3701# "神的使者在梯子上，上去下来"象征无限永恒的沟通和由此而来的结合，以及从最低层开始上升，然后当秩序颠倒时下降。在这里，"使者"象征主的某种神性特质，这是圣言中提到使者时的内在含义（参1925，2319，2821，3039节）。具体而言，这里指的是神性真理，这一点可以从"神的使者"这一称谓得到证实。因为在内在意义上，当论及真理时使用"神"这个称谓，而论及良善时则用"耶和华"（参2586，2769，2807，2822节）。
虽然随后经文提到"耶和华站在梯子上面"，但这里仍使用"神的使者"这一称谓，因为这段经文讨论的是源于良善的真理，也就是"雅各"所象征的内容，这一点在前文已多次提及。"在梯子上，上去下来"在最高意义上象征无限永恒的沟通及其带来的结合。
当我们谈论主的神性本身和他的神性之人时，必须同时提到无限和永恒的概念，因为主里面的一切都具有无限性（就其存在而言）和永恒性（就其显现而言）。通过上述分析可以看出，"梯子立在地上，梯子的头顶着天，神的使者在梯子上，上去下来"这整段描述象征着一个从最低层次开始的上升过程，以及在秩序转变时的下降过程。
【2】关于这种上升和下降的运作方式，我们可以从前文的讨论中得到解释（参3539，3548，3556，3563，3570，3576，3603，3607，3610，3665，3690节）。然而，这种秩序——即人的重生过程及其在内在意义上的描述——在教会中却鲜为人知，因此需要进一步阐明。
众所周知，每个人都生来具有来自父母、祖父母乃至远祖的天性，因此继承了历代积累的遗传之恶。这导致人就其本质而言完全陷入恶中。这种遗传使人在理智和意志两个层面都受到极大损害，以至于靠自己既不能行善，也不能理解真理。更严重的是，人会把邪恶误认为良善并深信不疑，把伪谬当作真理并坚信不移。
举例来说，人会认为爱自己胜过他人是对的，想要获得比他人更多的利益，贪求他人的财物，只为自己谋利而不顾他人——除非对自己有利可图。由于这些都是出于人自身的欲望，人反而会将其视为善和真。不仅如此，当有人损害或试图损害他所认定的这些"善"和"真"时，他就会心生怨恨，寻求报复，企图摧毁对方，并从中获得快感。而且，人越是在实际行动中确认这些倾向，也就是越频繁地付诸实践，这种状态就会变得越发严重。
【3】当这样的人进入来生时，他原有的欲望仍会保持；他在世上通过日常生活所形成的本性会继续存在，其中的快感也清晰可辨。因此，这样的人无法融入天堂的群体，因为在那里每个人都以他人的利益为先。相反，他只能归属于地狱的群体，在那里能找到与他相似的快感倾向。
这种本性必须在人世间就被根除，而这唯一的途径就是通过主的重生。这意味着人必须完全接受新的意志，并由此获得新的理智，也就是说，在这两种官能上都要成为一个全新的人。
要实现这一转变，首要的是人必须像婴儿一样重新开始，学习辨别什么是恶和伪，什么是善和真。因为若没有这些基本的知识和认知，人就无法接受任何良善。就人本身而言，他只会把恶误认为善，把伪误认为真。
【4】为了实现这一转变，需要向人灌输一些与他原有认知不完全对立的新认知，例如，一切爱都始于自己；应当先照顾自己，然后再照顾他人；应当帮助那些外表看来贫穷可怜的人，不管他们内在如何；同样也要帮助寡妇和孤儿，因为他们被如此称呼；最后还要帮助一般意义上的敌人，不管他们是谁；这样就能赚得天堂。这些以及类似的认知构成了他新生命的婴儿期。这些认知的特点是：既保留了一些来自前生或前生本性的成分，又包含了他正在进入的新生命的元素。正因如此，这些认知能够接纳那些有助于形成新意志和新理智的事物。
这些是重生之人最初接触到的基本良善和真理。由于这些认知能够接纳更内在、更接近神性的真理，因此也能通过这些真理来根除人先前误以为是真理的伪谬。
【5】重生之人对真理的学习绝非仅限于知识层面，而是将其作为生命之道来实践。他们能够践行这些真理，是因为主在他们毫不知情的情况下，已在其心中植入了新意志的原则。这些人从新意志中获得多少，就能从这些认知中吸收多少，并转化为实际行动和真实信仰。
然而，若未能从新意志中有所领受，他们虽然可以获取这些知识，却无法真正实践，因为他们仅仅停留在知识的追求上，而未能达到生命的层面。这种情况下，知识便无法转化为生命的实质。
【6】当新生命取代旧生命时，最初的阶段犹如婴儿期和童年期。而后进入青少年期和青年期时，人不再执着于他人的外在形态，而是开始关注他们在三个层面上的良善：首先是公民生活中的良善，其次是道德生活中的良善，最后是属灵生活中的良善。在这个阶段，人开始将良善置于首位，学会热爱良善，并从良善的角度来看待他人。
随着生命的进一步完善，人开始积极地善待那些处于良善中的人，而且会根据他们所具有的良善的品质来调整对待方式。最终，人能在善待他人的过程中体验到真正的喜悦。这是因为良善本身包含着喜悦，而那些能确证良善的事物也带来愉悦。此时，人不仅承认这些确证良善的事物为真理，而且其新的理智所产生的真理，都是从新意志的良善自然流露出来的。
【7】当人感受到良善中的喜悦和真理中的愉悦时，也会以同等程度感受到前生命中邪恶的不快和伪谬的不悦。这时，旧意志的事物与新意志的事物开始分离，旧理智的事物与新理智的事物也开始分离。这种分离不是基于对这些事物的认知欲望，而是源于实践这些事物的情感。
随后，人开始意识到，他婴儿期的真理在相对意义上是倒置的。这些真理逐渐被重新安排成新的秩序，形成相互从属的关系。那些原本居于首位的，现在转居后位。因此，“神的使者”起初是通过他婴儿期和童年期的真理，如同通过天梯从地上升到天上；而后来则是通过他成年期的真理，如同通过天梯从天上降到地上。
3701.“又见神的使者在梯子上，上去下来”表无限和永恒的联系，以及由此而来的结合；可以说是从最低级之物那里的一种上升，以及此后当次序颠倒过来时的一种下降。这从“使者”的含义清楚可知，“使者”是指主的某种神性之物，这就是当在圣言中提及使者时他们所表示的（参看1925，2319，2821，3039节）。就目前而言，他们表示神性真理。这一点从以下事实明显看出来：就内义而言，当论述的主题是真理时，就用“神”这个名；而当论述的主题是良善时，就用“耶和华”这个名（2586，2769，2807，2822节）。这就为何尽管接下来的经文“耶和华站在梯子以上”用了“耶和华”这个名，但他们仍被称为神的使者的原因；因为所论述的主题是良善所源于的真理，在此由雅各来代表，如前面频繁所述。就至高意义而言，“在梯子上，上去下来”这句话表示无限和永恒的联系，以及由此而来的结合。这是显而易见的，无需进一步解释。联系和由此而来的结合不能用来论及主的神性本身和祂的神性人身，除非同时这些属性被视为无限和永恒的。因为在主里面，一切事物都是无限和永恒的，就存在而言是无限的，就显化而言是永恒的。综上所述，明显可知，一言以蔽之，“一个梯子立在地上，梯子的头顶着天，又见神的使者在梯子上，上去下来”的含义，可以说是从最低级之物那里的一种上升，以及此后当次序颠倒过来时的一种下降。
这种上升和下降的性质从前面的阐述和说明可以看出来（3539，3548，3556，3563，3570，3576，3603，3607，3610，3665，3690节）。这种次序是人在重生时所遵循的，也是此处以及下文所描述的。由于它在教会完全是未知的，故其性质有必要进一步加以说明。众所周知，人生来就具有他的父母、祖父母，以及追溯到数个世纪的祖辈的性质，因而生来就具有在他之前的所有人逐渐累积的遗传之恶，以至于他由着自己所做的一切无非是恶。结果，他的认知和意愿完全被破坏掉了，他凭自己根本不会意愿任何良善，因而也根本不理解任何真理。他称之为良善，甚至信以为良善的，其实是邪恶；他称之为真理，甚至信以为真理的，其实是虚假。例如，爱自己胜过他人；渴望自己比别人好；贪恋别人的东西；只为自己着想，不为他人着想，除非对他有利。人凭自己只会渴望这些事，甚至视它们为良善与真理。而且，若有人在这些被他视为良善与真理的事上伤害了他，他便仇恨此人，并充满报复思想。他渴望、甚至寻求毁灭这个人，并且随着他强化这类意图，也就是随着他经常将这类意图付诸实践，还会以此为乐。
这种人进入来世后，仍有同样的渴望。他在世时通过实际生活所获得的实际性质会存留下来；刚才所提到的那种快乐也会明显被其他人发觉。因此，这种人无法呆在天上的任何社群，因为那里的每个人都渴望别人比自己好；于是，他不得不呆在某个地狱社群，因为那里的快乐与他自己的相似。这种性质在此人活在人世期间必须被根除，但若不被主重生，也就是接受全新的意愿和由此衍生的全新认知，或换句话说，在这两种官能上变成新的，这种事根本不可能做到。不过，为了使这一切能够实现，他必须像小孩子一样重生，必须学习何为恶与假，以及何为善与真。因为若没有这些知识或意识，他就无法拥有任何良善。事实上，凭他自己，他只会认邪恶为良善，认虚假为真理。
为使人变成新的，诸如与他以前所拥有的认知并不完全相背的那类认知会注入到他里面。如以下观念：一切爱始于自我；要先考虑自己，然后再考虑他人；要向那些表面上贫穷、不幸的人行善，不管他们的内在秉性如何；同样，要帮助孤儿寡妇，仅仅因为他们被如此称呼；最后要帮助一般意义上的仇敌，无论他们是谁；以及人如此行就能配上天堂。这些以及其它类似观念就是适合他新生命幼年期的认知。它们具有这样的性质：它们既在某种程度上源于他以前的生命，或带有他以前生命的性质，也在某种程度上源于他以这种方式被引入的新生命。所以，它们是诸如允许凡有助于形成新意愿和新认知之物进入的那类认知。它们是最低级的良善与真理，那些正在重生的人就是从这类良善与真理开始的。由于这些最低级的良善与真理允许更内层或更接近神性真理的真理本身进入到自己里面，所以人以前信以为真理的虚假也就被根除了。
然而，正在重生的人不仅将这类真理当作记忆知识来学习，还当作生活的事来学习，因为他们实践这些真理。不过，他们对真理的实践始于主在他们毫无觉察的情况下所注入的新意愿。他们越是乐意接受这新意愿，就越乐意接受这些认知，将其付诸实践并相信它们。相反，越不接受这新意愿，他们固然能学习这类真理，但不会将它们付诸实践，因为他们只是将其视为记忆知识，而不是生活的事。
这就是即将取代先前生命的新生命的幼年期和童年期的状态；而该生命青少年期的状态就是当不再关注任何人的外在表现，而是关注他在良善上的品质之时的状态；先是关注文明生活上的良善，然后关注道德生活上的，最后关注属灵生活上的；这时，他开始将良善置于优先地位，首先拥有并热爱良善，并通过良善去爱此人；此后，当进一步得以完善时，他注重向那些处于良善的人行善，并且照着那些人所具有的良善品质而提供帮助；最后以向他们行善或帮助他们为乐，并以支持它的观念为乐趣。他承认这些支持的观念是真理，这些观念也构成其新认知的真理，而这新认知是从属于其新意愿的良善流出的。
他以这良善为快乐，以这些真理为乐趣到什么程度，就在什么程度上对他先前生命的邪恶感到厌恶，对其虚假感到不悦。这就是为何属于先前意愿的事物现在要与属于新意愿的事物分离，属于先前认知的事物要与属于新认知的事物分离。在这种分离中，决定性的因素不是对认识这类事物的情感，而是对行出它们的情感。因此，他这时明白其幼年期的真理相对来说是颠倒的，这些真理逐渐被带回到另一种不同的次序中，也就是说，它们的相互关系被颠倒过来，从而让那些最初占据第一位的，现在占据最后一位。他以这种方式明白，神的使者藉着那些属于其幼年期和童年期的真理，如同通过一架梯子那样从地升向天；而现在则藉着其成年期的真理如同通过一架梯子那样从天下到地。
Potts(1905-1910) 3701
3701. And behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. That this signifies infinite and eternal communication and the consequent conjunction; and that from what is lowest there is as it were an ascent, and afterwards when the order is inverted a descent; is evident from the signification of "angels," as being something Divine of the Lord, which is meant by them when they are mentioned in the Word (see n. 1925, 2319, 2821, 3039). That in the present case they signify Divine truth, is evident from their being called the angels "of God," for "God" is named when in the internal sense truth is treated of, but "Jehovah" when good is treated of (n. 2586, 2769, 2807, 2822); and this is the reason why although "Jehovah" is presently named, and it is said, "behold Jehovah standing upon it," still they are here called angels of "God;" for the subject is the truth from which is good, which is here represented by Jacob, as has been frequently said above. That by "ascending and descending on the ladder" is in the supreme sense signified infinite and eternal communication and the consequent conjunction, is evident without further explication. Communication, and the consequent conjunction, cannot be predicated of the Lord's Divine Itself, and of His Divine Human, unless at the same time they are said to be infinite and eternal; for in the Lord all is infinite and eternal; infinite in respect to being, and eternal in respect to manifestation. From all that has been said it is evident that of the "ladder set on the earth, and its head reaching to heaven; and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it," the sum total of the signification is an ascent as it were from what is lowest, and afterwards when the order is inverted, a descent. [2] How the case is with this ascent and descent, may be seen from what has been said and shown above (n. 3539, 3548, 3556, 3563, 3570, 3576, 3603, 3607, 3610, 3665, 3690). But as this order, which is that of the regeneration of man, and which is described in the internal sense of this and the following verses, is altogether unknown in the church, the nature of it may be further illustrated. It is known that man is born into the nature of his parents, and of his grandfathers, and also of those who have been his ancestors for ages; thus he is born into the hereditary evil of them all successively accumulated, insomuch that as regards what is from himself he is nothing but evil. The result of this is that as to both understanding and will man has been utterly destroyed; and of himself wills nothing of good, and consequently understands nothing of truth; and therefore that which he calls good and believes to be good, is evil; and that which he calls truth and believes to be truth, is falsity. For example: loving himself above others; desiring better for himself than for others; coveting what belongs to another; taking thought for himself alone, and not for others except for the sake of himself. As of himself man is desirous of these things he therefore calls them goods, and also truths; and what is more, if anyone injures or endeavors to injure him in respect to these goods and truths as he calls them, he hates him, and also burns with revenge toward him, desires and even seeks his ruin, and feels delight in it, and this in proportion as he actually confirms himself in such things, that is, in proportion as he more frequently brings them into actual exercise. [3] When such a person comes into the other life he has the same desires; the very nature which he has contracted in the world by actual life remains, and the delight just referred to is plainly perceived. For this reason such a man cannot be in any heavenly society, in which everyone desires better for others than for himself, but has to be in some infernal society where the delight is similar to his own. This nature is that which must be rooted out while the man lives in the world, which cannot possibly be done except by the Lord through regeneration; that is, by his receiving a totally new will and derivative new understanding; or in other words by being made new in respect to both these faculties. But in order that this may be effected, the man must first of all be reborn as a little child, and must learn what is evil and false, and also what is good and true; for without knowledge he cannot be imbued with any good; for from himself he acknowledges nothing to be good but what is evil, and nothing to be true but what is false. [4] To this end such knowledges are insinuated into him as are not altogether contrary to those which he had before; as that all love begins from self; that self is to be taken care of first and then others; that good is to be done to such as appear poor and distressed outwardly, no matter what may be their inward character; in like manner that good is to be done to widows and orphans simply because they are so called; and lastly, to enemies in general, whoever they may be; and that thereby a man may merit heaven. These and other such knowledges are those of the infancy of his new life, and are of such a nature that while they derive somewhat from his former life or the nature of his former life, they also derive somewhat from his new life into which he is thereby being introduced; and hence they are such as to admit into them whatever things are conducive to the formation of a new will and a new understanding. These are the lowest goods and truths, from which those who are being regenerated commence, and because these admit into themselves truths that are more interior or nearer to Divine truths, by their means there may also be rooted out the falsities which the man had before believed to be truths. [5] But they who are being regenerated do not learn such truths simply as memory-knowledges, but as life, for they do these truths; but that they do them is from the beginning of the new will which the Lord insinuates entirely without their knowledge; and insofar as they receive of this new will, so far they receive of these knowledges, and bring them into act, and believe them; but insofar as they do not receive of the new will, so far they are indeed capable of learning such things, but not of bringing them into act, because they care merely for memory-knowledge, and not for life. [6] This is the state of infancy and childhood in respect to the new life which is about to succeed in place of the former life; but the state of the adolescence and youth of this life is that regard is no longer had to any person as he appears in the external form but to his quality in respect to good; first in civil life, next in moral life, and lastly in spiritual life; and good is that which the man then begins to hold and love in the prior place, and from good to love the person; and at last, when he is still further perfected, he takes care to do good to those who are in good, and this in accordance with the quality of the good in them, and at last he feels delight in doing good to them, because he feels delight in good, and pleasantness in the things that confirm it. These confirmatory things he acknowledges as truths; and they also are the truths of his new understanding, which flow from the goods which are of his new will. [7] In the degree that he feels delight in this good, and pleasantness in these truths, he has a feeling of what is undelightful in the evils of his former life, and of what is unpleasing in its falsities; and the result is that a separation takes place of the things which are of the former will and the former understanding from the things that are of the new will and the new understanding; and this not in accordance with the affection of knowing such things, but in accordance with the affection of doing them. Consequently the man then sees that the truths of his infancy were relatively inverted, and that the same had been by little and little brought back into a different order, namely, to be inversely subordinate, so that those which at first were in the prior place are now in the posterior place; thus that by those truths which were the truths of his infancy and childhood, the angels of God had ascended as by a ladder from earth to heaven; but afterwards, by the truths of his adult age, the angels of God descended as by a ladder from heaven to earth.
Elliott(1983-1999) 3701
3701. 'And behold, the angels of God going up and coming down on it' means an infinite and eternal communication and the consequent joining together - a going up, so to speak, from what is lowest, and after that, when order has been inverted, a coming down to it. This is clear from the meaning of 'the angels' as some aspect of the Lord's Divine meant by the expression 'angers' when used in the Word, dealt with in 1925, 2319, 2821, 3039. The aspect meant here is Divine Truth. This is clear from the fact that they are called 'the angels of God', for the name God is used when truth is the subject in the internal sense, but Jehovah when good is the subject, see 2586, 2769, 2807, 2822. This is why although the name Jehovah is used directly after this in the phrase 'Jehovah standing above it', they are nevertheless referred to here as 'the angels of God', since the subject is truth from which good springs, represented by 'Jacob' here, as stated many times above. As regards the expression 'going up and coming down on the stairway' meaning in the highest sense infinite and eternal communication and the consequent joining together, this is clear without further explanation. But one cannot speak of a communication between, and the consequent joining together of the Lord's Divine itself and His Divine Human unless at the same time one calls these attributes infinite and eternal, for in the Lord everything is infinite and eternal - infinite so far as Being (Esse) is concerned and eternal so far as Manifestation (Existere) is concerned. From what has been stated up to now it is evident that 'a stairway set up on the earth, and its top reaching to heaven, and behold, the angels of God going up and coming down on it' means in a nutshell a going up so to speak from what is lowest, and after that, when order is inverted, a coming down to it.
[2] The nature of this going up and coming down becomes clear from what has been stated and shown above in 3539, 3548, 3556, 3563, 3570, 3576, 3603, 3607, 3610, 3665, 3690. But because this order - which comes into effect when a person is being regenerated and which is described in the internal sense here and in what follows - is completely unknown in the Church, let the nature of it be illustrated further: It is well known that a person is born into the same disposition as his parents, grandparents, and great grandparents, going back for centuries, and so into hereditary evil gradually accumulated by all those before him, so much so that there is nothing but evil in what he does when he acts from himself. As a consequence both his understanding and his will have been totally spoiled and of himself he does not will anything good at all and therefore does not understand anything true at all. That which he calls good, indeed believes to be good, is in fact evil, and that which he calls the truth, indeed believes to be the truth, is in fact falsity. Take, for example, loving himself more than others, wanting things to be better for himself than for others, desiring what belongs to someone else, and considering only himself and not others unless he himself will benefit. Because he desires these things of himself he indeed calls them good and also true. And what is more, if anyone harms or tries to harm these things which by him are called good and true, he hates him and is also filled with thoughts of revenge. He desires and also seeks that person's ruin, and takes delight in this insofar as he actually strengthens such intentions in himself, that is, as frequently as he actually puts them into effect.
[3] When such a person enters the next life his desires remain the same. The actual disposition which he has acquired in the world by the life he led remains, and that delight is perceived plainly by others. Consequently he is unable to be in any heavenly community where everyone wants things to be better for others than for himself; but he is in some community of hell whose delight is similar to his own. It is that disposition of his which needs to be rooted out while he is living in the world, something that cannot possibly be achieved except through regeneration from the Lord, that is, through receiving quite another will and therefore quite another understanding - by becoming a new person so far as both those powers of mind are concerned. But for this to come about he must first of all be born like a young child again, learn what evil and falsity are, and learn what good and truth are, for without knowledge or awareness of these he is unable to have any good conferred on him. Indeed of himself he does not acknowledge anything else as good except that which is evil, nor anything else as truth except that which is false.
[4] To make a person new, cognitions are instilled into him such as are not completely contrary to those he has already - for example, the idea that all love starts in himself; the idea that one should consider oneself first and others only after that; the idea that those people who are outwardly poor and wretched should be helped irrespective of what they are like inwardly; and that similarly widows and orphans should be helped solely because they are called such; and at length the idea that enemies in general should be helped irrespective of who they may be; and also the idea that by acting in these ways one is able to merit heaven. These and other ideas like them are the cognitions proper to the early childhood of his new life. They are such that because they derive to some extent from his previous life, or the disposition belonging to his previous life, they also derive to some extent from his new life into which he is being led in this way. They are consequently such as allow into themselves things that contribute towards the formation of a new will and of a new understanding. They are the lowest forms of good and truth, and it is with these that people who are being regenerated start out. And because these lowest forms of good and truth allow more interior truths into themselves, that is, truths closer to Divine truths, falsities which a person had previously believed to be truths are also rooted out.
[5] People who are being regenerated however do not learn such things simply as matters of knowledge but as matters of life, for they practice those truths. But their practice of them has its beginnings in the new will which the Lord is instilling, though they are totally unaware of it. And to the extent they welcome that new will they also welcome those cognitions, put them into practice, and believe them. But to the extent they do not welcome that new will they are indeed able to learn such truths but not to put them into effect since they consider them purely as matters of knowledge and not of life.
[6] That state is the state of early and later childhood as regards the new life which is to replace the previous life, but the state of the early and later youth of that life is a state when no attention is paid to any person's outward presentation of himself but to what he is like with regard to good - first of all with regard to it in public affairs, then in private affairs, and at length in spiritual, at which point he starts to possess and to love good first and foremost, and from good the person. And when after that he is more perfect still his concern is to aid those who are governed by good, his help depending on the kind of good present with those whom he helps. At length he takes delight in helping them. And because he takes delight in good he also takes pleasure in ideas that support it. Those supporting ideas he acknowledges as truths, which also constitute the truths of his new understanding which flow from the forms of good which belong to his new will.
[7] To the same extent as he takes delight in that good and takes pleasure in those truths he also feels an aversion to the evils of his previous life and a displeasure in its falsities. This is why things belonging to the previous will are now separated from those belonging to the new will, and those belonging to the previous understanding from those belonging to the new understanding. The determining factor in this separation is not the affection for knowing them, but the affection for doing them. As a consequence he now sees that the truths belonging to his early childhood in relation one to another have existed inversely and that those same truths have been reorganized little by little into another order, that is to say, their interrelationship has been changed so that those which initially occupied the first place now occupy the last. In this way he sees that by means of those truths which belonged to his early and later childhood the angels of God so to speak went up by means of a stairway from earth to heaven, whereas now by means of the truths belonging to his adult life the angels of God so to speak come down by means of the stairway from heaven to earth.
Latin(1748-1756) 3701
3701. `Et ecce angeli Dei ascendentes et descendentes in illa': quod significet infinitam et aeternam communicationem et inde conjunctionem; et quod ex infimo quasi ascensus, et dein cum ordo est inversus, descensus, constat ex significatione `angelorum' quod si aliquid Divinum Domini, quod per illos in Verbo cum nominantur intelligitur, de qua n. 1925, (x)2319, 2821, 3039; hic quod sit Divinum Verum, constat ex eo quod dicantur `angeli Dei,' Deus enim dicitur cum in sensu interno agitur de vero, at Jehovah cum de bono, videatur n. 2586, 2769, 2807, 2822; inde est quod tametsi Jehovah mox nominatur et dicitur `Jehovah stans super illa', usque hic angeli Dei nuncupentur, nam agitur de vero ex quo bonum, quod hic est `Jacob,' ut pluries supra dictum: quod per `ascendentes et descendentes in scala' significetur in sensu supremo infinita et aeterna communicatio et inde conjunctio, constare potest absque ulteriore explicatione; (m)de ipso Divino Domini et Divino Humano Ipsius, non praedicari potest communicatio et inde conjunctio, nisi simul dicatur infinita et aeterna, nam in Domino omne est infinitum et aeternum, infinitum respective ad Esse, et aeternum ad Existere.(n) {1}Ex illis quae hactenus dicta sunt, patet quod per `scalam statutam terrae, et caput ejus pertingens caelum, et ecce angeli Dei ascendentes et descendentes in illa' significetur in summa ex infimo quasi ascensus, et dein, cum ordo est inversus, descensus. [2] Quomodo cum hoc ascensu et descensu se habet, constare potest ex illis quae supra n. 3539, 3548, 3556, 3563, 3570, 3576, 3603, 3607, 3610, 3665, 3690 dicta et ostensa sunt; sed quia hic ordo, qui est regenerationis hominis et describitur hic et in sequentibus in sensu interno, in Ecclesia prorsus est ignotus, idcirco licet adhuc illustrare qualis sit: notum est quod homo in naturam parentum suorum, et avorum, ut et atavorum qui usque a saeculis, nascatur, ita in malum hereditarium omnium illorum successive cumulatum, usque adeo ut non sit {2}nisi malum, quantum a se; inde trahit quod tam quoad intellectum quam quoad voluntatem prorsus deperditus sit, et ex se nihil boni velit, et inde nihil veri intelligat, proinde quod sit malum quod dicit bonum, immo credit bonum, et falsum quod dicit verum, immo credit verum; sicut pro exemplo, amare se prae aliis, sibi velle melius quam aliis, cupere quae alius sunt, et sibi soli studere, non aliis nisi sit propter se; haec quia cupit ex se, {3}etiam vocat bona, et quoque vera; et porro, si aliquis illum quoad bona illa et vera, ut illa vocat, laedit, seu laedere tentat, odit, etiam ex animo vindicat, et ejus perniciem cupit, et quoque quaerit, et in eo jucundum percipit, et hoc quo plus se in illis actualiter confirmat, hoc est, quo frequentius actualiter id exercet; [3] talis cum in alteram vitam venit, similiter cupit; ipsa natura quam per actualem vitam contraxit in mundo, manet, ac ipsum jucundum illud manifeste percipitur, quapropter non potest in aliqua societate caelesti esse in qua unusquisque aliis melius vult quam sibi, sed in aliqua societate infernali cui simile jucundum; haec natura est quae exstirpanda cum vivit in mundo, quod nusquam fieri potest quam per regenerationem a Domino, hoc est, per id quod prorsus aliam voluntatem et alium inde intellectum (x)accipiat, hoc est, ut novus fiat quoad utramque illam facultatem; at hoc ut fiat, debet omnium primo renasci {4}ut infans, et discere quid malum et falsum, et discere quid bonum et verum, nam absque scientia seu cognitione non potest imbui aliquo bono: ex se enim nihil aliud pro bono agnoscit quam malum, et pro vero quam falsum; [4] hoc ut fiat, cognitiones ei tales insinuantur quae non sunt prorsus contrariae illis quas prius habuerat, sicut quod omnis amor incipiat a se; quod sibi primum studendum et postmodum aliis; quod talibus qui pauperes et miseri externa forma apparent, benefaciendum qualescumque intus sint; similiter quod viduis et pupillis quia ita nominantur; et tandem quod inimicis in genere, quicumque sint; etiam quod sic mereri possit caelum. Hae et similes cognitiones sunt infantiae novae vitae ejus, et sunt tales quae quia aliquid trahunt ex priore vita seu prioris vitae natura, etiam aliquid ex nova vita, in quam sic introducitur, et inde sunt tales ut admittant in se quae conducunt ad novam voluntatem formandum et ad novum intellectum; haec sunt bona et vera infima, a quibus incohant illi qui regenerantur, quae quia admittunt in se vera interiora seu propiora Divinis, etiam per illa exstirpari possunt falsa quae prius crediderat vera esse; [5] sed qui regenerantur, non addiscunt talia nude sicut scientiae, sed ut (x)vitae, nam vera illa faciunt; sed quod faciant illa, est ex principio novae voluntatis quam insinuat Dominus, illis prorsus nescientibus, et quantum ex nova illa voluntate recipiunt, tantum quoque ex illis cognitionibus recipiunt, ac in actum mittunt, et credunt; at quantum non recipiunt a nova voluntate, tantum quidem discere talia possunt, {5}sed non in actum mittere, quia student modo scientiae non vitae; [6] ille status est infantiae et (x)pueritiae {6}quoad novam vitam quae successura est loco vitae prioris, sed status adolescentiae et juventutis (c)ejus vitae est quod non {7}respiciant ad aliquam personam, qualis in forma externa apparet, sed qualis est quoad bonum, primum in vita civili, dein in vita morali, et tandem in vita spirituali, et bonum est quod homo tunc priore loco incipit habere et amare, et ex bono personam; et tandem cum adhuc magis perficitur, illis qui in bono sunt, studet benefacere, et hoc secundum boni quale apud illos; et tandem jucundum appercipit in benefaciendo illis; quia jucundum in bono, etiam amoenum in illis quae confirmant; confirmantia illa agnoscit pro veris, et quoque vera novi ejus intellectus sunt quae fluunt ex bonis quae ejus novae voluntatis; [7] in simili gradu in quo jucundum in bono illo appercipit, et (x)amoenum in veris illis, etiam (x)injucundum in {8}malis prioris vitae, et inamoenum in falsis illius, sentit; inde nunc separantur illa quae prioris voluntatis sunt ab illis quae novae voluntatis sunt, et quae prioris intellectus sunt ab illis quae novi intellectus, et hoc non secundum affectionem sciendi illa, sed secundum affectionem faciendi illa; consequenter tunc videt quod vera infantiae ejus fuerint inversa respective, et quod eadem paulatim in alium ordinem redacta sint, nempe sibi mutuo subordinata, ita quod quae priore loco primum fuerunt, nunc sint loco posteriore, sic quod per illa vera, quae infantiae et pueritiae ejus fuerunt, angeli Dei sicut per scalam a terra ad caelum ascenderint, sed postmodum per vera quae ejus adultae aetatis sunt, angeli Dei sicut per scalam a caelo ad terram descendant. @1 Ita$ @2 aliud quam$ @3 etiam vocat bonum, et quoque verum; et porro si aliquis illum quoad bonum illud et verum laedit$ @4 sicut$ @5 i et reponere in memoria inter scientifica alia$ @6 i ejus$ @7 respiciat$ @8 malo$