331.恶与善无法共存，恶越被移除，善越被关注并感觉为善。这是因为在灵界，每个人都放射出自己爱的气场。这气场向四围散发，并对感染其他人，使他们类似或不类似这个人。正是这些气场将善者与恶者分开。自然界中有许多事可以说明，在认识、感受和热爱良善之前，邪恶必须被移除。例如：人无法拜访与美洲豹或黑豹共处一室的人（他本人则与它们一起安全生活，因为他饲养它们），除非这些野兽被移走。
若被邀请与国王或王后一起用餐，谁不会在出席之前先洁净自己的脸和手？结婚后携新娘进洞房之前，谁不先洗个澡、换上结婚礼服？在获得纯金和纯银之前，谁不先用火炼矿、除去渣滓？在收粮入仓之前，谁不先将稗子从小麦中分离出去？或在将大麦收回家里之前，谁不先用脱粒机脱去大麦的麦壳？
在生肉能食用并摆到餐桌上之前，谁不先将生肉进行烹调？谁不会抖落果园叶子上的虫子，以免叶子被吃光、果实被毁坏？谁不嫌恶房间或大厅里的灰尘，然后打扫干净，尤其期待王子或公主驾临之时？谁会喜欢并愿意娶一个浑身是病、满身疙瘩斑点的少女，无论她脸上的粉有多厚，穿着多华美，并竭力以称赞恭维来打动他？
人当洁除邪恶，而不是等主为他直接做这事。这就好比一个仆人满脸满身油烟粪污脏兮兮跑进来，来到他主人面前说：“我主，请洁净我。”主人岂不对他说：“你这个蠢材！你在说什么？看，这里有水、肥皂和手巾，你自己没手没能力去用吗？自己洗去！”所以，主神会说：“洁净的工具，我已经给你们了，意愿和能力也给你们了；因此，把我的这些恩赐和天赋当成自己的东西来用，你们就会洁净”等等。
主教导我们说，外在人要得洁净，不过是藉着内在人得洁净，请从头至尾参看马太福音23章。
331. 惡與善無法共處; 惡越是被移除, 善越是被追求和感受。會發生這樣的情形, 是因為心靈世界中的任何人都有其特別的"愛的氣場"環繞, 向四圍散發出他的愛, 並對他人產生影響, 使別人對其產生喜歡或憎惡的感覺。正是這樣的"場"將善者與惡者分別開來。
在我們生活的世界中有許多類似現象能說明:在善被認可,感受與熱愛之前, 惡必須被移除。例如, 無人敢接近與獵豹或美洲獅共處一室之人, 除非先將這些野獸弄走, 就無法安全地與他們生活在一起。
[2]若人被邀請參加國王或王后的晚宴, 有誰不會在出席前先洗淨自己的臉與手呢？哪有新郎新娘在舉行結婚儀式步入婚禮殿堂前不潔淨全身並換上婚服呢？在獲得純金或純銀之前, 誰都必需用火煉礦,以去渣滓吧？收谷入倉前, 應當先去稗子或雜草吧？收麥子回家前, 不是先用脫粒機器將殼脫去嗎？
[3]人們總是為了防止蛆或毛蟲吞噬樹葉或毀壞果實, 都會將蛆與毛蟲抖出樹葉。在等待作為新娘的公主駕臨時, 誰不會將家中或庭院的垃圾清理掉呢？一個女孩身染致命疾病或全身起斑或膿包, 卻化濃妝,著靚裝, 並說美言恭維來令自己招人迷, 有哪個會愛上她, 並想辦法娶為妻室呢？
[4]人當從邪惡中潔淨自己, 而不是消極地等著主來為他做這件事情, 就好比某個僕人滿身油煙屎糞髒兮兮跑進屋, 來到他主人面前, 對主人說:"我主, 請為我潔淨。"主人定會告訴他:"你這個蠢材！你在說什麼？看, 這有水,有皂,有手帕, 你沒手沒力自己洗嗎？快自己洗！"
因此, 主上帝會說:"潔淨的工具, 我給了你, 還賜你意志與能力。因此, 利用我的這些恩賜與才能——就像是你自己的一樣, 你將被潔淨。"等等。
主教導我們, 要潔淨外在之人, 不過要藉著內在之人方能潔淨外在之人, 請參看馬太福音 24章從頭至尾所述。
331. Evil and good cannot coexist; the more evil is removed, the more good is focused on and felt. This is the case because all who are in the spiritual world have a field of their particular love emanating around them. This field spreads all around and has an effect on others. It creates feelings of harmony or antipathy. These fields separate the good from the evil.
The fact that evil has to be removed before goodness is recognized, perceived, and loved could be compared with many situations that are possible in our world; for example, the following: Suppose someone keeps a leopard and a panther in an apartment and, as the one who feeds them, is able to live safely with them. No one else can visit unless their owner first removes these wild animals.
[2] Guests invited to the table of the king and queen would not forget to wash their faces and hands before attending. No bridegroom goes into the bedroom with his bride after the wedding without first washing himself all over and putting on a wedding garment. Anyone must first purify ore with fire and remove slag before getting pure gold or silver. Everyone separates the tares or weeds from the harvested wheat before taking it into the barn. Everyone removes the beards from harvested barley with threshing tools before bringing it home.
[3] Everyone cooks some of the juice out of raw meat before it becomes edible and is set on the table. Everyone knocks the grubs and caterpillars off the leaves of trees in the garden to prevent them from devouring the leaves and causing a loss of fruit. Everyone removes garbage from the house and the front entrance and cleans up those areas, especially when expecting a visit from a prince or the princes daughter to whom one is engaged. Does any man love a young woman and propose to marry her if she is riddled with malignancies or covered all over with pustules and varicose veins, no matter how much she puts makeup on her face, wears gorgeous clothing, and makes an effort to be attractive by saying nice things and paying compliments?
[4] The need for us to purify ourselves from evils, and not to wait for the Lord to do it without our participation, is like a servant coming in with his face and clothes covered in soot and dung, approaching his master, and saying, "Lord, wash me. " Surely his master would tell him, "You foolish servant! What are you saying? Look, there is the water, the soap, and a towel. Don't you have hands? Don't they work? Wash yourself!"
The Lord God is going to say, "The means of being purified come from me. Your willingness and your power come from me. Therefore use these gifts and endowments of mine as your own and you will be purified. " And so on.
The need for the outer self to be cleansed, but to be cleansed through the inner self, is something that the Lord teaches in Matthew chapter 23 from beginning to end.
331. Evil and good cannot exist together, and in so far as evil is removed, good is sought and felt. This is because in the spiritual world a sphere of his love radiates from everyone. This spreads around and affects others, making them to like or dislike the person. It is these spheres which effect the separation of the good from the wicked. There are many parallels in the natural world to show that evil must be removed before good is recognised, felt and loved. For instance, no one can approach someone who keeps a leopard or a panther in his room, and lives safely with them because he feeds them, unless he has first removed those wild animals.
[2] Is there anyone who on being invited to dine with a king or queen does not wash his face and hands before making his appearance? Is there anyone who on getting married enters the bridal chamber without first taking a bath and dressing in a wedding garment? Is there anyone who does not use fire to purify minerals and separate them from slag, before he obtains pure gold and silver? Is there anyone who does not separate the tares from his wheat crop before storing it in the granary? Or who does not beat the husks 1 off a crop of barley with threshing tools, before gathering it up and taking it home?
[3] Is there anyone who does not submit raw meat to cooking before it becomes eatable and is served at table? Is there anyone who does not shake the grubs out of the leaves of his garden trees, to prevent the leaves being eaten and the fruit lost? Is there anyone who does not loathe dirt in houses or courtyards, and clean them out, especially when a prince, or a princess coming as a bride, is expected? Does anyone love a girl, and aim to marry her, if she is tainted with malignant diseases or covered in spots or pimples, however much she makes up her face, dresses up in fine clothes, and tries to make herself attractive by paying compliments?
[4] A person ought to purify himself of evils, and not wait for the Lord to do this for him directly, as can be seen by comparison with a servant coming in with his face and clothes filthy with soot and dung and going up to his master and saying: 'Please wash me, Sir.' Would not his master say to him: 'What do you mean, you fool? Here are water, soap and a towel. Haven't you got hands and the ability to use them? Wash yourself.' So the Lord God will say: 'The means of purification I have given you, and your will and ability also are given by me; so use these gifts and talents of mine as if they were yours, and you will be purified,' and so on. The Lord teaches us that the external man is to be cleansed, but by means of the internal: see Matthew chapter 23 from beginning to end.
Footnotes:
1. Reading aristas 'husks' for Latin cristas 'crests'.
331. Good and evil cannot exist together, and so far as evil is put away good is regarded and felt as good, for the reason that there exhales from everyone in the spiritual world a sphere of his love which spreads itself round about and affects, and causes sympathies and antipathies. By these spheres the good are separated from the evil. That evil must be put away before good can be recognized, perceived, and loved, may be compared to many things in the natural world; for example: one cannot visit another who keeps a leopard and a panther shut up in his chamber (himself living safely with them because he feeds them), until those wild beasts have been removed.
[2] Who that is invited to the table of a king and queen does not before he goes wash his hands and face? Or who enters the bridal chamber with his bride after marriage before he has washed himself wholly, and clothed himself with wedding garments? Who does not purify ores by fire, and separate the dross, before he obtains the pure gold and silver? Who does not separate the tares from the wheat before putting it into his granary? Who does not thresh the bearded chaff from his barley, before he gathers it into his house?
[3] Who does not skim off raw meat in cooking before it becomes eatable and placed upon the table? Who does not beat the worms from the leaves of the trees in his garden, lest the leaves be devoured and the fruit thereby destroyed? Who does not dislike dirt in his chambers and halls, and cleanse them, especially when a prince or the espoused daughter of a prince is expected to arrive? Who loves and wishes to marry a maiden who is full of disease, and covered with pimples and blotches, however she may paint her face, dress splendidly, and labor by the charms of her conversation to move him by the enticements of love?
[4] Man himself ought to purify himself from evils, and not wait for the Lord to do this without his cooperation. Otherwise he would be like a servant going to his master, with his face and clothes befouled with soot and dung, and saying, "Master, wash me." Would not his master say to him, "You foolish servant, what are you saying? See, there are water, soap, and a towel; have you not hands of your own and the power to use them? Wash yourself." So will the Lord God say, "These means of purification are from Me, and your ability to will and do are also from Me; therefore use these My gifts and endowments as your own, and you will be purified;" and so on. That the external man is to be cleansed, but by means of the internal the Lord teaches in the twenty-third chapter of Matthew from beginning to end.
331. Evil and good cannot exist together; and so far as evil is removed, good is regarded and felt as good. For in the spiritual world there emanates from every one the sphere of his love, which diffuses itself around, causing itself to be felt, and gives rise to sympathies and antipathies; and by means of these spheres the good are separated from the evil. Many illustrations can be given from the affairs of the natural world to show that evil must be removed before good is known, perceived and loved. For example, no one can visit a man who keeps a leopard and a panther in his room, and who lives in safety with them because he feeds them, until those wild beasts are removed.
[2] What person invited to the table of a king and queen, does not wash his face and hands before he presents himself? Who enters the bride-chamber with the bride under the marriage ceremony, before he has washed himself thoroughly, and put on a wedding garment? Who does not refine metallic ores in the fire, separating the dross, before he procures the pure gold and silver? What farmer does not separate the tares from the wheat before he puts it in his barn; and thresh his barley, to separate the grain from the chaff, before he stores it in his granary?
[3] Who does not remove impurities in raw food by cooking, to make it eatable before it is brought to the table? Who does not shake off insects from the trees in his garden, to prevent the leaves from being eaten up and the fruit destroyed? Who does not dislike dirt about his house and hall, and does not clear it away, particularly when he expects a visit from a prince, or from his betrothed, the daughter of a prince? Does any one love, and intend to marry a maiden, infected with disease, and covered with pimples and blotches, however she may paint her face, dress elegantly, and seek to exercise the allurements of love by her charming conversation?
[4] A man ought to purify himself from evils and not expect the Lord to do this for him. Otherwise he would be like a servant with face and clothes covered with soot and filth, who should go to his master and say, "My lord, wash me." Would not his master say to him, "You foolish servant, what do you mean? See, there are water, soap, and a towel; have you not hands of your own and power to use them? Wash yourself." And the Lord God will surely say, "You have from me the means of purification, and also the will and the power. Therefore use these my gifts and endowments as your own, and you will be purified;" and so on. That the external man must be cleansed, but by means of the internal, is taught by the Lord throughout the twenty-third chapter of Matthew.
331. Quod malum et bonum non possint simul esse, et quod quantum removetur malum, tantum spectetur et sentiatur bonum, est causa, quia in Mundo spirituali ab unoquovis exhalatur Sphaera amoris ejus, quae se circum circa dispergit et afficit, et facit sympathias et antipathias; per has sphaeras separantur boni a malis. Quod malum removendum sit, antequam bonum cognoscitur, percipitur et amatur, comparari potest cum multis rebus in Mundo Naturali, ut cum his; non potest aliquis adire alterum, qui leopardum et pantheram in conclavi suo custodit, et quia dat illis edere securus cum illis habitat, nisi prius feras illas removerit.
[2] Quis invitatus ad mensam Regis et Reginae non prius laverit facies et manus, antequam accedit; et quis in thalamum intrat cum sponsa post nuptias, nisi prius se laverit totum, et veste nuptiali se amiciverit. Quis non per ignem purificat mineras, et secernit a scoriis, antequam aurum et argentum purum adipiscitur. Quis non Zizania separat a messe tritici, antequam hoc infert in horreum: et quis non aristas 1 e messe hordei excutit fustibus triturae, antequam colligit illud in Domum.
[3] Quis non despumat crudam carnem 2 coctione, antequam ille fit edulis, et apponitur super mensa. Quis non excutit vermes ex foliis arborum in horto, ne consumantur folia, et sic pereat fructus. Quis non aversatur sordida in domibus et atriis, et mundat illa, imprimis dum exspectatur princeps, aut sponsa filia principis. Quis amat virginem, et cum illa nuptias intendit, quae malignis inescata est, aut pustulis et varicibus obsita, utcunque illa infucat faciem, splendide se investit, et amoris illecebras per blanditias oris inferre studet.
[4] Quod homo seipsum purificare debeat a malis, et non exspectet 3 ut Dominus immediate hoc faciat, est comparative sicut servus incedens facie et veste conspurcatis fuligine et stercore accederet ad herum suum, ac diceret, Domine, ablue me, annon illi herus dicturus est, serve stulte, quid dicis; ecce ibi aqua, sapo, et linteum; suntne tibi manus, et posse in illis; ablue teipsum; et Dominus Deus dicturus est, sunt media purificationis a Me, et quoque est tuum velle et tuum posse a Me, quare utere illis meis donis et dotibus sicut tuis, et purificaberis: et sic porro. Quod Externus homo purgandus sit, sed per Internum, docet Dominus apud Matthaeum XXIII a principio ad finem.
Footnotes: