360.前面说过，在人里面，信一开始是属世的，随着人越来越靠近主，这信变得属灵；仁同样如此。不过，至今没人知道属世与属灵的仁与信之间所存在的区别。故有必要揭示这一伟大奥秘。有两个世界，一个属世（尘世），一个属灵（灵界）。这两个世界各有一轮太阳，都是热与光的源头。不过，灵界太阳的热和光内含生命；其生命出于主，主就在灵界太阳中间。然而，尘世太阳的热和光内无生命，只是充当灵界热和光的容器，以便将它们传给人类，如同工具因服务于主因。因此，必须明白，一切属灵之物皆来自灵界太阳的热和光。这热和光也是属灵的，因为它们包含灵和生命。而一切属世之物皆来自尘世太阳的热和光，这热和光就本身而言，没有灵和生命。
由于信关乎光，仁关乎热，所以很明显，人越处于灵界太阳放射的热和光中，就越处于属灵的信和仁中；而越处于尘世太阳放射的热和光中，就越处于属世的信和仁中。由此明显可知，正如属灵之光包含在属世之光中，如同在自己的容器或器皿中，属灵之热以同样的方式包含在属世之热中，属灵之信也包含在属世之信中，属灵之仁以同样的方式包含在属世之仁中。这种情形与人从尘世逐渐发展到灵界的过程是一致的，这一发展过程取决于对主的信，主是光本身，是道路、真理和生命，如祂本人所教导我们的。
既如此，那么很明显，人拥有属灵之信，也就拥有属世之信，因为属灵之信就包含在属世之信中，如前所述。由于信关乎光，故可知，当属灵之信植入人内时，人的属世自我仿佛变得透明，并照着信与仁结合的方式而呈现出美丽的色彩。这是因为仁发出红光，而信则闪耀着灿烂的白光。正是属灵之火的火焰使仁发出红光，而由它所产生的光辉则使信闪耀白光。若属灵的不在属世的里面，而是属世的在属灵的里面，就会出现相反的事，如那些拒绝信和仁的人所发生的情形。对他们而言，当他们独自思考时，主导他们的心智内在是属地狱的；他们的思维的确源于地狱，尽管他们意识不到这一点。然而，在世时，主导他们与与同伴交谈的心智外在看似属灵的，实际上充满了诸如地狱中的那类污秽。所以，这些人其实就在地狱中，他们所处的状态与前面那些人的完全相反。
360. 之前說過, 信的產生從屬世開始, 當人轉向接近主時, 屬世之信變為屬靈; 義也是如此。然而無人知道屬世與屬靈之義與信的分別, 這個奧秘需要揭示。
有兩個世界, 屬世的與屬靈的(或者物質世界與心靈世界)。兩個世界各有一個太陽, 都是熱與光的源頭。但是, 從心靈世界太陽發出的的熱與光, 有生命在裡面; 這生命從主而來, 祂在那太陽當中。然而物質世界太陽發出的熱與光, 裡面沒有生命, 卻作為接受的容器, 來接受之前兩個更高形式的熱與光, 並轉輸給人類。
應當知道, 心靈世界太陽所發的熱與光是一切屬靈事物的源頭; 這熱與光也是屬靈的, 因為它們包含靈與生命。然而物質世界太陽發出的熱與光只是一切屬世之物的源頭, 屬世之物就其自身而言, 並無靈或生命。
[2]因為信與光相關, 義與熱相關, 於是可知:人若在心靈世界太陽所發的光與熱之中, 便在屬靈之信與義之中。但若在物質世界太陽所發光熱之中, 便在屬世之信與義當中。
屬靈之光藏於屬世之光中, 如同在其容器或器皿當中; 同理, 屬靈之熱在屬世之熱當中。於是可知, 屬靈之信藏於屬世之信, 屬靈之義藏於屬世之義之中。發生這樣的情形與一個人從物質世界到心靈世界的過程是一致的。這樣的過程取決於信主, 因為正如祂自己教導的, 祂是光之本, 是道路,真理和生命。
[3]由此可清楚看出, 人若在屬靈之信中, 也就在屬世之信當中。正如剛才所說, 因為屬靈之信包含在屬世之信中。因為信與光相關, 可得知, 當屬靈之信出現在人裡面時, 屬世的自我就變得透明。而且, 照著信與義的聯合程度, 屬世自我還會呈現美麗色彩。因為義閃耀紅色, 信則是耀眼白光。屬靈之火的火焰使義成紅色, 由火製造的光輝使信閃耀白光。
與此相反的情形:倘若人的屬世自我中無屬靈成份, 而是屬靈之中摻雜著屬世成份, 這會發生在那些拒絕義與信之人身上。對他們而言, 思想的內在層面(就是獨處任其思考時思想所達之處)是屬地獄的; 他們的思想的確源自地獄, 儘管他們意識不到這些。然而, 他們思想的外在表現, 也就是當他們在世上與同伴談話時的動行狀態, 看起來如同屬靈的; 事實上卻填滿了地獄裡才有的污穢。這些人確實在地獄, 他們所處的狀態與先前所說的那些人完全顛倒。
360. In the preceding sections, I stated that our faith starts out as something earthly, but as we move toward the Lord it becomes spiritual; and the same applies to our goodwill. No one yet knows the difference, however, between earthly and spiritual faith and goodwill. This great mystery needs to be disclosed.
There are two worlds, the physical world and the spiritual world. Each world has a sun. From each sun emanates heat and light. The heat and light from the sun of the spiritual world have an intrinsic life in them from the Lord, who is within that sun. The heat and light from the sun of the physical world, on the other hand, have no intrinsic life in them. Instead they serve as vessels for the two higher forms of heat and light (as instrumental causes usually do for their principal causes) and serve to convey that higher heat and light to people.
It is important to realize, therefore, that the heat and light from the sun in the spiritual world are the source of all that is spiritual. That heat and that light are themselves spiritual as well, because they have spirit and life within them. The heat and light from the sun in the physical world are the source of all physical things. Physical things in and of themselves have no spirit or life.
[2] Now, since faith relates to light and goodwill to heat, clearly if we are in the light and heat that emanate from the sun of the spiritual world, we have a faith and a goodwill that are spiritual. If we are limited to the heat and light that emanate from the sun of the physical world, we are limited to a faith and a goodwill that are earthly.
As spiritual light lies within physical light as if it was in its own vessel or container, and spiritual heat lies within physical heat in the same way, it follows that spiritual faith lies within earthly faith, and spiritual goodwill within earthly goodwill. The two come together with every step we take as we progress from the physical world into the spiritual world. We make this progress as we believe in the Lord, who is the light itself, the way, the truth, and the life, as he himself teaches.
[3] Since this is the case, when we have spiritual faith we clearly also have earthly faith, in that spiritual faith lies within earthly faith, as I just said. And because faith relates to light, it follows that when spiritual faith comes into us our earthly self becomes translucent, so to speak. Our earthly self also becomes beautifully colored, depending on how united our faith is to goodwill. The reason it takes on colors is that goodwill is a glowing red and faith is a shining white. Goodwill glows red with the flame of spiritual fire, and faith shines white with the brilliance of the light from that fire.
Just the opposite happens, however, if we do not have spirituality in our earthly self, but instead have something earthly in our spirituality. This is what happens to people who reject faith and goodwill. For these people, the inner level of the mind, where they go when they are left to their own thinking, is hellish. In fact, although they do not realize it, their thinking comes from hell. The outer level of their mind, from which they operate when they are talking to their friends in the world, may be spiritual in a way, but it is also riddled with things that are like the filthiness of hell. These people are in fact in hell, in the sense that they are in a state that is upside-down compared to the state of the people we were talking about before.
360. I stated before that faith present in a person is to begin with natural, and as he comes closer to the Lord it becomes spiritual, and the same with charity. But no one yet knows the distinction between natural and spiritual faith and charity. So this important fact so far unknown must be revealed.
There are two worlds, the natural and the spiritual. Both of them have a sun, and either sun is the source of heat and light. But the heat and light from the sun of the spiritual world have life in them; their life comes from the Lord, who is in the midst of that sun. Heat and light from the sun of the natural world, however, have no life in them, but serve as receivers for the two previous kinds of heat and light (as is commonly the relationship of instrumental causes to leading causes) so as to transmit them to mankind. So it must be known that the heat and light from the sun of the spiritual world are the source of everything spiritual. The heat and light too are spiritual, because they contain spirit and life. But the heat and light from the sun of the natural world are the source of everything natural, and these are, taken by themselves, devoid of spirit and life.
[2] Now since faith is related to light and charity to heat, it is clear that in so far as a person is in the light and heat radiated by the sun of the spiritual world, so far is he in spiritual faith and charity. But in so far as he is in the light and heat radiated by the sun of the natural world, so far is he in natural faith and charity. From these considerations it is evident that just as spiritual light is contained within natural light, as it were in its container or repository, and likewise spiritual heat is contained within natural heat, so too is spiritual faith contained within natural faith, and likewise spiritual charity within natural charity. This happens in step with a person's progress from the natural to the spiritual world; and this progress is dependent upon belief in the Lord, who is light itself, the way, truth and life, as He Himself teaches us.
[3] This being so, it is clear that when a person is in spiritual faith, he is also then in natural faith; for spiritual faith is, as has been said, contained within natural faith. And since faith relates to light, it follows that by being so inserted one in the other, the person's natural becomes as it were diaphanous, and that, according to the way it is linked with charity, it acquires beautiful colouring. The reason is that charity shines with a reddish glow, faith with a brilliant white light. It is the flame of spiritual fire which makes charity glow red, and the brilliance of light produced by it which makes faith shine white. The opposite happens if the spiritual is not within the natural, but the natural is within the spiritual, as happens with people who reject faith and charity. In their case the internal of their mind, which controls them when they are left to their own thoughts, is hellish; and they actually derive their thoughts from hell, although they are unaware of this. The external of their mind, however, which controls their conversation with companions in the world, looks as if it were spiritual, but is crammed with the sort of filth found in hell. Consequently these people are actually in hell, being in the opposite state to those described before.
360. It has been said above that faith in its beginning in man is natural, and that as man draws near to the Lord it becomes spiritual; so also with charity. But no one has known, as yet, the distinction that exists between natural and spiritual faith and charity. This great arcanum must therefore be disclosed. There are two worlds, a natural and a spiritual; and in each world there is a sun, and from each sun heat and light go forth; but the heat and light from the sun of the spiritual world have life within them; this life is from the Lord who is the midst of that sun; while the heat and light from the sun of the natural world have nothing of life in them; they simply serve the former heat and light as receptacles for the conveying of these to man, as instrumental causes always subserve their principal causes. It must be understood, therefore, that all things spiritual are from the heat and light of the sun of the spiritual world. These are spiritual because they contain in them spirit and life; while all things natural are from the heat and light of the sun of the natural world, which viewed in themselves are without spirit and life.
[2] Since then faith is a matter of light, and charity of heat, it is plain that so far as a man is in the heat and light that go forth from the sun of the spiritual world, he is in spiritual faith and charity; while so far as he is in the light and heat that go forth from the sun of the natural world, he is in natural faith and charity. Evidently, therefore, as spiritual light is inwardly in natural light as in its receptacle or casket, and spiritual heat in like manner within natural heat, so also is spiritual faith inwardly in natural faith, and spiritual charity inwardly in natural charity; and this is effected in the degree that man advances from the natural to the spiritual world; and this he does so far as he believes in the Lord who is light itself, the way, the truth, and the life, as He Himself teaches.
[3] This being so, it is clear that when man is in spiritual faith, he is also in natural faith. For as just said, spiritual faith is inwardly in natural faith; and as faith is a matter of light, it follows that by that implanting of spiritual faith man's natural becomes, as it were, transparent, and according to the nature of its conjunction with charity, beautifully colored. This is because charity is ruddy and faith shining white; charity is ruddy from the flame of spiritual fire, and faith shining white from the splendor of the light therefrom. The contrary happens when the spiritual is not inwardly in the natural, but the natural inwardly in the spiritual; which is the case with men who reject faith and charity. With such the internal of their mind, in which they are when left to their own thoughts, is infernal, and they think from hell, although they do not know it; while the external of the mind of such, from which they converse with their companions in the world, is in a manner spiritual, but it is filled full of such unclean things as are in hell; consequently they are in hell, for compared with the former class they are in an inverted state.
360. It was stated above that faith in its beginning with man is natural, and that it becomes spiritual as he approaches the Lord; and the same was said of charity; but as no one has hitherto known the difference between natural and spiritual faith and charity, this important matter will now be disclosed. There are two worlds, the natural and the spiritual, in each of which there is a sun, and from each sun there proceed heat and light. The heat and light from the Sun of the spiritual world have life within them, and their life is from the Lord, who is in the midst of that Sun; while the heat and light from the sun of the natural world have no life in them, but they are as instrumental causes in relation to principal causes in receiving and transmitting to men the heat and light of the spiritual Sun. Accordingly it should be known that the heat and light from the Sun of the spiritual world are the origin from which all spiritual things are derived. They themselves are spiritual, for spirit and life are within them. On the other hand, the heat and light from the sun of the natural world are the origin from which all natural things are derived; and, these regarded in themselves, are devoid of spirit and life.
[2] Now, since faith is of light, and charity of heat, it is evident that so far as a man is in the light and heat proceeding from the Sun of the spiritual world, he is in spiritual faith and charity; but that, so far as he is in the light and heat proceeding from the sun of the natural world, he is in natural faith and charity. From this it is evident that as spiritual light and heat are inwardly within natural light and heat, as in their receptacle and repository, so spiritual faith and charity are inwardly within natural faith and charity. This influx of spiritual faith and charity takes place in the degree that man progresses from the natural to the spiritual world; and this he does as he believes on the Lord, who, as He Himself teaches, is Light itself, the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
[3] This being so, it is evident that, when a man is in spiritual faith, he is also in natural faith; for, as was stated, spiritual faith is within natural faith. Moreover, since faith is of light, it follows that by the influx of spiritual light, the natural of man becomes, as it were, translucent, and according to the nature of the union of faith and charity, it acquires a beautiful coloring; for charity glows red from the flame of spiritual fire, and faith gleams white from the splendor of the light issuing from it. The contrary happens if the spiritual is not within the natural, but the natural is inwardly within the spiritual. This takes place with men who reject faith and charity; with them the internal of their mind, in which they are when left to their own thoughts, is infernal; and they also think from hell, although they do not know this. However, the external of their mind, from which they converse with their associates in the world, is apparently spiritual, but still it is filled with the unclean things of hell. They are therefore in hell, for they are in an inverted state compared with the former, or spiritually minded.
360. In antecedentibus dictum est, quod Fides in principio apud hominem sit naturalis, et quod sicut homo accedit ad Dominum, fiat spiritualis, similiter Charitas; sed nemo adhuc novit discrimen quod est inter Fidem et Charitatem naturalem et spiritualem, quare hoc magnum Arcanum detegendum est. Sunt duo Mundi, Naturalis et Spiritualis, et in utroque Mundo est Sol, et ex utroque Sole procedit Calor et Lux, sed Calor et Lux e Sole Mundi spiritualis in se vitam habent; vita illis est a Domino qui in medio illius Solis est; at Calor et Lux e Sole Mundi naturalis nihil vitae in se habent, sed inserviunt duobus prioribus pro receptaculis, sicut solent causae instrumentales suis principalibus, ad promotionem illorum ad homines; sciendum itaque est, quod Calor et Lux e Sole Mundi spiritualis sint ex quibus sunt omnia spiritualia, sunt etiam spirituales, quia spiritus et vita illis insunt, at Calor et Lux e Sole Mundi naturalis sunt ex quibus omnia naturalia sunt, quae in se spectata sunt absque spiritu et vita.
[2] Nunc quia Fides est lucis, et Charitas est caloris, patet, quod quantum homo est in Luce et Calore procedentibus e Sole Mundi spiritualis, tantum sit in Fide et Charitate spirituali, at quod quantum est in Luce et calore procedentibus e Sole Mundi naturalis, tantum sit in Fide et Charitate naturali. Ex his constat, quod sicut Lux Spiritualis est intus in Luce naturali ut in suo receptaculo aut in sua theca, et similiter Calor spiritualis intus in Calore naturali, ita quoque Fides spiritualis intus in Fide naturali sit, et similiter Charitas spiritualis intus in Charitate naturali; et hoc fit eo gradu, quo homo progreditur e Mundo naturali in Mundum spiritualem, et progreditur sicut credit in Dominum, qui est ipsa Lux, Via, Veritas, et Vita, ut Ipse docet.
[3] Quoniam ita est, patet, quod quando homo est in Fide spirituali, tunc etiam sit in Fide naturali, est enim, ut dictum est, Fides spiritualis intus in Fide naturali, et quia Fides est lucis, sequitur, quod per illam insertionem, Naturale hominis fiat sicut diaphanum, et quod qualiter conjungitur cum charitate, fiat pulchre coloratum; causa est, quia Charitas rubet, et Fides candet; Charitas rubet ex flamma ignis spiritualis, et Fides candet ex splendore 1 lucis inde. Contrarium evenit, si Spirituale non intus est in Naturali, sed Naturale intus in Spirituali; hoc fit apud homines, qui rejiciunt fidem et charitatem; apud hos Internum mentis eorum, in quo sunt quando sibi relicti cogitant, est infernale, et quoque ex Inferno cogitant, tametsi id nesciunt; at Externum mentis illorum, ex quo loquuntur cum consociis in Mundo, est sicut spirituale, sed hoc refertum est talibus immundis, qualia sunt in Inferno; quare hi sunt in Inferno; sunt enim in statu inverso respective ad priores illos.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: spendore.