57、就属于爱的情感和属于智慧的感知而言，世人也一样。这两者的多样性是无限和永恒的；它们属灵的结实和繁殖也是如此。没有哪两个人所享有的情感和感知如此相似，以至于完全一样，也永远不可能有。此外，情感能无止境地结实，感知能无止境地繁殖；众所周知，知识就是取之不尽的。这种没有止境，直到无限和永恒的能力，对世人来说，存在于属世事物中，对属灵天使来说，存在于属灵事物中，对属天天使来说，存在于属天事物中。不仅总体上的情感、感知和知识具有这种性质，它们具体的每一个元素，甚至最小元素也具有这种性质。它们具有这种性质，是因为它们通过来自它自身的无限和永恒之物而源于无限和永恒本身。然而，由于凡有限之物都没有任何神性事物在里面，所以任何人或天使里面都没有属于他自己的任何神性事物，一丁点也没有；因为一个人或一位天使是有限的，仅仅是一个容器，本身是死的。他里面的活物都来自神性发出，通过接近与他结合，这在他看来如同他自己的东西。我们在下文将看到，事实就是如此。
57. The same is the case with human beings in regard to their affections, which have to do with love, and to their perceptions, which have to do with wisdom. The variety of both of these is infinite and eternal. So, too, the propagations and multiplications of these, which are spiritual. No one ever possesses an affection or perception so like that of another that they are identical, nor is it possible for them to be so to eternity. Moreover, affections may also be propagated and perceptions multiplied without end. People know that the various branches of knowledge can never be exhausted.
This capacity for propagation and multiplication without end, or to infinity and eternity, exists in natural things in the case of people, in spiritual things in the case of spiritual angels, and in celestial things in the case of celestial angels.
Such is the case not only with affections, perceptions and knowledge in general, but also with every single element of them in particular, even the least. The case is such because they spring from the infinite and eternal in itself through the infinite and eternal from itself. However, because anything finite has nothing of the Divine in it, therefore nothing Divine, not even the least, is present in a person or angel as something his own; for a person or angel is finite and merely a recipient vessel that is in itself lifeless. Anything living in him comes from the emanating Divinity conjoined with him by a discontinuous connection, which appears to him as something his own.
The reality of this will be seen in subsequent discussions.
57. It is the same for us in regard to the desires of our love and the perceptions of our wisdom. For both, the variety is infinite and eternal; and the same holds true for the ways they bear fruit and multiply, which are spiritual. No individual enjoys any desire or perception so much like someone else's as to be identical, and no one can to eternity. Further, desires can bear fruit endlessly and perceptions can multiply endlessly: It is widely understood that we can never exhaust the store of knowledge.
This ability to bear fruit and multiply endlessly, or to infinity and eternity, applies to earthly matters for us, to spiritual matters for spiritual angels, and to heavenly matters for heavenly angels. Nor does it apply only to desires, perceptions, and information in general, it applies specifically to every element of them, even the slightest. These elements have this nature because they arise from the One who is intrinsically infinite and eternal, coming about by means of what is secondarily infinite and eternal.
However, since what is finite cannot contain anything of Divinity, there is no such thing in any person or angel as a possession, not in the least. We and angels are finite. We are only vessels, essentially dead. Whatever is alive in us comes from the emanating divinity united to us by proximity so that it seems to be ours. This will become clear in what follows [174, 191-213].
57. It is the same with men with regard to their affections which belong to their love, and to their perceptions which belong to their wisdom. The variety of both of these is infinite and eternal; so also is their fructification and multiplication, which are spiritual. No man enjoys affection and perception so like another's as to be the same; nor is it possible to eternity. Moreover, affections may be fructified and perceptions multiplied without end; and it is well known that knowledge is inexhaustible. This power of fructification and multiplication without end, or to infinity and to eternity, exists in natural things with men, in spiritual things with spiritual angels, and in celestial things with celestial angels. Not only are affections, perceptions and knowledges of this nature in general, but also every single thing in these, even the least, is such in particular. They are of this nature because they have their existence from the Infinite and Eternal in itself by means of what is infinite and eternal from itself. But since the finite has nothing of the Divine in itself, there is in man or angel nothing of this nature, not even the most minute, as his own; for a man or an angel is finite, and only a receptacle, in itself dead; and what is living in him is from the Divine Proceeding, conjoined to him by contiguity, and this appears to him to be his own. That this is so will be seen in what follows.
57. The same is true of men in regard to their affections which belong to their love, and their perceptions which belong to their wisdom. The variety of both of these is infinite and eternal; so, too, their fructification and their multiplication, which are spiritual. No man enjoys affection or perception so like another's as to be the same; nor can such ever be. Moreover, affections may be fructified and perceptions multiplied without end. That knowledge is inexhaustible is known. This ability to fructify and multiply without end, that is, infinitely and eternally, men have in natural things, the spiritual angels in spiritual things, and the celestial angels in celestial things. Not only are affections, perceptions, and knowledges such in general; but also every single thing in them, even the least, in particular. They are such because they have their existence from the Infinite and Eternal in itself by means of what is infinite and eternal from itself. But inasmuch as the finite has in itself nothing of the Divine, there is in man or angel no such thing as his own, not even the least, for a man or an angel is finite, and purely a receptacle, in itself dead; and whatever is living in him is from the Divine going forth conjoined with him by contiguity, and appearing to him as if it were his. That this is so will be seen in what follows.
57. Simile est in hominibus quoad illorum affectiones quae amoris, et perceptiones quae sapientiae sunt; harum et illarum varietas est infinita ac aeterna; similiter illarum fructificationes et multiplicationes, quae spirituales sunt: non gaudet ullus homo affectione et perceptione tam simili cum alterius, ut sint eaedem, nec dari possunt in aeternum: et quoque fructificari possunt affectiones et multiplicari perceptiones absque fine; quod scientiae nusquam exhauriri possint, notum est. Haec facultas fructificationis et multiplicationis absque fine, seu in infinitum ac aeternum, est in naturalibus apud homines, in spiritualibus apud angelos spirituales, et in coelestibus apud angelos coelestes. Tales non solum sunt affectiones, perceptiones et scientiae in communi, sed quoque unaquaelibet res illarum, etiam minima, in particulari. Tales sunt, quia ab Infinito ac Aeterno in se per infinitum ac aeternum a se existunt. Sed quia finitum non aliquid Divini in se habet, ideo non est aliquid tale, ne quidem minimum, in homine seu angelo ut ejus, est enim homo et angelus finitus, et modo receptaculum, in se mortuum; vivum ejus est a Divino procedente conjuncto ei per contiguum, quod ei apparet sicut suum. Quod ita sit, in sequentibus videbitur.