4358. About a hypocrite
A hypocrite had been let into an outward state, speaking as he had done in the world, or as preachers do. Then he would not recognize that he is or had been of that character, but he was told that the very worst preachers say the same thing, even think so when they are preaching. Then being convinced outwardly, they think about the words, led by their spirit, and speak in this way for the sake of the world, sometimes believing they are speaking from the holy spirit, as I said to him - adding, moreover, that they speak differently with their friends, with those at home. If they are crafty, they speak falsely, differently with each person whose mind they know. But still they are thinking differently to themselves.
So there are three states, and in the other life they discard the outward one, at length also the nearest inward one in which he had been. Then his life remains, which is most filthy, full of all kinds of hatred, and cruel. This I said in the presence of many spirits. 1749 118Aug.
It was noticeable that in his outer state, he was able to understand better that he was evil than in the nearest inward state. For he said that he now knows he is such as described, and this to the point that one could hardly tell otherwise than that he had thought the way he spoke - but not so in the nearest inward state.
4358. CONCERNING A HYPOCRITE.
A hypocrite was remitted into an exterior state, when he spoke as in the world, or after the manner of preachers, in which state he did not acknowledge himself to be or to have been of such a quality as he was; but it was said to him that the worst of preachers speak in like manner; yea, they suppose while preaching that their characters agree with their words. They are then in external persuasion, and think concerning the words uttered, being led by their own spirit with a view to themselves and to the world thus to speak, even imagining at times that they speak from the Holy Spirit, as was said to him. It was said also that they speak otherwise with their friends and with those of their own households, provided that they are adepts in deception; that they speak otherwise also with those whom they casually encounter, and whose mind they discover; but that notwithstanding they think inwardly within themselves altogether differently, so that they have in fact three varieties of states, of which they first put off the exterior in the other life, and then at length the proximately interior, which leaves his remaining [state of] life to the last degree defiled, and full of hatred and cruelty. This was said in the presence of many spirits. - 1749, August 18. It was observed that this spirit could better comprehend, when in the external state, that he was evil, than in the proximately interior; for in the former he acknowledged his true quality, and that in such a way that it could scarcely be perceived that he was not entirely sincere; but in the latter it was not so.
4358. De Hypocrita
Hypocrita missus fuit in statum exteriorem, loquutus sicut in mundo, aut sicut praedicatores, tunc non agnoscebat se talem esse vel fuisse, sed dictum ei, quod praedicatores pessimi similiter dicant, imo putent cum praedicant, tunc in persuasione externa sunt, et cogitant de verbis, ducti a suo spiritu, propter se et mundum ita loquendi, quandoque tunc putant se loqui ex spiritu sancto, quod ei dictum: insuper quod aliter loquantur cum amicis, cum iis domi, si subdoli sunt, [loquantur] false, aliter cum quocunque sicut novit ejus animum: sed usque aliter intus in se cogitant, sic ut tres status sint, et quod in altera vita exuant exteriorem, demum etiam proxime interiorem in quo fuit, vita ejus tunc remanet quae spurcissima, odiis plena, crudelis, hoc dictum in praesentia plurium spirituum. 1749, 18 Aug. Observatum quod in externo statu melius potuit comprehendere quod malus esset, quam in proxime interiore, dixit enim se scire jam quod talis sit, et hoc ita ut vix aliter sciri potuisset quam quod cogitaverit ita, non vero ita in statu proxime interiori.