The Bible

 

Matthew 7

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1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.

2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?

10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?

11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:

29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

   

The Bible

 

Psalms 6:9

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9 The LORD hath heard my supplication; The LORD will receive my prayer.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

True Christian Religion #590

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590. Comparisons will illustrate what a person is like whose understanding is raised without this in turn raising the love of his will. He is like an eagle flying high, which as soon as it sees its prey below, such as chickens or cygnets or even young lambs, swoops down at once and devours them. He is also like an adulterer, who hides his whore downstairs in the cellar, but from time to time comes upstairs to the upper part of the house, and in his wife's presence talks wisely with his visitors about chastity, and then from time to time breaks off the discussion and satisfies his lust down below with his whore. He is also like the flies in a marsh, which fly in a column over the head of a galloping horse, but when the horse keeps still, drop down and plunge into the marsh where they live. Such is the nature of a person whose understanding is raised up high, but who has the love of his will kept down at foot level, immersed in the filth of nature and the lusts of the senses.

[2] But because they have this gleam in their understanding which looks like wisdom, though their will is opposed to it, they can be likened to snakes with glistening scales, Spanish flies that glitter as if with gold, or to the will-o'-the-wisp of marshland, rotten wood that shines in the dark, and phosphorescent substances. There are some of them who can imitate angels of light, both among people in the world and after death in the presence of angels of heaven. But after a short period of examination they are stripped of their clothes and cast down naked. Nothing of the sort, however, can happen in the world, because there their spirit is not open to view, but is overlaid with a disguise, like those used by actors on the stage. Their being able to imitate angels of light in countenance and expression is the reason and also a sign, that they can raise their understanding almost to the point of angelic wisdom, rising as I have said above the love of the will. Now since a person's internal and external can thus go in opposite directions, and since the body is discarded and the spirit remains, it is clear that a murky spirit can live behind a shining face, and a fiery one behind a smooth tongue. Therefore, my friend, you must get to know a person not by his mouth but by his heart, that is, not by his conversation but by what he does. For the Lord says:

Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves; by their fruits you must know them, Matthew 7:15-16.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.