73、⑻在生活于黄金、白银和青铜时代的古人当中，这爱是爱的最高形式，但此后，它逐渐消失了。在生活于叫这些名字的远古时代的上古之人和古人当中，婚姻之爱是爱的最高形式。不过，想通过历史获知这一切已是不可能了，因为他们的著作都未保存下来，现存的著作都是这些时代之后的作家所撰写的。这些作家命名了这些时代，并描述了他们生活的纯洁和正直，还描述了它如何逐渐堕落，就像从黄金变为黑铁那样。最后一个或黑铁时代就始于这些作家的年代，从对某些国王、审判官和希腊等地的被称为圣哲的智者的历史记载，我们可在某种程度上对该时代一窥究竟。但以理预言（但以理书2:43），这个时代不像铁那样坚固，而是铁与泥搀杂，不能相合。
名为黄金、白银和青铜的这些时代在有上述著作之日前就终结了，因而了解他们在世上的婚姻状况已是不可能了。鉴于此，主乐意以属灵的方式向我揭示这些婚姻，引导我拜访这些时代的人所居的天堂；在那里，我能从他们自己嘴里获知，在他们所生活的那些时代，其婚姻性质如何。因为凡创世以来所有离世之人现都在灵界，就其爱而言，他们全都和在世时一样，并永远保持如此。我所得知的这些事理应公开，为人所知，因为它们证实了婚姻的神圣性，所以我愿意原原本本地将它们公之于众。这些事是在我在灵里清醒的状态下被指示给我的，后来，我在天使的帮助下忆起它们，并记录下来。因为这些事来自灵界，和其它章节末尾的记事一样，所以我打算按照这些时代的发展顺序，将它们分成六个记事。
73 (8) 在金纪、银纪和铜纪时是这种婚姻之爱的鼎盛时期，没有历史记录证明以上事实，因为他们的文字记录没有保存下来，而有记录的是那些在以上三纪后的人所作的。事实上是后来者将以往的时代叫做金纪、银纪、铜纪。并且描述了那三个时代人的纯净真诚程度。它们正象文字所描述的一样，从金到铁纯度降低。
最后一个即铁纪，也就是做记录的人所存在的时代的情况可以从那些被古希腊及别处的人称为圣人的国王，法官及其它智者的生活而略见一斑。但是正象《但以理书》所记，那个时代不会长久存在，因为铁自身可以凝固在一起，而铁与泥相搀杂就不能凝固在一起（《但以理书》二章43节）
因为金、银、铜纪已逝而无记录可考，他们那时的婚姻也无法可知。所以主带领我到天国中那个时代的人生活的地方。我得知他们的婚姻和当年在世间时一样，自从创世以来的人离开自然世界后都在精神世界中，所以他们的爱与他们在世间时一样不会改变。
因为我所知的情况有价值做一下介绍，我将进一步描述，按时代而分为六点。
73. (viii) This was the highest form of love among the people of antiquity, who lived in the Golden, Silver and Copper Ages.
Conjugial love among the most ancient people and the ancients who lived in those early ages which bear these names was the highest form of love. It is impossible to learn this from histories, because there are none of their writings preserved, and those which are preserved were written in later ages. Those writers gave these names and described the purity and rectitude of their lives, and how these progressively declined in a sequence like that from gold to iron. The last, the iron age, starting from the time of these writers, can to some extent be appreciated from the historical accounts of certain kings, judges and wise men, called sophi, in Greece and elsewhere. Daniel (Daniel 2:43) contains a prediction that this age would lack the stability iron possesses, but would become like iron mixed with clay, which will not hold together.
[2] Since the ages named after gold, silver and copper were over by the time of these writers, so that it is impossible for any knowledge of their marriages to exist on earth, it has pleased the Lord to make these known to me in a spiritual way, by taking me to visit the heavens where they live, so that I could learn from their own lips what their marriages were like, when they lived during their own periods. For all who have since creation departed from the natural world are in the spiritual world; and they all keep their previous loves and will so remain for ever. Since these facts deserve to be known and reported, and they prove the holiness of marriages, I should like to publish them, as they were exhibited to my wakeful spirit, and later recalled to memory and written down with the help of an angel. As these are from the spiritual world, like the rest of the experiences at the end of chapters, I have decided to divide them into six accounts, to match the series of ages.
73. 8. This love was the greatest of loves among the ancients who lived in the golden, silver and copper ages. It cannot be known from historical sources that conjugial love was the greatest of loves among the ancient and most ancient peoples who lived in those first ages referred to by these names. It cannot be known from historical sources because their written records do not remain, and the records that do exist come from writers who lived after those times. It is, in fact, the later writers who give the ages their names, and who also describe the purity and integrity of the life of those earlier peoples, likewise its gradual deterioration afterwards as being like the descent of gold to iron.
The last or iron age, however, which began at the time of those writers, can be deduced to some extent from the records of the lives of some of the kings, judges and wise men, who were called sages, in Greece and elsewhere. But as it is foretold in Daniel, that age would not hold together, as iron holds together by itself, but it would become like iron mixed with clay, which does not stick together (Daniel 2:43).
[2] Now because the ages that were named after gold, silver, and copper passed away before the dates of our written records, and because knowledge of their marriages cannot, therefore, be gained on earth, it pleased the Lord to show them to me by a spiritual way, by conducting me to the heavens where they have their dwellings, so that I might learn from them personally there what marriages had been like among them when they lived in their ages. For all people whatever, who, since creation, have departed out of the natural world, are now in the spiritual world, and in respect to their loves they are all the same as they were and so remain to eternity.
Since the things I learned are worth knowing and telling, and because they confirm the holiness of marriages, I would like to make them public as they were shown me in an awake state of the spirit and afterwards recalled to remembrance by an angel and so written down. Moreover, because they are from the spiritual world, like the rest of the narratives at the ends of the expositional chapters, I have chosen to divide them into six accounts, presented according to the progressions of the ages.
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73. 8. This love was the love of loves among the ancient people who lived in the Golden, Silver, and Copper ages. The histories do not teach that the love in marriage was the love of loves for the very ancient and the ancient peoples who lived in those early ages named as above, because their writings did not survive. Those that did survive come from later writers, who do mention them and also describe the purity and soundness of their life, as well as its gradual decline, figuratively, from gold to iron. But something of the last, or Iron, age, which began at the time of these writers, can be pieced together from the histories of the lives of some kings, judges, and sages who were called Sophi in Greece and elsewhere. But Daniel (2:43) predicts that this age will not last the way iron lasts by itself, but that it will become like iron and clay mixed, which do not hold together.
Now, the ages called Gold, Silver, and Copper were over before the days of the writers, and therefore we lack knowledge about marriages in those ages, on earth. So it suited the Lord to open it up for me by a spiritual route, bringing me to the heavens where those people's homes are, to verbally learn from them what marriages among them were like when they were living during their epochs. For everyone who has ever left the natural world, since creation, is in the spiritual world, and as to their loves they are all still the same and stay that way forever. Since these things are worth knowing and telling about, and they will establish the holiness of marriages, I want to publish them the way they were shown to me while I was wide awake, in a spiritual state, and were later recalled to my mind by an angel, and in this way written down. And since they are from the spiritual world like the other accounts following the chapters, I will divide them into six stories, according to the progress of those ages.
73. VIII. THAT THIS LOVE WAS THE LOVE OF LOVES WITH THE ANCIENTS WHO LIVED IN THE GOLDEN, SILVER, AND COPPER AGES. That conjugial love was the love of loves with the most ancient and ancient peoples who lived in the primitive ages which are so named, cannot be learned from history because their writings are not extant, and the writings that are extant are by writers posterior to those ages, it being by these writers that the ages were named and the purity and integrity of their life described, and also its gradual descent as from gold to iron. The last or iron age, however, which commenced from the time of these writers, can in some measure be gathered from the history of certain kings and judges and of those wise men who in Greece and elsewhere were called sophi. That this age did not hold firm as does iron when by itself, but became like iron mixed with clay, which do not stick together, is foretold by Daniel 2:43.
[2] Now since the Ages named from gold, silver, and copper had passed away before the days of [the above-mentioned] writings, and since knowledge concerning their marriages is thus not possible on earth, it has pleased the Lord to reveal these marriages to me in a spiritual way, by leading me to the heavens where are the dwellings of the men [of those ages], that there, from their own lips, I might learn concerning the nature of marriages with them when they were living in their Ages. For all who have passed away from the natural world since the creation, are in the spiritual world; and as to their loves they are all like themselves [as they had been in the world] and remain so to eternity. Since these particulars merit being known and related, and since they confirm the sacredness of marriages, I wish to make them public as they were shown me while I was awake in the spirit, and were recalled to my memory by an angel and so described. And since they are relations from the spiritual world, like the others which follow the chapters, I have thought to distribute them into six Memorable Relations, following the progress of the Ages.
73. (viii) This love was the love of loves with the ancients who lived in the golden, silver and copper ages. We cannot know from historical data that marital love was the love of loves with the most ancient and the ancient people who lived in the early ages so named. For their writings are not extant; extant writings come from writers of later days. But those epochs are mentioned by these later writers, and the purity and integrity of life at that time is described, likewise its gradual deterioration as from gold to iron. Something about the last or iron age, coincident with those writers, is to be gleaned, however, from historical information about the lives of their kings and judges and the wise men called sophi in Greece and elsewhere. Of that age Daniel (Daniel 2:43) predicted that it would not hold together, but would be like iron mixed with clay, which do not cohere. In view of the fact, then, that the ages named from gold, silver and copper, had passed away before any extant writings were done, and therefore no knowledge about marriages of that time is to be had on earth, the Lord has been pleased to make information available to me by a spiritual way, by taking me to the heavens where the homes of those early people are, to learn from their lips what marriage among them was like when they lived in their several epochs. For all souls who have passed from the natural world since the creation are now in the spiritual world, and they are all what they were as to their loves and so remain to eternity. The things I have learned are worth knowing and telling; they establish the holiness of marriages. I desire to publish them, as they were shown me in the spirit awake and later recalled to me and described by the angel. As they are deliverances from the spiritual world, like the rest appended to the chapters of this book, I have decided to distribute them into six Memorabilia following the sequence of epochs.
73. (8) That this love was the love of loves with, the ancients who lived in the golden, silver, and copper ages. It cannot be known from history that conjugial love was the love of loves with the most ancient and the ancient peoples who lived in those earliest ages that were so named, because their writings are not extant, and the accounts that exist are from writers after those ages. But by these they are named and the purity and integrity of their life is also described - as well as its successive decadence as from gold to iron. But the character of the last or iron age, which began in the time of these writers, may in some measure be gathered from the history of the life of some of the kings, judges, and wise men, who in Greece and elsewhere were called Sophi. But it is predicted in Daniel 2:43, that this age could not endure as iron by itself endures, but would become like iron mixed with clay, which do not cohere. Now, as the ages which were named from gold, silver, and copper, had passed away before the time when writings came into use, and so a knowledge of their marriages could not be obtained on earth, it has pleased the Lord to disclose it to me in a spiritual way, by leading me to the heavens where their dwellings are, that there I might learn from their own mouths of what nature marriages were among them when they lived in their ages. For all who have passed from the natural world since the creation are in the spiritual world, and all as to their loves are similar and remain so to eternity. As these things are worthy to be known and related, and as they confirm the sacredness of marriages, I will give them to the public as they were shown to me in the spirit, awake, and afterwards were recalled to memory by an angel and so described. And as they are from the spiritual world, like the other relations following the chapters, I shall divide them into six Relations, according to the succession of the ages.
73. VIII: Quod hic Amor fuerit Amor amorum apud Antiquos, qui in Saeculo aureo, argenteo et cupreo vixerunt. Quod Amor conjugialis apud Antiquissimos et apud Antiquos, qui in Primis illis Saeculis ita nominatis vixerant, fuerit Amor amorum, non potest ex Historiis sciri, quia illorum Scripta non exstant, et illa quae exstant, sunt ex Scriptoribus post illa Saecula, nam ab his nominantur, et quoque describitur illorum vitae puritas et integritas, pariter ejus successiva decrescentia sicut est Auri usque ad Ferrum: at ultima seu Ferrea aetas, quae inchoavit a Scriptoribus illis, quoad aliquam partem colligi potest ex Historicis vitae quorundam Regum, Judicum, et Sapientum, qui vocati sunt Sophi, in Graecia 1et alibi: quod autem hoc Saeculum non consisteret, sicut ferrum in se consistit, sed quod fieret sicut ferrum commixtum cum argilla, quae non cohaerent, praedicitur a Daniele Cap Daniel 2:43. 2
[2] Nunc quia Saecula, quae nominata sunt ab auro, argento, et cupro, ante scripturarum tempora fuerunt transacta, et sic cognitio de Conjugiis illorum non dabilis est in terris, placuit Domino per spiritualem viam mihi aperire illa, perducendo ad Coelos ubi domicilia illorum sunt, ut ex illis oretenus ibi haurirem, qualia fuerant apud illos Conjugia, cum vixerunt in suis Aevis: omnes enim, quicunque a Creatione obiverant e Mundo naturali, in Mundo spirituali sunt, et omnes quoad amores sui similes sunt, et permanent in aeternum. Haec quia scitu et relatu digna sunt, et sanctitatem conjugiorum confirmant, velim illa, qualia in vigili spiritu mihi ostensa sunt, et postea in memoriam per Angelum revocata, et sic descripta, edere in publicum: et quia sunt e Mundo spirituali, sicut reliqua post Transactionum Capita, volui dispescere illa in Sex Memorabilia secundum Progressiones Aetatum.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: Grae cia
2. Prima editio: Daniel 2:49.