----中文待译----
1214. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude.- That this signifies the glorification of the Lord by all who are in the heavens, because of the rejection of the evil and the consequent liberation of the good, is evident from the signification of a voice, as denoting the glorification of the Lord; for the voice said, "Alleluia, for the Lord God the Omnipotent reigneth," as is evident from the end of this verse. That it is because of the rejection of the evil, and the consequent liberation of the good, follows from the preceding and following parts of this chapter, and of the remaining chapters. The glorification of the Lord, because of the Last Judgment, is there meant, by which the good were liberated from the evil, for the evil were then cast into hell, and thus the good set free from them. The meaning above is also evident from the signification of a great multitude, as denoting all who are in the heavens, these being called a multitude from their simultaneous sound. The united utterance of many is heard as the voice of a great multitude.
[2] Continuation [concerning the Vegetable Kingdom].- This origin is from use. The reason of this is, that affections have reference to uses; use being the subject of all affection. For man cannot be affected, unless it is for the sake of something, and this something is use. Now since all affection supposes use, and the vegetative soul, from its spiritual origin, is affection, as was observed, therefore it is also use. It is from this cause that there is use inherent in every plant, spiritual use in the spiritual world, and both spiritual and natural use in the natural world; the spiritual use being for the various states of the mind, and the natural for the various states of the body. It is well known that the spirits (animi) are revived, refreshed, and aroused, and again brought into a state of slumber, sadness, and fainting, by the odours and flavours of different plants, while the body also is on the one hand restored to health by the plants themselves, and the various preparations, remedies, and medicines that are made from them, and on the other hand deprived of life by the poisons that are extracted from them.
[3] The external spiritual use derived from these in the heavens is, the refreshing of the spirits; the internal is the representation of Divine things in them, and thus also the elevation of the mind. For the wiser angels see in them the quality of their affections in a series; the varieties of the flowers in their order, the variegations in the colours, and the perfumes also, render manifest their affections and whatever lies more remotely concealed within these. For every ultimate affection which is called natural, although it is really spiritual, derives its quality from an interior affection which pertains to intelligence and love, while these again derive theirs from use and the love of it. In a word, no other plant but that of use blossoms from the soil in
the heavens, because use is the vegetative soul.
[4] And since use is the vegetative soul, therefore in those places in the spiritual world that are called deserts and are inhabited by such as in the world rejected the works of charity, which are essential uses, neither a blade of grass nor a single herb appears, but all is mere gravel and sand. By the uses which alone blossom in the heavens, is meant all good in active operation; and this proceeds from the Lord, by means of love to Him, and towards the neighbour. Every vegetable there represents a form of use; and whatever appears in it - from its origin to its ultimate, and from its ultimate to its origin, or from the seed to the flower, and from the flower to the seed - represents the progress and extension of affection and its use, from end to end. Those who are skilled in botany, chemistry, medicine, and pharmacy, come, after death, into the knowledge of the spiritual uses from the plants in the spiritual world; they also cultivate it and derive the highest gratification from it. I have conversed with them and heard wonderful things from them.
1214. Verse 6. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, signifies the glorification of the Lord by all that are in the heavens because of the rejection of the evil and the consequent deliverance of the good. This is evident from the signification of a "voice," as being the glorification of the Lord, for the voice was "Alleluia, for the Lord God, the Almighty, reigneth," as appears from the end of this verse. That it is glorification because of the rejection of the evil and thence the deliverance of the good is a consequence from what precedes and follows in this chapter and in other chapters, for it means the glorification of the Lord because of the Last Judgment, by which the good were delivered from the evil; for at that time the evil were cast into hell and thereby the good were delivered from them. It is evident also from the signification of "a great multitude," as being all that are in the heavens, who are called a "multitude" from the combined sound of all. Simultaneous speech by many is heard as "the voice of a great multitude."
(Continuation)
[2] 7. That origin is use. This is because affections have reference to uses; use is the subject of all affection, for man cannot be affected except for the sake of something, and that something is use. Since, then, all affection supposes use, and the plant soul, from its spiritual origin, is an affection, as has been said, it, too, is a use. For this very reason every plant contains a use, a spiritual use in the spiritual world, and both a spiritual and a natural use in the natural world. The spiritual use is for the various states of the mind, and the natural use is for the various states of the body. It is well known that minds are refreshed, recreated, and stimulated, or on the other hand that drowsiness, sadness, or fainting is induced, by the odors and flavors of different kinds of plants; also that the body is healed by the various solutions, purgations, and remedies made from plants, and on the other hand, is destroyed by the poisons extracted from them.
[3] In the heavens the external spiritual use derived from them is the refreshment of minds, and the internal is the representation of Divine things in them, and thereby also the elevation of the mind. For the wiser angels see in them the quality of affections in a series. These, with what lies hidden in them, are manifested in the varieties of flowers in their order, also in the variegations of color and odor. For every ultimate affection which is called natural, although it is spiritual, derives its quality from an interior affection, which pertains to intelligence and wisdom, and these derive their quality from use and the love of it. In a word, from the soil in the heavens nothing but use blooms forth, for use is the plant soul.
[4] Because use is the plant soul, in those places in the spiritual world that are called deserts, where those are who in the world had rejected works of charity, which are essential uses, no grass or herb of any kind is seen, but mere gravel and sand. Every good in act that is from the Lord through love to him and love towards the neighbor, is meant by the uses that alone blossom forth in the heavens. Every plant there represents a form of use; and whatever appears in it, from its first to its last and from its last to its first, that is, from seed to flower and from flower to seed, exhibits the progression or extension from end to end of an affection and of its use. Those that are skilled in the sciences of botany, chemistry, medicine, and pharmacy, come after death into a knowledge of spiritual uses from the plants in the spiritual world, and cultivate that knowledge and find the greatest delight in it. I have talked with such and have heard from them wonderful things.
1214. (Vers. 6.) "Et audivi tanquam vocem turbae multae. Quod significet glorificationem Domini ab omnibus qui in caelis, propter rejectionem malorum, et inde liberationem bonorum, constat ex significatione "vocis", quod sit glorificatio Domini, nam vox fuit "Alleluia, quia regnat Dominus Deus omnipotens", ut patet a fine hujus versus: quod sit propter rejectionem malorum et inde liberationem bonorum, sequitur a praecedentibus et sequentibus in hoc capite, et in reliquis; nam intelligitur glorificatio Domini propter ultimum judicium, per quod liberati sunt boni a malis, mali enim tunc rejecti sunt in infernum, et per id boni ab illis liberati sunt: et ex significatione "turbae multae", quod sint omnes qui in caelis sunt, qui vocantur "turba" a sono omnium simul; loquela simultanea a multis auditur sicut "vox turbae multae."
[2] (Continuatio (de Regno Vegetabili; hic de Origine et de Anima).)
(7.) Quod illa origo sit ex usu, est quia affectiones se referunt ad usus; usus est subjectum omnis affectionis; non enim potest homo affici, nisi sit propter aliquid, et hoc aliquid est usus; nunc quia omnis affectio ponit usum, et anima vegetativa, ex ejus spirituali origine, est affectio, ut dictum est, ideo etiam est usus. Ex hac causa est quod omni vegetabili insit usus, spiritualis usus in mundo spirituali, ac spiritualis et quoque naturalis in mundo naturali; usus spiritualis est pro vario statu animi, et naturalis pro vario statu corporis. Quod animi refocillentur, recreentur et excitentur, et vicissim inducantur in somnos, in maerores et in deliquia, per odores et sapores diversorum vegetabilium, notum est; et quod corpora per illa, et per varia ex illis facta lixivia, menstrua et pharmaca sanentur, ac vicissim per toxica ex illis necentur, etiam notum est.
[3] Usus spiritualis ex illis in caelis externus est recreatio animorum, ac internus est repraesentatio Divinorum in illis, et sic quoque elevatio animi; nam sapientiores angeli vident in illis quale affectionum in serie; florum varietates in suo ordine, et simul colorum variegationes, ut et odores, manifestant illas, et quid interius in illis reconditum latet; omnis enim affectio ultima, quae vocatur naturalis, tametsi est spiritualis, suum quale trahit ex affectione interiore, quae est intelligentiae et sapientiae, et hae trahunt suum quale ab usu et ejus amore: verbo, non aliud floret ex humo in caelis quam usus, quia usus est anima vegetativa.
[4] Quoniam usus est anima vegetativa, ideo in locis ibi quae deserta vocantur, ubi sunt qui in mundo rejecerunt opera charitatis, quae sunt ipsi usus, non apparet gramen aut ulla herba, sed mera glarea et arena. Per usus, qui soli florent in caelis, intelligitur omne bonum actu, quod est a Domino per amorem in Ipsum, et per amorem erga proximum. Omne vegetabile ibi repraesentat formam usus; et quicquid in illo apparet, a primo ejus ad ultimum et ab ultimo ejus ad primum, seu a semine ad florem et a flore ad semen, sistit affectionis et simul ejus usus progressionem et extensionem a fine ad finem. Periti artis botanicae, chymicae, medicae, et pharmaticae, in scientiam usuum spiritualium ex vegetabilibus ibi veniunt post mortem, et quoque illam exercent, ac illa quam maxime delectantur; locutus sum cum illis, et ex illis audivi mirabilia.