5954. “又给他们各人一套新衣服” 表始于良善的真理。这从 “衣服” 的含义清楚可知, “衣服” 是指真理, 如下文所述。因此, “新衣服” 是指新真理; 当真理在良善中开始时, 它们就变新, 因为那时它们获得了生命。所论述的主题是属世人与属灵人, 或外在人与内在人的联结。当联结正在实现时, 真理就会发生变化并变新, 因为它们从流入它们的良善那里获得了生命, 如刚才所述 (5951节)。“换衣服” 代表披上神圣真理, 这也是 “换衣服” 的起源 (参看4545节)。

在圣言中, “衣服 (或译衣裳）” 之所以表示真理, 是因为真理包裹良善, 几乎如同血管包裹血液, 或纤维包裹灵。“衣服” 有真理的意思, 是因为灵人, 以及天使看上去都穿着衣服, 并且各自都照着属于他的真理而着装。看上去身穿白衣的, 那些处于作为通向良善之路的信之真理的灵人或天使; 而看上去身穿闪亮衣服的, 是那些处于从良善发出的信之真理的灵人或天使。因为良善通过真理发光, 产生光辉 (参看5248节)。

灵人和天使看上去穿着衣服, 这一点从圣言中提到天使显现的地方也能看出来, 如马太福音:

坐在主坟墓上的天使像貌如同闪电, 衣服洁白如雪。(马太福音 28:3)

启示录:

我看见二十四位长老坐在宝座上, 身穿白衣。(启示录 4:4)

启示录:

骑在白马上的穿着溅了血的衣服; 祂的名称为神之道。在天上的众军骑着白马, 穿着细麻衣, 又白又洁, 跟随祂。(启示录 19:11, 13, 14)

“衣服洁白如雪” 和 “白色的细麻衣” 表示神圣真理, 因为洁白和闪亮论及真理 (3301, 3993, 4007, 5319节), 原因是它们最靠近光, 从主发出的光就是神性真理。这解释了为何当主变了形像时, 祂衣服显如光; 马太福音:

耶稣就变了形像, 脸面明亮如日头, 衣裳洁白如光。(马太福音 17:2)

在教会, 众所周知, “光” 是指神性真理; 但从诗篇清楚看出来, 它被比作 “衣裳”:

耶和华披上亮光, 如披衣裳。(诗篇 104:2)

“衣服或衣裳” 是指真理, 这一点从圣言中的许多经文明显看出来, 如马太福音:

王进来观看宾客, 见那里有一个没有穿礼服的人。就对他说, 同伴哪, 你到这里来, 怎么不穿礼服呢？于是, 他就被丢在外边的黑暗里。(马太福音 22:11-13)

至于 “不穿礼服的人” 是谁, 可参看前文 (2132节)。以赛亚书:

锡安哪！你要醒来; 醒来; 披上你的能力。圣城耶路撒冷啊, 穿上你华美的衣服！因为从今以后, 未受割礼、不洁净的, 必不再进入你中间。(以赛亚书 52:1)

“华美的衣服 “表示源于良善的真理。

以西结书:

我也使你身穿绣花衣服, 穿上海狗皮鞋, 并用细麻布给你束腰, 用丝绸披在你身上。你的衣服是细麻布和丝绸并绣花衣; 吃的是细面、蜂蜜并油。(以西结书 16:10, 13)

这论及耶路撒冷, 耶路撒冷在此表示属灵的古教会, 该教会是在上古教会气绝之后由主建立的。赋予该教会的真理以 “衣服” 来描述; “绣花衣” 是指记忆知识, 当记忆知识是纯正的时, 它在来世看似绣花衣, 又看似有网眼的织物, 正如我蒙允许所看到的。“细麻衣和丝绸” 是指源于良善的真理; 但在天堂, 这些织物是极其明亮和透明的, 因为它们在天堂之光中。

同一先知书:

你的帆是用埃及绣花细麻布做的; 你的篷是用以利沙岛的蓝色、紫色布做的。(以西结书 27:7)

这论及推罗, 推罗代表对真理与良善的认知 (1201节)。当这些认知是纯正的时, 它们就是 “埃及绣花细麻布”; “蓝色、紫色布” 表示由此衍生的良善, 或真理之良善。

诗篇:

王女极其荣华, 她的衣服是用金线绣的; 她要穿刺绣衣服, 被引到王前。(诗篇 45:13, 14)

“王女” 表示对真理的情感; “她的衣服是用金线绣的” 表示拥有良善在里面的真理; “刺绣衣服” 表示最低级的真理。

启示录:

然而在撒狄, 你还有几个名字是未曾污秽自己衣服的; 他们要穿白衣与我同行, 因为他们是配得过的。凡得胜的, 必穿白衣。(启示录 3:4, 5)

“未曾污秽衣服” 表示没有用虚假玷污真理。

启示录:

那儆醒, 看守衣服, 免得赤身而行, 叫他们见他羞耻的, 有福了。(启示录 16:15)

“衣服” 以同样的方式表示真理。这就是 “那儆醒, 看守衣服, 免得赤身而行, 叫他们见他羞耻的” 所表示的。

撒迦利亚书:

约书亚穿着污秽的衣服, 站在使者面前。使者吩咐站在他面前的说, 你们要脱去他污秽的衣服。又对约书亚说, 看哪, 我使你的罪孽离开你, 要给你换上衣服。(撒迦利亚书 3:3, 4)

“污秽的衣服” 表示被源于邪恶的虚假玷污的真理; 因此, 当脱去这些衣服, 穿上其它衣服时, 经上说: “看哪, 我使你的罪孽离开你”。谁都能知道, 罪孽不会因换了衣服就消失; 谁也都能由此得出结论: 换衣服是代表行为, 正如洗衣服也是代表行为一样, 当百姓自洁时, 如当他们靠近西乃山时 (出埃及记 19:14), 当他们从污秽之物中洁净时 (利未记 11:25, 40; 14:8, 9; 民数记 8:6, 7; 19:21; 31:19-24), 就会被吩咐洗衣服。

事实上, 从污秽之物中洁净是通过信之真理实现的, 因为这些真理教导何为良善, 何为仁爱, 何为邻舍, 何为信仰, 以及主、天堂和永生的存在。没有教导人的真理, 人们就不知道这些事, 甚至不知道它们的存在。凭自己, 除了爱自己爱世界的良善是属于人的唯一良善外, 谁还知道别的？因为这二者构成他生命的快乐。若不通过信之真理, 谁能知道还有别的良善能被赋予人, 即对神之爱的良善, 或对邻之仁的良善？有谁知道这些良善拥有天上的生命在里面, 或这些良善在此人不再爱自己胜过他人, 爱世界胜过天堂的范围内从主经由天堂流入？由此清楚可知, 洗衣服所代表的洁净通过信之真理实现。

1798. That 'Abram said, See, to me You have not given seed' means that there was no internal dimension of the Church, [which is love and faith,] is clear from the meaning of 'seed' as love and faith, dealt with already in 255, 256, 1025, and in what follows below from the meaning of 'an heir'. The fact that love and faith deriving from love constitute the internal dimension of the Church has been stated and shown frequently already. No other kind of faith that constitutes the internal dimension of the Church is meant than the faith which is a product of love or charity, that is, which originates in love or charity.

[2] In a general sense faith embraces everything that is taught by the Church; but doctrinal teachings separated from love or charity do not in any way constitute the internal dimension of the Church, for such teachings are no more than knowledge which is present in the memory and which also exists with the worst of people, even with those in hell. But doctrinal teachings which originate in charity, that is, which are a product of charity, do constitute the internal dimension of the Church, for this dimension is essentially its life. The life itself constitutes the internal aspect of all worship, and so too do all doctrinal teachings that flow from the life that belongs to charity. It is these teachings when they comprise faith that are meant here, and it is faith such as this that constitutes the internal dimension of the Church, as may become clear from the single consideration that anyone who is leading a charitable life has an awareness of all things of faith.

[3] Just examine, if you care to do so, any doctrinal teachings, so that you may see what they are and what they are like. Do they not all have regard to charity, and so to faith that derives from charity? Take simply the Ten Commandments, the first of which is that you should worship the Lord God. Anyone who possesses the life of love or charity worships the Lord God, for it is in this that the life within him consists. Another commandment says that you should keep the Sabbath. Anyone in whom the life of love, that is, in whom charity, is present keeps the Sabbath holy since nothing delights him more than worshipping the Lord and declaring His glory day by day. The commandment that you should not kill has regard entirely to charity. Anyone who loves his neighbour as himself shudders at doing him any injury whatever, and even more at killing him. Likewise with the commandment that you should not steal, for the person who possesses the life of charity would rather give from what is his own to his neighbour than take away anything from him. Equally the commandment that you should not commit adultery. A man in whom the life of charity is present is minded rather to protect his neighbour's wife lest anyone should do such great harm to her, and regards adultery as a crime committed against conscience, such as destroys conjugial love and the responsibilities that go with it. Coveting things that belong to the neighbour is also contrary to the mind of those in whom the life of charity is present, for the essence of charity is to will good to others from oneself and what is one's own, thus they in no way covet what belongs to another.

[4] These Commandments, included among the Ten, are more external matters of doctrine concerning faith, which are not simply retained as knowledge in the memory of him in whom charity and the life of charity are present, but are in his heart. They are also inscribed upon him because they are grounded in his charity and so in his very life, in addition to other things of a dogmatic nature that are inscribed upon him which in a similar way he knows from charity alone. For he lives in accordance with a conscience for that which is right. Anything right or true which he is unable to understand and examine in this fashion he nevertheless believes in simplicity - that is, in simplicity of heart - to be right or true because the Lord has so said. Nor is anything wrong with such belief, even if that which is believed is not in itself true, only an appearance of truth.

[5] People may believe for example that the Lord can be angry, punish, tempt, and the like. Also, they may believe that in the Holy Supper the bread and wine have some spiritual meaning, or that flesh and blood are present in some way or other which they are able to explain. But whether they express the one or the other of these views about the Holy Supper, it makes no difference provided that two things are characteristic of these persons: Few people in fact give the matter any thought at all, and if any do give it any thought it makes no difference which view is held provided, a) It is done from a simple heart because it is what they have been taught, and b) They are leading charitable lives. When they hear that the bread and wine mean in the internal sense the Lord's love towards the whole human race, and the things that go with that love, and man's reciprocated love to the Lord and towards the neighbour, they believe it instantly and rejoice that it really is so. This is never the case with those who possess doctrine yet lack charity. They dispute everything and condemn anyone who does not speak - though they say it is to believe - as they do. From these considerations it may become clear to anyone that love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour constitute the internal dimension of the Church.