51、由此可见，只有剔除时空观念，才能思想无限和永恒，因而思想主，并且这种思维是可能的。此外，那些在理性的更深层次上进行思考的人就拥有这种思维；无限和永恒与神性是一样的。天使和灵人就是这样思考的。从时空中抽离出来的思维能使我们理解神性全在和神性全能，以及永恒的神性；而对拥有时空概念在里面的思维来说，这是绝对不可能的。由此清楚可知，思想永恒之神是可能的，而思想永恒的自然界是绝对不可能的。因此，我们能思想神创造宇宙，但绝不能思想自然界创造宇宙，因为时空是自然界的属性，而神性与时空无关。关于神性无关时空，可参看《圣爱与圣智》一书（7-10，69-72，73-76等节）。
51. It can now be seen from this that one must think of the infinite and eternal, thus of the Lord, apart from space and time, and that it is possible to do so; moreover, that those do think in this way who think more interiorly in their rational faculty, and who think then that the infinite and eternal is the same as the Divine. That is how angels and spirits think.
Thought abstracted from time and space enables one to comprehend Divine omnipresence and Divine omnipotence, as also the Divine from eternity, but not at all thought to which an idea of space and time clings.
It is apparent from this that it is possible to think of God from eternity, but never of nature from eternity; consequently that it is possible to think of the creation of the universe by God, and not at all of its creation from nature. For the properties of nature are space and time, whereas the Divine is independent of these.
That the Divine is independent of space and time may be seen in our treatise Divine Love and Wisdom 7-10, 69-72-73-76, and elsewhere.
51. This leads us to the conclusion that we should think about what is infinite and eternal and therefore about the Lord nontemporally and nonspatially, and that we can do so. Further, it shows that this is how we think on the deeper level of our rationality, and that what is infinite and eternal is the same as the Lord. That is how angels and spirits think. Thought withdrawn from space and time enables us to understand divine omnipresence and omniscience and Divinity from eternity; while this is absolutely impossible for thought that has spatial and temporal concepts in it.
We can see from this that it is possible to think about God from eternity but definitely not about the material world from eternity. We can therefore think about the creation of the universe by God but definitely not at all about a creation by the material world, since space and time are properties of the material world, while Divinity is devoid of them. On Divinity being devoid of space and time, see Divine Love and Wisdom 7-10, 69-72, 73-76, and elsewhere [130, 156, 285].
51. From these considerations it may now be evident that the Infinite and Eternal, thus the Lord, is to be thought of apart from space and time, and that such thought is possible; moreover, that those have such thought who think interiorly in the rational (mind); and that the Infinite and Eternal is the same as the Divine. Thus do angels and spirits think; and from thought abstracted from time and space there is some comprehension of the Divine Omnipresence and the Divine Omnipotence, and also of the Divine from eternity, but no comprehension at all from thought in which an idea from space and time is present. From these things it is clear that there can be thought concerning God from eternity, but not concerning nature from eternity; and consequently that there can be thought concerning the creation of the universe by God, but none at all concerning creation from nature; for space and time are things proper to nature, but the Divine is apart from space and time. That the Divine is apart from space and time may be seen in the treatise THE DIVINE LOVE AND WISDOM (n. 7-10, 69-72, 73-76, and elsewhere).
51. From all this it can now be seen that the Infinite and Eternal, thus the Lord, must be thought of apart from space and time, and that such thought is possible; also that those have such thought who think interiorly in the rational; and that then the Infinite and Eternal is the same as the Divine. Thus do angels and spirits think. From thought abstracted from time and space a comprehension of the Divine Omnipresence and the Divine Omnipotence, also of the Divine from eternity, is possible, but none at all from thought to which an idea from space and time clings. From all this it is clear that God from eternity can be thought about, but in no wise nature from eternity; consequently the creation of the universe by God can be thought about, but in no wise creation from nature; for space and time are properties of nature, but the Divine is apart from space and time. That the Divine is apart from space and time can be seen in Divine Love and Wisdom 7-10, 69-72, 73-76, and elsewhere.
51. Ex his nunc constare potest, quod cogitandum sit de Infinito ac Aeterno, ita de Domino, absque spatio et tempore, et quod possit cogitari, tum quod etiam cogitetur ab illis qui interius in rationali cogitant, et quod tunc Infinitum ac Aeternum sit idem cum Divino: ita cogitant angeli et spiritus: ex cogitatione abstracta a tempore et spatio comprehenditur Divina Omnipraesentia et Divina Omnipotentia, tum Divinum ab aeterno, et prorsus non ex cogitatione, cui idea ex spatio et tempore inhaeret. Ex his patet, quod cogitari possit de Deo ab aeterno, at nusquam de Natura ab aeterno; consequenter quod cogitari possit de Creatione Universi a Deo, et prorsus non aliquid de creatione ex Natura, naturae enim propria sunt spatium et tempus, Divinum autem est absque illis. Quod Divinum sit absque spatio et tempore, 1videatur in Transactione de DIVINO AMORE ET DIVINA SAPIENTIA 7-10, 69-72, 73-76, et alibi.
Footnotes:
1 Prima editio: tempore;