，每个妻子都找她的丈夫；他们的配偶，以及家人和朋友会把他们引入那些外在像羔羊，内在像豺狼，或说外表像绵羊，内心像豺狼的各种群体中；甚至就连那些过着虔诚生活的人也被这些人或豺狼引入歧途。通过这种方式，以及自然界中未知的邪恶艺术，灵人界充满恶毒的人，就像绿色的死水潭充满蛙卵一样。
与那里的恶人联系就会产生这样的后果，这一点可从以下事实明显看出来：人若与强盗或海盗一起生活一段时间，最终会变得和他们一样；人若与奸夫和淫妇一起生活，很快就会对通奸毫不在意；人若与亡命之徒混在一起，很快就会对向任何人施暴毫不在意，或说最终会毫无顾及地向任何人施暴。因为一切邪恶都具有传染性，可以比作瘟疫，瘟疫仅仅通过身体散发的气息或臭气就能传播；它们也可以比作癌症或坏疽，它慢慢扩散，先感染较近的部位，然后感染较远的部位，直到最后整个身体都被摧毁。每个人与生俱来的邪恶快乐是造成这一切的原因。
由此可见，没有主的救赎，没有人能得救，天使们也不能继续处于完好的状态。任何人免遭毁灭的唯一避难所都在主里面，因为祂说：
你们要住在我里面，我也住在你们里面；枝子若不住在葡萄树上，凭自己就不能结果子，你们若不住在我里面，也是这样。我是葡萄树，你们是枝子；住在我里面的，我也住在他里面，这人就多结果子；因为离了我，你们就不能作什么。人若不住在我里面，就被丢出去并枯干，扔在火里烧了。（约翰福音15:4-6）
120. If there had been no redemption by the Lord, injustice and malice would have spread throughout the Christian realm in both worlds (the earthly and the spiritual).
There are many reasons for this. One is that all human beings after death come into the world of spirits. They are exactly the same then as they were before. When they first enter that world, none of them can be prevented from interacting with parents, siblings, relatives, and friends who have died. At that time every husband first looks for his wife and every wife looks for her husband. Their spouses as well as their family and friends introduce them into various social groups that include people who are outwardly like sheep but are inwardly like wolves. The newcomers are corrupted by these wolves - even the newcomers who have been particularly devoted to religion. Because of this, and also because of horrible practices that are unknown in the physical world, that world is as full of malicious people as a pond is green with frog's eggs.
[2] Interaction with evil people there has this contagious effect, as you can clearly see from the following similar situations: As you spend time with thieves or pirates you eventually become like them. As you live among adulterous men and promiscuous women, eventually you think nothing of adultery. If you join a rebel group, eventually you think nothing of doing violence to anyone.
All evils are contagious. They are like a plague you become infected with just by breathing in and out. They are like cancer and gangrene that spread and corrupt nearby areas, then more and more remote areas, until the whole body dies.
The cause: from birth we all enjoy evil.
[3] From the points made just now it can be clear that if the Lord had not brought about redemption, no human being could have been saved and no angels could have continued to exist in their state of integrity.
The sole and only direction in which to run for refuge is to the Lord, or else we perish. He says,
Live in me and I [shall live] in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it lives in the vine, the same goes for you unless you live in me. I am the vine. You are the branches. Those who live in me and I in them bear much fruit. For without me you can do nothing. If any do not live in me, they are cast out. Once dried they are thrown into the fire and burned. (John 15:4-6)
120. There were many reasons why, but for redemption by the Lord, injustice and wickedness would have spread throughout the Christian peoples in either world, spiritual as well as natural. One of these is that everyone after death comes into the world of spirits, and is then exactly like what he was before. No one on arrival can be prevented from talking with his dead parents, brothers, relations and friends. Every husband then first seeks out his wife, every wife her husband. By these contacts of both kinds they are brought into the company of people who look outwardly like sheep, but inwardly resemble wolves. They are able to corrupt even those who led religious lives. Thus, as a result of unspeakable tricks unknown in the natural world, that world is filled with wickedness, like a pool covered with a green slime of frogs' spawn.
[2] The effect of keeping bad company there can be rendered plain to view by considering these parallels. If a person spends his time with thieves or pirates, he ends up by becoming like them; if he lives with adulterers and whores, he ends up by thinking adultery of no consequence. Again if he mixes with terrorists, he ends up by thinking nothing of using violence on anyone. All evils are contagious, and can be likened to a plague which infects people simply by their being exposed to the victims' breath; or to a cancer or gangrene which spreads, and makes first the surrounding parts, and then those further and further away, rot, until the whole body is destroyed. It is the pleasures of evil, to which everyone is prone from birth, that cause this.
[3] Now these facts will establish that but for the redemption effected by the Lord no one could be saved, nor could the angels remain unharmed The sole refuge to avoid destruction is to betake oneself to the Lord, for He says:
Remain in me, and I in you. Just as the branch can bear no fruit by itself, but only if it remains part of the vine, so neither can you, unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who remains in me and I in him bears much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. Unless a person abides in me, he is cast out and withers, and is thrown into the fire and burnt, John 15:4-6.
120. There are several reasons why without redemption by the Lord iniquity and wickedness would have pervaded all Christendom, both in the natural world and in the spiritual world, one of which is, that every man goes after death into the world of spirits, and there he is wholly the same man as before. On entering that world, no one can be prevented from talking with departed parents, brothers, relatives, and friends. Then every husband first seeks his wife, and every wife her husband, and by these they are introduced into the various companies of those who externally are lamb-like, but internally are like wolves; and by such even those who have lived pious lives are led astray. As a result of this and of nefarious arts unknown in the natural world, that world becomes as full of malicious persons as a green pond is with the spawn of frogs.
[2] That such is the result of association with the evil there is made evident by the fact that if one lives for a time with robbers and pirates he finally becomes like them; or if one lives with adulterers and harlots he soon thinks nothing of adultery; or if he mingles with outlaws he soon thinks nothing of doing violence to anyone. For all evils are contagious, and may be compared to a pestilence, which is communicated merely by the breath or the effluvia of the body; also to cancer or gangrene, which spreads and infects first the nearer and then the remoter parts, until the whole body is destroyed. The delights of evil into which every man is born, are the cause.
[3] From all this it can be seen that without redemption by the Lord no man could be saved, nor could the angels be continued in a state of integrity. The only refuge from destruction for anyone is the Lord, who says:
Abide in Me, and I in you; as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself except it abide in the vine, so neither can ye except ye abide in Me. I am the vine, ye are the branches; he that abideth in Me and I in him, the same beareth much fruit; for apart from Me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in Me he is cast forth and is withered, and cast into the fire and burned (John 15:4-6).
120. Had it not been for the redemption effected by the Lord, iniquity and wickedness would now be widespread throughout the whole of Christendom both in the natural and in the spiritual world. There are many reasons for this, and among them may be mentioned the following. Every man after death enters the world of spirits, and is there exactly as he was before death; and no one, on his entrance there, can be prevented from conversing with departed parents, brothers, relatives and friends. Every husband then first seeks his wife, and every wife her husband; and they are introduced by each other to various groups of acquaintances, who outwardly appear like sheep, but inwardly are like wolves, and even those who have lived pious lives are corrupted by them. In this way, and by nefarious arts unknown in the natural world, the world of spirits is as filled with the wicked as a green stagnant pool is with the spawn of frogs.
[2] Association with the evil there produces this result, as may appear from these considerations: that whoever associates with robbers or pirates at length becomes like them; and whoever lives with adulterers and harlots comes to make light of adultery; and whoever makes common cause with outlaws, does not scruple at length to do violence to any one. For all evils are contagious, and they may be compared to the plague, which is communicated merely by the breath of emanation from the infected. They may also be compared to cancer or gangrene, which spreads slowly, infecting first the nearer and then remoter parts, till at last the whole body is destroyed: the delights of evil, into which every man is born, are the cause of this.
[3] Hence, then, it may appear evident, that without redemption by the Lord, no man could be saved, nor could the angels remain in their state of integrity. The only refuge from destruction for any one is in the Lord; for He says:
"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered: and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned" John 15:4-6.
120. Quod absque Redemptione a Domino iniquitas et malitia pervagaretur totum orbem Christianum in utroque Mundo, Naturali et Spirituali, sunt plures causae, inter quas etiam haec est, quia omnis homo post mortem in Mundum spirituum venit, et tunc sibi prorsus similis est, qualis prius, ac in introitu nemo arceri potest a colloquio cum defunctis parentibus, fratribus, affinibus et amicis; quisque maritus tunc primum quaerit uxorem suam, et quaeque uxor maritum suum, et ab his et illis introducuntur in varia consortia talium, qui extrinsecus sicut oves apparent, ac intrinsecus sicut lupi sunt, et ab his pervertuntur etiam illi, qui pietati studuerunt; inde, et ex artibus nefandis in Mundo naturali ignotis, ille Mundus ita repletus est malitiosis, prout stagnum ex ovulis ranarum viridescens;
[2] quod consortia cum malis ibi hoc etiam efficiant, ex his conspicuum reddi potest, est enim sicut quis commoratur cum praedonibus aut piratis, tandem fit illis similis: atque est sicut quis habitat cum adulteris et scortis, tandem adulteria pro nihilo reputat, est quoque sicut qui se immiscet rebellibus, tandem nihili facit violentias inferre cuicunque: omnia enim mala sunt contagiosa, et comparari possunt pesti, quae ex sola aspiratione et exhalatione inficit; et quoque cancro et gangraenae, quae serpit et putrefacit vicina et successive remotiora, usque dum totum corpus perit; jucunda mali, in quae quisque nascitur, in causa sunt.
[3] Ex his nunc constare potest, quod absque Redemptione a Domino, nullus salvari possit, nec Angeli in statu integritatis subsistere: unicum refugium, ne quis pereat, est ad Dominum, nam dicit, Manete in Me, etiam Ego in vobis, quemadmodum palmes non potest fructum ferre a se ipso, nisi manserit in vite; ita vos nisi in Me manseritis: Ego sum Vitis, vos palmites; qui manet in Me, et Ego in illo, hic fert 1 fructum multum; quia sine Me non potestis facere quicquam: nisi quis manserit in Me, ejectus est foras, et arefactus in ignem conjicitur, et comburitur, Johannes 15:4-6.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: fort.