128、⑼圣言是结合的媒介，因为它来自主，因而就是主。圣言是主与人，并人与主用来结合的媒介，这是因为就其本质而言，圣言是与神性良善结合的神性真理，并与神性真理结合的神性良善。就其属天和属灵意义而言，这种结合就存在于圣言的每一个细节中（参看《揭秘启示录》373，483，689，881节）。由此可知，圣言是良善与真理的完美婚姻；由于圣言来自主，来自主之物也就是祂自己，故可知，当人阅读圣言，从中汲取真理时，主会另外赋予他良善。事实上，人看不见影响他的各种良善，因为他出于自己的理解力阅读圣言，理解力只会从中汲取属于它自己的东西，也就是真理。主将良善联结于这些真理，对此，理解力出于被启示时所流入的快乐而有所感觉。不过，这种内在情形只发生在那些以变得智慧为目的来阅读圣言的人身上；而那些想要从圣言学习纯正真理，并用这些真理形成自己里面的教会之人就有变得智慧的目的。相反，那些阅读圣言只是为了博学的荣耀之人，以及那些以为仅是阅读或聆听圣言就能产生信仰，并有助于得救，由此阅读圣言之人，则不会从主获得任何良善。因为后者的目的是想凭圣言中丝毫不含真理的纯粹话语来拯救自己；而前者的目的是想因博学而出名，这种目的不会与任何属灵良善结合，仅仅与出于世俗荣耀的属世快乐结合。圣言因是结合的媒介，故被称为旧约和新约，约表示结合。
128、（9）《圣经》是这种结合的媒介，因为它来自于主，进而它就是主。《圣经》是主与人及人与主相联系的媒介。因为它的内在实质就是神圣真理与神圣的爱相互结合。
因为《圣经》来自于主，它就是主的体现，所以，当人读《圣经》，从中吸收真理（道理）时，主就将善与其相结合，人却看不到善对自己的影响，因为头脑只能理解与才智相适应的事物即真理。
人的头脑在读《圣经》体会其中的道理时会感到主将善与这些道理相结合。这种情况只有在一个人读《圣经》，为了从中获得智慧，学习道理并在自身中形成教会时才会发生。
相反，读《圣经》而为了变得有学识或认为从中能被拯救的人，他们得不到其中的善，因为第二种人的目标是用其中的话来拯救自己，或者是使自己变得有学识，这一目标没精神上的善与之相结合，只是出于一种荣耀。
因为《圣经》是一种联合的媒介，因此它也被称做一个契约——旧约和新约。契约象征着联合。
128. (ix) The Word is a means of linking because it is from the Lord and thus is the Lord.
The reason why the Word is a means of linking the Lord with a person and a person with the Lord is that it is in essence Divine truth combined with Divine good, and Divine good combined with Divine truth. Their union is in every single detail of the Word in its celestial and spiritual senses (see Apocalypse Revealed 373, 483, 689, 881). From this it follows that the Word is a perfect marriage of good and truth. Since this is from the Lord, and what is from Him is the Lord, the consequence is that, when a person reads the Word and takes truths from it, the Lord gives him good in addition. For the person does not see the kinds of good which affect him, because he uses his intellect to read it, and the intellect can only gather from it its own kind of thing, namely, truths. The intellect can feel the addition of good by the Lord from the pleasure which floods in when it is being enlightened. But this only happens inwardly in the case of those who read the Word with the object of being wise; this is the object of those who want to learn more truths there and use these to form the church in themselves.
If some, however, read it only to be able to boast of their learning, and also if they hold the opinion that merely reading or hearing it injects faith and helps to salvation, these do not receive any good from the Lord, because their object is to achieve salvation simply from its words, which contain no part of truth. The other group's object is to be renowned for learning, an object which has no link with any spiritual good, but only with the natural pleasure which comes from worldly fame. It is because the Word is a means of linking that it is called the Old and the New Covenant, and a covenant means a link.
128. 9. The Word is the means of conjunction, because it is from the Lord and thus is the Lord. The Word is the means by which the Lord is conjoined with people and people with the Lord, because it is in its essence Divine truth united to Divine good and Divine good united to Divine truth. (On the presence of this union in each and every part of the Word in its celestial and spiritual meanings, see The Apocalypse Revealed, nos. 373, 483, 689, 881.)
It follows from this that the Word is a perfect marriage of good and truth. And because it is from the Lord, and because that which is from Him also is Him, it follows as a consequence that when a person reads the Word and draws truths from it, the Lord attaches good. For the person does not see the states of good affecting him, because he uses his intellect to read the Word, and the intellect takes in from the Word only what is proper to it, namely, truths.
The intellect does have a sense that the Lord joins good to these truths, from the delight that flows in when it is in a state of enlightenment, but this takes place inwardly only in the case of people who read the Word for the purpose of gaining wisdom, and those have this purpose who are trying to learn genuine truths from it and thereby form the church in themselves.
In contrast, people who read the Word only for the glory in being learned, and people who suppose that simply the reading or hearing of the Word inspires faith and leads to salvation - such people do not receive any good from the Lord. That is because the goal of the second sort of people is to save themselves by just the mere sayings in the Word, apart from the presence of any truth in them; and the goal of the first sort of people is to become renowned for their learning, a goal which does not have any spiritual good attached to it but only natural delight arising from the glory of the world.
Since the Word is the means of conjunction, it is therefore called a covenant - the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. A covenant symbolizes conjunction.
128. 9. The Word is the connecting link, because it is from the Lord, so it is the Lord. The Word is the Lord's means of connection with people and people's with the Lord, because in essence it is Divine Truth united with Divine Good and Divine Good united with Divine Truth. (Apocalypse Revealed shows that these are united in each and every part of the Word in its heavenly and spiritual sense - nos. 373, 483, 689, 881.) This means that the Word is a perfect marriage of good and truth. It is from the Lord, and also what is from Him also is He, so consequently when a person reads the Word and gets true ideas out of it, the Lord adds good.
You see, a person does not see how the good affects him, because he reads it with his intellect, and intellect only absorbs what has to do with intellect, namely truths. From the pleasure that pours in when your intellect is enlightened, your intellect can tell that the Lord is adding good.
But this happens only for those who read it to become wise.
And people who want to find out genuine truths from the Word and by means of them form a church within themselves do have this purpose - - to become wise. On the other hand, those who read it only for the glory of learning, and those who read thinking that just reading or hearing it will breathe faith into them and lead to salvation - they receive no good from the Lord. This is because the one group of people just wants to save themselves by the mere sound of it, which has nothing of the truth in it, and the other group want to be famous for their learning, so nothing of spiritual good is involved, but only a worldly pleasure that comes from the world's praise.
The Word is called a Covenant - Old and New - because it is a connecting link, and a covenant is a connecting link.
128. IX. THAT THE WORD IS THE MEDIUM OF CONJUNCTION BECAUSE IT IS FROM THE LORD AND THUS IS THE LORD. That the Word is the medium of the conjunction of the Lord with man and of man with the Lord, is because in its essence, it is Divine Truth united to Divine Good, and Divine Good united to Divine Truth. That this unition exists in each and every thing of the Word in its celestial and spiritual sense, may be seen in THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED, nos. 373, 483, 689, 881. From this it follows that the Word is the perfect marriage of good and truth; and because it is from the Lord, and what is from Him is also Himself, it follows that when man reads the Word and draws truths therefrom, the Lord adjoins good; for man does not see the goods which affect him, because he reads the Word from his understanding, and the understanding draws from it nothing but what pertains to itself, namely, truths. That to these, good is adjoined by the Lord, this, the understanding sensates from the delight which flows in when it is enlightened. But this is not interiorly the case save with those who read the Word with the end of becoming wise; and those have the end of becoming wise who wish to learn genuine truth there, and by means thereof to form the Church with themselves. Those who read it only for the glory of erudition, and those who read it from an opinion that the mere reading or hearing of it inspires faith and conduces to salvation, do not receive any good from the Lord; for with the latter, the end is to save themselves by the mere words there, wherein is nothing of truth; and with the former, the end is to become eminent for erudition, and with this end is conjoined, not any spiritual good but the natural delight which comes from worldly glory. Because the Word is the medium of conjunction, it is therefore called a Covenant, Old and New, and a covenant signifies conjunction.
128. (ix) The Word is the medium of conjunction, for it is from the Lord and is the Lord. The Word is the medium of the Lord's conjunction with man and of man's conjunction with the Lord, because in essence it is Divine Truth united to Divine Good, and Divine Good united to Divine Truth. (This union is in each and all things of the Word in its celestial and spiritual senses (see Apocalypse Revealed 373, 483, 689, 881). It follows that the Word is a perfect marriage of good and truth. Moreover, as it is from the Lord, and as what is from Him is also He, when one reads the Word and takes truths from it, the Lord adjoins good. For a man does not see the goods which affect him, because he reads from the understanding, and this takes only its own thence, which is truth. The understanding does indeed feel from the pleasure which inflows when it is enlightened, that the Lord adjoins good to the truth. But this takes place interiorly only with those who read the Word to the end of becoming wise, and only those cherish this purpose who wish to learn genuine truths from the Word and thereby to form the Church with themselves. Those, on the other hand, who read it merely for the glory of learning, also those who read in the opinion that mere reading or hearing inspires faith and conduces to salvation, do not receive any good from the Lord. For the latter think to save themselves by mere words, in which nothing of truth inheres; and the former mean to be conspicuous for learning; with that end no spiritual good is conjoined, but a natural enjoyment of worldly glory. Being the medium of conjunction between the Lord and man, the Word is called a covenant, old and new; 'covenant' signifies conjunction.
128. (9) That the Word is the medium of conjunction, because it is from the Lord and thus is the Lord. The Word is the medium of the Lord's conjunction with man, and of man's with the Lord, for the reason that in its essence it is Divine truth united with Divine good, and Divine good united with Divine truth. It may be seen in the Apocalypse Revealed 373, 483, 689, 881, that this unition is in each and all things of the Word, in its celestial and its spiritual sense. From which it follows that the Word is the perfect marriage of good and truth; and because it is from the Lord, and what is from Him also is Himself, it results that when a man reads the Word, and takes truths therefrom, the Lord adjoins good. For man does not see the goods that affect, because he reads it from the understanding, and the understanding takes from it nothing but its own things, which are truths. That good is adjoined to these by the Lord the understanding feels, from the delight that flows in when it is enlightened. But this does not take place interiorly with others than those who read it to the end that they may become wise; and the end of becoming wise is with those who wish to learn more of genuine truths there; and by means of them to form the church within themselves. But they who read it only for the glory of erudition, and they who read it from an opinion that the mere reading or hearing of it inspires faith and conduces to salvation, do not receive any good from the Lord; because the end of these is to save themselves by the mere words, wherein is nothing of truth; and the end of those is to become eminent for learning, with which end there is no spiritual good conjoined, but only the natural delight that comes of worldly glory. Because the Word is the medium of conjunction it is called the covenant, Old and New; a covenant signifies conjunction.
128. IX. Quod Verbum sit Medium conjunctionis, quia illud est a Domino, et sic Dominus. Quod Verbum sit Medium conjunctionis Domini cum homine, et hominis cum Domino, est quia illud in sua essentia est Divinum Verum unitum Divino Bono, ac Divinum Bonum unitum Divino Vero; quod haec unitio sit in omnibus et singulis Verbi in Sensu coelesti et spirituali ejus, videatur Apocalypsis Revelata 373, 483, 689, 881; ex quo sequitur, quod Verbum sit perfectum Conjugium boni et veri; et quia illud est a Domino, et quod est ab Ipso, etiam est Ipse, consequitur, quod dum homo legit Verbum, et desumit ex illo vera, Dominus adjungat bonum; homo enim non videt bona afficientia, quia ex intellectu legit illud, ac intellectus non haurit inde nisi sua, quae sunt vera; quod his adjungatur bonum a Domino, sentit intellectus ex jucundo, quod influit, dum illustratur; sed hoc non fit aliis interius, quam qui legunt illud fine sapiendi, et finis sapiendi est illis, qui addiscere volunt genuina vera ibi, et per haec formare Ecclesiam apud se: illi autem qui id legunt solum propter gloriam eruditionis, 1tum qui ex opinione quod solum lectio, vel auditus ejus, inspirent fidem, et conducant saluti, non recipiunt aliquod bonum a Domino, quia his est finis se salvandi ex solis vocibus ibi, quibus non aliquid ex vero inest; et illis est finis eminendi ex eruditione, cum quo non conjungitur aliquod bonum spirituale, sed jucundum naturale, quod est ex gloria Mundi. Quoniam Verbum est Medium conjunctionis, ideo vocatur illud Foedus, Vetus et Novum, et Foedus significat conjunctionem.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: eruditionis;