40、普通人对爱与智慧的观念是这样：它们就像某种在明净的空气或以太中盘旋和飘浮之物，或像这种事物的发散物。几乎没有人相信它们竟是实实在在的物质与形式。即便承认它们是物质与形式的人，仍以为爱与智慧在主体之外，且从主体发出；因为他们将他们以为在主体之外且从主体发出之物称为物质与形式，哪怕它是某种盘旋和飘浮物；殊不知，爱与智慧就是主体本身，被视为在它之外、如同盘旋和漂浮的东西无非是主体本身的状态的一种表象。有几个原因使得这一点至今没有被人看出来，其中一个就是：表象是第一手材料，而人的心智便通过这第一手材料形成它的理解力，心智只有通过探究原因才能摆脱这些表象；如果原因深藏不露，心智只能通过将理解力长期保持在属灵之光中来探究它；但由于属世之光不断把它拉下来而无法做到这一点。然而，真相却是，爱与智慧是构成主体本身的实实在在的物质与形式。
40. Divine love and wisdom is substance and is form. The everyday concept of love and wisdom is that they are something floating around in, or breathed out by, thin air or ether. Hardly anyone considers that in reality and in function they are substance and form.
Even people who do see that love and wisdom are substance and form sense them as something outside their subject, flowing from it; and they refer to what in their perceptions is outside the subject and flowing from it as substance and form even though they sense it as floating around. They do not realize that love and wisdom are the actual subject, and that what they sense as floating out from the subject is only the appearance of the inherent state of the subject.
There are many reasons why this has not come to light before. One of them is that appearances are the first things the human mind draws on in forming its understanding, and the only way to dispel these appearances is through careful probing into cause. If a cause is deeply hidden, we cannot probe into it unless we keep our discernment in spiritual light for a protracted period of time; and we cannot hold it there for a long time because of the earthly light that keeps pulling us back.
Still, the truth is that love and wisdom are the real and functional substance and form that make up the very subject.
40. Divine love and wisdom are both substance and form. People commonly have an idea of love and wisdom as abstract entities flying about or floating in the subtler air or ether, or as exhalations emanating from something of that nature. Scarcely anyone thinks that they are really and actually substance and form.
People who do see that they are substance and form still perceive love and wisdom round about the subject of which they are predicated as properties emanating from it; and what they perceive round about a subject as emanating from it - even if perceived as something flying about or floating - they also call substance and form, not knowing that love and wisdom constitute the subject itself, and that whatever is perceived as flying or floating round about it is simply the appearance of the subject's underlying state.
[2] This has not been seen before for a number of reasons. One of these reasons is that the first perceptions out of which the human mind forms its understanding are appearances, appearances which it cannot dispel without investigating their cause; and if the cause lies deeply hidden, the mind cannot investigate it without keeping its intellect for a long time in spiritual light, which it cannot do because of the natural light that constantly draws it back down.
Yet the truth is that love and wisdom are real and actual substance and form, which constitute the very subject of which they are predicated.
40. DIVINE LOVE AND WISDOM IS SUBSTANCE AND IT IS FORM
The idea of ordinary men concerning love and wisdom is as of something flying and floating in fine air or ether, or as of what exhales from something of this kind. And scarcely anyone thinks that they are really and actually substance and form. Those who do see that they are substance and form still perceive the love and wisdom outside the subject as issuing from it. Indeed, they call substance and form that which they perceive outside the subject and issuing from it, although as something flying and floating, not knowing that love and wisdom are the subject itself, and that what is perceived outside of it as flying and floating is only an appearance of the state of the subject in itself. There are several reasons that this has not hitherto been seen. One of them is that appearances are the first things out of which the human mind (mens) forms its understanding, and the mind cannot shake off these appearances except by an investigation of the cause. And if the cause lies deeply hidden, the mind cannot investigate it except by keeping the understanding for a long time in spiritual light; and it cannot do this on account of the natural light which continually draws it back. Yet the truth is that love and wisdom are the real and actual substance and form which constitute the subject itself.
40. DIVINE LOVE AND DIVINE WISDOM ARE SUBSTANCE AND ARE FORM.
The idea of men in general about love and about wisdom is that they are like something hovering and floating in thin air or ether or like what exhales from something of this kind. Scarcely any one believes that they are really and actually substance and form. Even those who recognize that they are substance and form still think of the love and the wisdom as outside the subject and as issuing from it. For they call substance and form that which they think of as outside the subject and as issuing from it, even though it be something hovering and floating; not knowing that love and wisdom are the subject itself, and that what is perceived outside of it and as hovering and floating is nothing but an appearance of the state of the subject in itself. There are several reasons why this has not hitherto been seen, one of which is, that appearances are the first things out of which the human mind forms its understanding, and these appearances the mind can shake off only by the exploration of the cause; and if the cause lies deeply hidden, the mind can explore it only by keeping the understanding for a long time in spiritual light; and this it cannot do by reason of the natural light which continually withdraws it. The truth is, however, that love and wisdom are the real and actual substance and form that constitute the subject itself.
40. QUOD DIVINUS AMOR ET DIVINA SAPIENTIA SIT SUBSTANTIA ET QUOD SIT FORMA. Idea vulgarium hominum de Amore et de Sapientia, est sicut de volatili et fluente in subtili aere seu aethere; aut sicut de exhalato ab aliquo tali; et vix aliquis cogitat, quod sint realiter et actualiter Substantia et Forma. Illi qui vident, quod sint substantia et forma, usque percipiunt amorem et sapientiam extra subjectum ut profluentia ex illo, et quod extra subjectum ut profluens ab illo percipiunt, tametsi ut volatile et fluens, etiam vocant substantiam et formam, non scientes quod amor et sapientia sint ipsum subjectum, et quod id quod extra illud percipitur ut volatile et fluens, sit modo apparentia status subjecti in se.
[2] Causae, quod hoc non hactenus visum sit, sunt plures causae; inter illas est, quod apparentiae sint primae ex quibus Mens humana format suum intellectum, et quod discutere illas nequeat nisi ex indagatione causae, et si causa alte latet, illam indagare nequit, nisi intellectum teneat diu in luce spirituali, in qua illum diu tenere nequit propter lucem naturalem quae continue retrahit. Veritas usque est, quod amor et sapientia sint realis et actualis substantia et forma, quae faciunt ipsum subjectum.