261、由此明显可知，当属灵心智关闭时，属世心智就会不断反对属灵心智的事物，唯恐有什么东西从它那里流入，扰乱自己的状态。经由属灵心智流入的一切皆来自天堂，因为属灵心智在形式上就是一个天堂；而流入属世心智的一切皆来自世界，因为属世心智在形式上就是一个世界。由此可推知，当属灵心智关闭时，属世心智就会反对天堂的一切，不许它们进入它，除非它们作为获得并拥有世界上的事物的手段而服务于它。当天堂事物服务属世心智，作为它达到自己目的的手段时，那么这些手段尽管看似是天上的，却变成属世的。因为目的赋予它们品质，它们变得像属世人的知识，里面毫无生命可言。由于天上的事物不可能与属世事物如此结合以至于这二者行如一体，所以它们会分离，天上的事物在纯属世人里面将自己安置在围绕里面的属世事物的边缘周围。正因如此，一个纯属世人也能谈论和传讲天上的事，甚至在行为上模仿它们，尽管他从内心思想反对它们。他独自一人时就做后一种事，与他人在一起时则做前一种事。关于这些事，下文会有更多说明。
261. We can tell from this that if the spiritual mind is closed, the earthly mind is constantly resisting whatever comes from the spiritual mind, fearing that something from that source will flow in that will disturb its states. Everything that flows in through the spiritual mind is from heaven because the spiritual mind is a heaven in form; and everything that flows into the earthly mind is from the world because the earthly mind is a world in form. It follows, then, that when the spiritual mind is closed, the earthly mind resists everything that comes from heaven and will not let it in--except to the extent that it may serve as a means for gaining possession of worldly benefits. When heavenly things serve as means for the purposes of the earthly mind, then even though those means seem to be heavenly, they are still earthly. The purpose gives them their quality, and they actually become like items of information for the earthly self, items in which there is no trace of inner life.
However, since heavenly things cannot be united to earthly ones in this way so that they act as one, they distance themselves; and for people who are purely earthly, heavenly things come to rest outside, at the circumference, around the earthly things that are within. As a result, merely earthly people can discuss and preach heavenly things and can even act them out, even though they are thinking the opposite within. They behave one way when they are alone, and another way in public. But there will be more on this later [266, 267].
261. It can be seen from this that if the spiritual mind has been closed, the natural mind continually acts in opposition to matters connected with the spiritual mind, fearing that something may flow in from it to disturb its states.
Everything that flows in through the spiritual mind comes from heaven, for the spiritual mind is in its form a heaven; and everything that flows into the natural mind comes from the natural world, for the natural mind is in its form such a world. It follows, therefore, that when the spiritual mind has been closed, the natural mind reacts in opposition to all matters connected with heaven, and does not permit them to enter into it except to the extent that they serve it as means to its acquiring and possessing matters connected with the world. And when matters connected with heaven serve the natural mind as means to its own ends, then even though those means appear heavenly, still they become natural. For the end gives them their quality. Indeed, they become like the forms of knowledge proper to the natural self, which have within them no element of life.
Nevertheless, because heavenly matters cannot be joined to natural matters so as to operate in harmony with them, they therefore separate themselves, and heavenly matters in merely natural people place themselves round about in the periphery surrounding the natural matters that lie within. It is owing to this that a merely natural person can speak and preach heavenly things, and also make a pretense of them in his actions, even though he inwardly thinks in opposition to them. He does the latter when he is alone, but the former when he is in the company of others.
But more on this subject in subsequent discussions.
261. From these facts it can be established that, if the spiritual mind has been closed up, the natural mind continually acts against the things of the spiritual mind, while fearing lest anything should flow in therefrom to disturb its own states. Everything that flows in through the spiritual mind is from heaven, for the spiritual mind is, in form, a heaven. And everything that flows into the natural mind is from the world, for the natural mind is, in form, a world. And from this it follows that, when the spiritual mind has been closed up, the natural mind reacts against all things of heaven, nor does it admit them except in so far as they are serviceable to it as means of acquiring and possessing the things of the world. And when the things of heaven also serve the natural mind as means to its own ends, then those means, although they appear heavenly, yet become natural, for the end qualifies them as they become like the knowledges of the natural man in which inwardly there is no life. But because heavenly things cannot be so joined to natural things that the two act as one, therefore they separate, and in merely natural men, heavenly things arrange themselves from without, encompassing the natural things which are within. Hence it is that a merely natural man can speak and preach about heavenly things, and also stimulate them by actions, although inwardly he thinks against them. The latter he does when alone, the former when in company. But of these things more will be said in what follows.
261. From this it is obvious that when the spiritual mind is closed the natural mind continually acts against the things of the spiritual mind, fearing lest anything should flow in therefrom to disturb its own states. Everything that flows in through the spiritual mind is from heaven, for the spiritual mind in its form is a heaven; while everything that flows into the natural mind is from the world, for the natural mind in its form is a world. From which it follows that when the spiritual mind is closed, the natural mind reacts against all things of heaven, giving them no admission except so far as they are serviceable to it as means for acquiring and possessing the things of the world. And when the things of heaven are made to serve the natural mind as means to its own ends, then those means, though they seem to be heavenly, are made natural; for the end qualifies them, and they become like the knowledges of the natural man, in which interiorly there is nothing of life. But as things heavenly cannot be so joined to things natural that the two act as one, they separate, and, with men merely natural, things heavenly arrange themselves from without, in a circuit about the natural things which are within. From this it is that a merely natural man can speak and preach about heavenly things, and even simulate them in his actions, though inwardly he thinks against them; the latter he does when alone, the former when in company. But of these things more in what follows.
261. Ex his constare potest, quod si Mens spiritualis occlusa sit, Mens naturalis continue agat contra illa quae Mentis spiritualis sunt, ac timeat quod aliquid inde influat, quod suos status perturbet: omne id quod per Mentem spiritualem influit, est e Coelo, nam Mens spiritualis est in forma Coelum; et omne quod in Mentem naturalem influit, est e Mundo, nam Mens naturalis est in forma mundus; ex quo sequitur, quod Mens naturalis, quando Mens spiritualis occlusa est, reagat contra omnia Coeli, nec in se admittat illa, nisi quantum ei [inserviunt] pro mediis ad sibi comparandum et ad possidendum illa quae mundi sunt; et quando illa quae Coeli sunt, inserviunt 1 pro mediis naturali Menti ad suos fines, tunc media illa, tametsi apparent coelestia, usque fiunt naturalia; finis enim qualificat illa, fiunt enim sicut scientifica naturalis hominis, in quibus intus nihil vitae est. Sed quia Coelestia non ita possunt conjungi naturalibus, ut unum agant, ideo separant se, ac Coelestia apud mere naturales homines se reponunt ab extra in circuitu circum naturalia quae intra sunt: inde est, quod homo mere naturalis possit loqui et praedicare coelestia, et quoque per actus simulare illa, tametsi intus cogitat contra illa; hoc facit cum solus est, illud autem cum in caetu est. Sed de his plura in sequentibus.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: ["and" sign] inserviunt