531、对此，我补充这件难忘的事：
我突然得了一种几乎致命的疾病。我整个头都受到沉重的压迫。有一股瘟疫的烟雾从叫“所多玛和埃及”的耶路撒冷冒上来。我疼得半死，盼着结束。我就这样在床上躺了三天半。我的灵这样受苦，我的身体也因它受苦。然后，我听见周围有声音说：“看哪，那个只宣扬悔改、罪得赦免和人基督的人，他死在我们城市的街道上了。”他们问一些神职人员他是否值得安葬。他们说：“不，就让他躺在那里，叫人们看看。”他们就来来回回地走过，嘲笑着。事实上，这一切发生在我解释《启示录》这一章的时候。那时，我听到了嘲笑者的冷言冷语，尤其是这些话：“一个人若没有信仰，怎能悔改呢？人基督怎能被拜为神呢？既然我们靠白白的恩典得救，而不是靠我们自己的任何功德，那么，除了唯信，就是父神差圣子除去律法的诅咒，将祂的功德归给我们，从而使我们在祂眼里称义，通过祂的使者牧师赦免我们的罪，然后赐予我们圣灵在我们里面运作一切良善外，我们还需要什么呢？这难道不符合圣经、不符合理性吗？”听到这话，站在旁边的人群都鼓起掌来。
我听到这些话，却不能回应，因为我几乎要死了。但三天半后，我的灵恢复了，我在灵里离开那条街道，进入城市，再次说：“悔改信基督吧，你们的罪就会赦免，你们也会得救；否则，你们就会灭亡。主不是亲自传悔改的道，叫罪得赦，让人信祂吗？祂不是吩咐门徒也这样传吗？你们信仰的教条不是导致对你们的生活方式缺乏关注吗？”但他们回答说：“一派胡言！难道圣子没有作出补偿吗？难道圣父没有把它归于我们，让我们信它的人称义吗？因此，我们被恩典的灵所引导；那么，我们有什么罪呢？死亡对我们有什么权柄呢？或说死亡与我们什么关系呢？你这宣讲罪和悔改的人，难道不明白这福音吗？”但这时有声音从天上来，说：“一个不知悔改之人的信仰是什么呢？不就是死的信仰吗？末日到了，末日临到你们这些在自己眼里安全，无可指责，因自己的信仰称义的人身上，你们这群魔鬼。”突然，一道深深的鸿沟在那城中间裂开，裂得越来越宽；房子一栋接一栋地倒塌，被吞没了；很快水就开始从宽大的漩涡中涌上来，淹没了这片荒场。
当他们就这样浸入水中，似乎被淹没时，我很想知道他们在深渊里的命运。我从天上被告知：“你必看到、听到。”然后，似乎淹没他们的水在我眼前消失了；因为在灵界，水是对应，因此出现在那些处于虚假的人周围。于是，我看见他们在一个沙地或沙谷，那里堆积着成堆的石头；他们在其中奔跑，哀叹自己被赶出了他们那座伟大的城市。他们中的一些人扬声喊道：“为什么这一切临到我们身上？难道我们的信仰没有使我们变得干净、纯洁、公义和神圣吗？”另一些人则说：“我们不是因我们的信仰而被清洗、洁净，称义和成圣了吗？”还有些人说：“我们不是因我们的信仰而变成这样：我们可以出现在父神面前，被视为和算作干净、纯洁、公义和神圣，并在天使面前被如此宣布吗？我们不是已经和解，被挽回、赎罪，因而从罪中被赦免或释放、清洗和擦干净了吗？律法的定罪不是被基督除去了吗？那么，为什么我们被当作定罪的人扔在这里？一个宣讲罪的自以为是的传道者告诉我们：‘要相信基督，悔改吧。’我们相信了基督的功德，不就相信祂了吗？我们承认了自己是罪人，不就悔改了吗？那么，为什么这一切会临到我们身上？”
但这时，有声音从一边传来，直接对他们说：“你们知道抓住你们的任何罪吗？你们检查过自己吗？你们因此避开任何邪恶，如同反对神的罪了吗？因为不避开罪的人，就仍留在罪中；罪不就是魔鬼吗？所以你们就是主所说的那些人：
那时，你们要开始说，我们在你面前吃过、喝过，你也在我们的街上教导过；但祂要说，我告诉你们，我不晓得你们是哪里来的；你们这一切作孽的人，离开我吧！(路加福音13:26, 27)
马太福音(7:22, 23)也论到他们。因此，你们离开吧，各人到各人的地方去。你们会看到洞穴的开口，就进去吧！在那里，你们每个人都有自己的工作要做，然后得到与你们的工作量相称的食物。如果你们不这样做，饥饿会迫使你们进去。”
此后，有声音从天上传给地上在那座大城之外的一些人(启示录11:13也描述了他们)，大声说：“你们要小心，小心你们如何与这类人交往。难道你们不明白，那些被称为罪和罪孽的邪恶会使人变得肮脏和不洁吗？除非通过实实在在的悔改和对耶稣基督的信仰，否则人怎能从这些邪恶中被清洗和洁净呢？实实在在的悔改就是反省自己，认识并承认自己的罪，在主面前承担责任、忏悔它们，祈求帮助和能力来抵抗它们，从而停止它们，过一种新的生活，并貌似凭自己做这一切事。当你们靠近圣餐时，一年做这么一两次；以后当你们所犯的罪复发时，你们就对自己说，我们不同意它们，或说不愿做它们，因为它们是反对神的罪。这就是实实在在的悔改。
“谁不明白，凡不查找并看到自己罪的人仍留在罪中？因为一切邪恶自出生时都是令人快乐的；报复、行淫、诈骗或掠夺、亵渎，尤其出于自我之爱统治其他人，都是令人快乐的。难道不是快乐使它们逃过注意吗？也许有人会说，它们是罪，难道你们不是因这快乐而给它们找借口吗？事实上，你们通过虚假来说服自己，证实它们不是罪，从而继续留在罪中，而且后来犯的罪比以前更多，直到你们再也不知道罪是什么，甚至不知道罪是否存在。对凡真正悔改的人来说，情况则不同。他将他所认识并承认的邪恶称为罪，因此开始避开和远离它们，感觉它们的快乐并不令人快乐。情况越是这样，他就越看到并热爱良善，最终感受到它们里面的快乐，这是天堂的快乐。总之，任何人弃绝魔鬼到何等程度，就在何等程度上被主接纳，并被主教导、引领，远离邪恶，被保持在良善中。从地狱到天堂的路只此一条，别无他途。”
令人惊讶的是，改革宗信徒对实实在在的悔改有某种根深蒂固的抗拒、反对和厌恶，并且如此之大，以至于他们无法强迫自己反省自己，也无法看到自己的罪，并在神面前认罪。当他们试图这样做时，就好像有一种恐惧侵袭他们。在灵界，我曾就这个问题问过很多人，他们都说这超出了他们的能力。当听说天主教徒一直这样做，也就是说，在神父面前反省自己，并公开认罪时，他们非常惊讶，尤其是改革宗信徒甚至私下里在神面前都不能这样做，尽管在靠近圣餐前，他们也被要求这样做。有些人调查其中的原因，发现是唯信引发了这种不悔改的状态和这样的心。然后，他们得以看到天主教徒中那些崇拜基督，不向圣徒祈求，也不崇拜所谓的基督代理人，或任何祂钥匙的持有者之人，都得救了。
这事以后，就听见似乎有雷声，一个声音从天上说话，说：“我们感到震惊！告诉改革宗的会众，要相信基督，做悔改的工作，你们就会得救。”我进一步说：“洗礼难道不是一种悔改的圣礼，因而是引入教会吗？教父母代表受洗的人所承诺的，除了让他放弃魔鬼及其作为外，还有什么呢？圣餐不是一种悔改的圣礼，因而是引入天堂吗？在靠近圣餐之前，领受圣餐的人不是被告知，他们要彻底悔改，或说必须完全做悔改的工作吗？教理问答，也就是基督教会的普遍教义，不是在教导悔改吗？第二块石版上的六条诫命不都在说，不可作这样或那样的恶，要行这样或那样的善吗？因此，你们本可以知道，人避开邪恶到何等程度，就在何等程度上热爱良善；在此之前，他不知道什么是良善，甚至不知道什么是邪恶。”
531. To this I will append the following account:
I was suddenly seized with an almost fatal illness. My whole head was weighed down. A toxic smoke emanated from the Jerusalem called Sodom and Egypt. I was half-dead with the fierce pain. I awaited the end. In that state I lay in my bed for three and a half days. Thus was my spirit afflicted, and because of it my body.
And then I heard about me voices saying, "Look, there he lies dead in our city's street, the one who preached repentance for the forgiveness of sins and Christ alone, a man." And they asked some of the clergy whether they ought to bury him.
The clerics said, "No. Let him lie there for people to see."
The people went to and fro, scoffing.
In truth this happened to me when I was expounding this chapter of the book of Revelation.
I heard then the sober words of the people scoffing, especially the following:
"How can one repent apart from faith? How can Christ, a man, be worshiped as God? Since we are saved by grace apart from any merit of our own, what need do we have then of anything but simply a faith that God the Father sent His Son to take away the condemnation of the Law, to impute His Son's merit to us and thus justify us in His sight, to absolve us of our sins through His emissary the priest, and to grant us then the Holy Spirit to bring about any goodness in us? Does this not accord with Scripture, and also with reason?"
At that the crowd standing around applauded.
[2] I heard this, but could not reply, because I lay almost dead. But after three and a half days my spirit recovered, and in the spirit I went from the street into the city and said again, "Repent and believe in Christ, and your sins will be forgiven you and you will be saved. If you don't, you will perish. Didn't the Lord Himself preach repentance for the forgiveness of sins, and for people to believe in Him? Didn't He command His disciples to preach this, too? The dogma attending your faith - is it not followed by a lack of concern over the way you live?"
But they said, "What nonsense are you prattling on about? Did not the Son make satisfaction? Did the Father not impute this to us and justify those of us who believe it? We are led, therefore, by the spirit of grace. What then is sin in us? What then does death have to do with us? Do you not comprehend this gospel, you preacher of sin and repentance?"
However, a voice was heard from heaven then, saying, "What is the faith of an impenitent person but a lifeless one? The end is coming. The end is coming upon you so unconcerned, so blameless in your own eyes, so justified in that faith of yours, you who are devils."
Then suddenly a chasm opened at the center of that city and widened, and one after another their houses fell and were swallowed up. And shortly water bubbled up from that broad gulf and flooded the devastated land.
[3] When they were thus covered with water and seemingly drowned, I wished to know their fate at the bottom, and I was told from heaven, "You will see and hear it."
And before my eyes then the water vanished - the water in which they were seemingly drowned, because bodies of water in the spiritual world are correspondent forms, which appear therefore around people who are caught up in falsities - and I saw them then in the sandy bottom. There were heaps of piled up stones there, and the people were running among them, lamenting the fact that they had been cast down from their great city. They kept crying out and bawling, "Why has this happened to us? Thanks to our faith in the world, are we not pure, just, and godly?"
And others cried, "Has our faith not cleansed us, purified us, justified and sanctified us?"
And still others, "Has our faith not made us such that in the sight of God the Father we appear, seem, and are regarded as clean, pure, just and godly, and declared to be so in the eyes of angels? Have we not been reconciled, restored to favor, and atoned for, and so freed, washed and cleansed of any sins? Has Christ not taken away the condemnation of the Law? Why, then, have we been cast down here as though condemned?
"A brazen preacher of sin told us in our great city, 'Believe in Christ and repent.' Have we not believed in Christ, since we believed in His merit? And have we not repented, since we confessed ourselves sinners? Why, then, has this befallen us?"
[4] At that they then heard from one side a voice speaking to them. "Are you aware of any sin gripping you? Have you ever examined yourselves? Have you as a result refrained from any evil as being a sin against God? Anyone who does not, remains caught up in it. Is not sin the devil? You are therefore the kind of people about whom the Lord says,
Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.' But He will say, 'I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.' (Luke 13:26-27)
"And also the kind of people spoken of in Matthew 7:22-23. 1
"Go, therefore, each to his own place. You will see caves opening into caverns. Go in, and there each of you will be given his own work to do, and food then commensurate with the work. If you don't want to go in, still hunger will drive you to."
[5] After that a voice from heaven addressed some people aboveground who were outside that great city - people also mentioned in Revelation 11:13 - saying loudly, "Beware! Beware of allying yourselves with people like that. Can you not understand that evils called sins and iniquities render a person unclean and impure? How can a person be cleansed and purified of those evils except by actual repentance and faith in Jesus Christ? Actual repentance is to examine oneself, to recognize and acknowledge one's sins, to make oneself guilty of them, to confess them before the Lord, to implore His aid and power in resisting them, and so to refrain from them and lead a new life, doing all this as though of oneself. Do this once or twice a year when you go to Holy Communion; and afterward, when the sins of which you have made yourself guilty recur, say to yourselves, 'We refuse to do them because they are sins against God.' That is actual repentance.
[6] "Who cannot understand that someone who does not examine himself and see his sins, remains caught up in them? For every evil is delightful from one's birth, inasmuch as it is delightful to take revenge, to be licentious sexually, to prey on others, to blaspheme, and most of all to dominate others from a love of self. Does delight not cause these to go unseen? And if by chance someone says they are sins, does not the delight you find in them cause you to excuse them, even to persuade you and by false arguments convince you that they are not sins, so that you remain caught up in them and go on doing them, afterward even more than before? And this until you do not know what sin is, indeed whether there is any such thing as sin.
"It is different with someone who repents actually. His evils that he recognizes and acknowledges, he calls sins, and therefore he begins to refrain from them and to be averse to them, and to feel the delight he had felt in them as undelightful. Moreover, to the extent that he does this, to the same extent he sees and loves goods, and finally feels delight in them, a delight which is one of heaven. In a word, to the extent someone casts the devil behind him, to the same extent he is adopted by the Lord and taught, led, withheld from evils by Him and kept in goods. This is the way, the only way, from hell to heaven."
[7] Surprisingly, it is a fact that the Protestant Reformed have a certain deep-seated resistance, opposition and aversion to actual repentance, which is so great that they cannot compel themselves to examine themselves and see their sins and confess them before God. It is as though a kind of horror besets them when they go to do it.
I have asked many of them in the spiritual world about this, and they have all said that it is beyond their power.
When they are told that Roman Catholics still do it, namely that they examine themselves and openly confess their sins to a monk, they are quite surprised, saying that the Protestant Reformed cannot do this in secret to God, even though they are likewise enjoined to do it before they take Holy Supper. Some of them there also inquired into why this was, and they found that faith alone produced in them such a state of impenitence and such a disposition.
They were then given to see, moreover, that Roman Catholics who worship the Christ and do not call on their saints, and who do not worship their so-called Vicar of Christ 2or any of his keepers of the keys, are saved.
[8] After that I heard what sounded like thunder and a voice speaking from heaven, saying, "We are astonished. Tell the company of the Protestant Reformed, 'Believe in the Christ and repent and you will be saved.'"
So I said that, and also added, "Is not Baptism a sacrament of repentance and thus an initiation into the church? What else do the sponsors promise for the one being baptized than to renounce the devil and his works?
"Is not Holy Supper a sacrament of repentance and thus an initiation into heaven? Are the communicants not told to thoroughly repent before they approach?
"Any catechism containing the universal doctrine of the Christian Church, is it not a document teaching repentance? Does it not say there in reference to the six commandments of the second table that you must not do this or that evil, and say that you must do this or that good?
"You may know from this that to the extent someone refrains from evil, to the same extent he loves good; and that before then you do not know what good is, nor even what evil is."
Footnotes:
1. "Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'" (Matthew 7:22-23)
2. I.e., the Pope.
531. To these things I will add this MEMORABLE OCCURRENCE. I was suddenly attacked by a very nearly fatal illness. The whole head was oppressed. A pestilent vapour out of the Jerusalem that is called Sodom and Egypt was let loose. Half dead with the fierce pain, expecting the end, I lay in my bed for three and a half days. Such did my spirit become, and my body as the result thereof. And then around me I heard voices saying, 'See, there lies dead in the street of our city the one who preached repentance for the remission of sins, and the man Christ only!' And they were asking some of the clergy whether he was worthy of burial. They said, 'No, let him lie, let him be looked at!' They were going away, coming back, mocking. It really so happened to me when this chapter of The Apocalypse was being expounded. Then the harsh words of those mocking were heard, chiefly these: 'How can repentance be performed without faith? How can Christ, a man, be adored as God? Since we are saved by grace without any merit of our own, what do we need then but the faith alone that God the Father sent His Son that He might take away the condemnation of the law, impute His merit to us, and thus justify us in His view, and absolve us from sins with a priestly proclamation, and then give the Holy Spirit to work every good in us? Are not these things in accordance with Scripture and with reason also?' The crowds standing by were applauding.
[2] I was hearing these things, but I was not able to reply because I was almost dead. After three days and a half, however, my spirit got better, and as to the spirit I went out from the street into the city, and again I said, 'Do the work of repentance, and believe in Christ, and your sins will be remitted and you will be saved; otherwise you will perish. Did not the Lord Himself preach repentance for the remission of sins, and that they should believe in Him? Did He not command the disciples to preach the same? Is it not the case that a full security of life follows the dogma of your faith?' But they said, 'What rubbish you talk! Has not the Son made satisfaction, and has not the Father imputed it? He has justified us who have believed this. Thus we are led by the spirit of grace. What part does sin then have in us? What has death then to do with us? Do you comprehend this, O herald of sin and repentance?' But then a voice went forth out of heaven saying, 'What is the faith of an impenitent man but a dead faith? The end is coming, the end is coming upon you secure ones, blameless in your own eyes, justified in your own faith, you devils.' And suddenly a deep gulf was being opened in the midst of the city. This grew wider and wider, and house upon house fell down, and they were swallowed up, and soon waters bubbled up out of the wide hole and flooded the desolation.
[3] When they were thus submerged and seen to be flooded I was desirous to know their lot in the depths, and it was said to me out of heaven, 'You shall see and hear.' And then before my eyes the waters with which they had been flooded were dispersed; for the waters in the spiritual world are correspondences, and consequently they appear around those who are in untruths. Thereupon they were seen by me in a sandy ravine where heaps of stones were piled up, among which they were running and bemoaning the fact of their having been cast out of their great city. And [some of them] were screaming and crying out, 'Why has this happened to us? Are we not by our faith made clean pure, just, holy?' And others, 'Are we not by our faith cleansed, purified, justified and sanctified?' And others, 'Are we not by our faith become such that before God the Father we may appear, be seen and be reckoned, and before the angels be proclaimed, as clean, pure, just and holy? Are we not reconciled, rendered favourable, atoned for, and thus delivered, washed and wiped clean from sins? Has not the condemnation of the law been taken away by Christ? Therefore why have we been cast hither as damned? From a presumptuous preacher of sin in our great city we have heard, "Believe in Christ, and do the work of repentance." But did we not believe in Christ, while believing in His merit? And did we not do the work of repentance when we confessed that we were sinners? Why then has this happened to us?'
[4] But then a voice was heard directed to them from the side, 'Do you know any sin that you are in? Have you ever examined yourselves? Have you, by the same token, fled from any evil as a sin against God? For he who is not fleeing from it is in it; and is not sin the devil? You are therefore those of whom the Lord says, "Then shall you begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in Thy presence, and Thou hast taught in our streets, but He shall say, I say unto you, I have not known you whence you are, depart from Me all you workers of iniquity" (Luke 13:26-27); as also those of whom [He speaks in]. Matthew 7:22-23. Go away, therefore, each into his own place. You see openings into caves. Enter therein, and to each of you will be given his own work to do there, and then food in proportion to the amount of work. If you do not, hunger will yet compel you to enter.'
[5] Afterwards a voice out of heaven was directed to some upon the land who were outside that great city, of whom verse 13 also [treats], saying shrilly, 'Take care, take care how you associate with such as these. Are you not able to understand that the evils that are called sins and iniquities render a man unclean and impure? How can a man be cleansed and purified from these except by means of an actual repentance and a faith in Jesus Christ? Actual repentance is to examine oneself, to recognise and acknowledge one's own sins, to take the responsibility, to confess them before the Lord, to beg for help and power to resist them, and in this way to give them up and lead a new life, and to do all these things as from yourselves. Do this once or twice a year when you are approaching the Holy Communion; and afterwards, whenever the sins of which you made yourselves guilty recur, say then to yourselves, We are not willing them because they are sins against God. This is an actual repentance.
[6] Who cannot understand that he who does not examine and see his own sins remains in them? For every evil is delightful from birth, for it is delightful to take revenge, to commit whoredom, to prey [on others], to blaspheme, and especially to exercise a dominion derived from the love of self. Is it not the delight that makes these evils escape notice, and if perchance it is said that they are sins, do you not excuse them on account of their delight? In fact you persuade yourselves, and confirm by untruths, that they are not sins, and so you remain in them and commit them afterwards more than before, and this to such an extent that you no longer know what sits is, or even whether sin exists. It happens otherwise with any one who actually does the work of repentance. The evils of his that he recognises and acknowledges he calls sins, and therefore he begins to flee from them and avoid them and to feel their delight as undelightful. And in so far as this is done, so far he sees and loves goods and at length feels the delight thereof; which is the delight of heaven. In a word, in so far as any one is putting the devil behind him, so far he is being adopted by the Lord and being taught, led, withheld from evils and kept in goods by Him. This is the way, and there is no other from hell to heaven.'
[7] It is a surprising fact that the Reformed have a certain innate refusal, evasiveness and aversion in regard to actual repentance, and this is so great that they cannot bring themselves to self-examination, or to seeing their own sins and confessing them before God. It is as if they are possessed by horror when they are endeavouring to do this. I have asked very many in the spiritual world about it and they all said that it was beyond their ability. When they heard that the Papists are doing this all the while, that is, that they examine themselves and openly make confession of their sins before a monk, they were exceedingly amazed, and above all at the fact that the Reformed are unable to do this in secret before God, although it has been enjoined on them just the same before they approach the Holy Supper. And some there have inquired why this is the case, and found that faith alone induced such a state of impenitence and such a heart. And then it was given them to see that those of the Papists who adore Christ, and neither invoke the saints nor adore the so-called Vicar [of Christ] or any of his key-bearers, are saved.
[8] After these things a thunder-like sound was heard, and a voice speaking out of heaven saying, 'We look on with amazement! Say to the congregation of the Reformed, Believe in Christ and do the work of repentance, and you will be saved.' And I said, being also above, 'Is not BAPTISM a sacrament of repentance and thereby an introduction into the Church? What else do the sponsors promise on behalf of the one to be baptised but that he will renounce the devil and his works? Is not the HOLY SUPPER a sacrament of repentance and thereby an introduction into heaven? Is it not said to the communicants that they must wholly do the work of repentance before approaching? Is not the CATECHISM a universal doctrine of the Christian Church teaching repentance? Is it not said there in the six precepts of the second table, Thou shalt not do this and that evil, and not, Thou shalt do this and that good? Consequently you have the ability to know that in so far as anyone is fleeing from evil, so far he is loving good; and that before this he does not know what good is, nor even what evil is.'
531. To the above I will add this Relation. I was once seized suddenly with a disease almost deadly. My whole head was weighed down. A pestilential smoke ascended from that Jerusalem which is called "Sodom and Egypt." I was half dead with the severe pain. I expected the end. Thus I lay in my bed three days and a half. My spirit became such, and from it my body. And then I heard voices about me, saying, "Lo, he who preached repentance for the remission of sins, and the Man Christ alone, lies dead in the streets of our city."
And they asked some of the clergy whether he was worthy of burial. They said, "No; let him lie to be looked at." And they passed to and fro, and mocked. All this befell me, of a truth, when I was explaining this chapter of Revelation. Then were heard harsh speeches of scoffers, especially these, "How can repentance be performed without faith? How can the man Christ be adored as God? Since we are saved of free grace without any merit of our own, what need we then but the faith alone, that God the Father sent the Son to take away the curse of the law, to impute His merit to us, and so to justify us in His sight, and absolve us from our sins by His herald the priest, and then give us the Holy Spirit to operate all good in us? Are not these things according to Scripture, and also according to reason?" These things the crowd standing by applauded.
[2] I heard these things, nor could I reply, because I lay almost dead. But after three days and a half my spirit recovered, and, being in the spirit, I left the street and went into the city, and said again, "Do the work of repentance, and believe in Christ, and your sins will be remitted, and ye will be saved; but otherwise ye will perish. Did not the Lord Himself preach repentance for the remission of sins, and that they should believe in Him? Did not He command the disciples to preach the same? Does not a full security of life follow the dogma of your faith?" But they replied, "What idle talk! Has not the Son made satisfaction? And does not the Father impute it to us, and justify us who have believed in it? Thus are we led by the spirit of grace; what sin can then be with us? What power has death over us? Do you comprehend this Gospel, thou preacher of sin and repentance?" But then a voice came forth out of heaven, saying, "What is the faith of an impenitent man, but a dead faith? The end is come, the end is come upon you that are secure, blameless in your own eyes, justified in your own faith, devils." And suddenly a deep gulf was opened in the midst of that city, which spread itself far and wide; and the houses fell one upon another, and were swallowed up; and presently water began to bubble up from the wide whirlpool, and overflowed the waste.
[3] When they were thus submerged, and they seemed inundated, I desired to know their lot in the deep. And it was said to me from heaven, "Thou shalt see and hear." And then the waters, in which they seemed to be inundated, disappeared before my eyes; for waters in the spiritual world are correspondences, and hence appear around those who are in falsities. Then they appeared to me in a sandy place, where heaps of stones were piled up; amongst which they were running, and lamenting that they were cast out of their great city. And they lifted up their voices, and cried, "Why has all this befallen us? Are we not, by our faith, clean, pure, just, and holy?" And others said, "Are we not, by our faith, cleansed, purified, justified, and sanctified?" And others said, "Are we not, by our faith, become such as to appear before God the Father, and to be seen and reputed clean, pure, just, and holy, and declared so before the angels? Are we not reconciled, propitiated, expiated, and thus absolved, washed, and cleansed from sins? And is not the condemnation of the law taken away by Christ? Why then are we cast down here as the condemned? We have heard from an audacious preacher of sin in our great city, 'Believe in Christ and repent. ' But have we not believed in Christ whilst we believed in His merit? And have we not done the work of repentance while we confessed ourselves sinners? Why then has all this befallen us?"
[4] But immediately a voice from one side said to them, "Do you know any sin in which you are? Have you ever examined yourselves? Have you, in consequence, shunned any evil as a sin against God? For he who does not shun sin, remains in it; and is not sin the devil? Ye are therefore of those of whom the Lord said:
Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in Thy presence, and Thou hast taught in our streets; but He shall say, I say to you, I know you not, whence ye are; depart from Me all ye workers of iniquity, (Luke 13:26-27); and of whom in Matthew 7:22-23. Depart ye, therefore, everyone to his own place. You see the openings into those caverns, enter, and there work shall be given each of you to do, and afterwards food in proportion to your work; if not, still hunger will compel you to enter."
[5] After this there came a voice from heaven to some on earth, who were without that great city, and who are described also (verse 13), crying aloud, "Take heed to yourselves, take heed how you associate with such persons; can you not understand that evils, which are called sins and iniquities, render man unclean and impure? How can man be cleansed and purified from them, but by actual repentance, and by faith in Jesus Christ? Actual repentance is to examine one's self to know and acknowledge his sins, to hold himself guilty, to confess them before the Lord, to implore help and the power to resist them, and thus to desist from them, and lead a new life, doing all these things as of yourselves. Do this once or twice a year, when you approach the Holy Communion, and afterwards when the sins, of which you have found yourselves guilty, recur; then say to yourselves, We will not consent to them because they are sins against God. This is actual repentance.
[6] "Who cannot understand that he who does not search out and see his sins, remains in them? For all evil is delightful from birth; for it is delightful to revenge, to commit whoredom, to defraud, to blaspheme, and especially to rule over others from self-love; is it not the delight that causes them not to be seen, and if perchance it is said they are sins, do you not from that delight excuse them? Yea, you persuade yourselves by falsities and confirm that they are not sins, and thus continue in them, and practice them afterwards more than before, even till you no longer know what sin is, or whether there be sin. It is otherwise with everyone who actually repents. His evils which he knows and acknowledges, he calls sins, and on that account begins to shun and turn away from them, and to feel their delight as undelightful. And in proportion as this is the case, he sees and loves goods, and at length feels delight in them, which is the delight of heaven. In a word, so far as anyone rejects the devil, so far he is adopted by the Lord, and by Him is taught, led, withheld from evils, and is held in goods. This and no other is the way from hell to heaven."
[7] It is wonderful, that the Reformed have a certain deep-rooted opposition and aversion to actual repentance, which is so great, that they cannot force themselves to examine themselves, neither can they see their sins, and confess them before God. It is as if a horror invades them when they think of it. I have inquired of many in the spiritual world concerning this, and they all said that it was beyond their power. When they heard that the Papists do it, that is, that they examine themselves and confess their sins openly before a monk, they have greatly wondered, more especially as the Reformed cannot do the same in private before God, although it is alike enjoined them before they approach the Holy Supper. Some have inquired into the cause of this, and it was discovered that faith alone induced such a state of impenitence, and such a heart. And then it was given them to see that those of the Papists who adore Christ, and do not invoke saints, nor adore His vicar, so-called, and any key-bearer of His, are saved.
[8] After this, there was heard as it were thunder, and a voice speaking from heaven, saying, "We are astonished! say to the assembly of the Reformed, Believe in Christ, and do the work of repentance, and you will be saved." And I said further, "Is not Baptism a sacrament of repentance, and thence an introduction into the church? What else do the sponsors promise for the person to be baptized, but that he will renounce the devil and his works? Is not the Holy Supper a sacrament of repentance, and hence an introduction into heaven? Is it not declared to the communicants, that they should by all means do the work of repentance before they approach? Does not the Catechism, which is the universal doctrine of the Christian church, teach repentance? Is it not said in the six commandments of the second table, Thou shalt not do this and that evil, and not, Thou shalt do this and that good? Hence you may know, that as far as anyone shuns evil, so far he loves good, and that before this he does not know what good is, nor even what evil is."
531. His adjiciam hoc MEMORABILE: -
Subito correptus sum morbo paene lethali; totum caput ingravatum est: immissus fuit fumus pestilentus ex Hierosolyma, quae vocatur "Sodoma et Aegyptus;" fui semimortuus cum saevo dolore; exspectavi extremum: ita jacui in meo lecto per tres dies et dimidium. Spiritus meus talis factus est, et ex illo corpus meum.
Et tunc audivi circum me voces dicentium, "En jacet in platea urbis nostrae mortuus, qui praedicavit paenitentiam in remissionem peccatorum, et solum Christum hominem." Et interrogabant aliquos e Clero, num ille sepultura dignus sit. Dixerunt quod "Non: jaceat, spectetur." Abibant; redibant, subsannabant.
(Ex veritate ita mihi contigit, cum explicabatur hoc caput Apocalypseos.)
Auditae sunt tunc voces subsannantium graves, imprimis hae: "Quomodo potest paenitentia agi absque fide; quomodo potest Christus homo adorari ut Deus: dum gratis salvamur absque ullo nostro merito, quid opus tunc nisi sola fide quod Deus Pater miserit Filium Qui damnationem legis auferret, imputaret nobis meritum Ipsius, et sic coram Se justificaret nos, et absolveret nos praecone Sacerdote a peccatis, et tunc daret Spiritum Sanctum, Qui omne bonum in nobis operetur; annon haec sunt secundum Scripturam et quoque secundum rationem." His cohors adstans adplaudebat.
Audiebam haec, nec potui respondere, quia jacui paene mortuus; at post tres dies et dimidium spiritus meus convaluit, et quoad illum exivi a platea in urbem, et dixi iterum, "Paenitentiam agite, et credite in Christum, et remittentur vobis peccata, et salvabimini: si non, peribitis. Annon Ipse Dominus praedicavit paenitentiam in remissionem peccatorum, ac ut crederent in Ipsum; annon mandavit Discipulis ut idem praedicarent; anne plenaria securitas vitae sequitur vestrae fidei dogma."
Sed dixerunt, "Quid garris; Filiusne satisfecit; Paterne id imputavit, nos, qui credidimus hoc, justificavit: ducimur sic spiritu gratiae: quid tunc in nobis peccatum; quid tunc cum nobis mors. Capis hoc evangelium, praeco 'peccati et paenitentiae?'"
Sed tunc exivit vox e Caelo, dicens, "Quid fides impaenitentis nisi mortua; venit finis, venit finis super Vos securos, in oculis vestris inculpatos, in fide vestra justificatos, diabolos. Et subito tunc barathrum aperiebatur in medio illius urbis, seque dilatavit, et domus super domum cecidit, et absorpti sunt: et mox e lata voragine ebullivit aqua, et inundavit vastitatem.
Quando ita demersi sunt et visi inundati, desiderabam scire sortem illorum in profundo. Et dictum est mihi e Caelo, "Videbis et audies."
Et tunc coram oculis meis disparatae sunt aquae, quibus inundati visi sunt, quia aquae in mundo spirituali sunt correspondentiae, et inde apparent circum illos qui in falsis sunt: ac tunc mihi visi sunt in fundo arenoso ubi strues e lapidibus congestae, inter quas currebant, et lamentabantur quod ex magna sua urbe conjecti essent.
Ac vociferabantur et clamabant "Cur hoc nobis; annon sumus per fidem nostram mundi, puri, justi, sancti." Et alii, "Annon sumus per fidem nostram mundati, purificati, justificati et sanctificati." Et alii, "Annon sumus per fidem nostram tales facti, ut coram Deo Patre appareamus, videamur, reputemur, et coram Angelis declaremur, sicut mundi, puri, justi et sancti." "Sumusne reconciliati, propitiati, expiati, et sic exsoluti, abluti et abstersi a peccatis; sublatane est a Christo damnatio legis; cur itaque ut damnati huc conjecti sumus. Audivimus ab audace praecone peccati in magna nostra urbe. 'Credite in Christum, et agite paenitentiam.' Annon credidimus in Christum, cum in meritum Ipsius; et annon egimus paenitentiam, cum confessi sumus quod simus peccatores. Cur itaque hoc nobis evenit."
Sed tunc audita est vox ad illos a latere, "An scitis ullum peccatum in quo estis; an usquam exploravistis vos; an ideo fugistis aliquod malum ut peccatum contra Deum (et qui non fugit illud, est in illo); estne peccatum Diabolus; quare estis de quibus Dominus dicit,
'Tunc incipietis dicere, Edimus coram Te et bibimus, et in plateis nostris, docuisti; sed dicet, Dico vobis, non novi vos unde estis, discedite a Me omnes operarii iniquitatis' - (Luca 13:26-27);
ut et de quibus Matthaeus 7:22-23. Abite ergo, quisque in suum locum. Videtis antra in cavernas; intrate illuc, et dabitur ibi cuique vestrum suum opus ad faciendum, et tunc cibus ad mensuram operis; si non, usque fames urgebit vos ad intrandum."
Postea vox e Caelo facta est ad quosdam super terra, qui extra urbem illam magnam fuerunt (de quibus etiam vers. 13), dicens alte, "Cavete vobis, cavete vobis a consociatione cum similibus; annon potestis intelligere, quod mala quae vocantur peccata et iniquitates, immundum et impurum reddant hominem; quomodo potest homo ab illis mundari et purificari quam per actualem paenitentiam, et per fidem in Jesum Christum; actualis paenitentia est, explorare se, cognoscere et agnoscere sua peccata, se reum facere, confiteri illa coram Domino, implorare opem et potentiam resistendi illis, et sic desistere ab illis, et novam vitam agere, et haec omnia sicut a vobis. Facite ita semel aut bis in anno, quando acceditis ad Sanctam Communionem; et postea cum peccata, quorum reos vos fecistis, recurrunt, tunc vobiscum dicatis, 'Non volumus illa quia sunt peccata contra Deum.' Haec est paenitentia actualis. Quis non potest intelligere, quod qui non explorat et videt sua peccata, maneat in illis. Omne enim malum a nativitate jucundum est; jucundum enim est vindicare, scortari depraedare, blasphemare, imprimis dominari ex amore sui: annon jucundum facit ut non videantur; et si forte dicitur quod peccata sint, annon ex jucundo illorum excusatis illa, imo persuadetis vobis, et per falsa confirmatis, quod peccata non sint, et sic manetis in illis, et facitis illa postea plus quam prius: et hoc eo usque dum non scitis quid peccatum, imo num sit peccatum. Aliter fit cuivis qui paenitentiam actualiter agit; ille mala sua quae cognovit et agnovit, vocat peccata, ac ideo incipit illa fugere et aversari, ac jucundum illorum sentire injucundum; et quantum hoc fit, tantum videt et amat bona, et tandem sentit horum jucundum, quod est jucundum Caeli. Verbo, quantum quis rejicit Diabolum ad tergum, tantum adoptatur a Domino, et ab Ipso docetur, ducitur, detinetur a malis, et tenetur in bonis. Haec via est, et non alia ab Inferno ad Caelum."
Hoc mirabile est, quod quaedam insita renuentia, tergiversatio et aversatio pro paenitentia actuali sit Reformatis; quae tanta est, ut non possint adigere semet ad explorandum se, et ad videndum sua peccata, et ad confitendum illa coram Deo: est sicut horror invadat illos cum id intendunt. Quaesivi permultos in mundo spirituali de eo, et dixerunt omnes quod hoc sit supra vires illorum. Cum audiverunt quod Pontificii usque hoc faciant, hoc est, quod explorent se, et palam confiteantur peccata sua coram monacho, valde mirati sunt; et insuper quod Reformati non possint id facere in occulto coram Deo, tametsi id illis aeque injunctum est ante quam ad Sacram Caenam accedunt. Et quidam ibi inquisiverunt cur hoc; et invenerunt quod sola fides talem impaenitentiae statum et tale cor induxerit. Et tunc datum est illis videre, quod illi ex Pontificiis qui adorant Christum, et non invocant Sanctos, et non adorant ita dictum Vicarium, et aliquem Ejus Clavigerum, salventur.
Post haec auditum est sicut tonitru, et vox loquens e Caelo, dicens, "Miramur; dic ad caetum Reformatorum 'Credite in Christum et agite paenitentiam, et servabimini.'"
Et dixi; ac insuper, "Estne Baptismus Sacramentum paenitentiae, et inde introductio in Ecclesiam; quid aliud patrini pro baptizando spondent, quam ut abdicet Diabolum et ejus opera. Estne Sacra Caena Sacramentum paenitentiae, et inde introductio in Caelum. Diciturne ad communicantes ut omnino ante accessionem paenitentiam agant. Estne Catechismus, doctrina universalis Ecclesiae Christianae, docens paenitentiam. Diciturne ibi in sex praeceptis secundae Tabulae, 'Hoc et illud malum non facies;' et non dicitur, Hoc et illud bonum facies. Inde potestis scire, quod quantum quis malum fugit, tantum bonum amet; et quod prius non sciatis quid bonum, imo nec quid malum."