208.（5）从今以后，圣言的属灵之义只赐给那些拥有主的纯正真理之人。原因在于，若非主赐予人属灵之义，若非人拥有主所赋予的神圣真理，没有人能明白属灵之义。因为圣言的属灵之义唯独关乎主及其国度；这就是主在天上的天使所领受的那层意义，因为这属灵之义包含祂的神圣真理。人若了解对应学，想用自己的聪明去探究圣言的属灵之义，就会对这神圣真理施暴。因为对于对应学的一知半解会使人败坏属灵之义，甚至将其误用来证明虚假。因此，他会对神圣真理、因而对神圣真理所在的天堂施暴。所以，若有人想靠自己，而不是靠主来打开属灵之义，天堂就会向他关闭，这会导致他根本看不见任何真理，或变得精神错乱。另一个原因是，主藉着圣言教导每个人，并且是利用他所掌握的知识来教导，而不是直接灌输新知识。因此，人若没有神圣真理，或仅有少许带有谬念的真理，就会用这些虚假歪曲真理。这也是所有异端利用圣言的字义所做的事。故为了防止有人掌握属灵之义，败坏纯正的真理，主设立了守卫，他们在圣言中由基路伯来表示。
208. (5)從現在開始, 屬靈意義只賜給那些有從主而來純正真理之人。
假若擁有從主而來的神性真理, 除非有主的幫助, 無人能明白屬靈意義。聖言的屬靈意義所涉及的單單是主和祂的國度。這是天國中祂的天人們所領受的意義, 祂的神性真理在那裡。
人若知道對應的知識, 並想利用自己的聰明來探究聖言的屬靈意義, 那麼此人就能侵犯神性真理。略知少許對應的知識, 就能曲解屬靈意義, 甚至誤用來證明錯誤的觀點。這是對神性真理的野蠻攻擊, 對天國也是如此。因此, 倘若何人試圖憑己之力,而不依靠主來打開屬靈意義, 天國會向他關閉, 他或者看不見任何真理, 或者變得靈性錯亂。
另一個原因, 主用聖言教導每個人, 並利用人們已掌握的知識來教導人, 而非直接灌輸新的知識。因此, 人若未掌握神性真理, 或者只是掌握與錯誤觀念相伴的幾條真理, 他就能利用這些來歪曲真理。所有異端歪曲聖言的文字意義也是如此。因此, 為了避免人們掌握屬靈意義並褻瀆其中的純正真理, 主設立了保衛者, 就是聖言中基路伯所表示的意思。
208. 5. From this point on, the spiritual meaning of the Word will be given only to people who have genuine truths from the Lord. The reason for this is that none of us can see the spiritual meaning except with the help of the Lord alone, provided we have divine truths from him. The Word's spiritual meaning deals solely with the Lord and his kingdom. The spiritual meaning is the one with which his angels engage in heaven. It is his divine truth there.
It is possible for us to violate the Word's spiritual meaning if we are involved in the study of correspondences and we try to explore that meaning with our own intelligence. With just a few correspondences we know, we could pervert the spiritual meaning and even divert it to support something false. This would be a violent attack on divine truth, and so on heaven, where divine truth dwells. For this reason if any of us try on our own, without the Lord, to open the spiritual meaning, heaven closes and we either see nothing true or we become spiritually insane.
Another reason [why the spiritual meaning will be given only to people who have genuine truths from the Lord] is that the Lord teaches us all through the Word, using the concepts that we already have. He does not pour new concepts directly into us. Therefore if we do not already have divine truths, or we have only a few truths along with some falsities, we are capable of falsifying truths, much the way any heretic does with the Word's literal meaning. To prevent any of us from getting into the spiritual meaning and perverting the genuine truth that belongs to it, the Lord has placed safeguards on that meaning, which are referred to in the Word as angel guardians.
208. (v) THE SPIRITUAL SENSE OF THE WORD WILL IN FUTURE ONLY BE GRANTED TO THOSE WHO ARE IN POSSESSION OF GENUINE TRUTHS FROM THE LORD.
The reason is that no one can see the spiritual sense, except only if it is granted him by the Lord, and if he is in possession of Divine truths given by the Lord. For the spiritual sense of the Word is solely concerned with the Lord and His kingdom. That is the sense known to His angels in heaven, since it contains His Divine truth. A person who knows the science of correspondences, and wants to use his own intelligence to explore the spiritual sense of the Word, can do violence to this Divine truth. For a knowledge of a few correspondences will enable him to corrupt that sense, and even misapply it to proving false propositions. This would be to do violence to Divine truth, and thus to heaven where that truth resides. Therefore if anyone wishes to lay bare that sense, relying on himself instead of on the Lord, heaven is closed to him, and this results in his being unable to see any truth at all, or becoming spiritually deranged.
Another reason is that the Lord teaches every person by means of the Word, and uses in teaching the knowledge he already has, rather than directly implanting new knowledge. Therefore, if a person is not in possession of Divine truths, or only a few truths accompanied by false notions, he can use these to falsify the truths. This too is what all heretics do with the literal sense of the Word. So to prevent anyone coming into possession of the spiritual sense and perverting genuine truth, the Lord has established guards, who are meant by the cherubim in the Word.
208. (5) Henceforth the spiritual sense of the Word will be given only to such as are in genuine truths from the Lord. This is because the spiritual sense can be seen by no one except from the Lord alone, and unless he be in Divine truths from the Lord; for the spiritual sense of the Word treats of the Lord alone and His kingdom; and in that sense are His angels in heaven, for that sense is His Divine truth in heaven. That truth man can do violence to when he possesses a knowledge of correspondences, and by means of it seeks to explore the spiritual sense of the Word from his own intelligence; since by a few correspondences known to him he is able to pervert that sense, and wrest it to confirm even what is false; thus he would do violence to Divine truth, and also to heaven in which that truth resides. Therefore if anyone seeks to open that sense, not from the Lord but from himself, heaven is closed; and when heaven is closed man either sees nothing of truth or is spiritually insane. A further reason is that the Lord teaches everyone by means of the Word, and teaches from those knowledges that a man has, and does not pour in new knowledges directly. Unless, therefore, a man is in Divine truths, or if he is in a few truths only and at the same time in falsities, he may by these falsities falsify the truths, as is done by every heretic in respect to the sense of the letter of the Word. So, in order that no one may enter into the spiritual sense and pervert the genuine truth which belongs to that sense, guards are set by the Lord, which are meant in the Word by "cherubim."
208. (5) HEREAFTER THE SPIRITUAL SENSE OF THE WORD WILL BE MADE KNOWN ONLY TO THOSE WHO ARE IN GENUINE TRUTHS FROM THE LORD.
This is because no one can see the spiritual sense except from the Lord alone, and unless he is in Divine truths from the Lord. For the spiritual sense of the Word treats only of the Lord and of His kingdom; and in the understanding of that sense are His angels in heaven, for that sense is His Divine Truth there. Man can violate Divine Truth, if he has a knowledge of correspondences and by it proceeds to explore the spiritual sense of the Word from his own intelligence; since by a few correspondences known to him he may pervert the spiritual sense, and even force it to confirm what is false. This would be to offer violence to Divine Truth, and consequently to heaven also, where it resides. Therefore, if any one desires to discover that sense from himself, and not from the Lord, heaven is closed to him; and then he either sees no truth, or falls into spiritual insanity.
This is also because the Lord teaches every one by means of the Word. Moreover, He teaches from the knowledge which a man already possesses, and does not directly impart new knowledge. Therefore, if a man is not principled in Divine truths, or if he has only acquired a few truths as well as falsities, he may by their means falsify the truths, as is done by every heretic with regard to the sense of the Letter of the Word. Lest therefore any one should enter into the spiritual sense, and pervert genuine truth which belongs to that sense, guards are placed over it, called cherubim in the Word.
208. V. QUOD SENSUS SPIRITUALIS VERBI NON ALICUI POSTHAC DETUR, NISI QUI IN GENUINIS VERIS A DOMINO EST: Causa est, quia nemo potest Sensum spiritualem videre, nisi a solo Domino, et nisi in Divinis veris a Domino sit; Sensus enim spiritualis Verbi agit de Solo Domino et de Ipsius Regno, et ille Sensus est in quo 1 sunt Angeli Ipsius in Coelo, est enim Divinum Ipsius Verum ibi; hoc homo violare potest, si in Scientia Correspondentiarum est, et per illam vult Sensum spiritualem Verbi ex propria intelligentia explorare, nam ex aliquibus Correspondentiis sibi notis potest Sensum illum pervertere, et illum ad confirmandum etiam Falsum trahere, et hoc foret violentiam inferre Divino Vero, et sic quoque Coelo, in quo illud habitat; quare si quis a se, et non a Domino, Sensum illum aperire vult, clauditur Coelum, quo clauso, homo aut nihil veri videt, aut spiritualiter insanit. Causa etiam est, quia Dominus per Verbum unumquemvis docet, et docet ex illis cognitionibus quae apud hominem sunt, et non immediate novas infundit, quare nisi homo in Divinis veris sit, aut si modo in paucis veris et simul in falsis, potest ex his falsificare vera; ut quoque fit ab unoquovis Haeretico quoad ipsum Sensum literae Verbi. Ne itaque aliquis in Sensum spiritualem intret, ac genuinum Verum, quod illius Sensus est, pervertat, Custodiae a Domino positae sunt, quae in Verbo per Cherubos intelliguntur.
Footnotes:
1. Sic De Doctrina de Scriptura Sacra 26. Prima editio: quibus.