305、我听见从尘世来的许多新人抱怨说，他们不知道他们一生的命运取决于他们的爱之情感。他们说，他们在世时从未想过这些情感，更不用说它们的快乐了，因为凡让他们感到快乐的东西，他们都喜欢，并简单地以为每个人的命运都取决于他们出于聪明的思维，尤其取决于由他们的虔诚，以及信仰所产生的思维。然而，他们被告知，他们若愿意，本可以知道，邪恶的生活在天堂不受欢迎，也不讨神喜悦，在地狱则受欢迎，并讨魔鬼喜悦。另一方面，良善的生活在天堂受欢迎，并讨神喜悦，在地狱则不受欢迎，也不讨魔鬼喜悦。因此，邪恶本身闻上去是臭的，而良善本身闻上去是香的。既然他们若愿意，本可以知道这一点，那么为何不避开如属地狱和魔鬼的邪恶，又为何仅仅因为邪恶令人快乐就赞成它们呢？既然他们现在意识到邪恶的快乐具有如此刺鼻的气味，那么也可以知道，那些发出这种气味的人不可能进入天堂。得到这个答复之后，他们便加入那些处于类似快乐的人，因为他们只有在这个地方才能呼吸。
305. I heard many newcomers from the world complain that they had not known that their life's fate would accord with the affections of their love, saying that in the world they had not thought about those affections, still less about the delights of those affections, because they had loved whatever they found delightful, and that they had simply believed that everyone's fate would accord with the intelligence of their thoughts, especially the piety of their thoughts, and also those expressive of their faith.
But they received the reply that they could have known if they had wished that evil of life is repugnant to heaven and displeasing to God, but gratifying to hell and pleasing to the devil, and conversely, that goodness of life is gratifying to heaven and pleasing to God, but repugnant to hell and displeasing to the devil, and also therefore that evil in itself is malodorous and good in itself fragrant.
Moreover, they were asked, since they could have known this if they had wished, why did they not refrain from evils as hellish and diabolical, and why did they sanction them simply because they were delightful? Further, as they now know that the delights of evil are so foul-smelling, they could also know that being so overflowing with them, they could not enter heaven.
Upon receiving this reply the newcomers conveyed themselves to spirits who were taken up with the same delights, because there they could breathe, and nowhere else.
305. I have heard any number of newcomers from our world complain that they did not know that their lot in life would depend on the desires of their love. They said they had not thought about them in this world, let alone about the pleasures associated with them. They had loved whatever gave them pleasure and had simply believed that our lot depended on what we thought intellectually, especially what we thought in matters of devotion and therefore of faith.
However, they were told that if they had wanted to, they might have known that an evil life is unwelcome in heaven and displeasing to God, but welcome in hell and pleasing to the devil. By the same token, a good life is welcome in heaven and pleasing to God, but unwelcome in hell and displeasing to the devil. By the same token, evil is inherently foul smelling and good is inherently fragrant. Since they could have known this if they had wanted to, why had they not abstained from evils as hellish and demonic, and why had they approved of them simply because they felt good? Since they now knew that the pleasures of evil had such an acrid smell, they could also know that they could not come into heaven smelling like that.
When they had been given this answer, they made their way to people who were devoted to the same kinds of pleasure, because that was the only place where they could breathe.
305. I have heard many newcomers from this world complain that they had not known that their life's destiny would be according to the affections of their love. They said that while in the world they had not given any thought to them, much less to their delights, because they had loved whatever was delightful to them, and had merely believed that everyone's lot would be according to his thoughts from his intelligence, especially according to thoughts arising from piety and also from faith. However, the answer given them was, that they could have known, had they wished, that evil of life is disagreeable to heaven and displeasing to God, but agreeable to hell and pleasing to the devil; and on the other hand, that good of life is agreeable to heaven and pleasing to God, but disagreeable to hell and displeasing to the devil; consequently that evil in itself is offensive and good in itself is fragrant. As they might have known this if they would, why did they not shun evils as infernal and diabolical, and why did they indulge in evils merely because they were delightful? As they now were aware that the delights of evil smell so offensively they might also know that those who are so full of them cannot enter heaven. After this answer they betook themselves to those who were in like delights, for there and nowhere else were they able to breathe.
305. I have heard many newcomers from the world complain that they had not known that their life's lot would be in accordance with the affections of their love, saying that in the world they had not thought about these affections, still less about their delights, because they had loved whatever was delightful to them, and had merely believed that every one's lot would be in accordance with their thoughts from intelligence, especially in accordance with the thoughts arising from their piety and also from their faith. But it was replied that they could have known if they had wished, that evil of life is disagreeable to heaven and displeasing to God, but is agreeable to hell and pleasing to the devil, and on the other hand, that good of life is agreeable to heaven and pleasing to God, and disagreeable to hell and displeasing to the devil; consequently that evil in itself is a stench, while good in itself is fragrant. And as they might have known this if they would, why had they not shunned evil as infernal and diabolical and why had they favored evils merely because they were delightful? And as they were now aware that the delights of evil have so foul a smell, they might also know that those who exhale such smells cannot enter heaven. After this reply they betook themselves to those who were in like delights, because there and not elsewhere they could breathe.
305. Audivi plures advenas e mundo conquestos, quod non sciverint quod sors vitae illorum foret secundum affectiones amoris illorum, 1dicentes quod in mundo non de illis cogitaverint, minus de jucundis illorum, quia id amaverunt quod jucundum illis fuit; et quod solum crediderint, quod cuivis sors esset secundum cogitationes ex intelligentia, imprimis secundum cogitationes ex pietate, et quoque ex fide: sed illis responsum est, quod scire potuerint si voluerint, quod malum vitae sit ingratum coelo et injucundum Deo, ac gratum inferno ac jucundum diabolo; et vicissim, quod bonum vitae sit gratum coelo ac jucundum Deo, ac ingratum inferno et injucundum diabolo, et inde quoque quod malum in se puteat, ac bonum in se fragret: et cum id potuerunt scire si voluerunt, cur non fugerunt mala ut infernalia et diabolica, et cur illis faverunt ex unica causa quia jucunda fuerunt; et quia nunc sciunt quod jucunda mali tam tetre oleant, etiam scire possunt quod ita scatentes non in coelum venire possint. Post hoc responsum contulerunt se ad illos qui in similibus jucundis erant, quia ibi et non alibi respirare potuerunt.
Footnotes:
1 Prima editio: illorum;