59、此处“绿色的草本”仅被描述为属世人的食物，其原因如下：在重生的过程中，当人正在变得属灵时，他不断进行争战，这就是为何主的教会被称为战斗的教会。在重生开始之前，恶欲掌权，因为整个人完全由恶欲和由此产生的虚假构成。在重生的过程中，他的欲望和虚假不可能瞬间消除，因为这等于毁灭整个人；事实上，他还没有为自己获得另一种生活方式。因此，恶灵被容许长期与他同在，以触发他的欲望；然后，这些欲望以无数不同方式破碎，并且破碎得如此彻底，以至于主能将它们转化为某种良善。这就是人得以改造的方式。在争战的时候，恶灵会同在，他们痛恨一切良善和真理，也就是与对主的爱和信有关的一切元素，而唯独这些元素是良善和真理，因为它们含有永生在里面。这些恶灵只留给人相当于绿色草本的那类食物。但主不时赐给人另外的食物，这食物好比结种子的草本和有果子的树木。这些就是伴随他们的快乐和幸福的平安和宁静。这种循环会重复发生。
若非主时时刻刻，甚至每个最短瞬间保护人，他必立刻灭亡，因为反对爱主和信主的方方面面的强烈而致命的仇恨统治着灵人界，以至于无法描述。我可以肯定地说，这是千真万确的，因为几年来，尽管还在肉体中，我仍造访了灵界和那里的灵人。我周围挤满恶灵，甚至最坏的恶灵，有时成千上万。他们被允许喷吐毒液，以各种可能的方式骚扰我，却连我头上的一根头发丝都无法伤害到，主对我的保护是如此地严密。这些年的经历使我彻底了解了灵人界的性质，也彻底了解了那些正在重生的人若要获得永生的幸福所必须经历的争战。然而，仅凭笼统的描述，没有人能在这些主题上获得足够的教导，以至于毫不怀疑地相信它们，所以蒙主的神性怜悯，这些事会在下文得以详述。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]59. In this verse the nourishment of the earthly self is restricted to green plants for the following reason.
While we are being reborn and learning to concern ourselves with the spirit, we are in constant battle (which is why the Lord's church is described as militant).{*1} Up to this point our cravings have controlled us, because our whole being is cobbled together out of nothing but those cravings and the distorted ideas they spawn. We cannot rid ourselves of those longings and distortions instantaneously during regeneration; to do so would destroy us completely, since we have not yet acquired another way of life. Consequently, evil spirits are left with us for a long time to trigger our appetites, which then break down in countless different ways, and break down so thoroughly that the Lord can turn them into something good. This is the way we reform.
In the time of battle, evil spirits leave us no other nourishment than the equivalent of green plants. (Those spirits hold an absolute hatred for everything good and true — for anything having to do with love for the Lord and faith in him, these being the only good and true things that exist — because such things hold eternal life within them.) But from time to time the Lord gives us additional food that can be compared to seed-bearing plants and fruit trees: calm and peace, with their accompanying joy and happiness.
[2] If the Lord were not protecting us every moment, every split second, we would be wiped out instantly. Hatred against any aspect of love for the Lord or faith in him dominates the world of spirits, and the hatred is so deadly that it defies description.
I can testify to the truth of this absolutely. For several years now I have visited the next world and the spirits there, though remaining in my body, and the evil ones (the worst, in fact) have crowded around me, sometimes numbering in the thousands. They have been allowed to spew out their venom and harass me in every possible way, but still they were unable to hurt a single hair on my head, so closely did the Lord guard me.{*2} All these years of experience have taught me a great deal about the nature of the world of spirits and about the conflict that those who are being reborn inevitably suffer if they are to win the happiness of eternal life.
No one, however, can learn enough from a general description to develop an unshakable belief in this information, so the details, with the Lord's divine mercy, must come in what follows.{*3}
Footnotes:
{*1} The allusion is to the traditional term "Church Militant" (that is, combating for Christ), referring to those members of the Christian church alive on earth, as contrasted to the "Church Triumphant," referring to the souls in heaven. (See The New Catholic Encyclopedia 2003, under "church.") [RS]
{*2} The vexation of the regenerating soul by evil spirits is a common theme in Christian literature. The most famous instance is that of the third-century ascetic St. Anthony of the Desert (around 250-around 350 c.e.), as recounted in the Life of St. Anthony by the church father Athanasius (about 295-373 c.e.). At one point we are told, "Coming one night with a multitude of demons, [the Devil] so cut him with stripes that he lay on the ground speechless from the excessive pain. For he affirmed that the torture had been so excessive that no blows inflicted by man could ever have caused him such torment" (Athanasius 1927, 198). [RS]
{*3} Details concerning the struggles involved in regeneration are scattered throughout the work, and in particular throughout the treatments of Genesis 7 and 14-16; see, for example, 751 and 1820. [LHC]
Potts(1905-1910) 59
59. The reason why the "vegetable and the green of the herb" only are here described as food for the natural man, is this. In the course of regeneration, when man is being made spiritual, he is continually engaged in combat, on which account the church of the Lord is called "militant;" for before regeneration cupidities have the dominion, because the whole man is composed of mere cupidities and the falsities thence derived. During regeneration these cupidities and falsities cannot be instantaneously abolished, for this would be to destroy the whole man, such being the only life which he has acquired; and therefore evil spirits are suffered to continue with him for a long time, that they may excite his cupidities, and that these may thus be loosened, in innumerable ways, even to such a degree that they can be inclined by the Lord to good, and the man be thus reformed. In the time of combat, the evil spirits, who bear the utmost hatred against all that is good and true, that is, against whatever is of love and faith toward the Lord-which things alone are good and true, because they have eternal life in them-leave the man nothing else for food but what is compared to the vegetable and the green of the herb; nevertheless the Lord gives him also a food which is compared to the herb bearing seed, and to the tree in which is fruit, which are states of tranquillity and peace, with their joys and delights; and this food the Lord gives the man at intervals. [2] Unless the Lord defended man every moment, yea, even the smallest part of every moment, he would instantly perish, in consequence of the indescribably intense and mortal hatred which prevails in the world of spirits against the things relating to love and faith toward the Lord. The certainty of this fact I can affirm, having been now for some years (notwithstanding my remaining in the body) associated with spirits in the other life, even with the worst of them, and I have sometimes been surrounded by thousands, to whom it was permitted to spit forth their venom, and infest me by all possible methods, yet without their being able to hurt a single hair of my head, so secure was I under the Lord's protection. From so many years' experience I have been thoroughly instructed concerning the world of spirits and its nature, as well as concerning the combat which those being regenerated must needs endure, in order to attain the happiness of eternal life. But as no one can be so well instructed in such subjects by a general description as to believe them with an undoubting faith, the particulars of the Lord's Divine mercy will be related in the following pages.
Elliott(1983-1999) 59
59. The reason only edible and green plants are mentioned here as food for the natural man is this: While a person is being regenerated and becoming spiritual he is involved constantly in conflict, which is why the Lord's Church is called militant. For before regeneration started, evil desires were in control, since the whole person consisted entirely of evil desires and resulting falsities. During the process of regeneration his desires and falsities cannot be done away with instantly, since that would amount to destroying the whole person; indeed he has not acquired any other life for himself. So for a long time evil spirits are left with him to activate his desires, and so release them in countless ways. Indeed the spirits are left there to do this in order that those desires may be turned by the Lord towards something good, and in this way the person may be reformed. In the hour of conflict evil spirits are present who absolutely hate everything that is good and true, that is, every element of love and faith in the Lord - elements that alone are good and true because they contain eternal life. These evil spirits leave a person with no other food than that which is compared to edible and green plants. But the Lord gives him a food as well that is compared to the plant yielding seed and to the tree in which there is fruit. These are periods of peace and calm attended by their forms of delight and happiness. This cycle occurs repeatedly.
[2] If the Lord did not protect man moment by moment, and in every shortest instant, he would immediately perish, for there is such murderous hatred reigning in the world of spirits against all forms of love and faith in the Lord as to defy description. I can positively declare that this is so, because for several years now, although still in the [physical] body, I have also been in the next life in the company of spirits. I have been surrounded by evil spirits, even the worst of them, sometimes by thousands, who have been allowed to pour out their venom and molest me in every possible way, but who nevertheless could do no harm to the tiniest hair on my head, so well did the Lord protect me From all these years of experience I have become thoroughly informed about the character of the world of spirits and also about the conflict which people who are being regenerated must inevitably undergo if they are to attain the happiness of eternal life. But because nobody from just a general description can be so well informed as to have a faith free from doubt, these matters in the Lord's Divine mercy will therefore be noted in greater detail later on.
Latin(1748-1756) 59
59. Quod hic solum olus et viride herbae sit in escam homini naturali, ita se res habet: homo dum regeneratur et fit spiritualis, {1} continue in pugna est, quare Ecclesia Domini dicitur 'pugnans' nam prius dominatae sunt cupiditates, quia totus homo ex meris cupiditatibus conflatus est et inde falsitatibus; cum regeneratur, non possunt cupiditates ejus et falsitates momento aboleri, nam id foret destruere totum hominem, non aliam enim vitam sibi acquisivit; quare apud eum relinquuntur diu spiritus mali, ut excitent ejus cupiditates, et sic innumerabilibus modis resolvantur, et quidem ita ut a Domino flecti possint in bonum, et sic reformari homo: tempore pugnae, mali spiritus, qui maximo odio habent omne quod bonum et verum, hoc est, quicquid est amoris et fidei in Dominum, quae unice sunt bona et vera quia in se vitam aeternam habent, nihil aliud escae ei relinquunt quam quod comparatur oleri et viridi herbae; sed Dominus dat ei quoque cibum, qui comparatur herbae seminificanti semen et arbori in qua fructus, quae sunt tranquillitatis et pacis cum illarum jucundis et felicibus; et hoc per intervalla. Si Dominus non tutaretur hominem omni momento, etiam omnium minimo, ilico periret, nam tale internecinum odium regnat in mundo spirituum contra illa quae sunt amoris et fidei in Dominum ut describi nusquam possit. Quod ita se res habeat, pro certo asseverare possum, quia nunc per aliquot annos cum spiritibus, tametsi etiam in corpore, in altera vita fui, et malis, immo pessimis, et quandoque millibus, circumstipatus, quibus permissum venena sua effundere et me infestare omni modo quo possent, sed usque non potuerunt minimum capilli laedere, ita tutatus sum a Domino: ex tot annorum experientia instructissimus sum de mundo spirituum, qualis est, tum quoque de pugna, quam non possunt non sustinere qui regenerantur ut vitae aeternae felicitatem consequantur. Sed quia ex communi descriptione nemo ita instrui potest ut fidem indubiam habeat, quare de iis, ex Divina Domini Misericordia, in sequentibus particularia memoranda sunt. @ 1 continuo I.$