关于“论圣言”的灵界见闻
277# 于此我将附述以下可记之事。第一则如下：
一日，我在灵里遍行灵界各处，为要观察天上之事的表象；这些表象在灵界许多地方显现出来。在某一有天使同在的屋中，我看见巨大的钱袋，里面藏有极多银子；因钱袋敞开，看似人人皆可从其中取出所藏之银，甚至加以劫掠；但在那些钱袋旁边坐着两个少年，作其守护者。钱袋所在之处，显现如马厩中的槽。在邻近的房间里，可见端庄的童女，与一位贞洁的妻子同在；在那房间附近，又有两个婴孩站着，并有人说：不可与他们作幼稚之嬉戏，而当以智慧相待。随后又显现一个娼妓，又有一匹马死卧在那里。
这些景象显现之后，我受教得知：藉此所表象的，乃是圣言的字义，其中有灵义。那些装满银子的巨大钱袋，表征大量真理的知识；钱袋敞开，却由少年守护，表征人人皆可从其中取得真理的知识，但须受守护，免得有人侵犯灵义，因为其中乃是纯然真理。那如马厩中槽的地方，表征给予理智的属灵滋养；槽之所以有此表征，是因从其中取食的马表征理智。
在邻近房间中所见端庄的童女，表征真理的情感；贞洁的妻子，表征良善与真理的结合。婴孩表征智慧的纯真；因为至高天堂的天使最具智慧，却因其纯真，从远处看来如同婴孩。娼妓与死马，则表征今日许多人对真理的歪曲；由于这种歪曲，一切对真理的理解皆告灭亡。娼妓表征歪曲，死马表征全无真理之理解。
277# 对此，我补充以下记事。记事一：
有一天，我在灵里游览了灵界的各个地方，目的是观察那里许多地方所显示的天上事物的代表。在一个有天使的房子里，我看到两个装有大量银子的大钱包。这些钱包已经打开了，好像谁都可以取出存放在里面的银子，甚至偷走它；然而，有两个年轻人坐在钱包旁边当守卫。放钱包的地方看起来像马厩里的马槽。在隔壁房间，我看到一些谦逊的童女和一位贞洁的妻子。两个小孩就站在房间外面；我被告知，不要用小孩子的幼稚方式和他们玩，而是要智慧地对待他们。后来，一个妓女出现了，然后一匹躺着的死马出现了。看到这些东西后，我被教导说，它们代表圣言的属世意义，属灵意义就在这属世意义里面。装满银子的大钱包表示大量的真理知识；钱包已经打开，但由年轻人守卫，表示谁都可以从圣言中获得真理的知识，但务必小心，不要侵犯包含纯粹真理的属灵意义。马厩里像这样的马槽表示理解力的属灵滋养；马槽之所以有这种含义，是因为从马槽里吃草的马表示理解力。在隔壁房间看到的谦逊童女表示对真理的情感，贞洁的妻子表示良善与真理的结合。小孩子表示智慧的纯真，因为最高层天堂的天使是最智慧的天使，由于他们的纯真，从远处看，他们就像小孩子。妓女和死马表示如今许多人对真理的歪曲，导致对真理的一切理解都丧失了；妓女表示歪曲，死马表示对真理的不理解。
277. To these points I will add the following memorable occurrences.
The first memorable occurrence. One day in the spirit I was touring various sites in the spiritual world for the purpose of observing the symbolic depictions of heavenly things that are on display in many locations there. In one home where there were angels I saw two large purses in which was concealed a significant quantity of silver. Because these money bags had been opened I was aware that anyone could take out the silver that had been deposited in them and even make off with it; however, there were two young men sitting next to the money bags as guards. The place where the bags had been deposited looked like a manger in a stable. In the next room, I noticed some modest young women and a faithful wife. Two little children were standing just outside that room. I was told not to play in a childish way with them but to treat them wisely. Afterward a whore appeared, and a horse that was lying dead.
After I had seen these displays, I was told that what I had seen represented the Word's earthly meaning with its spiritual meaning inside it. The large purses full of silver meant true concepts in tremendous quantities. The fact that the bags had been opened but were guarded by young men meant that any of us can get true concepts from the Word, but we have to be careful to avoid violating the spiritual meaning, which contains truths and nothing else. The manger in a kind of stable meant spiritual nourishment for the intellect. Mangers have this meaning because the horses that eat from them mean the intellect. The modest young women seen in the next room meant different kinds of love for the truth, and the faithful wife meant the union of goodness and truth. The little children meant a wise kind of innocence - the angels of the highest heaven, who are the wisest angels, look like little children from a distance because of their innocence. The whore and the dead horse meant that many people are falsifying the truth nowadays, causing the loss of all understanding of truth. A whore means falsification, and a dead horse means no understanding of the truth.
277. Here I shall add some accounts of experiences, of which this is the first.
One day I wandered in the spirit around various parts of the spiritual world, with the intention of observing the representations of heavenly things, which are displayed in many places there. In one house occupied by angels I saw great money-bags, in which a large sum of money was stored. Since they were open, it looked as though anyone could help themselves to the money stored there, or even steal it all. But two young men sat next to the money-bags, to guard them. The place where they were put looked like a manger in a stable. In the next room some modest young women were to be seen accompanied by a respectable wife. Near that room stood two children, and I was told not to play with them like children, but to treat them wisely. Afterwards a whore appeared and a horse lying dead.
After seeing these scenes I was instructed that they represented the natural sense of the Word, which contains the spiritual sense. The large bags full of money meant an abundant supply of knowledge of truth. Their being open but guarded by young men meant that anyone can help himself to the knowledge of truth from this source, but precautions are taken to prevent anyone doing violence to the spiritual sense, which contains the bare truths. The manger as in a stable meant spiritual nourishment for the understanding; this is the meaning of a manger because a horse, which eats from it, means the understanding. The modest young women seen in the next room meant the affections for truth, and the respectable wife the joining of good and truth. The children meant the innocence of wisdom, for the angels of the highest heaven, who excel in wisdom, have as the result of their innocence the appearance of children, when seen at a distance. The whore with the dead horse meant the falsification of truth practised by many people at the present time, which destroys all understanding of truth; the whore meant falsification, the dead horse the understanding of truth reduced to zero.
277. To this I will add the following Memorable Relation First:
One day I was wandering in the spirit through various places in the spiritual world, for the purpose of observing the representations of heavenly things that are there exhibited in many places; and in a certain house where there were angels, I saw large purses containing a great quantity of silver; and as the purses were open, it seemed as if anyone might draw forth the silver there stored, and even purloin it; but near the purses sat two youths who were guards. The place where the purses were stored looked like the manger in a stable. In the next room modest virgins with a chaste wife were seen; and near that room stood two little children, and it was said that they were not to be played with in a childish way, but treated wisely. Afterwards a harlot appeared, and then a horse lying dead.
Having seen these things, I was taught that they represented the natural sense of the Word, within which is the spiritual sense. The large purses filled with silver signified knowledges of truth in great abundance; their being open and yet guarded by youths, signified that anyone may obtain knowledges of truth therefrom, and yet care must be taken that the spiritual sense, which contains pure truths, be not violated. The manger like that in a stable signified spiritual nourishment for the understanding, a manger having this significance, because a horse, which eats from it, signifies the understanding. The modest virgins who were seen in the next room signified affections for truth, and the chaste wife, the conjunction of good and truth. The little children signified the innocence of wisdom, for the angels of the highest heaven, who are the wisest of angels, appear at a distance like little children because of their innocence. The harlot with the dead horse, signified the falsification of truth by many at the present day, whereby all understanding of truth perishes; a harlot signifying falsification, and a dead horse no understanding of truth.
277. MEMORABILIA.
To the above I shall add the following Memorabilia.
The first is this: One day, being in the spirit, I wandered over various parts of the spiritual world that I might observe the representations of heavenly things which are to be seen in many places there. In a certain house, where there were angels, I saw large money-bags, containing a great quantity of silver; and as these were open, it seemed as if any one might take out, or even steal, the silver deposited there; but near them were two young men, who acted as guards. The place where the bags were laid looked like a manger in a stable. In an adjoining room were some modest maidens, in the company of a chaste married woman. Near the room were standing two children, who, I was told, were above being played with as infants, but should be treated as wise persons. Then I saw a courtesan, and a horse lying dead.
When I had seen these things, I was informed that they represented the natural sense of the Word, within which is the spiritual sense. The large money-bags full of silver signified knowledge of truth in great abundance. The fact that they were open, and yet guarded by young men, signified that every one might take from them knowledge of truth, but that care must be taken lest any one should violate the spiritual sense, which contains pure truths. The manger, like that in a stable, signified nourishment for the understanding. This is the signification of a manger, for a horse, which eats from it, signifies the understanding. The modest maidens, who were seen is the adjoining room, signified the affections of truth; the chaste married woman, the conjunction of good and truth; and the children, the innocence of wisdom. For the angels of the highest heaven, who are the wisest of all, appear at a distance, from their innocence like little children. The courtesan, with the dead horse, represented the falsification of truth by many at the present day, by which all understanding of truth perishes, because a courtesan signifies falsification, and a dead horse, an understanding dead to all truth.
277. His adjiciam sequentia MEMORABILIA: PRIMUM hoc; Quodam die in spiritu pervagatus sum varia loca in Mundo spirituali, propter finem ut observarem Repraesentationes coelestium, quae in multis locis ibi exhibentur; et in quadam Domo, ubi angeli erant, vidi magnas Crumenas, in quibus reconditum fuit argentum in multa copia; et quia apertae erant, perceptum est, sicut unusquisque posset argentum ibi repositum depromere, imo diripere: sed juxta Crumenas illas sedebant duo Juvenes, qui custodes: locus ubi repositae erant, apparebat sicut praesepe in stabulo: in Camera proxima visae sunt Virgines modestae, cum Uxore casta; et prope illam Cameram stabant bini Infantes, et dictum est, quod cum illis non infantiliter ludendum sit, sed sapienter agendum. Postea apparebat Scortum, tum Equus jacens mortuus. Postquam haec visa sunt, instructus sum, quod per illa repraesentatus sit Sensus naturalis Verbi, in quo Sensus spiritualis: magnae illae Crumenae argento plenae significabant cognitiones veri in multa copia; quod apertae essent, et tamen a juvenibus custoditae, significabat quod quisque posset inde cognitiones veri desumere, sed quod caveatur, ne aliquis Sensum spiritualem, in quo merae veritates sunt, violet; Praesepe sicut in stabulo, significabat nutritionem spiritualem pro intellectu; hoc significat praesepe, quia equus, qui inde edit, intellectum: Virgines modestae, quae in Camera proxima visae sunt, significabant affectiones veri, et Uxor casta conjunctionem boni et veri; Infantes significabant innocentiam sapientiae, nam Angeli supremi Coeli, qui sapientissimi sunt, ex innocentia apparent e longinquo sicut infantes: Scortum cum Equo mortuo, significabat falsificationem 1 veri a multis hodie, per quam omnis intellectus veri perit; scortum significat falsificationem, et equus mortuus intellectum veri nullum.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: falfificationem.