418、人们普遍认为，智慧构成人。因此，当人们听见某人智慧地谈论和教导时，他们就认为这个人是有智慧的。事实上，当时这个人自己也是这么认为的，因为当在其他人面前说话和教导时，他基于他的记忆进行思考；他若是一个纯属世的人，就照着其爱的表层，也就是对名誉、荣耀和物质利益的情感进行思考。然而，当这个人独自一人时，他就照其灵的内在之爱进行思考，这时他的思维就不是智慧的，有时甚至是疯狂的。由此可见，判断一个人，不可按他智慧的言谈，而是按他的生活；也就是说，不可按他那脱离生活的智慧言谈，而是按他与自己的生活相结合的智慧言谈。我们所说的生命是指爱。爱是一个人的生命，如前所示。
418. Most people think that wisdom is what makes us who we are; so when they hear someone speaking or teaching wisely, they believe that this is a wise individual. People even believe this of themselves at such times, since when they are speaking and teaching in public they are thinking on the basis of their memory. If they are completely earthly-minded people, then the source is the surface of their love, a desire for respect, praise, and profit. However, when these same people are by themselves, they think from the deeper love of their spirits--not wisely at all, but at times insanely.
This shows that no one is to be evaluated on the basis of verbal wisdom, but on the basis of life. That is, we are not to rely on verbal wisdom separated from life but on verbal wisdom together with life. Life means love: I have already explained [1-3] that love is life.
418. The common opinion is that wisdom makes the person. Consequently when people hear someone speaking or teaching wisely, they believe that it reflects his character. Indeed, that is how the person thinks of himself at the time, because when he speaks and teaches in the presence of others, he thinks on the basis of his memory, and if he is merely natural, in accord with the outer layer of his love, which is an affection for honor, glory and material gain. However, when the same person is alone, he thinks in accord with the interior love of his spirit, and he thinks then not wisely but sometimes insanely.
It can be seen from this that no one should be judged by the wisdom of his speech, but by his life, that is, not by the wisdom of his speech apart from his life, but by the wisdom of his speech in conjunction with his life. By life we mean love. Love is a person's life, as we have shown above.
418. It is the common opinion that wisdom makes the man; therefore when people hear anyone speaking and teaching wisely, they credit him with wisdom; indeed, he himself believes so at the time. The reason is that when he speaks and teaches in company, he is thinking from his memory, and, if he is a merely natural man, from the surface of his love, which is the desire for honour, glory, and gain; but that same man, when alone, actually thinks from the interior love of his spirit, and then not wisely, but at times insanely. From these things it can be established that no one is to be judged by wise speech, but by his life; that is to say, no one is to be judged by wise speech apart from life, but by wise speech conjoined to life. By life is meant love. That love is the life has been shown above.
418. It is the common opinion that wisdom makes the man; therefore when any one is heard to talk and teach wisely he is believed to be wise; yea, he himself believes it at the time, because when he talks or teaches in company he thinks from the memory, and if he is a merely natural man, from the surface of his love, which is a desire for honor, glory, and gain; but when the same man is alone he thinks from the more inward love of his spirit, and then not wisely, but sometimes insanely. From all this it can be seen that no one is to be judged of by wise speaking, but by his life; that is, not by wise speaking separate from life, but by wise speaking conjoined to life. By life is meant love. That love is the life has been shown above.
418. Communis opinio est, quod sapientia faciat hominem, quare cum audiunt aliquem sapienter loqui aut docere, credunt quod talis sit[;] imo ipse de se ita credit tunc, quia cum in caetu loquitur et docet, cogitat ex memoria, et si mere naturalis est, ex amoris sui superficie, quae est affectio honoris, gloriae et lucri; at vero idem cum solus est, ex interiore amore sui spiritus cogitat, et tunc non sapienter, sed quandoque insane. Ex his constare potest, quod nemo ex sapiente loquela judicandus sit, sed ex vita ejus, hoc est, non ex sapiente loquela separata a vita, sed ex sapiente loquela conjuncta vitae; per vitam intelligitur amor; quod amor sit vita, supra ostensum est.