4249# "雅各就甚惧怕，而且焦虑"象征状态正在改变时的情形。这可以从以下事实得到证实：惧怕和焦虑是试探的首要表现，并且这些感受在状态发生逆转或改变之前就已经出现。这些经文中还隐藏着更深层的奥秘，比如"以扫带着四百人来迎接雅各"以及由此引发的"雅各的惧怕和焦虑"，但这些奥秘并不容易用人们能理解的方式来解释，因为它们都涉及内在的属灵事物。
在此我们只能说明以下几点：当良善开始居于首位并使真理服从于它时（这种情况发生在人经历属灵试探时），从内在流入的良善会带来许多真理，这些真理储存在人的内在人里。在良善开始发挥主导作用之前，这些真理无法进入人的洞察力和理解范围。只有当良善开始主导时，自然层面才开始被良善启发，这时人才能分辨出哪些是和谐的，哪些是不和谐的。这就解释了为什么恐惧和焦虑会在属灵试探之前出现。
由于属灵的试探作用于良心，而良心属于内在人，所以当人进入那种试探时，并不知道自己为什么会感到惧怕和焦虑。然而，与人同在的天使们却清楚地知道这一点。试探之所以发生，是因为天使使人持守在良善与真理中，而邪灵则试图使人停留在邪恶与伪谬中。
【2】存在于灵和天使中间的事物（这些灵和天使是与人同在的），人感知它们时就好像这些事物是在他自己里面一样。当人活在肉身中时，对于这些内在的事物，他会认为并且不相信万物都是流入的，他认为产生这些事物的原因不在他以外，而是所有的原因都在他里面，都是属于他自己的。然而事实并非如此。
事实上，无论人思想什么或意愿什么——也就是说，他所有的思维和所有的情感——要么是来自地狱，要么是来自天堂。当他思考和意愿邪恶的事，并因此从伪谬中得到快乐时，他应当知道他的思维和情感是来自地狱；而当他思考和意愿良善的事，并因此从真理中得到快乐时，这些是来自天堂，也就是说，是主通过天堂赐予的。然而，在人里面的思维和情感大多以不同的形式呈现出来。就像在一个正在重生的人里面，恶灵与天使之间的争战会以恐惧、焦虑和试探的形式表现出来。
【3】这些真理对人来说似乎都是悖论。因为如今，教会中的人几乎都认为，他们所思考的一切真理，以及所意愿和实践的一切良善，都是源于自己。虽然他们在谈论信仰教义时会说得不一样，但事实确是如此。
如果有人告诉他们："当你思考和意愿邪恶时，是地狱的灵在影响你的思维和意愿；当你思考良善时，是天堂的天使在引导"，他们就会惊愕地迟疑。他们会说这怎么可能，因为他们能感受到生命就在自己里面，感觉自己是独立思考和意愿的。他们是基于这种感觉而相信，而不是基于教义。然而，教义才是真理，感觉反而是错误的。
这一点，我通过近几年来几乎不间断的亲身经历已经完全明白，而且明白得如此透彻，以至于毫无疑问。
4249.“雅各就甚惧怕，而且愁烦”表它正在被改变时的状态。这从以下事实清楚可知：惧怕和愁烦（fear and distress）是试探的第一个阶段，它们是状态发生颠倒或改变的先兆。这些细节，也就是以扫带着四百人来迎接雅各，雅各因此甚惧怕，而且愁烦中隐藏更深的奥秘无法轻易解释清楚，因为它们过于内在。只能在此提出这一点：当良善占据第一位，使真理服从自己时，如人经历属灵试探时的情形，从内层所流入的良善会伴随着众多真理，这些真理就被储存在此人的内层人里面。在良善发挥主导作用之前，这些真理无法进入他的心目和理解范畴中，因为当这一切发生时，属世层就开始从良善接受光明，属世层里面一致的事物和不一致的事物由此向他变得显而易见，先于属灵试探的惧怕和愁烦由此而来。因为属灵试探作用于良知，良知是内层人的属性；因此当进入这种试探时，人不知道自己的惧怕和愁烦从何而来；不过，与他同在的天使十分清楚这一切。事实上，试探来源于天使将此人保持在良善与真理中，而恶灵却将他保持在邪恶与虚假中。
发生在与人同在的灵人并天使当中的事就被此人精准觉察，好像这些事是在他里面进行的。因为人活在肉身时，不相信他里面的一切都是从某个其它地方而非从他自己流入的，故以为发生在他里面的事不是由在他之外的原因造成的，反以为一切原因皆在他里面，就是他自己的；而事实并非如此。因为凡人所思所愿的，也就是他的一切思维和一切情感，要么源于地狱，要么源于天堂。当他思想并意愿邪恶，因此以虚假为快乐时，就要让他知道，他的思维和情感源于地狱；但当他思想并意愿良善，因此以真理为快乐时，也要让他知道，它们源于天堂，也就是说，经由天堂从主而来。不过，人的思维和情感往往呈现出另外的表象。例如，由属于要重生之人的事物所产生的恶灵与天使之间的争战就呈现出惧怕和愁烦，以及试探的表象。
这些事对人来说，必看似悖论，因为如今几乎每个教会成员都以为他所思想的一切真理，以及他所意愿并行出的良善，皆源于他自己，尽管他由于信仰所教导的教义而没有这样说。事实上，人具有这样的性质，若有人告诉他说，当他思想并意愿邪恶时，来自地狱的恶灵正流入他的思维和意愿，当他思想并意愿良善时，来自天堂的天使正流入他的思维和意愿，他会震惊于有人竟然持有这样的想法；因为他会说，他觉得生命在他自己里面，他凭自己思想，并凭自己意愿。他出于自己里面的这种感觉，而非出于他的教义形成自己的信仰。然而，教义是正确的，这种感觉却是错误的。我从数年来几乎不间断地经历被恩准得知这一事实，并且对此清楚到毫无怀疑的余地
Potts(1905-1910) 4249
4249. And Jacob feared exceedingly, and was distressed. That this signifies the state when it is being changed, is evident from the fact that fear and distress are what is first in temptations, and that when the state is being inverted or changed these take precedence. The arcana which lie hidden more at large in what is here said that Esau went to meet Jacob with four hundred men, and that Jacob therefore feared and was distressed-cannot easily be set forth to the apprehension, for they are too interior. This only may be presented: that when good is taking the prior place and is subordinating truths to itself, which takes place when the man is undergoing spiritual temptations, the good that then flows in from within is attended with very many truths which have been stored up in his interior man. These cannot come to his mental view and apprehension until good acts the first part, for then the natural begins to be enlightened by good, whence it becomes apparent what things in it are in accord, and what are discordant, from which come the fear and distress that precede spiritual temptation. For spiritual temptation acts upon the conscience, which is of the interior man; and therefore when he enters into this temptation the man does not know whence come such fear and distress, although the angels with him know this well; for the temptation comes from the angels holding the man in goods and truths while evil spirits are holding him in evils and falsities. [2] For the things that come forth with the spirits and angels who are with a man are perceived by the man exactly as if they were in him; for while a man is living in the body, and does not believe that all things flow in, he supposes that the things which come forth interiorly are not produced by causes outside of him, but that all the causes are within him, and are his very own; yet such is not the case. For whatever a man thinks and whatever he wills (that is, his every thought and his every affection) are either from hell or from heaven. When he thinks and wills evils, and is delighted with the consequent falsities, he may know that his thoughts and affections are from hell; and while he is thinking and willing goods, and is delighted with the derivative truths, he may know that they are from heaven, that is, through heaven from the Lord. But the thoughts and affections that appertain to a man appear for the most part under another aspect; as for example, the combat of evil spirits with angels that arises from the things which appertain to a man who is to be regenerated, appears under the aspect of fear and distress, and of temptation. [3] These statements cannot but appear to man as paradoxes, because almost every man of the church at this day believes that all the truth which he thinks, and the good which he wills and does, are from himself, although he says otherwise when he speaks from the doctrine of faith. Nay, of such a nature is man that if anyone should say to him that there are evil spirits from hell who are flowing into his thought and will when he thinks and wills evils, and angels from heaven when he thinks and wills goods, he would stand amazed that anyone should maintain such a thing; for he would say that he feels life in himself, and thinks from himself and wills from himself. From this feeling in himself he forms his belief, and not from his doctrine; when yet the doctrine is true, but the feeling fallacious. It has been given me to know this from an almost continual experience of many years, and so to know it that no doubt whatever remains.
Elliott(1983-1999) 4249
4249. 'And Jacob was exceedingly afraid, and was distressed' means the state when it is being changed. This is clear from the fact that fear and distress are the first stage in temptations, and that they are precursors to the turning round or the change taking place within a state. The arcana which lie deeper still within these details - that is to say, Esau's coming to meet Jacob with four hundred men, and Jacob's consequent fear and distress - cannot be explained easily and intelligibly since they are rather more internal ones. Let just this one be brought forward here. When good takes up the first position and subordinates truths to itself, as happens when a person undergoes spiritual temptations, the good which flows in from the interior is accompanied by very many truths which have been stored away in the person's interior man. Those truths cannot come into focus and be seen by him until good is playing the leading role, for when this happens the natural starts to receive light from good, and it is apparent to him which things in the natural agree and which ones do not. And this is what gives rise to the fear and distress that are the precursors to spiritual temptation. For spiritual temptation acts upon the conscience, which is an attribute of the interior man, and therefore when entering such temptation a person does not know the origin of his fear and distress. But the angels present with him know it full well. Indeed temptation has its origin in angels' maintenance of the person in goods and truths, while evil spirits maintain him in evils and falsities.
[2] The things that occur among the spirits and angels present with a person are perceived by him purely as things going on within himself. For while he lives in the body and does not believe that everything within him flows in from somewhere other than himself, he imagines that the causes of the things that go on within him do not lie outside himself but that all causes lie within him and are his own - which is not in fact the case. For whatever a person thinks and what he wills, that is, all his thought and all his affection, originate either in hell or in heaven. When he thinks and wills anything evil and as a consequence takes delight in falsities, let him realize that his thoughts and affections originate in hell; but when he thinks and wills anything good and as a consequence takes delight in truths, let him realize that these originate in heaven, that is, in the Lord by way of heaven. But the person's thoughts and affections more often than not take on a different outward appearance. A conflict between evil spirits and angels, for example, arising from the things in one who is to be regenerated, takes on the different outward appearance of fear and distress, and of temptation.
[3] These matters are bound to seem paradoxes to man, for almost every member of the Church at the present day believes that all the truth he thinks, and the good he wills and does, originate in himself, even though he says something other than that when speaking from doctrine taught by faith. Indeed his nature is such that if anyone told him that spirits from hell exist who flow into his thought and will when he thinks and wills anything evil, and angels from heaven when he thinks and wills anything good, he would be dumbfounded at anyone putting forward such an idea, for he would say that he can feel the life within himself and that he thinks from himself and wills from himself. His belief is based on that feeling and not on what doctrine teaches. Yet that doctrine is true and such feeling deceptive. This I have been allowed to know from almost uninterrupted experience lasting several years now, and to know it in such a way as to leave me in no doubt whatsoever.
Latin(1748-1756) 4249
4249. `Et timuit Jacob valde, et angustia fuit ei': quod significet statum cum mutatur, constat ex eo quod timor et angustia sint primum tentationum; et quod praecedant {1} cum invertitur seu mutatur status. Arcana quae amplius in his latent, nempe quod `Esau obviam iverit Jacobo cum quadringentis viris,' et quod `inde Jacobo timor et angustia,' non facile ad captum exponi possunt, sunt enim interiora; solum hoc licet afferre: cum bonum priorem locum sumit ac sibi vera subordinat, quod fit cum homo tentationes spirituales subit, tunc bonum quod ab interiore influit, secum habet vera perplura, quae apud hominem recondita sunt in ejus interiore homine; illa ad intuitionem et captum ejus non possunt venire antequam bonum primas agit, tunc enim a bono illustrari incipit naturale, inde apparet quaenam ibi concordant et quaenam discordant, inde timor et angustia quae praecedunt {2} tentationem spiritualem; spiritualis enim tentatio agit in conscientiam, quae est interioris hominis, quare etiam (o)homo non scit cum {3} tentationem illam intrat unde ei timor et angustia, sed angeli qui apud hominem {4}, probe hoc norunt; tentatio enim inde est quod angeli teneant hominem in bonis et veris, spiritus autem mali in malis et falsis {5}; quae enim apud spiritus et angelos qui apud hominem, existunt, illa non aliter percipiuntur apud hominem (o)quam quod in ipso sint; quae enim interius existunt, putat homo dum in corpore vivit et non credit quod omnia influant, quod non causae sint extra illum, quae producunt {6}, sed quod omnes causae sint intra illum, et ejus propriae, cum tamen non ita est; quicquid enim homo cogitat et quicquid vult, hoc est, omnis ejus cogitatio et omnis ejus affectio, vel est ex inferno, vel est ex caelo; cum mala cogitat et vult, et falsis inde delectatur, sciat quod cogitationes et affectiones ejus sint ex inferno, et {7} dum bona cogitat et vult, et veris inde delectatur, quod a caelo, hoc est, per caelum a Domino; sed cogitationes et affectiones quae apud hominem, apparent ut plurimum sub alia specie, sicut pugna malorum spirituum cum angelis (o)ex illis quae sunt apud hominem regenerandum, sub specie timoris et angustiae, ac tentationis: [3] haec non possunt non ut paradoxa apparere homini, quia homo Ecclesiae paene omnis hodie credit, quod omne verum quod cogitat et bonum quod vult et facit, sit a semet, tametsi aliter dicit cum ex doctrinali fidei loquitur; immo talis est ut si quis diceret ad illum quod spiritus ab inferno sint qui influunt in cogitationem et voluntatem ejus cum mala cogitat et vult, et quod angeli e caelo, cum bona, quod tunc haereret mirabundus quod aliquis tale statuat, diceret enim quod sentiat vitam in se, et quod cogitet ex se et velit ex se; ex illo sensitivo credit, non autem ex doctrinali, cum tamen doctrinale est verum, et sensitivum {8} fallax: ab experientia plurium {9} nunc annorum paene continua, hoc scire datum est, ac ita scire ut prorsus nullum dubium (t)sit relictum. @1 ita praecedit$ @2 praecedit$ @3 dum$ @4 illum$ @5 i inde timor et angustia apud hominem, et inde tentatio;$ @6 i illa$ @7 at cum$ @8 i est$ @9 plurimum I$