183、人若清楚看见圣治及其运作，就会否认神，这一点似乎不太可能；因为表面上看，人若真的清楚看见它，就不能不承认它，从而承认神；然而，事实恰恰相反。圣治从来不照着人的意愿之爱行动，而是不断反对它。因为由于遗传的邪恶，人总是渴望最低层的地狱；但主按祂的旨意不断引导他远离这个地狱，并把他从中拉出来，首先拉到一个相对温和的地狱，然后拉出地狱，最后拉到在天堂的祂自己那里。圣治的这种运作持续进行。因此，人若清楚看见或感受到这种拉离或带走，就会愤怒，把神视为他的仇敌，并出于他自我的邪恶而否认神。所以，为防止人知道这一切，他被保守在自由状态中；在这种状态下，他只知道自己引导自己。
举例有助于说明这一点。人因遗传而渴望变得强大富有；只要这些爱不受约束，他就渴望变得越来越强大富有，最终变成最强大、最富有的；甚至他仍不满足于此，还想变得比神自己还强大，拥有天堂本身。这种痴迷就深深隐藏在遗传的邪恶，因而隐藏在人的生命和这生命的本性之中。圣治不会瞬间除去这恶，因为如果它真的被瞬间除去，人就无法存活；相反，它如此悄悄并逐渐除去它，以至于人对此一无所知。它通过让人照着他理性塑造的思维行动而如此行，然后利用各种手段，包括理性、文明和道德的手段把他引离邪恶；他就是这样照着他在自由中能被引导的程度而被引离。此外，邪恶不可能从任何人那里被除去，除非它浮出表面，被看见并承认。它就像一个伤口，在打开之前无法愈合。
这意味着，人若真的知道并看见主通过祂的圣治作工反对他的生命之爱，就是给予他最大快乐的爱，必然走到反面，感到愤怒，奋力反击，说难听的话，最终出于自己的邪恶通过否认它，从而否认神而甩开圣治的运作。他若看见它阻碍他成功，看见自己地位下降或丧失财富，尤其会这么做。
但必须知道的是，主从来不引导人远离对地位或财富的追求，只是引导他远离仅仅为了显赫或为了自己而对追求地位的痴迷，同样引导他远离为了纯粹的富裕，也就是财富本身而对获得财富的痴迷。当主引导人远离这些东西时，祂就把人引入对功用的爱，好叫他不要为了自己，而是为了功用的缘故来看待显赫，因而使显赫首先属于功用，其次属于他自己，而不是首先属于他自己，其次属于功用。这同样适用于财富。主自己在圣言的许多地方教导说，祂不断使自高的降为卑，使自卑的升为高；祂在圣言中的教导也属于祂的圣治。
183. The idea that if a person were to clearly see Divine providence and its operation, he would deny God, appears as unlikely, because it seems that if anyone were to clearly see it he could not help but acknowledge it and so acknowledge God. And yet the contrary is the case.
Divine providence never acts in harmony with the will's love in a person, but continually in opposition to it. For in consequence of his hereditary evil a person forever goes panting toward the lowest hell, whereas the Lord by His providence is constantly diverting him and drawing him back from there, first to a milder hell, then out of hell, and finally to Himself in heaven.
This operation of Divine providence is unceasing. Consequently if a person were to clearly see or feel this withdrawal or diverting, it would anger him, and he would regard God as an enemy, and from the evil of his native character deny Him. Therefore, lest a person become conscious of this, he is kept in a state of freedom, so that he does not know other than that he is guiding himself.
[2] But let examples serve to illustrate: Because of his heredity a person wishes to become great, and he also wishes to become rich; and to the extent that these loves are not kept in check, he wishes to become greater and richer, and eventually the greatest and the richest. Nor would he be content in such a case, but would wish to become greater than God Himself and to possess heaven itself. This lust is inmostly present in hereditary evil, and so in a person's life and its character.
Divine providence does not take away this evil in a moment, for if it were to take it away in a moment, the person would cease to live. Rather it takes it away quietly and gradually, without the person's being at all conscious of it. It accomplishes this by permitting the person to act in accordance with the thought which he makes the thought of his reason; and by various means then it turns him away, doing so both by rational means and also by civil and moral means. And so the person is turned away to the extent that he can be turned away in freedom.
Nor can evil be taken away from anyone, unless it becomes apparent, is seen, and is acknowledged. It is like a wound which does not heal unless it is laid open.
[3] So then, if a person were to be conscious of the fact and see that the Lord through His Divine providence thus works against his life's love - the love which affords him the highest delight - he could not help but go in the opposite direction and become incensed, argue, rail, and at last, because of his evil, reject the operation of Divine providence by denying it, and thus denying God. Especially would this be the case if he were to see obstacles to his successes, himself reduced in status, and his wealth taken.
[4] It should be known, however, that the Lord never turns a person away from seeking honors or acquiring wealth, but that He turns him away from a lust to seek honors solely for his own advancement or for sake of himself, and also from acquiring wealth solely for his own wealthiness or for the sake of the wealth. At the same time, when the Lord turns a person away from these, He introduces him into a love of useful endeavors, so that the person looks for advancement not for the sake of himself but for the sake of being useful, so that it is an advancement of useful endeavors, and consequently of self, and not an advancement of self, and consequently of useful endeavors. So, likewise, with wealth.
That the Lord continually humbles the proud and exalts the humble He Himself teaches in many places in the Word, 1and what He teaches there applies also to His Divine providence.
Footnotes:
1. E.g., Psalms 18:27, 147:6. Isaiah 2:12, 13:11. Matthew 23:12. Luke 1:51, 52, 14:11, 18:14.
183. It may seem unlikely that we would deny God if we were to see divine providence and its workings clearly, because it would seem that if we were to see it clearly we could not help but acknowledge it and thereby acknowledge God. However, the opposite is the case.
Divine providence is never acting in the same direction as our deliberate love. It is always acting against it. This is because from our own inherited evil we are constantly hungering for the deepest hell, while the Lord, through his divine providence, is constantly leading us away from it and drawing us out of it, first to some milder hell, then out of hell, and eventually to himself in heaven. This effort of divine providence is going on all the time; so if we were to see or feel vividly this carrying off and pulling away, we would be outraged. God would become our enemy, and in the evil of our self-centeredness we would deny him. So to prevent us from knowing about this, we are kept in a free state where all we can know is that we are leading ourselves.
[2] Let some examples serve to illustrate this. By heredity, we want to become powerful and rich, and to the extent that these loves are not held in check, we want to become more powerful and more rich until we are the most powerful and most rich of all. Even then we are not satisfied, but want to be more powerful than God and to possess heaven itself. This obsession lies hidden deep within our inherited evil and is therefore within our life and in the very nature of that life.
Divine providence does not take this evil away instantly, because if it did we would not be alive. It takes it away quietly and gradually without our knowing anything about it. It does so by letting us act according to thoughts that we fashion rationally, and then it uses various rational, civil, and moral means to lead us away. So we are led away to the extent that we can be led in freedom. Further, no evil can be taken from us unless it surfaces and is seen and recognized. It is like a wound that is not healed until it has been opened.
[3] This means that if we were to know and see that with his divine providence the Lord is acting against the love of our life, the love that gives us the greatest pleasure, all we could do would be to go in the opposite direction, to be outraged, to fight back, and to scold, ultimately distancing the working of divine providence from our own evil by denying providence, which means denying God. We would do this particularly if we saw ourselves being blocked from success, lowered in rank, or deprived of wealth.
[4] We should realize, though, that the Lord never leads us away from striving for high positions or from gaining wealth, only from an obsession with striving for high position simply for the sake of eminence, or for self-seeking reasons, and similarly from gathering wealth solely for display or for its own sake. As he leads us away from these obsessions, he brings us into a love of service so that we look at eminence not for our own sake but for the sake of service. So it becomes something we seek for service primarily and for ourselves secondarily, and not for ourselves primarily and for service secondarily. The same applies to wealth.
The Lord tells us in many places in the Word that he always humbles the proud and raises up the humble; and what it says in the Word is characteristic of his divine providence.
183. It does not appear to be likely that if man saw clearly the Divine Providence and its operation he would deny God; for it would appear that if anyone saw it clearly he could not but acknowledge it and thus acknowledge God; yet the contrary is the case. The Divine Providence in no circumstance acts together with the will's love in man, but constantly acts against it. For man from his hereditary evil is always panting for the lowest hell; but the Lord by His Providence is continually leading him away and withdrawing him from it, first to a milder hell, then away from hell, and finally to Himself in heaven. This operation of the Divine Providence is perpetual. Therefore, if man saw clearly or felt this withdrawal or leading away, he would become angry and, regarding God as his enemy, from the evil of his proprium he would deny God. Therefore, in order that man may not know this he is kept in a state of freedom, and consequently he knows no otherwise than that he leads himself.
[2] But examples may serve to illustrate this. Man by his hereditary nature desires to become great and also to become rich; and in proportion as these desires are unrestrained he longs to become greater and richer, and at length to be greatest and richest; nor would he rest here, but would desire to be greater than God Himself and to possess heaven itself. This inordinate desire lies most deeply concealed in hereditary evil, and consequently in man's life and in his life's nature. The Divine Providence does not remove this evil in a moment; for if it were removed in a moment man would cease to live; but the Divine Providence removes it quietly and gradually without man's knowing anything about it. This it does by permitting man to act according to thought which he rationally adopts. Then by various means, rational, civil and moral, it leads him away; and he is thus withdrawn as far as he can be led in freedom. Nor can evil be removed from anyone unless it becomes evident, and is seen and acknowledged. It is like a wound which does not heal unless it is opened.
[3] If, therefore, man were to know and see that the Lord, through His Divine Providence, operates in this manner against his life's love which is the source of his highest delight, he could not but go in the opposite direction and, becoming enraged, take action against it, revile it, and finally from his evil set aside the operation of the Divine Providence by denying it and thus denying God. This especially would he do if he saw it as an obstacle to his success, and if he saw himself cast down from his position of honour and stripped of his wealth.
[4] It should be known, however, that the Lord in no wise leads man away from seeking honours and acquiring wealth, but that He leads him away from the inordinate desire of seeking honours for the sake of eminence alone, that is, for the sake of himself and also from acquiring wealth 1for the sake of opulence alone, that is, for the sake of riches. However, when the Lord leads man away from these He introduces him into the love of uses, in order that he may regard high position not for his own sake but for the sake of uses; and thus as belonging to the uses and hence to himself, and not as belonging to himself and hence to the uses. The same is true of wealth. That the Lord continually humbles the proud and exalts the humble He Himself teaches in many places in the Word; and what He there teaches is also of His Divine Providence.
Footnotes:
1. Original Edition has "non a comparandis," inserting "non" unnecessarily.
183. That if the Divine providence and its operation were clearly seen by man he would deny God does not appear probable; for it would seem that if it were clearly seen by any one he could not but acknowledge it, and thus acknowledge God; yet the contrary is the truth. The Divine providence never acts in accord with the will's love in man, but constantly against it; since man, because of his hereditary evil, is always panting for the lowest hell; but the Lord by His providence is continually leading and drawing him away from it, first to a milder hell, then out of hell, and finally to Himself in heaven. This operation of the Divine providence is perpetual. Consequently if man clearly saw or felt this drawing or leading away he would grow angry and would regard God as his enemy, and from the evil of his selfhood (proprium) would deny God. Consequently, lest this be known to man he is kept in a state of freedom from which he knows no otherwise than that he leads himself.
[2] But let examples serve for illustration. By inheritance man possesses a desire to become great; he has also a desire to gain riches; and so far as these loves are unrestrained he longs to become greater and richer, and at length to be greatest and richest; nor would he rest here; he would wish to become greater than God Himself and to possess heaven itself. This passion lies most deeply hidden in hereditary evil, and thus in man's life and in his life's nature. The Divine providence does not instantly take away this evil, for if it were instantly taken away man would cease to live; but providence takes it away so quietly and gradually that man knows nothing about it. This is done by permitting man to act in accordance with the thought that his reason adopts; and then by various means, rational and civil and moral the Divine providence leads him away from the evil; and he is thus led as far away from it as he can be led in freedom. Nor can evil be taken away from any one until it becomes evident and is seen and acknowledged; it is like a wound that does not heal until it is opened.
[3] If, then, man were to know and see that the Lord so works by means of His Divine providence against man's life's love, from which he has his chief enjoyment, he could not but go in the opposite direction, become enraged, strive against it, say hard words, and finally from his evil set aside the operation of the Divine providence by denying it and thus denying God; especially if he saw in it an obstacle to his success, and saw himself fallen from honor and stripped of wealth.
[4] But it must be known that the Lord never leads man away from seeking honors or from acquiring wealth, but He leads him away from a desire to seek honors for the sake of mere eminence, or for the sake of himself; also from acquiring wealth for the sake of mere opulence, that is, for the sake of riches. And when the Lord leads man away from these He leads him into a love of uses, that he may esteem eminence not for his own sake but for the sake of uses, thus that it may belong to uses, and to himself therefrom, and not to himself and to uses therefrom. The same is true of opulence. That the Lord constantly humbles the proud and exalts the humble He Himself teaches in many places in the Word; and what He there teaches pertains also to His Divine providence.
183. Quod si homo manifeste videret Divinam Providentiam et ejus operationem, negaret Deum, apparet sicut non verosimile, quia videtur, quod si quis manifeste videret illam, non potuisset aliter quam agnoscere illam, et sic Deum, sed usque contrarium est. Divina Providentia nusquam agit una cum amore voluntatis hominis, sed continue contra illum: nam homo ex malo suo haereditario anhelat semper versus infimum infernum, Dominus autem per suam Providentiam continue abducit illum, et extrahit illum inde, primum ad infernum mitius, dein ab inferno, et demum ad Se 1in coelum: haec operatio Divinae Providentiae est perpetua; quare si homo manifeste videret vel sentiret hanc detractionem aut abductionem, irasceretur, et Deum pro inimico haberet, et ex malo sui proprii negaret illum; quapropter ne homo sciat hoc, tenetur in libero, ex quo non scit aliter, quam quod ipse semet ducat.
[2] Sed exempla inserviant illustrationi: homo ex haereditario vult magnus fieri, et quoque vult dives fieri, et quantum amores illi non refraenantur, vult major et ditior, et tandem maximus et ditissimus fieri; et non sic acquiesceret, sed vellet Ipso Deo major fieri, et possidere ipsum coelum: haec cupido latet intime in malo haereditario, et inde in hominis vita ac vitae natura. 2Divina Providentia non aufert hoc malum momento, nam si momento auferret, homo non viveret; sed aufert illud tacite et successive, praeter quod homo sciat aliquid de eo; hoc fit per id quod liceat homini secundum cogitationem, quam rationis facit, agere, et tunc per varia media abducit, tam per rationalia, quam per civilia et moralia, et sic quantum in libero potest abduci, abducitur. Nec potest malum alicui auferri, nisi appareat, videatur et agnoscatur; est sicut vulnus, quod non sanatur, nisi aperiatur.
[3] Si itaque homo sciret et videret, quod Dominus per Divinam suam Providentiam ita operetur contra amorem vitae ejus, ex quo illi est summum jucundum, non potuisset aliter quam in contrarium ire, et excandescere, contestari, dura loqui, et tandem ex malo suo removere operationem Divinae Providentiae, negando illam, et sic Deum; imprimis si videret obstari successibus, se dejici a dignitate, et deprivari opulentia.
[4] At sciendum est, quod Dominus nusquam abducat hominem ab ambiendis honoribus, et a comparandis opibus, sed quod abducat a cupidine ambiendi honores propter solam eminentiam, seu propter se; similiter a comparandis 3opibus propter solam opulentiam seu propter opes; sed cum ab his abducit, introducit illum in amorem usuum, ut spectet eminentiam non propter se sed propter usus, ita ut sit usuum, et inde sui, et non sui et inde usuum; similiter opulentia. 4Quod Dominus continue humiliet superbos, et exaltet humiles, docet Ipse multis in locis in Verbo, et quod ibi docet, id etiam est Divinae Providentiae Ipsius.
Footnotes:
1 Prima editio: se
2 Prima editio: natura,
3 a comparandis ubi in prima editione non a comparandis
4 Prima editio: opulentia,