1160. And thou shalt find them no more.- This signifies that they are destroyed for ever, is evident from the signification of not finding those things, namely, fat and splendid things, by which are signified goods and propitious things therefrom, and truths and magnificent things therefrom, as denoting that they are destroyed for ever, for things which are found no more are for ever destroyed.
[2] Continuation.- The kind of profanation described above is meant by the following words in Matthew:
"When the unclean spirit goeth out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, but finding none; then he saith, I will return to the house from whence I came forth; and when lie is come he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished; then he goeth away, and adjoins to himself seven other spirits worse than himself, and entering in they dwell there; and the latter things of that man become worse than the first" (xii. 43, 44, 45).
In this passage the conversion of a man by the departure of the unclean spirit from him is described; and his return to evils, and his consequent profanation, is denoted by the unclean spirit returning with seven spirits worse than himself.
[3] Similarly by these words in John: Jesus said to the man who was healed at the pool of Bethesda,
"Behold thou art made whole, sin no more, lest a worst thing come upon thee" (v. 14).
And by these words in the same evangelist:
"He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart, lest they should see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and should turn and I should heal them" (xii. 40).
Lest they should turn and be healed, signifies, lest they should become profane. It would have been so with the Jews (Matt. xii. 45); therefore they were forbidden to eat fat and blood (Levit. iii. 17; vii. 23, 25), by which their profanation of what is holy was signified because they were of such a character. The Lord also, by His Divine Providence, guards most carefully against the existence of this kind of profanation. And for this purpose He separates in man holy things from those that are not holy, lays up the holy things in the interior of his mind, and raises them up to Himself; but those things that are not holy he stores up in the exteriors, and turns them to the world; and therefore, holy things are capable of being separated from those things that are not holy, and man can thus be saved. This cannot be effected while goods and evils are mingled together. That those who remain in faith and love even unto death, will have a crown of life, the Lord teaches in the Apocalypse (chap. ii. 10).