223、我从灵界的大量经历得知，人拥有像天使本人那样理解智慧秘密的能力在自己里面。因为我曾看见如火般的魔鬼，他们听见智慧秘密时，不但理解它们，还能凭自己的理性谈论它们。可一回到自己恶魔般的爱，他们就不再理解它们，反而思想对立面，也就是疯狂，他们却称之为智慧。当他们处于一种智慧状态时，我甚至被允许听见他们嘲笑自己的疯狂；当他们处于一种疯狂的状态时，则听见他们嘲笑智慧。在世时就具有这种性质的人，当死后成为灵人时，通常会被引入智慧和疯狂的交替状态，好叫他能从前者看清后者。但尽管这种人从智慧看到他们是疯狂的，然而当选择权被赋予他们时（每个人都会被赋予选择权），他们仍允许自己进入疯狂状态并热爱它；然后，他们对智慧状态只有恨恶。这是因为，他们的内在已是魔鬼，而他们的外在却貌似神性。伪装成光明天使的魔鬼，以及没有穿婚礼的礼服就赴婚筵，并被丢在外面黑暗里的宾客就是指这种人（马太福音22:11-13）。
223. Through a great deal of experience in the spiritual world I have been given to know that a person possesses in him a faculty for understanding secrets of wisdom like the angels themselves. For I have seen fiery devils who, when they heard secrets of wisdom, not only understood them but also by virtue of their rationality gave voice to them. But as soon as they returned to their diabolical love, they ceased to understand them, but understood instead the opposite - things which were insanities - and this they then called wisdom. Indeed, I have been given to hear them, when in a state of wisdom, laughing at their own insanity, and when in a state of insanity, laughing at wisdom.
After death, when he becomes a spirit, a person who was of such a character in the world is in most cases let into alternating states of wisdom and insanity, so as to view the latter from the perspective of the former. But even though such spirits see, from the perspective of wisdom, that they are insane, still, when given the choice - as everyone is - they convey themselves into the state of insanity, and love it, and then hate the state of wisdom. That is because their inner self was diabolical, and their outer self as though Divine.
These are the people we mean by devils who feign themselves angels of light, and who are meant by the man who was in the wedding hall not dressed in a wedding garment, and was cast into outer darkness (Matthew 22:11-13).
223. I have learned from an abundance of experience in the spiritual world that we have within us the ability to understand mysteries of wisdom just as real angels do, since I have seen fiery demons who not only understood mysteries of wisdom when they heard them but even stated them quite rationally. However, the moment they went back to their demonic love they did not understand them. They replaced them with their opposites, with insanity, and called that wisdom. I have even been allowed to hear them ridiculing their insanity when they were in their wise state and ridiculing their wisdom when they were in their insane state.
People who have been like this in the world are often led to experience alternate states of wisdom and insanity after death, when they become spirits, so that they can see each from the perspective of the other. However, even though they do see themselves as insane from the perspective of wisdom, when they are given the choice (as we all are), they commit themselves to insanity. This is what they love, and they then have nothing but hatred for wisdom. This is because their inner natures are demonic, while their outer natures seem divine. These are the people meant by devils who make themselves angels of light, and by the guest at the marriage feast who was not wearing a wedding garment and was cast into outer darkness (Matthew 22:11-12, 13).
223. By much experience in the spiritual world it has been granted me to know that man possesses in himself the faculty of understanding the inner truths (arcana) of wisdom like the angels themselves. For I have seen fiery devils who, while they were listening to inner truths of wisdom, not only understood them but also spoke of them from their own rationality. But as soon as they returned to their own diabolical love they ceased to understand them, and in place of them they uttered things contrary to them. These things were examples of spiritual insanity, and this they called wisdom. It has been granted me to hear them laughing at their own insanity when in a state of wisdom, and at wisdom when in a state of insanity.
[2] A man who has been of this character in the world, when after death he becomes a spirit, is usually admitted into alternate states of wisdom and insanity that he may distinguish the one from the other. But although such men from wisdom see that they are insane, yet when the choice is given them, as is done in the case of everyone, they introduce themselves into the state of insanity and love it; and then they regard with hatred the state of wisdom. This is because their internal has been diabolical and their external as if it were Divine. Such are meant by devils who pretend to be angels of light; and also by him who at the wedding was not clothed in a wedding garment and was cast into outer darkness (Matthew 22:11-13).
223. By much experience in the spiritual world it has been made known to me that man possesses in himself the ability to understand the secrets of wisdom like the angels themselves. For I have seen fiery devils who, while they were hearing the secrets of wisdom, not only understood them but from their rationality talked about them. But as soon as they returned to their diabolical love they ceased to understand them; and in place of them thought opposite things which were insanities, and this they then called wisdom. I have even been permitted to hear them, when they were in a state of wisdom laughing at their own insanity, and when in a state of insanity laughing at wisdom. The man who has been of this character in the world, when after death he becomes a spirit is usually let into alternate states of wisdom and insanity, that he may see the latter from the former. But although from wisdom such see that they are insane, yet when the choice is given them, as is done with every one, they admit themselves into the state of insanity and love it; and then they regard with hatred the state of wisdom. This is because their internal has been diabolical, and their external seemingly Divine. Such are meant by the devils who make themselves angels of light; also by the one at the house of the wedding who was not clothed in a wedding garment, and was cast into outer darkness (Matthew 22:11-13).
223. Per multam experientiam in Mundo spirituali datum est scire, quod homo in se possideat facultatem intelligendi arcana sapientiae, sicut ipsi angeli; nam vidi diabolos ignitos, qui dum arcana sapientiae audiverunt, quod non modo intellexerint illa, sed etiam ex rationalitate sua loquuti sint illa, at ut primum redierunt ad amorem suum diabolicum, non intellexerunt, sed pro illis contraria, quae erant insaniae, et hanc tunc vocaverunt sapientiam: imo datum est audire, quod cum in statu sapientiae erant, riderent suam insaniam, et cum in statu insaniae erant, riderent sapientiam. Homo qui 1in mundo talis fuerat, post mortem cum fit spiritus, utplurimum mittitur in statum alternum sapientiae et insaniae, ut videat hanc ab illa: sed tametsi ex sapientia vident se insanire, usque dum illis datur optio, quod fit cuilibet, immittunt se in statum insaniae, et illum amant, et tunc statum sapientiae odio habent: causa est, quia internum eorum fuit diabolicum, ac externum sicut Divinum: hi sunt qui intelliguntur per diabolos, qui se lucis angelos faciunt: et per illum, qui in domo nuptiarum non fuit indutus veste nuptiarum, ac ejectus in tenebras exteriores, Matthaeus 22:11-13.
Footnotes:
1 Prima editio: qni