1165# “说，祸哉，祸哉，这大城”表示对他们的教义和宗教或宗教说服的哀悼。这从前面对类似的话的解释（1134节）清楚可知。当经上说“祸哉，这城”时，“祸哉，祸哉”表示哀悼，但当经上说“这城有祸了”时，它表示咒诅。
（续）
经历能进一步证明这个主题。所有从地上进入灵界的人，其品质从他们能或不能貌似出于自己抵制邪恶就可以得知。那些能如此行的人就得救了，而那些不能如此行的人不能得救。原因在于，人不能凭自己抵制邪恶，只能靠主来抵制；因为是主在人里面抵制邪恶，并使他感觉并感知到，就好像是他出于自己如此行。因此，那些在世上承认主，承认一切良善和真理都来自祂，没有任何东西来自人，因而对抗邪恶的能力来自主，而非来自他们自己的人，便貌似出于自己抵制邪恶。但那些在世上没有作出这种承认的人，不能貌似出于自己抵制邪恶，因为他们处于邪恶之中，并出于爱而处于邪恶的快乐之中；抵制爱的快乐就是抵制他们自己，抵制他们自己的本性和自己的生命。曾经做过一个试验，看看当向这些人描述地狱的惩罚时，甚至当这些惩罚被看见并感受到时，他们能否抵制邪恶；但这一切都是徒劳的。他们硬着心说：“随它去吧，随它来吧，但只要我在这里，就只管享受内心的快乐和喜悦；我只知道当下，根本不考虑未来；我不会遭受比许多人更多的邪恶。”但经过一段时间后，或说当他们的日期满了时，他们就被扔进地狱；在那里，他们通过惩罚被迫停止作恶；但惩罚不会除去邪恶的意愿、意图和随之而来的思维；它们只阻止或除去行为。这一切清楚表明，对那些承认主的人来说，抵制邪恶的能力不是源于人，而是源于主；主使它看起来就像是人做的。
1165. And saying, Woe, woe, that great city.- That this signifies lamentation over doctrine; and over religion, is evident from the explanation of similar words above (n. 1134). Woe, woe, signifies lamentation, when it is said, Woe, that city; but it signifies cursing when it is said, Woe, to that city.
Continuation.- Experience can further testify to the same purpose. All who come from the earth into the spiritual world are known as to their quality, from their ability or inability to resist evils as if from themselves. Those who can do so are saved, but not so those who cannot. The reason is, that man cannot resist evils of himself, but from the Lord; for it is the Lord who resists evils with man, causing him to feel and perceive as if he did this from himself. Those, therefore, who in the world acknowledged the Lord, confessing that all good and truth are from Him, and nothing from man, and thus that they have power against evils from the Lord, and not from themselves, resist evils as if from themselves. But those who made no such acknowledgment in the world cannot resist evils as from themselves, for they are in evils, and in the delight of them from their love; and to resist the delight of their love is to resist themselves, their own nature and their own life. The experiment was tried whether they could resist evils, while the punishments of hell were being recounted to them, indeed while they were seen and felt, but it was all in vain. They hardened their hearts, saying, "Come what will, provided we are only in the delights and joys of our hearts as long as we are here. We know what the present is; as to the future we give no thought to that. We shall not suffer more evil than many, many others." But after a certain time they are cast into hell, where by means of punishments they are compelled not to do evil. Punishments, however, do not take away the will, the intention, and consequent thought of evil; they merely prevent the act. From these considerations it is evident that resistance to evils does not originate with man, but with the Lord in the case of those who acknowledge Him; and that He causes it to appear as if it proceeded from themselves.
1165. Verse 16. And saying, Woe, woe, that great city, signifies lamentation over their doctrine and religious persuasion, as is evident from the explanation of like words above (n. 1134). "Woe, woe," signifies lamentation when it is said, "Woe that city," but it signifies cursing when it is said, "Woe to that city."
(Continuation)
Let experience testify further on this subject. The quality of all who come from the earth into the spiritual world is known from their ability or inability to resist evils as if from themselves. Those who are able to do this are saved, while those who are not able are not saved. The reason is that man is not able to resist evils from himself, but only from the Lord; for it is the Lord who resists evils in man and gives man to feel and perceive as if he does it from himself. Therefore those in the world who have acknowledged the Lord, and have acknowledged that all good and truth are from Him, and that nothing is from man, and thus that power over evils is from the Lord, and not from themselves, such resist evils as if from themselves. But those who have not acknowledged this in the world are unable to resist evils as if from themselves, for such are in evils and in the delight of evils from love; and to resist the delight of love is the same as resisting themselves, their own nature, and their own life. An experiment was made whether such were able to resist evils when the punishments of hell were described to them, and even when those punishments were seen and were felt; but it was in vain; for they hardened their minds, saying, Let this be so, and let it come, but so long as I am here let me be in the pleasures and joys of my heart. The present I know; what is to come I give no thought to; no more evil will come to me than to very many others. Such when their time is fulfilled are cast into hell; and there they are compelled by punishments to refrain from doing evil; but punishments do not take away the will, intention, and consequent thought of evil; they merely take away the acts. All this makes clear that the power to resist evils is not from man, but is from the Lord with those who acknowledge Him, and that the Lord causes it to appear as if done by man.
1165. [Vers. 16.] "Et dicentes, Vae, vae, urbs illa magna." - Quod significet lamentationem super doctrinam et super religiosum, constat ex illis quae supra (n. 1134), explicata sunt, ubi similia verba. "Vae, vae", significat lamentationem cum dicitur "Vae, urbs illa"; at significat maledictionem cum dicitur "Vae, urbi illi."
(Continuatio.)
Testetur rem adhuc experientia. Omnes qui in mundum spiritualem e terris veniunt, cognoscuntur quales sunt ex eo, num possint resistere malis sicut a se ipsis, vel num id non possint; illi qui possunt, salvantur, illi autem qui non possunt, non salvantur. Causa est, quia resistere malis non potest homo ex se, sed ex Domino; Dominus enim est qui malis apud hominem resistit, et facit ut homo sentiat et percipiat sicut id faciat ex se: qui itaque in mundo a noverunt Dominum, et quoque quod omne bonum et verum sit abso et nihil ab homine, et sic quod a Domino valeant contra mala, et non a semet, illi resistunt malis sicut a se: at qui illa in mundo non agnoverant, illi non possunt resistere malis sicut a se; sunt enim in malis, et ex amore in jucundo illorum, ac jucundo amoris resistere, est sibi, suae naturae, et suae vitae. Expertum est num possent, dum poenae inferni illis narratae sunt, immo dum visae, et quoque sentitae, sed usque in vanum; obfirmarunt animum, dicentes, Sit hoc et fiat hoc, modo sim in cordis mei delectamentis et gaudiis quamdiu hic sum; praesentia scio, futura non cogito, non mihi fit plus mali quam multis et multis aliis: sed illi post exactum tempus conjiciuntur in infernum, ubi coguntur a malis faciendis per poenas; at poenae non auferunt voluntatem, intentionem et inde cogitationem mali; auferunt modo actus. Ex his patet quod resistere malis non sit ab homine, sed a Domino apud illos qui agnoscunt Ipsum, et quod Dominus det ut appareat sicut fiat ab illis.