307、到目前为止，我们所讨论的一切，如太阳、大气、大地，都只是达到目的的手段。创造的目的就是那些由显为太阳的主通过大气出于地土所产生的事物；这些目的被称为功用。就其整个范围而言，这些就是植物界的一切、动物界的一切和最后的人类，以及来自人类的天使天堂。
这些被称为功用，是因为它们是神性之爱和神性智慧的接受者，还因为它们关注它们所源于的神造物主，并由此将神和祂的伟工结合起来，通过这种结合使得它们怎样从神存在，就怎样从神继续存在。我们说，它们关注它们所源于的神造物主，并将神和祂的伟工结合起来，但这句话是照着表象说的。相反，这话的意思是，是神造物主使它们貌似凭自己关注祂，并与祂结合。至于它们如何关注祂，并由此与祂结合，这一点将在下文予以解释。
关于这些主题，我们在前面适当地方已作出一些说明，如：神性之爱和神性智慧必在它所创造的其它事物中存在和显现(37-51节)；受造宇宙中的一切事物都是神性之爱和神性智慧的接受者(55-60节)；一切受造物的功用皆按层级上升到人类，再通过人类上升到它们所源于的神造物主那里(65-68节)。
307. All useful functions, which are the goals of creation, are in forms, and they get these forms from the material substances characteristic of earth. All the things I have been talking about so far--the sun, the atmospheres, and the earth--are simply means toward goals, and the goals of creation are what are brought forth from earth by the Lord as the sun, through the atmospheres. These goals are called useful functions, and they include everything involved in the plant kingdom, everything involved in the animal kingdom, and ultimately the human race and the angelic heaven that comes from it.
These are called useful functions because they are receptive of divine love and wisdom and because they focus on God the Creator as their source and thereby unite him with his master work in such a way that they continue to exist through him in the same way they arose. I say "they focus on God the Creator as their source and unite him with his master work," but this is talking in terms of the way things seem. It actually means that God the Creator works it out so that these useful functions seem to focus on and unite themselves to him on their own initiative. I will describe later [310-317] how they focus on and thereby unite themselves to him.
I have already dealt with these subjects to some extent in appropriate places; in 47-51, for example, divine love and wisdom cannot fail to be and to be manifested in others that it has created; in 54-60 [55-60], everything in the created universe is a vessel of divine love and wisdom; and in 65-68, the useful functions of every created thing tend upward to us step by step, and through us to God the creator, their source.
307. All useful ends, which are the ends in creation, exist in forms, and they take their forms from such substances and materials as occur in the earth. All the things we have discussed so far, as in speaking of the sun, atmospheres and earth, are only means to ends. The ends in creation are those things which are produced by the Lord as the sun through the atmospheres out of the earth, and we call these ends useful ends. These are, in their progression, all constituents of the plant kingdom, all constituents of the animal kingdom, and finally the human race and from it the angelic heaven.
[2] We call these useful ends because they are recipients of Divine love and wisdom, and because they look to God the Creator from whom they originated, thereby uniting Him with His grand work and by that union bringing to pass their continued existence from Him even as they came into existence from Him.
We say that they look to God the Creator from whom they originated, uniting Him with His grand work, but we said this in accordance with the appearance. Rather we mean that God the Creator causes them seemingly of themselves to look to and unite themselves to Him. But how they look to and thereby unite themselves to Him will be explained in subsequent discussions.
[3] We have already said something about these matters in their own places previously. As for instance, that Divine love and wisdom cannot but be and have expression in others created by them (nos. 47-51). That everything in the created universe is a recipient of Divine love and wisdom (nos. 55-60). And that the uses of all things that have been created ascend by degrees to mankind, and through mankind to God the Creator from whom they originate (nos. 65-68).
307. ALL USES WHICH ARE THE ENDS OF CREATION ARE IN FORMS, AND THEY TAKE FORMS FROM SUCH SUBSTANCES AND MATTERS AS ARE ON THE EARTH
All the things treated of hitherto, such as the Sun, atmospheres and earths, are simply means to the ends. The ends of creation are those things which are produced by the Lord as a Sun through the atmospheres, out of the earth, and these ends are called uses. In their extent they include all things of the vegetable kingdom, all things of the animal kingdom, and finally the human race and from that, the angelic heaven. These are called uses because they are recipients of the Divine Love and Wisdom, also because they have regard to God the Creator from Whom they are, and thereby conjoin Him to His great work, and by the conjunction bring it about that, as they come into being from Him, so they continue in existence. It is said that they have regard to God the Creator from Whom they are and conjoin Him to His great work, but this is to speak according to the appearance. Indeed it is understood that God the Creator causes them to regard and conjoin themselves to Him as it were of themselves. But how they regard and thereby conjoin will be told in what follows. Something has been said before on these subjects in the appropriate places, as that the Divine Love and Wisdom must necessarily be and have existence in others created by it (47-51); that all things in the created universe are recipients of Divine Love and Wisdom (55-60); and that the uses of all created things ascend by degrees to man, and through man to God the Creator from Whom they are (65-68).
307. ALL USES, WHICH ARE ENDS OF CREATION ARE IN FORMS, WHICH FORMS THEY TAKE FROM SUBSTANCES AND MATTERS SUCH AS ARE IN LANDS.
All things treated of hitherto, as the sun, atmospheres, and lands, are only means to ends. The ends of creation are those things that are produced by the Lord as a sun, through the atmospheres, out of lands; and these ends are called uses. In their whole extent these are all things of the vegetable kingdom, all things of the animal kingdom, and finally the human race, and the angelic heaven which is from it. These are called uses, because they are recipients of Divine Love and Divine Wisdom also because they have regard to God the Creator from whom they are, and thereby conjoin Him to His great work; by which conjunction it comes that, as they spring forth from Him, so do they have unceasing existence from Him. They are said to have regard to God the Creator from whom they are, and to conjoin Him to His great work, but this is to speak according to appearance. It is meant that God the Creator causes them to have regard and to conjoin themselves to Him as it were of themselves; but how they have regard and thereby conjoin will be declared in what follows. Something has been said before on these subjects in their place, as that Divine Love and Divine Wisdom must necessarily have being and form in other things created by themselves (n. 37-51); that all things in the created universe are recipients of Divine Love and Divine Wisdom (n. 55-60); that the uses of all created things ascend by degrees to man, and through man to God the Creator from whom they are (n. 65-68).
307. QUOD OMNES USUS, QUI SUNT FINES CREATIONIS, SINT IN FORMIS, ET QUOD FORMAS ACCIPIANT EX SUBSTANTIIS ET MATERIIS QUALES SUNT IN TERRIS: Omnia de quibus hactenus dictum est, ut quae de Sole, Athmosphaeris et Terris, sunt solum media ad fines; fines creationis sunt, quae a Domino ut Sole per Athmosphaeras e terris producuntur, et hi fines vocantur Usus; et hi sunt in sua extensione omnia Regni vegetabilis; et omnia Regni animalis, et tandem Genus Humanum, et ex illo Coelum Angelicum.
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[2] Haec Usus vocantur, quia sunt recipientia Divini 1 Amoris et Divinae Sapientiae, tum quia spectant ad Deum Creatorem a quo, et per id conjungunt Ipsum suo magno Operi, et per conjunctionem faciunt, ut ab Ipso subsistant sicut exstiterunt: dicitur quod spectent ad Deum Creatorem a quo, et conjungant Ipsum suo magno operi, sed id dictum est ex apparentia; verum intelligitur quod Deus Creator faciat ut quasi spectent et se conjungant a se; sed quomodo spectant et per id conjungunt, dicetur in sequentibus.
[3] De illis aliquid in suis locis prius actum est; ut Quod Divinus Amor et Divina Sapientia non possint aliter quam esse et existere in aliis a se creatis, 47-51. Quod omnia in Universo Creato sint Divini Amoris et Divinae Sapientiae recipientia, 55-60 2 . Quod Usus omnium quae creata sunt ascendant per gradus ad hominem, et per hominem ad Deum Creatorem a quo, 65-68.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: Divinae
2. Prima editio: 54