1190. 1About the inward, the very inward, and the innermost meaning of the Word
Little children appeared to me, girls, the first one sitting in front of me to the left, a short distance away. Her face was slightly rosy, as most human faces are, verging on yellow, but her eyes were red, so she was suffering with a disease of weak eyes. I say, she was seated, she appeared suddenly, and suddenly vanished; nevertheless, she had been quite visible.
This girl symbolized the inward meaning of the Word, and her face had that appearance because the inward meaning has its character from physical elements, which were the rosiness of her face, and from earthly elements, which were the yellowness of her face. The weak and red eyes symbolize belief based on understanding of those things, which is not true faith.
Footnotes:
1. According to the author's instructions, 1185-89 have been placed after 1183 1/2.
1190. CONCERNING THE INTERIOR, MORE INTERIOR, AND INMOST SENSE OF THE WORD
Young girls appeared to me. The first was sitting before my face at a little distance somewhat to the left; her face was rather rosy and like most human faces tending to yellow, but her eyes were red, thus she was suffering from a disease of weak eyes. It was said that she was seated. She suddenly appeared and suddenly vanished, but still she was sufficiently evident. This girl signified the interior sense of the Word which is the reason she had such a face, for she derived the rosiness of her face from corporeal things, and the yellowness of her face from natural things. Her weak eyes which were red signify the intellectual faith of those [in such corporeal and natural things], which is not a true faith.
1190. De sensu interiori, intimiori ac intimo Verbi
1
Apparuerunt mihi infantes, puellares, prima ante faciem meam paululum sinistrorsum, ad paulam distantiam sedens, facie paulo sanguinea, ut facies humanae pleraeque, ad flavum vergente 2
, sed oculi erant rubri, sic morbo oculorum qui debiles erant laborans 3
[erat] 4
, dicitur quod sederit, haec subito apparuit, et subito evanuit, sed usque satis exstans [erat] 4
; haec puella significabat sensum interiorem Verbi, quae ideo tali facie erat, quia a corporeis quae sanguinea faciei erant, et a naturalibus quae flava faciei erant, trahit sua; oculi debiles, rubentes, significant fidem intellectualem eorum, quae non est vera fides.
Footnotes:
1. 1185 ad 1189 conformiter auctoris indiciis post 1183 apparent
2. The Manuscript has vergens
3. The Manuscript has laborens
4. sic manuscript; vide praefationem hujus editionis sub capite "Idiosyncrasies"