----中文待译----
188. And strengthen the things that remain that are about to die. That this signifies that the things of moral life should be quickened, is evident from the signification of strengthening, as being to quicken the moral life by means of truths; for truths from the Word quicken that life; and when this is done, it is also strengthened, for it then acts as one with the spiritual life. For spiritual and moral life act as one in those who are spiritual, just as will and action do; the will pertains to the spiritual man and its life, and the action to the moral; as may be seen above (n. 182). It is said, "Strengthen the things that remain which are about to die," which signifies that moral life may not perish by evils and falsities; for moral life without spiritual is nothing but natural life. For, as all the good that a man does from moral life without spiritual has no other origin than the love of self and the world, thus his proprium; and as from this nothing can flow but evil and falsity, the reason why he wishes to be called moral is, that he makes a pretence of what is good, sincere and just in his external, in order that he may gain his ends, which regard himself and the world. This is why every thing which he has is dead, or about to die, unless quickened by truths and goods, which have the effect of opening the internal spiritual man; for by this means the Lord removes the evils and falsities which are in the natural man.
188. And confirm the things remaining that are about to die, signifies in order that the things that belong to the moral life may be vivified. This is evident from the signification of "confirming," as being to vivify the moral life by means of truths; for truths from the Word are what vivify it; and when it is vivified it is also confirmed, for it then acts as one with the spiritual life; for spiritual life and moral life act as one with those who are spiritual, as will and action do; will is of the spiritual man and its life, and action is of the moral (See above, n. 182). It is said, "confirm the things remaining that are about to die," which signifies lest the moral life be destroyed by evils and falsities; for moral life apart from spiritual life is nothing else than natural life; since all the good things that man does from a moral life, apart from the spiritual, are from no other origin than from the love of self and the world, that is, from the proprium [one's own], and from the proprium [one's own] nothing flows out except evil and falsity; man, indeed, wishes to be esteemed moral, because by feigning goodness, sincerity, and righteousness in outward form, he may gain ends that have respect to self and the world.
From this it is that all things that are with him are in themselves dead, that is, are "about to die," unless they are made alive by truths and goods, which may bring about an opening of the internal spiritual man; for it is by this means that the Lord takes away the evils and falsities that are in the natural.
188. "Et confirma reliqua quae moritura." - Quod significet ut illa quae sunt moralis vitae vivificentur, constat ex significatione "confirmare", quod sit vivificare per vera moralem vitam; nam vera ex Verbo vivificant illam, quae cum vivificatur etiam confirmatur, unum enim tunc agit cum spirituali: vita namque spiritualis et moralis unum agunt apud illos qui spirituales sunt, sicut voluntas et actio; voluntas est spiritualis hominis et ejus vitae, et actio est moralis (videatur supra, n. 182). "Confirma reliqua quae moritura", dicitur; per quod significatur, ne moralis vita pereat a malis et falsis; nam vita moralis absque spirituali est non aliud quam vita naturalis, omnia enim bona quae homo ex morali vita absque spirituali agit, non sunt ex alia origine quam ex amore sui et mundi, ita ex proprio, et ex proprio nihil aliud scaturit quam malum et falsum; nam quod velit audire moralis homo, est quia mentitur bonum, sincerum et justum in externa forma, ut obtineat fines, qui sunt propter se et mundum: inde est, quod omnia quae apud illum sunt, in se mortua sint, ita "moritura", nisi vivificentur per vera et bona, quae efficiant ut aperiatur internus spiritualis homo; per hunc enim abducit Dominus mala et falsa quae sunt in naturali.