793. About one who is lukewarm
One of those who are devils, and who from hatred persecute truth and goodness the most, coming up to me, did not want to do anything [wrong] at all, behaving as though he had repented. Nor did I sense any deceit, even though I did think that he harbored deceits within, only awaiting the opportunity, but meanwhile putting himself forth as a good spirit, and converted.
Someone fleeing far away from him, told me that he could not bear his presence, because he smelled like vomit, which made him want to vomit. This was because he was like the one of whom it is said, that he must be spewed out [Rev. 3:16]. 1748, 15 February.
793. CONCERNING A CERTAIN LUKEWARM SPIRIT
One of those who are devils, and who especially from hatred persecute what is true and good, came flowing to me. He did not want to do anything at all, but behaved himself as if he had repented. I did not feel any deceit, although I did think that he would be inwardly deceitful provided the opportunity arose; but in the meanwhile he pretended that he was good and converted. A certain spirit fleeing far away from him told me that he could not bear his presence, for he felt it like vomit, so that he wanted to vomit, because that spirit was like those of whom it is said that they were to be spewed out [Rev. iii 16. 1748, Feb. 15.
793. De quodam tepido
Quidam ex iis, qui diaboli sunt, et maxime ex odio persequuntur 1
quod verum et bonum, ad me alluens, nihil prorsus efficere voluit, gerens 2
se tanquam resipuerit, nec sentiebam aliquem dolum, tametsi cogitare potui, quod intrinsecus dolos haberet, modo occasio daretur, sed interea simulans quasi bonum, et conversum; quidam procul ab eo fugiens, dicebat mihi quod non sufferre posset ejus praesentiam, quia sentiebat sicut vomitum, sic ut vellet vomere, quia talis erat, de quo dicitur, quod exspuendus [Apoc. III: 16]. 1748, 15 Febr.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has persequitur
2. ms sed tanquam gerens