119、前面已论述灵界太阳及其本质，它的热与光，主藉由它们的同在。现在必须描述一下灵界的方位。之所以论述灵界及其太阳，是因为所论述的主题是神及其爱与智慧；如果不从它们的起源论述这些主题，就会从结果而非原因考虑它们。然而，从结果只能获知结果；如果只考虑结果，原因就不明朗；而揭示结果的，是原因。从原因知道结果是明智的，从结果探查原因是不明智的，因为这时谬误的表象会显现出来，而寻查者却将这些表象称为原因，这会使智慧变为愚蠢。原因是在先之物，结果是在后之物；在先之物无法从在后之物被看见，在后之物却能从在先之物被看见。这就是秩序。因此，此处先论述灵界，因为一切原因都在灵界，然后再论述自然界，因为出现在自然界的事物都是结果。
119. The east in the spiritual world is where the Lord is seen as the sun, and the other directions follow from that. Now that I have discussed the spiritual world's sun and its essence, its warmth and light, and the Lord's consequent presence, I need to talk as well about the regions of that world. The reason for talking about the sun and that world is that our subject is God, and love and wisdom. To discuss these apart from their origin would be to start from effects and not from their causes. Yet effects teach us nothing but effects. When only they are highlighted, they do not show us any cause; rather, causes show us effects. Knowing about effects on the basis of their cause is being wise, but exploring causes on the basis of their effects is not being wise; because when we do, various illusions present themselves that we as investigators identify as causes. To do this is to make foolishness of wisdom. Causes precede and effects follow. We cannot see preceding things from following things, but we can see following things from preceding things. That is the pattern.
This is why we are dealing with the spiritual world first here. That world is where all the causes are. Later [134, 154] we will discuss the physical world, where everything we see is an effect.
119. In the spiritual world, the east is where the Lord appears as the sun, and the other points of the compass are determined in relation to it. We have discussed the sun of the spiritual world and its essence, the heat and light emanating from it, and the Lord's presence because of them. We must now consider as well the zones in that world.
The reason for our dealing with that sun and the spiritual world is that our subject is God and His love and wisdom, and to consider these from a standpoint other than that of their origin would be to consider them from their effects and not from causes. Yet effects teach us nothing but effects, and if these alone are examined, they do not bring to light any cause, whereas causes shed light on effects. Moreover, to know effects from causes is to be wise, but to inquire into causes from effects is not to be wise, for fallacious appearances then present themselves, which the inquirer calls causes, and this is to make wisdom foolish. For causes are prior elements, and effects subsequent ones; and prior elements cannot be seen from the standpoint of subsequent ones, but subsequent elements can be seen from the standpoint of prior ones. The latter is the proper procedure.
This is the reason we are dealing here first with the spiritual world, for that is where all causes reside. Then after that we will deal with the natural world, where all the phenomena that appear there are effects.
119. IN THE SPIRITUAL WORLD THE EAST IS WHERE THE LORD APPEARS AS A SUN, AND THE REMAINING QUARTERS ARE HENCE DETERMINED
The Sun of the spiritual world and its essence, also its heat and light and the presence thereby of the Lord, have been treated of. Now also the quarters in the spiritual world will be treated of. That Sun and that world are treated of because God, and love and wisdom are dealt with. And to treat of these matters except from their very origin would be to treat from effects and not from causes. And yet effects teach nothing except effects, and when these alone are considered they reveal no cause. But causes reveal effects, and to know effects from causes is to be wise, whereas to search for causes from effects is not to be wise, because then fallacies which the investigator calls causes, present themselves, and this is to make foolishness of wisdom. For causes are prior things and effects posterior things, and prior things cannot be seen from posterior things, but posterior things can be seen from prior things. This is order. This is the reason the spiritual world is here treated of first, for all causes are there. Afterwards the natural world is treated of where all things that appear are effects.
119. IN THE SPIRITUAL WORLD THE EAST IS WHERE THE LORD APPEARS AS A SUN, AND FROM THAT THE OTHER QUARTERS ARE DETERMINED.
The sun of the spiritual world and its essence, also its heat and light, and the presence of the Lord thereby, have been treated of; a description is now to be given of the quarters in the spiritual world. That sun and that world are treated of, because God and love and wisdom are treated of; and to treat of those subjects except from their very origin would be to proceed from effects, not from causes. Yet from effects nothing but effects can be learned; when effects alone are considered no cause is brought to light; but causes reveal effects. To know effects from causes is to be wise; but to search for causes from effects is not to be wise, because fallacies then present themselves, which the investigator calls causes, and this is to turn wisdom into foolishness. Causes are things prior, and effects are things posterior; and things prior cannot be seen from things posterior, but things posterior can be seen from things prior. This is order. For this reason the spiritual world is here first treated of, for all causes are there; and afterwards the natural world, where all things that appear are effects.
119. QUOD IN MUNDO SPIRITUALI ORIENS SIT UBI DOMINUS UT SOL APPARET, ET QUOD RELIQUAE PLAGAE INDE SINT. Actum est de Sole Mundi Spiritualis et ejus essentia, ac de Calore et Luce ejus, ac de Praesentia Domini inde; nunc etiam de Plagis illius Mundi agetur. Quod de illo Sole et de illo Mundo agatur, est causa quia agitur de Deo, et de Amore et Sapientia; et de illis aliter quam ex ipsa origine agere, foret agere ab effectibus, et non a causis; et tamen effectus nihil docent quam effectus, et illi soli lustrati non propalant aliquam causam; sed causae propalant effectus; et scire effectus ex causis est sapere; at inquirere causas ab effectibus non est sapere, quia tunc se offerunt fallaciae, quas inquisitor vocat causas, et hoc est sapientiam infatuare: causae enim sunt priora, et effectus posteriora; et ex posterioribus non videri possunt priora, sed posteriora ex prioribus; hic est ordo. Haec causa est, quod de Mundo Spirituali hic primum agatur; omnes enim causae ibi sunt[;] et postea de Mundo naturali, ubi omnia quae apparent sunt effectus.