----中文待译----
1216. And as the voice of mighty thunders.- That this signifies glorification of Him from the goods of love, is evident from the signification of a voice, as denoting the glorification of the Lord, as above; and from the signification of thunders as denoting the goods of love sounding (concerning which see n. 821, 855); mighty thunders therefore denote all goods, when they are uttered with the angels.
There are two things which together constitute speech with men - sound and its articulation into words. The sound is from the affection of the will, and the articulation of the sound is from the thought of the understanding. These two are conjoined in human speech, and also are distinguished by hearing; for from the sound the affection is known, and from the words which are the articulations of the sound, the thought is known. This being a natural fact is but little reflected on by man, but still he knows that it is so when he hears. This is more distinctly heard with angels and spirits than with men, because they are spiritual, and the spiritual think, and consequently also speak, from affection; those who are in the celestial kingdom from the affection for good, and those who are in the spiritual kingdom from the affection for truth; for this reason they are known from the sound. The sound of the speech of the angels in the higher heavens is heard variously below, for it increases in its progression, as is the case also in the world when a sound descends from on high. The sound of the spiritual angels is thus heard as the noise of roaring waters, and the sound of the celestial angels as mighty thunders. The signification of thunders may be seen also above (n. 273, 353, 498, 702, 704, 1014).
[2] [CONCERNING OMNIPRESENCE AND OMNIPOTENCE.]
We have treated of Infinity and Eternity, and also of Providence and Omnipotence, which belong to the Lord; we must now treat of Omnipresence and Omniscience, which also belong to Him. It is acknowledged in every form of religion that God is omnipresent and omniscient. It is for this reason that men pray to Him to hear them, to look upon them, and to have mercy upon them. They would not do this unless they believed in His omnipresence and omniscience. Their belief is derived from an influx from heaven in the case of those who possess religion; for from religion itself there arises no question, whether the belief exists or how it exists. But because at the present day, and especially in the Christian world, the number of natural men, who neither see anything of God, and do not believe unless they see, is increased - for if they profess to believe, it is either from some notion of duty, from blind knowledge, or from hypocrisy; and yet they have the power to see. In order, therefore, that such men may exercise this power, permission is granted to treat of the subjects which relate to God, from spiritual light, and from rational sight derived from it.
[3] For every man, even the merely natural and sensual, is endowed with an understanding capable of elevation into the light of heaven, and able both to discern and comprehend spiritual and even Divine subjects. His understanding is however capable of this elevation only when he hears them or reads of them, or, afterwards from memory, speaks of them; for he cannot think of them inwardly from himself. The reason of this is, that while he hears or reads, the understanding is separated from its own affection, and when it is so separated, it is in the light of heaven; but when he thinks inwardly from himself, the understanding is then conjoined to the affection of its own will, and this affection fills and detains it, preventing its escape. But still the true state of the case is, that the understanding can be separated from the affection of the will, and thus be elevated into the light of heaven, in the case of those natural men who are in the affection for truth, and have not confirmed themselves in falsities. It is however with difficulty that this is done in the case of those who are not in the affection for truth, because they have rejected Divine things, or confirmed themselves in falsities. With these there is as it were a shadowy obstruction between spiritual and natural light; still with many this obstruction is transparent.
[4] Since then every man whatever, even the corporeal-sensual, when he has reached maturity, is endowed with such a faculty of understanding, that when he hears of or reads subjects which relate to God, he can comprehend them, and afterwards retain them in his memory, and speak of them, teach them, and write about them, it is of importance that the work on the Divine attributes should be continued as it was begun. We shall therefore now treat of the Divine Omnipresence, and the Divine Omniscience, lest the merely natural man, through the want of will - which he calls the want of power - to understand any divine or spiritual subject, should involve such things in doubt, so far even as to deny their existence.
1216. And as it were the voice of mighty thunders, signifies the glorification of the Lord from the goods of love. This is evident from the signification of a "voice," as being the glorification of the Lord (as above); also from the signification of "thunders," as being the goods of love sounding (See n. 821, 855); therefore "mighty thunders" mean all goods with the angels that give forth sound. In the speech of man two things unite, namely, sound and its articulation into words.
The sound belongs to the affection of man's will, and the articulation of the sound belongs to the thought of his understanding. These two unite in human speech, but are distinguished by the hearing. For the affection is known from the sound, and the thought from the words, which are articulations of the sound. This is so natural a thing that man gives little thought to it; but he knows it to be true when he hears it. This distinction is more clearly perceived by angels and spirits than by men, because they are spiritual, and the spiritual think from affection and also speak from affection, those who are in the celestial kingdom from the affection of good, and those in the spiritual kingdom from the affection of truth; thus they are distinguished by their tones. The sound of the speech of the angels in the higher parts of heaven is heard variously below, for it increases as it goes on, as sound does in the world when it descends from above. The sound of the spiritual angels is thus heard as the sound of roaring waters, and the sound of the celestial angels as the sound of thunders. (On the further signification of "thunders" see above, n. 273, 353, 498, 702, 704, 1014)
(Continuation)
[2] Infinity and Eternity, also Providence and Omnipotence, as belonging to the Lord, have been treated of; now the Omnipresence and Omniscience that belong to Him shall be treated of. In every religion it is acknowledged that God is omnipresent and omniscient; therefore prayer is offered to God that He will hear and that He will see and will have mercy; which would not be done unless His omnipresence and omniscience were believed in. This belief is from an influx out of heaven into those that have any religion, for it does not come into question from religion itself whether it is granted or how it is granted. But at this day, especially in the Christian world, natural men have become very numerous, and such see nothing of God; and unless they see they do not believe, or if they profess to believe it is either done from conventionality or from blind knowledge, or from hypocrisy; and yet they have the ability to see. In order, therefore, that the things relating to God may be seen, it is permitted to treat of them from light and from consequent rational sight.
[3] For every man, even a merely natural and sensual man, is endowed with an understanding that can be raised up into the light of heaven, and can see spiritual things, and even Divine things, and can comprehend them, but only while he is hearing them or reading about them; and afterwards he can talk about them from the memory, but cannot think about them within himself from himself. The reason of this is that when he is listening or reading, the understanding is separated from its own affection, and when so separated it is in the light of heaven, but when he is thinking within himself from himself the understanding is joined to the affection of his will, and that affection fills the understanding and occupies it, and hinders it from going out of itself. Nevertheless, the fact is that the understanding can be separated from the affection of the will, and thus can be raised up into the light of heaven with such natural men as have any affection of truth and as have not confirmed themselves in falsities; but scarcely with those that have no affection of truth from having rejected all Divine things or from having confirmed themselves in falsities. In such, between spiritual light and natural light there is a sort of darkening veil, although with many this is transparent.
[4] Since, then, any man, even a corporeal sensual man, when he reaches adult age is endowed with such an ability to understand that he can comprehend the things that relate to God when he is listening or reading, and afterwards can retain them in his memory, and thus talk, teach, and write about them, it is important that this treatise on the Divine attributes should be continued as it was begun. Here, then, the Divine Omnipresence and the Divine Omniscience shall be considered, lest the merely natural man, from a lack of willingness (which he calls a lack of ability) to understand anything Divine or spiritual, should bring these into doubt, and even denial.
1216. "Et tanquam vocem tonitruum vehementium." - Quod significet glorificationem Ipsius ex bonis amoris, constat ex significatione "vocis", quod sit glorificatio Domini (ut supra); et ex significatione "tonitruorum", quod sint bona amoris sonantia (de qua (supra), n. 821(b), 855); inde "tonitrua vehementia" sunt omnia bona, dum sonant apud angelos. Sunt in loquela hominum duo simul, sonus et articulatio ejus in voces; sonus est affectionis voluntatis ejus, et articulatio soni est cogitationis intellectus ejus: haec duo conjuncta sunt in loquela humana, et quoque ex auditu dignoscuntur; ex sono enim cognoscitur affectio, et ex vocibus, quae sunt articulationes soni, cognoscitur cogitatio: hoc quia naturale est, homo parum de eo reflectit, sed usque scit dum audit. Hoc distinctius auditur apud angelos et spiritus quam apud homines: causa est, quia spirituales sunt, ac spirituales cogitant ex afiectione et inde quoque loquuntur ex illa; illi qui in caelesti regno sunt, ex affectione boni, et illi qui in spirituali regno ex affectione veri; inde est quod ex sono noscantur. Sonus loquelae angelorum in superioribus caeli auditur infra varie, increscit enim progrediendo, sicut etiam in mundo cum sonus descendit ex alto; sonus angelorum spiritualium auditur sicut sonus aquarum strepentium, at sonus angelorum caelestium sicut sonus tonitruum. (Quid porro "tonitrua" significant, videatur supra, n. 273, 353, 498, 702, 704, 1014.)
[2] (Continuatio.) (De Omnipraesentia et de Omniscientia.)
Actum est de Infinitate, et Aeternitate, tum de Providentia et Omnipotentia, quae sunt Domino; nunc agendum est de Omnipraesentia et de Omniscientia, quae sunt Ipsi. Quod Deus omnipraesens sit, et quod omniscius, agnoscitur in omni religione; inde est ut orent ad Deum, ut audiat ac ut videat, et misereatur; quod non facerent nisi crederent omnipraesentiam ac omniscientiam Ipsius. Quod id credant est ex influxu e caelo apud illos quibus est religio, ex ipsa enim religione non venit in quaestionem num datur et quomodo datur. At quia hodie, imprimis in Christiano orbe, multiplicati sunt homines naturales, et hi non vident aliquid Dei, et non credunt nisi videant, (si dicunt quod credant, est Vel ex officio, vel ex caeca scientia, vel ex hypocrisi, et usque possunt videre, ) ideo de illis quae Dei sunt, ut videant, licet ex luce et inde visu rationali agere.
[3] Quisque enim homo, etiam mere naturalis et sensualis, dotatus est intellectu, qui elevari potest in lucem caeli, ac videre spiritualia, immo Divina, et quoque comprehendere illa, sed modo dum audit illa aut legit illa; ac postea ex memoria potest loqui illa, sed cogitare illa in se ex se non potest: causa est, quia dum audit et legit, est intellectus a propria sua affectione separatus; et cum ab illa separatus est, tunc est in luce caeli: at cum cogitat in se ex se, tunc intellectus est conjunctus affectioni suae voluntatis, et haec illum implet, detinet et ab exeundo arcet. Sed usque res in se talis est quod intellectus possit ab affectione voluntatis separari, et sic elevari in lucem caeli, apud illos naturales homines qui in affectione veri sunt, et se non confirmaverunt in falsis; sed aegre apud illos qui non in affectione veri sunt, ex eo, quod rejecerint Divina, vel quod confirmaverint se in falsis; apud hos est sicut umbraculum inter lucem spiritualem et lucem naturalem, apud multos tamen est umbraculum illud transparens.
[4] Nunc quia homo quicunque, etiam sensualis corporeus, dum adultus, tali facultate intelligendi pollet ut comprehendere possit illa quae Dei sunt dum audit, aut dum legit, et dein memoria retinere illa, et inde loqui, docere ac scribere illa, interest ut de Divinis Attributis continuetur opus sicut inceptum est; hic itaque de Divina Omnipraesentia et de Divina Omniscientia, ne homo mere naturalis trahat illas in dubium usque ad negationem, per id quod non velit aliquod Divinum et spirituale intelligere, quod vocat non posse.