2967. “商人通用” 表适合他们的状态. 这从 “商人”, 因而 “商人通用” 的含义清楚可知. 在圣言中, “商人” 表示那些拥有良善与真理的认知之人, 而他们的货物则表示那些认知本身. 因此, “商人通用的银子” 表示尽管可能被接受的真理, 或也可说, 适合各人状态和能力的真理. 谁都能看出, 所加上的这个词含有某种奥秘.

下面会说明 “商人” 和 “货物” 的具体含义, 不过, 整个词语总的含义乃是这样: 凡正被改造和重生的人都被主赋予仁与信, 但各人照自己的能力和状态来接受. 因为人从小所吸收的邪恶与虚假使得一个人接受被赋予之物的方式不同于其他人的. 在人能被重生之前, 这些邪恶与虚假必须先被消磨掉. 消磨后剩余的属天和属灵生命的量就决定了剩下的东西能被真理照亮, 并富含良善的程度. 这就是余留, 也就是主储存在人里面, 那时接受生命的良善与真理. 这些良善与真理是从婴幼儿甚至直到改造之时所获得的, 并且在这个人身上可能多一些, 在那个人身上可能少一些. 它们被保存在他的内在人里面, 无法被带出来, 除非他的外在人被带入与内在人相对应的状态, 这种对应状态主要通过试探, 以及多种多样的消磨实现. 事实上, 在违背良善与真理 (这就是构成我欲和物欲的渴望的性质) 的渴望沉寂之前, 属于对良善与真理情感的属天和属灵的渴望无法流入进来. 这就是为何各人照自己的状态和能力被改造的原因. 这也是主针对往国外去的人以比喻所教导的:

他就叫了仆人来, 把他的家业交给他们; 按着各人的才干, 一个给了五千, 一个给了二千, 一个给了一千. 那领五千的拿它们做买卖, 另外赚了五千; 那领二千的也照样另赚了二千. (马太福音 25:14-17等)

对于十个仆人, 也是这样教导的: 他交给他们十锭银子, 好叫他们拿去作生意 (路加福音 19:12-13等).

“商人” 表那些拥有良善与真理的认知之人, “货物” 表这些认知本身. 这从刚才所引用的马太福音和路加福音的经文, 以及下面这些经文明显看出来. 以西结书:

对推罗说, 推罗啊, 你居住海口, 是众民的商埠, 交易通到许多海岛, 他施人因你多有各类的财物, 就作你的客商, 拿银, 铁, 锡, 铅兑换你的货物. 雅完人, 土巴人, 米设人都与你交易; 他们用人口 (soul of man) 和铜器兑换你的货物. 底但人与你交易; 许多海岛作你手下的码头. 亚兰人因你的手工品很多, 就作你的客商. 犹大和以色列地都与你交易; 他们用米匿的麦子, 饼, 蜜, 油, 乳香兑换你的货物. 大马色人因你的手工品很多, 又因你多有各类的财物, 就拿黑本酒和白羊毛与你交易. 威但人和雅完人拿纺成的线兑换你的货物. 底但人用骑马的坐垫与你交易. 亚拉伯人和基达的一切首领都作你手下的客商, 用羊羔, 公绵羊, 公山羊与你交易. 示巴和拉玛的商人与你交易, 他们用各类上好的香料跟你交易. 亚述人, 基抹人与你交易. 这些商人以美好的货物与你交易. (以西结书 27:3, 12-13, 15-24).

这几节经文论及推罗, “推罗” 表示良善与真理的认知 (参看1201节), 这从所有细节明显看出来. 此处所提到的 “交易”, “货物” 和 “器物” 无非是指这些认知, 推罗因此被称为 “居住海口” 的 (“水” 表认知, “海” 表这些认知的汇集, 参看28节). 推罗还被称为 “众民的商埠, 交易通到许多海岛”, 也就是说, 甚至延伸到那些在敬拜上更遥远的人那里, “海岛” 表示更遥远的敬拜形式 (参看1158节). 至于 “他施” 表示什么, 这在前面已解释过 (1156节). 他施的 “银, 铁, 锡, 铅” 表甚至直到最后的感官真理都井然有序的真理. 从前文可以看出 “银子” 表示什么 (1551, 2048节), “铁” 表示什么 (425, 426节), 以及 “雅完人, 土巴人, 米设人” 又表示什么 (1151-1153, 1155节). “人口” (soul of man) 和那些地方的铜器表示与属世生命有关的事物, “灵魂” (soul) 表来自主的一切生命 (参看1000, 1040, 1436, 1742节); “铜器” 表示从那生命所接受的属灵良善 (425, 1551节). 前面解释了 “底但” (参看1172节) 和 “亚兰” (Syria, 参看1232, 1234节) 的含义. “犹大和以色列地用米匿的麦子, 饼, 蜜, 油, 乳香与你交易” 表示来自主的属天和属灵之物. 所提到的其它民族及其货物则表示真理与良善的各种属和种类, 因而表示 “推罗” 所指的那些人具有的认知.

智慧和聪明就出自这类认知, 这明显可见于以西结书, 在那里, 经上如此说:

人子啊, 你对推罗君王说你靠自己的智慧聪明得了资财, 得了金银财宝, 收入库中. 你靠自己的大智慧和贸易增添资财, 又因资财心里高傲. 所以, 看哪, 我必使外邦人, 就是列族中凶暴的人临到你这里. (以西结书 28:2, 4-7)

显然, 他们交易的货物表示良善与真理的认知, 因为智慧和聪明由此而来, 并非出自其它源头. 故经上说 “你靠自己的智慧聪明得了资财, 得了金银财宝, 收入库中”. 不过, 若出于自私的目的寻求这些认知, 如为了显赫, 为了赚取名声或财富, 那么它们就没有任何生命可言, 那些拥有它们的人也会完全丧失它们. 在世时, 他们通过信奉虚假而非真理, 信奉邪恶而非良善丧失这些认知, 在来世甚至会完全推动那些真实事物. 这就是为何经上说 “又因资财心里高傲, 所以, 看哪, 我必使外邦人 (即虚假), 就是列族中凶暴的人 (即邪恶) 临到你这里”.

在同一先知书的另一处:

推罗就像在海中沉寂的一座城; 你由海上运出货物, 就使许多国民充足; 你以许多资财, 货物, 使地上的君王丰富. 你在深水中被海浪打破的时候, 你的货物和你中间所有的同伴, 就都沉下去了; 各民中的客商都向你发嘶声. (以西结书 27:32-34, 36)

以赛亚书:

关于推罗的预言. 沿海的居民当静默无言; 西顿的商人横渡洋海的人充满了你; 在大水之上, 西曷的种, 尼罗河的庄稼是她的进项, 作列族的商埠. 谁策划这事来攻击推罗呢? 她是赐自己冠冕的, 她的商人是王子. (以赛亚书 23:2-3, 8)

这论述的是推罗的荒凉.

“交易” 和 “货物” 同样用来论及 “巴比伦”, 不过, 它们是被玷污的良善的认知和被歪曲的真理的认知. 如启示录:

巴比伦使列族喝她邪淫大怒的酒, 地上的君王与她行淫, 地上的客商因她极度奢华就发了财. 地上的客商也都为她哭泣悲哀, 因为没有人再买他们的货物了; 这货物就是金, 银, 宝石, 珍珠, 细麻布, 紫色料, 绸子, 朱红色料. 这些物件的商人藉着她发了财, 因怕她的折磨, 必远远地站着哭泣悲哀. (启示录 18:3, 11, 15)

“巴比伦” 表敬拜, 其外在看似神圣, 但内在却是污秽的 (参看1182, 1283, 1295, 1304, 1306, 1326节). 由此明显可知其 “交易” 和 “货物” 是什么.

“商人” 表示为自己获取真理与良善的认知, 并由此获得聪明和智慧的人. 这可从主在马太福音中的话明显看出来:

天国又好像商人寻找好珠子, 遇见一颗重价的珠子, 就去变卖他一切所有的, 买了它. (马太福音 13:45-46);

“好珠子” 就是仁爱, 或信之良善.

一切良善与真理的认知皆来自主, 这在以赛亚书中有所教导:

耶和华如此说, 埃及劳碌得来的和古实的货物必归你, 身量高大的西巴人必过来归你, 也要属你. 他们必随从你, 又向你下拜, 向你祈求你说, 神真在你们中间, 此外再没有别神! (以赛亚书 45:14)

这论述的是主的神性人.

综上所述, 可以看出 “交易”, 也就是买卖, 是什么意思; 也就是为自己获取良善与真理的认知, 并利用它们获得良善本身 . 这良善唯独从主那里获得, 这清楚可见于同一先知书:

你们一切干渴的都当就近水来, 没有银钱的, 你们也来买了吃; 你们要来, 买酒和奶, 不用银子, 也不用付钱. (以赛亚书 55:1-2)

此处 “买” 表为自己获取; “酒” 表属灵的真理 (1071, 1798节); “奶” 表属灵的良善 (2184节). 谁都能看出, “就近水来” 在此并不是指就近水, “买” 不是指购买, “银子” 不是指银子, “酒和奶” 也不是指酒和奶, 这些事物各自表示在内义上与其相对应的某种事物. 因为圣言是神性, 其中所用的一切表述尽管都来自尘世和人的感官印象, 但都具有与其相对应的神性属灵和属天之物. 圣言是以这种方式而非其它方式成为神性启示的.

3938. 'And Leah said, In my blessedness! for the daughters will call me blessed' in the highest sense means eternity, in the internal sense the happiness of eternal life, in the external sense the delight that belongs to the affections. This is clear from the meaning of 'blessedness', and from the meaning of 'the daughters will bless me'. That 'blessedness' in the highest sense means eternity cannot be seen except from its correspondence with the things which exist with man, for the mind cannot have any grasp of things that are Divine or infinite except through those that are finite, of which man is able to have mental images. Without mental images formed from finite things, and especially images formed from things that exist within space and time, man cannot begin to comprehend Divine things, let alone the Infinite. Without mental images formed from space and time man is not even capable of thinking anything, 3404, for as to the body, and so as to thoughts which are formed from external sensory impressions, he dwells within the confines of time. But angels, since they are not bounded by time or space, have mental images formed from states of being. This is why spatial or temporal references in the Word mean states, see 1274, 1382, 2625, 2788, 2837, 3254, 3356, 3827.

[2] But there are two states - a state which corresponds to space and a state which corresponds to time. The state which corresponds to space is a state in regard to being, while the state which corresponds to time is a state in regard to manifestation, 2625. There are two entities which constitute man, namely being (esse) and manifestation (existere). Man's being is nothing else than a recipient of the eternal which proceeds from the Lord. Indeed men, spirits, or angels are nothing else than recipients - that is, recipient forms - of life from the Lord. The actual reception of life is what the term manifestation refers to. Man imagines that he has being, and indeed that he is self-existent, when in fact he is not a self-existent being but, as has been stated, one who manifests being. Self-existent BEING occurs solely in the Lord, and that BEING is called JEHOVAH. This BEING which is JEHOVAH is the source from which all things that seem to be self-existent derive their being. But the Lord's or Jehovah's actual BEING cannot possibly be imparted to any, except to the Lord's Human. This Human was made the Divine Being, that is, it was made Jehovah. On the point that the Lord is Jehovah as to both Essences, see 1736, 2004, 2005, 2018, 2025, 2156, 2329, 2921, 3023, 3035.

[3] Manifestation too is used of the Lord, but only of the time when He was in the world and there assumed the Divine Being. But ever since He was made the Divine Being the term Manifestation could no longer be used of Him except to refer to whatever proceeds from Him. That which proceeds from Him seems like a Manifestation within Him, but it is not. Rather it is that which goes forth from Him and causes men, spirits, and angels to be forms manifesting His Being, that is, to have life. In so manifesting His Being man, spirit, or angel has life, and the life he has is eternal happiness. The happiness of eternal life is what eternity, the source of which is the Lord's Divine Being, corresponds to in the highest sense. The fact that the happiness of eternal life is what is meant in the internal sense by 'blessedness' is evident from this, as also is the fact that the delight which belongs to the affections is meant in the external sense, and so is evident without explanation.

[4] But it is the delight belonging to the affections for truth and good, a delight which corresponds to the happiness of eternal life, that is meant. All affections have their own delights, but the nature of the affections determines that of the delights. The affections for evil and falsity have their own delights as well, and before a person is regenerated and receives from the Lord the affections for truth and good those delights seem to be the only delights, so much so that people believe that no other delights are possible, and consequently that if these were taken away from them they would perish completely. But people who do receive from the Lord the delights which belong to the affections for truth and good gradually see and perceive the true nature of the delights of that life which they had believed to be the only possible delights - that they are by comparison worthless, indeed foul. But the more he enters into the delights that belong to the affections for truth and good the more a person begins to despise those delights in evil and falsity, and at length to loathe them.

[5] I have on occasions spoken to spirits in the next life whose delights have been those of evil and falsity, and I have been allowed to tell them that they do not have life until these delights are taken away from them. But as with people like them in the world those spirits have said that if they were deprived of such delights they would no longer have any life at all. I have been allowed to reply however that that is just when that life begins, and with that life happiness such as exists in heaven, which compared with any other happiness defies description. But this they have been unable to grasp because of unbelief in anything which they do not actually know. They are like all those in the world who are governed by self-love and love of the world and who do not therefore have any charity. They know the delight that belongs to self-love and love of the world, but not the delight that belongs to charity. Consequently they have no knowledge at all of what charity is, and have less idea still of any delight residing within charity, when in fact the delight belonging to charity is the delight which fills the whole of heaven and is the producer of the blessedness and happiness there. And if you are willing to believe it, it is also the producer of intelligence and wisdom together with the delights that go with them, for the Lord enters with the light of truth and with the flame of good, and therefore with intelligence and wisdom, into the delights belonging to charity. But falsities and evils reject, stifle, and pervert those delights, and thereby cause stupidity and madness. These considerations show the identity and the nature of the delight which belongs to the affections and corresponds to the happiness of eternal life.

[6] People of the present day and age imagine that if only a person has the confidence received through faith even in his final hour before death, then regardless of whatever affection has been pre-eminent throughout the whole course of his life, he can enter heaven. I have on occasions spoken to spirits who have lived and believed as these people do. When they enter the next life they at first think of nothing else than of being able to enter heaven, irrespective of their previous life, that is to say, irrespective of the fact that by means of that life they have acquired the delight that belongs to the affection for evil and falsity arising out of self-love and love of the world, which loves constituted the ends they had in view. I have been allowed to tell them that everyone is able to be admitted into heaven, for the Lord denies heaven to none. But whether they have the ability to live in that place they will be able to know if admitted. Some who were resolute in the belief were admitted. But because the life that belongs to love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour reigns in heaven, which life enters into the whole sphere of life and the happiness there, when they arrived they began to feel a pain, for they were unable to breathe in such a sphere and began to become aware of the foulness of their own affections, and so to suffer hellish torment. As a consequence they hurried away from there, saying that they wanted to get right away from it, amazed that heaven should be what to them was hell. This shows the essential nature of the two different delights, and that people whose delight has been that of the affection for evil and falsity cannot in any way be among those whose delight has been that belonging to the affection for good and truth, and that the two delights are opposites, like heaven and hell, see 537-539, 541, 547, 1397, 1398, 2130, 2401.

[7] Furthermore as regards the happiness of eternal life, no one who is moved by the affection for good and truth is able when he is living in the world to perceive that happiness, but only a certain delight instead. The reason why he is unable to do so is that he is confined to the body, and when confined in the body he is subject to worldly cares and as a consequence to anxieties. These prevent the happiness of eternal life, which is inwardly present in him, being manifested in any other way, for when that happiness passes from the inward parts of his being into cares and anxieties which reside in his outward parts, it sinks into the cares there and the anxieties, and becomes a kind of obscure delight. Nevertheless it is a delight that holds blessedness within it, and happiness within that. Being content in God constitutes such happiness. But once a person casts aside the body, and at the same time those worldly cares and anxieties, the happiness which has been so lying hidden in obscurity within his more internal man comes forward and reveals itself.

[8] As the term affection is used so often, let a definition of what that term means be given here. Affection is nothing else than love, yet it is an extension branching out of it. For the affection anyone has, whether for evil and falsity or for good and truth, stems from love. And as this love is present with and exists in every single part of a person it, is not perceived as love but is varied according to circumstances and according to the states, and the changes of these states, through which that person is passing. And this is unceasingly the case in everything he wills, thinks and does. This extension from love is what is called affection, and it is this extension which reigns in a person's life and which produces every delight residing with him. And in producing his every delight it produces his actual life, for a person's life is nothing else than the delight which belongs to his affection, and so is nothing else than the affection which belongs to his love. Love constitutes man's willing, and from this his thinking, and thereby his acting.