29、从目前我所说的这些明显可知，灵人把他们在来世的所见所闻保留在自己的记忆中，并且能和在世为人时一样接受教导；同样能在信的事物上接受教导，以致他们能由此变得越发完善。灵人和天使越内在，就越容易并充分吸收他们所学到的东西，而且越发完善地保留下来。由于这一过程持续到永远，故显而易见，他们的智慧不断增长。就水星灵而言，他们的事实知识不断增长，但这不会带来智慧上的增长，因为他们热爱作为手段的知识，却不喜欢功用，就是知识所服务的目的。
29. What has just been said shows very clearly that spirits retain in their memories what they see and hear in the other life and that they can be taught just as they could when they were people on their planet. This means they can learn the teachings of faith and can therefore be perfected. The more inwardly aware spirits and angels are, the more quickly and fully they absorb things and the more perfectly they retain them; and since this goes on forever, we can see that they are constantly increasing in wisdom. 1For spirits from Mercury, knowledge about things is constantly growing, but this does not result in growth in wisdom, because although they love conceptual knowledge, which is actually only a means to an end, they do not love the using of that knowledge, which is its purpose.
Footnotes:
1. Swedenborg sees angels, not as static beings, but as continually growing in knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom. For more on angels and spirits increasing in wisdom, see Secrets of Heaven 4803, 6232:2, 6648, 8108, 10200; Heaven and Hell 271-274, 469; Divine Providence 334; Marriage Love 185:3. [LSW]
29. What I have said so far proves clearly that spirits retain in their memory what they see and hear in the next life, and that they can be taught just as much as when they were human beings in the world; and this applies equally to matters of faith, so that they can become more perfect. The more inward spirits and angels are, the more readily and fully they absorb what they learn and the more exactly they retain it. Since this process continues for ever, it is evident that their wisdom continually increases. In the case of the spirits from Mercury their knowledge of facts continually increases, but this does not cause an increase of wisdom, because they love knowledge, which is a means, rather than the purposes to which it should be put, which are the ends it serves.
29. From what has now been said, it appears manifest, that spirits retain in the memory what they see and hear in the other life, and that they are capable of being instructed alike as when they were men in the world, consequently of being instructed in the things of faith, and thereby of being perfected. The more interior spirits and angels are, in the same proportion they receive instruction more readily, and in a greater fullness, and retain it more perfectly: and inasmuch as this faculty abides forever, it is evident that they are continually increasing in wisdom. With the spirits of Mercury there is a constant growth in the science of things, but not in wisdom thence derived, because they love knowledges, which are means, but not uses which are ends.
29. Ex his quae nunc dicta sunt, constat manifeste, quod Spiritus, quae vident et audiunt in altera vita, memoria retineant, et quod illi aeque ac cum fuerunt homines in mundo, instrui queant, proinde in illis quae fidei sunt, et sic perfici: quo interiores spiritus et angeli sunt, eo promptius et plenius hauriunt, et perfectius retinent; et quia hoc in aeternum, patet quod illis crescat sapientia continue: apud Mercurii spiritus continue crescit scientia rerum, sed inde non sapientia, quia cognitiones, quae media sunt, amant, non autem usus qui fines.