Heaven and Hell (Harley) n. 48

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48. From this it also comes about that an angel who excels in wisdom instantly sees the quality of another from his face. In heaven no one can conceal his interiors by his expression, or feign or in any way deceive and mislead by craft or hypocrisy. It sometimes happens that hypocrites insinuate themselves into societies. These hypocrites have been taught to conceal their interiors and to compose their exteriors so as to appear in the form of the good in which are those who belong to the society, and thus feign themselves angels of light. But they cannot stay there for long for they begin to suffer anguish interiorly, to be tortured, to grow livid in the face and to become, as it were, lifeless. These changes result from contrariety to the life that flows in and operates. Therefore, they quickly cast themselves down into the hell where their like are, and no longer seek earnestly to ascend. These are such as are meant by the man who was found, among the invited and reclining guests, not clothed in a wedding garment, and was cast into outer darkness. (Matt. xxii. 11, and following verses.)


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