When the unclean spirit goeth out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest and finding it not. Then he saith, I will return to the house whence I went forth. When he cometh he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then he goeth away, and taketh 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 (Matt. 12:43-45). This describes the conversion of a man by the departure of the unclean spirit from him; and his return to evils and the consequent profanation is described by the unclean spirit returning with seven spirits worse than himself. [3] Likewise by these words in John:

Jesus said to him who was healed at the pool of Bethesda, Behold thou art made whole, sin no more, lest a worse thing befall thee (John 5:14). Also by these words in the same:

He hath blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they should see with their eyes and understand with their heart, and should convert themselves and I should heal them (John 12:40). "Lest they should convert themselves and be healed" signifies lest they should become profane. Thus would it have been with the Jews (Matt. 12:45); and this is why they were forbidden to eat fat and blood (Lev. 3:17; 7:23, 25), for this signified their profanation of what is holy in consequence of their being such. Moreover, the Lord by his Divine providence guards with the greatest care against this kind of profanation; and lest this exist, He separates the holy things with man from those that are not holy, and stores up the holy things in the interiors of his mind, and raises them up to Himself; while the things not holy He stores up in the exteriors, and turns them to the world. Thus holy things can be separated from the unholy, and thus man can be saved. But this cannot be done when goods and evils are mixed together. That those who continue in faith and love even unto death will have the crown of life, the Lord teaches in Revelation (2:10, 26).