347、⑿一夫多妻者只要仍是一夫多妻者，就无法变得属灵。变得属灵就是从属世层被提升至属灵层，也就是从尘世的光与热被提升至天堂的光与热。未被如此提升的人并不了解这一过程。然而，尚未被提升的属世人只感觉他已经被提升了。原因在于，他能和属灵人一样，将其理解力提升至天堂之光，以属灵的方式思考、谈论，好像他真是属灵的。但是，若他的意愿没有同时达到相同高度，他依旧没有被提升；因为他无法停在那个高度，而是短时间后又回到他的意愿中，在那里坚定立场。我所说的意愿也是指爱，因为意愿是爱的接受者；事实上，凡人所爱的，他都会意愿。从这些话明显可知，只要一夫多妻者仍是一夫多妻者，或也可说，只要属世人仍是属世的，他就无法变得属灵。
347、（12）变得有精神性就是要被提升到自然性之外。也就是从尘世的光和热中提升到天国的光和热中。这种提升只有那些得到提升了的人才会知道。没有被提升的人也不会感受到他被提升了。他们与精神性的人一样，能从精神的角度思索。另一方面，若人的意愿，没有和他的才智在一个高度，人还是没有被提升，因为人不会停留在那一高度。过了一会儿后人会回到他意愿所在的高度。我们所说的意愿也就是指人的爱，因为意愿是爱的载体。人所爱的，也就是他所愿的。
347. (xii) Polygamists cannot become spiritual, so long as they remain polygamists.
Becoming spiritual is being raised from being natural, that is, from the light and heat of the world into the light and heat of heaven. No one who has not been so raised knows about this process. Yet the natural man who has not been raised still has no perception but that he has been raised. The reason is that he can, equally with the spiritual man, raise his intellect into the light of heaven, thinking and speaking in a spiritual fashion, as if he were spiritual. 1But if at the same time his will does not reach the same height, he is still not raised; for he cannot stop at that height, but after a brief time comes back down to his will, and there takes up a firm stance. When I say will, I mean at the same time love, because the will is the receiver of love; for what a person loves, he wills. These few remarks will establish that so long as a polygamist remains a polygamist, or what is the same thing, so long as a natural man remains natural, he cannot become spiritual.
347. 12. A polygamist cannot become spiritual as long as he remains a polygamist. To become spiritual is to be elevated out of the natural plane, that is, out of the light and warmth of the world into the light and warmth of heaven. No one knows about this elevation except one who has been elevated. However, the unelevated natural man still perceives no otherwise than that he has been elevated, for the reason that he can, just as well as the spiritual man, elevate his intellect into the light of heaven and as a natural man think and speak spiritually. On the other hand, if his will does not at the same time follow his intellect to the same height, the person still has not been elevated; for he does not remain at that height, but after a few minutes descends to the level of his will and there makes his stand. We say, his will, and we mean at the same time his love, because the will is the containing vessel of love; for what a person loves, that is what he wills.
From these few considerations it can be seen that as long as a polygamist remains a polygamist, or to say the same thing, as long as a natural man remains a natural man, he cannot become spiritual.
347. 12. Polygamists cannot become spiritual so long as they remain polygamists. To become spiritual is to be elevated out of nature that is, out of the light and heat of the world into the light and heat of heaven. Only a person who is elevated is aware of this elevation.
Still, a worldly person who is not elevated does not know but what he is. The reason is that, just like a spiritual person, he can raise his intellect into heaven's light and think and speak spiritually. But if his will does not follow his intellect into that height at the same time, he is not elevated at all, for he does not stay up there, but in a moment he abandons himself to his will and takes his stand with it. We say "will" and mean love at the same time, because will is love's container, for what a person loves, he wants. These few remarks may establish that while a polygamist remains a polygamist - or while a worldly person remains worldly, which is the same thing - he cannot become spiritual.
347. XII. THAT A POLYGAMIST, SO LONG AS HE REMAINS A POLYGAMIST, CANNOT BECOME SPIRITUAL. To become spiritual is to be elevated from the natural [to the spiritual], that is, from the light and heat of the world, to the light and heat of heaven. None knows of this elevation save one who is elevated. Nevertheless, the natural man not elevated perceives no otherwise than that he is elevated. The reason is because, equally with the spiritual man, he can elevate his understanding into the light of heaven, and can think and talk spiritually. Yet, if at the same time the will does not follow the understanding into that height, he is not elevated; for he does not remain in that elevation but after some moments lets himself down to his will and there fixes his station. It is said the will, but the love also is meant, the Will being the receptacle of love; for what a man loves, that he wills. From these few words, it can be evident that a polygamist, so long as he remains a polygamist, or, what is the same thing, a natural man, so long as he remains natural, cannot become spiritual.
347. (xii) The polygamist, as long as he remains a polygamist, cannot become spiritual. To become spiritual is to be elevated from the natural, that is, from the world's light and heat into those of heaven. Of this elevation no one knows anything except the man so elevated. Still the natural man thinks he is so elevated when he is not. Equally with the spiritual man he can raise the understanding into the light of heaven and, as a natural man, think and speak spiritually. But if the will does not follow the understanding into that height at the same time, the man has not been elevated. For he does not remain at that height, but after a little lets himself down to his will and there takes his station. We say "his will," but the love is meant together with it, because the will is the receptacle of love, for what a man loves, he wills. It may be plain from these few considerations that as long as a polygamist remains a polygamist, or what is the same, as long as the natural man remains natural, he cannot become spiritual.
347. (12) That a polygamist, so long as he remains a polygamist, cannot become spiritual. To become spiritual is to be elevated out of the natural, that is, out of the light and heat of the world into the light and heat of heaven. No one knows of this elevation but one who is elevated; and the natural man not elevated does not perceive but that he is elevated. The reason is that although natural he, equally with the spiritual man, can elevate his understanding into the light of heaven, and can think and talk spiritually. But, if the will does not at the same time follow the understanding into that elevation he is not elevated; for he does not abide in that elevation, but after some moments lets himself down to his will, and fixes his station there. It is said the will, but the love also is meant, because the will is the receptacle of love, for what a man loves he wills. From these few considerations it is evident that a polygamist, so long as he remains a polygamist, or what is the same, a natural man so long as he remains natural, cannot become spiritual.
347. XII: Quod Polygamus, quamdiu manet polygamus, non fieri possit spiritualis; fieri spiritualis est elevari e naturali, hoc est, e luce et calore mundi in lucem et calorem coeli; de hac elevatione non scit aliquis, nisi qui elevatus est; attamen naturalis homo non elevatus usque non percipit aliter quam quod elevatus sit; causa est, quia aeque ut spiritualis homo, potest elevare intellectum suum in lucem coeli, ac spiritualiter cogitare et loqui, sicut naturalis; at si non simul voluntas intellectum in altitudinem illam sequitur, usque non elevatus est; non enim stat in elevatione illa, sed post momenta demittit se ad voluntatem suam, ac ibi stationem suam firmat: dicitur voluntas, ac intelligitur simul amor, quia voluntas est receptaculum amoris, quod enim homo amat, hoc vult. Ex his paucis constare potest, quod polygamus quamdiu manet polygamus, seu quod idem est, quod naturalis homo quamdiu manet naturalis, non fieri possit spiritualis.