961、对此，我补充两件难忘的事。这是第一件：
有一次，一觉醒来，我陷入了对神的深刻沉思。我举目观看，发现上空有一道极亮的椭圆形光芒。当我将注意力集中到这道光上时，这光向周边退去，进入四围。这时，看哪，天堂向我敞开了，我看到一些壮观的景象，天使们站在开口的南边围成一圈，互相交谈。我很想听听他们在说什么，于是首先得以听见充满天堂之爱的声音，然后听见他们那充满源于这爱的智慧的话语。他们一起谈论了一位神、与祂的结合，以及由此而来的救赎。他们所说的话是无法形容的，绝大多数无法以任何属世语言来表达。但我曾多次与在天堂本身中的天使们交往，那时因处于相似的状态而与他们进行了类似的交谈，所以我现在能明白这些话，并从他们的谈话中摘选一些能以属世语言的话语来理性表达的内容。
他们说，神性存在(Divine Esse 或Being)是一，是同一的或不变的，是真我或它自身，或绝对的(very Self，或the Itself，或absolute)，是不可分割的；神性本质也是如此，因为神性存在就是神性本质；神亦是如此，因为神性本质，也就是神性存在，就是神。他们用属灵观念来说明这一点，说：神性存在不能演变成若干个，其中每一个都有神性存在，然而又是一，是同一的或不变的，是真我，是不可分割的。事实上，每一个都将出于他自己的存在而从他自己那里并凭他自己思考；如果他同时也从其他人那里并凭其他人思考，或说与其他人和谐一致地思考，那将会有许多一致的神，而不是有一位神。因为一致就是许多人的同意，同时又是每一个从他自己那里并凭他自己的同意，这种一致并不符合神的一体性，而是符合多个存在；他们没有说“诸神或多神”，因为他们无法说出来；事实上，天堂之光抗拒它，而他们的思维来自天堂之光，他们的谈话也在这光中进行。他们还说，当他们想谈论“诸神或多神”，并谈论他们每一个都独自为一个位格时，说话的努力自动落入“一”，事实上落入“独一神”。
对此，他们补充说，神性存在是神性存在本身，而不是来自它自己，因为“来自它自己”就假设了它里面有一个存在，而它来自这个存在，因而假设了来自神的一位神，这是不可能的。来自神的东西，不是被称为神，而是被称为神性；因为什么是“来自神的一位神”，因而什么是从神那里自永恒所生的一位神，什么是从神那里通过自永恒所生的一位神发出的一位神呢？不都是其中没有一丝来自天堂的光的一些话吗？在主耶稣基督里面，情况就不是这样。祂里面有神性存在本身，神性人身和神性发出或发出的神性：一切事物都来自神性存在本身，人的灵魂就对应于神性存在本身；而人的身体对应于神性人身；人的活动则对应于神性发出或发出的神性。这三位一体是一，因为从一切事物所来自的神性衍生出神性人身，从一切事物所来自的神性通过神性人身衍生出神性发出或发出的神性。因此，在每一位天使和每个人里面也都有一个灵魂，一个身体和一个活动，这三者构成一体，因为他们是(神的)形像；从灵魂衍生出身体，从灵魂通过身体衍生出活动。
他们进一步说，本身为神的神性存在是同一的或不变的；这种同一或不变不是简单的同一或不变，而是无限的同一或不变，也就是说，自永恒到永恒都是同一或不变的，是处处的同一或不变，是与每个人同在并在每个人里面的同一或不变；而一切多样性和变化都在于接受者，是接受者的状态导致的。本身为神的神性存在是真我，他们以这种方式来证明这一点：神是真我，因为祂是爱本身，智慧本身，良善本身，真理本身，生命本身。除非这些是神里面的真我，否则它们在天堂里和世界上什么都不是，因为它们里面没有任何与祂自己有关的东西。每种品质都通过衍生而从它所源于的真我那里获得自己的品质，它与这真我有关，以至于就是这样。这真我，即神性存在，不在空间中，而是照着接受而与那些在空间中的人同在，并在他们里面；爱和智慧，并良善和真理，即神里面的真我，就是神自己，而空间，或从一个地方到另一个地方的进展不能论及它们，而是没有空间，全在由此而来。因此，主说，祂在他们中间，还说，祂在他们里面，他们也在祂里面。
但由于诸如祂在祂自己里面那样的祂不能被任何人接受，所以祂以天使天堂之上的太阳来显现诸如祂在祂自己里面的样子；从这太阳发出的光是在智慧方面的祂自己，从这太阳发出的热是在爱方面的祂自己。主自己不是这太阳；而是最近地从祂自己发出并围绕祂自己的神性之爱和神性智慧在众天使面前显为太阳。在这太阳中的祂自己是一个人，祂是在一切事物所来自的神性方面和在神性人身方面的我们的主耶稣基督，因为真我，即爱本身和智慧本身，是祂来自父的灵魂，因而是本身为生命的神性生命。在每个人里面，情况不是这样；在人里面，灵魂不是生命，而是生命的接受者。主也教导了这一点，祂说：
我就是道路，真理和生命。(约翰福音14:6)
别处：
父怎样在自己有生命，就赐给祂儿子也照样在自己有生命。(约翰福音5:26)
在祂自己里面的生命就是神。对此，他们补充说，人若处于某种属灵之光，就能感知到，神性存在，也就是神性本质，因是一，所以是同一或不变的，是真我，因而是不可分割的，不能存在于多个位格中。如果有人说它能存在于多个位格中，那么明显的矛盾就会随之而来。
我听完这些话后，天使们在我的思维中感知到基督教会关于一体中的三位一体，和三位一体中的一体，以及关于神，关于神儿子自永恒出生的普遍观念。于是，他们说：“你在想什么？你这不是在出于和我们的属灵之光不一致的属世之光思考这些事吗？因此，除非你除去这些思维观念，否则我们就会向你关闭天堂并离开。”但这时我对他们说：“请更深地进入我的思维，或许你们会看到一致。”他们照做了，并看到，我将三个位格理解为三个发出的神性属性，即创造、救赎和改造；这些属性都属于那一位神；我将神儿子自永恒出生理解为自永恒所预见并在时间中提供的祂的出生。然后，我告诉他们，我对三位格的三位一体和一体，以及神的儿子自永恒出生的属世思维，源于教会的信之教义，该教义以亚他那修为名；只要把三个位格的三位一体换成一个位格的三位一体，这一个位格的三位一体只存在于主耶稣基督里面，将神儿子的出生换成自永恒所预见并在时间中提供的祂的出生，这个教义就是公正和正确的，因为就祂在时间中为自己所取的人身而言，祂明确地被称为神的儿子。
然后，天使们说：“很好。”他们要求我从他们的口中说，人若不靠近天地之神自己，就不能进入天堂，因为天堂凭这独一神而为天堂，这位神就是主耶稣基督，祂是主耶和华，自永恒就是创造者，是时间中的救主和直到永恒的改造者；因此，祂同时是父、子和圣灵。在此之后，之前在开口上方所看到的天堂之光又回来了，并逐渐下降，充满我心智的内层，光照我对神的一体和三位一体的观念；然后，我看到我起初关于它们所接受的纯属世观念被分离出去，就像糠秕通过风扇的转动而与麦子分离一样，这些观念像是被风吹到了天堂的北方，然后消散了。
961. To this I will append two narrative accounts. Here is the first:
Once, on awakening from sleep, I fell into a profound meditation regarding God. And when I looked up, I saw in the sky above me a bright, oval-shaped light. Then, as I fixed my gaze on the light, the light ebbed toward the circumference and entered the perimeter. And suddenly heaven opened to me and I saw some magnificent sights, with angels standing around in a circle on the southern side of the opening and conversing together. Because I burned with a desire to hear what they were saying, I was therefore first granted to hear the sound, which was full of heavenly love, and afterward the words, which were full of wisdom arising from that love. They were talking together about the oneness of God, conjunction with Him, and so salvation.
What they were saying is beyond description. Most of it cannot be put into the words of any natural language. But because I had been myself a number of times in the company of angels in heaven, and had then used the same language as they, being in the same state, I was consequently able to understand them now and to take from their conversation some thoughts that I could express in rational terms in the words of a natural language.
They were saying that the Divine being is one, unchanging, absolute, and indivisible, and so is also the Divine essence, inasmuch as the Divine being is the Divine essence, thus also God, because the Divine essence, which is at the same time the Divine being, is God.
[2] This the angels illustrated using spiritual ideas, saying that the Divine being cannot evolve into a number of Divines, each of which possesses the Divine being, and still be one, unchanging, absolute, and indivisible. Indeed, each would think, of Himself and by Himself, from His own being. If He should then think also at the same time unanimously with others and in harmony with others, the result would be a number of like-minded gods and not one God. For unanimity is the consensus of a number, and at the same time the consensus of each one, of himself and by himself, and this does not accord with the unity of God, but with a plurality of beings. They did not say, with a plurality of gods, because they could not, since the light of heaven resisted it, being the light in accord with which they formed their thinking and in which their discussion proceeded. They even said that when they tried to say "gods," with each one a person by himself, their effort to say it turned instantly and spontaneously into their saying one God, indeed into saying the one and only God.
[3] The angels said in addition that the Divine being is a Divine being in itself, not one derived from itself, because to say one derived from itself supposes a being in itself as its origin, thus a God derived from God, which is not possible. Something derived from God is not called God but rather Divine. For what is a God derived from God? What then is a God born from eternity from God? And what is a God emanating from God through a God born from eternity? They are but words that contain not a spark of light from heaven.
"Not so," they said, "in the case of the Lord Jesus Christ. In Him is the Divine being itself from which all else springs, to which the soul corresponds in man. He has also a Divine humanity, to which the body corresponds in man. And from Him is also the emanating Divine, to which the activity of soul and body corresponds in man. This trine is a unit, because from the originating Divine springs the Divine humanity, and from the originating Divine through the Divine humanity springs as a consequence the emanating Divine.
"For this reason, too, every angel and every person, being an image of the Divine, has a soul, body and activity which constitute a unit, since from the soul springs the body, and from the soul through the body springs the consequent activity."
[4] The angels said further that the Divine being, which in itself is God, is unchanging - not unchanging statically, but infinitely, that is, unchanging from eternity to eternity. It is the same everywhere, and the same for every individual and in every individual, with all variation and capability of variation resting in the recipient. The state of the recipient is responsible for this.
That the Divine being, which in itself is God, is absolute, they illustrated as follows:
"God is absolute," they said, "because He is love itself, wisdom itself, good itself, truth itself, and life itself. If these were not absolute in God, they would have no reality in heaven or in the world, as they would have no relation to anything absolute. Every quality is accorded its quality from the fact that there is something absolute from which it springs and to which it has relation so as to be what it is.
"This absolute entity, which is the Divine being, does not exist space, but is present with people and in people who live in space, in accordance with their reception, since love and wisdom, and goodness and truth, which are absolute in God, indeed which are God Himself, cannot have location predicated of them, or a progression from place to place, but are independent of space, and so omnipresent. Therefore the Lord says that He is in the midst of His disciples, and that He is in them and they in Him. 1
[5] "However, because no one can receive Him as He is in Himself, He appears, such as He is in Himself, as a sun above the angelic heavens, and the light emanating from that sun is the Lord in respect to wisdom, and its warmth the Lord in respect to love.
"The Lord is not a sun, but the Divine love and wisdom radiating immediately from Him and surrounding Him appear to angels as the sun. He himself in the sun is human. He is our Lord Jesus Christ, both in respect to the originating Divine and in respect to His Divine humanity, since the originating Divine, which is love itself and wisdom itself, was the soul He had from the Father, thus Divine life, which is life in itself. Not so in any other person. The soul in him is not life, but a recipient of life. This is also something the Lord taught, saying, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." 2And in another place, "As the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself." 3He who has life in Himself is God."
To this the angels added that it is possible for someone who possesses some spiritual light to perceive from this that because the Divine being, which is also the Divine essence, is one, unchanging, absolute, and so indivisible, it cannot possibly exist in a plurality of persons. And that if someone were to say it could, there would be manifest contradictions in any added qualifications.
[6] Having said this, the angels perceived in my thought the usual notions in the Christian Church regarding a trinity of Persons in union and their union in the trinity, regarding God, and regarding as well the birth of the Son of God from eternity. And they said then, "What are you thinking? Are you not forming your thoughts from a natural sight, with which our spiritual sight does not accord? Therefore, if you do not rid yourself of those ideas in your thinking, we will close heaven to you and go away."
But to that I said to them, "Pray enter more deeply into my thinking, and perhaps you will see an agreement."
They then did so, and they saw that by three Persons I mean three succeeding Divine attributes, namely creation, salvation, and reformation, and that these are the attributes of a single God. They saw, too, that by the birth of the Son of God from eternity I mean His birth foreseen from eternity and provided in time. And I told them then that I acquired my natural thought regarding a trinity of Persons and their union, and the birth of a Son of God from eternity, from the church's doctrinal creed, called the Athanasian Creed, and that the doctrine in it is right and correct, provided that for the trinity of Persons in it one substitutes the trinity of a Person, which exists only in the Lord Jesus Christ, and for the birth of the Son of God, His birth foreseen from eternity and provided in time. For it is in relation to the humanity He assumed in time that He is plainly called "the Son of God."
[7] At that the angels said, "Good!" And they asked me to say on their authority that if someone does not turn to the God Himself of heaven and earth, he cannot enter heaven, because heaven is heaven owing to this one and only God, and that this God is Jesus Christ, who is the Lord Jehovah, our Creator from eternity, our Savior in time, and our Reformer to eternity, thus who is at once the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
After that the heavenly light that I saw before came back over the opening in the sky, and it gradually descended from there and filled the interiors of my mind, enlightening my natural ideas regarding the union and trinity of God. And the ideas I had initially acquired about these, which were merely natural, I then saw separated, as the chaff is separated from the wheat when shaken in the wind, and these ideas were carried off as though by a wind into the northern zone of heaven and vanished.
Footnotes:
1. Matthew 18:20, John 14:20; 17:23.
2. John 14:6.
3. John 5:26.
961. To these things I will add two MEMORABLE OCCURRENCES.
This is the first. Once having awakened out of sleep I fell into a profound meditation about God; and when I looked up I saw above me in heaven a very bright white light in an oval form. And as I fixed my attention on that light, it was receding to the sides and entering into the circumferences, and then behold, heaven was open to me, and I saw some magnificent things, and angels standing in the form of a circle on the south side of the opening, and they were talking among themselves. And because I was fired with the desire to hear what they were talking about, it was therefore given me first to hear the sound, which was filled with heavenly love, and afterwards to hear the speech, which was filled with wisdom derived from that love. They were talking together of THE ONE GOD, of CONJUNCTION WITH HIM, and of SALVATION thereby. They were speaking ineffable things, most of which cannot find an utterance in the words of any natural language. But because I had on several occasions been in association with angels in heaven itself, and had then been in similar speech with them because in a similar state, I could now therefore understand them, and select some things out of their conversation which can be expressed rationally with words of natural language.
[2] They were saying that THE DIVINE ESSE (Being) IS ONE, THE SAME, THE VERY SELF, AND INDIVISIBLE; thus also the Divine Essence, because Divine Esse (Being) is Divine Essence; thus also God, because Divine Essence, which also is Divine Esse (Being), is God. They were illustrating this by means of spiritual ideas, saying that the Divine Esse (Being) cannot fall into many, every one of them having the Divine Esse, and yet Itself be One, the Same, the Very Self, and Indivisible: for each would think out of its own Esse of itself and by itself. If then also he should think at the same time from and by means of the others unanimously, there would be many unanimous gods and not the One God. For unanimity, because it is the common feeling of many, and at the same time of each one of himself and by himself, does not agree with the Unity of God, but with a plurality. They did not say 'of Gods,' because they could not; for the light of heaven from which their thought was derived, and in which their conversation was proceeding, resisted. They were also saying that when they want to speak of 'Gods' and of each one of them as a Person by himself, the effort of utterance spontaneously falls into 'One,' indeed into 'the Only God.
[3] To these things they were adding that the Divine Esse (Being) is Divine Esse in Itself, not from Itself, because 'from Itself' postulates an Esse in Itself from Which it is, thus it postulates a God from God, which is not given. That which is from God is not called 'God' but is called 'Divine'; for what is 'a God from a God,' thus what is 'a God from a God born from eternity,' and what is 'a God proceeding from a God by means of a God born from eternity,' but words in which there is not a vestige of light out of heaven? It is otherwise in the Lord Jesus Christ. In Him there is the Divine Esse Itself from Which [all things are], to Which in a man the soul corresponds; there is the Divine Human, to Which in a man the body corresponds; and there is the Divine proceeding, to Which in a man activity corresponds. This Trine is a one, because from the Divine from Which [all things are] by means of the Divine Human is derived the Divine proceeding. Therefore also in every individual angel and in every individual man, because they are images, there is a soul, a body, and activity, which make a one, since from the soul is derived the body, and from the soul by means of the body is derived the activity.
[4] They were saying further that the Divine Esse (Being), which in itself is God, is THE SAME, the Same not simple (simplex) but Infinite, that is, the Same from eternity to eternity; the Same everywhere, and the Same with each individual and in each individual; but that everything diverse and subject to change is in the recipient, the recipient's state bringing this about. That the Divine Esse (Being), which is God in Himself, is THE VERY SELF they were illustrating in this way: God is the Very Self because He is Love Itself, Wisdom Itself, Good Itself, Truth Itself, Life Itself. Unless these were the Very Self in God they would not be anything in heaven and the world, because there would not be anything in them in relation to Himself. Every quality gets its own quality by derivation from that which is the Very Self from which it is derived, and to which it is related so as to be such. This Very Self, which is the Divine Being (Esse Divinum), is not in space but, in accordance with reception, is with those and in those who are in space; since of the Love and Wisdom and of the Good and Truth which are the Very Self in God, indeed are God Himself, there can be predicated neither space nor progression from one place to another, but absence of space, whence there is Omnipresence; and therefore the Lord says that 'He is in the midst of them,' also 'Himself in them and they in Himself.
[5] But because such as He is in Himself He cannot be received by anyone, He appears such as He is in Himself as the Sun above the angelic heavens. Proceeding as light from this He is the Very Self as to Wisdom, and proceeding as heat He is the Very Self as to Love. The Very Self is not the Sun; but Divine Love and Divine Wisdom going forth from the Very Self very closely round about Him appear before the angels as the Sun. He Himself in the Sun is Man. He is our Lord Jesus Christ both as to the Divine from Which [all things are] and as to the Divine Human, since the Very Self, Which is Love Itself and Wisdom Itself, was His soul from the Father, thus the Divine Life that is Life in itself. It is otherwise in each individual man. In him the soul is not life but a receiving of life. The Lord also taught this, saying:
I am the Way, the Truth (veritas) and the Life [John 14:6]; and elsewhere:
As the Father has Life in Himself, so also has He given to the Son to have Life in Himself [John 5:26].
Life in Himself is God. To these things they added that he who is in any spiritual light is able to perceive from these things that the Divine Esse (Being), which also is Divine Essence, because it is One, the Same, the Very Self, and consequently Indivisible, cannot be multiplied (dari in pluribus); and that if it should be said to be so there would be manifest contradictions in any additional statements.
[6] When I had heard these things, the angels perceived in my thought concerning God the general ideas of the Christian Church concerning the Trinity of Persons in Unity and their Unity in the Trinity, as also concerning the birth of a Son of God from eternity; whereupon they said, 'What are you thinking? Are you not thinking those things out of a natural light with which our spiritual light does not agree? And therefore unless you remove the ideas of that thought, we close heaven to you and go away.' But then I said to them, 'Please enter more deeply into my thought, and maybe you will see an agreement.' And they did so, and saw that by the three Persons I understood three proceeding Divine Attributes, which are Creation, Salvation and Reformation, and that those are Attributes of the One God; and that by the birth of the Son of God from eternity I understood His birth foreseen from eternity and provided in time. And then I told them that I had my natural thought concerning the Trinity and Unity of Persons, and concerning the birth of the Son of God from eternity., derived from the Church's doctrine of faith, which has its name from Athanasius; and that that doctrine is just and right, provided that instead of a Trinity of Persons there is understood the Trinity of Person that is given solely in the Lord Jesus Christ and instead of the birth of the Son of God [from eternity] there is understood His birth foreseen from eternity and provided in time, because as to the Human that He took to Himself in time He is openly called 'the Son of God.
[7] The angels then said, 'It is well'; and they asked that from their mouth I might state that if anyone does not approach the God of heaven and earth Himself he cannot come into heaven, because heaven is heaven by derivation from the One and Only God; and that that God is Jesus Christ Who is Jehovah the Lord, from eternity the Creator, in time the Saviour, and to eternity the Reformer; thus He Who is at once Father, Son and Holy Spirit. After these things the heavenly light formerly seen above the opening came back again, and gradually sank down therefrom and filled the interior things of my mind and enlightened my natural ideas about the Unity and Trinity of God. And then I saw the ideas about them held at the beginning, which had been merely natural, separated as chaff from wheat by the motion of a fan and carried away as if by a wind into the north of heaven, and dispersed.
961. To this I will add two Relations. The first is this. Once on waking from sleep, I fell into a profound meditation concerning God; and when I looked up, I saw above me in heaven a very bright light in an oval form; and when I fixed my attention on that light, it receded to the sides, and entered into the circumference. And then behold, heaven was opened to me, and I saw some magnificent things, and angels standing in the form of a circle on the southern side of the opening, speaking with one another. And because I was enkindled with the desire of hearing what they were saying, it was therefore given me first to hear the sound, which was full of heavenly love, and afterwards their speech, which was full of wisdom from that love. They were talking with one another of the One God, of Conjunction with Him, and of Salvation thence. They spoke ineffable things, the most of which cannot be expressed by any natural language. But as I had many times been in consociation with angels in heaven itself, and then in similar speech with them, because in a similar state, I could therefore now understand them, and gather some things from their discourse, which can be expressed rationally in the words of natural language.
[2] They said that the Divine Esse is One, the Same, the Itself, and Indivisible; thus also the Divine Essence, because the Divine Esse is the Divine Essence; and thus also God, because the Divine Essence, which is also the Divine Esse, is God. They illustrated this by spiritual ideas, saying that the Divine Esse cannot fall into many, everyone of which has the Divine Esse, and yet be One, the Same, Itself, and Indivisible; for each would think from his Esse from himself and by himself; if he should at the same time also think from the others and by the others unanimously, there would be many unanimous gods, and not one God. For unanimity, as it is the consent of many, and at the same time of each one from himself, and by himself, does not agree with the unity of God, but with a plurality, they did not say of gods, because they could not; for the light of heaven, from which was their thought, and in which their discourse proceeded, resisted.
They also said, that when they want to speak of "Gods," and each one of them as a Person by Himself, the effort of utterance spontaneously falls into "One," indeed, into "the Only God."
[3] To this they added that the Divine Esse is the Divine Esse in Itself, not from Itself; because from Itself supposes an Esse in Itself, from which it is, and thus supposes a God from God, which is not given. That which is from God is not called God, but is called the Divine; for what is a God from God; and thus what is a God from God born from eternity; and what is a God from God proceeding through a God born from eternity, but words in which there is not the least light from heaven? It is otherwise in the Lord Jesus Christ; in Him is the Divine Esse Itself from which all things are, to which the soul in man corresponds, the Divine Human, to which the body in man corresponds, and the Divine proceeding, to which activity in man corresponds. This Trine is a one, because from the Divine from which all things are is the Divine Human, and thence from the Divine from which all things are, through the Divine Human is the Divine proceeding. Therefore also, in every angel and in every man, because they are images, there is a soul, a body, and activity, which make one; since from the soul is the body, and from the soul through the body is the activity.
[4] They said further, that the Divine Esse, which in Itself is God, is the Same; not the Same simply, but Infinite; that is, the same from eternity to eternity; it is the Same everywhere, and the Same with everyone and in everyone; but that all the variety and variableness is in the recipient; the state of the recipient does this.
That the Divine Esse, which is God in Himself, is the Itself they illustrated thus. God is the Itself, because He is Love Itself, Wisdom Itself, Good Itself, Truth Itself, Life Itself; which unless they were the Itself in God, would not be anything in heaven and in the world; because there would not be anything of them having relation to the Itself. Every quality derives its quality from this, that there is an Itself from which it is, and to which it has relation, that it may be such. This Itself, which is the Divine Esse, is not in place, but is with those and in those who are in place, according to reception; since of love and wisdom, and of good and truth, which are the itself in God, yea, are God Himself, place cannot be predicated, or progression from place to place, but without place, whence is omnipresence. Wherefore the Lord says, that "He is in the midst of them;" also "He in them, and they in Him."
[5] But because He cannot be received by anyone as He is in Himself, He appears as He is in Himself as the sun above the angelic heavens, the proceeding from which as light is Himself as to wisdom, and as heat is Himself as to love. He Himself is not the sun; but the Divine love and Divine wisdom going forth from Himself proximately, round about Himself, appear before the angels as the sun. He Himself in the sun is a Man, He is our Lord Jesus Christ both as to the Divine from which, and as to the Divine Human; since the Itself, which is Love Itself and Wisdom Itself, was His soul from the Father, and thus the Divine Life, which is Life in itself. It is otherwise in every man; in him the soul is not life, but a recipient of life. The Lord also teaches this, saying:
I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, (John 14:6);
As the Father hath life in Himself, so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself, (John 5:26).
Life in Himself is God. They added to this, that he who is in any spiritual light, can perceive that the Divine Esse, which is also the Divine Essence, because it is One, the Same, the Itself, and thence Indivisible, cannot be given in many; and that if it were said to be given, manifest contradictions would follow.
[6] After hearing these things, the angels perceived in my thought the common ideas of the Christian church concerning a Trinity of Persons in Unity and their Unity in Trinity, respecting God, as also concerning the birth of a Son of God from eternity; and they then said, "What are you thinking of? Are you not thinking those things from natural light, with which our spiritual light does not agree? Wherefore, unless you remove the ideas of that thought, we close heaven to you, and go away." But I then said to them, "Enter, I pray, more deeply into my thought and perhaps you will see agreement." And they did so, and saw that by three Persons I understand three proceeding Divine attributes, which are creation, salvation, and reformation; and that these attributes are of the one God; and that by the birth of a Son of God from eternity I understood His birth foreseen from eternity and provided in time. And I then related that my natural thought concerning a Trinity and Unity of Persons, and concerning the birth of a Son of God from eternity, I received from the doctrine of faith of the church, which has its name from Athanasius; and that that doctrine is just and right, provided that instead of a Trinity of Persons there be there understood a Trinity of Person, which is given only in the Lord Jesus Christ; and instead of the birth of a Son of God there be understood His birth foreseen from eternity and provided in time; because as to the Human, which He took to Himself in time, He is called openly the Son of God.
[7] The angels then said, "Well;" and they requested that I would say from their mouth, that if anyone does not go to the God of heaven and earth Himself, he cannot come into heaven; because heaven is heaven from that only God; and that that God is the Lord Jesus Christ, who is Jehovah the Lord, Creator from eternity, Savior in time, and Reformer to eternity; thus who is at the same time the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. After this the heavenly light before seen above the opening returned, and gradually descended, and filled the interiors of my mind, and enlightened my natural ideas of the Unity and Trinity of God; and then the ideas received about them in the beginning, which were merely natural, I saw separated, as the chaff is separated from the wheat by the motion of a fan, and carried away as by a wind into the north of heaven, and dispersed.
961. His adjiciam duo Memorabilia; PRIMUM hoc:-
Quondam experrectus e somno incidi in profundam meditationem de Deo; et cum suspexi, vidi supra me in Caelo lucem candidissimam in forma ovali; et cum fixi intuitum in luce illa, recedebat lux ad latera, et intrabat in peripherias: et tunc ecce patuit mihi Caelum, et vidi aliqua magnifica, et angelos stantes in forma circi a latere meridionali aperturae, et loquebantur inter se. Et quia accendebar desiderio audiendi quid loquebantur, ideo dabatur mihi primum audire sonum qui plenus erat amore caelesti, et postea loquelam quae plena erat sapientia ex illo amore Loquebantur inter se de Deo uno, de Conjunctione cum Ipso, et inde Salvatione; loquebantur ineffabilia, quorum pleraque non possunt cadere in voces alicujus linguae naturalis. Sed quia aliquoties fueram in consortio cum angelis in ipso Caelo, et tunc in simili loquela cum illis, quia in simili statu, ideo potui nunc intelligere illos, et ex sermone illorum desumere aliqua quae possunt expromi vocibus linguae naturalis rationaliter.
Dicebant quod Divinum Esse sit Unum, Idem, Ipsum, et Individuum; ita quoque Divina Essentia, quia Divinum Esse est Divina Essentia; ita quoque Deus, quia Divina Essentia, quae etiam est Divinum Esse, est Deus. Haec illustrabant per ideas spirituales; dicendo, quod Divinum Esse non possit cadere in plures, quorum unicuique sit Divinum Esse, et tamen illud esse Unum, Idem, Ipsum, et Individuum, cogitaret enim quisque et suo Esse et se et per se; si tunc etiam simul et alteris et per alteros unanimiter, forent plures Dii unanimi, et non Deus Unus. Nam unanimitas, quia est consensus plurium, et simul cujusvis ex se et per se, non concordat cum unitate Dei, sed cum pluralitate (non dixerunt Deorum, quia non potuerunt, Lux enim Caeli, et qua erat cogitatio illorum, et in qua procedebat sermo illorum, contra nitebatur).
Dicebant etiam quod cum vellent enuntiare Deos, ac quemlibet ut Personam per se, cadat conatus enuntiandi illico et se in Unum, imo in Unicum Deum. His addebant, quod Divinum Esse sit Divinum Esse in Se, non a Se; quia a Se ponit Esse in Se a Quo; ita ponit Deum a Deo, quod non datur. Quod a Deo est, hoc non vocatur Deus sed vocatur Divinum; quid enim est Deus a Deo, ita quid Deus a Deo natus ab aeterno, et quid Deus a Deo per Deum natum ab aeterno procedens, nisi voces quibus ne hilum lucis e Caelo inest? Aliter in Domino Jesu Christo; in Illo est Ipsum Divinum Esse a Quo, Cui in homine correspondet anima, est Divinum Humanum, Cui in homine correspondet corpus, et est Divinum procedens, Cui in homine correspondet activitas; hoc Trinum est unum, quia et Divino a Quo est Divinum Humanum, et inde et Divino a Quo per Divinum Humanum est Divinum procedens. Ideo etiam in unoquovis angelo et in unoquovis homine, quia sunt imagines, est anima, corpus et activitas, quae unum faciunt; quoniam et anima est corpus, et ex anima per corpus est activitas.
Porro dicebant quod Divinum Esse, quod in Se est Deus, sit Idem; non Idem simplex, sed Infinitum, hoc est, Idem ab aeterno in aeternum; est Idem ubivis, ac Idem apud unumquemvis et in unoquovis: sed quod omne varium et variabile sit in recipiente; status recipientis hoc facit.
Quod Divinum Esse, quod est Deus in Se, sit Ipsum, ita illustrabant: -"Deus est Ipsum, quia est Ipse Amor, Ipsa Sapientia, Ipsum Bonum, Ipsum Verum, Ipsa Vita; quae nisi forent Ipsum in Deo, illa non forent aliquid in Caelo et in mundo; quia non foret aliquod illorum relativum ad Ipsum. Omne quale sortitur suum quale ex eo, quod sit Ipsum ex quo est, et ad quod se refert ut sit tale. Hoc Ipsum, quod est Esse Divinum, non est in loco, sed apud illos et in illis qui sunt in loco, secundum receptionem"; quoniam de Amore et Sapientia, et de Bono et Vero, quae sunt Ipsum in Deo, imo Ipse Deus, non praedicari potest locus, seu progressio e loco in locum; sed absque loco, unde Omnipraesentia. Quare dicit Dominus, quod 'Sit in medio illorum;' tum 'Ipse in illis et illi in Ipso.' At quia non recipi ab ullo potest qualis in Se est, apparet qualis in Se est ut Sol supra Caelos angelicos, a quo procedens ut lux est Ipse quoad sapientiam, ac ut calor est Ipse quoad Amorem. Ipse non est Sol, sed Divinus Amor et Divina Sapientia exiens ab Ipso proxime, circum circa Ipsum, coram angelis apparent ut Sol. Ipse in Sole est Homo; est Dominus noster Jesus Christus, tam quoad Divinum a Quo quam quoad Divinum Humanum: quoniam Ipsum, quod est Ipse Amor et Ipsa Sapientia, fuit anima Ipsi a Patre, ita Divina Vita, quae est Vita in se. Aliter in unoquovis homine; in illo anima non est vita, sed recipiens vitae. Dominus etiam hoc docuit, dicendo Ego sum Via, Veritas, et Vita:'
et alibi,
'Quemadmodum Pater habet Vitam in Se Ipso, ita dedit etiam Filio Vitam habere in Se Ipso;
'Vita in Se Ipso' est Deus."
His addiderunt, quod qui in aliqua luce spirituali est, ex his possit percipere, quod Divinum Esse, quod etiam est Divina Essentia, quia est Unum, Idem, Ipsum, et inde Individuum, non possit dari in pluribus; et quod si diceretur dari, forent manifestae contradictiones in adjectis.
His auditis, perceperunt Angeli in cogitatione mea ideas communes Ecclesiae Christianae de Personarum Trinitate in Unitate et illarum Unitate in Trinitate de Deo; tum etiam de Nativitate Filii Dei ab aeterno: et tunc dixerunt, "Quid cogitas; cogitasne illa ex luce naturali, cum qua Lux nostra spiritualis non concordat; quare nisi removes illius cogitationis ideas, claudimus tibi Caelum et abimus.
"Sed tunc dixi illis, "Intrate quaeso penitius in cogitationem meam, et forte videbitis concordantiam." Et fecerunt ita, et viderunt, quod per tres Personas intelligam tria Attributa Divina procedentia, quae sunt Creatio, Salvatio, et Reformatio, et quod illa Attributa sint Unius Dei; et quod per Nativitatem Filii Dei ab aeterno intelligam Nativitatem Ipsius ab aeterno praevisam et in tempore provisam: et tunc narravi, quod naturalis mea cogitatio de Personarum Trinitate et Unitate, et de Nativitate Filii Dei ab aeterno, fuerit mihi ex Doctrina fidei Ecclesiae, quae ab Athanasio nomen habet; et quod illa Doctrina sit justa et recta, modo pro Trinitate Personarum ibi intelligatur Trinitas Personae, quae unice datur in Domino Jesu Christo; et pro Nativitate Filii Dei intelligatur Nativitas Ipsius ab aeterno praevisa et in tempore provisa; quia quoad Humanum, quod in tempore suscepit, aperte vocatur Filius Dei.
Tunc dixerunt angeli, "Bene;" et rogaverunt ut ex ore illorum dicam, quod si quis non adit Ipsum Deum Caeli et Terrae, non possit in Caelum venire, quia Caelum est Caelum ex Unico Illo Deo, et quod Ille Deus sit Jesus Christus, Qui est Jehovah Dominus ab aeterno Creator, in tempore Salvator, et in aeternum Reformator; ita Qui simul est Pater, Filius, et Spiritus Sanctus.
Post haec Lux caelestis prius visa super aperturam rediit, et successive se inde demisit, ac implevit interiora mentis meae, ac illustravit ideas meas naturales de Unitate et Trinitate Dei; et vidi tunc ideas de illis initio captas, quae fuerant mere naturales, separatas sicut separantur paleae a tritico et ventilabro agitato, et ablatus sicut vento in septentrionem Caeli, et disparatas.