----中文待译----
1176. Saying, Woe, woe, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea, by reason of her costliness. That this signifies lamentation over the doctrine and religion from which gain was made by all those who confirmed them by reasonings from the natural man, is evident from the signification of Woe, woe, as denoting lamentation, concerning which see above (n. 1165); from the signification of a great city, which denotes doctrine and religion, see above (n. 1134); from the signification of being enriched by reason of her costliness, as denoting to make gain thereby; and from the signification of having ships in the sea, as denoting to confirm the same by reasonings from the natural man. Those who have ships in the sea signify things similar to those meant by pilot, every one employed on ships, sailors, and those that work on the sea, in verse 17; for these taken together, signify all those who believe themselves to be in wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge (scientia), and who by reasonings from the natural man, have confirmed the falsities of that doctrine and religion, as may be seen above (n. 1170).
[2] Continuation.- Since the Divine Providence acts into the affections which belong to man's love and thence into his will, and leads him in his own affection, and from that affection into another that has a close affinity with it, by means of freedom, and so imperceptibly, that he is not at all aware of the mode in which it acts, and even scarcely knows that there is such a thing as a Divine Providence - many men because of this deny Providence, and confirm themselves against it. This arises from various causes existing and occurring [in the world]; such, for instance, as that the arts and tricks of the wicked are successful; that impiety prevails; that there is a hell; that there is blindness of the understanding in things spiritual, that so many heresies arising from it exist, each of which originating from one head, spreads into congregations and nations, and thus becomes permanent - such are Popery, Lutheranism, Calvinism, Melancthonism, Moravianism, Arianism, Socinianism, Quakerism, Enthusiasm, and even Judaism; and also among these are Naturalism and Atheism. Beyond the confines of Europe again, extending throughout several kingdoms, Mahometanism prevails as well as heathenism, in which are various kinds of worship, and in some cases there is a total absence of worship.
[3] All those who do not think on these subjects from Divine Truth, say in their heart that there is no Divine Providence; those who hesitate upon this point, assert indeed that there is a Divine Providence, but say that it is merely general. Both the one and the other, when they are told that the Divine Providence is operative in the most minute affairs of man's life, either pay no attention, or regard the subject with little interest. Those who pay no attention cast it behind them, and go their way. Those, again, who do bestow upon it some attention, are also like men who go their way, and yet turn back their faces, merely looking to see whether it is any thing, and when they see it, they say in their own minds, "So it is said." Some also of these affirm this with their lips, and not with the heart.
Now, because it is of importance that the blindness arising from ignorance, or the thick darkness occasioned by the absence of light, should be dispersed, we are permitted to see 1. That the Lord teaches no one without the use of means, but mediately by those things that are within man's reach resulting from his hearing and sight; 2. That nevertheless the Lord provides that man may be capable of being reformed and saved by means of those things, which he adopts from that source as his religion. 3. That the Lord provides for every nation a universal medium of salvation.
1176. Saying, Woe, woe, that great city, wherein all that had ships in the sea were made rich by reason of her costliness, signifies lamentation over the doctrine and religious persuasion by which all who confirmed them by reasonings from the natural man made gains. This is evident from the signification of "Woe, Woe," as being lamentation (See n. 1165); from the signification of "the great city," as being the doctrine and religious persuasion (See n. 1134); from the signification of "to be made rich by her costliness," as being to make gains by these means; also from the signification of "having ships in the sea," as being to confirm these by reasonings from the natural man. "Those who have ships in the sea" have the same signification as "pilot, all employed on ships, sailors, and they that work at sea," in the seventeenth verse; and these signify all who believe themselves to be in wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge, and who have confirmed the falsities of that doctrine and religious persuasion by reasonings from the natural man, as may be seen above (n. 1170).
(Continuation)
[2] Because the Divine providence acts into the affections that belong to man's love and thus to his will, leading him in and from his affection into another that is near and related to it by means of his freedom, and so imperceptibly that man has no knowledge of how it acts, and in fact hardly knows that there is a Divine providence; for this reason many deny providence, and confirm themselves against it. This is done in consequence of the various things that happen and arise, as that the arts and deceits of the wicked are successful, that impiety prevails, that there is a hell, that the understanding is blinded to spiritual things, and that this gives rise to so many heresies, each one of which, starting from a single head, flows out into assemblies and nations and becomes permanent, like popery, Lutheranism, Calvinism, Melancthonism, Moravianism, Arianism, Socinianism, Quakerism, Enthusiasm, and even Judaism, and with these naturalism and atheism; and outside of Europe extending through many kingdoms, Mohammedanism, and also paganism, in which are various kinds of worship, and in some cases no worship at all.
[3] All who do not think on these subjects from the Divine truth say in their heart that there is no Divine providence; and those who are perplexed about it assert that there is a Divine providence, but that it is only universal. When either of these hear that there is a Divine providence in every least particular of man's life they either give no heed to it or do give heed to it; those who give no heed to it, casting the truth behind them and turning away, and those who do give heed to it turning away like the others, and yet they turn back their faces, merely to see whether there is anything in it; and when they see they say to themselves, This is mere affirmation. Some of these latter do affirm the truth with the lips, but not with the heart. Since, then, it is important that the blindness arising from ignorance, or the thick darkness arising from absence of light, should be dissipated, it is permitted to see 1. That the Lord teaches no one immediately, but mediately through those things in man that are from the hearing and sight.
2. And yet the Lord provides that man may be reformed and saved by those things that he adopts as his religion.
3. And for every nation the Lord provides a universal means of salvation.
1176. "Dicentes, Vae, vae, urbs illa magna, in qua ditati sunt omnes habentes naves in mari ex pretiositate ejus." - Quod significet lamentationem super doctrinam et religiosum, ex quibus lucrati sunt omnes qui per ratiocinia ex naturali homine confirmaverunt illa, constat ex significatione "Vae, vae", quod sit lamentatio (de qua [supra] , n. 1165); ex significatione "urbis magnae", quod sit doctrina, et religiosum (de qua [supra] , n 1134); ex significatione "ditari ex pretiositate ejus", quod sit lucrari per illa; et ex significatione "habere naves in mari", quod sit per ratiocinia ex naturali homine confirmare illa; per "habentes naves in mari" significantur similia quae simul per "gubernatorem, omnem super navibus versantem, nautas, et mare operantes", supra, vers. 17; per quos quod significentur omnes qui in sapientia, in intelligentia et in scientia se crediderunt esse, ac falsa doctrinae et religiosi istius per ratiocinia ex naturali homine confirmaverunt, videatur supra (n. 1170).
[2] (Continuatio.)
Quoniam providentia Divina in affectiones, quae sunt amoris et inde voluntatis hominis, agit, ac ducit illum in sua affectione, et ex illa in vicinam et affinem aliam per liberum, et sic imperceptibiliter ut homo ne hilum sciat quomodo agit, immo ut vix sciat quod Divina providentia sit, – exinde est quod plures illam negent, et contra illam se confirment; quod fit ex variis, quae contingunt et existunt: ut quod malis succedant artes et doli; quod regnet impietas; quod infernum sit; quod occaecatio intellectus sit in spiritualibus, et quod inde tot haereses sint, et quod quaelibet ex uno capite auspicata effundat se in coetus et nationes, ac maneat, ut Papismus, Lutheranismus, Calvinismus, Melanchthonismus, Moravianismus, Arianismus, Sociniarismus, Quaquerismus, Enthusiasmus, immo Judaismus, et quoque in illis Naturalismus et Atheismus; et extra Europam per plura regna Mahumedismus, ut et Gentilismus, in quo sunt varii cultus, et alicubi nulli.
[3] Omnes, qui de his non ex Divina veritate cogitant, corde suo dicunt quod non Divina providentia sit; et qui haerent, affirmant quod sit, sed modo universalis; hi et illi, cum audiunt quod Divina providentia sit in singularissimis vitae hominum, tunc vel non attendunt, vel attendunt; qui non attendunt, illi rejiciunt id post tergum, et abeunt; qui vero attendunt, illi sunt sicut qui abeunt, et tamen reflectunt faciem, et modo spectant num sit aliquid; et cum vident, secum inquiunt, Ita dicitur; quidam etiam ex his affirmant ore et non corde. Nunc quia interest ut caecitas ex ignorantia, aut caligo ex absentia lucis orta, discutiatur, dabitur videre,
(1.) Quod Dominus neminem immediate doceat, sed mediate per illa quae apud hominem sunt ex auditu et visu.
(2.) Et tamen quod Dominus provideat ut homo per illa quae inde suae religionis facit, possit reformari et salvari,
(3.) Et quod provideat omni genti universale medium salutis.