252.同样令人惊讶的是,人类还没有真正发现，凡人造的或人为的东西，如雕像、绘画和其它无数事物，表面上看很漂亮，甚至被人们看得极其珍贵。然而，从里面看，这些东西就像由黏土和尘埃构成的。它们仅仅是眼睛所欣赏的表面，而那些从种子生长的事物则从内在开始，逐渐长大或向外在发展；不仅看上去很漂亮，而且越往内看它们，它们就越漂亮。人的生命也是这样。那些从外在开始，因而从人发出的事物好比人为的东西；人们看重并欣赏它们的外表，但它们的内在毫无价值；相反，那些来自弥赛亚神的事物是由至内层形成的；这些事物好比自然界中那些从至内在部分散发出美丽的事物。这就是弥赛亚神所说的话，即：就是所罗门极荣华的时候，他所穿戴的还不如这花一朵呢（马太福音6:28-30；路加福音12:27-28）；然而，它们却被世人轻视了。（1747年11月15日）
252. It is also remarkable that mankind has not yet rightly observed that all things whatever which are manmade, or artificial, such as statues, pictures or countless other things, may be beautiful in outermost appearance and even regarded as very precious, when yet inwardly they are composed like clay and mud. It is only the surface that the sight of the eye admires.
But those things which grow from seeds begin from within and grow up or advance toward the outside; these are not only beautiful to see, but even the more beautiful, the more inwardly they are viewed.
It is similar in a person's life: those things which begin from the outside, or start with the human, are comparable to what is artificial, the outer surface of which people value and admire, while what is within is completely worthless; but things that are fashioned by God the Messiah from most deeply within are to be likened to those in nature that are beautiful from their innermost parts. This, then, is what God the Messiah says, that all of Solomon's magnificence cannot be compared to a tiny lily, which is nevertheless little valued [Matt. 6:28-30, Luke 12:27-28]. 1747, the 15th day of November (old calendar).
252. It is also surprising that man has not yet rightly observed, that all the things which owe their existence artificially to man, let them be what they may, such as statues, pictures, and innumerable other things, appear beautiful outwardly, and indeed are esteemed of great value; when nevertheless, these things are so constituted within, as to be semblances made of clay and dirt. The sight of the eye admires only the surface, whereas those things which grow from seeds begin from the internal, and grow up or come forth to the externals, and are not only beautiful to the sight, but also the more interiorly they are examined, the more beautiful they are. It is similar in man's life. Those things which begin from externals, thus which proceed from man, are compared to things artificial, of which men value and admire the external appearance, but the internals are altogether worthless: whereas those things that are from God Messiah are formed from inmosts; these are to be likened to the things in nature which are beautiful from their inmosts. This, then, is what God Messiah says, that all the magnificence of Solomon cannot be compared to the least lily, which nevertheless is lightly esteemed. [ Matt. vi 29; Luke xii 27 1747, Nov. 15, o.s.
252. Et mirabile est, quod homo nondum observaverit rite, quod omnia quae ab homine artificialiter existunt sit 1
quodcunque sit, sicut imagines, picturae, et innumera alia-ea 2
in extimis apparent pulchra, imo aestimantur multo pretio, cum tamen eadem intus sint ita disposita, ut luti ac coeni instar sit, modo visus ocularis superficiem admiratur, at vero ea, quae crescunt ex seminibus, ab interno incipiunt, et ad externa adolescunt seu veniunt, ea non solum pulchra sunt visu, sed etiam quo intimius lustrantur, eo sunt pulchriora 3
; similiter in hominis vita, quae ab externis incipiunt, ita quae ab homine proficiscuntur, comparantur artificialibus, quorum externam faciem aestimant et admirantur, sed interna prorsus nauci sunt, at quae a Deo Messia, ab intimis formantur, ea assimilanda sunt iis in natura, quae ab eorum intimis pulchra sunt: hoc nunc est quod Deus Messias dicit, quod omne 4
magnificentiae Salomonis ne minimo lilio aequiparari potest, quod tamen contemnitur [Matth. VI: 28-30, Luc. XII: 27-28]. 1747, d. 15 Nov. st. v.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has existit (sic!), sit; in J.F.I. Tafel's edition existunt pro existit substituit
2. The Manuscript has alia, ea
3. The Manuscript has pulchrioa
4. In the Manuscript omnis in omne emendatum