6686.“收生婆还没有到她们那里，就已经生产了”表在它们，即教会所拥有的真正记忆知识拥有生命之前，属世层没有知识或说什么也不知道。这从“收生婆”和“生产”的含义清楚可知：“收生婆”是指教会真正的记忆知识所在的属世层（参看6681节）；“生产”是指信与仁的表现形式（3860，3868，3905，3915节），因而是指属灵生命的显现。属世层没有知识，或说什么也不知道，这一事实由“收生婆还没有到她们那里”来表示。至于在真正的记忆知识拥有生命之前，属世层没有知识或说什么也不知道，情况是这样：属世层中真正的记忆知识从经由内在流入的良善那里拥有其一切生命；当良善流入时，属世层对它一无所知，因为相对来说，属世层其实处于模糊、幽暗之中。它之所以处于模糊、幽暗之中，是因为它存在于世界的光中，因此同时在世俗事物当中；当天堂之光流入这些事物时，它只会产生一种模糊的觉知。存在这种模糊、幽暗的另一个原因是：属世层里面有总体事物，而在总体事物里面不可能看见具体细节；因为任何事物越是总体，人就越不能察觉任何细节，因此越不能察觉它自身里面所发生的事。此外，属世层里面没有良善与真理本身，只有代表它们的事物。正因如此，当生命正被赋予真正的记忆知识时，因而当它们正在重生时，属世层并不知道。它不知道它们正如何重生，正如主在约翰福音中所说的话：
风随着意思吹，你听见风的响声，却不晓得从哪里来，往哪里去；凡从灵再生的，也是如此。（约翰福音3:8）
“属世层”是指外在人，也就是所谓的“属世人”。
Potts(1905-1910) 6686
6686. And they have brought forth before the midwife comes unto them. That this signifies that the natural has no knowledge before they have life, that is, the true memory-knowledges which are of the church, is evident from the signification of "midwife," as being the natural in which are the true memory-knowledges of the church (see n. 6681); and from the signification of "bringing forth," as being what is of faith and charity (n. 3860, 3868, 3905, 3915); thus what is of spiritual life. That the natural has no knowledge, is signified by "before the midwife comes unto them." In regard to the natural having no knowledge before the true memory-knowledges have life, the case is this. The true memory-knowledges in the natural have all their life from the good which flows in through the internal; when good flows in, the natural knows nothing of it, because the natural is relatively in obscurity. That it is in obscurity is because it is in the light of the world, and hence at the same time in worldly things, into which there comes obscure perception when the light of heaven flows in; and also because in the natural there are general things which are not capable of perceiving singulars, for the more general anything is, the less it perceives singulars, and hence the less it perceives the happenings that come forth in itself; and moreover in the natural there are not goods and truths themselves, but their representatives. Hence then it is that the natural does not know when true memory-knowledges have life, consequently when or how regeneration goes on, according to the Lord's words in John:
The wind bloweth where it willeth, and thou hearest the voice thereof, but knowest not whence it cometh, and whither it goeth; so it is with everyone that is born again of the spirit (John 3:8). By "the natural" is meant the external man, which is also called "the natural man."
Elliott(1983-1999) 6686
6686. 'Before the midwife comes to them they have given birth' means that the natural knows nothing until life is imparted to it - to true factual knowledge which the Church possesses. This is clear from the meaning of 'the midwife' as the natural where the Church's true factual knowledge resides, dealt with above in 6681; and from the meaning of 'giving birth' as expressions of faith and charity, dealt with in 3860, 3868, 3905, 3915, thus manifestations of spiritual life. The fact that the natural knows nothing is meant by the words 'before the midwife comes to them'. The implications of this - that the natural knows nothing until life is imparted to true factual knowledge - are these: All the life present in true factual knowledge in the natural is received from good flowing in through the internal. While that good is flowing in, the natural knows nothing whatever, because the natural is virtually in the dark. And it is in virtual darkness because it exists in the light of the world and consequently at the same time among worldly things; and when the light of heaven flows into these, it produces just a dim awareness. A further reason for that virtual darkness lies in the fact that within the natural there are general outlines in which it is impossible to see specific details; for the more general anything is, the less one can detect any details, and the less therefore one can detect the things that are going on with oneself. Furthermore within the natural there are no actual forms of goodness or truth, only things that represent them. So it is that the natural knows nothing while life is being imparted to true factual knowledge, consequently while it is being regenerated. Nor does it know how it is being regenerated, according to the Lord's words in John,
The spirit blows where it wishes, and you hear its voice; but you do not know where it comes from, and where it goes away to. So it is with everyone who is born from the spirit. John 3:8.
By the natural is meant the external man, also called the natural man.
Latin(1748-1756) 6686
6686. `Illae antequam venit ad illas obstetrix, et pepererunt': quod significet quod naturale non sciat antequam illis vita, nempe veris scientificis quae Ecclesiae, constat ex significatione `obstetricis' quod sit naturale ubi vera scientifica quae Ecclesiae, de qua supra n. 6681; et ex significatione `parere' quod sint illa quae fidei et charitatis, de qua n. 3860, 3868, 3905, 3915, ita quae sunt vitae spiritualis; quod non sciat naturale, significatur per `antequam venit ad illas obstetrix.' Cum hoc, quod naturale non sciat antequam vita veris scientificis, ita se habet: vita veris scientificis in naturali omnis est a bono quod per internum influit; quando bonum influit, prorsus nescit naturale, quia naturale est in obscuro respective; quod in obscuro sit, (r)est ex eo quod sit in luce mundi et inde simul in mundanis, in quae, cum lux caeli influit, fit apperceptio obscura; et quoque ex eo quod in naturali sint communia quae non perceptibilia sunt singularium, nam quo communius aliquid est, eo minus percipit singularia; et {1}inde eo minus percipit contingentia quae apud se existunt; et praeterea in naturali non sunt ipsa bona et vera sed sunt repraesentativa illorum; inde nunc est quod naturale non sciat quando vita veris scientificis, consequenter quando regeneratur, nec quomodo, secundum Domini verba apud Johannem, Spiritus ubi vult, spirat, et vocem ejus audis, atque non scis unde venit, ac quo abit; sic est cum omni qui {2}generatur a spiritu, iii 8. Per naturale intelligitur homo externus, qui etiam homo naturalis vocatur. @1 quoque$ @2 regeneratur I$