335、这些事物被称为功用，是因为它们通过人而与主有关。尽管如此，决不能说它们是为了主而来源于人的功用。相反，它们是为了人而来源于主的功用，因为一切功用在主里面是无限的一体，不是来源于人，除非来自主。事实上，人无法凭自己，只能从主行善，而良善就是我们所说的功用。属灵之爱的本质就是向他人行善，不是为了自己，而是为了他人；神性之爱的这种本质更是无限。这就像父母对孩子的爱，他们出于爱向自己的孩子行善，不是为了他们自己，而是为了他们的孩子。这一点尤其体现在母亲对她的小孩子的爱上。
由于主要得到爱慕、敬拜和荣耀，所以人们以为祂为了自己而喜欢爱慕、敬拜和荣耀。而事实上，祂喜欢这些是为了人，因为人通过它们会进入一种神性能够流入并被感知的状态；人由此收起阻碍流注和接受的自己的东西，因为人自己的东西，也就是自我之爱，会使他的心刚硬，并将它关闭。人通过承认从他自己而来的，无非是邪恶，从主而来的，无非是良善而移走自己的东西；心通过这种承认柔软和谦卑下来，从而流出爱慕和敬拜。由此可知，主为自己通过人所发挥的功用是为了祂能出于爱向人们行善而存在的，并且由于这是主的爱，所以人们对它的接受就是主的爱之快乐。因此，谁也不要以为主住在那些仅仅爱慕祂的人里面；相反，祂住在那些遵行祂的诫命，因而发挥功用的人里面。祂的住处在这些人里面，而不是在前者里面(参看47-49节关于这个主题的说明)。
335. Even though we say that functions are useful because they relate to the Lord through us, we cannot say that they are from us for the sake of the Lord. They are from the Lord for our sake because all useful functions are infinitely united in the Lord, and none of them are in us except as gifts from the Lord. We can actually do nothing good on our own, only from the Lord, and the good we do is what we are calling useful functions. The essence of spiritual love is to do good to others for their sake and not for our own. This is infinitely more so in regard to the essence of divine love. It is like the love of parents for their children. They do good for them out of love, for the children's sake, not for their own sake. We can see this clearly in the love mothers have for their little ones.
People believe that because the Lord is to be revered, worshiped, and praised the Lord loves reverence, worship, and praise for his own sake. In fact, he loves them for our sake, because they bring us into a state where something divine can flow in and be felt. This is because by these activities we are removing that focus on self that prevents the inflow and acceptance. The focus on self that is self-love hardens and closes our heart. It is removed by our realization that in our own right we are nothing but evil and that nothing but what is good comes from the Lord. This yields the softening of heart and humility from which reverence and worship flow.
It follows from this that the purpose of the useful functions the Lord provides for himself through us is that he may bless us out of his love; and since this is what he loves to do, our receiving it is the joy of his love.
No one should believe that the Lord is with people who simply worship him. He makes his home with people who do his commandments--that is, his useful functions--and not with the others. See also what it says about this in 47, 48, and 49 above.
335. Even though we call these forms of use, because they have relation through mankind to the Lord, still it cannot be said that they are forms of use originating from mankind for the sake of the Lord. Rather they are forms of use originating from the Lord for the sake of mankind, because all useful ends are infinitely one in the Lord, and do not originate in mankind except from the Lord. For a person cannot do good of himself but only from the Lord. Good is what we are calling a useful end.
The essence of spiritual love is to do good to others, not for one's own sake, but for their sake. Infinitely more is it the essence of Divine love.
The case is the same as with the love of parents for their children, who do good to them out of love, not for their own sake but for the children's sake. This is clearly seen in a mother's love for her little children.
[2] Because the Lord is to be adored, worshiped and glorified, people believe that He loves adoration, worship and glory for His own sake. But in fact He loves these for mankind's sake, since a person comes thereby into a state such that the Divine can flow in and be perceived, because the person thereby sets aside his native character which inhibits the influx and reception. For his native character, which is love of self, hardens the heart and closes it up. He sets this character aside by acknowledging that of himself he does nothing but evil, and from the Lord only good, thus occasioning a softening and humbling of the heart from which springs adoration and worship.
It follows from this that the uses the Lord performs for Himself through mankind exist to the end that He may do good to people out of love, and because this is His love, their reception of it is His love's delight.
Let no one suppose, therefore, that the Lord dwells in those who merely adore Him, but that He dwells in those who do His commandments, 1 thus who do things of use. It is in such people that He has His abode, 2 and not the first.
(See also what we said on this subject in nos. 47-49 above.)
Footnotes:
1. See John 14:15, 21, 23, 15:10.
2. See John 14:23.
335. Although it is said that these things are uses because through man they have relation to the Lord, yet they cannot be said to be uses from man for the Lord's sake, but from the Lord for man's sake, because in the Lord all uses are infinitely one, and in man there are no uses except from the Lord. For man cannot do good from himself, but from the Lord, and good is what is called use. The essence of spiritual love is doing good to others, not for the sake of self but for the sake of others; infinitely more is this the essence of Divine Love. It is like the love of parents towards their children in that they do good to them from love, not for their own sake but for the children's sakes. This is manifestly seen in the love of a mother for her little children. Because the Lord is to be adored, worshipped and glorified, it is believed that He loves adoration, worship and glory for His own sake. But it is for man's sake that He loves these, because by means of them, man comes into a state in which the Divine can flow in and be perceived, for by this means man removes his proprium which inhibits influx and reception, and the proprium which is self-love hardens the heart and shuts it up. This is removed by the acknowledgment that from man himself nothing comes but evil, and from the Lord nothing but good. From this acknowledgment comes a softening of the heart and humiliation out of which flow forth adoration and worship. It follows from these things that the uses which the Lord performs for Himself through man are such that man may be able to do good from love, and because this is the Lord's love, its reception is the enjoyment of His love. Therefore let no-one believe that the Lord is with those who merely adore Him, but He is with those who do His commandments, which are uses. With such He has His abode but not with the former. (See also what was said above on these matters (47-49).
335. These things are called uses, because through man they have relation to the Lord; nevertheless, they must not be said to be uses from man for the Lord's sake, but from the Lord for man's sake, inasmuch as in the Lord all uses are infinitely one, but in man there are no uses except from the Lord; for man cannot do good from himself, but only from the Lord, and good is what is called use. The essence of spiritual love is doing good to others, not for the sake of self but for the sake of others; infinitely more is this the essence of Divine Love. It is like the love of parents for their children, in that parents do good to their children from love, not for their own sake but for their children's sake. This is especially manifest in a mothers love for her offspring. Because the Lord is to be adored, worshiped and glorified, He is supposed to love adoration, worship, and glory for His own sake; but He loves these for man's sake, because by means of them man comes into a state in which the Divine can flow in and be perceived; since by means of them man puts away that which is his own, which hinders influx and reception, for what is man's own, which is self-love, hardens the heart and shuts it up. This is removed by man's acknowledging that from himself comes nothing but evil and from the Lord nothing but good; from this acknowledgment there is a softening of the heart and humiliation, out of which flow forth adoration and worship. From all this it follows, that the use which the Lord performs for Himself through man is that man may be able to do good from love, and since this is the Lord's love, its reception is the enjoyment of His love. Therefore, let no one believe that the Lord is with those who merely worship Him, He is with those who do His commandments, thus who perform uses; with such He has His abode, but not with the former. (See what was said above on this subject, n. 47-49)
335. Tametsi dicitur quod usus sint, quia per hominem se referunt ad Dominum, usque non dici potest, quod usus sint ab homine propter Dominum, sed a Domino propter hominem, quia omnes usus infinite unum sunt in Domino, et nulli in homine nisi a Domino, homo enim non potest bonum facere a se sed a Domino[;] bonum est quod vocatur usus. Essentia amoris Spiritualis est bonum 1 facere aliis non propter se sed propter illos[;] infinite magis Essentia Divini Amoris. Hoc simile est cum amore parentum erga liberos, 2 quod ex amore illis bonum faciant, non propter se sed propter illos; hoc manifeste videtur in amore matris erga infantes.
[2] Creditur quod Dominus, quia adorandus, colendus et glorificandus est, amet adorationem, cultum et gloriam propter se, sed amat illa propter hominem, quoniam homo per id in statum venit, ut Divinum possit influere et percipi, nam per id removet homo proprium, quod influxum et receptionem inhibet; proprium enim quod est amor sui, indurat cor et occludit; hoc removetur per agnitionem, quod a seipso nihil nisi quam malum fiat, et a Domino nihil nisi quam bonum[;] inde emollitio cordis et humiliatio, ex qua profluit adoratio et cultus. Ex his sequitur, quod usus, quos Dominus sibi praestat per hominem, sint 3 ut ex amore possit benefacere, et quia id est amor Ipsius, est receptio jucundum 4 amoris Ipsius. Ne itaque credat aliquis, quod Dominus sit apud illos qui solum adorant Ipsum, sed quod apud illos qui faciunt mandata Ipsius, ita usus; apud hos mansionem habet, non autem apud illos. Videantur etiam, quae supra 47-49, de his dicta sunt.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: bonu[upside down "m"]
2. Prima editio: libetos,
3. Prima editio: sit
4. Prima editio: jucundnm