53、充分理解这一点需要举例说明。神性只能关注神性，或说神性不可能关注除神性以外的任何事物；除了在它所创造的事物中外，它不可能在任何地方关注这神性。以下事实可证明，这是真的，即：人只能出于他自己里面的东西来关注别人。爱别人的人出于他自己里面的爱来关注别人，智慧人出于他自己里面的智慧来关注别人。他能看出别人是爱他还是不爱他，是智慧还是不智慧，但他看到这一点是基于他自己里面的爱与智慧。因此，他与别人的结合会达到这种程度：别人爱他，就像他爱别人一样，或别人像他一样智慧；因为他们就是这样合而为一的。
神性本身也一样。神性本身不能从某个其他人，也就是从一个世人、灵人或一位天使来关注它自己，因为他们没有神性本身，也就是万物之源的任何东西在自己里面。从某个没有任何神性之物在里面的其他人来关注神性，就是从非神性之物来关注神性，这是不可能的。这就是为何主以这种方式与世人、灵人和天使结合：与神性有关的一切事物都不是来自他们，而是来自主。因为众所周知，任何人所拥有的一切良善和一切真理都来自主，而不是来自他自己；若不靠着主，甚至没有人能说出主这个名，或说出“耶稣”和“基督”这两个名。
由此可知，与神性一样的无限和永恒从无限的视角来关注有限里面的一切事物，并照着它们里面对智慧与爱的接受程度而与它们结合。总之，主能在世人和天使里面拥有一个居所，并能与他们同住，但只在祂自己的东西里面，不在属于他们自我的东西里面，因为这自我是邪恶；即便是良善，也是有限的；在自身里面并来自自身的有限不可能包含无限。由此清楚可知，有限的存在物关注无限是不可能的，但无限关注有限存在物中来自它自身的无限之物是可能的。
53. But for this to be more fully understood, we need to illustrate it:
The Divine cannot regard anything other than the Divine, and it cannot regard this anywhere else than in things created by it. The reality of this is plain from the fact that no one can regard another except from the standpoint of some quality that he has in himself. One who loves another regards him from the standpoint of the love that he has in himself. One who is wise regards another from the standpoint of the wisdom that he has in himself. He may indeed see that the other either does or does not love him, or that the other either is or is not wise, but this he sees from the love and wisdom in himself. Consequently he conjoins himself to the other in the measure that the other loves him as he loves the other, or in the measure that the other is wise as he himself is wise, for this is what unites them.
[2] It is the same with the Divine in itself, for the Divine in itself cannot regard itself from the standpoint of another, as from the standpoint of a person, spirit, or angel. For these have in them nothing of the Divine in itself from which all else springs; and to regard the Divine from the standpoint of another who has in him nothing of the Divine would be to regard the Divine from an absence of the Divine, which is not possible.
It is because of this that the Lord is so conjoined with a person, spirit, and angel that everything relating to the Divine comes not from them but from the Lord. For people know that every good and every truth that a person possesses originates not from him but from the Lord - indeed, that one cannot even name the Lord, or speak His names "Jesus" and "Christ," without doing so from Him.
[3] It follows now from this that the infinite and eternal, which is the same as the Divine, regards all things infinitely in things finite, and that it conjoins itself with them to the degree of their reception of love and wisdom.
In short, it is possible for the Lord to have an abode and dwell in a person or angel only in something His own, and not in something native to them; for their native character is evil, and even if it were good, still it would be finite, which in and of itself cannot encompass the infinite.
It is apparent from this that it is never possible for someone finite to regard the infinite, but that it is possible for the infinite being to regard something infinite from itself in finite beings.
53. Examples are needed, though, if this is to be more clearly understood.
Divinity cannot focus on anything but Divinity, and it cannot focus on that anywhere except in what it has created. This is evidenced by the fact that none of us can focus on others except on the basis of what is inwardly our own. If we love others, we look at them from our own love within us. If we are wise, we look at others from our own wisdom within us.
It may seem as though others either love us or do not love us, that they are either wise or not, but we see this on the basis of the love and wisdom that is within ourselves. This means that we unite ourselves to them to the extent that they love us the way we love them, or to the extent that their wisdom is like ours. That is how we unite.
[2] It is the same with Divinity in itself. The inner Divinity cannot look at itself from some other, from any person, spirit, or angel, because they have nothing within themselves of the Divinity that is their source. To look at divinity from some other individual in whom there is no trace of divinity would be to look at divinity from no divinity, which is impossible. This is why the Lord is united to people, spirits, and angels in such a way that everything that has to do with divinity is not from them but from the Lord. It is common knowledge, that is, that everything good and everything true that anyone has is not from us but from the Lord. We cannot even name the Lord or say the names "Jesus" or "Christ" except from him.
[3] It follows, then, that what is infinite and eternal (which is the same as Divinity) has an infinite regard for everything in finite beings and unites itself to them in proportion to their inner acceptance of wisdom and love. In short, the Lord cannot make his home and dwell with us or with angels in anything but what is his own. He cannot dwell in what belongs to us or to angels, because that is evil. Even if it were good it would still be finite, and that cannot contain what is infinite within itself or in anything it produces.
We can see from this that there is no way for any finite being to look at what is infinite, but that it is possible for the infinite One to look at what is infinite from himself in finite beings.
53. In order that this may be more fully understood, however, it is necessary to illustrate it. The Divine cannot regard anything but what is Divine, and it cannot regard this anywhere but in things created by itself. That this is so is evident from this fact, that no one can regard another except from what is his own in himself. He who loves another regards him from his own love in himself; while he who is wise regards another from his own wisdom in himself. He may indeed see that the other either loves him or does not love him, and that he is wise or that he is not wise; but this he sees from the love and from the wisdom in himself. Therefore he conjoins himself to the other so far as the other loves him as he loves the other, or so far as the other is as wise as himself for thus they make one.
[2] It is similar with the Divine in itself for the Divine in itself cannot regard itself from another, as from a man, a spirit or an angel; because there is nothing in them of the originating Divine in itself (a quo), and to regard the Divine from another in whom there is nothing of the Divine would be to regard the Divine from what is not Divine, which is not possible. Hence it is that the Lord is so conjoined to man, spirit and angel that everything that has relation to the Divine is not from them, but from the Lord. For it is known that all the good and all the truth which anyone has is not from himself but from the Lord; indeed, that no one can even name the Lord, or utter His names Jesus and Christ, except from Him.
[3] From this it now follows that the Infinite and Eternal, which is the same as the Divine, regards all things in the finite from the infinite point of view, and that He conjoins Himself to them according to the degree of the reception of wisdom and love in them. In a word, the Lord cannot have an abode in a man and in an angel and dwell with them except in what is His own, and not in what is their proprium, 1for this is evil; and if it were good, still it is finite, and this in itself and from itself cannot contain the Infinite. From these things it is clear that it can nowhere be possible for a finite being to regard the Infinite, but that it is possible for the Infinite to regard the Infinite from itself in finite beings.
Footnotes:
1. The Latin word proprium when used as a substantive means "what is one's own". Swedenborg uses it in a special sense involving what is of the self.
53. But that this may be more fully understood it shall be illustrated. The Divine can look only to the Divine; and it can look to this nowhere but in things created by Itself. That this is true is evident from this, that one can look to another only from what is his own in himself. He that loves another looks to him from his own love in himself; and he that is wise looks to another from his own wisdom in himself. He may see that the other loves him or does not love him, and is wise or not wise, but this he sees from the love and wisdom in himself; and therefore he conjoins himself with the other so far as the other loves him as he loves the other, or so far as the other is wise as he is wise; for thus they make one.
[2] It is the same with the Divine in itself, for the Divine in itself is not able to look to itself from another, that is, from a man or a spirit or an angel; for there is nothing in them of the Divine in itself from which [all things are], and to look to the Divine from another in whom there is nothing of the Divine would be to look to the Divine from what is not Divine, which is not possible. For this reason the conjunction of the Lord with a man or a spirit or an angel is such that every thing that has relation to the Divine is not from them, but from the Lord. For it is known that all the good and all the truth that any one has is from the Lord and not from himself, and that no one can even mention the Lord, or His names, "Jesus," and "Christ," except from Him.
[3] From this, then, it follows, that the Infinite and Eternal, which is the same as the Divine, looks to all things in the finite infinitely, and conjoins Itself with them in accordance with the degree of reception of wisdom and love in them. In a word, the Lord can have an abode in man or angel and dwell with them, only in His own, and not in what is their own (proprium), for that is evil; and if it were good it would still be finite, which in itself and from itself cannot contain the Infinite. All this makes clear that it is impossible for a finite being to look to the Infinite; but it is possible for the Infinite to look to what is infinite from Himself, in finite beings.
53. Sed ut hoc plenius intelligatur, illustrandum est: Divinum non potest aliud spectare quam Divinum, et non potest alibi id spectare quam in creatis a se; quod ita sit evidens est ex eo, quod nemo possit spectare alium quam ex suo in se; ille qui amat alterum, spectat illum ex amore suo in se; qui sapiens est spectat alterum ex sapientia sua in se; videre quidem potest quod alter vel amet illum, vel non amet illum, tum quod vel sapiat, vel non sapiat, sed hoc videt ex amore et ex sapientia in se, quare tantum conjungit se ei, quantum alter amat se sicut ipse amat illum, seu quantum alter sapit sicut ipse, ita enim unum faciunt.
[2] Simile est cum Divino in se, Divinum enim in se non potest ex alio, ut ex homine, spiritu ac angelo, spectare Se; nam nihil Divini in se illis est, a quo, et spectare Divinum ex alio in quo nihil Divini est, foret spectare Divinum ex nullo Divino, quod non datur: inde est, quod Dominus ita conjunctus sit homini, spiritui et angelo, ut omne quod se refert ad Divinum, non sit ab illis sed a Domino: nam notum est, quod omne bonum et omne 1verum quod alicui est, non sit ab illo sed a Domino; imo quod ne quidem aliquis nominare possit Dominum, aut nomina Ipsius Jesum et Christum, nisi ex Ipso.
[3] Inde nunc sequitur, quod Infinitum ac Aeternum, quod idem est cum Divino, spectet omnia infinite in finitis, et quod se conjungat illis secundum gradum receptionis sapientiae et amoris 2apud illos. Verbo, Dominus non potest mansionem habere et habitare apud hominem et angelum quam in Suo, et non in proprio illorum, hoc enim est malum, et si foret bonum, usque est finitum, quod in se et ex se non est capax Infiniti. Ex his patet, quod nusquam dari possit, quod finitus spectet Infinitum, sed quod detur quod Infinitus spectet Infinitum a se in finitis.
Footnotes:
1 Prima editio: omnc ut videtur
2 Prima editio: amoris