3、⑴宇宙无论作为一个整体，还是在每个细节上，都是由神性之爱通过神性智慧创造的。我在《圣爱与圣智》解释了：永恒之主，就是耶和华，本质上是神性之爱和神性智慧；祂从自己创造了宇宙及其中万物。由此可知，宇宙及其中万物，无论总体还是细节，都是由神性之爱通过神性智慧创造的。我还在那本书解释了：爱离了智慧什么也做不了，智慧离了爱也一样。没有智慧的爱，或没有理解力的意愿，不能思想任何东西。它不能实际看见、感知，或说出任何东西。这意味着爱离了智慧，或意愿离了理解力什么也做不了。同样，智慧离了爱，或理解力离了意愿也不能思想任何东西，不能实际看见、感知，甚至说出任何东西。这意味着智慧离了爱，或理解力离了意愿什么也做不了。如果你将爱拿走，那么就不再有任何意愿，因而不可能有行动了。人在做事的时候尚且如此，作为爱本身与智慧本身的神，在创造并制作宇宙及其中万物时更是如此。
宇宙及其中万物，无论总体还是细节，都是由神性之爱通过神性智慧创造的，这一点可从世上能用眼睛检查的一切事物中得到证实。拿任意一个具体东西，运用某种智慧查看它，你就会信服。查看一棵树，或它的种子、果实、花朵、叶子，调动你的智慧，用高倍显微镜仔细观察它，你会看到不可思议的东西；然而，你无法看到的深层事物，甚至更不可思议。看看一棵树从种子一直长到一个新种子的顺序设计，问问自己，在这整个过程中，不是有一种朝向持续自我繁殖的不断努力吗？它趋向的目标是一粒拥有新的繁殖能力的种子。你若愿意作属灵的思考（并且你若愿意，就能做到），定会从中看到智慧。此外，你若愿意作进一步的属灵思考，定会发现，这种繁殖力不是来自种子，也不是来自我们世界纯然为火的太阳；而是一位拥有无限智慧的神造物主把它放在了种子里面。这不仅仅是在创造它时发生的事，也是自此之后一直在发生的事。因为维护就是不断创造，正如持久存在就是不断存在。这就像：如果你拿走行动的意愿，行动就会停止；如果你把思维从言语中抽离出来，言语就会停止；如果努力退去，动作就会停止；总之，如果你除去原因，结果就会消失等等。
有一种力量被灌输到一切受造物中。然而，这种力量靠自己什么也做不了，只能靠着灌输它的那一位。再看看地上的其它东西，如蚕、蜜蜂或其它任何小生物，先属世地，再理性地，最后属灵地检查它。这时，你若能将思维提升到一个更高层次，就会对你所感知到的一切感到震惊。你若倾听智慧的内在声音，就会惊呼：“谁看不见其中的神性呢？它们都是神性智慧的杰作！”此外，如果你看一下受造万物的功用，就会发现它们是如何按顺序行进，直到人类，再从人类到我们的源头，就是造物主。你会发现万物的联系如何依赖于造物主与人类的结合；并且你若愿意承认，会发现对万物的维护也如何依赖于此。在下文，你将看到，神性之爱创造了一切事物，但离了神性智慧什么也做不了。
3. (1) The universe with each and all of its constituents was created out of Divine love by means of Divine wisdom. In our treatise titled Divine Love and Wisdom, we demonstrated that the Lord from eternity, who is Jehovah, is, as to His essence, Divine love and Divine wisdom. We demonstrated, too, that He created the universe and everything in it out of Himself. It follows from this that the universe with each and all of its constituents was created out of Divine love by means of Divine wisdom.
In the aforesaid treatise we demonstrated as well that love cannot do anything apart from wisdom, nor wisdom anything apart from love. For love apart from wisdom, or the will apart from the intellect, is incapable of any thought, indeed is incapable of any sight or sensation, or of any speech. Consequently love cannot do anything apart from wisdom, or the will anything apart from the intellect. By the same token, wisdom apart from love, or the intellect apart from the will, is incapable of any thought, is incapable of any sight or sensation, or indeed of any speech. Consequently wisdom cannot do anything apart from love, or the intellect anything apart from the will. For if love is eliminated from these processes, there is no longer any willing, thus no longer any action.
This being so in the case of a person whenever he does something, still more was it so in the case of God - who is love itself and wisdom itself - when He created and fashioned the universe and everything in it.
[2] The assertion that the universe with each and all of its constituents was created out of Divine love by means of Divine wisdom can be confirmed from all visible objects in the world. Simply take any particular object and examine it with some wisdom, and you will be convinced. Take a tree, or its seed, or its fruit, or one of its flowers or leaves, and summoning up the wisdom in you, examine it with a good microscope. You will see marvels. And the marvels within, those that you do not see, are still more marvelous.
Observe in its development the progression by which a tree grows from a seed even to the production of new seed, and consider whether the progression does not have in it throughout a continual effort to propagate itself further. For the ultimate end to which it advances is its seed, in which its propagative power exists anew. Moreover, if you are willing then to think spiritually (as you can do if you are willing), will you not see wisdom in that seed? And still more, if you are willing to think spiritually to such a point, will you not see that that wisdom does not originate from the seed, nor from the world's sun, which is nothing but fire, but that it originates in the seed from God the Creator, who possesses infinite wisdom? And this not only at the time it was created, but also continually afterward? For continued sustenance is a continual creation, as continued existence is a continual coming into existence.
The case here is the same as if you should take away the will from an action; if you do, the operation ceases. Or if you should take away the thought from speech; if you do, the speaking ceases. Or if you should take away endeavor from motion; if you do, the motion ceases. In a word, if you take away the cause from its effect, the effect perishes. And so on.
[3] Everything so created is indeed endowed with some power, but the power does not do anything of itself, but from that which imparted the power.
Observe as well any other object on the earth, such as a silkworm, bee, or other little creature, and examine it first in natural terms, and afterward rationally, and finally spiritually. If you are able then to think deeply, you will be astonished at it all. And if you permit wisdom to speak in you, you will say in amazement, "Who does not see in these things the Divine? They are all reflections of Divine wisdom."
Still more will this be the case if you observe the uses of all created things, seeing how they progress in their succession to mankind, and from mankind to the Creator from whom they originated; and seeing that on the conjunction of the Creator with mankind depends the connection of all things, and, if you are willing to acknowledge it, the preservation of all things.
In subsequent discussions it will be seen that Divine love created all things, but nothing apart from Divine wisdom.
3. 1. The universe as a whole and in every detail was created out of divine love, by means of divine wisdom. I explained in Divine Love and Wisdom that the Lord from eternity, who is Jehovah, is essentially divine love and wisdom, and that he himself created the universe and everything in it out of himself [Divine Love and Wisdom 28-33, 52-60, 282-295]. It then follows that the universe and everything in it was created out of divine love by means of divine wisdom.
I also explained in that work that love cannot do anything apart from wisdom and that wisdom cannot do anything apart from love [Divine Love and Wisdom 401]. Love without wisdom (or our volition apart from our discernment) cannot think anything. It cannot actually see, feel, or say anything. This means that love apart from wisdom (or our volition apart from our discernment) cannot do anything. By the same token, wisdom apart from love (or our discernment apart from our volition) cannot think anything, see or sense anything, or even say anything. This means that wisdom apart from love (or our discernment apart from our volition) cannot do anything. If you take the love away, there is no longer any intention, so there is no action. If this is how things work for us when we do something, it was all the more true of the God who is love itself and wisdom itself when he created and made the universe and everything in it.
[2] Everything that meets our eyes in this world can serve to convince us that the universe and absolutely everything in it was created out of divine love by means of divine wisdom. Take any particular thing and look at it with some wisdom, and this will be clear. Look at a tree--or its seed, its fruit, its flower, or its leaf. Collect your wits and look through a good microscope and you will see incredible things; and the deeper things that you cannot see are even more incredible. Look at the design of the sequence by which a tree grows from its seed all the way to a new seed, and ask yourself, "In this whole process, is there not a constant effort toward ongoing self-propagation?" The goal it is headed for is a seed that has a new power to reproduce. If you are willing to think spiritually (and you can if you want to), surely you see wisdom in this. Then too, if you are willing to press your spiritual thinking further, surely you see that this power does not come from the seed or from our world's sun, which is nothing but fire, but that it was put into the seed by a creator God who has infinite wisdom. This is not just something that happened at its creation; it is something that has been happening constantly ever since. Maintenance is constant creation, just as enduring is a constant coming into being. This is like the way labor ceases if you take the intention out of the activity, the way speech ceases if you take thinking out of it, or the way motion ceases if you take the energy out of it, and so on. In short, if you take the cause away from the effect, the effect ceases.
[3] A force is instilled into everything that has been created. However, the force does not do anything on its own; it depends on the one who instilled it. Look at some other subject on our planet. Look at a silkworm or a bee or some little creature and examine it, first physically, then rationally, and finally spiritually. If you can think deeply, you will be stunned at everything. If you listen to the inner voice of wisdom, you will exclaim in amazement, "Can anyone fail to see Divinity here? These are the marks of divine wisdom!"
Beyond this even, if you look at the functions of everything that has been created, you will see how they follow in sequence all the way to humanity and from us to our source, the Creator. You will see how the connectedness of everything depends on the Creator's union with us; and if you are willing to admit it, the preservation of everything depends on this as well.
In what follows, you will see that divine love created everything, but that it did nothing apart from divine wisdom.
3. I. THE UNIVERSE, WITH ALL THINGS IN GENERAL AND IN PARTICULAR THEREIN, WAS CREATED FROM THE DIVINE LOVE BY MEANS OF THE DIVINE WISDOM. It was shown in the treatise THE DIVINE LOVE AND WISDOM that the Lord from eternity, who is Jehovah, is as to His Essence Divine Love and Divine Wisdom; and that He from Himself created the universe and all things therein. It follows from this that the universe with all things in general and in particular therein was created from the Divine Love by means of the Divine Wisdom. In the same treatise it was also shown that love without wisdom cannot do anything, nor wisdom without love; for love without wisdom, or the will without the understanding, cannot form a single thought. Indeed, it cannot see, perceive, or say anything; therefore it cannot do anything. In like manner wisdom without love, or the understanding without the will, cannot form a single thought. It cannot see or perceive anything nor indeed can it say anything. Therefore it also cannot do anything; for if love is taken away from those operations there is no longer any will, and so there can be no action. As this is the case with man when he performs any action, much more was it the case with God, who is Love itself and Wisdom itself, when He created and made the universe and all things therein.
[2] That the universe, with all things in general and in particular therein, was created from the Divine Love by means of the Divine Wisdom can be confirmed from all things in the world that may be examined by the eye. Take any object in particular and examine it with some degree of intelligence, and you will be convinced. Take a tree, or its seed, its fruit, its flower or its leaf, and, summoning what wisdom you have, view it with a powerful microscope, and you will see wonderful things; yet there are more interior things, which you do not see, still more wonderful. Observe the order, step by step, in which the tree grows from the seed till it produces new seed; and consider whether there is not in every step a continuous endeavour to propagate itself further; for the goal to which it tends is seed, in which its prolific principle exists anew. Then if you will but reflect upon this spiritually also, and this you can do if you please, will you not see wisdom displayed?
Moreover, if you will reflect deeply enough from the spiritual point of view, you will see that this prolific principle is not from the seed, nor from the sun of this world which is pure fire, but that it is in the seed from God the Creator, to whom belongs infinite Wisdom. You will see that it is present not only at creation but also continuously afterwards; for maintenance is perpetual creation, as subsistence is perpetual existence. The operation of the prolific principle in creation may be illustrated from these considerations: work ceases if you take away will from action; speech ceases if you deprive it of thought; motion ceases if effort is withdrawn; in a word, the effect perishes if you remove the cause; and so on.
[3] Everything indeed in the order of creation has been endowed with power; power, however, accomplishes nothing of itself, but only from Him who has bestowed it.
Examine also any other object on the earth, as a silk-worm, a bee, or any other tiny creature, and view it first naturally, afterwards rationally, and finally spiritually. Then if you can raise your thoughts to a high level, you will be astonished at all you perceive; and if you permit wisdom to speak in you, you will say in astonishment, "Who does not see the Divine in these things? They are all the work of Divine Wisdom." Still more will this be the case if you observe the uses of all the things which have been created, noting how they proceed in their own order right up to man, and from man to the Creator from whom they are; and that from the conjunction of the Creator with man the connection of all things depends, and, if you will acknowledge it, the preservation of all things. It will be seen in what follows that the Divine Love created all things, but did nothing without the Divine Wisdom.
3. (1) The universe, with each thing and all things therein, was created from Divine love by means of Divine wisdom. In the work on The Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom it has been shown that the Lord from eternity, who is Jehovah, is, in His essence, Divine love and Divine wisdom, and that He has created the universe and all things of it from Himself; and from this it follows that the universe, with each thing and all things of it, was created from the Divine love by means of the Divine wisdom. In the same work it has also been shown that love can do nothing apart from wisdom, and that wisdom can do nothing apart from love. For love apart from wisdom, or will apart from understanding, cannot think anything, nor can it see or feel anything, or even say anything; so neither can love apart from wisdom, or will apart from understanding, do anything. In like manner wisdom apart from love, or understanding apart from will, cannot think anything, or see or feel anything, or even say anything; so neither can wisdom apart from love, or understanding apart from will, do anything. For when, in such instances, love is taken away, there is no longer any willing and thus no doing. As this is true of man's doing anything, much more was it true of God, when He who is love itself and wisdom itself created and made the universe and all things thereof.
[2] That the universe, with each thing and all things of it, was created from the Divine love by means of the Divine wisdom can be confirmed by all things submitted to sight in the world. Select any particular object and examine it with some wisdom, and you will be convinced. Take a tree, or its seed, its fruit, its flower, or its leaf, gather up the wisdom that is in you, examine the object with a good microscope, and you will see wonderful things; while the interiors that you do not see are still more wonderful. Observe the order in its development, how the tree grows from seed even to new seed, and consider whether there is not at every successive step a continual endeavor to propagate itself further; for the final thing to which it aims is seed, in which its reproductive power exists anew. And if you are willing to think spiritually, which you can do if you wish, will you not now see wisdom here? Moreover, if you are willing to go far enough in spiritual thought, will you not see also that this power is not from the seed, nor from the sun of the world, which is pure fire, but is in the seed from God the Creator, whose wisdom is infinite; and in it not only at the moment it was created, but continually afterwards? For maintenance involves perpetual creation, as permanence involves a perpetual springing forth. It is the same as if you should withdraw willing from doing, for then work would stop; or as if you should withdraw thought from speech, for then speech would stop, or as if you should withdraw effort from movement, for then movement would stop; in a word, if you should withdraw the cause from the effect the effect would perish; and so on.
[3] In fact, every such created thing is endowed with power; but power acts not from itself, but from Him who bestowed the power. Examine any other object on the earth, as a silkworm, a bee, or any other little creature; look at it first naturally, afterwards rationally, and at length spiritually, and if you are able to think deeply, you will be astonished at it all; and if you will let wisdom speak within you, you will say in amazement, "Who can fail to see the Divine in these things? All things are of the Divine wisdom." Still more will you wonder if you examine into the uses of all created things, how in their order they follow on even to man, and from man to the Creator from whom they are; and how upon the conjunction of the Creator with man both the connection of all things, and if you are willing to acknowledge it, the conservation of all things, depend. In what follows it will be seen that Divine love created all things, but nothing apart from Divine wisdom.
3. I. Quod Universum cum omnibus et singulis ejus creatum sit ex Divino Amore per Divinam Sapientiam. Quod Dominus ab aeterno, qui est Jehovah, sit quoad Essentiam Divinus Amor et Divina Sapientia, 1et quod Ipse ex Se creaverit Universum et omnia ejus, in Transactione de DIVINO AMORE ET DIVINA SAPIENTIA, demonstratum est; exinde sequitur hoc, quod universum cum omnibus et singulis ejus creatum sit ex Divino Amore per Divinam Sapientiam. In praedicta Transactione etiam demonstratum est, quod Amor absque sapientia non possit aliquid facere, nec Sapientia aliquid absque amore; non enim potest amor absque sapientia, seu voluntas absque intellectu, aliquid cogitare, imo non potest aliquid videre et sentire, nec aliquid loqui, quare nec amor absque sapientia, seu voluntas absque intellectu, potest aliquid facere; 2pariter Sapientia absque amore, seu intellectus absque voluntate, non potest aliquid cogitare, nec potest aliquid videre et sentire, imo nec aliquid loqui; quare sapientia absque amore, seu intellectus absque voluntate, non potest aliquid facere; si enim illis aufertur amor, non est amplius aliquod velle, ita non est aliquod agere. Cum tale apud hominem, dum facit aliquid, existit, eo magis apud Deum, qui est Ipse Amor et Ipsa Sapientia, dum universum et omnia ejus creavit et fecit, exstitit.
[2] Quod universum cum omnibus et singulis ejus creatum sit ex Divino 3Amore per Divinam Sapientiam, confirmari potest ex omnibus visui subjectis in mundo: sume modo aliquod objectum in specie, et id ex aliqua sapientia lustra, et confirmaberis; sume arborem, aut ejus semen, aut ejus fructum, aut ejus florem, aut ejus folium, et collige sapientiam apud te, et specta id microscopio acuto, et videbis mirabilia; ac interiora, quae non vides, mirabiliora adhuc sunt: specta ordinem in sua successione, quomodo arbor a semine crescit usque ad novum semen; et expende numne in omni successione sit continuus nisus propagandi se ulterius, ultimum enim quo tendit, est semen, in quo prolificum ejus e novo est: si tunc etiam spiritualiter vis cogitare, hoc potes si vis, annon in illo sapientiam visurus es; et adhuc, si vis eousque spiritualiter cogitare, quod hoc non sit a semine, nec a Sole mundi, qui est purus ignis, sed quod sit in se mine a Deo Creatore, Cui infinita Sapientia; et quod non solum tunc quando creatum est, sed etiam quod continue postea; sustentatio enim est perpetua creatio, sicut subsistentia est perpetua existentia: hoc simile est, sicut si aufers voluntatem ab actu, cessat opus; aut [si] a loquela aufers cogitationem, cessat loquela; aut si a motu aufers conatum, cessat motus; verbo si ab effectu aufers causam, perit effectus, et sic porro.
[3] Omni quidem tali creato indita est vis, sed vis non aliquid a se agit, sed ex illo qui vim indiderat. Specta etiam aliud quoddam super tellure subjectum; sicut bombycem, apem, aut aliud animalculum, et lustra id primum naturaliter, ac postea rationaliter, et demum spiritualiter, et tunc si potes alte cogitare, stupebis ad omnia; et si admittis sapientiam in te loqui, in stupore dices, quis non videt in his Divinum; sunt omnia Divinae Sapientiae. Adhuc magis, si spectas usus omnium quae creata sunt, quomodo in suo ordine succedunt usque ad hominem, et ab homine ad Creatorem a quo; et quod a conjunctione Creatoris cum homine nexus omnium pendeat, et si vis agnoscere, quod conservatio omnium. Quod Divinus Amor omnia creaverit, sed nihil absque Divina Sapientia, videbitur in sequentibus.
Footnotes:
1 Prima editio: Sapientia;
2 Prima editio: facerc;
3 Prima editio: Diviuo