892、一旦人重生，他就第一次进入自由的状态，之前则一直处于奴役的状态。当恶欲和虚假占主导地位时，就是奴役；当对良善和真理的情感占主导地位时，就是自由。只要处于奴役的状态，人永远意识不到自己的处境，只有当进入自由状态时，他才开始有所察觉。当他处于奴役状态，也就是恶欲和虚假占主导地位时，受制于它们的这个人以为自己处于自由的状态。然而，这纯粹是虚假，因为那时，他正陶醉于伴随欲望的快乐和由此产生的享乐，也就是自己的爱之快乐中。他因正陶醉于这种快乐之中，故觉得自己似乎是一个自由人。每个人在被某种爱引导，并且随时随地跟随它时，都以为自己是自由的；然而，与他相伴，可以说如湍急的河流般抓住他并把他卷走的，正是恶魔般的灵人。而这个人却以为这是绝对的自由，甚至相信他若丧失这种状态，必陷入最悲惨的生活，事实上根本没有生命可言。他之所以相信这一点，不仅因为他没有意识到另一种生活的存在，还因为他有一种印象，以为若不遭受苦难、贫穷，丧失快乐，没有人能进入天堂。但我通过大量经历得知，这种印象是错误的。蒙主的神性怜悯，这些经历容后再述。
没有人能进入自由的状态，除非他重生了，正被主通过对良善和真理的爱引导。当进入这种状态时，他就能第一次知道并感受到什么叫真正的自由，因为这时他能知道并感受到什么是生命，什么是生活的真快乐，什么是幸福。在此之前，他甚至不知道什么叫良善，有时称至善为至恶。当那些从主处于自由状态的人看清恶欲和虚假的生活，尤其感受到它时，他们就和那些亲眼看到地狱打开的人一样感到惊骇。鉴于大多数人完全不知道什么是自由的生活，让我在此简单提一下：自由的生活，或自由本身就是唯独被主引导。有相当多的障碍使人难以相信这种生活才是一种自由的生活。其中一个障碍是，人们会经历试探，试探的发生是为了使他可以摆脱恶魔般的灵人的辖制。另一个障碍是，他们只知道由爱自己和爱世界所产生的欲望的快乐。再一个障碍是，他们对属于天堂生活的一切形成了一种错误印象。因此，他们不能像从亲身经历中那样从描述中获得指教；蒙主的神性怜悯，我们会在后面引证这些经历。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]892. We first come into a state of freedom after we have regenerated; until then, we are in a state of slavery. Enslavement occurs when cravings and falsity rule over us; freedom results when a fondness for what is good and true takes charge. As long as we are enslaved, we have no perception of the actual state of affairs. The first perception dawns when we come into freedom.
In a state of slavery, when cravings and falsity take control, those of us under their yoke think we are enjoying freedom; but this is grossly untrue. At such a time, we are carried away by the pleasure that our vices and the indulgence of them brings us, or in other words, by the pleasure that selfish kinds of love bring us. Since it is pleasure that engrosses us, we see it as freedom.
Whenever some specific passion leads us, no matter what direction it goes, if we follow it, we consider it a liberating thing. But it is devilish spirits — whose company we keep and whose stampede we join — that sweep us along. This we consider the epitome of freedom. In fact we believe life would become positively miserable and even end if we were deprived of such a condition. It is not merely that we know of no other kind of life; we also receive the impression that no one can make it into heaven except through misfortune, poverty, and renunciation of pleasure. But this is untrue, as I have learned from much experience, which I will describe later, the Lord in his divine mercy willing.{*1} [2] We never come into a free condition until we have regenerated and until the Lord leads us by means of a love for what is good and true. Once we arrive there, we are able to see and perceive for the first time what liberty is, because we then realize what life is and what true pleasure in life and happiness are. Up to that time, we do not even know what goodness is, and occasionally we refer to the height of evil as the greatest good. When people who enjoy a state of freedom given by the Lord observe a life of perverted desire and false thinking, and particularly when they sense it, they are as horrified as if they saw hell gaping open before their very eyes.
As most people today have absolutely no idea what a life of freedom is, let me offer this brief definition: freedom, or a life of freedom, is solely and simply being led by the Lord.
Many things come up, however, that make it impossible for people to believe that this kind of life is a free one. For one thing, we suffer times of trial (whose whole purpose is to deliver us from the tyranny of diabolical spirits). For another, we recognize nothing as pleasing and good but the attainment of our selfish and worldly desires. In addition, we form false opinions about all facets of heavenly life. For these reasons, explanations are less effective as educational tools than reports of actual experience are. Let me relate such experiences at a future point, then, by the Lord's divine mercy [2870-2893].
Footnotes:
{*1} For later passages in which Swedenborg speaks against religious practices of self-punishment and renunciation of wealth and pleasure, see 945, 3951:2, 5573:2; Heaven and Hell 528, 535. [LSW, LHC]
Potts(1905-1910) 892
892. When man has been regenerated, he then for the first time comes into a state of freedom, having before been in a state of slavery. It is slavery when cupidities and falsities rule, and freedom when the affections of good and truth do so. How this is, no man ever perceives so long as he is in a state of slavery, but only when he comes into a state of freedom. When he is in a state of slavery, that is, when cupidities and falsities rule, the man who is under subjection to them supposes that he is in a state of freedom; but this is a gross falsity, for he is then carried away by the delight of the cupidities and their pleasures, that is, by the delight of his loves; and because this is done by delight, it appears to him to be freedom. Every man, while he is led by any love, and while following whithersoever it carries him, supposes himself to be free, whereas it is the diabolical spirits in whose company, and so to speak torrent, he is, that are carrying him away. This the man supposes to be the greatest freedom, so much so that he believes that the loss of this state would bring him into a life most wretched, indeed into no life at all; and he believes this not merely because he is unaware of the existence of any other life, but also because he is under the impression that no one can come into heaven except through miseries, poverty, and the loss of pleasures. But that this impression is false has been given me to know by much experience, of which by the Lord's Divine mercy hereafter. Man never comes into a state of freedom until he has been regenerated, and is led by the Lord through love for what is good and true. When he is in this state, then for the first time can he know and perceive what freedom is, because he then knows what life is, and what the true delight of life is, and what happiness is. Before this he does not even know what good is, sometimes calling that the greatest good which is the greatest evil. When those who are in a state of freedom from the Lord see, and still more when they feel, a life of cupidities and falsities, they abhor it as do those who see hell open before their eyes. But as it is quite unknown to very many what a life of freedom is, it may be here briefly defined. A life of freedom, or freedom, is simply and solely being led by the Lord. But as there are many things which hinder man from being able to believe that this is a life of freedom, both because men undergo temptations, which take place in order that they may be set free from the dominion of diabolical spirits; and because they know of no other delight than that of cupidities from the love of self and of the world, as well as from their having conceived a false opinion in regard to all things of the heavenly life, so that they cannot be taught by description so well as by living experiences, therefore, of the Lord's Divine mercy, we may adduce such experiences hereafter.
Elliott(1983-1999) 892
892. Once someone has been regenerated he enters for the first time into a state of freedom. Previously he has been in a state of slavery. It is slavery when evil desires and falsities predominate, freedom when affections for good and truth do so. As long as he is in a state of slavery, a person never perceives what his situation is. Only when he enters a state of freedom does he start to do so. When he is in a state of slavery, that is, when evil desires and falsities predominate, the person who has become subject to them imagines that he is in a state of freedom. That however is sheer falsity, for he is at that time being carried away by the delight that accompanies desires and resulting pleasures, that is, by the delight accompanying the loves that are his own. And because he is being carried away by such delight it seems to him as though he were a free man. While anyone is being led on by any kind of love, and following wherever it leads, he imagines that he is free. It is however the devilish spirits, in whose company and so to speak fast moving stream he is caught, who carry him away. This person imagines that this is absolute freedom, indeed he goes so far as to believe that if he were robbed of this state he would be entering upon a very miserable existence, in fact into no existence at all. This he believes not only because he is unaware of the existence of any other kind of life but also because he has gained the impression that nobody can enter heaven without suffering hardships, poverty, and deprivation of pleasures. That this is false however I have been given to know from considerable experience That experience will in the Lord's Divine mercy be described later on.
[2] No one ever enters into a state of freedom until he has been regenerated and is being led by the Lord by means of the love of good and truth. When he has entered that state he is enabled to know and perceive for the first time what freedom really is, because he can at that point know and perceive what life is, what the true delight in life is, and what happiness is. Prior to this he does not even know what good is, and sometimes that which is supremely good he calls supremely evil. When persons who are in a state of freedom from the Lord see the life that goes with evil desires and falsities, and even more when they experience it, they are as appalled by it as people who see hell opened before their eyes. But because the majority of people have no knowledge at all of what a life of freedom is, let a brief mention of it be made here: A life of freedom, or freedom itself, means being led exclusively by the Lord. Quite a number of obstacles stand in the way of a person's being able to believe that that kind of life is a life of freedom. One obstacle is that people undergo temptations, which take place for the purpose of freeing them from the dominion of devilish spirits. Another is that they know of no other delight and good apart from those belonging to the desires that result from self-love and love of the world. A further obstacle is that they have formed a false impression of all the things that belong to heavenly life. Consequently they are less able to learn from descriptions than from actual experiences, which in the Lord's Divine mercy will be introduced later on.
Latin(1748-1756) 892
892. Quando homo regeneratus est, tunc primum in statum libertatis venit; antea in statu servitutis fuit; servitus est cum imperant cupiditates et falsitates, libertas cum affectiones boni et veri; quod quomodo se habet, nusquam homo percipit quamdiu in statu servitutis est, sed tunc primum quando in statum libertatis venit: cum in statu servitutis est, hoc est, cum cupiditates et falsitates imperant, putat homo qui ab illis subjugatus est, quod in statu libertatis sit; sed crassa est falsitas, aufertur enim tunc a jucundo cupiditatum et voluptatum inde, seu a jucundo amorum suorum, et quia a jucundo, apparet ei sicut liberum; quisque dum a quodam amore ducitur, quocumque aufertur, dum sequitur, liberum putat; sed sunt diabolici spiritus, in quorum consortio et quasi torrente est, qui auferant eum; hoc putat homo liberrimum esse, et quidem in tantum ut credat, si privaretur hoc statu, quod in vitam miserrimam veniret, immo quod non in aliquam; et hoc non solum ex eo quod nesciat dari aliam vitam, sed etiam ex eo quod impressiones captaverit quod nemo in caelum venire possit nisi per miserias, paupertatem, et voluptatum privationes; sed quod hoc falsum sit, a plure experientia mihi scire datum est; de qua experientia, ex Divina Domini Misericordia, in sequentibus. [2] Homo nusquam in statum libertatis venit antequam regeneratus est et per amorem boni et veri ducitur a Domino; in quo statu cum est, tunc primum scire et percipere potest quid liberum, quia tunc quid vita, et quid vera vitae jucunditas, et quid felicitas; prius ne quidem scit quid bonum; id quandoque summum bonum vocat quod summum malum: qui in statu libertatis a Domino sunt, cum vident, magis cum sentiunt vitam cupiditatum et falsitatum, ita eam abhorrent sicut qui infernum ante oculos apertum vident: sed quia ignotissimum plerisque est quid vita libertatis, licet his paucis dicere quid sit, nempe quod vita libertatis, seu libertas, solummodo sit duci a Domino. Sed quia plura sunt quae obveniunt quin homo credere possit quod illa vita sit vita libertatis, tam quia tentationes subeunt, quae fiunt 'ob causam ut liberentur a dominio spirituum diabolicorum, quam quia non aliud jucundum et bonum norunt quam cupiditatum ex amore sui et mundi; tum etiam quia falsam opinionem conceperunt de omnibus quae sunt vitae caelestis, quare non possunt per descriptiones ita erudiri quam per vivas experientias, ideo, ex Divina Domini Misericordia, in sequentibus {1} illas licet adducere. @1 For full explanation de libero hominis see n. 2870-2893.$