59、迄今为止，人们还不知道，圣治在人行进的每一步上都关注他的永恒状态。它不能关注别的，因为神性是无限和永恒；无限和永恒，也就是神性，不在时间之中；因此，未来的一切都呈现在祂面前。由于这是神性的性质，所以可知，永恒就在它所做的一切事中，无论总体还是细节。然而，那些根据时间和空间进行思考的人很难明白这一点，不仅因为他们热爱世俗事物，还因为他们根据世界上的当下之物，而不是根据天堂中的当下之物进行思考；对他们来说，天堂远在地极。然而，那些处于神性的人因从主进行思考，所以在根据当下之物进行思考时，也根据永恒之物进行思考；他们会对自己说：“不是永恒的东西算什么呢？相比之下，短暂之物岂不是如同没有吗？当它结束的时候，不也终成虚空泡影了吗？永恒之物则不然。它只是存在，因为它的存在没有尽头。”像这样的思考就是根据永恒之物进行思考，即便他们正在思考当下之物；当一个人如此思考，同时如此生活时，与他同在的神性发出，也就是圣治，就会在他行进的每一步上都关注他在天堂的永生状态，并把他引向那种状态。在下文我们会看到，神性关注所有人里面的永恒之物，无论恶人善人。
59. People do not yet know that throughout its progress in a person, Divine providence regards his eternal state. For it can regard nothing else, because the Divine is infinite and eternal, and the infinite and eternal or the Divine does not exist in time. Consequently all future events are present to it. Moreover, because that is the nature of the Divine, it follows that each and every thing that it does has eternity in it.
Still, people who think in terms of time and space perceive this with difficulty, not only because they love temporal things, but also because they think from the viewpoint of one present in the world, and not from the viewpoint of one present in heaven. Heaven to them is as far away as the end of the earth.
On the other hand, people who are in the Divine, because they think from the Lord, think also in terms of eternity when they think from the viewpoint of the present, saying to themselves, "What is something that is not eternal? Is not something temporal relatively as nothing, and does it not become nothing when it comes to an end? Not so something eternal. That alone is real, because its being does not come to an end."
To think in this way is to think at the same time in terms of eternity when thinking from the viewpoint of one's present circumstance. And when a person does so think and at the same time so lives, the emanating Divinity in him or Divine providence regards throughout its progression the state of his eternal life in heaven and guides him to it.
We will see in subsequent discussions that the Divine regards what is eternal in everyone, in an evil person as well as in a good one.
59. It has not yet been realized that divine providence focuses on our eternal state at every step of our journey. It cannot focus on anything else because Divinity is infinite and eternal, and what is infinite or eternal or divine is not in time. It therefore sees the whole future as present. Since this is the nature of Divinity, it follows that there is something eternal in everything it does, overall and in detail.
People who think in terms of time and space find this hard to grasp, though, not only because they love temporal matters but also because they think in terms of what is present to people in the world and not what is present to people in heaven. This latter is as remote from them as the ends of the earth. However, people who are engaged with divinity base their thinking on the Lord and are thinking in eternal terms even while they think about what is present to them; so they say to themselves, "What is anything that is not eternal? Aren't temporal things nothing at all by comparison, and don't they become nothing when they end?" What is eternal is different. It simply is because there is no limit to its being.
Thinking like this is thinking in terms of eternity even while we are thinking about what is present; and when we both think and live this way, then emanating divinity with us, or divine providence, focuses on the state of our eternal life in heaven at every step of our journey, and is leading us to it.
We will see in what follows that Divinity focuses on what is eternal in everyone, whether evil or good.
59. It has not been known hitherto that the Divine Providence in all its proceedings with man regards his eternal state. It can regard nothing else, because the Divine is Infinite and Eternal, and the Infinite and Eternal, that is, the Divine, is not in time, and hence all future things are present to Him; and because this is the nature of the Divine, it follows that the eternal is in all things that it does, in general and in particular. Those, however, who think from time and space have difficulty in perceiving this, not only because they love temporal things, but also because they think from what is present in the world and not from what is present in heaven, for this to them is as far away as the end of the earth. When, however, those who are in the Divine think from what is present, they think also from what is eternal, because they think from the Lord. They say to themselves, "What is that which is not eternal? Is not the temporal comparatively as nothing, and does it not also become nothing when it comes to an end? It is not so with what is eternal: that alone is, because its being (esse) has no end." To think thus while thinking from what is present is to think at the same time from what is eternal; and when a man so thinks, and at the same time so lives, then the Divine Proceeding with him, that is, the Divine Providence, regards in all its progress the state of his eternal life in heaven, and leads him to that state. It will be seen in what follows that the Divine regards what is eternal in all men, the wicked as well as the good.
59. It has not heretofore been known that the Divine providence in its whole progress with man looks to his eternal state. It can look to nothing else because the Divine is Infinite and Eternal, and the Infinite and Eternal, that is, the Divine, is not in time, and therefore all future things are present to it; and the Divine being such, it follows that there is what is eternal in each and every thing that it does. But those who think from time and space scarcely perceive this, not only because they love temporal things, but also because they think from what is present in the world and not from what is present in heaven, for that is to them as far away as the end of the earth. But when those who are in the Divine think from what is present, they think also from what is eternal because they think from the Lord, saying within themselves, What is that which is not eternal? Is not the temporal relatively nothing, and does it not become nothing when it is ended? It is not so with what is eternal; that alone Is; for its being (esse) has no end. To think thus when thinking from what is present is to think at the same time from what is eternal; and when a man so thinks, and at the same time so lives, the Divine going forth in him, that is, the Divine providence, looks in its entire progress to the state of his eternal life in heaven, and leads towards it. That in every man, both in the evil and in the good, the Divine looks to what is eternal, will be seen in what follows.
59. Nondum notum est, quod Divina Providentia in omni progressione apud hominem spectet statum ejus aeternum; non enim aliud spectare potest, quia Divinum est Infinitum ac Aeternum, ac Infinitum et Aeternum seu Divinum non est in tempore, et inde sunt omnia futura Ipsi praesentia; et quia Divinum tale est, sequitur quod in omnibus et singulis quae facit, sit aeternum. At illi qui cogitant ex tempore et spatio, hoc aegre percipiunt, non solum quia temporea amant, sed etiam quia ex praesenti in mundo cogitant, et non ex praesenti in Coelo; hoc illis, tam absens est, sicut finis terrae: at qui in Divino sunt, illi quia ex Domino, etiam ex aeterno dum ex praesenti cogitant, dicentes secum, quid hoc quod non est aeternum; annon temporeum respective est sicut nihil, et quoque fit nihil cum finitur; aliter aeternum; hoc solum Est, quia esse ejus non finitur; ita cogitare est cogitare dum ex praesenti simul ex aeterno; et cum homo ita cogitat et simul ita vivit, tunc Divinum procedens apud illum seu Divina Providentia in omni progressione statum vitae aeternae ejus in coelo spectat, et ad illum ducit. Quod Divinum in omni homine tam malo quam bono, spectet aeternum, videbitur in sequentibus.