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1190. Because thy merchants were the great ones of the earth.- That this signifies those who exercise domination, in the world, and are in its love and delight, and who attained the highest honours and also the riches of the world, is evident from the signification of merchants, who denote those who procure for themselves the knowledges of good and truth, and impart them to others; and in the opposite sense, as in this case, those who procure for themselves those things that may be serviceable for the exercise of domination, from which they not only acquire the honours, but also the riches of the world, concerning which see above (n. 840, 1104); and from the signification of the great ones of the earth as denoting those who both arrogate to themselves, and exercise, domination over the church, and also over heaven, in fact, over the Lord Himself. These are they who are meant in this chapter, but not those who are subjected to their domination. These indeed venerate and adore them, but they do this from belief enforced by authority, and consequently from a spirit of obedience, such faith and obedience resulting from ignorance. These have no part in their domination. The things related in this chapter concerning Babylon, as the harlot, have therefore no reference to these.
[2] Continuation.- We shall now make some observations on the fact that man is led of the Divine Providence to such things as do not lead astray, but are serviceable to him, with reference to eternal life; for these things also refer to eminence and opulence. That this is the case is evident from what has been seen by me in the heavens. The heavens are divided into societies, in each of which there are the eminent and the opulent, the eminent being there in such glory, and the opulent in such abundance of possessions, that the glory and abundance of this world are almost nothing with respect to them. All the eminent there are wise, and all the opulent are rich in knowledge; wherefore eminence there is that of their wisdom, and opulence there is that of their knowledge (scientia). This eminence and opulence may be acquired in the world, both by those who are eminent and opulent there, and by those who are not; for they are acquired by all those in the world who love wisdom and knowledge (scientia). To love wisdom is to love true uses, and to love knowledge (scientia) is to love the knowledges (cognitiones) of good and truth for the sake of those uses. When uses are loved in preference to self and the world, and the knowledges of good and truth for the sake of those uses, then uses are in the first place, and eminence and opulence in the second. This is the case with all who are eminent and opulent in the heavens; from wisdom they regard the eminence, from knowledge the opulence which they possess, precisely as a man regards his garments.
1190. For thy merchants were the great men of the earth signifies those who are in dominion and in its love and delight, and who have gained the chief honors of the world and the riches of the world. This is evident from the signification of "merchants," as being those who acquire the knowledges of good and truth and communicate them; and in the contrary sense, as here, those who acquire such things as are serviceable for dominion, from which they gain both the honors and the riches of the world (See n. 840, 1104); also from the signification of "the great men of the earth," as being those who transfer to themselves and exercise that dominion, which is dominion over the church and over heaven, and even over the Lord Himself. Such are meant in this chapter, but not those who are under their dominion. These indeed venerate and adore them, but they do this from a faith induced by authority, and thus from obedience, and this faith and obedience are from ignorance. These have no share in dominion, therefore the things said in this chapter of Babylon as the harlot are not said of these.
(Continuation)
[2] Something shall now be said about man's being led by the Divine providence to such things as do not lead astray, but are serviceable to eternal life. These things also have reference to eminence and wealth. It is made clear that this is so by what I have seen in the heavens. The heavens are divided into societies, and those who are eminent and rich are to be found in every society. The eminent there are in such glory, and the rich in such abundance, that the glory and abundance of the world are almost nothing in comparison. But all the eminent there are wise, and all the rich abound in knowledge; thus eminence there is wisdom and wealth there is knowledge. Such eminence and wealth can be acquired in this world, both by those who are eminent and rich and by those who are not, for they are acquired here by all who love wisdom and knowledge. To love wisdom is to love uses that are true uses, and to love knowledge is to love the cognitions of good and truth for the sake of such uses. When uses are loved more than self and the world, and the cognitions of good and truth are loved for the sake of uses, uses have the first place and eminence and wealth the second place; and this is the case with all who are eminent and rich in the heavens. They look upon the eminence they have from wisdom, and the wealth they have from knowledge, just as a man looks upon his garments.
1190. "Quia mercatores tui erant magnates terrae." - Quod significet illos qui in dominatione et in ejus amore et jucundo sunt, ac lucrati sunt in mundo summos honores, et quoque mundi opes, constat ex significatione "mercatorum", quod sint qui comparant sibi cognitiones boni et veri, et illas communicant; et in opposito sensu, ut hic, qui sibi comparant talia quae inserviunt dominationi, ex quibus non modo lucrantur honores, sed etiam mundi opes (de qua [supra] , n. 840, 1104): et ex significatione "magnatum terrae", quod sint qui dominationem illam, quae est super ecclesiam, et quoque super caelum, immo super Ipsum Dominum, in se transferunt et exercent. Illi sunt qui in hoc capite intelliguntur; non autem illi qui sub illorum dominatione sunt: hi quidem illos venerantur et adorant, sed haec faciunt ex fide quam induxit auctoritas, et inde ex obedientia, ac fides illa et obedientia sunt ex ignorantia: hi non aliquam partem in dominatione habent; quare de his, illa quae in hoc capite de Babylone ut meretrice dicuntur, non dicta sunt.
[2] (Continuatio.)
Nunc aliquid de eo dicetur, quod homo ex Divina providentia ducatur ad talia quae non seducunt, et quae illis serviunt ad vitam aeternam. Illa etiam se referunt ad eminentiam et ad opulentiam. Quod ita sit, constare potest ex illis quae in caelis a me visa sunt. Caeli sunt distincti in societates, et in qualibet sunt eminentes et opulenti; eminentes ibi in tali gloria sunt, et opulenti in tali copia, ut gloria et copia mundi vix aliquid sint respective. Sed omnes eminentes ibi sunt sapientes, et omnes opulenti ibi sunt scientes; quare eminentia ibi est sapientiae, et opulentia ibi est scientiae. Eminentia illa et opulentia illa acquiri possunt in mundo tam ab illis qui ibi eminentes et opulenti sunt, quam ab illis qui non sunt; acquiruntur ab omnibus ibi qui amant sapientiam et scientiam: amare sapientiam est amare usus qui veri usus sunt, et amare scientiam est amare cognitiones boni et veri propter illos usus. Quando amantur usus prae se et mundo, ac cognitiones boni et veri propter illos, tunc usus primo loco sunt, ac eminentia et opulentia secundo; ita est apud omnes qui eminentes et opulenti sunt in caelis; spectant eminentiam in qua sunt ex sapientia, et opulentiam in qua sunt ex scientia, plane sicut homo spectat vestes.