2483. The Providence of the Lord is not only unfathomable, but even sees simultaneously things to come to eternity, and thus the chain of all intermediate events:
portrayed by things in nature
It has been shown before [2477-2479] that the things that are the Lord's in the innermost and very inward regions are inscrutable, and that they are portrayed in the human being when conceived, formed in the ovum, in the womb, later when born and growing up, by the fact that all, even the very least of those phases are contained in the seed together with all those wonderful changes the person undergoes when first conceived, and then one after another. These are all most wonderful series of things that are to follow together with their continual changes within, and yet all of these phases, that is, series of potential events, are contained in the first inconspicuous seed, so that nothing whatever is lacking of the whole chain. Therefore, since such a series is obvious and well known within the realm of nature, and such a providence or series of events in succession,
2483. CONCERNING THE PROVIDENCE OF THE LORD, THAT IT IS NOT ONLY INSCRUTABLE, BUT ALSO SEES WHAT IS TO COME TO ETERNITY, AND THEREFORE THE SERIES OF ALL INTERMEDIATES AT ONCE, FROM THE REPRESENTATION OF THOSE THINGS THAT ARE IN NATURE.
It has been previously shown that the things are inscrutable which belong to the Lord in inmost and more interior things, and that these are represented in man, who when he is conceived is formed in the ovum, in the womb after that when he is born, [and] grows up, that each and all of these are contained in the seed, with all these wonderful changes which man undergoes when first conceived, and so in succession, all of which constitute most wonderful series of consequents, with their changes continually recurring inwardly; and, nevertheless, all these things are contained, to wit, the series of contingents, in the first inconspicuous seed, so that nothing is ever lacking in all the series. Since, therefore, there is such a visible [conspicua] and known series in those things which are within nature, and such a providence or series of successives,
2483. De Providentia Domini, quod non solum imperscrutabilis, sed etiam ventura in aeternum, et sic seriem omnium intermediorum 1
simul videat, ex repraesentatione eorum quae in natura
Prius ostensum [2477-2479], quod imperscrutabilia sint, quae Domini in intimis et intimioribus, et quod repraesententur ea in homine, [per id] dum concipitur, formatur in ovo, in utero, postea dum nascitur, adolescit 2
, quod omnia et singula ista, in semine contineantur, cum omnibus iis mirabilibus mutationibus, quas subit homo dum primum conceptus, et sic successive, quae omnia sunt series consequentium mirabilissimae cum suis mutationibus intus continuis, et tamen omnia haec continentur, nempe series contingentium, in primo semine inconspicuo, sic ut nihil usquam deficiat in omni serie; cum itaque talis sit series conspicua, et nota in iis, quae intra naturam sunt, et talis
(2484.) providentia seu series successivorum, sequitur clare, quod in iis repraesentetur non solum quod imperscrutabilia sint, quae a Domino, in intimis et intimioribus, sed quod perspiciat omnia et singula a principio ad finem, ventura in sua serie [non] interrupta, usque ad finem; nam quodlibet tale est quasi imago providentiae, et praevidentiae Domini, praeter [quod perspiciat] quod a cujusvis parentis indole in omnem posteritatem; ita natura, si eam rite perscrutamur, docere nos potest, quod ita sit, si ex veritate intueamur res, ita ex visibilibus, sed nequaquam tunc debemus ex talibus indicere 3
ad veritates, et sic eas explorare, sed ex veritatibus a Domino revelatis, talia videre ut confirmantia, ita illuminatur homo, si inverso ordine procedit, tunc obscuratur, confunditur, dubitat, et negat. 1748, 2 Julius.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has intermidiorum
2. The Manuscript has adolelescit
3. sic manuscript; J.F.I. Tafel's edition has inducere substituit