187、⑷人被允许从背后，而不是面对面看见圣治；并且是在一种属灵状态下，而非一种属世状态下看见它。在背后而不是面对面看见圣治，是指在圣治发生之后，而不是之前看见它；从一种属灵状态，而非一种属世状态看见它，是指从天堂，而非世界看见它。凡接受来自天堂的流注，并承认圣治的人，尤其那些通过改造而变得属灵的人，当看见处于奇妙系列中的事件时，可以说会出于一种内在承认而看见圣治，并称谢它。这种人并不想面对面，也就是说，不想在它发生之前看见它，唯恐他们的意愿对它的秩序和进程造成某种干扰。
那些不让来自天堂的流注，只让来自世界的流注进入的人，尤其那些因视表象为绝对真理而变得属世，或说彻底变成唯物主义者的人则不然。这些人从背后，或圣治发生之后看不见它的一丝痕迹；但他们却想面对面，或在它发生之前看见它。由于圣治通过方法作工，而方法通过人或世界运作，所以他们无论是面对面，还是从背后看见它，都会把它要么归因于人，要么归因于自然界，从而更加确定对它的否认。他们之所以得出这种结论，是因为他们的理解力从上面关闭，从下面打开，也就是说，向天堂关闭，向世界打开；而人不能从世界看圣治，只能从天堂看它。我有时会问自己，如果这些人的理解力从上面打开，他们能如在晴天白日之下那样看见：自然界本身是死的，人类聪明本质上什么都不是，在这两种情况下，相反的表象是流注的结果，那么他们会不会承认圣治呢？我意识到，凡确认支持自然界和人类精明的人，都不会承认它，因为从下面流入的属世之光会立刻熄灭从上面流入的属灵之光。
187. (4) It is granted a person to see Divine providence from behind and not from in front, and in a spiritual state and not in the person's natural state. To see Divine providence from behind and not from in front is to see it afterward and not beforehand. And to see it from the perspective of a spiritual state and not from that of a natural state is to see it from the perspective of heaven and not from the perspective of the world.
People who receive influx from heaven and acknowledge Divine providence, and especially those who by reformation have become spiritual, when they see events unfold in some marvelous sequence, all from an interior acknowledgment see, as it were, that providence and confess it. Such people do not wish to see it from in front, that is, before it operates, for fear that their will might enter into something of its order and course.
[2] Not so people who do not allow in any influx from heaven but only from the world - especially those who, by inwardly affirming appearances, have become natural. These do not see anything of Divine providence from behind or afterward, but wish to see it from in front or before it operates. And because Divine providence operates by intervening means, and the means are furnished by mankind or the world, therefore whether they see that providence from in front or from behind, they attribute it either to people or to nature and so confirm themselves in a denial of it.
The reason they attribute it to these is that their intellect is closed above and opened only below, thus closed toward heaven and opened toward the world, and it is not granted anyone to see Divine providence from the perspective of the world, but from the perspective of heaven.
I have sometimes wondered to myself whether people of this sort would acknowledge Divine providence if their intellect were opened above and they saw as though in the clear light of day that nature in itself is lifeless and human intelligence in itself nothing, but that it is owing to influx that each appears as it does; and I have perceived that those who have confirmed themselves on the side of nature and human prudence would not acknowledge it, because the natural light flowing in from below would instantly extinguish the spiritual light flowing in from above.
187. 4. We are allowed to see divine providence from behind but not face to face, and when we are in a spiritual state, not in a materialistic state. Seeing divine providence from behind but not face to face is seeing it after the fact but not before; and seeing it when we are in a spiritual state and not in a materialistic state is seeing it from heaven and not from this world. Everyone who accepts inflow from heaven and recognizes divine providence (and especially people who have become spiritual by virtue of their reformation), on seeing events in their amazing kind of sequence, virtually sees providence from a deep recognition and confesses it. Such people do not want to see it face to face, that is, before things happen, because they are afraid their own volition would interfere with some element of its orderly sequence.
[2] It is different for people who do not let any inflow in from heaven but only from this world, especially people who have become complete materialists by accepting outward appearances as absolute truth. They see no trace of divine providence from behind, or after the fact, but they do want to see it face to face, or before things happen. Since divine providence works through means, and since these means include us and this world, if people like this were to see it either face to face or behind, they would ascribe it either to themselves or to the material world and so become even more certain in their denial.
The reason they would come to this conclusion is that their discernment is closed upward and open only downward, closed toward heaven and open toward this world, and we cannot see divine providence from this world, only from heaven.
I have sometimes asked myself whether these people would acknowledge divine providence if their minds were opened upward and they were to see in broad daylight that the material world is essentially dead and human intelligence essentially nothing, and that the contrary appearance in each case is the result of inflow. I have realized that people who have convinced themselves of the supreme value of the physical world and human prudence would not acknowledge providence, because the earthly light that flows up from below snuffs out the spiritual light that flows down from above.
187. IV. IT IS GRANTED TO MAN TO SEE THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE IN THE BACK AND NOT IN THE FACE; AND THIS IN A SPIRITUAL STATE AND NOT IN A NATURAL STATE. To see the Divine Providence in the back and not in the face is to see it after it operates and not before; and to see it from a spiritual state and not from a natural state is to see it from heaven and not from the world. All who receive influx from heaven and acknowledge the Divine Providence, and especially those who by reformation have become spiritual, when they see events in some wonderful series, see the Divine Providence, as it were, from an interior acknowledgment and confess it. They do not desire to see it in the face, that is, before it comes into operation, fearing lest their will should enter into anything of its order and tenor.
[2] It is otherwise with those who do not admit any influx from heaven but only from the world, especially with those who have become natural from confirming appearances in themselves. They do not see anything of the Divine Providence in the back, that is, after it operates, but they desire to see it in the face, that is, before it comes into operation; and as the Divine Providence operates by means, and means are produced through man or the world, therefore, whether they see it in the face or in the back, they attribute it either to man or to nature, and thus they confirm themselves in the denial of it. They attribute it in this way because their understanding is closed from above and is open only from below, that is, closed towards heaven and open towards the world; and it is not granted to see the Divine Providence from the world, but only from Heaven. I sometimes wondered whether they would acknowledge the Divine Providence if their understanding were opened from above, and they saw as in clear daylight that nature in itself is dead, and that human intelligence in itself is nothing, but that it is only from influx that both these appear to exist. I perceived, however, that those who have confirmed themselves in favour of nature and of human prudence would not acknowledge it, because the natural light flowing in from below would immediately extinguish the spiritual light flowing in from above.
187. (4) It is granted man to see the Divine providence in the back and not in the face; also to see it in a spiritual state and not in his natural state. To see the Divine providence in the back and not in the face is to see it after it occurs and not before; and to see it from a spiritual and not from a natural state is to see it from heaven and not from the world. All who receive influx from heaven and acknowledge the Divine providence, and especially those who by reformation have become spiritual, when they see events in some wonderful series see as it were the Divine providence by an interior acknowledgment, and confess it. Such have no wish to see it in the face, that is, before it occurs, fearing that their will might intrude itself into something of its order and tenor.
[2] It is otherwise with those who admit into themselves no influx from heaven but only from the world, especially with those who have become natural from the confirmation of appearances in themselves. These see nothing of the Divine providence in the back, or after it occurs; but they wish to see it in the face, or before it occurs; and as the Divine providence works by means, and the means operate through man or through the world, whether they see it in the face or the back they attribute it either to man or to nature, and thus confirm themselves in a denial of it. This they do because their understanding is closed from above and is open only from below, that is, closed towards heaven and open towards the world; and it is not granted to see the Divine providence from the world, but only from heaven. I have sometimes thought within myself whether such would acknowledge the Divine providence if their understanding were opened from above, and they could see as in clear day that nature in itself is dead, and that human intelligence in itself is nothing, while it is from influx that these both have an appearance of being; and I have perceived that such as have confirmed themselves in favor of nature and of human prudence would not acknowledge this, for the reason that the natural light flowing in from below would immediately extinguish the spiritual light flowing in from above.
187. IV. Quod detur homini 1videre Divinam Providentiam a tergo et non a facie, tum in statu spirituali, et non in statu suo naturali: videre Divinam Providentiam a tergo et non a facie, est post illam et non ante illam; et a statu spirituali et non a statu naturali, est e Coelo et non e mundo: omnes illi qui recipiunt influxum e Coelo, et agnoscunt Divinam Providentiam, et imprimis qui per reformationem spirituales facti sunt, dum vident eventus in quadam serie mirabili, ex interiore agnitione quasi vident illam, et confitentur; hi non volunt videre illam a facie, hoc est, antequam existit, nam timent ne voluntas illorum intret in aliquid ordinis et tenoris ejus.
[2] Aliter illi, qui non aliquem influxum admittunt e Coelo, sed solum e mundo, imprimis qui ex confirmatione apparentiarum apud se naturales facti sunt; hi non vident aliquid Divinae Providentiae a tergo seu post illam, sed volunt 2videre illam a facie, seu antequam existit; et quia Divina Providentia operatur per media, et media fiunt per hominem aut per mundum, ideo sive videant illam a facie sive a tergo, attribuunt illam vel homini vel naturae, et sic se in negatione ejus confirmant. Causa quod ita attribuant, est quia intellectus eorum est clausus a superiore, et solum apertus ab inferiori, ita clausus versus coelum et apertus versus mundum, et e mundo videre Divinam Providentiam non datur, sed e coelo datur. Quandoque cogitavi mecum, num illi, si aperiretur intellectus eorum a superiori, et viderent ut in clara die quod natura in se sit mortua, ac intelligentia humana in se sit nulla, sed quod utraque appareat esse, sit ex influxu, Divinam Providentiam agnoscerent, et percepi quod illi qui se confirmaverunt pro natura et pro prudentia humana, non agnoscerent, quia lux naturalis ab infra influens illico exstingueret lucem spiritualem desuper influentem.
Footnotes:
1 Prima editio: bomini
2 Prima editio: volunt volunt