492.“穿着麻布”表与此同时，因真理不被接受而哀悼。“穿着麻布”表示因真理在教会中的毁灭而哀悼；“衣”表示真理（166，212，328，378，379节）；因此穿着不是衣服的“麻布”就表示因没有真理，而没有真理就没有教会而哀悼。以色列人的哀悼以各种方式来表现，这些表现方式因对应关系而非常有意义，如：把灰撒在头上，在尘土中打滚，坐在地上长时间沉默，剃须，悲痛哀号，撕裂衣裳，以及“穿着麻布”等等；每个细节都表示他们当中教会的某种邪恶，他们因这邪恶而受罚；当受罚时，他们便以这些行为来表达悔过之意；由于悔改的表现，同时由于谦卑，他们就被听见。
“穿麻布”代表因真理在教会中的毁灭而哀悼，这一点可从以下经文看出来：
有狮子从丛林中上来，他从他的地方出发，要使地荒凉；因此，你们当腰束麻布，恸哭哀号。（耶利米书 4:7，8）
我民女哪，应当腰束麻布，滚在灰中，因为灭命的会要忽然临到我们。（耶利米书6:26）
哥拉汛和伯赛大哪，你们有祸了！因为在你们中间所行的异能，若行在推罗、西顿，他们早已披麻蒙灰悔改了。（马太福音11:21；路加福音10:13）
尼尼微王听了约拿的话后，就脱下朝服，披上麻布，坐在灰中，宣告禁食，人与牲畜都当披上麻布。（约拿书3:5，6，8）
此外还有其它地方（如以赛亚书3:24；15:2，3；22:12；37:1，2；50:3；耶利米书48:37，38；49:3；耶利米哀歌2:10；以西结书7:17，18；27:31；但以理书9:3；约珥书1:8，13；阿摩司书8:10；约伯记16:15，16；诗篇30:11；35:13；69:10，11；撒母耳记下3:31；列王纪上21:27；列王纪下6:30；19:1，2）。
492. "Clothed in sackcloth." This symbolizes the grief experienced meanwhile over the truth's not being accepted.
Being clothed in sackcloth symbolizes grief over the destruction of truth in the church, for garments symbolize truths (nos. 166, 212, 328, 378, 379). Consequently to be clothed in sackcloth, which is not a garment, symbolizes grief over the lack of truth, and where there is no truth, there is no church.
The children of Israel represented grief in various ways, which, because of their correspondence, were symbolic. For example, they would put ash on their heads, roll around in the dust, sit on the ground for a long time in silence, shave themselves, beat their breasts and wail, rend their garments, and also clothe themselves in sackcloth, and so on. Each action symbolized some evil in the church among them for which they were being punished. Then, when they were being punished, they put on a representation of repentance in these ways, and because of their representation of repentance, and at the same time then of their humbling themselves, they were heard.
[2] That putting on sackcloth represented grief over the destruction of truth in the church may be seen from the following passages:
The lion has come up from his thicket... He has gone forth from his place to make your land desolate... For this, clothe yourself with sackcloth, lament, wail. (Jeremiah 4:7-8)
O daughter of my people, gird yourself in sackcloth and roll about in ashes! ...For the destroyer will suddenly come upon us. (Jeremiah 6:26)
Woe to you, Chorazin (and) Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented... in sackcloth and ashes. (Matthew 11:21, Luke 10:13)
After the king of Nineveh heard the words of Jonah, he "laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes." Moreover, he proclaimed a fast and ordered that "man and beast be covered with sackcloth." (Jonah 3:5-8)
And so on elsewhere, as in Isaiah 3:24; 15:2-3; 22:12; 37:1-2; 50:3; Jeremiah 48:37-38; 49:3; Lamentations 2:10; Ezekiel 7:17-18; 27:31; Daniel 9:3; Joel 1:8, 13; Amos 8:10; Job 16:15-16; Psalms 30:11; Psalms 35:13; 69:10-11; 2 Samuel 3:31; 1 Kings 21:27; 2 Kings 6:30; 19:1-2.
492. 'Clothed in sackcloth' signifies mourning in the meantime on account of there being no reception of truth. By 'clothed in sackcloth' is signified mourning on account of the devastation of truth in the Church, for 'garments' signify truths (166, 212, 328, 378-379); and therefore 'to be clothed in sackcloth,' which is not a garment, signifies mourning that there is no truth, and where there is no truth there is no Church. The mourning of the sons of Israel used to be represented by various means, which by virtue of the correspondences were significative, as that they would put ashes on the head, would roll in the dust, sit silent on the ground a long while, shave themselves, lament and howl, rend their garments, and also put on sackcloth, besides other things; and the separate things used to signify some evil of the Church with them on account of which they were being punished. And when they were being punished, they used to represent penitence by such means, and on account of the representation of penitence, and the humiliation at the same time then, they used to be heard.
[2] That mourning on account of the devastation of the truth in the Church was represented by 'putting on sackcloth' can be seen from these passages:
The lion has come up out of the thicket, he has gone forth out of his place to reduce the land to a waste; for this gird you with sackcloth, lament, howl. Jeremiah 4:7-8.
O daughter of my people, gird thyself with sackcloth, and roll thyself in ashes, for the spoiler shall suddenly come upon us. Jeremiah 6:26.
Woe unto thee Chorazin and Bethsaida, for if the mighty works (virtutes) that have been done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes. Matthew 11:21; Luke 10:13.
The king of Nineveh, after he heard the words of Jonah, laid off his cloak from him, and covered sackcloth over [him], and sat on ashes, and proclaimed a fast, and that man and beast should be covered with sackcloth, Jonah 3:5-6, 8; besides elsewhere, as Isaiah 3:24; 15:2-3; 22:12; 37:1-2; 50:3; Jeremiah 48:37-38; 49:3; Lamentations 2:10; Ezekiel 7:17-18; 27:31; Daniel 9:3; Joel 1:8, 13; Amos 8:10; Job 16:15-16; Psalms 30:11; [H.B. 12]; 35:13; 69:10-11 [H.B. 11-12]; 2 Samuel 3:31; 1 Kings 21:27; 2 Kings 6:30; 19:1-2.
492. Clothed in sackcloth, signifies mourning in the meantime on account of the non-reception of truth. By "clothed in sackcloth" is signified mourning on account of the devastation of truth in the church; for "garments" signify truths, (166, 212, 328, 378, 379); therefore "to be clothed in sackcloth," which is not a garment, signifies mourning because there is no truth, and where there is no truth there is no church. The sons of Israel represented mourning by various things, which, from correspondences, were significative, as by putting ashes on the head, by rolling themselves in the dust, by sitting a long time silent upon the earth, by shaving themselves, by lamentation and howling, by rending the garments, and also by "putting on sackcloth," besides other particulars; and each of these signified some evil of the church among them, for which they were punished; and when they were punished, they represented repentance by such things, and on account of the representation of repentance and then at the same time of humiliation they were heard.
[2] That mourning on account of the devastation of truth in the church, was represented by "putting on sackcloth," may be seen from the following passages:
The lion is come up from the thicket, he has gone forth from His place to reduce the land to wasteness; for this gird you with sackcloth, lament, howl, (Jeremiah 4:7-8).
O daughter of my people, gird thee with sackcloth, and roll thyself in ashes, for the waster shall suddenly come upon us, (Jeremiah 6:26).
Woe unto thee, Chorazin and Bethsaida, for if the mighty works which have been done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes, (Matthew 11:21; Luke 10:13).
The king of Nineveh, after he heard the words of Jonah, put off his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes, and proclaimed a fast, and that man and beast should be covered with sackcloth, (Jonah 3:5-6, 8);
besides other places; as in Isaiah 3:24; 15:2-3; 22:12; 37:1-2; 50:3; Jeremiah 48:37-38; 49:3; Lamentations 2:10; Ezekiel 7:17-18; 27:31; Daniel 11:3; Joel 1:8, 13; Amos 8:10; Job 16:15-16; Psalms 30:11; 35:13; 69:10-11; 2 Samuel 3:31; 1 Kings 21:27; 2 Kings 6:30; 19:1-2).
492. "Circuminduti saccis," significat luctum interea ob non receptionem veri. - Per "indui sacco" significatur luctus propter devastatum verum in Ecclesia; "vestimenta" enim significant vera (166, 212, 328, 378, 379); 1quare "indui sacco," qui non est vestis, significat luctum quod non verum, et ubi non verum ibi non est Ecclesia. Filii Israelis luctum repraesentabant per varia, quae ex correspondentiis erant significativa, ut quod cinerem mitterent super caput, quod in pulvere se volutarent, quod super terra sederent diu in silentio, quod se raderent, quod plangerent et ejularent, quod vestes scinderent, et quoque quod "saccos induerent," praeter alia: et singula significabant aliquod malum Ecclesiae apud illos, propter quod puniebantur; et cum puniebantur, per talia repraesentabant paenitentiam, et propter repraesentationem paenitentiae, et simul humiliationis tunc, audiebantur. Quod luctus propter devastatum verum in Ecclesia repraesentatus sit per "induere saccos," videri potest ex his:
"Ascendit leo ex vepreto, exivit e loco suo ad redigendum terram in vastitatem: propter hoc Accingite Saccos, plangite, ejulate," (Jeremias 4:7-8);
"Filia populi Mei, Cinge te Sacco, et volve te in cinere, quia subito veniet vastator super nos," 2(Jeremias 6:26);
"Vae tibi Chorazin et Bethsaida, quia si in Tyro et Sidone factae fuissent virtutes quae factae sunt in vobis, in Sacco et Cinere paenitentiam egissent," (Matthaeus 11:21; Luca 10:13);
Rex Ninives, postquam audivit verba Jonae, deposuit chlamydem desuper se, et obduxit Saccum, et sedit super cinere et proclamavit jejunium, ac ut Operirentur Saccis homo et bestia, (Jonas 3:5-6, 8).
(Praeter alibi, ut Esaias 3:24; 15:2-3; 22:12; 37:1-2; 50:3; Jeremias 48:37-38; 49:3; Threni 2:10; Ezechiel 7:17-18; 27:31; Daniel 9:3; Joel 1:8, 13; Amos 8:10; Hiob 16:15-16; Psalm 30:12 (B.A. 11); Psalm 35:13; Psalm 69:11-12 (B.A. 10-11); 2 Samuelis 3:31; 1 Regnum 21:27; 2 Regnum 6:30; 19:1-2). 3
Footnotes:
1. 328 pro "318"
2. nos pro "vos"
3. vi. pro "vii."