Jerusalem, on Mount Zion, signifies the doctrine of love to the Lord, and how it governs your life. Jerusalem first comes to our attention in 2 Samuel 5, when King David takes the city from the Jebusites and makes it his capital. In the next chapter he brings the Ark of the Covenant there, and later it is where Solomon builds the temple, and his own palace. From then on Jerusalem is the center of worship of the Israelitish church. It is the place where the Lord was presented in the temple as a baby, where He tarried to talk to the priests at age twelve, where He cleansed the temple, had the last supper, was crucified and then rose. It is a central place in both the old and new Testaments. The city was built on Mount Zion, the highest point of the mountains of Judea. A city, in the Word, represents doctrine, the organized knowledge of the truths of the church. Mountains represent love of the Lord and the consequent worship. If you put those things together, Jerusalem on Mount Zion signifies the doctrine of love to the Lord, and how it governs your life. This is why David was led to make Jerusalem the most important city of the land, and why all worship was conducted there. And this is also why Jeroboam was condemned for introducing idol worship in Samaria. In the Book of Revelation, John's vision of the city New Jerusalem descending from God is a prophecy of a new dispensation of doctrine coming from the Lord.

(Odkazy: Arcana Coelestia 4539, 8938; The Apocalypse Explained 365 [35-38])

2568. 本章前面已说明, 若请教理性, 教义必变得无效 (2516, 2538节); 不能请教理性 (2519, 2531节). 但此处又说, 信之教义富有理性和属世的良善与真理. 乍一看, 这些话似乎彼此冲突和矛盾, 而事实上并非如此. 前面说明了主是何情况, 现在则告知人又是何情况.

对人来说, 通过理性事物看待信之教义是一回事, 通过信之教义看待理性事物完全是另一回事. 通过理性事物看待信之教义就是不信圣言, 或不信取自圣言的教义, 除非人通过理性事物信服, 事情的确如此; 而通过信之教义看待理性事物就是先相信圣言, 或取自圣言的教义, 然后用理性事物加以确认. 前一种情况颠倒秩序, 导致什么也不信; 而后一种才是真正的秩序, 并使这个人更好地相信. 经上说亚比米勒因那女人的缘故而必死在此就是指前一种情况, 这句话的意思是若请教理性, 信之教义必变得无效 (2516, 2538节); 而经上说亚比米勒赐下牛羊, 仆婢是指后一种情况; 这句话的意思是信之教义富有理性和属世的良善与真理.

就内义而言, 这些事在圣言中有大量论述, 尤其论及亚述和埃及的地方. 原因在于, 当通过理性事物来看待信之教义时, 也就是说, 当一个人若不通过理性事物信服事情的确如此, 就不相信时, 信之教义不仅变得无效, 而且它所包含的任何事物也都被否认; 而当通过信之教义来看待理性事物时, 也就是说, 当一个人相信圣言, 后来用理性事物加以确认时, 教义就是活的, 而它所包含的任何事物都得到肯定.

因此, 有两种基本心态: 其中一种导向彻底的愚蠢和疯狂, 而另一种则导向完美的聪明和智慧. 前一种心态否认一切事, 或发自内心说, 除非通过理解而信服, 或通过感官而认知, 否则就无法相信. 这是一种导向彻底愚蠢和疯狂的心态, 被称为否定态度. 而另一种心态则肯定构成取自圣言教义的事物, 或内心思考并相信那些事都是真的, 因为主就这么说的. 这是一种导向完美聪明和智慧的心态, 被称为肯定态度.

凡出于否定态度思考问题的人越请教理性事物, 记忆知识, 甚至哲学概念, 就越抛掷自己, 沉入黑暗, 直到最后否认一切. 这是因为, 人无法通过低级事物来理解高级事物, 也就是说, 无法通过低级事物来理解属灵和属天之物, 更不用说神性事物了. 因为这些事物远远超出他的全部认知. 而且, 若是这种情况, 人就会出于否定心态看待一切事. 而另一方面, 凡出于肯定态度思考问题的人则会通过尽可能利用的理性事物, 记忆知识, 甚至哲学概念来确认. 因为对他们来说, 所以这些事物都能起到确认作用, 使他们对这个问题有更全面的认识.

此外, 有些人在否认之前存有疑惑, 而有些人在肯定之前存有疑惑. 否认之前存有疑惑的, 是那些倾向于邪恶生活的人; 若被这种生活带走, 那么他们只要想到这些事, 就会否认它们. 然而, 肯定之前存有疑惑的人则倾向于良善的生活. 若他们允许自己被主折向这种生活, 那么他们越思考这些事, 就越肯定. 这个问题在下面的章节还会进一步予以论述. 蒙主怜悯, 我会在那里详述它们 (参看2588节)