211.“我劝你向我买火炼的金子，叫你富足”表告诫他们通过圣言从主为自己获取爱之良善，好变得智慧。因为“买”指为自己获取；“向我”表通过圣言向主；“金子”表良善，“火炼的金子”表属天之爱的良善；“富足”由此表理解并变得智慧。“金子”表良善，因为金属照其次序表示诸如属于良善和真理之类的事物，其中金表属天和属灵的良善，银表这些爱的真理，铜表属世的良善，铁表属世的真理。这些由构成尼布甲尼撒所见雕像的金属来表示：
这像的头是精金的，胸膛和膀臂是银的，肚腹和大腿是铜的，小腿是铁的，脚是半铁半泥的。（但以理书2:32-33）
它代表教会在爱之良善与智之真理上的相继状态。古人根据教会的这些相继状态为各时代命名，分别称之为“黄金时代”、“白银时代”、“青铜时代”和“黑铁时代”；其中黄金时代是指第一个时代，也就是属天之爱的良善盛行的时代；属天之爱就是出于主而对主之爱；他们通过此爱而享有智慧。“金子”表爱之良善（参看913节）。
211. "'I urge you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be enriched.'" (3:18) This symbolizes an admonition to acquire for themselves the goodness of love from the Lord by means of the Word, in order to become wise.
That is because to buy means, symbolically, to acquire for oneself. "From Me" symbolically means, from the Lord by means of the Word. Gold symbolizes goodness, and gold refined in the fire, the goodness of celestial love. And to be enriched means, symbolically, to understand and become wise.
Gold symbolizes goodness because metals in their hierarchy symbolize qualities connected with goodness and truth. Gold symbolizes celestial and spiritual goodness; silver, the truth accompanying those good qualities; bronze, natural goodness; and iron, natural truth.
These are the symbolic meanings of the metals of which Nebuchadnezzar's statue consisted, the head of which was gold, the breast and arms silver, the belly and thighs bronze, the legs iron, and the feet partly iron and partly clay (Daniel 2:32-33). These metals represented the successive states of the church in respect to the goodness of its love and the truth of its wisdom.
Because the states of the church followed in succession in this way, the ancients therefore gave the ages these same names, calling them the golden age, the silver age, the bronze age, and the iron age. And by the golden age they meant the first period, when the goodness of celestial love reigned. Celestial love is love toward the Lord received from the Lord. From this love they then had their wisdom.
To be shown that gold symbolizes the goodness of love, see no. 913 below.
211. [verse 18] 'I counsel thee to buy from Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich' signifies an admonition to acquire for themselves the good of love from the Lord by means of the Word, so that they may be wise. For 'to buy' signifies to acquire for oneself; 'from Me' signifies from the Lord by means of the Word; 'gold' signifies good, and 'gold tried in the fire' the good of celestial love; and to be enriched thereby signifies to understand and be wise. 'Gold' signifies good, because the metals in their order signify such things as are of good and truth; gold, celestial good and spiritual good; silver, the truth of those loves 1; bronze, natural good; and iron, natural truth. These things are signified by the metals out of which Nebuchadnezzar's statue [was made], of which:
The head was gold, the breast and arms silver, the belly and thighs bronze, the legs iron, and the feet part of iron and part of clay. Daniel 2:32-33.
By this the successive states of the Church as to the good of love and the truth of wisdom were signified. Because the states of the Church had followed one after another in this manner, the Ancients therefore gave like names to times, calling them golden, silver, bronze, and iron ages, and by the 'golden age' they understood a first time when the good of celestial love was ruling. Celestial love is a love [progressing] into the Lord from the Lord. They had their wisdom then out of this love. 'Gold' signifies the good of love, as may be seen below (913).
Footnotes:
1. The Original Edition has amorum (of loves), which may be a slip for bonorum (of goods).
211. Verse 18. I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich, signifies an admonition to acquire to themselves the good of love from the Lord through the Word, that they may become wise. For "to buy" signifies to acquire to oneself; "of Me," signifies of the Lord through the Word; "gold" signifies good, and "gold tried in the fire," the good of celestial love; and "to be enriched" thereby, signifies to understand and be wise. "Gold" signifies good, because metals in their order signify such things as are of good and truth, gold celestial and spiritual good, silver the truth of those loves, brass natural good, and iron natural truth. These are signified by the metals of which the statue of Nebuchadnezzar consisted:
The head of which was of gold, the breast and arms of silver, the belly and thighs of brass, the legs iron, the feet part iron and part clay, (Daniel 2:32-33).
By which are represented the successive states of the church as to the good of love and the truth of wisdom. From this succession of the states of the church, the ancients gave similar names to times, calling them ages of gold, silver, brass, and iron; and by the golden age they understood the first time, when the good of celestial love reigned; celestial love is love to the Lord from the Lord; from this love they at that time had wisdom. That "gold" signifies the good of love may be seen below, (913).
211. (Vere. 18.)" "Suadeo tibi emere a Me aurum exploratum igne, ut ditatus sis" significat admonitionem ut comparent sibi a Domino per Verbum bonum amoris, ut sapiant. - "Emere" enim significat comparare sibi; "a Me" significat a Domino per Verbum; "aurum" significat bonum, et "aurum exploratum igne," bonum amoris caelestis; et inde "ditari," significat intelligere et sapere. Quod "aurum" significet bonum, est quia metalla in suo ordine significant talia quae boni et veri sunt, aurum bonum caeleste et spirituale, argentum verum illorum amorum, aes bonum naturale, et ferrum verum naturale. Haec significantur per metalla ex quibus statua Nebuchadnezaris,
Cujus caput erat Aurum, pectus et brachia Argentum, venter et femora Aes, crura Ferrum, ac pedes ex parte Ferrum, ex parte Argilla," (Daniel 2:32-33);
per quae repraesentati sunt status successivi Ecclesiae quoad bonum amoris et verum sapientiae. Quia successerant ita status Ecclesiae, ideo Antiqui indiderunt temporibus nomina similia, vocando illa, Saecula aurea, argentea, aenea et ferrea; et per Saeculum aureum intellexerunt primum tempus, quando bonum amoris caelestis regnabat; amor caelestis est amor in Dominum a Domino; ex hoc amore fuit illis tunc sapientia. Quod "aurum" significet bonum amoris, videatur infra (913).