127、⑻但婚姻之爱、受精、生育、对幼儿的爱，以及发生在婚姻中并由婚姻引发的类似事件中却存在一种对应关系。这些问题对理解力来说太过深奥，以至于无法在它们上面投下一丝光明，除非首先了解对应关系。如果不揭示对应的概念，将其呈现在理解中，那么试图明白这一段所讲的内容是徒劳的，无论怎样解释它。至于属世事物与属灵事物之间如何存在一个对应关系，这在《揭秘启示录》，以及《属天的奥秘》中有详细论证，在《新耶路撒冷教义之圣经篇》中论证得更详细。本书（326节）的记事也有相关内容。若不了解这种对应关系，我只能说几句对理解力来说似乎很模糊的话，即：婚姻之爱对应于对真正真理的情感，及其贞洁、纯粹和神圣；受精对应于真理的能力；子女的生育对应于真理的生育；对子女的爱对应于对真理与良善的守卫。由于在人里面，真理看似他自己的，主将良善联结于它，故显而易见，这些对应关系就在外在人或属世人和内在人或属灵人之间。不过，这些问题将在下文的记事中进一步被投以光明。
127、（8）象征存在于婚姻之爱，生育后代，爱护小孩子及其它存在于婚姻之中的类似的方面中，这一点要有关于象征意义的了解，否则不易体会其意思。
但什么是象征意义呢？它是一种自然事物的与精神事物相互对应的关系。在TheApocalypse Revealed和ArcanaCoelestia中多次讲到这点，在以后章节中还会讲到。
在了解象征意义之前，我们先做以下陈述：婚姻之爱象征着一种对真理及其圣洁性的情感，婚姻中的孕育过程象征着真理的力量，婚姻中的后代的繁衍象征着真理的传播，婚姻中对小孩子的爱护象征着对善及真理的捍卫。
因为存在于人身上的真理（道理）好象是人自身的，主又将善与之相结合。很明显这里的象征是自然或者说外在的自我与精神的或者说内在的自我之间的对应。
127. (viii) There is, however, a correspondence with conjugial love, the planting of seed and reproduction, the love of children and similar matters which arise in and from marriages.
These matters are too deep for the intellect to cast any light on them, unless there has first been some knowledge of correspondence. Until this has been revealed and lodged in the intellect, the effort to grasp what this paragraph says will be vain, however it is explained. How a correspondence exists between natural and spiritual things has been demonstrated at length in THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED and also in ARCANA CAELESTIA, and more particularly in THE TEACHING OF THE NEW JERUSALEM ABOUT THE HOLY SCRIPTURE. There will be given later a particular account of an experience on this subject [326]. Until some knowledge of this has been acquired, I can only make these few remarks, which will seem obscure to the intellect. Conjugial love corresponds to the affection for real truth, and its chastity, purity and holiness. The planting of seed corresponds to the power of truth; the procreation of children to the propagation of truth; the love of children to the guarding of truth and good. Since then truth in a person seems as if it were his own, and good is added to it by the Lord, it is plain that these correspondences are between the outward or natural man and the spiritual or inward man. But these matters will have further light shed on them in the account of experiences which follow.
127. 8. Rather, the correspondence rests with conjugial love, insemination, procreation, love for little children, and other things of a similar sort that occur in marriage and result from it. These secrets, however, are too deep for the understanding to be able to take them in with any light, unless it has first gained a concept of correspondence. Without a concept of correspondence unveiled and present in the understanding, the topics that belong under this heading cannot be comprehended, no matter how explained.
But what correspondence is - that it is a correspondence of natural things with spiritual things - we have shown many times in The Apocalypse Revealed, and also in Arcana Coelestia (The Secrets of Heaven). We have shown it in particular as well in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Sacred Scripture; and specifically in a narrative account on the subject later on. 1
Until a concept of correspondence has been absorbed, for the understanding still in darkness concerning it we will offer only these few observations: that conjugial love corresponds to an affection for genuine truth and its chasteness, purity and holiness; that insemination corresponds to the power of truth; that procreation corresponds to the propagation of truth; and that love for little children corresponds to the protection of truth and good.
Now because truth in a person appears as if it were his, and good is joined to it by the Lord, it is evident that these correspondences are correspondences of the natural or outer self with the spiritual or inner self. But some light will be shed on these points in the narrative accounts that follow.
Footnotes:
1. See perhaps no. 183, or no. 532, or nos. 416-422. Cf. also nos. 76, 342.
127. 8. But there is a corresponding relationship with married love, impregnating, reproducing, love of children, and things like that, which are in marriages and come from them. These things are so thoroughly unknown, though, that they can enter your mind with some light only if you first have some grasp of correspondence. Without that clear in your mind it would be impossible to understand the things in this article, however much they were explained. But what correspondence is, and that things in nature do correspond to spiritual things, is amply shown in Apocalypse Revealed and also in Arcana Caelestia, and especially in The Doctrine for the New Jerusalem Concerning the Sacred Scriptures. And particularly in a story about it that comes later.
Just for the intellect that is not yet acquainted with all that and is in the dark, these few remarks:
The love in a marriage corresponds to a response to genuine truth, its chastity, purity, and holiness. Impregnation corresponds to the power of the truth. Reproducing corresponds to the increase of truth, and love for infants corresponds to protecting the truth and good.
Now, the truth shows up in people as if it were their own, and the Lord adds good to it, so clearly these correspondences are between man's worldly or outward plane and his spiritual or inward plane.
But the stories that follow shed more light on this.
127. VIII. BUT THAT THERE IS A CORRESPONDENCE WITH CONJUGIAL LOVE, SEMINATION, PROLIFICATION, THE LOVE OF INFANTS, AND SIMILAR THINGS WHICH ARE IN MARRIAGES AND FROM THEM. But these matters are too arcane to admit of entering into the understanding with any light unless a knowledge of correspondence has preceded. Wherefore, unless this knowledge is disclosed and is present in the understanding, the matters belonging to the present article, howsoever explained, are apprehended in vain. As to what correspondence is, and that there is a correspondence of natural things with spiritual, this has been abundantly shown in THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED, also in THE ARCANA CAELESTIA, and specifically in THE DOCTRINE OF THE NEW JERUSALEM CONCERNING THE SACRED SCRIPTURES, also in detail in a Memorable Relation respecting it, which is to follow later [see no. 326]. Until knowledge concerning it has been acquired, it is only before an understanding which is in shade, that the following few statements will be set forth, namely: That conjugial love corresponds to the affection of genuine truth and to the chastity, purity, and holiness thereof; that semination corresponds to the potency of truth; that prolification corresponds to the propagation of truth; and that the love of infants corresponds to the protecting of truth and good. Now because truth in man appears as his own, and good is adjoined to it by the Lord, it is evident that these correspondences are correspondences of the natural or external 1man with the spiritual or internal man. But some light will be thrown on these subjects in the Memorable Relations which follow.
Footnotes:
1. 'or external' is not in the printed text, but is in the Latin.
127. (viii) But the correspondence is with marital love, impregnation, the bearing of offspring, love for children, and like things in and of marriages. These are more recondite things than can enter the understanding in any light unless a knowledge of correspondence has preceded. Unless such knowledge has been disclosed and is present to the understanding, the contents of this chapter will be grasped in vain, however they may be explained. We have shown many times what correspondence is and that it is the relation between things natural and things spiritual, as in the Apocalypse Revealed, also in the Arcana Coelestia, and especially in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem on the Sacred Scripture; some Memorabilia will follow especially about correspondence. Until such knowledge has been acquired, these few things may be said, though only in shade to the understanding: marital love corresponds to the affection of genuine truth and to its chastity, purity and holiness; impregnation to the power of truth; bearing offspring to the propagation of truth; and love for children to the fostering of good and truth. Now because truth with man seems to be his, and good is adjoined to it by the Lord, it is plain that these correspondences are between the natural or external man and the internal or spiritual; but these subjects will be lent some light in Memorabilia to follow.
127. (8) But that there is a correspondence with conjugial love, with semination, prolification, the love of children, and like things which are in marriages and from them. These things however are deeper secrets than can enter with any light into the understanding, unless a knowledge of correspondence has preceded. If this has not been unveiled to the understanding, however the subjects of this section might be explained, it would be in vain to grasp at them. But what correspondence is, and that it is the relation of natural things with spiritual, has been shown by many things in the Apocalypse Revealed; also in the Arcana Coelestia; and specifically in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scriptures; also in particular in a Relation respecting it, to follow hereafter. Until this knowledge has been acquired, only these few things shall be presented before the understanding in the shade. That conjugial love corresponds to the affection of genuine truth, to its chastity, purity, and holiness; that semination corresponds to the potency of truth; that prolification corresponds to the propagation of truth; and that the love of infants corresponds to the protecting of truth and good. Now, as truth in man appears as his, and good is adjoined to it by the Lord, it is plain that those correspondences are of the natural man with the spiritual or internal man. But some light will be given on these subjects in the Relations which follow.
127. VIII. Sed quod sit Correspondentia cum Amore conjugiali, seminatione, prolificatione, amore infantum, et cum similibus quae in Conjugiis, et ex illis sunt. Sed haec arcaniora sunt, quam ut possint intellectum cum aliqua luce intrare, nisi praecesserit cognitio de Correspondentia; quae nisi detecta inest intellectui, frustra illa, quae hujus Articuli sunt, utcunque explicata, comprehenduntur: quid autem est Correspondentia, et quod sit Naturalium cum Spiritualibus, multis ostensum est in Apocalypsis Revelata; et quoque in Arcanis Coelestibus; et in specie in Doctrina novae Hierosolymae de Scriptura Sacra; et singulariter in Memorabili de illa in sequentibus: antequam cognitio de illa hausta est, solum coram intellectu in umbra, haec pauca dicentur; quod Amor conjugialis correspondeat Affectioni genuini veri, ejus castitati, puritati et sanctitati: Quod Seminatio correspondeat potentiae veri: Quod Prolificatio correspondeat propagationi veri; et quod Amor infantum correspondeat tutationi veri et boni. Nunc quia Verum apud hominem apparet sicut ejus, ac Bonum illi adjungitur a Domino, patet quod Correspondentiae illae sint Naturalis seu Externi hominis cum Spirituali seu Interno homine: sed haec in Memorabilibus, quae sequuntur, aliquam lucem foenerabuntur.