192.人若不知道圣言包含属灵之义，如同身体包含灵魂，必据字义来评估圣言。然而，字义就像盛满宝物的箱子，宝物则是圣言的属灵之义。因此，只要这内义不为人知，人就无法判断圣言的神性圣洁，正如人无法仅从包裹宝石的矿石评估宝石，因为这些矿石有时看似普通石块；或从一个碧玉、青石、云母或玛瑙石制成的柜子，无法评估里面整齐排列的钻石、红宝石、红玛瑙、东方黄玉等等。只要里面的东西不为人知，那么只根据看得见的材料价值来评估这个箱子就不足为奇了。圣言的字义就是这种情况。因此，为避免人们质疑圣言是不是神性、是不是最为神圣，主向我揭示了圣言的内义。就其本质而言，圣言的内义是属灵的，就在外在意义或属世之义里面，如同灵魂在身体里面。内义就是那赋予文字生命的灵。所以，内义能见证圣言的神性和圣洁。甚至属世之人若愿意信服，就会被它折服。
192. 若不知道聖言內含有屬靈的意義,如同靈魂在身體之中, 就只會憑著字面意義來論斷聖言。然而字面的意義如同珍藏寶物的箱子, 這些寶物就是屬靈的意義。只要這種內在的屬靈意義不為人知, 人就無法判斷聖言的神聖。正如無法僅從礦石的表面來判斷裡面藏有寶石, 這些礦石有時看起來只是極普通的石頭。或者從一個碧玉,青石,雲母或瑪瑙石製成的櫃子, 無法來判斷裡面藏著一排排鑽石,紅寶石,纏絲瑪瑙,黃剛玉等等。只要裡面的寶石不為人知, 就難怪人們判斷這個櫃子最多只值眼見材料的價值而已。聖言的字面意義也是如此。
因此, 為了避免人們懷疑聖言是神性的,且是至神聖的, 主向我揭示了聖言的內在意義, 其本質是屬靈的。這層意義藏在聖言的外在或屬世意義之中, 如同靈魂在身體之中。內在意思是靈,給字面帶來生命。結果, 內在意義能見證聖言的神性與神聖, 甚至使屬世之人確信如此(倘若他願意去確證)。
192. Any of us who are unaware that the Word has a spiritual meaning, like a soul within its body, have nothing else to judge the Word by except its literal meaning. Yet the literal meaning is like a case that contains the precious objects of the spiritual meaning. When we are unaware of the spiritual meaning, we cannot judge the divine holiness of the Word any more than we could judge a precious stone on the basis of the ore that envelops it, which sometimes looks very ordinary. Or imagine a case made out of jasper, lapis lazuli, amianthus (also called mica), or agate that contains rows of diamonds, rubies, sardonyxes, oriental topazes, and so on. If we do not realize it contains gems, it is no wonder we do not value the case any more than the worth of the material it is visibly made of. It is the same with the Word's literal meaning.
Therefore to prevent people from doubting that the Word is divine and most holy, the Lord has revealed to me its inner meaning, a meaning that is essentially spiritual and exists within its outer, earthly meaning like a soul in a body. The inner meaning is the spirit that brings the letter to life. The inner meaning has the power to prove even to our earthly self that the Word is divine and holy - provided we are willing to be convinced.
192. Everyone who is unaware that the Word contains a spiritual sense, as the body contains a soul, can only judge the Word from its literal sense. Yet this is like a case full of precious goods; these are its spiritual sense. So as long as this internal sense remains unknown, one can no more judge the Divine holiness of the Word than one can a precious stone from the matrix in which it is embedded, and which sometimes looks like an ordinary stone; or from a chest made of jasper, lapis lazuli, amianthus (also called mica), or agate, but containing rows of diamonds, rubies, sardonyxes, oriental topazes, etc. So long as this remains unknown, it is no wonder that the chest is not valued more highly than the worth of its visible materials. It is similar with the literal sense in the Word. Therefore to prevent people from doubting that the Word is Divine and most holy, the Lord has revealed to me its internal sense, which in its essence is spiritual. This lies within the external or natural sense like the soul within the body. That sense is the spirit which gives life to the literal form. Consequently that sense can bear witness to the divinity and holiness of the Word, and convince even the natural man, if he is willing to be convinced.
192. Any man who does not know that there is a certain spiritual sense contained in the Word, like a soul in its body, must needs judge of it from the sense of its letter; when yet this sense is like an envelope enclosing precious things, which are its spiritual sense. Therefore when this internal sense is unknown the Divine holiness of the Word can be estimated only as when a precious stone is estimated from the matrix enclosing it, which often appears like an ordinary stone; or only as when from a casket made of jasper, lapis-lazuli, amianthus, or agate, one estimates the diamonds, rubies, sardonyxes, oriental topazes, and so on, lying in order within it. So long as its contents are unknown it is not strange that the casket is esteemed only according to the value of its material which is visible. The same is true of the Word in respect to the sense of its letter. That men, therefore, may not continue to doubt whether the Word is Divine and most holy, the Lord has revealed to me its internal sense, which in its essence is spiritual, and which is within the external sense, which is natural, as the soul is in the body. That sense is the spirit that gives life to the letter; consequently that sense can bear witness to the Divinity and holiness of the Word, and convince even the natural man, if he is willing to be convinced.
192. Every man who does not know that there is a certain spiritual sense in the Word, as the soul is in the body, can judge of it only from the sense of the Letter, when nevertheless this is like a casket containing treasures, which are its spiritual sense. Therefore, when this internal sense is not known, one can no more judge of the Divine sanctity of the Word than of a precious stone by the matrix which encloses it, which sometimes appears like an ordinary stone; or than one can judge, by the cabinet of jasper, lapislazuli, amianthus or muscovy glass, or agate, of the diamonds, rubies, sardonyxes, oriental topazes, etc., which lie arranged in order within it. When the contents are not known it is no wonder if the cabinet is esteemed only according to the value of the material composing it, which is visible to the eye. It is the same with the Word as to the sense of its Letter. Lest, therefore, men should be in doubt as to whether the Word is Divine and most holy, the Lord has revealed to me its internal sense, which in its essence is spiritual, and resides in the external natural sense, as the soul in the body. That sense is the spirit, which gives life to the Letter; it can therefore testify of the Divinity and holiness of the Word, and it can convince even the natural man, if he is willing to be convinced.
192. Omnis homo, qui nescit, quod Sensus quidam Spiritualis insit Verbo, sicut Anima corpori, non potest aliunde judicare de Verbo, quam ex Sensu literae ejus, cum tamen hic est sicut Theca continens pretiosa, quae sunt Sensus spiritualis ejus; cum itaque Internus hic Sensus nescitur, non potest de Divina Sanctitate Verbi aliter judicari, quam sicut de lapide pretioso ex matrice quae involvit et quandoque apparet sicut lapis vulgaris, aut sicut ex Arca confecta ex jaspide, lapide lazuli, amiantho seu lapide speculari, aut Achate, in qua in suo ordine jacent adamantes, rubini, sardonyces, topazii orientales, etc: hoc dum nescitur, non mirum est si arca illa non plus aestimatur quam secundum pretium materiae ejus, quae ad oculum apparet: simile est cum Verbo quoad Sensum literae ejus. Ne itaque homo in dubio esset, quin Verbum sit Divinum et Sanctissimum, revelatus mihi est a Domino Sensus internus ejus, qui in sua essentia est Spiritualis, qui Sensui externo, qui est naturalis, inest, sicut anima corpori; ille sensus est spiritus, qui vivificat literam; quare ille Sensus potest de Verbi Divinitate et Sanctitate testari, et convincere etiam naturalem hominem, si vult convinci.