150、⑹外在人必须通过内在人被改造，反过来不行。内在人和外在人，与前面多处（103-111，120，130，139，145节）讨论的思维的内在和外在是一个意思。外在之所以必须通过内在被改造，是因为内在流入外在，而不是反过来。学术界认识到，属灵的流入属世的，而不是反过来；教会认识到，内在人必须先得到洁净和更新，然后外在人由此得到洁净和更新。之所以能认识到这一点，是因为主和理性都是如此教导的。主以这些话教导这一点：
你们这假冒为善的人有祸了！因为你们洗净杯盘的外面，里面却盛满了勒索和放荡。你这瞎眼的法利赛人，先洗净杯盘的里面，好叫外面也干净了。（马太福音23:25-26）
《圣爱与圣智》一书大量说明，理性教导这一点。事实上，凡主所教导的，祂都赋予人能力去理性明白。这种情形以两种方式发生；一种是：一听见某事，人就在自己里面看见它的确是这样；另一种是：他通过理性来理解它。在自己里面看见它，在他的内在人中发生；他通过理性理解它，在外在人中发生。当听说，内在人必须先被洁净，外在人通过内在人被洁净时，谁不能在自己里面看到这一点？然而，如果一个人没有通过来自天堂的流注接受关于这个主题的某种大体概念，那么当他倚靠他的外在思维时，就会误入歧途。仅凭外在思维，人只会以为那拯救人的，是脱离内在美德的仁爱和虔诚的外在行为。在其它事上也是如此；如视觉和听觉流入思维，嗅觉和味觉流入感知，因而外在流入内在；而事实恰恰相反。表面上看，所看见和听见的东西流入思维，但这是一个错觉；因为是理解力通过眼睛在看，通过耳朵在听，而不是反过来。其它感觉也是如此。
150. (6) The outer self must be reformed by the inner self, and not the reverse. By the outer and inner self we mean the same thing as by the internal and external levels of thought, which we have discussed frequently before. The outer self must be reformed by the inner self because the internal flows into the external, and not the reverse.
People in the learned world know that there is an influx of the spiritual self into the natural self, and not the reverse. And in the church people know that the inner self must be purified and renewed first, and by it then the outer one. This is known because the Lord teaches it and reason declares it. The Lord teaches it in these words:
Woe to you?, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of predation and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be made clean also. (Matthew 23:25-26)
[2] That reason declares this is something we showed many times in our treatise Divine Love and Wisdom. For what the Lord teaches He grants to a person to perceive with his reason, and this in two ways. One is the person's seeing in himself that something is so as soon as he hears it. The other is his understanding it as a result of rational arguments. To see a thing in oneself is to see it in one's inner self, while to understand it as a result of rational arguments is to see it in one's outer self.
Who does not see it in himself on hearing that the inner self must be purified first and by it the outer self? But someone who does not accept by influx from heaven the common view regarding this point may be deluded when he takes the counsel of the external level of his thought. From the latter alone no one sees other than that outward works, works of charity and piety, are saving apart from inward ones. So, too, in regard to other things, as for example, that sight and hearing flow into the thought, and smell and taste into the perception, thus the external into the internal, when in fact the contrary is the case. The appearance that objects of sight and hearing flow into the thought is a fallacious one, for it is the intellect that sees in the eye and hears in the ear, and not the reverse. So likewise in regard to the rest of the senses.
150. 6. Our outer self has to be reformed by means of our inner self, and not the reverse. "The inner and outer self" means the same thing as "our inner and outer thought processes," already discussed in a number of places [103-111, 120, 130, 139, 145]. The reason the outer has to be reformed by means of the inner is that the inner flows into the outer, and not the reverse. The scholarly world recognizes that there is a flow of spirit into matter, and not the reverse; and the church recognizes that the inner self needs to be cleansed and renewed first, and then the outer. This is recognized because the Lord and reason both say so. The Lord says it this way:
Woe to you hypocrites, because you cleanse the outside of the cup and the platter while the insides are full of plunder and excess. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and the platter, and then the outside will be clean as well. (Matthew 23:25-26)
[2] In Divine Love and Wisdom I have presented ample evidence that reason teaches this. In fact, whatever the Lord teaches, he enables us to perceive rationally. This happens in two ways. One is by our seeing its truth within ourselves as soon as we hear it; the second is understanding it through rational analysis. Seeing it in ourselves happens in our inner self, and seeing it rationally happens in our outer self. Can anyone fail to see within, on first hearing, that the inner self needs to be cleansed first and the outer self cleansed by means of it? However, if we have not accepted some general image of this from the inflow from heaven, we can go wildly astray when we rely on our outer thought processes. They show us simply that outward actions, deeds of charity and piety, bring us salvation apart from deeper values. In the same vein, they tell us that sight and hearing flow into our thought, that smell and taste flow into our perception--that is, that the outside flows into the inside--when the opposite is true. It is an illusion that sight and hearing are flowing into our thought, because it is our intelligence that is seeing through our eyes and hearing through our ears, not the reverse. The same holds true for the other senses.
150. VI. THE EXTERNAL MAN MUST BE REFORMED BY MEANS OF THE INTERNAL, AND NOT THE REVERSE. By the internal and the external man is meant the same as by the internal and the external of thought, which have frequently been treated of before. The reason why the external is reformed by means of the internal is that the internal flows into the external, and not the reverse. It is known in the learned world that there is influx of the spiritual into the natural, and not the reverse; and it is known in the Church that the internal man must first be purified and renewed, and thereby the external. This is known because the Lord teaches it and reason declares it. The Lord teaches it in these words:
Woe unto you ... hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and the platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Matthew 23:25-26.
[2] That reason declares it is shown in many passages in the treatise THE DIVINE LOVE AND WISDOM. For what the Lord teaches He grants to men to perceive rationally, and this in two ways; in one, man sees in himself that a thing is so, as soon as he hears it; and in the other, he understands it by means of reasons. His seeing in himself is in his internal man, and his understanding by means of reasons is in the external man. Everyone sees it within himself when he hears that the internal man must first be purified and the external by means of it. But he who does not receive a general idea of this by influx from heaven may be led astray when he consults the external of his thought. From this alone no one sees otherwise than that the external works of charity and piety, apart from the internal, are saving: It is the same in other things; as that sight and hearing flow into thought, and smell and taste into perception; thus the external into the internal, when nevertheless the contrary is the case. The appearance that what is seen and heard flow into the thought is a fallacy; for it is the understanding that sees in the eye and hears in the ear, and not the reverse. So it is in everything else.
150. (6) The external man must be reformed by means of the internal, and not the reverse. By the internal and external man the same is meant as by the internal and external of thought, which have been frequently defined above. The reformation of the external by means of the internal means that the internal flows into the external, and not the reverse. It is admitted in the learned world that there is an influx of the spiritual into the natural, and not the reverse; and it is admitted in the church that the internal man must be first cleansed and renewed and thereby the external. This is admitted because it is taught by the Lord and declared by the reason. It is taught by the Lord in these words:-
Woe unto you, hypocrites; for ye cleanse the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full from extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup and of the platter, that the outside of them may become clean also (Matthew 23:25-26).
[2] That reason declares this has been abundantly shown in the work on The Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom. For what the Lord teaches He gives man ability to perceive rationally, and this in two ways; in one, man sees in himself that a thing is so as soon as he hears it; in the other, he understands it by means of reasons. His seeing it in himself is in his internal man; his understanding it by means of reasons is in the external man. Does not every one see it in himself when he hears that the internal man must be cleansed first, and the external by means of it? But one who does not receive a general idea of this subject by influx from heaven may be misled when he consults the external of his thought; from that alone no one sees otherwise than that the external works of charity and piety, apart from internal works, are what save. So in other things; as that sight and hearing flow into thought, and that smell and taste flow into perception, thus the external into the internal, when, nevertheless, the contrary is true. The appearance that things seen and heard flow into the thought is a fallacy; for it is the understanding that sees in the eye and hears in the ear, and not the reverse. So in everything else.
150. VI. Quod Externus homo reformandus sit per Internum, et non vicissim: Per internum et externum hominem idem intelligitur quod per internum et externum cogitationis, de quo saepius prius: quod externum reformetur per internum, est quod internum influat in externum, et non vicissim: 1quod detur influxus spiritualis in naturalem, et non vicissim, in Erudito Orbe notum est: et quod internus homo primum purificandus et innovandus sit, et sic externus, in Ecclesia notum est; quod notum sit, est quia Dominus [docet], et ratio dictat; Dominus hoc docet his verbis, "Vae vobis hypocritae, quia purgatis 2exterius poculi et patinae, interiora vero sunt plena rapina et intemperantia: Pharisaee caece, purga prius interius poculi et patinae, ut fiat etiam exterius mundum," Matthaeus 23:25-26:
[2] quod ratio dictet, multis in Transactione de DIVINO AMORE ET DIVINA SAPIENTIA, ostensum est: quod enim Dominus docet, dat etiam homini ratione percipere; et hoc binis modis, uno quod videat in se, quod ita sit ut primum id audit; altero, quod per rationes id intelligat; videre in se est in interno suo homine, ac intelligere per rationes est in externo homine: quis non videt in se cum audit, quod internus homo primum purificandus 3sit, et per illum externus; sed qui non communem ideam de hac re ex influxu e coelo recipit, potest hallucinari cum consulit externum cogitationis suae; ex hoc solo nemo videt aliud, quam quod externa opera, quae sunt charitatis et pietatis, absque internis salvent; similiter in aliis rebus, sicut quod visus et auditus influant in cogitationem, et quod odor et gustus in perceptionem, ita externum in internum, cum tamen contrarium est; quod appareant visa et audita influere in cogitationem, est fallacia, nam intellectus videt in oculo et audit in aure, et non vicissim: similiter in reliquis.
Footnotes:
1 Prima editio: vicissim.
2 Prima editio: purgatis, fortasse
3 Prima editio: purificandns