1162# 启18:15.“这些物件的客商，借着她发了财”表示所有从这种宗教或宗教说服中获得名誉和财富，由此获得富裕和显赫或地位的美物之人，这些事物是吉祥和壮丽的。这从“客商”和“发了财”的含义清楚可知：“客商”是指那些为自己获得在圣言中，由“财富”所表示的那些事物的人，因为经上说：“这些物件的客商。”“客商”就具有这种含义（参看AE1138节）。“发了财”是指获得这些事物并通过它们获取利益。此处所指的是由肥美辉煌之物所表示的富裕和显赫，或地位和财富，这些都是与内在事物分离的享乐或满足和壮丽的外在事物，因而是与天堂的良善分离的世界的良善。那些属巴比伦的人不知道什么叫内在享乐或满足，因为他们不阅读圣言，不仰望主，只知道什么叫外在享乐或满足，也只以这些事物为快乐。他们不接受内在享乐或满足。那些被邀请赴大筵席之人的回答具有相同的含义：
其中一个人说，他买了一块田，必须去看看，另一个人说，他买了牛，必须去试一试，第三个人说，他才娶了妻。（路加福音14:18–20）
这一切事物都是指世界的良善，或没有内在良善的外在良善。主在马太福音中的话也表示类似事物：
他们吃喝嫁娶，他们懵然不知，直到洪水来把他们全冲走了。（马太福音24:38–39）
这些话是主论到最后的审判时所说的；“吃喝嫁娶”与这一节中“肥美辉煌的事物”具有相同的含义，即表示外在的满足和享乐，它们被称为身体和世界的享乐，而不是灵魂和天堂的享乐。这一切清楚表明，本章所列举的各种货物是指同时不是内在的外在良善和满足或享乐；因此，通过这些手段“发了财”的“客商”是指那些处于其中的人。
（续）（8）圣治的第八条律法是，主不断使人退出邪恶，只要人出于自由愿意退出；人能退出邪恶到何等程度，主就能在何等程度上把他引入良善，从而引入天堂；但人不能退出邪恶到何等程度，主就在何等程度上不能把他引入良善，从而引入天堂；因为人退出邪恶到何等程度，就在何等程度上从主行本身为良善的良善，但他不退出邪恶到何等程度，就在何等程度上从自己行有邪恶在里面的良善。就其言语和身体行为而言，人在自然界；但就其理解力的思维和意愿的情感而言，他在灵界。灵界是指天堂和地狱，两者都以最完美的秩序、照着情感和源于它们的思维的一切种类而被划分为无数社群。人在这些社群中间，与它们如此紧密相连，以至于他根本没有思考或意愿的能力，除非与它们联系在一起；这种联系如此紧密，以至于如果他与它们分离，或它们与他分离，他就会倒下死亡，只剩下在其至内层的生命，他凭这至内层而为人，不是野兽，从而活到永远。人不知道，就其生命而言，他处于这种不可分离的结合中。他之所以不知道这一切，是因为他不与灵人交谈，很长一段时间对这种状态一无所知。但为使这种状态不会永远向他隐藏，看哪，它被揭示出来了。在理解圣治的这条律法之前，必须详细说明这种状态。
1162. The merchants of these things, who were made rich by her.- That this signifies all those who gained honours and wealth by that religion, and thereby the good things of wealth and position, which are things auspicious and magnificent, is evident from the signification of merchants, who denote those who procure for themselves those things that are signified by riches in the Word, for it is said, The merchants of these things (see also above, n. Luke 14:18-20). The goods of the world are meant by all these things, or external goods without internal goods. Similar things are also signified by the Lord's words in Matthew, that they ate and drank, married and gave in marriage, and knew not until the flood came, and carried them all away (24:38, 39). These things were spoken by the Lord concerning a last judgment. Eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, signify things similar to those meant here by fat and splendid, namely, external joys and delights, which are called pleasures of the body and the world, and not of the soul and heaven.
From these things it is evident, that by all the merchandise enumerated in this chapter are meant external goods and pleasures, and which are not at the same time internal, and that, consequently, by the merchants who are made rich by these things, are meant those who are in them.
[2] Continuation.- The eighth law of the Divine Providence is, That the Lord is continually withdrawing man from evils, so far as man from freedom is willing to be withdrawn. That so far as he can be withdrawn from evils, so far the Lord leads him to good, thus to heaven; but so far as he cannot be withdrawn from evils, so far the Lord cannot lead him to good, thus to heaven. For so far as he is withdrawn from evils, so far he does good from the Lord, which in itself is good; but so far as he is not withdrawn from evils, so far he does good from himself, which has evil in itself. Man, in regard to his speech and the actions of his body, is in the natural world, but in regard to the thoughts of his understanding and the affections of his will he is in the spiritual world. By the spiritual world are meant both heaven and hell, each being divided in the most perfect order into numberless societies, according to all the varieties of affections and the thoughts originating in them. In the midst of these societies is man, so bound to them that he has no power at all to think or will but in connection with them; a connection so close that if he were severed from them, or they from him, he would fall down dead, his life remaining only in that inmost, by which he is a man and not a beast, and by which he lives for ever. A man does not know that as to his life, he is in such inseparable union, and the reason why he does not know this is, that he does not converse with spirits, so long has he been in ignorance of this state. But, that it may not be for ever concealed from him, behold it is revealed. It is necessary to state this before this law of the Divine Providence can be understood.
1162. Verse 15. The merchants of these things who became rich by her signifies all those who gained from that religious persuasion honor and wealth, and thus the good things of opulence and eminence, which are satisfying and grand. This is evident from the signification of "merchants," as being those who acquire such things as are signified in the Word by "riches," for it is said, "The merchants of these things." (That "merchants" have this signification see above, n. Luke 14:18-20).
All these things mean the goods of the world, or external goods withdrawn from internal goods. There is a like signification in the Lord's words in Matthew:
That they were eating and drinking, contracting matrimony and giving in nuptials, and knew not until the flood came and took them all away (Matthew 24:38-39).
This was said by the Lord of the Last Judgment; and "to eat and drink, to contract matrimony and give in nuptials," has the same signification as "things fat and splendid" in this verse, namely, external satisfactions and pleasantnesses, which are called pleasures of the body and of the world, and not also of the soul and of heaven. All this makes clear that all the kinds of merchandise enumerated in this chapter mean external goods and satisfactions that are not at the same time internal, and thus that those who are in these are meant by "the merchants who became rich" by these means.
(Continuation)
[2] 8. The eighth law of the Divine providence is that the Lord is continually withdrawing man from evils so far as man is willing from freedom to be withdrawn; that so far as man can be withdrawn from evils the Lord leads him to good and thus to heaven; but so far as man cannot be withdrawn from evils the Lord cannot lead him to good and thus to heaven; for so far as man has been withdrawn from evils so far he does good from the Lord, and that good is good in itself; but so far as he has not been withdrawn from evils, so far he does good from himself, and that good has evil within it. By the speech of his lips and the actions of his body man is in the natural world; but by the thoughts of his understanding and the affections of his will he is in the spiritual world. By the spiritual world heaven and hell are meant, both divided into innumerable societies, according to all the varieties of affections and consequent thoughts arranged in a most complete order. In the midst of these societies is man, so bound to them as not to have the least ability to think or will except in connection with them, and so connected that if he were to be torn away from them or they from him he would fall down dead, life remaining only in his inmost, whereby he is a man and not a beast, and whereby he lives to eternity. Man does not know that in regard to his life he is in such inseparable fellowship. This he does not know, because he has no discourse with spirits. For so long a time has man known nothing about that state; but lest this should remain hidden to eternity, it has been revealed. This much must be said before this law of the Divine providence can be understood.
1162. [Vers. 15.] "Mercatores horum, qui divites facti sunt ab illa." - Quod significet omnes illos qui ex religioso illo lucrati sunt opes et honores, et sic opulentiae et eminentiae bona, quae sunt fausta et magnifica, constat ex significatione "mercatorum", quod sint qui sibi comparant talia quae per "opes" in Verbo significantur, nam dicitur "mercatores horum"; (quod "mercatores" illos significent, videatur supra, 1138); et ex significatione "divites fieri", quod sit lucrari illa, et lucrari per illa; hic intelliguntur bona eminentiae et opulentiae, quae per "pinguia et splendida" significantur, quae sunt fausta et magnifica externa separata ab internis, ita bona mundi 1
separata a bonis caeli; illi enim qui ex Babylonia sunt non sciunt quid internae faustitates sunt, quia non legunt Verbum, et spectant ad Dominum, sed modo sciunt quid externae sunt, quibus solis delectantur: faustitatum internarum non receptibiles sunt. Similia significantur per responsa illorum qui invitati sunt ad cenam magnam,
Quorum unus dixit se emisse agrum, ad quem exiret, alter quod boves quos probacet, et tertius quod desponsaverit uxorem (Luca 14:18-20);
per quae omnia intelliguntur bona mundi seu bona externa abstracta a bonis internis. Similia significantur per Domini verba apud Matthaeum,
Quod ederent et biberent, contraherent matrimonium et nuptui darent, et non scirent donec veniret diluvium, et tolleret omnes (24:38, 39):
haec a Domino dicta sunt de ultimo judicio; ac per "edere et bibere, matrimonium contrahere, et dare nuptui", significantur similia quae hic per "pinguia et splendida", nempe faustitates et amoenitates externae, quae voluptates corporis et mundi vocantur, et non simul animae et caeli. Ex his patet quod per omnes merces, quae in hoc capite, enumeratae sunt, intelligantur bona et fausta externa et non simul interna, et quod ita per "mercatores, qui ex illis divites facti sunt", intelligantur qui in illis sunt.
[2] (Continuatio.)
8. Lex Octava Divinae Providentiae est, Quod Dominus continue abducat hominem a malis, quantum homo ex libero vult abduci; quod quantum a malis potest abduci, tantum a Domino ducatur ad bonum, ita ad caelum; et quantum homo a malis non potest abduci tantum a Domino non possit duci ad bonum, ita ad caelum: nam homo quantum a malis abductus est, tantum a Domino bonum facit quod bonum in se bonum est; at quantum a malis non abductus est, tantum a se bonum facit, quod bonum in se habet malum. – Homo per loquelas oris et per actiones corporis est in mundo naturali, at vero per cogitationes intellectus et per affectiones voluntatis est in mundo spirituali: per mundum spiritualem intelligitur et caelum et infernum, utrumque in innumerabiles societates secundum omnes varietates affectionum et inde cogitationum ordinatissime distinctum. In illarum medio est homo, ita alligatus ut ne quidem minimum possit cogitare nec velle, nisi una cum illis; ita una ut homo, si avelleretur ab illis, aut illae avellerentur ab homine, caderet mortuus, remanente solum vita in intimo, per quod est homo et non bestia, et per quod vivit in aeternum. Homo nescit quod in tali consortio indivulso quoad vitam sit; quod nesciat est quia non loquitur cum spiritibus; tamdiu non novit aliquid de illo statu. Ne autem hoc lateat in aeternum, en revelatum. Hoc praemittendum est, antequam haec Divinae providentiae lex potest intelligi.
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.