六、宇宙的创造与维系必依赖独一上帝
13# 若非有一位独一的上帝，宇宙既不能被创造，也不能被维系。
从宇宙的创造便可推证上帝的独一性：宇宙是一个自始至终协和统一的整体，它依赖独一的上帝而存在，正如身体依赖灵魂而存活。宇宙受造的方式，本就使上帝得以无所不在，将宇宙的每一部分都置于祂的眷顾之中，使之永远合而为一 —— 这便是所谓的 “维系”。
由此，雅威上帝也自称：“我是首先的，我又是末后的；我是初，我是终；我是阿拉法，我是俄梅戛”（赛44:6；启1:8，17）；在另一处又说：“我独自铺张诸天，亲自展开大地”（赛44:24）。
这个被称为“宇宙”的伟大体系，是一个从首至尾协调如一的整体，因为上帝在创造它时，指向了一个独一的目的，即由人类而来的天使之国。达到这一目的的手段，就是构成世界的一切事物。因为谁想要目的，谁就也想要手段。
【2】因此，凡将世界视为包含达到那一目的之手段的整体来沉思的人，便能将所创造的宇宙视为一个协调如一的整体，并看出世界是为人类——天使之国从中而来——而存在的种种功用所构成的连续序列。神性之爱不可能指向别的目的，只可能是将祂的神性带给人类的永恒福乐；而祂的神性智慧所能产生的，也只有达到那一目的的功用手段。
凡以这种普遍观念来审视世界的人，都能领悟到：宇宙的创造者是独一的，祂的本质就是爱与智慧。因此，宇宙中没有哪一个细节不隐藏着或近或远为人类而设的功用——为他们的食物，有地上的果实，也有动物；为他们的衣服，也有同样来自这些东西的供应。
【3】其中的奇妙之处在于：那些卑贱的虫子——蚕——竟能为人提供丝绸，使从君王、王后到男女仆人都得以华美装扮；那些卑贱的虫子——蜜蜂——竟能提供蜡烛用的蜡，使教堂和宫殿得以光明辉煌。
那些只审视世上个别事物，而不审视所有事物在目的、中介原因与结果这一链条中的整体序列的人，以及那些不将创造追溯到藉着神性智慧的神性之爱的人，无法看出宇宙是独一上帝的创造，并且祂寓于每一个功用之中——因为祂就是目的本身。凡存在于目的中的，也存在于手段中；因为目的内在地存在于所有手段之中，驱动并引导着手段。
【4】那些不将宇宙视为上帝的创造、不将其视为上帝之爱与智慧的居所，却将其视为自然的创造、太阳热与光的居所的人，他们为上帝关闭了自己心智的上层部分，却为魔鬼打开了心智的下层部分。因此，他们脱去了人性，穿上了兽性——他们不仅相信自己与走兽相似，实际上也变得像走兽。他们变得像狐狸一样狡猾，像狼一样凶残，像豹一样诡诈，像老虎一样残暴，像鳄鱼、蛇、猫头鹰、枭一样具有它们的本性。这样的人在灵界中，从远处看也呈现出这些野兽的样子；他们里面的邪恶之爱，就以那样的形态显现出来。
13# （6）如果神不是一，那么宇宙就不能被创造和保存。神的一体性可通过宇宙的创造推断出来，因为宇宙是一件从初至末都连贯为一体的作品，并依赖于一位神，就像身体依赖于灵魂一样。宇宙被如此创造，是为了神可以全在，将它的每一部分都置于自己的掌管之下，并永远保持它的一体性，也就是保存它。因此，耶和华神说：
祂是首先的和末后的，是始和终，是阿拉法和俄梅戛。（以赛亚书44:6; 启示录1:8，17）
在别处说：
祂是创造万物的，是独自铺张诸天，铺开大地的。（以赛亚书44:24）
这个被称为宇宙的庞大系统是一件从初至末连贯为一体的作品，因为神在创造宇宙时，只有一个目的，就是来自人类的一个天使天堂；构成这个世界的一切事物都是达到这个目的的方法；因为寻求目的的人也寻求方法。
因此，凡将世界视为包含达到这个目的的方法的一件作品的人，都能将整个受造宇宙视为连贯的一体，也能看到这个世界是为了服务人类而按相继次序存在的功用的复合体，天使天堂从人类中形成。神性之爱不可能有其它目的，只会出于自己的神性而使人类得到永恒的祝福；而神性智慧只能产生功用，也就是达到这个目的的方法。从这个普遍观念来审视世界，凡有智慧的人都能领悟到，宇宙的创造者是一位，祂的本质是爱和智慧；因此，在宇宙的最小细节里面无不隐藏着某种或远或近的功用，因为人类的食物和衣服都是由地上的果实和动物提供的。
奇事之一是，那些被称为蚕的微不足道的昆虫会给女人和男人都穿上丝绸，华美地装扮他们，上至王后和国王，下至男仆和女佣；像蜜蜂这样卑微的昆虫都会为照亮圣殿和宫殿，或教堂和大厅的灯而提供蜂蜡。那些细致入微地研究世界上的少数事物，而不是按着一个系列，包括目的、居间原因和结果来全面看待一切事物，并且不是从神性之爱通过神性智慧来推断创造，或说没有将创造归于通过神性智慧行动的神性之爱的人，不能看到宇宙是一位神的手工，祂住在每一个功用中，因为祂住在目的中。事实上，凡处于目的的人也处于方法，因为目的从至内层在一切方法中，驱动并指导它们。
那些不将宇宙视为神的手工，视为祂的爱与智慧的居所，而是视为大自然的手工，视为太阳的热与光的居所或容器的人，就关闭了其朝向神的心智的高层区域，打开了朝向魔鬼的低层区域，因而脱去了人性，披上了兽性，不仅认为自己就像动物，甚至变成动物。因为他们变成狡猾的狐狸，残暴的狼，奸诈的豹子，凶残的老虎，以及鳄鱼、蛇、猫头鹰和其它夜鸟，各随其本性。此外，在灵界，像这样的人从远处看，的确就像这些野兽，因为这就是他们邪恶的爱表现自己的方式，或说他们邪恶的爱就呈现出这些动物形式。
13. 6. If there were not one God the universe could not have been created or maintained. We can infer the oneness of God from the creation of the universe, because the universe is a work connected together as one thing from beginning to end, all dependent on one God as the body depends on its soul. The universe was designed to allow God to be omnipresent, keep every detail of it under his supervision, and maintain it perpetually as one entity, that is, preserve it. This is why Jehovah God says he is "the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End, the Alpha and the Omega" (see Isaiah 44:6; Revelation 1:8, 17); and why he says elsewhere that he makes all things, stretches out the heavens, and extends the earth by himself (see Isaiah 44:24).
This vast system called the universe is a work connected as one thing from beginning to end because God had a single purpose in creating it: an angelic heaven populated by the human race. All the things that make up the world are means of fulfilling that purpose, because someone who intends an end result also intends the means to achieve it.
[2] If we view this world as a work containing the means of fulfilling the aforementioned purpose, we can see the created universe as a work connected together into one thing; and see that this world is a complex structure of useful functions arranged and prioritized for the sake of the human race, the source of the angelic heaven.
Divine love cannot intend anything other than that people should forever have the blessings of its divineness. Divine wisdom cannot produce anything other than useful things that are means of fulfilling that purpose.
Upon examining the world with this universal idea in mind, every wise person is capable of grasping that there is one Creator of the universe and that his essence is love and wisdom. For this reason every single thing in this world is of benefit to us; if it seems of no direct benefit, at least it is of indirect benefit. The fruits of the earth and the animals benefit us with food and also with clothing.
[3] Among the marvels of this world is that the lowly insects called silkworms clothe with silk and magnificently adorn both women and men from queens and kings down to maids and butlers. And the lowly insects called bees supply wax for the lamps that give churches and royal courts their splendor.
Some people examine certain aspects of the world in isolation rather than looking at everything as a chain from purposes through intermediate means to results. Therefore those people cannot see that the universe is the handiwork of one God. The same is true for people who do not see creation as the product of divine love acting through divine wisdom. Neither group is able to see that God dwells in individual useful things because he dwells in the purpose behind them. Yet everyone who has some purpose is also involved in the means of achieving it, because deep within every one of the means lies the purpose as the force that drives and guides it.
[4] Some do not view the universe as the handiwork of God and the home of his love and wisdom, but view it instead as a product of nature and as the home of the sun's heat and light. They close the higher levels of their mind toward God and open the lower levels of their mind toward the Devil. In the process, they take off their humanity and put on the nature of a wild animal. It is not just a belief of theirs that humans are like animals; they themselves actually become like animals. They become as crafty as foxes, as fierce as wolves, as deceptive as leopards, as savage as tigers; or they take on the nature of crocodiles, snakes, horned owls, or night birds. In the spiritual world they even look like these wild animals from a distance. Their love for evil takes these shapes.
13. (vi) IF THERE HAD NOT BEEN ONE GOD, THE UNIVERSE COULD NOT HAVE BEEN CREATED AND KEPT IN EXISTENCE.
The reason the oneness of God can be deduced from the creation of the universe is that the universe is a single system coherently organised from beginning to end, and dependent upon God as the body is on the soul. The universe was so created that God could be omnipresent, and keep all its particulars under His guidance, and keep it perpetually together as a unit, and so preserve it. This too is why Jehovah God says that He is the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End, Alpha and Omega (Isaiah 44:6; Revelation 1:8, 17) and elsewhere that He does everything, spreads out the heavens, and stretches out the earth, of Himself (Isaiah 44:24). This mighty system which is called the universe is a single unit coherently organised from beginning to end, because God had one end in view in creating it, to create from the human race a heaven of angels. The means to this end are all the things of which the world is composed; for he who wills the end, wills also the means.
[2] The man therefore who contemplates the world as a piece of work containing the means to that end can contemplate the created universe as a single coherent unit, and he can see that the world is an assemblage of services structured for the benefit of the human race, to form a heaven of angels. The Divine Love cannot have any other end in view than from His Divine to make human beings eternally blessed; and His Divine Wisdom cannot produce anything but services designed to fulfil that end. By considering the world from this universal point of view every wise man can grasp that the Creator of the universe is one, and that His essence is Love and Wisdom. Consequently there is no detail in it which does not conceal services either nearly or distantly designed to benefit human beings. Their food is provided by the fruits of the earth and also by animals, their clothing from the same sources.
[3] One of the astonishing things is that those insignificant insects called silk-worms dress both women and men in silk and adorn them magnificently, from queens and kings down to maids and servants; and those insignificant insects, the bees, supply wax to illuminate splendidly churches and halls. Those who consider one by one facts about the world instead of the whole assemblage of ends, causal means and effects, and those who do not attribute creation to Divine Love acting by means of Divine Wisdom, cannot see that the universe is the handiwork of one God, and that He dwells in each service because He is in the end. For everyone who is involved in an end is also involved in the means, for the end which activates and controls the means is buried deep within all the means.
[4] Those who regard the universe not as the handiwork of God, nor as the dwelling-place of His Love and Wisdom, but as the handiwork of nature and the dwelling-place of the sun's heat and light, shut off the higher regions of their mind from God, and expose the lower regions to the devil. As a result they exchange their human nature for that of a wild beast, indeed they not only think themselves to be no better than animals, but actually become animals. They become foxes in cunning, wolves in ferocity, leopards in guile, tigers in savagery, crocodiles, snakes, screech owls and other night-birds, each with its own nature. People like this in the spiritual world actually look from a distance like those wild beasts, for this is how their love of evil shows itself.
13. (6) If God were not one, the universe could not have been created and preserved. The unity of God may be inferred from the creation of the universe, because the universe is a work coherent as a unit from things first to things last, and dependent upon one God as a body upon its soul. The universe was so created that God might be omnipresent, and hold each and all of its parts under His direction, and keep its parts together as one body perpetually, which is to preserve it. Moreover, because of this Jehovah God declares:
That He is the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End, the Alpha and Omega (Isaiah 44:6; Revelation 1:8, 17).
And elsewhere:
That He maketh all things, spreadeth forth the heavens above, and stretcheth forth the earth by Himself (Isaiah 44:24).
This vast system which is called the universe is a work coherent as a unit from things first to things last, because in creating it God had a single end in view, which was an angelic heaven from the human race; and all things of which the world consists are means to that end; since he who seeks an end seeks also the means.
[2] Consequently, whoever regards the world as a work containing means to that end is able to look upon the created universe as a work coherent as a unit, and to see that the world is a complex of uses, existing in a successive order, looking to the human race (from which is the angelic heaven) as its end. The Divine love can be intent upon no other end than the eternal blessedness of men, having its source in the Divine; and its Divine wisdom can bring forth nothing but uses that are means to that end. Surveying the world from this most general idea, every wise man can comprehend that the Creator of the universe is a One, and that His essence is love and wisdom; consequently there can not be in it the smallest particular in which there does not lie hidden some use, more or less remote, for man-food from the fruits of the earth and from animals, and clothing from the same sources.
[3] How wonderful it is that the insignificant silkworm should clothe with silk and magnificently adorn both women and men, from queens and kings to maidservants and menservants; and that a petty insect like the bee should supply wax for the tapers which make temples and palaces brilliant. Those who study in minute detail a few things in the world, and not all things in their most general relations, including ends, mediate cases, and effects, and who, furthermore, do not deduce creation from Divine love through the Divine wisdom, are unable to see that the universe is the workmanship of one God, and that He dwells in every particular use because He dwells in the end. For in every case one who is in an end must be in the means also, since the end is inmostly in all the means, actuating and directing them.
[4] Those who do not regard the universe as the workmanship of God and the dwelling-place of His love and wisdom, but as the workmanship of nature and the dwelling-place of the sun's heat and light, close the higher regions of their mind against God, and open its lower regions for the devil, and consequently put off their human nature and put on a bestial nature, and not only think themselves to be like the beasts but actually become so. For they become foxes in cunning, wolves in fierceness, panthers in treachery, tigers in cruelty, and crocodiles, serpents, owls, and other birds of night, in the several characteristics of these. Moreover, in the spiritual world those who are such do at a distance actually appear like these wild beasts. Thus does their love of evil portray itself.
13. (6) UNLESS GOD WERE ONE, THE UNIVERSE COULD NOT HAVE BEEN CREATED AND PRESERVED.
The unity of God may be inferred from the creation of the universe, because it is a work coherent as a unity from first to last, and dependent upon one God as the body depends upon its soul. The universe was so created that God may be present everywhere, keep every part under His own direction, and maintain its unity for ever, that is, preserve it. For this reason Jehovah God declares that He is the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End, the Alpha and the Omega, Isaiah 44:6; Revelation 1:8, 17;
and in another place, that He maketh all things, stretcheth forth the heavens, and spreadeth abroad the earth by Himself. Isaiah 44:24.
This great system which is called the Universe is a work cohering as a unity from first to last because God in creating it had one end in view, namely, an angelic heaven from the human race; and all things of which the world consists are means to that end: for he who wills the end, wills also the means.
[2] Therefore he who looks upon the world as a work comprising the means to that end can look upon the created universe as a coherent unity and can see that the world is a complex of uses in successive order for the service of the human race, from which the angelic heaven is formed. The Divine Love can, from its own Divine nature, design no other end than the eternal happiness of men, and the Divine Wisdom can produce nothing but uses, as means to that end. From the contemplation of the world in the light of this universal idea every wise man may understand that the Creator of the universe is one, and that His Essence is Love and Wisdom. There is, therefore, nothing in the universe in which does not reside some use, more or less remote, for the service of man. His food and clothing he derives from the produce of the earth and from animals.
[3] It is a wonderful thing that those humble insects, called silk-worms, should clothe with silk and magnificently adorn men and women, from kings and queens even to menservants and maid-servants; and that those humble insects, the bees, should furnish wax for lamps to illuminate temples and palaces.
Those who view things in the world signify, and not comprehensively in a series in which are ends, mediate causes and effects, and who do not refer Creation to the Divine Love through the Divine Wisdom, cannot that the universe is the work of one God, and that He is present in every single use, because He is present in the end. For whoever is in the end is also in the means, since the end is interiorly involved in all the means, actuating and directing them.
[4] Those who do not regard the universe as the work of God and the habitation of His Love and Wisdom, but as the work of nature and a receptacle for the heat and light of the sun, close the higher parts of their minds to God and open the lower parts to the devil. They thus put off the nature of men and put on that of animals, and not only do they believe they are like animals but they even become animals; for they become foxes in cunning, wolves in ferocity, leopards in treachery, tigers in cruelty, and crocodiles, serpents, owls and night-birds in their respective qualities. In the spiritual world they appear at a distance like those creatures, for their evil loves assume such animal forms.
13. VI. QUOD NISI UNUS DEUS FORET, NON POTUISSET UNIVERSUM CREARI ET CONSERVARI. Quod Unitas Dei concludi possit a creatione Universi, est quia Universum est Opus cohaerens sicut unum a primis ad ultima, et quod pendeat a Deo uno sicut corpus a sua anima; Universum ita creatum est, ut Deus possit omnipraesens esse, ac sub auspicio suo omnia et singula ejus tenere, ac ut unum continere in perpetuum, quod est conservare. Ex hoc quoque est, quod Jehovah Deus dicat, Quod sit, Primus et Ultimus, Principium et Finis, Alpha et Omega, Esaias 44:6; Apocalypsis 1:8, 17. Et alibi, Quod faciat omnia, expandat coelos, et extendat Terram, a Se Ipso, Esaias 44:24. Hoc magnum Systema, quod vocatur Universum, est Opus cohaerens ut unum a primis ad ultima, quia Deus in creando illud intendit unum Finem, qui fuit Coelum angelicum ex Humano Genere, et Media ad illum finem sunt omnia, ex quibus Mundus est; nam qui vult finem etiam vult media;
[2] quare qui contemplatur Mundum ut Opus continens mediorum ad illum finem, ille potest contemplari Universum creatum ut Opus cohaerens ut unum, et potest videre, quod Mundus sit Complexus usuum in successivo ordine pro Humano Genere, ex quo Coelum Angelicum; Divinus Amor non potest alium finem intendere, quam Beatitudinem aeternam hominum ex suo Divino, et Divina Ipsius Sapientia non potest producere aliud quam usus medios ad illum finem; ex lustrato Mundo in universali hac idea, omnis sapiens potest comprehendere, quod Creator universi sit unus, et quod Essentia Ipsius sit Amor et Sapientia; quare non datur singulare ibi, in quo non latet usus in propinquo aut e longinquo pro homine; pro victu ejus ex fructibus terrae, et quoque ex animalibus, ac vestitus ex iisdem.
[3] Inter mirabilia est, quod viles illi vermes, qui vocantur Bombyces, serico vestiant et magnifice ornent et foeminas et viros, a Reginis et Regibus, usque ad ancillas et famulos: et quod Viles vermes, qui sunt Apes, suppeditent ceras pro luminaribus, ex quibus Templa et Aulae in splendore sunt. Illi qui singulariter aliqua in Mundo, et non universaliter omnia in serie, in qua sunt fines, causae mediae, et effectus, lustrant, tum qui Creationem non a Divino Amore per Divinam Sapientiam deducunt, non videre possunt, quod Universum sit Opificium unius Dei, et quod in singulis usibus, quia in fine, habitet; omnis enim qui in fine est, etiam in mediis est, nam intime in omnibus mediis est finis, qui agit et ducit media.
[4] Qui non contemplantur Universum ut Opificium Dei, ac ut Habitaculum Amoris et Sapientiae Ipsius, sed ut Opificium naturae, ac ut Habitaculum caloris et lucis solis, illi superiora mentis suae occludunt pro Deo, et Inferiora mentis suae aperiunt pro diabolo et inde exuunt Humanum et induunt ferinum, et se non modo credunt bestiis similes, sed etiam fiunt; fiunt enim vulpes quoad astutiam, lupi quoad ferociam, pardi quoad dolum, tigrides quoad saevitiam, crocodili, serpentes, bubones et noctuae quoad illorum naturam: illi qui tales sunt, etiam in Mundo Spirituali 1 e longinquo apparent illis feris similes; amor mali illorum ita se figurat.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: Sprituali.