关于“论信仰”的灵界见闻
385# 兹附以下可记之事。第一则：
有一次，一位天使对我说：“你愿意清楚看见何为信仰与仁义，即何为与仁义分离的信仰，何为与仁义结合的信仰吗？我将使你亲眼看见。”
我回答说：“请显明。”
他说：“你若以光与热来思想信仰与仁义，便可明见。信仰就其本质而言，乃属于智慧的真理；仁义就其本质而言，乃爱的情感。天上，智慧之真理即为光，爱之情感即为热；天使所在其中的光与热，本质上无非就是这二者。由此你可清楚看见，何为与仁义分离的信仰，何为与仁义结合的信仰。与仁义分离的信仰，犹如冬日之光；与仁义结合的信仰，犹如春日之光。冬日之光，是离热之光；因其与寒冷相合，便使树木全然剥落，甚至叶亦尽脱；使青草枯死，使土地坚硬，使水凝结。春日之光，则是与热相合之光；它使树木滋长，先发为叶，继而开花，终而结果；又开启并柔润土地，使其生出青草、菜蔬、花卉与灌木；亦融解冰层，使泉水流出。
【2】“信仰与仁义亦全然如此：与仁义分离的信仰使万物死灭；与仁义结合的信仰使万物复生。这复生与死灭，在我们的灵性世界中，可如实而生动地显于眼前；因为在这里，信仰即为光，仁义即为热。凡信仰与仁义相结合之处，便有乐园般的园囿、花圃与绿地；其悦目之美，皆随二者结合的程度而有差等。反之，凡信仰与仁义相分离之处，那里连青草也没有；即使有绿色，也不过出于荆棘与蒺藜。”
当时，不远处有若干神职人员，天使称他们为“唯信称义者”和“唯信成圣者”，又称其为“奥秘派”。我们也将这些事向他们陈明，并持续加以证明，直到他们看出事实确是如此。我们问他们：“岂非如此吗？”他们却转身背去，说：“我们没有听见。”于是我们向他们呼喊说：“那么你们还当再听。”但他们随即用双手掩耳，大声喊道：“我们不愿意听。”
【3】听见这些事之后，我便同天使谈论孤立的信仰。我说，我由亲身而活的经验得知，此等信仰正如冬日之光。我又叙述说：过去若干年间，持各种信仰的灵从我身旁经过；每当那些将信仰与仁义分离者接近时，便有一种寒冷侵入我的双足，继而渐及腰部，终至胸膛，以致我几乎只觉身体一切生命都将熄灭；若非主驱散那些灵并释放我，此事确已发生。
令我惊异的是，这些灵自身竟不感到任何寒冷；他们也承认确是如此。因此，我将他们比作冰下之鱼；鱼在冰下亦不觉寒冷，因为其生命以及由生命而来的本性，本身就是寒冷的。我那时觉察，此寒冷乃由他们信仰中的鬼火之光发出；正如隆冬时节日落之后，沼泽地与硫磺地所发出的光一样。行旅之人到处都能见到这等鬼火，既幽黯而又寒冷。
他们可比作纯由冰构成的山，从北方之地脱离原处，漂流于海洋各处。我曾听人述说，当此等冰山临近时，凡在船上的人都因寒冷而战栗。因此，凡处于与仁义分离之信仰中的群体，皆可比作此类冰山；若愿意，也可如此称呼他们。
由圣言可知，没有仁义的信仰是死的；但我要说明它为何而死。它的死乃由寒冷而来；此等信仰也因寒冷而断气，正如严冬中的飞鸟：其视觉先死，同时飞翔之力亦死；最后呼吸亦死；于是便从枝头倒栽而下，落入雪中，被雪掩埋。
385# 对此，我补充以下记事。记事一：
一位天使曾对我说：“如果你想清楚地看到什么是信仰，什么是仁爱，或信仰和仁爱的性质，因而与仁爱分离时的信仰是什么样，与仁爱结合时的信仰又是什么样，那么我会用可视的方式清楚地告诉你。”我回答说：“请这样做吧。”他说：“把信仰和仁爱想象成光和热，你就会看得很清楚。信仰本质上是智慧之真理，仁爱本质上是爱之情感。在天堂，智慧之真理是光，爱之情感是热。天使所住的光和热本质上不是别的东西。由此你可以清楚看到，与仁爱分离时的信仰是什么样，与仁爱结合时的信仰又是什么样。与仁爱分离的信仰就像冬天的光，与仁爱结合的信仰就像春天的光。冬天的光，即与热分离的光，因与寒冷结合，所以完全剥夺树木，甚至剥光树叶，杀死青草，冻硬大地，并使水结冰。但春天的光，即与热结合的光，使树木长出叶子，然后开花，最后结果；它打开并软化大地，使大地长出青草、植物、鲜花和灌木；它还融化冰层，使水从源泉流出。
“这种情况与信仰和仁爱是一样的。与仁爱分离的信仰使一切事物都死亡，而与仁爱结合的信仰使一切事物都存活。在我们灵界可以活生生地看到这种存活和死亡，因为在这里，信仰是光，仁爱是热。信仰和仁爱在哪里结合，哪里就有美丽的乐园、花坛和灌木丛，它们照着这种结合而令人愉悦。但信仰和仁爱在哪里分离，哪里甚至寸草不生，除了荆棘和蒺藜外，没有任何绿色的东西。”就在这时，离我们不远处站着一些神职人员，天使称他们为唯信称义者和成圣者，以及神秘贩子。我们把这些话告诉了他们，并补充足够的证据证明，他们可以看到我们所说的，都是真理；但当我们问他们是不是这样时，他们却转身离去，说：“我们没有听见。”然后，我们向他们喊着说：“那请再听一次。”可他们却捂住耳朵，大声喊道：“我们不愿听。”
听到这些话后，我与天使谈论了“唯信”，并说我有幸通过活生生的经历知道，这种信仰就像冬天的光。我讲述了几年来，具有各种信仰的灵人从我面前经过，每当那些将信仰和仁爱分离的人靠近我时，一阵寒意就侵袭从我的脚，并逐渐延伸到我的腰，最后直达我的胸，以至于我几乎以为我的身体即将丧失所有活力。事实上，如果主不把这些灵人赶走，从而救了我，这种事就真的发生了。令我惊讶的是，这些灵人自己，如他们所承认的，没有任何寒冷的感觉。因此，我把他们比作生活在冰底下的鱼，它们就没有寒冷的感觉，因为它们的生命和由此而来的性质本身，或本质上就是寒冷的。那时我感知到，这些灵人的寒冷是从他们信仰的虚幻之光中发出的，就像在深冬日落之后，旅行者经常看到的虚幻而冰冷的光从沼泽和硫磺地升起一样。这些灵人可以比作从北方的冰川上断裂，并在海上漂浮的冰山。关于这些冰山，我听说，当它们靠近一艘船时，船上的所有人都会冻得瑟瑟发抖。那些处于与仁分离之信的灵人的群体，可以比作这样的冰山，或你若愿意，可以称为冰山。我们从圣言中清楚地知道，没有仁爱的信仰是死的；但我会解释它死亡的原因，它的死亡是由于寒冷。它像严冬里的鸟一样死于寒冷。它首先失去视力，同时失去飞行能力，然后失去呼吸能力，最后从树上一头扎进雪地里，被埋葬了。
385. To these points I will add these memorable occurrences.
The first memorable occurrence. Once an angel said to me, "Do you want to see clearly what faith and goodwill are, and therefore what faith separated from goodwill is, and what faith united to goodwill is? I will express it in visual terms for you. "
"Please do!" I answered.
The angel said, "Instead of faith and goodwill, think of light and heat, and you will see them clearly. Faith in its essence is truth that relates to wisdom. Goodwill in its essence is affection that relates to love. In heaven, truth related to wisdom is light and affection related to love is heat. The light and heat that angels live in are, in essence, exactly this. As a result, you can clearly see what faith is when it is separated from goodwill and what it is when it is united to goodwill.
"When faith is separated from goodwill, it is like the light in winter. When faith is united to goodwill, it is like the light in spring. The light in winter, which is a light separated from heat, is united to coldness; therefore it completely strips trees of their leaves, kills grass, makes ground as hard as rock, and freezes water. Light in spring, which is a light united to heat, causes trees to grow, first producing leaves, then flowers, and finally fruit; it also unlocks and softens the ground so that it produces grass, plants, flowers, and shrubs; and it melts ice, so that water flows from its sources again.
[2] "The situation with faith and goodwill is absolutely identical. Faith separated from goodwill kills everything. Faith united to goodwill brings everything to life. This killing and this bringing to life are vividly visible in this spiritual world of ours, because here faith is light and goodwill is heat. Where faith has been united to goodwill there is a paradise of gardens, flower beds, and lawns; the more united faith and goodwill are, the more pleasing the gardens are. Where faith has been separated from goodwill, there is not even grass; the only greenness comes from thorns and brambles. "
At that point there were some members of the clergy not far away. The angel called them "justifiers and sanctifiers of people through faith alone" and also "arcanists. " We said the same things to the members of the clergy and added enough proof that they could see that what we said was true. But when we asked them, "Isn't that so?" they turned away and said, "We didn't hear you. " So we cried out to them and said, "Then keep listening to us," but they put both hands over their ears and shouted, "We don't want to hear you!"
[3] Afterward I spoke to the angel about faith alone. I said that living experience had led me to understand that faith alone is like the light in winter. I told him that for several years spirits with various different types of faith had been walking past me. Every time people who had separated faith from goodwill came near me, such intense coldness would rise up my legs into my groin and finally into my chest that I almost thought the spark of my vitality had been extinguished. I would in fact have died if the Lord had not driven those spirits away and set me free.
Another thing seemed amazing to me: The spirits themselves did not feel any coldness within. They told me so. Therefore I compared those spirits to fish under ice that do not feel the cold because their life and their nature are intrinsically cold.
I was able to perceive at the time that their coldness emanated from the faint, deceptive light of their faith, much like the light that glows around swampy or sulfury places in midwinter after the sun has set. Travelers see that faint, deceptive, frigid light from time to time.
People who have separated faith from goodwill can be compared to mountains of pure ice that have been dislodged from their places in northern lands to drift here and there across the ocean. I have heard it said that when ships come near these icebergs, all who are on board shiver from the cold. Therefore groups of people who have separated faith from goodwill can be likened to icebergs, and even called icebergs if you wish.
People know from the Word that faith without goodwill is dead; but I will say where that death comes from. That death is from the cold. Faith dies of the cold like a bird in a severe winter: first its vision dies, then its ability to fly, and finally its breathing. Then it falls headfirst off its branch into the snow and is buried.
385. I shall here add accounts of some experiences, of which this is the first.
An angel once said to me: 'You want to see clearly what faith and charity are, and so what faith is when separated from charity, and what it is when joined to charity; I will give you a visual demonstration.'
'Please do,' I replied.
'Instead of faith and charity,' he said, 'think of light and heat, and you will see clearly. Faith in its essence is truth belonging to wisdom, and charity in its essence is affection belonging to love. In heaven truth belonging to wisdom is light, and affection belonging to love is heat. The light and heat the angels enjoy are essentially this and nothing else. From this you can see clearly what faith separated from charity is like, and what faith joined to charity is like. Faith separated from charity is like light in wintertime, and faith joined to charity is like light in springtime. Light in wintertime, being light without heat but combined with cold, completely strips the trees of their leaves, kills off the grass, makes the ground hard and freezes water. But light in springtime, being light combined with heat, makes the trees grow, putting forth first leaves, then flowers, and finally fruits; it opens up and softens the ground, to bring forth grass, plants, flowers and shrubs, and it also melts the ice so that water flows from springs.
[2] 'It is exactly the same with faith and charity: faith separated from charity makes everything die off, and faith combined with charity makes everything come to life. This coming to life, as well as that dying off, can be seen actually happening in our world, the spiritual one, because here faith is light and charity is heat. For where faith is combined with charity, there are parkland gardens, flower-gardens and shrubberies, the more beautiful, the more closely they are combined. But where faith is separated from charity, not so much as grass grows; and any patch of greenery is produced by thorns and briars.'
Not far off were standing some clergymen, whom the angel called believers in men's justification and sanctification by faith alone, as well as mystery-mongers. We told them the same and demonstrated it to them so that they could see that it was so. When we asked whether it was not so, they turned their backs and said, 'We did not hear.' But we shouted at them and said, 'So listen to it again.' However, then they put both hands over their ears and cried: 'We do not want to hear.'
[3] After hearing this I spoke with the angel about faith on its own and said that I had been allowed to know by personal experience that that sort of faith is like the light of wintertime. I told him how for some years past spirits who had different kinds of faith had passed by me; and whenever those who had separated faith from charity came near, such a chill attacked my feet, and then by degrees my loins and finally my chest, that I hardly knew otherwise than that all the vitality in my body was going to be extinguished. This would actually have happened, if the Lord had not driven those spirits away and freed me.
It seemed to me surprising that those spirits did not in themselves feel any chill, as they admitted. So I compared them to fish under ice, for they too do not feel any chill, since their life and thus their nature is essentially so cold. I perceived then that this chill spread from the deceptive light of their faith, much like that which rises after sunset from marshy and sulphurous ground in midwinter. Travellers in all parts see this deceptive, cold light.
They can be compared with the icebergs which are torn from their places in arctic lands and are carried hither and thither on the ocean. Of these I have heard it said, that on their approach the crews of ships all shiver with cold. Groups of spirits whose faith is separated from charity can therefore be likened to these icebergs, and if you like you can so call them,
It is well known from the Word that faith without charity is dead; but I will say why it dies. It dies of cold, and this kills off faith like a bird in a severe winter. First of all its sight goes, and at the same time its ability to fly; finally its breathing stops, and it falls headlong off the branch into a snowy grave.
385. The following Memorable Relations shall be added. First:
An angel once said to me, "If you wish to see clearly what faith is and what charity is, and thus what faith separate from charity is, and what it is when conjoined with charity, I will make it very clear to you."
I answered, "Make it clear."
He said, "Instead of faith and charity, think of light and heat, and you will see clearly. Faith in its essence is the truth of wisdom, and charity in its essence is the affection of love; and in heaven the truth of wisdom is light and the affection of love is heat. The light and heat in which angels live are in essence nothing else. From this you can see clearly what faith is when separated from charity and what faith is when conjoined with charity. Faith separated from charity is like the light of winter, and faith conjoined with charity is like the light of spring. Wintry light, which is light separate from heat, because it is joined with cold, wholly strips the trees of their leaves, kills the grass, hardens the earth, and freezes the waters. But the light of spring, which is light joined with heat, causes the trees to put forth leaves, and then flowers, and finally fruit; it so opens and softens the earth that it may bring forth grasses, herbs, flowers, and it so melts the ice that the waters flow from their fountains.
[2] It is precisely the same with faith and charity. Faith when separated from charity makes all things dead, while faith joined with charity makes all things alive. This making alive and making dead can be seen to the life in our spiritual world, because here faith is light and charity is heat. Where faith is joined with charity, there are paradisal gardens, flower-beds, and grass-plots with a native charm according to that conjunction. But where faith is separated from charity, there is not even grass, and where there is any green it is from briers and thorns."
Not far from us at this time were some clergymen, whom the angel called justifiers and sanctifiers of men by faith alone, and also dealers in mysteries. To these we said the same things, and made them so clear that they saw their truth; but when we asked them if it was not so, they turned away and said, "We did not hear you." We then shouted to them, saying, "Then hear us yet again." But they put both hands to their ears and called out, "We do not wish to hear you."
[3] After hearing this I talked with the angel about faith alone, saying that it had been granted me to know by living experience that that faith is like the light of winter. And I told him that for several years spirits of various beliefs had passed by me, and that whenever those who separated faith from charity came near me, such a coldness invaded my feet and gradually my loins and finally my chest, that I hardly knew otherwise than that the whole vitality of my body was about to become extinct; and indeed this would have come to pass if the Lord had not driven these spirits away and set me free. To me it seemed wonderful that these spirits, as they acknowledged, had in themselves no sense of coldness; and I therefore likened them to fishes under ice, which have no feeling of cold because their life and their nature therefrom are essentially cold. It then became clear that the cold of these spirits emanated from the fatuous light of their faith, as the fatuous and cold light often seen by travelers arises from marshy and sulphurous places in midwinter after sunset. Such spirits may be compared to the icebergs that are torn from their places in the northern regions, and carried about on the ocean, of which I have heard it said that when they come near a ship, all who are on board begin to shiver with cold. So companies of spirits who are in faith separated from charity may be likened to such icebergs, or, if you please, may be called icebergs. It is well known from the Word that faith apart from charity is dead; but I will explain the cause of its death. Its death is from cold. It dies from cold like a bird in a severe winter. First its sight fails, and at the same time its power to fly; and then its power to breathe; and finally it falls headlong from the tree into the snow and is buried.
385. MEMORABILIA.
To the above will now be added the following Memorabilia.
The first experience. A certain angel once said to me, "As you are desirous of perceiving clearly the nature of faith and charity, and thus what faith is when separated from charity, and what it is when united to charity, I will make it clear by visual illustration." I replied, "Do so." Then he said: "Instead of faith and charity, think of light and heat, and you will see clearly. Faith in its essence is the truth of wisdom, and charity in its essence is the affection of love. In heaven the truth of wisdom is light, and the affection of love is heat; and the light and heat in which angels dwell are essentially nothing else. From this you may perceive clearly the nature of faith when separated from charity, and of faith when united to charity. Faith separated from charity is like the light of winter, and faith united to charity is like the light of spring. The light of winter, which is light without heat, because it is combined with cold, entirely strips the trees, even of their leaves, kills the grass, hardens the ground, and freezes the water. But the light of spring, which is light combined with heat, causes the trees to put forth, first leaves, then flowers, and finally fruit. It opens up and softens the ground, so that it produces grasses, herbs, flowers and shrubs; and it also melts the ice, so that the waters flow from their sources.
[2] "The case is exactly similar with faith and charity. Faith separated from charity brings death to all things, and faith united to charity imparts life to all things. This quickening and this deadening effect may be vividly seen in our spiritual world, because here faith is light, and charity heat. For where faith is united to charity, there are beautiful gardens, flower-beds and shrubberies, pleasant in proportion to such union; but where faith is separated from charity, there not even grass grows, nor is there any green thing but thorns and briars."
At that moment there were standing not far away certain of the clergy, whom the angels called justifiers and sanctifiers of men by faith alone and dealers in mysteries. We repeated to them this account of faith and charity, with the illustrations to make it clear to them; but when we asked them if it was clear, they turned away and said, "We did not hear you." We then called out to them, "Hear us once more," but they forthwith stopped their ears with both hands and exclaimed, "We do not wish to hear."
[3] After hearing these things I spoke with the angel about faith alone, and said that it had been granted to me to know by actual experience that such faith is like the light of winter. I related that for several years spirits of various beliefs had passed before me. Whenever those drew near me who separated faith from charity, such a coldness seized my feet, gradually extending to my loins and breast, that I almost imagined all vitality had departed from my body. This indeed would have happened had not the Lord driven them away, and thus delivered me. I was surprised that those spirits themselves, as they confessed, did not have any sensation of cold. I therefore compared them to fish which live under ice but do not feel any cold, as their life and thus their nature are in themselves cold. I then perceived that this cold proceeded from the delusive light of their faith, which is like the delusive and cold light travelers often see here and there rising from marshy and sulphurous ground in the depth of winter after sunset. Such spirits may also be compared to icebergs, which, broken off from glaciers in the north, are carried about on the ocean. Of these I have heard it said that, when they approach a ship, all on board shiver with the cold. Companies of such spirits who are in faith separated from charity may be likened to icebergs, and may even be so called. We know from the Word that faith without charity is dead; and the cause of its death may be stated thus: It perishes from cold like a bird in a severe frost. The bird loses first its sight, then its power to fly, and lastly its power to breathe. Then falling headlong from its perch it is buried in the snow.
385. His adjungentur haec MEMORABILIA; PRIMUM. Quondam mihi dixit aliquis Angelus, vis videre clare quid FIDES et CHARITAS, ita quid Fides separata a Charitate, et quid Fides conjuncta Charitati, et demonstrabo ad oculum; respondi, demonstra; et dixit, cogita pro Fide et Charitate Lucem et Calorem, et clare videbis; Fides in sua essentia est Veritas quae sapientiae, et Charitas in sua essentia est Affectio amoris, ac Veritas sapientiae in Coelo est Lux, et Affectio amoris in Coelo est Calor; Lux et Calor in quo sunt Angeli, essentialiter non aliud sunt; exinde videre potes clare quid Fides separata a Charitate, et quid Fides conjuncta Charitati. Fides separata a Charitate est sicut Lux hyemalis, ac Fides conjuncta Charitati est sicut Lux vernalis: Lux hyemalis, quae est Lux separata a Calore, quae quia est conjuncta frigori, prorsus denudat arbores etiam a foliis, enecat gramen, indurat terram, et congelat aquas: Lux autem vernalis, quae est Lux conjuncta calori, vegetat arbores, primum in folia, tum in flores, et denique in fructus, aperit et emollit terram, ut producat gramina, herbas, flores et frutices, et quoque solvit glaciem, ut fluant e fontibus aquae.
[2] Prorsus simile est cum Fide et Charitate; Fides separata a Charitate mortificat omnia, et Fides conjuncta Charitati vivificat omnia: Vivificatio haec et Mortificatio illa, ad vivum possunt videri in Mundo nostro spirituali, quia hic est Fides Lux, et Charitas Calor; ubi enim Fides conjuncta Charitati est, ibi sunt Horti paradisiaci, 1 Floreta et Vireta in sua amoenitate secundum conjunctionem: at ubi Fides separata a Charitate est, ibi ne quidem gramen est, et ubi viride, est id ex vepribus et sentibus: Erant tunc non procul aliqui ex Clero, quos Angelus vocabat Justificatores et Sanctificatores hominum per solam fidem, et quoque Arcanistas; eadem haec diximus illis, et demonstravimus usque ut viderent quod ita sit, et cum quaesivimus, annon ita, averterunt se, et dixerunt, non audivimus; at clamavimus ad illos dicendo, audite itaque adhuc, sed tunc ponebant ambas manus ante aures, ac vociferati, non volumus audire.
[3] Post haec audita loquutus sum cum Angelo de Fide solitaria, et dixi, quod per vivam experientiam mihi datum sit scire, quod illa Fides sit sicut Lux hyemalis; et narravi, quod per aliquot annos praeteriverint me Spiritus ex varia fide, et quod quoties approximarunt illi, qui separaverunt Fidem a Charitate, tale frigus invaserit pedes meos, et successive lumbos et demum pectus, ut vix scirem aliter quam quod omne vitale corporis mei exstinctum iret; quod etiam evenisset, nisi Dominus abegisset Spiritus illos, et me liberavisset: hoc mirabile mihi visum est, quod ipsi illi Spiritus non sentirent aliquod frigus in se, hoc fassi sunt, quare comparavi illos cum piscibus sub glacie, qui nec aliquod frigus sentiunt, quoniam vita et inde natura eorum in se est frigida: percepi tunc, quod frigus illud ex luce fatua fidei illorum emanaverit, similiter ut fit ex locis palustribus et sulphureis temporibus mediae hyemis postquam Sol occidit; talem lucem fatuam et frigidam viatores passim vident. Illi comparari possunt montibus ex mera glacie divulsis e locis suis in terris borealibus, qui in Oceano hic et ibi feruntur, de quibus narratum audivi, quod ad approximationem illorum omnes qui super navibus sunt, ex frigore contremiscant; quare Caetus ex illis, qui in fide separata a charitate sunt, assimilari possunt illis montibus, et si lubet ita etiam vocari. Notum est ex Verbo, quod Fides absque charitate sit mortua, at dicam unde ejus mors; mors ejus est ex frigore, et ex quo Fides illa exspirat sicut avis in intensa bruma, quae primum moritur quoad visum, et simul tunc 2 quoad volatum, et demum quoad respirationem, et tunc praeceps e ramo decidit in nivem, et insepelitur.
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