12. 经由圣经的启示。
对真理怀有灵性上的喜爱之情的人—即那些因为真理而热爱真理之人，读圣经时会受主启示。而对真理只是出于物质的（或属世的）的喜爱之情之人，他们仅有对知识的欲求，这样的人读圣经时则得不到启示。这等人只看见符合他的爱欲或迎合他的处世原则的东西，要么自己构思，要么从别处听来或读到。因此，有必要简要说明哪类人能通过圣经得启示，为什么如此。
人若知道诸恶皆罪，且诸恶对抗主并主的神性法则，从而避免作恶，这样的人读经时能得启示。唯有这等人的属灵心智能被开启，天堂的光照随着开启的程度而相应地进入—圣经中的一切启示均来自天堂的光照。这等人于是有了向善的意愿，当这意愿被导向读经时，在智识中会首先产生对真理喜爱之情，接着产生对真理的领会，然后在理性的帮助下，继而产生真理的思维，最终得出决定和结论；这决定和结论一旦从智识进入记忆，也就进入其生活方式并保持永久。这就是圣经中一切启示发生的方式。
人的改造和重生也同样如此。不过，在记忆中首先需有属灵和属世的知识，因为这是主运行天堂之光的容器。它们越丰富，越远离那些已被确证的伪谬，领悟力就越开明，结论越肯定。神性运作无法进入头脑空空和愚蠢之人。
例如人若不知道主是纯粹的爱和慈悲，是良善本身，是真理本身，不知道爱和良善就其本性来说，不能向任何人行恶，既不会向任何人发怒，也不会报复任何人。或者，人若不知道圣经就字义而言，许多地方的描述是为了要与表面现象相符。这样的人就无法从讲述耶和华的经文获得启示。例如在《诗篇》 1中说到耶和华发怒和恼恨，烈火与烈怒属于祂，怒火烧到阴间深处；还有，灾祸若临到一城，乃是耶和华所降的（阿摩司书3:6）；祂怎样喜悦善待人，也喜悦毁灭和灭亡（申命记28:63）；在主祷文中，说祂引人进入试探 2，以及其他章节类似的讲述。
Footnotes:
1. 附注：诗篇2:5; 21:9; 78:49; 89:46; 94:1；最后关于怒火烧到阴间深处，参阅《申命记》32:22。
12. Enlightenment by the Word
Every person who possesses a spiritual affection for truth, that is, who loves real truth because it is true, is enlightened by the Lord when he reads the Word. Not so, however, one who reads the Word solely out of a natural affection for truth, which is called curiosity. Such a person sees only what accords with his love, or with his philosophic opinions, either that he has conceived for himself, or that he has adopted from others through hearing and reading. It shall be briefly told, therefore, what sort of person receives enlightenment through the Word, and why.
The person who receives enlightenment is one who refrains from evils because they are sins, and because they are against the Lord and are endeavors opposed to His Divine laws. In such a one and in no other the spiritual mind opens, and in the measure that it opens, in the same measure the light of heaven enters (all enlightenment in the Word being from the light of heaven). The reason is that the person then has a will for good. When this will is directed to that useful end [namely, to reading the Word], it produces in the intellect first an affection for truth, then a perception of truth, afterward with the help of rational sight, thought of truth, consequently a determination and conclusion; and as soon as this enters from the intellect into the memory, it enters also into the life and so remains.
This is the way all enlightenment in the Word proceeds, and likewise a person's reformation and regeneration. But first there must be in the memory concepts of both spiritual and natural things; for these concepts are the receptacles into which the Lord operates through the light of heaven. The fuller they are and the freer of falsities that have been affirmed, the more enlightened the perception and the surer the conclusion. The Divine operation simply does not descend into an empty-headed and witless person. Take, for example, someone who does not know that the Lord is pure love and pure mercy, being goodness itself and truth itself, and that love itself and goodness itself by its very nature cannot do anyone any evil or be angry and take vengeance, and who does not know that the literal meaning of the Word in many places has been written in accordance with appearances. A person like that cannot be enlightened by the Word where it says that Jehovah becomes wrathful and angry, and attributes to Him fire and fury-as, for instance, in Deuteronomy, where it says that His anger burns to the lowest hell; 1in Amos 3:6, that there is no evil in a city which Jehovah has not done; in Deuteronomy 28:63, that He rejoices to do evil as He rejoiced to do good; in the Lord's Prayer, that He leads into temptations; 2and so on in other places.
Footnotes:
2. Matthew 6:13, Luke 11:4.
12. XII. Enlightenment by means of the Word.
Everyone who has a spiritual affection for truth, everyone, that is, who loves truth itself because it is true, is enlightened by the Lord when he reads the Word. This does not happen to someone who reads it as the result of nothing but a natural affection for truth, what is known as a desire for knowledge. He sees nothing but what agrees with his love, or with the principles which he has either sought for himself or acquired from listening to others or reading their writings. I must therefore state briefly whence a person gains enlightenment by means of the Word, and which persons are so enlightened.
A person is enlightened if he shuns evils because they are sins, and because they are against the Lord and His Divine laws. In his case and no others the spiritual mind is opened; and the more it is opened, the more the light of heaven enters; and all enlightenment from the Word is due to the light of heaven. For then a person has a will for good, and when this will is directed to this purpose, it becomes in the intellect first an affection for truth, then a perception of truth, next by means of the light of reason thinking about truth, and so a decision and conclusion. As this passes thence into the memory and so also into the way he lives so as to become permanent, this is the path which produces all enlightenment on the Word.
It is also the path followed by a person's reform and regeneration. But there must first be present in the memory a knowledge of both spiritual and natural matters. For these are the stores on which the Lord acts by means of the light of heaven. The fuller they are and the more devoid of confirmed falsities, the clearer is the perception given and the more certain is the conclusion. For Divine action cannot reach a person who is empty and vacant.
For instance, anyone who does not know that the Lord is pure love and pure mercy, good itself and truth itself; and that love itself and good itself are in essence such as to be unable to do anyone harm, or to become angry and seek vengeance; or who does not know that the Word in many passages is based on appearances. Such a person cannot be enlightened on the Word, where Jehovah is said to flare up with wrath and become angry; that fire and rage are His, that His wrath burns down to the lowest hell, as we read in the works of David. 1Or that there is no evil in the city which Jehovah has not caused (Amos 3:6); that He rejoices in doing harm, just as He rejoices in doing good (Deut. 28:63); that He leads people into temptations, as in the Lord's prayer, and likewise in other passages.
Footnotes:
1. E.g. Psalms 2:5; 21:9; 78:49; 89:46; 94:1. But the last clause refers to Deuteronomy 32:22. -Translator
12. XII. ENLIGHTENMENT BY MEANS OF THE WORD.
Every man who is in the spiritual affection of truth, that is, who loves truth itself because it is truth, is enlightened by the Lord when he reads the Word; but not the man who reads it from mere natural affection of truth, which is called the desire of knowing. The latter does not see anything except what agrees with his love, or with the principles which he has either himself adopted, or derived from others by hearing or reading. In a few words therefore it shall be told whence and with what man there is enlightenment by means of the Word. That man has enlightenment who shuns evils because they are sins, and because they are against the Lord, and against His Divine laws. With this man and with no other, the spiritual mind is opened, and so far as it is opened, the light of heaven enters, from which light is all enlightenment in the Word. For man then has a will for good, and this will, when it is determined to that use, becomes in the understanding first the affection of truth, then the perception of truth, soon by means of rational light the thought of truth, thus decision and conclusion, which as it passes thence into the memory, also passes into the life, and so remains. This is the way of all enlightenment in the Word, and also the way of reformation and regeneration of man. But first the memory must needs have knowledges both of spiritual and natural things, for these are the stores into which the Lord operates by means of the light of heaven, and the fuller these are and freer from confirmed falsities, the more enlightened is the perception given and the clearer the conclusion. For the Divine operation does not fall into a man who is empty and void, as for example one who does not know that the Lord is pure love and pure mercy, good itself, and truth itself, and that love itself and good itself are such in their essence that they cannot do evil to anyone, neither be angry nor revengeful; or who does not know that the Word in the sense of the letter is written in many places from appearances. Such a man cannot be enlightened by the Word where it is said of Jehovah that He is wrathful and angry, and that to Him belong fire and fury, that His wrath burns, even to the lowest hell-as in David; that there is no evil in the city which Jehovah hath not done, as in Amos 3:6; that He would rejoice to do evil as He had rejoiced to do good (Deuteronomy 28:63); that He leads into temptations, as in the Lord's prayer; and similarly in other places.
12. De illustratione per Verbum
Omnis homo qui in spirituali affectione Veri est, hoc est, qui ipsum verum amat, quia est verum, illustratur a Domino dum legit Verbum, non autem homo qui ex sola naturali affectione veri, quae vocatur cupido sciendi, id legit; hic non videt aliud, quam quod concordat cum amore ejus, aut cum principiis, quae vel ipse captavit, vel ab aliis per auditum aut per lectionem hausit: paucis itaque dicetur, unde homini, et cui homini, est illustratio per Verbum; illi homini est illustratio, qui fugit mala quia sunt peccata, et quia sunt contra Dominum, et [sunt] nisus contra leges Ipsius Divinas; apud hunc, et non apud alium, aperitur mens spiritualis, quae quantum aperitur, tantum intrat lux coeli, et ex luce coeli est omnis illustratio in Verbo; est enim tunc homini voluntas boni; haec voluntas, cum determinatur ad illum usum, fit in intellectu primum affectio veri, dein perceptio veri, mox media luce rationali cogitatio veri, ita decisio et conclusio, quae ut inde in memoriam, simul etiam in vitam transit, et sic manet; haec via est omnis illustrationis in Verbo, et quoque via reformationis et regenerationis hominis; sed necessum est, ut memoriae prius insint cognitiones tam spiritualium quam naturalium, hae enim sunt penuaria, in quae Dominus media luce coeli operatur, quae quo pleniora sunt, et absque falsis confirmatis, eo datur illustrior perceptio, ac certior conclusio; in hominem enim vacuum et inanem non cadit operatio Divina; ut pro exemplo, qui non scit quod Dominus sit purus amor, et pura misericordia, ipsum Bonum et Ipsum verum, et quod ipse amor et ipsum bonum in sua essentia tale sit, ut non possit alicui malum facere, nec irasci et ulcisci, et qui non scit quod Verbum in sensu literae in pluribus locis sit ex apparentiis, is non potest illustrari in Verbo ubi dicitur de Jehovah quod excandescat et irascatur, et quod ei ignis et furor sit, ut quod ira Ipsius ardeat usque ad infimum infernum, ut apud Mosen; quod non sit malum in urbe quod Jehovah non fecerit, Amos 3:6; quod laetetur ad malefaciendum, sicut laetatus est ad benefaciendum, Deutr. 28:63: quod inducat in tentationes, ut in oratione dominica; similiter in reliquis.