71、自我之爱还具有这种性质：它的缰绳放松到何等程度，也就是说，外在的约束，就是对法律及其惩罚，以及丧失名声、尊重、利益、职位和生命的畏惧被除去到何等程度，它就在何等程度上继续往前冲，直到它不仅想统治全世界，还想统治天堂，甚至统治神性本身。它不知道边界或限制。即便这种欲望没有显现于世界，就是刚才所提到的这类缰绳和约束拦阻它的地方，它仍隐藏在所有爱自己的人里面。当这种人发现前面的路被堵住时，他们就呆在那里，直到这路不再堵住。其结果是，当他们的生命是爱自己的生命时，他们不会想到这种疯狂和无止境的欲望就隐藏在他们里面。尽管如此，每个人还是能在一些君主和国王身上看到这一点；因为他们没有这些缰绳、约束和阻碍，所以就继续往前冲，征服尽可能多的地区和国家，贪恋无尽的权力和荣耀。这种欲望在那些把自己的统治伸向天堂，将主的一切神性权柄归给自己，并不断渴望更多的人身上尤其明显。
71、此外，爱自己会达到如此程度，只要解除一切外在约束，从而他不再畏惧法律及其惩罚，不再害怕失去名声、荣誉、财富、职位和生命，他的自我之爱会像脱缰的野马狂暴驰行，他不仅想统治整个世界、统治天堂，甚至还想统治上帝。因为对他而言，已经没有了限制和终点。这样的欲望隐藏在每一个爱自己的人里面，尽管在世时不会彰显，因为有约束和捆绑限制着他。这样的人在路上面对阻隔时，会等在那里直到阻隔去除。有这种自我之爱的人，不知道他里面隐藏着这样疯狂和极度的渴望。这样的情况，可以通过观察强人和国王看到。他们没有相应的限制、约束和障碍，只要可能，他们疯狂的攻城掠地，征服尽可能多的国家，渴望无限的权力和荣誉。 他们甚至明目张胆的想扩张权利至天堂，宣称主的一切神圣权力归于他们自己，甚至还想要更多。
71. Further, to the extent that we give self-love free rein (that is, with the removal of the outward restraints exerted by fear of the law and its penalties, and of loss of reputation, respect, wealth, office, and life), this love by its very nature goes so wild that it wants to rule not only over every country on earth but even over heaven and over the Divine itself. It knows no boundary or limit. Even if this desire is not visible in the world, where the reins and restraints just mentioned keep it in check, it nevertheless lies hidden within all who devote their lives to this love. When such people find that the way forward is blocked, they stay there until the way is not blocked. The result of all this is that when their life is one of self-love they have no idea that such an insane, boundless craving lies hidden within them.
Still, no one can help but see this in powerful figures and heads of state who lack these kinds of reins, restraints, and obstacles, who charge off to conquer as many territories and countries as they can and thirst for unlimited power and glory. 1It is even more obvious in the people who extend their dominion into heaven and claim all of the Lord's divine power for themselves-and ceaselessly crave for more. 2
Footnotes:
1. Swedenborg's world during his early life was dominated by a titanic conflict between two absolute monarchs, both of whom could serve as examples of rulers who "thirst for unlimited power and glory": Peter the Great of Russia (who reigned 1682-1725) and Charles XII of Sweden (who reigned 1697-1718). According to Voltaire (1694-1778), who wrote biographies of both these figures, they were "by common accord the most remarkable men to have appeared in over two thousand years" (Voltaire 1980, 19). The Great Northern War between them, which lasted from 1700 to 1721, impoverished Sweden and destroyed it as an imperial power, Russia replacing it as the new arbiter of the north. Of the two, Charles is particularly relevant to Swedenborg's life: Swedenborg was personally acquainted with him, and in 1716 received a position as Extraordinary Assessor on the Board of Mines on the king's recommendation (Sigstedt 1981, 40-46; Bergquist 2005, 66-69). Charles's stubbornness in pursuit of renown was legendary; as Voltaire says, "Everything he . . . accomplished in his life [was] purely for glory's sake" (Voltaire 1980, 217). Though he had numerous opportunities to conclude the Great Northern War on favorable terms, he obstinately refused to do so unless he could achieve the total subjugation of Poland and Russia. Swedenborg makes reference to his stubbornness in his diary Spiritual Experiences, where he speaks of encountering Charles in hell. Despite the fact that Charles had "ruined his country and everyone in it," says Swedenborg, "he claimed that he had its best interests at heart. " Furthermore, during Swedenborg's conversation with him, Charles could not be brought to see that he was mistaken in his belief, and that "he most obstinately remained in the determination never to desist until he had reduced himself to such extremities that all was lost" ( Spiritual Experiences [= Swedenborg 1998-2013] 4741; translated by SS). [DNG, GFD, SS]
2. Though Swedenborg does not limit the scope of his criticism here to any one religious group, this statement strongly parallels his criticisms of the hierarchy of the Catholic Church elsewhere; for an example of these, see Last Judgment 55. For further background on these criticisms, see the notes in New Jerusalem 8, 316, and note 2 in Last Judgment 55. [SS]
71. Our selfishness is restrained because we are afraid of the law with its punishments, and of losing our reputation, our status, our money, our job, or our life. But as these restraints are taken away, selfishness bursts out so that it wants to rule over the whole world, and even over heaven and the divine. It has no limits or boundaries. This tendency lies hidden in all of us when we are selfish, although other people do not see it because the limits and restraints I just mentioned hold us back. When those obstacles make it impossible for our selfishness to go any farther, we stop there until it does become possible. This is why we do not realize such an irrational, limitless desire lies hidden inside us when we are selfish.
We cannot help seeing that this is true when we look at rulers and people who are in power. Since they do not have these limits, restraints, and obstacles, they break out and take over as many territories and countries as they can, aiming for unlimited power and magnificence. It is even more obvious in people who extend their control up to heaven. They divert all the Lord’s divine power to themselves, and have a constant desire for more.
71. Self-love has also this quality, that in so far as the brakes are taken off, that is, external restraints are removed (which are fear for the law and the penalties it can inflict, for loss of reputation, honours, gain, office and life), so far does it rush, not only to want to rule over the whole globe, but even over heaven and the Deity Himself. It has no limit or end set to it. This lies hidden in everyone in a state of self-love, although it is not to be seen in the world's eyes, for there he is held in check by the brakes and restraints just mentioned. Anyone of this sort, when confronted with an impossibility, waits until it becomes possible to go on.
The result of these two facts is that a person in such a state of love is unaware of this mad, limitless desire lurking in him. Yet anyone can see the truth of this by looking at autocrats and kings, who, lacking these brakes, restraints and impossibilities, rush to conquer provinces and kingdoms as far as their success takes them, and aspire to limitless power and glory. This is even more the case with those who extend their rule to heaven and arrogate to themselves all the Lord's Divine power, constantly desiring to go further.
71. The love of self is also of such a character, that in proportion as the reins are given to it, that is, as the outward bonds are removed, which consist in the fear of the law and its penalties, in the loss of reputation, honour, gain, office, and life, it rushes on headlong in such a fashion, that it not only desires to rule over the whole world, but also over heaven, yea over the very Divine; for there is no bound, and no end to it. All this lies concealed in every one who is in the love of self, although it does not appear in the [natural] world, in which he is restrained by the reins and outward bonds mentioned above. Moreover, when such a person encounters the impossible, he stops until the impossible becomes possible. It is on this account, that a man who is in such a love, is not aware that he harbours secretly in himself such an insane and immoderate lust. That this, however, is actually the case, every one may see from those who wield power, and from kings, for whom no such bridles, outward bonds and impossibilities exist, and who, so long as they are crowned with success, rush on, and subjugate provinces and kingdoms, and aspire to unlimited power and glory. Such is still more the case with those who push their rule into heaven, and transfer to themselves the Divine power of the Lord, and constantly crave to go even beyond this.
71. The love of self is also such, that as far as the reins are relaxed, that is, as far as external bonds are removed, which are the fear of the law and its penalties, and the fear of the loss of reputation, honor, gain, office, and life, so far he rushes on, until he not only wishes to bear sway over the whole world, but even over heaven, and over the Divine itself. To him there is no bound or end. This lies hidden in everyone who is in the love of self, though it is not manifest before the world, where such reins and bonds hold him back; and every such man where met by impossibility, waits there until it becomes possible.
From these things, the man who is in such love does not know that such insane and unbounded desire lies hidden within him. That it is nevertheless so, everyone can see in potentates and kings, for whom there are not such checks, bonds, and impossibilities, and who rush on and subjugate provinces and kingdoms as far as success attends them, and aspire to power and glory without limit; and still more in those who extend their dominion into heaven, and transfer all the Divine power of the Lord to themselves, and continually desire more.
71. Amor sui etiam talis est, ut quantum illi laxantur frena, hoc est, removentur vincula externa, quae sunt timores pro lege et ejus poenis, proque jactura famae, honoris, lucri, functionis et vitae, tantum ruat, usque ut non modo imperare velit super universum terrarum orbem, sed etiam super caelum, et super ipsum Divinum; nusquam est ei aliquis terminus seu finis. Hoc latet in unoquovis qui in amore sui est, tametsi non patet coram mundo, ubi eum dicta frena et vincula retinent; et quisque talis, ubi obviam fit impossibile, ibi subsistit usque dum fit possibile. Ex his et illis est, quod homo, qui in tali amore est, non sciat quod talis vesana absque limite cupido in illo lateat. Quod tamen ita sit, nemo non potest videre apud potentes et reges, quibus non talia frena, vincula, et impossibilia sunt, qui ruunt et subjugant provincias et regna, quantum illis succedit, et adspirant ad potentiam et gloriam ultra limites; et adhuc magis apud illos qui dominatum extendunt in caelum, et omnem potentiam Divinam Domini in se transferunt, et continue cupiunt ultra.