142、没有人在严重的身体疾病的状态下被改造，因为在这种时候，理性不在自由状态下。心智的状态取决于身体的状态。当身体受苦时，心智也会受苦，哪怕只是因为与世界脱节。与世界脱节的心智可能会思想神，但不是出于神，因为它没有理性自由。人只有处在天堂与世界的中间才有理性自由，这使他能从天堂或世界进行思考，以及从天堂思想世界，或从世界思想天堂。所以当一个人患病，并思想死亡和他死后的灵魂状态时，他不在世界上，而是抽身在灵里；仅仅在这种状态下，没有人能被改造。但他若在患病之前就已经被改造，就可以在改造中得到强化。
那些放弃世界和世界上的所有商业活动，只专心思想神，天堂和救恩的人也是如此。关于这个主题，别处有详述。因此，如果这些人在患病之前没有得到改造，那么以后他们若死了，就会变得和患病之前一样。这意味着指望人在患病期间能够悔改或接受任何信仰是徒劳的，因为在这种悔改里面没有行为的痕迹，在这种信仰里面没有仁爱的痕迹。因此，悔改和信仰这两者完全是口头上的，根本不是发自内心的。
142. States of physical illness: No one is reformed in a state of physical illness because his reason is not then in a state of freedom, since the state of the mind depends on that of the body. When the body is ill, the mind also is ill, if only because of its removal from the world; for when removed from the world the mind indeed thinks about God, but not from God, being without the freedom of its reason. A person has his freedom of reason from being midway between heaven and the world, and the fact that he can think from heaven or from the world, and can think from heaven about the world, and from the world about heaven. When a person is ill, therefore, and thinking about death and the state of his soul after death, he is not then in the world, but is withdrawn in spirit, and no one can be reformed in this state alone. A person may, however, be confirmed in his reformation, if he was reformed before he fell ill.
[2] The case is the same with people who renounce the world and all commerce there and devote themselves only to thoughts of God, heaven, and salvation. But more on this subject elsewhere.
Consequently, if these people were not reformed before their illness, but die after contracting it, they become of the character they were before the illness. It is vain, therefore, to think that it is possible for some people to repent or to receive a measure of faith during their illnesses, for no action is involved in that repentance, and no charity in that faith. Thus in either instance everything is an expression of the mouth and nothing an expression of the heart.
142. The reason no one is reformed in a state of serious physical illness is that at such times our reason is not in a state of freedom. The state of the mind depends on that of the body. When the body is afflicted, the mind is as well, if only by being out of touch with the world. A mind that is out of touch with the world may think about God, but not with God, because its reasoning is not free. Our rational freedom comes from our being midway between heaven and the world. This enables us to think in terms of heaven or in terms of the world, so we can think in heavenly terms about the world or in worldly terms about heaven. When we are seriously ill and are thinking about death and the state of our souls after death, then we are not in touch with the world. We are withdrawn in spirit, and when we are completely withdrawn we cannot be reformed. It can strengthen us, though, if we had been reformed before we fell sick.
[2] The same holds true for people who renounce the world and all its dealings and devote themselves totally to thoughts of God and heaven and salvation; but there is more on this elsewhere.
The result is that if people like this have not been reformed before their illness, then afterwards, if they do die, they are the same kind of people they were before the illness. This means that it is pointless to think that we can repent or accept any faith while we are seriously ill, because there is no trace of action involved in our repentance, no trace of caring in our faith. Thus both our repentance and our faith are all talk and no heart.
142. No one is reformed in a state bodily disease, because the reason is then not in a free state, for the state of the mind depends upon the state of the body. When the body is sick the mind also is sick, because of its separation from the world - if for no other reason. For a mind removed from the world thinks indeed concerning God, but not from God, for it does not have freedom of reason. Man has freedom of reason from this circumstance, that he is in the midst between heaven and the world and can think from heaven and the world, also from heaven about the world and from the world about heaven. When, therefore, a man is in sickness, and is thinking about death and the state of his soul after death, he is not then in the world but is withdrawn in spirit; and when in this state only, no one can be reformed; but he may be strengthened by this experience if he was reformed before he fell sick.
[2] It is the same with those who renounce the world and all business in it and give themselves up solely to thoughts about God, heaven and salvation; but on this subject more will be said elsewhere. If these persons, therefore, were not reformed before their sickness, they become after it such as they were before the sickness. Hence it is vain to think that any can repent or receive any faith during sickness, for there is no action in that repentance and no charity in that faith; thus it is all lip-service and nothing of the heart in both cases.
142. No one is reformed in a state of bodily disease, because the reason is not then in a free state; for the state of the mind depends upon the state of the body. When the body is sick the mind is also sick, because of its separation from the world if for no other reason. For when the mind is removed from the world it may think about God, but not from God, for it does not possess freedom of reason. Man has freedom of reason by his being midway between heaven and the world, and by his ability to think from heaven or from the world, also from heaven about the world, or from the world about heaven. So when a man is sick, and is thinking about death and the state of his soul after death, he is not in the world; but in spirit he is withdrawn; and in this state alone no one can be reformed; but if before he fell sick he had been reformed this can then be strengthened.
[2] It is the same with those who give up the world and all business there, and give themselves solely to thoughts about God, heaven, and salvation; but of this more elsewhere. As a consequence, if these persons had not been reformed before their sickness, if they die they afterwards become such as they were before the sickness. It is therefore vain to think that any can repent or receive any faith during sickness, for in such repentance there is nothing of action, and in such faith nothing of charity; thus both belong wholly to the lips and not at all to the heart.
142. Quod nemo reformetur in STATU MORBI CORPORIS, est quia ratio tunc non est in statu libero, pendet enim status mentis a statu corporis; cum corpus aegrotat, etiam mens aegrotat, si non aliter, usque ex remotione a mundo, nam mens remota a mundo cogitat quidem de Deo, sed non a Deo, non enim est in libero rationis; liberum rationis est homini ex eo, quod sit in medio inter coelum et mundum, et quod possit ex coelo cogitare et ex mundo, tum ex coelo de mundo, et ex mundo de coelo: quando itaque homo in morbo est, et cogitat de morte, ac de statu suae animae post mortem, tunc non in mundo est, et est abstractus spiritu, in quo statu solo nemo reformari potest; sed potest confirmari, si prius quam in morbum incidit, reformatus est.
[2] Simile est cum illis qui abdicant mundum et omne negotium ibi, et se dant solum cogitationibus de Deo, Coelo et Salute, sed de hac re alibi plura. Quare iidem, si non ante morbum reformati sunt, post illum, si moriuntur, fiunt quales fuerunt ante morbum; quare vanum est cogitare, quod aliqui possint poenitentiam agere, aut aliquam fidem recipere in morbis, nam nihil actionis est in illa poenitentia, et nihil charitatis in illa fide, quare est omne oris 1et nihil cordis in utraque.
Footnotes:
1 Prima editio: otis