653.人皆知，羔羊的行为只会象羔羊，绵羊的行为只会象绵羊。而另一方面，狼的行为只会象狼，老虎的行为只会象老虎。如果这些动物被放到一块，那么狼会不会吞食羔羊，老虎会不会吞食绵羊呢？所以要有牧人看守它们。人皆知，甘泉不可能从溪流中产出苦水，好树结不出坏果子；葡萄藤不象荆棘那样扎人，百合花不象荨麻那样去刮，或风信子不象大蓟那样去刺，反之亦然。因此将田里的稗子薅出来，捆成捆，留着烧。进入灵界的恶人，其情形也是如此，如同主所说的那样（马太福音13:30；约翰福音15:6）。主也对犹太人说，毒蛇的种类！你们既是恶人，怎能说出好话来呢？善人从他心里所存的善，就发出善来；恶人从他心里所存的恶，就发出恶来（马太福音12:34－35）。
653. 人皆知, 羔羊的行为只会象羔羊, 绵羊的行为只会象绵羊。 而另一方面, 狼的行为只会象狼, 老虎的行为只会象老虎。 如果这些动物被放到一块, 那么狼会不会吞食羔羊, 老虎会不会吞食绵羊呢? 所以要有牧人看守它们。 人皆知, 甘泉不可能从溪流中产出苦水, 好树结不出坏果子; 葡萄藤不象荆棘那样扎人, 百合花不象荨麻那样去刮, 或风信子不象大蓟那样去刺, 反之亦然。 因此将田里的稗子薅出来, 捆成捆, 留着烧。 进入灵界的恶人, 其情形也是如此, 如同主所说的那样 (马太福音13:30; 约翰福音15:6)。 主也对犹太人说, 毒蛇的种类! 你们既是恶人, 怎能说出好话来呢? 善人从他心里所存的善, 就发出善来; 恶人从他心里所存的恶, 就发出恶来 (马太福音12:34-35)。
653. As everyone knows, a lamb can only behave like a lamb. A sheep can only behave like a sheep. By the same token, a wolf can only behave like a wolf, and a tiger can only behave like a tiger. If all these animals are put in the same space, surely the wolf will devour the lamb and the tiger will devour the sheep. That is why there are shepherds to guard the flock.
As everyone knows, a spring of sweet water is incapable of issuing bitter water from its source. A good kind of tree is incapable of bearing the fruit of a bad kind of tree. A grapevine cannot poke us the way a thornbush can; a lily cannot scrape us the way a bramble can; a hyacinth cannot pull at our clothes the way a thistle can; and neither can these bad plants do what these good plants do. Therefore we pull all those weeds out of fields, vineyards, and gardens, gather them into piles, and throw them in the fire. A similar thing happens to evil people as they arrive in the spiritual world, according to the Lord's words (Matthew 13:30; John 15:6). The Lord also said to the Jews, "You offspring of vipers! How can you say good things when you yourselves are evil? Good people, from the good treasure of their heart, bring forth good things. Evil people, from the evil treasure of their heart, bring forth evil things" (Matthew 12:34-35).
653. Everyone knows that a lamb cannot act except like a lamb, nor a sheep except like a sheep. On the other hand a wolf cannot act except like a wolf, nor a tiger except like a tiger. If those animals were mixed together, would not the wolf devour the lamb and the tiger the sheep? That is why shepherds are set to guard them. Everyone knows that a spring of sweet water cannot produce bitter water from its stream; and that a good tree cannot produce bad fruit. A vine cannot prick like a thorn, the flower of the lily cannot scratch like a briar, or the hyacinth claw like the thistle; nor can the thorn, briar or thistle behave like the vine, lily or hyacinth. These weeds are therefore rooted out of fields, vineyards and gardens, gathered into heaps and thrown on a fire. Much the same happens to the wicked who arrive in the spiritual world, as the Lord's words say (Matthew 13:30; John 15:6). The Lord also said to the Jews:
You brood of vipers, how can you speak good when you are wicked? The good man puts forth good things from the good treasury of his heart, and the wicked man puts forth evil from his wicked treasury, Matthew 12:34-35.
653. Everyone knows that a lamb can only act like a lamb, and a sheep only like a sheep; while on the other hand a wolf can act only like a wolf, and a tiger like a tiger. If these beasts were put together, would not the wolf devour the lamb, and the tiger the sheep? Consequently there are shepherds to guard them. Everyone knows that a spring of sweet water cannot from its vein bring forth bitter waters, and that a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, that a vine cannot prick like a thorn, a lily sting like a nettle, or a hyacinth wound like a thistle; or the reverse. These evil plants, therefore, are rooted out of fields, vineyards, and gardens, gathered into bundles, and thrown into the fire. So it is with the wicked pouring into the spiritual world, according to the Lord's words (Matthew 13:30; John 15:6). The Lord also said to the Jews,
Ye offspring of vipers, how can ye being evil speak good things? A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things; and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things (Matthew 12:34-35).
653. Every one knows that a lamb can only act as a lamb, and a sheep as a sheep; and on the other hand, that a wolf can only act as a wolf, and a tiger as a tiger. If these animals were brought together, the wolf would certainly devour the lamb, and the tiger the sheep; and so there are shepherds to guard them. Every one knows that a fountain of sweet water cannot send forth from its spring bitter waters; that a good tree cannot bring forth bad fruit; that a vine cannot prick like a thorn; that the lily's flower cannot sting like a nettle; not can a hyacinth scratch like a thistle; and that the reverse is also true. Therefore, these noxious plants are rooted out of the fields, vineyards and gardens, gathered in heaps and cast into the fire. Something similar happens to the evil as they throng into the spiritual world, according to the Lord's words, Matthew 13:30; John 15:6. The Lord also said to the Jews,
"O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things?... A good man, out of the treasure of his heart, bringeth forth good things: and an evil man, out of the evil treasure, bringeth forth evil things. Matthew 12:34-35.
653. Quis non scit quod Agnus non possit aliter agere quam sicut agnus, ac ovis non aliter quam sicut ovis, et vicissim lupus non aliter quam sicut lupus, ac tigris sicut tigris; si illae bestiae commiscerentur, nonne lupus devoraret agnum, et tigris ovem; quare custodiae pastorum sunt. Quis non scit quod fons dulcis aquae non possit ex vena sua expromere aquas amaras; et quod arbor bona non possit producere fructus malos; quodque vitis non possit pungere sicut spina, flos lilii urere sicut sentis, et hyacinthus vellicare sicut carduus, et vice versa; quare mala illa virgulta exstirpantur ex agris, vineis et hortis, et collecta in cumulos conjiciuntur in ignem; simile fit cum malis in Mundum Spiritualem alluentibus, secundum Domini verba, Matthaeus 13:30, Johannes 15:6. Dominus etiam dixit ad Judaeos; Progenies viperarum, quomodo potestis bona loqui, cum mali sitis; bonus homo ex bono thesauro cordis sui emittit bona, et malus homo ex malo thesauro emittit mala, Matthaeus 12:34-35.