331# 恶与善不能并存；恶被除去几分，善便几分显明，并为人所感知。其故在于，在灵界，每个人皆从自身之爱发出一种氛围，亦即爱之氛围；此氛围向四周流布，发生作用，并由此产生相契与相斥。善人与恶人之所以彼此分离，正是藉此诸氛围而成。由此可知，恶必须先被除去，然后善方能被认识、被感知，并被爱慕。此理可由自然界诸事相类而明。譬如，若有人在自己房中畜养豹子以及豹类猛兽，并因供其食物而能安然与之同处，则他人若欲亲近此人，岂不必须先将诸猛兽除去乎？
【2】谁受邀赴国王与王后的筵席，而不先洗面濯手，即敢趋前？谁在婚礼之后入新房见新妇，而不先洁净全身，并穿上婚礼之衣？谁不先以火炼净矿石，使其与渣滓分离，然后方得纯金纯银？谁不先将稗子从麦收中分别出来，然后才把麦子收入仓中？谁不先以打谷之杖击落大麦上的芒刺，然后才把大麦收进家中？
【3】谁不先藉烹煮撇去生肉之浮沫，然后方使其成为可食之物，并陈设于桌上？谁不将园中树叶上的虫子抖落，免得叶子被啮尽，果实亦随之败坏？谁不憎厌房屋与庭院中的污秽，并将其清扫洁净，尤其当他期待王子，或王女新妇降临之时？又有谁会爱慕一个被恶疮侵蚀、满身脓疱与痘疮的少女，并愿与之成婚？即令她粉饰其面，衣饰华美，又竭力以口中柔言媚语挑动爱意，亦不能使人真心爱慕。
【4】因此，人必须洁净自己，脱离诸恶，而不可坐待主直接替他洁净。此可比作一个仆人，面上与衣上满沾烟灰粪污，却来到主人面前说：“主人，请洗净我。”主人岂不对他说：“愚昧的仆人，你说什么呢？看哪，那里有水、肥皂和巾帕；你岂没有手？你手中岂没有能力？你当自己洗净自己。”主上帝亦如此说：“洁净之法乃从我而来；并且，你的愿意与你的能力亦皆从我而来。因此，你当使用这些从我而来的恩赐与禀赋，如同它们是你自己的；如此，你便必得洁净。”诸如此类。外在人必须被洁净；然而，外在人须藉内在人而被洁净。主在马太福音第二十三章中，自始至终所教导的，正是此义。
331# 良善和邪恶无法共存，邪恶越被除去，良善越被关注，并被感觉为良善，因为在灵界，每个人都发出自己爱的气场；这个气场四处扩散，使自己被感受到，或对其他人产生影响，制造出和谐或反感的感觉。这些气场将善人与恶人分离。在良善能被认识、感知到和热爱之前，邪恶必须被除去，这一事实可以对比自然界中的许多情况；例如：假如有人在房间里养了一只美洲豹和一只黑豹，他自己可以与它们安全地生活在一起，因为他喂养它们；但其他人却无法拜访他，除非这些野兽被带走。
被邀请赴国王和王后筵席的宾客，在出席之前不是先洗脸洗手吗？婚礼结束后，新郎在与新娘进洞房之前，不是先洗净全身，穿上结婚礼服吗？在获得纯金或纯银之前，谁不先用火提炼矿石、除去渣滓？在将小麦收入粮仓之前，谁不先把稗子或杂草和小麦分开？在把大麦收到家里之前，谁不先用脱粒机脱去大麦的麦壳？
在生肉可以食用并摆到桌子上之前，谁不先将它进行烹煮、除去杂质？谁不会敲落园中树叶上的虫子，以免叶子被吃掉，果实由此被毁坏？谁不讨厌自己房间和前门的垃圾，然后打扫干净，尤其是在期待王子或公主驾临时？谁会喜欢并愿意娶一个浑身是病、满身脓疱和斑点的少女，无论她怎么化妆，穿着多么华丽，并竭力通过说好话和恭维来吸引他？
人应该从邪恶中洁净自己，而不是等着主在没有他的合作下这样做。否则，他就会像一个脸和衣服上沾满煤烟和污垢的仆人，走到主人那里说：“我主，洗净我吧。”主人岂不对他说：“你这愚蠢的仆人，你在说什么？看，有水、肥皂和手巾；难道你自己没有手、没有能力使用吗？自己洗去。”因此，主神必说：“你们已经从我这里得到了洁净的方法，也得到了意愿和做的能力；因此，你们要把我的这些礼物和恩赐当成自己的来使用，你们就会洁净；”等等。主在马太福音23章从头到尾都在教导说，外在人必须被洁净，但必须通过内在人被洁净。
331. Evil and good cannot coexist; the more evil is removed, the more good is focused on and felt. This is the case because all who are in the spiritual world have a field of their particular love emanating around them. This field spreads all around and has an effect on others. It creates feelings of harmony or antipathy. These fields separate the good from the evil.
The fact that evil has to be removed before goodness is recognized, perceived, and loved could be compared with many situations that are possible in our world; for example, the following: Suppose someone keeps a leopard and a panther in an apartment and, as the one who feeds them, is able to live safely with them. No one else can visit unless their owner first removes these wild animals.
[2] Guests invited to the table of the king and queen would not forget to wash their faces and hands before attending. No bridegroom goes into the bedroom with his bride after the wedding without first washing himself all over and putting on a wedding garment. Anyone must first purify ore with fire and remove slag before getting pure gold or silver. Everyone separates the tares or weeds from the harvested wheat before taking it into the barn. Everyone removes the beards from harvested barley with threshing tools before bringing it home.
[3] Everyone cooks some of the juice out of raw meat before it becomes edible and is set on the table. Everyone knocks the grubs and caterpillars off the leaves of trees in the garden to prevent them from devouring the leaves and causing a loss of fruit. Everyone removes garbage from the house and the front entrance and cleans up those areas, especially when expecting a visit from a prince or the princes daughter to whom one is engaged. Does any man love a young woman and propose to marry her if she is riddled with malignancies or covered all over with pustules and varicose veins, no matter how much she puts makeup on her face, wears gorgeous clothing, and makes an effort to be attractive by saying nice things and paying compliments?
[4] The need for us to purify ourselves from evils, and not to wait for the Lord to do it without our participation, is like a servant coming in with his face and clothes covered in soot and dung, approaching his master, and saying, "Lord, wash me. " Surely his master would tell him, "You foolish servant! What are you saying? Look, there is the water, the soap, and a towel. Don't you have hands? Don't they work? Wash yourself!"
The Lord God is going to say, "The means of being purified come from me. Your willingness and your power come from me. Therefore use these gifts and endowments of mine as your own and you will be purified. " And so on.
The need for the outer self to be cleansed, but to be cleansed through the inner self, is something that the Lord teaches in Matthew chapter 23 from beginning to end.
331. Evil and good cannot exist together, and in so far as evil is removed, good is sought and felt. This is because in the spiritual world a sphere of his love radiates from everyone. This spreads around and affects others, making them to like or dislike the person. It is these spheres which effect the separation of the good from the wicked. There are many parallels in the natural world to show that evil must be removed before good is recognised, felt and loved. For instance, no one can approach someone who keeps a leopard or a panther in his room, and lives safely with them because he feeds them, unless he has first removed those wild animals.
[2] Is there anyone who on being invited to dine with a king or queen does not wash his face and hands before making his appearance? Is there anyone who on getting married enters the bridal chamber without first taking a bath and dressing in a wedding garment? Is there anyone who does not use fire to purify minerals and separate them from slag, before he obtains pure gold and silver? Is there anyone who does not separate the tares from his wheat crop before storing it in the granary? Or who does not beat the husks 1 off a crop of barley with threshing tools, before gathering it up and taking it home?
[3] Is there anyone who does not submit raw meat to cooking before it becomes eatable and is served at table? Is there anyone who does not shake the grubs out of the leaves of his garden trees, to prevent the leaves being eaten and the fruit lost? Is there anyone who does not loathe dirt in houses or courtyards, and clean them out, especially when a prince, or a princess coming as a bride, is expected? Does anyone love a girl, and aim to marry her, if she is tainted with malignant diseases or covered in spots or pimples, however much she makes up her face, dresses up in fine clothes, and tries to make herself attractive by paying compliments?
[4] A person ought to purify himself of evils, and not wait for the Lord to do this for him directly, as can be seen by comparison with a servant coming in with his face and clothes filthy with soot and dung and going up to his master and saying: 'Please wash me, Sir.' Would not his master say to him: 'What do you mean, you fool? Here are water, soap and a towel. Haven't you got hands and the ability to use them? Wash yourself.' So the Lord God will say: 'The means of purification I have given you, and your will and ability also are given by me; so use these gifts and talents of mine as if they were yours, and you will be purified,' and so on. The Lord teaches us that the external man is to be cleansed, but by means of the internal: see Matthew chapter 23 from beginning to end.
Footnotes:
1. Reading aristas 'husks' for Latin cristas 'crests'.
331. Good and evil cannot exist together, and so far as evil is put away good is regarded and felt as good, for the reason that there exhales from everyone in the spiritual world a sphere of his love which spreads itself round about and affects, and causes sympathies and antipathies. By these spheres the good are separated from the evil. That evil must be put away before good can be recognized, perceived, and loved, may be compared to many things in the natural world; for example: one cannot visit another who keeps a leopard and a panther shut up in his chamber (himself living safely with them because he feeds them), until those wild beasts have been removed.
[2] Who that is invited to the table of a king and queen does not before he goes wash his hands and face? Or who enters the bridal chamber with his bride after marriage before he has washed himself wholly, and clothed himself with wedding garments? Who does not purify ores by fire, and separate the dross, before he obtains the pure gold and silver? Who does not separate the tares from the wheat before putting it into his granary? Who does not thresh the bearded chaff from his barley, before he gathers it into his house?
[3] Who does not skim off raw meat in cooking before it becomes eatable and placed upon the table? Who does not beat the worms from the leaves of the trees in his garden, lest the leaves be devoured and the fruit thereby destroyed? Who does not dislike dirt in his chambers and halls, and cleanse them, especially when a prince or the espoused daughter of a prince is expected to arrive? Who loves and wishes to marry a maiden who is full of disease, and covered with pimples and blotches, however she may paint her face, dress splendidly, and labor by the charms of her conversation to move him by the enticements of love?
[4] Man himself ought to purify himself from evils, and not wait for the Lord to do this without his cooperation. Otherwise he would be like a servant going to his master, with his face and clothes befouled with soot and dung, and saying, "Master, wash me." Would not his master say to him, "You foolish servant, what are you saying? See, there are water, soap, and a towel; have you not hands of your own and the power to use them? Wash yourself." So will the Lord God say, "These means of purification are from Me, and your ability to will and do are also from Me; therefore use these My gifts and endowments as your own, and you will be purified;" and so on. That the external man is to be cleansed, but by means of the internal the Lord teaches in the twenty-third chapter of Matthew from beginning to end.
331. Evil and good cannot exist together; and so far as evil is removed, good is regarded and felt as good. For in the spiritual world there emanates from every one the sphere of his love, which diffuses itself around, causing itself to be felt, and gives rise to sympathies and antipathies; and by means of these spheres the good are separated from the evil. Many illustrations can be given from the affairs of the natural world to show that evil must be removed before good is known, perceived and loved. For example, no one can visit a man who keeps a leopard and a panther in his room, and who lives in safety with them because he feeds them, until those wild beasts are removed.
[2] What person invited to the table of a king and queen, does not wash his face and hands before he presents himself? Who enters the bride-chamber with the bride under the marriage ceremony, before he has washed himself thoroughly, and put on a wedding garment? Who does not refine metallic ores in the fire, separating the dross, before he procures the pure gold and silver? What farmer does not separate the tares from the wheat before he puts it in his barn; and thresh his barley, to separate the grain from the chaff, before he stores it in his granary?
[3] Who does not remove impurities in raw food by cooking, to make it eatable before it is brought to the table? Who does not shake off insects from the trees in his garden, to prevent the leaves from being eaten up and the fruit destroyed? Who does not dislike dirt about his house and hall, and does not clear it away, particularly when he expects a visit from a prince, or from his betrothed, the daughter of a prince? Does any one love, and intend to marry a maiden, infected with disease, and covered with pimples and blotches, however she may paint her face, dress elegantly, and seek to exercise the allurements of love by her charming conversation?
[4] A man ought to purify himself from evils and not expect the Lord to do this for him. Otherwise he would be like a servant with face and clothes covered with soot and filth, who should go to his master and say, "My lord, wash me." Would not his master say to him, "You foolish servant, what do you mean? See, there are water, soap, and a towel; have you not hands of your own and power to use them? Wash yourself." And the Lord God will surely say, "You have from me the means of purification, and also the will and the power. Therefore use these my gifts and endowments as your own, and you will be purified;" and so on. That the external man must be cleansed, but by means of the internal, is taught by the Lord throughout the twenty-third chapter of Matthew.
331. Quod malum et bonum non possint simul esse, et quod quantum removetur malum, tantum spectetur et sentiatur bonum, est causa, quia in Mundo spirituali ab unoquovis exhalatur Sphaera amoris ejus, quae se circum circa dispergit et afficit, et facit sympathias et antipathias; per has sphaeras separantur boni a malis. Quod malum removendum sit, antequam bonum cognoscitur, percipitur et amatur, comparari potest cum multis rebus in Mundo Naturali, ut cum his; non potest aliquis adire alterum, qui leopardum et pantheram in conclavi suo custodit, et quia dat illis edere securus cum illis habitat, nisi prius feras illas removerit.
[2] Quis invitatus ad mensam Regis et Reginae non prius laverit facies et manus, antequam accedit; et quis in thalamum intrat cum sponsa post nuptias, nisi prius se laverit totum, et veste nuptiali se amiciverit. Quis non per ignem purificat mineras, et secernit a scoriis, antequam aurum et argentum purum adipiscitur. Quis non Zizania separat a messe tritici, antequam hoc infert in horreum: et quis non aristas 1 e messe hordei excutit fustibus triturae, antequam colligit illud in Domum.
[3] Quis non despumat crudam carnem 2 coctione, antequam ille fit edulis, et apponitur super mensa. Quis non excutit vermes ex foliis arborum in horto, ne consumantur folia, et sic pereat fructus. Quis non aversatur sordida in domibus et atriis, et mundat illa, imprimis dum exspectatur princeps, aut sponsa filia principis. Quis amat virginem, et cum illa nuptias intendit, quae malignis inescata est, aut pustulis et varicibus obsita, utcunque illa infucat faciem, splendide se investit, et amoris illecebras per blanditias oris inferre studet.
[4] Quod homo seipsum purificare debeat a malis, et non exspectet 3 ut Dominus immediate hoc faciat, est comparative sicut servus incedens facie et veste conspurcatis fuligine et stercore accederet ad herum suum, ac diceret, Domine, ablue me, annon illi herus dicturus est, serve stulte, quid dicis; ecce ibi aqua, sapo, et linteum; suntne tibi manus, et posse in illis; ablue teipsum; et Dominus Deus dicturus est, sunt media purificationis a Me, et quoque est tuum velle et tuum posse a Me, quare utere illis meis donis et dotibus sicut tuis, et purificaberis: et sic porro. Quod Externus homo purgandus sit, sed per Internum, docet Dominus apud Matthaeum XXIII a principio ad finem.
Footnotes: