SS60.那些基于假宗教的教义阅读圣言的人，尤其那些因关注自己的荣耀或世俗财富而利用圣言来证实这教义的人，情况恰恰相反。对他们来说，圣言的真理仿佛在夜间的阴影中，虚假则仿佛在白昼的光明中。他们读了真理，却不明白；若看见真理的影子，就会歪曲它。他们就是主所说的那些人：
他们有眼却看不见，有耳却不明白。（马太福音13:13）
这是因为除了人的自我和对虚假的确认外，没有什么东西能使他瞎眼。人的自我就是自我之爱和由此衍生的自我聪明的骄傲；对虚假的确认就是伪装光明的幽暗。这些人的光完全是属世的，他们的视觉就像那些在黑暗中看见幽灵之人的视觉。
60. It is very different for us if we read the Word with a body of false religious teaching in our mind, and even more different if we use the Word to support those teachings and then focus on earthly wealth or our own glory. Then it is as though the truth of the Word were in the shadow of night and what is false were in the light of day. What we read is true, but we do not see it; and if we see even a shadow of the truth we distort it. We are then the people of whom the Lord said that they have eyes, but they do not see, and ears, but they do not understand (Matthew 13:14-15). This is because nothing blinds us more completely than our self-importance and our convincing ourselves of what is false. Our self-importance is our infatuation with ourselves and our consequent pride in our intelligence; and our convincing ourselves of what is false is a darkness that pretends to be light. Our light in that case is entirely earthly, and our sight is like that of someone who sees ghosts in the dark.
60. The opposite is the case with people who read the Word in the light of a false religion’s doctrine, and still more with people who use the Word to defend that doctrine and have an eye then to their own glory and to the world’s riches. In their case the Word’s truth exists, so to speak, in the dark of night, and falsity in the light of day. They read something true, but do not see it, and if they see some shadow of it, they falsify it. These are the people of whom the Lord says that they have eyes but do not see, and ears but do not understand (Matthew 13:14-15). For nothing so blinds a person as his own self-interest and affirmation of falsity. A person’s self-interest is his love of self and his consequent conceit in his own intelligence. And an affirmation of falsity is thick darkness masquerading as light. Their light is a merely natural one, and their sight like that of one seeing apparitions in the dark.
60. The contrary takes place with those who read the Word from the doctrine of a false religion, and more especially with those who confirm that doctrine from the Word, looking to their own glory and worldly wealth. With them the truth of the Word appears as in the shade of night, and falsity as in the light of day. They read the truth but they do not see it; and if they see the shadow of it they falsify it. These are they of whom the Lord says that "they have eyes, and see not, and ears, and do not understand." Matthew 13:14-15.
For nothing blinds man but his proprium and the confirmation of falsity. The proprium of man is self-love and consequent pride of self-intelligence; and the confirmation of falsity is thick darkness counterfeiting light. The light of such persons is merely natural, and their vision like that of one who sees spectres in the dark.
60. The contrary takes place with those who read the Word from the doctrine of a false religion, and still more with those who confirm that doctrine from the Word, having in view their own glory or this world's riches. With them the truth of the Word is as it were in the shade of night, and what is false is as in the light of day. They read what is true, but do not see it; and if they see the shadow of it they falsify it. These are they of whom the Lord says that:
They have eyes, but see not; and ears, but do not understand (Matthew 13:13).
For nothing else blinds a man except his own and the confirmation of what is false. Man's own is the love of self and the derivative conceit of self-intelligence; and the confirmation of what is false is thick darkness counterfeiting the light. The light of such men is merely natural, and their sight is like that of one who sees phantoms in the gloom.
60. Contrarium fit illis qui ex doctrina religionis falsae legunt Verbum; et plus illis qui doctrinam illam ex Verbo confirmant, et tunc spectant ad sui gloriam aut ad mundi opes. Apud hos verum Verbi est sicut in umbra noctis, et falsum sicut in luce diei; legunt verum, sed non vident illud; et si umbram ejus vident, falsificant illud. Sunt hi de quibus Dominus dicit,
Quod oculos habeant et non videant, et quod aures et non intelligant (Matthaeus 13:14-15):
Nam nihil aliud occaecat hominem, quam proprium ejus, et confirmatio falsi; proprium hominis est amor sui, et inde fastus propriae intelligentiae; ac confirmatio falsi est caligo mentiens lucem. Lux horum est mere naturalis, et visus illorum est sicut videntis larvas in umbra.