531.可通过下列对比说明这一点。
悔改前，人就象一个沙漠，里面有可怕的野兽，龙，各种各样的猫头鹰，蝰蛇与毒蛇，灌木丛中有蜥蜴和鸮鸟，并且萨梯（注：希腊及罗马神话中半人半兽的森林之神，好色之徒）在那里乱舞。但当人通过长期艰苦努力将这些生物逐出后，就可以开垦沙漠，进行耕种，首先播种燕麦、豆类、亚麻，然后播种大麦小麦。悔改前，人还好比泛滥到主宰人类生活的恶行，如果作恶者没被依法严惩，并受到严厉打击或处决，没有哪个城市，甚至国家能维系下去。人就像一个微型社会，他若不能以属灵的方式解决好自己的问题，就象以属世的方式对待社会上逍遥法外的作恶者那样，那么死后他会被严惩和处罚，一直持续到他由于惧怕惩罚而停止作恶为止，尽管他永远不会出于善爱行善。
531. 可通过下列对比说明这一点。
悔改前, 人就象一个沙漠, 里面有可怕的野兽, 龙, 各种各样的猫头鹰, 蝰蛇与毒蛇, 灌木丛中有蜥蜴和鸮鸟, 并且萨梯 (注: 希腊及罗马神话中半人半兽的森林之神, 好色之徒) 在那里乱舞。 但当人通过长期艰苦努力将这些生物逐出后, 就可以开垦沙漠, 进行耕种, 首先播种燕麦, 豆类, 亚麻, 然后播种大麦小麦。 悔改前, 人还好比泛滥到主宰人类生活的恶行, 如果作恶者没被依法严惩, 并受到严厉打击或处决, 没有哪个城市, 甚至国家能维系下去。 人就像一个微型社会, 他若不能以属灵的方式解决好自己的问题, 就象以属世的方式对待社会上逍遥法外的作恶者那样, 那么死后他会被严惩和处罚, 一直持续到他由于惧怕惩罚而停止作恶为止, 尽管他永远不会出于善爱行善。
531. This change can be illustrated by the following comparison. Before repentance, we are like a desert, inhabited by terrifying wild creatures, dragons, eagle-owls, screech owls, vipers, and bloodletting snakes; in the clumps of bushes in that desert there are the owls and wild beasts of the desert [mentioned in the Bible], and satyrs are dancing [Isaiah 13:21]. After these creatures have been expelled by human work and effort, however, that desert can be plowed and cultivated into fields, and these can be planted with oats, beans, and flax, and later on with barley and wheat.
This can also be compared to the wickedness that is abundant and dominant in humankind. If evildoers were not chastised and punished with whippings and death, no city would survive; no nation would last. In effect, each one of us is society itself in its smallest form. If we do not treat ourselves in a spiritual way as evildoers are treated by the larger society in an earthly way, we are going to be chastised and punished after death; and this will continue until out of sheer fear of further punishment we stop doing evil, even if we can never be compelled to do what is good out of love for it.
531. The following comparisons may serve to illustrate this. Before repentance a person is like a desert which is the home of terrifying wild animals, dragons, horned owls, tawny owls, vipers and haemorrhoids 1 , with thickets inhabited by ochim and tziim 2 where satyrs dance. When these creatures have been expelled by human labour and toil, the desert can be ploughed up and be brought into cultivation, the fields being planted first with oats, beans and flax, and later with barley and wheat.
Another comparison might be made with the wrong-doing which is so plentiful that it dominates human life; if wrong-doers were not chastised according to the law and punished by beatings or execution, no city, and equally no kingdom, could hold together. A person is like a small-scale community; if he were not to deal with himself in a spiritual fashion as wrong-doers are dealt with in a natural fashion in a large community, after death he would be chastised and punished, and this would continue until he desisted from evil for fear of punishment, though he could never be brought to do good for the love of good.
Footnotes:
1. A fabulous snake believed to cause haemorrhage.
2. Hebrew words perhaps meaning 'howling creatures,' used, e.g., in Isaiah 34:14, Jeremiah 50:9, understood by the author as birds (<../cl/264.htm">Conjugial Love 264[4]).
531. This may be illustrated by the following comparisons. Before repentance man is like a desert where there are terrible wild beasts, dragons, owls of various kinds, vipers and poisonous serpents, and in the thickets are the ochim and the tziim, and there satyrs dance. But when these have been cast out by the industry and labor of man, that desert may be ploughed and made ready for planting, and sown first with oats, beans, and flax, and afterward with barley and wheat. Man before repentance may also be compared to the wickedness that reigns so largely among men where the wicked are not corrected according to law and punished by stripes or death, in which case no city, nor any kingdom even, could continue. Man is like a miniature society; unless he deals with himself in a spiritual manner, as the wicked in society at large are dealt with in a natural manner, after death he will be corrected and punished until he ceases to do evil for fear of the penalty, although he can never be brought to do good from the love of good.
531. This may be illustrated by the following comparisons. A man before repentance is like a desert where there are terrible wild beasts, dragons, owls, screech owls, vipers and poisonous serpents; and in the thickets there, lewd spirits of the wood (ochim) and harpies of the desert (tziim) with dancing satyrs; but when these have been cast out by the industry and labor of men, the desert may be ploughed and turned into cultivated fields, in which may be sown oats, beans and flax, and afterwards barley and wheat. The unrepentant state may also be compared to the wickedness widely prevalent among men. Unless the wicked were chastised and punished according to law, with stripes or even death, no city or kingdom could stand. Man is, as it were, a society in miniature. Unless he dealt with himself spiritually as evil-doers in society at large are dealt with physically, after death he would be chastised and punished; and this would continue till he ceased to do evil from fear of punishment, even though he might never be induced to do good from the love of good.
531. Hoc per sequentes Comparationes illustrari potest: Homo ante poenitentiam est tanquam desertum, in quo sunt terribiles ferae, dracones, bubones, 1 ululae, echidnae et haemorrhoides, et in dumetis ibi ochim et tziim, et saltant satyri; at postquam haec industria et opera hominum ejecta sunt, desertum illud potest exarari et excoli in arva, et eis inseminari primum avenae, fabae et linum, et postea hordea et tritica. Et quoque comparari potest cum malitia, quae in copia regnat apud homines, nisi malitiosi secundum leges castigarentur ac punirentur plagis aut morte, nulla urbs consisteret, pariter nullum regnum: Homo est sicut societas in minima forma, nisi similiter secum ageret spirituali modo, sicut agitur cum malitiosis in magna Societate naturali modo, ille post mortem castigaretur et puniretur, et hoc usque eo dum ex timore poenae malum non facit, tametsi nusquam redigi potest ad bonum faciendum ex amore boni.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: bubones.