208.“却不知道你是那可怜”表他们关于教会的良善与真理所知、所思的一切根本就没有连贯性，如同未粘合的墙。“可怜”（wretched）在此表示没有连贯性，因而“可怜人”就表示那些关于教会事物的思维没有连贯性的人。这是因为此处所论述的是时而否认神、天堂、永生和圣言的神圣，时而又承认的人。所以，他们用一只手建造，用另一只手拆毁，好比人建造房子，随后又将房子推倒，或如人穿上华衣，随后又将它们撕裂，房子也就成了一堆废料，衣服成了一堆碎布。这就是他们对于教会和天堂所思想的一切，而他们却不知道这一点。在以下经文中，“可怜”（wretched或译“祸患”、“灾害”、“邪恶”等）也表示这些事物：
你的智慧你的知识使你偏邪，并且你心里说，惟有我，除我以外再没有别的；因此，祸患要临到你身。（以赛亚书47:10-11）
灾害加上灾害，王要悲哀，君要披惊惶为衣。（以西结书7:26-27）
“要悲哀的王”和“要披惊惶为衣的君”是指那些处于教会真理的人。
他们的口中没有诚实，他们中间满有邪恶。（诗篇5:9）
这也是（耶利米书49:3；以西结书13:10，11；何西阿书2:6）中“未粘合的墙”的含义。
208. "'And do not know that you are miserable.'" This symbolically means that they do not know that nothing at all of what they know and think about the truths and goods of the church has any coherence, and that these are its walls.
Misery here symbolizes a lack of coherence; thus to be miserable symbolizes someone who thinks incoherently about matters connected with the church. The reason is that the people who are the subject here at times deny the reality of God, heaven, eternal life, the holiness of the Word, and at other times acknowledge them. Consequently what they build with one hand, they destroy with the other. Thus they are like people who build a house and then tear it down. Or they are like people who dress themselves in beautiful garments and then rend them. Their houses are consequently rubble and their garments in pieces.
Such is the nature of everything these people think regarding heaven and the church, although they are not aware of it.
This is the meaning of misery also in the following passages:
Your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray, when you said in your heart, "I am, and there is no one else besides me." ...Therefore... misery shall fall upon you... (Isaiah 47:10-11)
Misery will come upon misery... The king will mourn, and the prince will be clothed with insensibility... (Ezekiel 7:26-27)
The king who will mourn and the prince who will be clothed with insensibility are people who are impelled by the truths of the church.
...there is no rectitude in their mouth; in their inward part is misery. (Psalms 5:9)
Walls have a similar symbolic meaning in Jeremiah 49:3, Ezekiel 13:10-13, and Hosea 2:6.
208. 'And knowest not that thou art wretched' signifies that they do not know that all the things that they know and think concerning the truths and goods of the Church have no coherence at all, and are fences (maceria). By wretchedness here is signified no coherence; thus by 'wretched' one who thinks incoherently about the things of the Church. This is because those of whom these things are said, at one time deny God, heaven, eternal life and the holiness of the Word, and at another time acknowledge them. Therefore what they build up with one hand they pull down with the other. Thus they are like those who build a house and presently demolish it; or like those who clothe themselves with beautiful garments and presently strip them off. Their houses therefore are rubble, and their garments are rags. Although they are ignorant of the fact, all the things that they think about the Church and heaven are like that. These things are understood by 'wretchedness' in the following places also:
Thy wisdom and knowledge has led thee aside, when thou hast said in thy heart, I and none besides me; therefore shall wretchedness fall upon thee. Isaiah 47:10-11.
Wretchedness shalt come upon wretchedness, the king shall mourn, and the prince shall be clothed with stupefaction. Ezekiel 7:26-27.
The 'king' who 'shall mourn,' and the 'prince' who 'shall be clothed with stupefaction,' are those who are in the truths of the Church.
What is right is not in their mouth, wretchedness is in the midst of them. Psalms 5:10.
Similar things are signified by fences (maceria) (Jeremiah 49:3 [AV hedges]; Ezekiel 13:10-12; Hosea 2:6; [H.B. 8]).
208. And knowest not that thou art wretched, signifies that they do not know that all they know and think concerning the truths and goods of the church, do not at all cohere, and are uncemented walls. By "being wretched" is here signified no coherence, thus by "the wretched," those who think incoherently concerning the things of the church; the reason is, because they of whom this is said, at one time deny God, heaven, eternal life, and the sanctity of the Word, and at another time acknowledge them; therefore what they build with one hand they destroy with the other. Thus they are like those that build a house, and presently pull it down; or that clothe themselves in becoming garments, and presently tear them off. Their houses are therefore rubbish, and their garments rags. Such are all things which they think concerning the church and heaven, but they do not know this. These things are also meant by "wretchedness" in the following passages:
Thy wisdom and thy knowledge hath seduced thee, when thou saidst in thine heart, I am, and none besides; therefore shall wretchedness fall upon thee, (Isaiah 47:10-11).
Wretchedness shall come upon wretchedness, the king shall mourn, and the prince shall be clothed with astonishment, (Ezekiel 7:26-27).
"The king who shall mourn," and "the prince who shall be clothed with astonishment," are they who are in the truths of the church.
The right is not in their mouth, wretchedness is in the midst of them, (Psalms 5:9).
Such also is the signification of "uncemented walls" (in Jeremiah 49:3; Ezekiel 13:10-11; Hosea 2:6).
208. "Et non scis quod tu sis aerumnosus," significat quod nesciant quod omnia quae de veris et bonis Ecclesiae sciunt et cogitant, ne hilum cohaereant, et quod sint maceriae. - Per "aerumnam" significatur hic non cohaerentia; ita per "aerumnosum" qui absque cohaerentia de rebus Ecclesiae cogitat; causa est, quia illi, de quibus haec dicuntur, nunc negant Deum, Caelum, Vitam aeternam, Sanctitatem Verbi, nunc agnoscunt illa; quare quod una manu exstruunt, altera destruunt; ita sunt sicut qui aedificant domum, et mox diruunt illam; aut sicut qui se vestibus decoris amiciunt, et mox discindunt illas; quare domus illorum sunt rudera, et vestes illorum sunt frusta: talia sunt omnia quae de Ecclesia et de Caelo cogitant; sed hoc nesciunt. Haec intelliguntur per "aerumnas" etiam in sequentibus locis:
"Sapientia tua et scientia tua seduxit te, cum dixisti in corde tuo, Ego et non praeterea, ideo cadet super te Aerumna," (Esaias 47:10-11);
"Aerumna super aerumnam veniet, rex lugebit, et princeps induetur stupore," (Ezechiel 7:26-27);
"rex qui lugebit," et "princeps qui induetur Stupore" sunt qui in veris Ecclesiae sunt.
"Non in ore illorum rectum, in medio illorum Aerumna," (Psalm 5:10 (B.A. 9)).
Similia per "macerias" significantur, (Jeremias 49:3; Ezechiel 13:10-11; 1Hoschea 2:6). 2
Footnotes:
1. 10, 11 pro "11, 12"
2. 6 pro "5"