259.圣言就像一个园子，可称作天堂乐园，其中充满各样美味和快乐。美味是由果实组成的，快乐是由鲜花组成的，而生命树就在这园子中间，附近是生命水的源泉，森林里的树木则环绕着这园子。人若通过教义拥有神圣真理，就会在这园子中间，就是生命树所在的地方，并实实在在地享受那里的美味和快乐。而如果此人所具有的真理并非来自教义，仅仅取自字义，那他就会在园子的四围，只能看到森林。但他若被教导虚假的宗教信仰，并确信其虚假，甚至不会在森林里，而是在森林之外寸草不生的沙砾之地。我在《天堂与地狱》一书已经说明，这就是这些人死后的状态。
259. 聖言如同一個花園, 可稱作屬天的樂園, 其中充滿各樣的美味和悅目; 例如各種各樣的水果造就的美味, 以及各種鮮花的悅目。園子中央是一些生命樹, 生命樹的附近是生命水的源泉, 森林樹木環繞著園子。那些藉著教義而在神性真理之中的人就在生命樹所處的位置, 真實地享受著那裡的美味和景色。而那些並非通過教義,而只是通過聖言文字意義而在真理之中的人, 則在園子周圍部分, 只能看到森林。然而那些受錯誤信仰的教導, 並且進一步自行確證所信的偽謬, 這類人甚至不能在森林中, 只能在之外的草木不生的沙礫之地。這就是『天國與地獄』中所述的人死後的狀態。
259. The Word is like a garden - it ought to be called a heavenly paradise. In that garden there are delicacies and pleasures of every kind. There are delicacies made with the different kinds of fruit and pleasures to be had from the flowers. In the middle of the garden there are trees of life with fountains of living water next to them. Surrounding the garden are the trees of a forest.
People who have divine truths because they have a body of teaching are in the middle of the garden where the trees of life stand. These people actively enjoy the garden's delicacies and pleasures. People who have truths from the literal meaning but no body of teaching are in the surrounding area; all they see are the things in the forest. People whose body of religious teaching is false and who have become inwardly adamant about that falsity are not even in the forest; they are outside it on sand flats where not even grass will grow. In fact, this is the actual condition in which they find themselves after death, as the work Heaven and Hell has shown.
259. The Word is like a garden, which may be called the heavenly paradise, containing dainties and delights of every kind. The dainties are composed of fruits, the delights of flowers, and in their midst are the trees of life growing hard by springs of living water; and the garden is surrounded by woodland trees. A person who through doctrine has possession of Divine truths is in the middle of this garden, where the trees of life are, and in fact he enjoys the dainties and delights. A person whose knowledge of truths is not from doctrine, but only drawn from the literal sense, is on the circumference and sees only the woodland. But one who has been taught a false religion, and has convinced himself of that falsity, is not even in the wood, but outside it in a sandy plain, where there is not even any grass. I have shown in my book HEAVEN AND HELL that such is the condition of these people after death.
259. The Word is like a garden, and may be called a heavenly paradise, in which are delicacies and delights of every kind, delicacies in its fruits and delights in its flowers; and in the middle of the garden are the trees of life, and near them fountains of living waters, with forest trees round about the garden. The man who from doctrine is in Divine truths is in the center where the trees of life are, and is in the actual enjoyment of the delicacies and delights there; while the man who is in truths not from doctrine, but only from the sense of the letter, is in the parts round about, and sees only the forest. But he who is in the doctrine of a false religion, and has confirmed in himself its falsity, is not even in the forest, but is outside of it on a sandy plain, where there is not even grass. That this is the state of such after death, has been shown in the work on Heaven and Hell.
259. The Word is like a garden, a heavenly paradise, in which are delicacies and delights of every kind, delicacies in its fruits and delights in its flowers. In the midst of it there are trees of life, and near by, fountains of living water, with forest trees round about the garden. The man who is principled in Divine truths from doctrine abides in the centre of the garden where are the trees of life, and is in the actual enjoyment of its delicacies and delights. He, however, who is principled in truths, not from doctrine but only from the sense of the Letter, lives in the outskirts of the garden, and sees only the forest; but he who is in the doctrine of a false religion, and has confirmed its falsity in his own mind, dwells not even in the forest, but in a sandy plain beyond it, where there is not even grass. That such are the respective states of those men after death is shown in the work, "Heaven and Hell."
259. Verbum est sicut Hortus, qui Paradisus Coelestis vocandus est, in quo cupediae et deliciae omnis generis sunt, cupediae ex fructibus et deliciae ex floribus, in cujus medio sunt Arbores vitae, juxta quas fontes aquae vivae: et circum Hortum sunt arbores sylvae. Homo qui ex Doctrina in Divinis veris est, in medio est, ubi sunt Arbores vitae, et actualiter cupediis et deliciis ejus fruitur; homo autem qui non ex Doctrina in veris est, sed ex solo Sensu literae, is in circuitu est, et videt modo sylvestria: at qui in Doctrina Religionis falsae est, et falsum ejus apud se confirmavit, ne quidem in Sylva est, sed extra illam in Campo arenoso, ubi nec gramen. Quod etiam talis status illorum post mortem sit, in Opere DE COELO ET INFERNO, ostensum est.