152.前面章节（150节）已说明，人的救恩和永生是主所关注的最初和最终目的。由于最初和最终目的里面含有居间目的，故可知，上述属灵的恩惠同时也在主里面，并通过主而在人里面，尽管它们是依次出现的。因为人心智的成长类似于身体的成长，身体在身量上成长，而心智则在智慧上成长。心智也是从一个区域被提升至另一个区域，即从属世层被提升至属灵层，再从属灵层被提升至属天层。人在属天层是有智慧的，在属灵层是聪明的，在最低层是有知识的。不过，心智的这种提升只能随着人为自己获取真理，并将其与良善联结起来而不时发生。这和盖房子一个道理：首先要买材料，如砖、瓦、木板、横梁等，然后打地基、砌墙、分出各个居室、装上门窗，建各层间的楼梯。所有这些事同时包括在所关注的目的中，这目的就是建造者所预见并提供的舒适体面的住所。这也类似于盖教堂：盖教堂的所有细节都包括在敬拜神这个目的中。这和其它事也一样，如建花园、开农场，以及职业或生意；目的本身就具有实现它的必要支持。
152. 在較前章節(142), 闡述了人的得救與得永生是主最初與最終的目標。由於最初與最終的目標之間包括所有居間的目標, 也就得知, 之前所列出的屬靈活動與作用(142節, 改造,更新等等)也同時由主賦予給人, 不過是一個接一個地表現出來。
人的身體在成長, 思想也在成長。身體是在身量上成長, 而思想則成長在智慧上。另外, 思想是提升是從一級到另一級, 從屬世到屬靈, 再從屬靈到屬天。在最低層有知識, 中間層有悟性, 最高層有智慧。不過思想的提升, 只會隨著時間階段的進行而發生, 發生在人獲取真理並且理與善結合時。
這就像建房子:先要自行準備材料, 如磚瓦,木板,橫樑等等, 然後打地基, 再砌牆, 分割房間, 安裝門窗, 砌建這層到上層的樓梯。所有這些步驟都同時包含在之前的目標之中, 就是建造者計畫並提供一個舒服體面的居所。
這也類似於一間教堂的建立。建築中所有的細節都包含其目標, 就是敬拜上帝。同樣適用於其他事情, 例如建造花園與農場, 都適用這個原則:為了目標, 來預備達成目標的必需裝備。
152. In a previous section [142] we showed that the Lord's first and last purpose is for people to have salvation and eternal life. Since first and last purposes include all intermediate purposes as well, it follows that all the spiritual processes listed above [142] are present in the Lord at the same time. In fact, the Lord brings all these processes to us at the same time, but they nonetheless take effect one after the other.
Our human body grows; so does our human mind. Our body grows in stature; our mind in wisdom. Furthermore, our mind rises up from one level to another. It goes from being earthly to being spiritual, and from being spiritual to being heavenly. At the lowest level we are knowledgeable; at the middle level we have understanding; at the highest level we are wise. This rising of the mind, though, happens only over the course of time; it takes place as we acquire truths for ourselves and connect them to something good.
This process is much like building a house. First we get ourselves the materials for it - the bricks, the shingles, the beams, the boards. Then we lay the foundation, put up the outside walls, frame out the rooms, hang the doors, install the windows in the walls, and build the stairs from one level to the next. All these stages and features are together at once in our goal, however, which is the comfortable and respectable living space we planned and provided for.
It is the same with a church building. As it is being constructed, all stages and features of it share one goal: the worship of God. The same goes for everything else - for example, horticulture and farming. It is also the same with management and business: the goal itself leads to the equipment and preparations necessary to meet that goal.
152. In an earlier paragraph [150] it was shown that the salvation of men and their everlasting life are the Lord's first and last ends in view. Since the first and last ends contain within them the intermediate ends, it follows that the spiritual benefits described above are at the same time in the Lord, and in people by the Lord's gift, but they still come forth one after the other. For the human mind grows as the body does, but the one grows in size, the other in wisdom. The mind too is lifted from one level to another, from the natural to the spiritual, and from this to the celestial. At this level a person is wise, at the spiritual intelligent, at the lowest level knowledgeable. But this lifting of the mind happens only from time to time, as a person acquires truths and links them to good. This is like building a house: first of all one buys the materials for it, such as bricks, tiles, planks and beams, and then one lays the foundations, builds the walls, partitions the interior to make rooms, provides them with doorways, puts windows in the walls and constructs stairs from one floor to the next. All of these things are at the same time contained in the end in view, which is the comfortable and dignified dwelling which the builder foresees and provides. It is similar when a church is being built; all the details of its construction are contained in the end, which is the worship of God. It is the same with all other plans, for instance for gardens and farms, as well as official positions or businesses; the end in view equips itself with the supports necessary to its accomplishment.
152. Under the preceding proposition it has been shown that the salvation and eternal life of men are the first and last end of the Lord; and as the first and last end contain within them the mediate ends, it follows that the above mentioned spiritual energies are together in the Lord, and from the Lord in man, although they come forth successively. For the human mind grows like its body, the latter growing in stature while the former grows in wisdom. So, too, is the mind exalted from one region to another, that is, from the natural to the spiritual, and from the spiritual to the celestial. In this celestial region man is wise, in the spiritual he is intelligent, and in the lowest knowing. But this exaltation of the mind is effected only from time to time, and as man acquires for himself truths and conjoins them with good. It is the same with one who builds a house; he first procures the materials for it, such as bricks, tiles, boards, and beams, and thus lays the foundations, raises the walls, divides off the rooms, furnishes them with doors, puts windows in the walls, and constructs stairs from one story to another. All these things are together in the end, which is the convenient and worthy dwelling he foresees and provides for. It is the same in the building of a church, every thing pertaining to its construction is included in the end, which is the worship of God. So is it with everything else, as with gardens and fields, and also with employments and business, for which the end itself procures for itself the accessories.
152. It was shown in a preceding article that the salvation and eternal life of man are the first and last ends the Lord has in view; and since these contain within them the mediate ends, it follows that the spiritual virtues already mentioned exist simultaneously in the Lord, as they do in man from the Lord. They make their appearance, however, successively, for the human mind grows like the body, the latter in stature but the former in wisdom. The mind is thus exalted from region to region, from the natural to the spiritual, and from this to the celestial. In the celestial region a man has wisdom, in the spiritual he has understanding, and in the natural he has knowledge; but this exaltation of mind is only attained gradually, as a man acquires truths and unites them to good. The case is the same as when a man builds a house. He first procures the materials for it, such as bricks, tiles, beams and rafters. He then lays the foundation, raises the walls, divides off the separate rooms, places the doors in position, puts windows in the walls, and constructs stairs from one storey to another. All these things are present at the same time in the end proposed, namely, a commodious and handsome dwelling, which the builder foresees and provides for. It is the same with a church: when it is being built, all things essential for its construction are present in the end proposed, namely, the worship of God; and so it is with all other things, such as gardens and fields, offices and employments-the end in view provides for itself the means necessary for its fulfillment.
152. In superiori Articulo ostensum est, quod salus et vita aeterna hominum sint finis primus et ultimus Domini; et quia finis primus et ultimus continent fines medios in se, sequitur quod supramemoratae virtutes spirituales insimul sint in Domino, et quoque a Domino in homine, sed usque successive prodeunt; Mens enim humana crescit sicut 1 corpus ejus, sed hoc statura, illa autem sapientia, ita quoque haec exaltatur e regione in regionem, nempe a naturali in spiritualem, et ab hac in coelestem; in hac regione est homo sapiens, in illa est intelligens, in infima sciens; sed haec exaltatio mentis non fit nisi tempore a tempore, et fit sicut homo comparat sibi vera et conjungit illa bono: hoc simile est, sicut qui aedificat domum primum comparat sibi materias ad illam, ut lateres, tegulas, tigna, asseres, et sic ponit fundamentum, exstruit muros, distinguit in cameras, his apponit januas, et in parietibus fenestras, ac struit scalas a mansione in mansionem; haec omnia insimul insunt fini, qui est commoda et honorifica habitatio, quam ille 2 praevidet et providet. Simile est cum Templo, quum hoc construitur; omnia ejus constructionis insunt fini, qui est cultus Dei. Simile est cum omnibus aliis, ut cum hortis et agris, et quoque cum officiis et negotiis, ad quae ipse finis adminicula sibi parat.
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