427.如今，这些善举被认为是圣言中的好行为所指的真正仁爱的行为，因为在圣言中，仁爱常被描述为扶贫济困、照料孤寡。但迄今为止，没人知道，圣言的字义只提及敬拜的外在事物，甚至最外在的事物，而这些事物象征内在的属灵事物（如有关圣经那一章中所看到的，193－209节）。由此可见，穷人、贫乏人、寡妇和孤儿并非真的指这类人，而是指那些在灵性上属这类的人。“穷人”表那些缺乏真与善的理解力之人（见《破解启示录》209节），而“寡妇”表那些没有真理，然而却渴慕真理之人（764节）等等。
------------
427. 現今, 這些慈善的行為被認為是聖言中所說的好行為, 因為在聖言的許多章節中提到, 義就是對窮人的贈予,對有求者的幫助,對孤兒寡婦的關懷照顧。至今人們還不知道, 聖言就文字意思而言, 所說的只是外在的事情, 事實上就是關於敬拜的最外層的方方面面; 人們還不明白, 這些外在的事物是用來傳達屬靈或內在的意思。關於這點, 請參看關於聖言這一章(193-209節)。從那裡可以清楚看到聖言中所說的窮人,貧乏人,寡婦與孤兒, 並非指這樣的人, 而是屬靈上如此之人。"窮人"表示缺乏真理與良善的知識的那些人(見破解啟示錄209節)。"寡婦"表示與真理分離,但仍渴慕真理的那些人; 等等。
------------
427. Nowadays, kindnesses like these are seen as the central acts of goodwill that are referred to in the Word as "good works. " The reason for this is that many times in the Word goodwill is characterized as giving to the poor, helping the needy, and taking care of widows and orphans. Up until now people have not known that the letter of the Word mentions only things that are external and are in fact the outermost aspects of worship; people have not realized that these external things have meanings that are spiritual and internal. On this last point, see the chapter above on Sacred Scripture (193-209). Those passages make it clear that mentions of the poor, needy, widows, and orphans in the Word do not [literally] refer to such people; they refer to people who are spiritually poor, needy, widowed, or orphaned. For "the poor" meaning people who have no concepts of goodness or truth, see Revelation Unveiled 209. For "widows" meaning people who have been separated from truths and yet long for them, see 764 there; and so on.
------------
427. Those kind acts are at the present time believed to be the proper deeds of charity meant in the Word by good deeds, because charity is in many passages described in the Word by giving to the poor, helping the needy, and taking care of widows and orphans. But up to now it has not been known that the Word in its literal meaning names only such things as form the external, in fact, the outermost aspects of worship, but uses them as a means of conveying spiritual or internal ideas. On this see above in the chapter on the Sacred Scripture (193-209). It will be clear from what is said there that when the poor, the needy, widows and orphans are mentioned, it is not they who are meant, but those who are spiritually like them. 'The poor' means those who lack the knowledge of truth and good: see Apocalypse Revealed 209. 'Widows' means those who lack truths, but still want them (Apocalypse Revealed 764), and so on.
------------
427. At this day these benefactions are believed to be those proper acts of charity that are meant in the Word by good works, because charity is often described in the Word as giving to the poor, helping the needy, and caring for widows and orphans. But hitherto it has not been known that the Word in its letter makes mention only of the outer things of worship, even the outermost things, and that these signify spiritual things, which are internal (as may be seen above, in the chapter on the Sacred Scripture, n. 193-209). From all this it is plain, that by the poor, the needy, the widows and orphans there mentioned, such persons are not meant, but those who are spiritually such. That the "poor" mean those who are without knowledges of truth and good, may be seen in the Apocalypse Revealed (n. 209) and that "widows" mean those who are without truths and yet desire them (n. 764); and so on.
------------
427. At the present day those benefactions, which are meant in the Word by good works, are believed to be the proper deeds of charity, because charity is often described in the Word as giving to the poor, relieving the needy, and providing for widows and orphans. It has hitherto been unknown, however, that the Word in the Letter mentions only such things as form the external, indeed the outermost things of worship, while spiritual things, which are internal, are signified by them. This may be seen in the chapter on The Sacred Scripture, Nos. 193-209, where it is evident that by the poor, the needy, widows and orphans are meant such as are so spiritually. By the poor are meant those who have no knowledge of truth and good, as may be seen in The Apocalypse Revealed 209, and by widows those who are without truth and yet desire it, The Apocalypse Revealed 764, and so on.
------------
427. Quod Beneficia 1 illa hodie credantur propria Charitatis facta, quae in Verbo intelliguntur per bona opera, est causa, quia Charitas multoties in Verbo per dare pauperibus, opem ferre egenis, prospicere viduis et pupillis, describitur; sed hactenus ignoratum est, quod Verbum in litera nominet solum talia, quae externa, imo quae extrema cultus sunt, et quod spiritualia, quae interna, per illa intelligantur, de qua re videatur supra in Capite de SCRIPTURA SACRA 193 2 ad 209, ex quibus patet, quod per nominatos pauperes, egenos, viduas, pupillos, non illi ibi intelligantur, sed spiritualiter tales; quod per pauperes intelligantur qui non in cognitionibus veri et boni sunt, videatur APOCALYPSIS REVELATA, 209. Quod per viduas illi qui absque veris sunt, et usque desiderant vera, 764; et sic porro.
Footnotes: