343.试探和净化的状态：弥赛亚神不试探任何人。我还通过活生生的经历被指示，试探如何由内在的痛苦折磨，同时由内在的疼痛产生；同样，在这种状态下，他们多么想知道他们当信什么；他们总是想来自他们自己的东西，即：通过试探，他们想索求某种功德，从而进入天堂，以及其它我无法发现的想法。此外，我被指示当时其想法的性质，即：凡他们所听见、看见的，都一文不值，都是虚空，几乎不是真的；他们的良心或多或少认同这些想法。因此，我被允许观察他们如何从这种试探当中走出来。简言之，我发现，他们只能以为弥赛亚神容许试探；然而，这种想法依然含有祂试探人的意思。（1747年12月15日）
343. The state of temptation and purging: God the Messiah tempts no one
I was also shown by actual experience how temptations are caused by inner torments of distress, and at the same time, inward grief; likewise, how they long when they are in that state to know what should be believed, and how that [thought] keeps coming up that they [act] from themselves, and they therefore want to claim some merit for undergoing temptations, and thus enter heaven - as well as other thoughts I could not observe.
In addition, [I was shown] what their thinking was like at the time - as that everything they had heard and seen was of little value, empty, almost untrue - to which thoughts their conscience more or less assented. Thus it was allowed to observe how they were when emerging from that state - in short, they could not but think that God the Messiah permits temptations, which still involves [the idea] that He tempts. 1747, the 15th day of December.
343. THE STATE OF TEMPTATION AND VASTATION. THAT GOD MESSIAH TEMPTS NO ONE
It has also been shown me by living experience, how temptations are brought about by the internal torments of anguish, and at the same time by interior pains: likewise how in that state they want to know what they ought to believe: and that which is from themselves always occurs to them, namely, that by temptations they want to merit something, and so to enter into heaven, besides other things which I could not observe. I was also shown the nature of their thought at the time, namely, that whatever they have heard and perceived is nothing, vain, almost untrue, with a certain consent of conscience. I was then allowed to observe how they emerged from such temptation. In short, I observed that they could not suppose otherwise than that God Messiah permits temptations, which involves, however, that He tempts. 1747, Dec. 15.
343. Status tentationis et vastationis, quod Deus Messias nullum tentet 1
Ostensum etiam mihi est per vivam experientiam, quomodo tentationes fiunt per cruciatus angustiae internos, et simul dolores interiores, similiter quomodo in eo statu volunt scire, quid credendum, et [quod] semper occurrat id quod ex semet, nempe quod per tentationes aliquid mereri velint, et sic intrare in coelum, praeter alia quae observare non potui; tum qualis eorum cogitatio tunc erat, nempe quod quicquid audiverint et perceperint, nihil sint 1
, vanum, paene non verum, cum quodam conscientiae consensu; ita observare licuit, quomodo inde emergerent; verbo, quod non possint aliter putare, quam quod Deus Messias permittat tentationes, quod involvit tamen, quod tentet. 1747, die 15 Dec.
Footnotes:
1. supra hoc caput deletus est lineis transversis titulus: Quod praevidentia et providentia ab aeterno in aeternum, ad finem optimum, sit etiam causa quod omnia
1. sic manuscript; vide praefationem hujus editionis sub capite "Idiosyncrasies"