70、人们普遍知道圣治的存在，但不知道它的性质。之所以不知道它的性质，是因为迄今为止，圣治的律法仍是隐藏在天使智慧中的奥秘，现在要被揭开了，好叫属于主的东西可以归于主，不属于人的东西不归于人。因为许多世人将一切都归给自己和自己的谨慎；凡无法归给的，他们就称之为意外或偶然；殊不知，人类的谨慎什么都不是，意外和偶然是空话。
我说过，迄今为止，圣治的律法仍是隐藏在天使智慧中的奥秘。这是因为在基督教界，由于宗教的缘故，理解力已经向神性事物关闭了，从而在这类事物上变得如此愚钝、抵制，以至于人们已经因不愿意而不能，或因不能而不愿意去理解除了圣治存在的事实以外，关于它的任何事了。人们所能做的一切，就是争论它是否存在，它仅仅是普遍性的，还是也涉及细节。当由于宗教的缘故，理解力向神性事物关闭时，它就不能再前进了。
由于教会承认人不能凭自己行本身为良善的良善，不能凭自己思想本身为真理的真理，还由于这些与圣治为一（因为相信这一个取决于相信那一个），故为免肯定这一个，否定那一个，从而导致两者都崩溃，有必要明确揭示何为圣治。但这一点无法被揭示，除非主照管和掌控人的意愿和理解力的事物所依据的律法被披露出来。因为这些律法能使人认识圣治的性质；只有认识它性质的人才能承认它，因为那时他看见了它。因此，迄今为止仍隐藏在天使智慧中的圣治的律法，如今要被揭示出来了。
70. There Are Laws of Divine Providence, Which to People Are Unknown
People know of the existence of Divine providence, but they do not know the nature of it.
The reason people do not know the nature of Divine providence is that its laws are secret, heretofore concealed in the wisdom possessed by angels, but now to be revealed, that people may ascribe to the Lord what is the Lord's doing, and not ascribe to any person what is not the person's doing. For most people in the world attribute everything to themselves and to their own prudence, and what they cannot attribute to these they call fortuitous and accidental, not knowing that human prudence is of no consequence, and that the words "fortuitous" and "accidental" are idle terms.
[2] We say that the laws of Divine providence are secret, heretofore concealed in the wisdom possessed by angels. That is because in the Christian world religion has closed the intellect in respect to Divine matters, and the intellect has consequently become so obtuse and resistant in regard to them that people have been unable because they have been unwilling - or unwilling because they have been unable - to understand anything of Divine providence other than the mere fact that it exists, and to reason whether it exists or not, and whether it is a universal providence only, or a particular one as well. Having been closed by religion in respect to Divine matters, the intellect has been unable to go any further.
[3] Nevertheless, because it has been acknowledged in the church that a person cannot of himself do good that is good in itself, or of himself think truth that is true in itself, and these go hand in hand with Divine providence, so that belief in the one depends on a belief in the other - lest therefore the one be affirmed and the other denied, and as a result both perish - it must altogether be revealed what Divine providence is.
This cannot be revealed, however, unless the laws by which the Lord oversees and directs the volitional and intellectual components of a person are disclosed. For the laws enable one to know the nature of Divine providence, and only one who knows the nature of it can acknowledge it, for it is then that he sees it.
This is the reason that the laws of Divine providence, heretofore concealed in the wisdom possessed by angels, are now revealed.
70. There Are Laws of Divine Providence That People Do Not Know
The existence of divine providence is generally recognized, but people do not know its nature. The reason the nature of divine providence is a mystery is that its laws have been hidden up to now, stored up in the wisdom of angels; but now they are to be revealed so that the Lord may receive the credit he deserves and we may stop claiming credit for what is not ours. Many people in this world attribute everything to themselves and to their own prudence, and anything they cannot claim in this way they attribute to chance or coincidence. They do not realize that human prudence is nothing and that "chance" and "coincidence" are empty words.
[2] I have stated that the laws of divine providence are hidden and have been stored up in the wisdom of angels until now. This is because discernment in divine matters has been closed in the Christian world because of our religion. This has made our discernment so dull and stubborn that we cannot understand anything about divine providence except that it exists, because we do not want to--or we do not want to understand because we cannot. All we can do is argue about whether it is real or not and whether it is only general or whether it deals with details. That is as far as a mind can go once it has been closed in divine matters because of its religion.
[3] However, since it is acknowledged in the church that on our own we cannot do anything that is really good or think anything that is really true, and since these facts are integral to divine providence, believing in the one depends on believing in the other. To prevent one of these principles being affirmed and the other denied, which leads to the collapse of both, it is absolutely necessary, then, that the nature of divine providence be revealed.
This cannot be revealed unless the laws are unveiled by which the Lord provides and oversees our emotional and mental processes. These laws enable us to know the nature of providence, and people who know its nature cannot help but acknowledge it, because they actually see it. This is why it is now time for the laws of divine providence to be revealed that have been stored away in the wisdom of angels until the present.
70. THERE ARE LAWS OF THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE, AND THESE ARE UNKNOWN TO MEN
It is well known that there is a Divine Providence, but it is not known what its nature is. This is not known because the laws of the Divine Providence are interior truths, hitherto concealed within the wisdom of the angels; but they are now to be revealed in order that what belongs to the Lord may be ascribed to Him, and what does not belong to man may not be ascribed to any man. For very many in the world attribute all things to themselves and their own prudence; and what they cannot so ascribe they call accidental or happening by chance, not knowing that human prudence is nothing and that accidental and happening by chance are empty words.
[2] It is said that the laws of the Divine Providence are interior truths, hitherto concealed within the wisdom of the angels. This is because in the Christian world, as far as religion is concerned (ex religione), the understanding has been closed in respect to Divine things, and consequently has become in such things so dull and resisting that man has not been able because he has not been willing, or has not been willing because he has not been able, to understand anything about the Divine Providence except the fact that it exists, and to reason whether it exists or not, and also whether it is only universal or also particular. When, so far as religion is concerned, the understanding has been closed in respect to Divine things, it could advance no further.
[3] Since it has been acknowledged in the Church that man is unable from himself to do good that is in itself good, and is unable from himself to think truth that is in itself truth, and since these are one with the Divine Providence so that belief in one depends on belief in the other, therefore, lest one be affirmed and the other be denied and thus both perish, it must be explicitly revealed what the Divine Providence is. This, however, cannot be revealed unless the laws are disclosed by which the Lord provides and rules the things of man's will and understanding; for these laws enable man to know the nature of the Divine Providence; and only he who knows its nature can acknowledge it, for in this case he sees it. For this reason the laws of the Divine Providence, hitherto concealed within the wisdom of the angels, are now revealed.
70. THERE ARE LAWS OF THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE THAT ARE UNKNOWN TO MEN.
That there is a Divine providence is known, but what it is is not known. This is not known because the laws of the Divine providence are arcana heretofore concealed in the wisdom of angels, but now to be revealed, that what belongs to the Lord may be ascribed to Him, and what does not belong to man may not be ascribed to any man. For many in the world attribute all things to themselves and their own prudence; and what they can not attribute to that they call accidental or casual, not knowing that human prudence is nothing, and that accidental and casual are idle words.
[2] It is said that the laws of the Divine providence are arcana heretofore hidden in the wisdom of angels. This is because in the Christian world the understanding, for religion's sake, has been closed in respect to Divine things, and consequently it has become in such things so obtuse and resistant that man has not been able because he has not been willing, or has not been willing because he has not been able, to understand anything more about the Divine providence than simply that it exists, and to reason whether it exists or not, and also whether it is only universal or also particular. When for religion's sake the understanding is closed in respect to Divine things it can go no further than this.
[3] But since there has been in the church an acknowledgment that man is unable from himself to do good that is in itself good, and unable from himself to think truth that is in itself truth, and since these are one with the Divine providence (because believing the one depends upon believing the other) it is necessary, lest the one be affirmed and the other denied and thus both perish, that what the Divine providence is be explicitly revealed. But this cannot be revealed unless the laws by which the Lord cares for and rules the things of man's will and understanding are disclosed. For the laws of Divine providence are what make known its nature; and only he who knows its nature can acknowledge it, for then he sees it. For this reason the laws of Divine providence, heretofore hidden in the wisdom of angels, are now revealed.
70. Quod Leges Divinae Providentiae sint,
Quae ignotae hominibus sunt
Quod Divina Providentia sit, notum est, sed qualis illa est, non notum est. Quod non notum sit qualis Divina Providentia est, est quia Leges sunt arcanae, huc usque reconditae in Sapientia apud angelos, at nunc revelandae, ut addicatur Domino quod Ipsius est, et non alicui homini quod illius non est: plerique enim in mundo attribuunt sibi suaeque prudentiae omnia, et quae attribuere non possunt, illa vocant fortuita et contingentia, non scientes quod Prudentia humana nihil sit, et quod fortuita et contingentia sint vanae voces.
[2] Dicitur quod leges Divinae Providentiae arcanae sint, huc usque reconditae in sapientia apud angelos; causa est, quia in Christiano Orbe ex religione occlusus est intellectus in Divinis, et inde ille in his tam obtusus et renitens factus est, ut homo non potuerit quia non voluit, aut non voluerit quia non potuit, intelligere aliud de Divina Providentia quam solum quod sit, et ratiocinari num sit vel non sit, ut et num solum sit universalis, vel etiam particularis; intellectus ex religione occlusus in Divinis non ultra potuit progredi.
[3] Sed quia agnitum est in Ecclesia, quod homo non possit a se facere bonum quod in se bonum est, neque a se cogitare verum quod in se verum est, et haec unum sunt cum Divina Providentia, quare fides unius pendet a fide alterius, ne itaque affirmetur unum et negetur alterum, et sic utrumque cadat, omnino revelandum est, quid Divina Providentia est: at hoc non revelari potest, nisi detegantur leges, per quas Dominus providet et regit voluntaria et intellectualia hominis; leges enim dant scire quale ejus, et qui scit quale, ille et non alius potest agnoscere illam, videt enim tunc illam: haec causa est, quod Leges Divinae Providentiae huc usque in sapientia apud angelos reconditae nunc revelentur.