149、自由来自天堂与地狱之间的平衡，没有自由，人就无法被改造，这在《天堂与地狱》一书已经说明；可参看那里关于下列主题的讨论：平衡本身（589-596节），自由（597-603节）。但为了在此提供关于何为自由的教导，并说明人通过自由被改造，我将从这本书中引用以下内容：我刚才描述了天堂与地狱之间的平衡，并说明这种平衡就在来自天堂的良善和来自地狱的邪恶之间；这意味着它是一种属灵的平衡，而属灵的平衡本质上就是自由。属灵的平衡之所以本质上是自由，是因为它是良善与邪恶，并真理与虚假之间的一种平衡，而这些都是属灵事物。因此，自由就是要么意愿良善，要么意愿邪恶，要么思想真理，要么思想虚假，并且选择这一个而不选择那一个的能力。这种自由被主赐给每个人，它永远不会从人那里被拿走。事实上，就其起源而言，它并不属于人，而是属于主，因为它来自主；然而，它仍与生命一起被赋予人，如同他自己的。之所以被赋予人，是为了他能被改造并得救，因为没有自由，不可能有改造和拯救。凡有一点理性洞察力的人都能看出，人拥有思想良善或邪恶，诚实或不诚实，公义或不义的自由；还能看出，他能说并做良善、诚实和公义的事，却不能说并做邪恶、不诚实和不义的事，因为道德和文明的法律约束了他的外在。
从这些事明显可知，这种自由适用于进行思考和意愿的人的灵，但不适用于进行说话和行动的人的外在，除非这外在遵守上述法律。人之所以无法被改造，除非他拥有某种自由，是因为他生在各种邪恶中。这些邪恶必须被移除，以便他能得救。然而，它们无法被移除，除非他在自己里面看见并承认它们，后来停止意愿它们，最终厌恶它们。只有到那时，它们才第一次被移除。这一切无法实现，除非人暴露于良善和邪恶之中，因为他能从良善看见邪恶，但不能从邪恶看见良善。人通过阅读圣言并聆听讲道从小就学习他所能思想的属灵良善；他从世上的生活学习道德和文明的良善。这就是人要处于自由状态的第一个原因。
没有自由，人就无法被改造的第二个原因是，除了人出于爱之情感所行的外，没有什么东西会成为他的一部分；其它东西的确能进入他的心智，但只进入他的思维，不进入他的意愿；凡不进入意愿的东西都不会变成他自己的，因为思维从记忆获得它的实质，而意愿从生命本身获得它的实质。除了从这种意愿，或也可说，从他的爱之情感发出的东西外，人所行或所思的任何东西都不是自由的。凡一个人所意愿或所爱的，他都会自由去行；因此，人的自由和属于他的爱或意愿的情感为一。所以人必须拥有自由，以便他被真理和良善打动，或热爱它们，并且它们也能变得像是他的一部分。总之，凡不在自由中进入人的东西都不会保留下来，因为它不属于他的爱或意愿；凡不属于人的爱或意愿的东西，都不属于他的灵。事实上，人之灵的存在就是他的爱或意愿。
为了人能处于自由的状态，以便被改造，他在灵里与天堂和地狱联结。因为来自地狱的灵人和来自天堂的天使与每个人同在。人通过来自地狱的灵人被保持在自己的邪恶中，但通过来自天堂的天使被主保持在良善中。如此他便处于属灵的平衡，也就是自由之中。来自天堂的天使和来自地狱的灵人与每个人同在，这一点可见于“天堂与人类的联结”那一章（HH291-302节）。
149、自由来自天堂与地狱之间的平衡，没有自由的人不能被重生，在《天堂与地狱》里有说明，在关于那种平衡的文章中（589-596），以及关于自由的文章中（597 到末尾。但是为了讲解什么是自由及说明人靠它被重生，我将在这里引用如下内容，它们摘自那本书。
已经指出，天堂和地狱的平衡是来自天堂的良善和来自地狱的邪恶之间的平衡。因此它是一种属灵平衡，它的本质是自由。那种属灵平衡在它的本质上是自由的原因是因为它是良善和邪恶的平衡、真理和谬误的平衡，这些是属灵事物。因此，自由在于任何人能意愿良善或邪恶、思考真理或谬误以及喜欢一个而不是另一个。
主把这种自由给予每个人，也永远不会从他身上拿走。由于它的起源，所以它的确不属于人，而是属于主，因为它是来自主。但是，它和生命一起被给予人，它就像是他自己的。它被给予人是为了人可以被重生和拯救。因为没有自由就不能有重生和拯救。以任何一种理性眼光看事物的每个人可以看到，人有自由恰当或不恰当地、真诚或不真诚地、公正或不公正地思考。另外，他有自由恰当、真诚和公正地说话和行动，但是他被属灵、道德和公民法则禁止去进行不恰当、不真诚和不公正地说话和行动，他的外在通过这些被约束。
这些事物显示，人的灵魂，也就是思考和意志，是自由的。除非与以上提到的法则一致，否则思考和行动的外在之人不是那样。除非人是自由的，否则他不能被重生，这是因为人生于一切类型的邪恶之中。这些必须被摈弃，以便他能被拯救。除非他在他自身中看到这些，并且承认它们，否则它们不能被摈弃。后来终止对它们的意愿，最后厌恶它们。那时它们会首先被摈弃。除非人拥有良善就像拥有邪恶一样，否则不能完成这。因为他通过良善能看到邪恶，但是通过邪恶不能看到良善。人能够思考的属灵良善是他在早期通过阅读圣言和聆听讲道学来的。他在人间生活中学到道德良善和公民良善。这是人为什么应该自由的首要原因。另一个原因是，除了他通过属于他的爱的喜爱去做的以外，没有什么适合他。其它事物的确能进入他的心灵，但是不能进一步进入他的思想，也不能进入他的意志。没有进入意志的就不能变成他自己的，因为思想从记忆中提取它的观点，而意志是从生命自身提取。除了来自这个意愿或者相同事物是来自属于他的爱的情感，人思考或行动没有什么是永远自由地。无论一个人意愿或爱什么，他都是自由地做。因为这个缘故，一个人的自由和属于他的爱即属于他的意志的喜爱是同一个东西。因此，人必须有自由，以便他能被真理和良善影响或爱它们，那样它们可以变得就像是他自己的。简而言之，不是自由进入人里面的，无论什么都不能保留，因为它不属于他的爱或意愿。不属于人的爱或意愿的，无论什么都不属于他的灵魂。因为人的灵魂的实在是他的爱或意愿。
为了人被重生，他可能是自由的，就灵魂而言，他与天堂和地狱结合。因为来自地狱的恶灵和来自天堂的天使与每个人同在。由于地狱的恶灵，人被地狱之灵的邪恶控制；但是由于天堂的天使，人被主保守在良善中。因此他是在属灵平衡中，也就是在自由中。天堂的天使和地狱的灵魂与每个人相连，这些可在《天堂和人类的结合》的章节中看到（291-302）。
149. Freedom comes from the equilibrium between heaven and hell; if we did not have this freedom we could not be reformed. This has been shown in Heaven and Hell; see the discussion of the equilibrium itself in 589-596 and of the freedom that arises from it in 597-603. To provide information here about what freedom is and about the fact that it makes our reformation possible, I would like to quote the following from that source. 1
I have just described the balance between heaven and hell and have shown that the balance is between goodness from heaven and evil from hell, which means that it is a spiritual balance that in essence is a freedom.
The reason this spiritual balance is essentially a freedom is that it exists between what is good and what is evil and between what is true and what is false, and these are spiritual realities. So freedom is the ability to intend either good or evil and to think either truth or falsity, the ability to choose one instead of the other.
The Lord grants this freedom to every individual, and it is never taken away. By virtue of its source it in fact belongs to the Lord and not to us, because it comes from the Lord; yet still it is given to us along with our life as though it were ours. This is so that we can be reformed and saved, for without freedom there can be no reformation or salvation.
Anyone who uses a little rational insight can see that we have a freedom to think thoughts that are good or evil, honest or dishonest, fair or unfair, and that we can say and do things that are good, honest, and fair, although we cannot say and do things that are evil, dishonest, and unfair, because of the moral and civil laws that keep our outward nature in restraint.
We can see from this that this freedom applies to our spirit, which does our thinking and intending, but not to our outer nature, which does our talking and acting, unless our outer nature is following the aforementioned laws.
The reason we cannot be reformed unless we have some freedom is that we are born with evils of all kinds, evils that need to be laid aside if we are to be saved. Yet they cannot be laid aside unless we see them within ourselves, admit that they are there, then no longer will them, and ultimately reject them. Only then are they laid aside. This cannot happen unless we are exposed to both what is good and what is evil, since it is from goodness that we can see evil, though from evil we cannot see goodness. As for the kinds of spiritual goodness we can think about, from early childhood we learn them from the reading of the Word and from sermons. We learn the kinds of moral and civic goodness from our life in the world. This is the primary reason we need to be in a state of freedom.
The second reason we cannot be reformed without freedom is that nothing becomes part of us unless we engage with it with love. True, other things can enter us, but no deeper than into our thought, not into our will; and anything that does not enter all the way into our will is not ours. This is because our thinking is derived from our memory, but our will is derived from our life itself. We never experience a sense of freedom unless our feelings, which are extensions of what we love, are engaged, because whatever we intend or love, we do with a sense of freedom. This is why our freedom and the feelings we have from our love or our will are one and the same. So we also have freedom in order to be able to be moved by what is true and good, or to love them, so that they become like part of us. In a word, anything that does not enter us while we are in a state of freedom does not stay with us because it does not belong to our love or will; and anything that does not belong to our love or will does not belong to our spirit. The reality underlying our spirit is love or will.
So that we can be in a state of freedom for the sake of our reformation, we are joined in spirit to heaven and to hell. With each of us there are spirits from hell and angels from heaven. By means of the spirits from hell we encounter our evil, while by means of the angels from heaven we encounter the good we have from the Lord. As a result, we are in a spiritual equilibrium-that is, a state of freedom. On the fact that angels from heaven and spirits from hell are present with all of us, see the chapter on the union of heaven with the human race (Heaven and Hell 291-302).
Footnotes:
1. The excerpt is from the text of Heaven and Hell 597-599, but it has been lightly edited by Swedenborg. [GFD]
149. Not translated.
149. That freedom arises from the equilibrium between heaven and hell, and that unless a man has freedom, he cannot be reformed, is shewn in the work on Heaven and Hell, in the chapters concerning Equilibrium itself, Heaven and Hell 589-596, and concerning Freedom, Heaven and Hell 597 to the end: but for the sake of showing what freedom is, and that through it a man is reformed, I will quote here from the above as follows: "It has been shewn, that the equilibrium between heaven and hell is an equilibrium between the good which is out of heaven, and the evil which is out of hell; that, therefore, it is a spiritual equilibrium which, in its essence, is freedom. Spiritual equilibrium, in its essence, is freedom, because it exists between good and evil, and between truth and falsity, and because these are spiritual: wherefore freedom consists in any one being able to will good or evil, and to think truth or falsity, and to prefer the one to the other. This freedom is given by the Lord to every man, and is never taken away from him. By virtue of its origin, it indeed belongs to the Lord, and not to the man, because it is from the Lord; nevertheless, together with life, it is given to the man as his own; and indeed to this end, that he may be reformed and saved; for apart from freedom there is no reformation and no salvation. Every one, from some rational insight is able to see, that a man is free to think either ill or well, sincerely or insincerely, justly or unjustly; and also, that he has the ability of speaking and acting well, sincerely and justly, but not of speaking and acting ill, insincerely, and unjustly, on account of the moral and civil laws, by which his External is kept in bonds. From this it is evident, that a man's spirit, which does the thinking and willing is in freedom; but not a man's External, which does the speaking and acting, except so far as it is in conformity with the above-mentioned laws. That a man cannot be reformed, unless he is in freedom, is on account of his being born into evils of every kind, which have to be removed, in order that he may be saved. These evils, however, cannot be removed, unless the man sees them in himself, and acknowledges them; and afterwards no longer wills them, and at length shuns them; it is then only that they are removed. This cannot be brought about unless the man is in good as well as in evil; for from good, he is able to see evils, but from evil he cannot see goods. The spiritual goods which a man is able to think, he learns, from the age of childhood, by reading the Word and hearing sermons; and moral and civil goods he learns by his life in the world. This is the first purpose for which a man should be in freedom; the second is, that nothing is appropriated to a man, except what is done by him from an affection belonging to his love. The rest, indeed, may enter into the man, but not beyond his thought, and hence not into the will; and that which does not penetrate into a man's will, does not become his own; for thought derives its substance from the memory, but will from the very life [of the man]. Nothing, except what proceeds from an affection belonging to the love, is ever free; for what a man wills, that is, what he loves, he does freely. On this account a man's freedom, and the affection which belongs to his love, that is, to his will, are a one: wherefore, a man has freedom, in order that he may be affected by truth and good, that is, that he may love them, and that they consequently may become as it were his own. In a word, whatever does not enter with a man in freedom, does not remain, because it does not become a part of his love, that is, of his will; and whatever is not a part of a man's love, that is, of his will, does not belong to his spirit: for the Esse of a man's spirit is love, that is, will. In order that a man, for the sake of his reformation, may be in freedom, he is conjoined, as to his spirit, with heaven and hell; for with every man there are spirits from hell, and angels from heaven. Through the spirits from hell the man is in his own evil; but through the angels from heaven he is in good from the Lord. In this wise he is in a spiritual equilibrium, that is, in freedom. That angels from heaven and spirits from hell are adjoined to every man, may be seen in the chapter on the "Conjunction of Heaven with the Human Race" (Heaven and Hell 291-302).
149. Freedom originates from the equilibrium between heaven and hell, and man, without freedom, cannot be reformed, is shown in the work on Heaven an Hell, in the articles concerning that equilibrium (n. 589-596), and concerning freedom (n. 597 to the end); but for the sake of instruction respecting what freedom is, and to show that man is reformed by means of it, I will here quote the following extracts from that work.
"It has been shown, that the equilibrium between heaven and hell is an equilibrium between the good which is from heaven and the evil which is from hell; and thus it is a spiritual equilibrium, which in its essence is freedom. The reason that spiritual equilibrium is, in its essence, freedom, is, because it is an equilibrium between good and evil, and between truth and falsity, which are spiritual things; wherefore, the power of willing either good or evil, and of thinking either truth or falsity, and of choosing the one in preference to the other, is freedom. This freedom is given to everyone by the Lord, nor is it ever taken away from him. In its origin, indeed, it does not belong to man, but to the Lord, because it is from the Lord; but, nevertheless, it is given to man, together with life, as his own: and it is given him to this end, that he may be reformed and saved; for without freedom there can be no reformation and salvation. Everyone who takes any rational view of things may see, that man has freedom to think either ill or well, sincerely or insincerely, justly or unjustly; and also, that he is at liberty to speak and to act well, sincerely, and justly, but is withheld from speaking and acting ill, insincerely, and unjustly, by spiritual, moral, and civil laws, by which his external is kept in bonds. From these things it is evident, that the spirit of man, which is that which thinks and wills: is in freedom. Not so the external of man, which speaks and acts, except in conformity with the above-mentioned laws. The reason that man cannot be reformed, unless he is in freedom, is because he is born into evils of all kinds. These must be removed, in order that he may be saved; and they cannot be removed, unless he sees them in himself, and acknowledges them; and afterwards ceases to will them, and at length holds them in aversion. It is then that they are first removed. This could not be done, unless man possessed in him good as well as evil; for he is capable, from good, of seeing evils, but not, from evil, of seeing goods. The spiritual goods which man can think, he learns from infancy by reading the Word and hearing sermons; and he learns moral and civil goods from life in the world. This is the first reason why man ought to be in freedom. Another is, that nothing is appropriated to man, but what he does from an affection that is of his love; other things may indeed enter his mind, but no further than into his thought; and not into his will; and what does not enter into the will does not become his own, for the thought draws its ideas from the memory, but the will from the life itself. Nothing that man ever does or thinks is free, but what proceeds from this will, or, what is the same thing, from an affection belonging to his love. Whatever a man wills or loves, he does freely; in consequence of which, a man's freedom, and the affection which is that of his love or of his will, are one: on which account, therefore, man must have freedom, in order that he may be affected by truth and good, or love them, and that they may become as it were his own. In a word, whatever does not enter man in freedom, does not remain, because it is not of his love or will; and whatever is not of a man's love or will is not of his spirit: for the esse of the spirit of man is his love or will.
" (Heaven and Hell 598) That man may be in freedom, as necessary to his being reformed, he is conjoined, as to his spirit, with heaven and with hell; for spirits from hell, and angels from heaven, are with every man. By the spirits from hell, man is held in his evil; but by the angels from heaven, he is held in good by the Lord. Thus he is in spiritual equilibrium, that is, in freedom. That angels from heaven, and spirits from hell, are adjoined to every man, may be seen in the Section on the Conjunction of Heaven with the Human Race" (n. 291-302).
149. Quod liberum sit ex aequilibrio inter caelum et infernum, et quod homo, nisi ei liberum sit, non reformari possit, ostensum est in opere De Caelo et Inferno: (de ipso aequilibrio, De Caelo et Inferno 589-596, et de libero, De Caelo et Inferno 597 ad fin.:) sed instructionis causa quid liberum, et quod homo per id reformetur, velim inde haec afferre:--
"Ostensum est quod aequilibrium inter caelum et infernum sit aequilibrium inter bonum quod e caelo et malum quod ex inferno, ita quod sit aequilibrium spirituale, quod in sua essentia est liberum. Quod aequilibrium spirituale in sua essentia sit liberum, est quia est inter bonum et malum, ac inter verum et
Falsum, et haec sunt spiritualia; quapropter posse velle bonum aut malum, aut cogitare verum aut falsum, ac eligere unum prae altero, est liberum.... Hoc liberum datur unicuivis homini a Domino, nec usquam aufertur; est quidem ex sua origine non hominis sed Domini, quia est a Domino; at usque cum vita donatur
Homini sicut suum, et hoc ex causa ut homo possit reformari et salvari, nam absque libero nulla reformatio et salvatio. Quisque ex intuitione aliqua rationali videre potest quod in hominis libero sit cogitare male vel bene, sincere vel insincere, juste vel injuste; et quoque quod possit loqui et agere bene, sincere et juste, sed non male, insincere et injuste propter
Leges..Morales et civiles, per quas externum ejus tenetur in vinculis. Ex his patet quod spiritus hominis, qui est qui cogitat et vult, sit in libero; non ita externum hominis, quod loquitur et agit, nisi hoc sit secundum supradictas leges.
"Quod homo non possit reformari nisi sit in libero, est quia nascitur in omnis generis mala, quae tamen removenda sunt ut salvari possit; nec removeri possunt nisi videat illa in se, et agnoscat illa, et dein nolit illa, et tandem aversetur illa; tunc primum removentur. Hoc non fieri potest, nisi homo tam in bono quam in malo sit; ex bono enim potest videre mala, sed non a malo bona. Bona spiritualia, quae homo cogitare potest, discit ab infantia ex lectione Verbi, et ex praedicatione; ac bona moralia et civilia ex vita in mundo. Hoc primum est cur homo in libero esse debet. Alterum est, quod nihil approprietur homini nisi quod fit ex affectione quae amoris; reliqua quidem intrare possunt, sed non ultra quam in cogitationem, et non in voluntatem; et quod non intrat usque in voluntatem hominis non fit ejus, nam cogitatio trahit suum ex memoria, sed voluntas ex ipsa vita. Nihil usquam liberum est quod non est ex affectione quae amoris; quicquid enim homo vult seu amat, hoc libere facit: inde est quod liberum hominis et affectio quae est amoris seu voluntatis ejus, unum sint; ideo itaque homini liberum, ut possit affici vero et bono, seu amare illa, et sic fieri sicut ejus propria. Verbo, quicquid non intrat in libero apud hominem, non manet, quia non est amoris seu voluntatis ejus; et quae non sunt amoris seu voluntatis hominis, non sunt ejus spiritus; esse enim spiritus hominis est amor seu voluntas.....
"Ut homo in libero sit, ex causa ut reformetur, ideo conjungitur ille quoad spiritum suum cum caelo et cum inferno. Sunt enim apud unumquemvis hominem spiritus ex inferno, et angeli e caelo; per spiritus ex inferno est homo in suo malo, per angelos autem e caelo eat homo in bono a Domino; ita in aequilibrio spirituali, hoc est, in libero. Quod cuivis homini sint adjuncti angeli e caelo, et spiritus ex inferno, videatur in articulo De Conjunctione Caeli cum Humano Genere (De Caelo et Inferno 291-302)."