403、有些灵人在世时接受了一种观点，以为天堂的幸福在于空闲的生活，别人会为他们服务。但他们被告知，幸福绝不在于无所事事并从中得到满足，因为这意味着每个人为了自己，都想要别人的幸福，每个人都希望得到的，没有人会得到。这样的生活不是一种积极的生活，而是一种闲散的生活，他们在其中会变得懈怠。此外，他们本来也可以知道，没有积极的生活就没有幸福的生活。积极生活中的休闲只是为了重新得力，让人以更充沛的精力回归到积极的生活中。后来又通过多种证据向他们显明，天使的生活在于发挥仁爱的善行，也就是功用，天使发现他们的一切幸福都在功用中，来自功用，取决于功用。为了让那些以为天堂的喜乐在于空闲的生活、并在无所事事中呼吸着永恒喜乐的人，可能会为这些想法自觉羞愧，他们被赐予一种感知，以感知这是一种什么样的生活，结果他们发现，这种生活极其悲哀，所有的喜乐就这样消失了，没一会儿，他们就对它感到厌恶和恶心。
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403. 有些灵人由于在世时所吸收的观点, 以为天堂的幸福在于受人服侍的闲适生活; 但他们被告知, 幸福从来不在于无所事事和由此而来的满足. 这意味着想要别人幸福是为了自己, 在这种情况下, 人根本没有幸福可言. 这种生活是懒散, 消极的, 会导致生命萎靡不振. 事实上, 人人都应知道, 没有积极的生活, 生命便没有幸福可言; 休息只是为了重新得力以服务于这种生活, 好叫他们以更充沛的精力回归积极的生活. 后来又通过多种方式, 他们被指示, 天使的生活在于有价值, 考虑周到的行为, 就是对他人有用的行为, 或说仁爱的善行, 也就是功用; 天使的一切快乐都在功用当中, 源于功用, 与功用成正比. 为叫那些以为天堂的喜乐在于闲适的生活, 并吸入永恒幸福之人知耻, 他们得以体验这是一种什么样的生活. 他们发现, 这种生活极其悲哀; 因此, 一旦他们的快乐消失, 他们很快就对它感到厌恶和恶心.
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403. 有的靈因在人間所形成的觀點, 以為天國之樂在於過悠閒的生活, 受人侍候。他們被告知, 無所事事的生活是毫無快樂可言的, 因為那意味著奪取別人的快樂。在這種情況下, 人不可能獲得快樂。這種生活是懶散的, 消極的, 導致生命的萎縮。事實上, 他們本該明白, 離開積極的生活, 生命便沒有快樂可言。休息只是為了重新得力, 便於以更好的狀態回到積極的生活當中。後來, 通過多種方式, 他們得以明白天人的生活由寶貴的, 仁愛的, 利人的行為構成。天人的快樂全在服務當中, 從服務產生, 與服務相稱。
此等人以為天國之樂在於過悠閒的生活, 以為悠閒之中帶著永恆的福樂。為了讓他們自覺羞愧, 他們得以感受那生活的滋味。他們發現那是一種悲哀的生活, 快樂一消退, 很快就讓人覺得厭惡。
403. On the basis of an opinion formed in the world, some spirits have believed that heavenly happiness consisted of a life of leisure, being waited on by others; but they were informed that there is never any happiness in idling around in order to be content. This would mean wanting the happiness of others for oneself, in which case no one would have any at all. This kind of life would be idle, not active, a life that would lead to atrophy. They might in fact have known that apart from an active life, a life has no happiness, and that idleness serves that life only for refreshment, in order to return them to the active life with more energy. Then they were shown in many ways that angelic life consists of worthwhile, thoughtful actions, actions that are useful to others, and that all the happiness angels have is found in service, derives from service, and is proportional to service.
So that these people might feel shame (people who have had the notion that heavenly joy consists of a life of leisure, inhaling eternal bliss) they are enabled to perceive what kind of life this would be. They see that it is thoroughly miserable; and once all their delight therefore dies away, they are very soon disgusted and nauseated.
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403. There were some spirits who believed from an opinion adopted in the world that heavenly happiness consisted in an idle life in which they would be served by others; but they were told that happiness never consists in being inactive and getting satisfaction therefrom. This would mean everyone's desiring the happiness of others for himself, and what everyone wished for, no one would have. Such a life would not be an active life but an idle life in which they would become slack. Moreover, they could have known that without an active life there can be no happiness of life, and that the leisure of this active life is only for the sake of recreation that one may return with more vigour to the activity of his life. They were then shown by many evidences that angelic life consists in performing the good works of charity, which are uses, and that the angels find all their happiness in use, from use, and in accordance with use. To those who held the opinion that heavenly joy consists in living an idle life and drawing breaths of eternal joy in idleness, a perception was given of what such a life is, that they might become ashamed of the idea; and they saw that such a life is extremely sad, and that all joy thus perishing, they would, in a little while, feel only loathing and disgust for it.
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403. There were some spirits who believed from an opinion adopted in the world that heavenly happiness consists in an idle life in which they would be served by others; but they were told that happiness never consists in abstaining from work and getting satisfaction therefrom. This would mean everyone's desiring the happiness of others for himself, and what everyone wished for no one would have. Such a life would be an idle not an active life, and would stupefy all the powers of life; and everyone ought to know that without activity of life there can be no happiness of life, and that rest from this activity should be only for the sake of recreation, that one may return with more vigor to the activity of his life. They were then shown by many evidences that angelic life consists in performing the good works of charity, which are uses, and that the angels find all their happiness in use, from use, and in accordance with use. To those that held the opinion that heavenly joy consists in living an idle life and drawing breaths of eternal joy in idleness, a perception was given of what such a life is, that they might become ashamed of the idea; and they saw that such a life is extremely sad, and that all joy thus perishing they would in a little while feel only loathing and disgust for it.
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403. Quidam spiritus, ex opinione in mundo capta, crediderunt quod felicitas caelestis consisteret in vita otiosa, in qua serviantur ab aliis sed illis dictum est, quod nusquam aliqua felicitas consistat in eo ut quiescant, et inde habeant felicitatem ita quisque vellet habere felicitatem aliorum pro se, et cum quisque, nullus haberet: talis vita foret non activa sed otiosa, in qua torpescerent; cum tamen notum iis esse possit, quod absque vita activa nulla vitae felicitas, et quod otium. ejus vitae sit modo recreationis causa, ut alacrior ad activum suae vitae redeat. Dein multis ostensum est, quod vita angelica consistat in praestandis bonis charitatis, quae sunt usus, et quod omnis felicitas angelis sit in usu, ex usu, et secundum usum. Qui talem ideam habuerunt, quod gaudium caeleste consisteret in eo, ut otiosi viverent, respirantes in otio gaudium aeternum, ut pudefierent, datum erat illis percipere qualis vita talis et percepta est quod tristissima, et quod pereunte sic omni gaudio, post paucum tempus eam fastidirent et nausearent.