1210# “说，神的众仆人哪，都要赞美神”表示那些处于真理的人对主的敬拜。这从“赞美神”和“神的仆人”的含义清楚可知：“赞美神”是指称谢和敬拜祂（对此，我们稍后会提到）；“神的仆人”是指那些处于来自主的真理之人（对此，参看AE6,409节）。在圣言的许多经文中，经上都提到“赞美神”，“赞美神”表示用心和口称谢祂，因而也表示敬拜祂。“赞美神”与“哈利路亚”具有相同的含义，因为“哈利路亚”是指“赞美神”；如前所述，这就是称谢和敬拜神时的欢喜快乐的声音。“赞美神”之所以表示称谢和敬拜，是因为主不想出于对祂自己的任何爱，只想出于祂对人的爱而被赞美或荣耀。当人从心里承认自己里面没有任何良善，他凭自己不能做什么，另一方面又承认一切良善都来自主，主能做一切事时，他必赞美并荣耀主，也就是说，将赞美和荣耀都归给主。当人处于这种承认时，他就抛开了其属于自我之爱的自我，并打开他的整个心智，从而使神性能以良善和能力流入，或通过流注进入。这就是为何人有必要在神面前谦卑，为何这种谦卑只能源于对自我性质的承认和对主的承认；接受照着这些事物而实现。“将赞美归给神”和“赞美神”是指承认祂，并出于内心的称谢来敬拜祂，这一点从圣言中的许多经文明显看出来（如马太福音21:16;路加福音2:13–14,20;5:25–26;7:16;13:13;18:43;19:28–40;24:52–53;诗篇148:1–5,7,13;以及别处）。
（关于植物的生命续）（5）植物和动物，无论出现在天堂里的，还是在世界上的，都通过这些力量从属灵之物那里存在。这些事物之所以也存在于天堂，是因为这些力量是属灵之物所固有的，并在最大事物和最小事物中，在初始和终端中，因而在天堂和世界的属灵之物中；它的初始在天堂，它的终端在世界。因为属灵事物有各个层级，每个层级都不同于其它层级，在先或较高层级比在后或较低层级更完美。这一点从天堂里的光和热，以及天使从这光和热中所获得的智慧明显看出来。最高或第三层天堂的光来自火焰，如此明亮，以至于胜过世上正午之光一千倍；中间或第二层天堂的光不那么明亮，但也胜过世上正午之光一百倍；最低或第一层天堂的光就像我们世界的正午之光。热，就是天上的爱，也有不同层级，天使照着这些层级而拥有智慧、聪明和知识。一切属灵之物都属于从显为太阳的主发出的光和热，智慧和聪明也来自这光和热。
天堂之下，也就是自然界中的属灵事物也有许多层级，它们是属灵事物的较低层级，这一点可从人的属世心智，以及他的理性和感性明显看出来。理性的人处于第一层级，感性的人处于最后层级，其他人处于居间层级；此外，属世心智的一切思维和情感都是属灵的。这三种力量，即作用的力量，创造的力量和形成的力量，是属灵之物所固有的，在它的各个层级中，只是完美程度不同。然而，没有任何事物没有自己的终端，它在终端中终止并停止，所以属灵之物也有自己的终端；它的终端就在地上的陆地和水域中。属灵之物从这终端中再次产生各种植物，从树直到草叶，属灵之物就住在这些植物中，只表现出与前面所说的动物的某种相似性。
1210. Saying, Praise God, all ye his servants.- That this signifies the worship of the Lord by those who are in truths, is evident from the signification of praising God, as denoting to confess and worship Him, of which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of the servants of God, as denoting those who are in truths from the Lord, concerning which see above (n. Matthew 21:16; Luke 2:13, 14, 20; 5:25, 26; 7:16; 13:13; 18:43; 19:28-40; 24:52, 53; also Psalm 148:1-5, 7, 13; and elsewhere.
[2] Continuation [concerning the Life of Plants].- 5. Plants and animals also - both those which appear in heaven, and those which are in the world - exist from the Spiritual, by means of these forces.
The reason why these also exist in heaven is, that these forces are inherent in the Spiritual, in the greatest and least things, in primaries and in ultimates; thus in that which is spiritual both in heaven and in the world, its first beginnings being in the former, its ultimate developments in the latter. For there are degrees of spiritual things, and every degree is distinct from another, a prior or higher degree being more perfect than that which is posterior or lower. This may be shown from the light and heat in the heavens, and from the wisdom of the angels derived from these. The light in the highest or third heaven, through being of a flaming quality, is so bright that it surpasses a thousand times the mid-day light of the world. In the middle or second heaven there is a light less clear, but still it surpasses a hundred times the mid-day light of the world. In the ultimate or first heaven there is a light similar to the mid-day light of the world. There are also degrees of heat, which in heaven is love, and according to them the angels possess their wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge. All that is spiritual belongs to the light and heat which proceed from the Lord as the Sun, and from these are wisdom and intelligence.
[3] There are also as many degrees of spiritual things existing beneath the heavens, or in nature, these being lower degrees. This is evident from man's natural mind, also from his rationality, and his sensuality. Rational men are in the first, sensual men in the last, while some are in the intermediate degree; all the thought and affection, moreover, of the natural mind are spiritual. These three forces, the active, the creative, and the formative, are inherent in the Spiritual, in every degree of it, but with a difference of perfection. Since however there is nothing but has its own ultimate, in which it terminates and stops, so also has the Spiritual; its ultimate being in the lands and waters of the earth. From this ultimate again the Spiritual produces plants of every kind, from the tree to the blade of grass, and in these it remains, manifesting itself merely in that kind of resemblance to living beings, of which we have treated above.
1210. Saying, Praise God, all ye His servants, signifies worship of the Lord by those who are in truths. This is evident from the signification of "praising God," as being to confess and worship Him (of which presently); also from the signification of "servants of God," as being those who are in truths from the Lord (See n. Matthew 21:16; Luke 2:13-14, 20; 5:25-26; 7:16; 13:13; 18:43; 19:28-40; 24:52-53; also Psalms 148:1-5, 7, 13.)
(Continuation)
[2] 5. From the spiritual, by means of these forces, both plants and animals, both those that appear in heaven and those in the world, have their existence. Such things exist also in heaven, because these forces are in the spiritual in things greatest and in things least, in its firsts and its ultimates, thus in the spiritual both in heaven and in the world. Its firsts are in the heavens, its ultimates are in the world. For there are degrees of spiritual things, and each degree is distinct from the other, and the prior or higher degree is more perfect than the posterior or lower. This is evident from the light and the heat in the heavens, and from the wisdom of the angels from these. The light in the highest or third heaven is from a flame so brilliant as to exceed a thousand times the midday light of the world; in the middle or second heaven the light is less bright, and yet exceeds a hundred times the noonday light of the world; in the lowest or first heaven the light is like the noonday light of our world. Also there are degrees of heat, which in heaven is love, and according to those degrees the angels have wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge. Everything spiritual belongs to the light and heat that are from the Lord as a sun, and wisdom and intelligence are from these.
[3] There are also as many degrees of things spiritual below the heavens, that is, in nature, which are lower degrees of things spiritual, as can be seen from man's natural mind, and from its rationality and sensuality; rational men are in its first degree, sensual men are in its last, and others are in the middle; and all thought and affection of the natural mind is spiritual. These three forces, namely, the active force, the creative force, and the formative force, are in the spiritual in every degree of it, but with a difference of perfection. But since there is nothing without its ultimate, in which it terminates and subsists, so the spiritual has its ultimate, which in the earth is in its lands and waters; and from this ultimate the spiritual produces plants of all kinds, from the tree to the blade of grass, and in these the spiritual abides, manifesting itself only in a certain likeness to animals that has been spoken of above.
1210. "Dicens, Laudate Deum [nostrum] , omnes servi Ipsius." - Quod significet cultum Domini ab illis qui in veris sunt, constat ex significatione "laudare Deum", quod sit confiteri et colere Ipsum (de qua sequitur); et ex significatione "servorum Dei", quod sint qui in veris a Domino sunt (de qua [supra] , n. 6, 409). Multis locis in Verbo dicitur "laudare Deum", et per id significatur confiteri Ipsum corde et ore, ita quoque colere; per "laudare Deum", simile significatur quod per "Hallelujah", quia "Hallelujah" significat "Laudate Deum"; quod id sit vox gaudii et laetitiae in confessionibus et in cultu Dei, prius dictum est. Quod per "laudare Deum" significetur confiteri et colere, est quia Dominus non vult laudari et glorificari ex aliquo amore sui, sed ex amore hominis; nam homo non potest aliter quam laudare et glorificare Dominum, seu laudem et gloriam Ipsi dare, cum agnoscit corde quod nihil boni in se sit, et quod nihil a se possit, ac vicissim, quod omne bonum sit a Domino, et quod Dominus omnia possit; cum homo in illa agnitione est, tunc removet proprium suum, quod est amoris sui, ac aperit omnia mentis suae, et sic dat copiam ut Divinum cum bono et cum potentia influat: ex eo est, quod necessum sit ut homo in humiliatione sit coram Domino, et quod humiliatio non aliunde sit quam ex agnitione sui et ex agnitione Domini, secundum quas fit receptio.
Quod "laudem dare Deo", ac "laudare Deum", sit confiteri Ipsum, et ex confessione cordis colere Ipsum, constat ex pluribus locis in Verbo (Ut Matthaeus 21:16; Luca 2:13, 14, 20; 5:25, 26; 7:16; 13:13; 18:43; 1
19:28-40; 24:52, 53: tum Psalms 148:1-5, 7, 13: et alibi).
[2] (Continuati, (de Regno Vegetabili; hic de Viribus).)
(5.) Quod ex spirituali per illas vires existant vegetabilia, et quoque animalia, tam quae in caelo apparent quam quae in mundo.- Quod etiam illa existant in caelo, est quia illae Vires insunt spirituali in maximis et in minimis, in primis et in ultimis ejus, ita spirituali tam in caelo quam in mundo; prima ejus sunt in caelis, ultima ejus sunt in mundo: sunt enim gradus spiritualium, et quilibet gradus distinctus est ab altero, ac prior seu superior gradus perfectior est posteriori seu inferiori. Hoc constare potest ex luce et ex calore in caelis, et ex sapientia angelorum ex illis: lux in supremo seu tertio caelo ex flammeo tam splendida est ut lucem mundi meridianam millies excedat; in medio seu secundo caelo est lux minus 2
candida, sed usque lucem meridianam mundi centies excedit; in ultimo seu primo caelo, est lux similis luci meridianae mundi; sunt etiam gradus caloris, qui ibi est amor, et secundum illos est angelis sapientia, intelligentia et scientia: omne spirituale est lucis et caloris ex Domino ut Sole, ac sapientia et intelligentia sunt ex illis.
[3] Tot gradus spiritualium etiam dantur sub caelis, seu in Natura, qui sunt gradus inferiores spiritualium, ut constare potest ex mente naturali hominis, et ex ejus rationalitate et sensualitate; rationales homines in primo ejus gradu sunt, sensuales in ultimo sunt, ac quidam in medio; ac omnis cogitatio et affectio mentis naturalis est spiritualis. Tres illae vires, quae sunt vis agendi, vis creandi et vis formandi, insunt spirituali in ejus omni gradu, sed cum differentia perfectionis; ast quia nihil non suum ultimum habet, ubi desinit et subsistit, ita quoque spirituale; hoc ejus ultimum est in tellure, in ejus terris et aquis; et spirituale ex hoc ultimo producit vegetabilia omnis generis, ex arbore usque ad gramen, in quibus remanens spirituale se manifestat modo in quadam similitudine cum animalibus, de qua supra actum est.
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.
2. The editors made a correction or note here.