145.由于主是来自神圣良善的神圣真理本身，这才是祂真正的本质，且每个人都是按自己的本质为人处事，故显而易见，主的旨意就是不断将真理与良善，或信与仁植入在每个人里面，祂的旨意不可能是别的。这一点要通过世上的很多事来说明，如，每个人的意志与思维，并且只要有可能，他的言行就出于自己的本质，举个例子，忠诚的人就有忠诚的思维与意图；一个诚实、正直、虔诚和有信仰的人就有诚实、正直、虔诚和有信仰的思维和意图；反之，一个傲慢、狡猾、诡计多端、贪得无厌的人就有与他的本性相吻合的思维和意图；小丑只想着去搞笑；愚者只想对着智慧的言谈喋喋不休。总之，天使的打算和努力全都是天堂的，而魔鬼的打算和努力全都是地狱的。这跟动物界中的所有低级生物差不多，如鸟类、兽类、鱼类，蠕虫或各种昆虫，皆以其本性而被识别；其本能来自源于它的本质，并与其一致。植物界也一样，每种树、灌木、植被皆以其果实和种子而被识别，它的本质天生就在它的果实和种子里面；除了它自己或类似它自己的东西外，它不会产生别的东西。事实上，各种土质和泥土，各种石头，无论贵重的还是普通的，各种矿物和金属都是根据自己的本质来判断的。
145. 由於主是聖理之本, 這是祂真正的本質。我們每個人都是按自己的本質來做事。於是可以證明, 主想做的就是不停地嘗試(甚至無法停止去嘗試)將理與善,或信與義澆灌到我們裡面。
世上很多現象可以形容本質與行為之間的關係。例如, 我們的意志與思維, 只要有可能, 我們的行為與言辭都會以自己的本性為甚礎。例如忠誠之人有忠誠的思維與意志。一個誠實,正直,虔誠或有信之人, 就會有誠實,正直,虔誠或有信的思維和意志。而另一面, 一個自負,狡猾,欺詐或貪婪的人, 就會有與他本性吻合的思維與意志。小丑只想如何去逗笑, 傻瓜只會對智慧之語喋喋不休地反對。簡言之, 一個天人只會聚焦並投身於屬天之事, 而魔鬼則是屬地獄之事。
這同樣實實在在地應用於所有的鳥類,獸類,魚類,有翅無翅昆蟲類, 適合於哪怕直至最低等級的所有動物:每樣動物都能憑其本質或屬性而被識別出來, 按其屬性都有自己的本能。
同樣在植物界, 所有的樹木,灌叢和菜蔬等等, 都能以其果實和種子而被識別, 它們的基本屬性在各自的果實與種子裡。它們不能產出與自己不同或其類別不同的其它植物。事實上, 所有類型的土壤或泥土, 所有的石頭——無論是寶貴的還是普通的, 所有的礦物與金屬, 都是如此。
145. Now, the Lord is absolute divine truth from divine goodness - this is his very essence. We all do what we do because of our essence. It is clear then that the Lord constantly tries (and cannot help trying) to implant truth and goodness, or faith and goodwill, in everyone.
Many things in the world could be used to illustrate this [connection between essence and action]. For one thing, we all will and think, and as much as possible speak and act, on the basis of our essence. Faithful people, for example, have faithful thoughts and intentions. People who are honorable, honest, godly, and religious have thoughts and intentions that are honorable, honest, godly, and religious. On the other hand, people who are arrogant, cunning, deceitful, and greedy have thoughts and intentions that are one with their essence. Jokers want only to joke around, and fools want only to babble their opposition to anything wise. In a word, an angel focuses and works only on what is heavenly, and a devil only on what is hellish.
As this is true of every bird, animal, fish, and winged or wingless insect, so it is true of every creature in the animal kingdom down to the lowest level: everything is known by its essence or nature. Every creature has its instincts accordingly.
Likewise in the plant kingdom, every tree, every bush, and every plant is known by its fruit and its seed. Its essence is bred into its fruit and its seed. It cannot produce anything that is unlike itself and its own kind. In fact, every type of soil or clay, every type of stone both precious and common, and every type of mineral and metal is recognized by its essence.
145. Now since the Lord is Divine truth itself coming from the Divine good, and this is His essence, and since everyone acts as he does by reason of his essential nature, this proves that it is constantly the Lord's will to implant truth and good, that is, faith and charity, in every person, and His will could not be any different. Many things in the world can be used to illustrate this. For instance, everyone's will and thought, and, as far as can be, his speech and actions, are the product of his essential nature. For example, a loyal person has loyal thoughts and intentions, an honest, upright, pious or religious person has honest, upright, pious or religious thoughts and intentions; on the other hand a proud, cunning, deceitful or greedy person has thoughts and intentions which match his essential nature. The clown has no wish but to raise laughs, the fool none but to gabble the opposite of wise sayings. In brief, an angel's plans and efforts are all heavenly, a devil's all hellish.
[2] It is much the same with all the creatures of lower rank in the animal kingdom, for instance, birds, beasts, fish, flying and earth-bound insects. Each of these can be recognised by its essential nature, and each has instincts which are derived from and in accordance with its nature. Likewise in the vegetable kingdom, every tree, every shrub and every vegetable can be recognised by its fruit and seed, in which its essential nature is innate. Nor can they produce anything but what is their own and like them. Indeed it is its essential nature which allows us to judge every kind of soil or clay, every stone, precious as well as ordinary, every mineral and metal.
145. Since, then, the Lord is Divine truth itself from Divine good, and this is His very essence, and since it is from one's essence that he does what he does, it is obvious that the Lord wills unceasingly (nor can He will otherwise) to implant truth and good, or faith and charity, in every man. This may be illustrated by many things in the world; as that every man's volition and thought, and as far as it is allowable his speech and acts, are from his own essence; for example, a faithful man has faithful thoughts and intentions; an honest, upright, pious, and religious man has honest, upright, pious, and religious thoughts and intentions; and conversely, a proud, cunning, wily, and avaricious man has thoughts and intentions that make one with his essence; a fortune-teller desires only to tell fortunes; a fool has no wish but to babble against the things of wisdom; in a word, an angel meditates and strives after nothing but heavenly things, and a devil nothing but infernal things. It is the same with every subject of lower rank in the animal kingdom, as bird, beast, fish, worm, or insect-each is known by its essence or nature; and its instinct is from that nature and in accord therewith. Likewise in the vegetable kingdom, every tree, shrub, and plant is known by its fruit and its seed, in which its essence is innate; nor can anything be produced from it except what is like it and what is its own; yea, every kind of soil and marl, every stone both precious and common, and every mineral and metal, is judged according to its essence.
145. Now since the Lord is Divine Truth itself from Divine Good, and this is His Essence itself, and since every one acts from his essence, it is evident that the Lord continually wills to implant truth and good, or faith and charity, in every man, and that He cannot do otherwise. This may be illustrated in many ways, as by the following examples from the world. Every man wills and thinks, and as far as he may, speaks and acts from his essence. For instance, a faithful man thinks and intends what is faithful; an honest, upright, pious and religious man thinks and intends what is honest, upright, pious and religious; and on the other hand, a proud, cunning, wily and covetous man thinks and intends such things as accord with his essence. A soothsayer wills only to prophesy, and a fool to chatter words the opposite of wisdom; while an angel meditates and practices what is heavenly, but a devil what is infernal. It is the same with all the lower members of the animal kingdom, with bird, beast, fish and insect with and without wings: each is known by its essence or nature, from which and according to which is the instinct of each. So also in the vegetable kingdom; every tree, shrub and herb is known by its fruit and seed, in which its essence is inherent; nor can anything be produced from it but what is like it and of its own kind; and finally, every kind of soil and clay, every stone both precious and common, and every mineral and metal is rated according to its essence.
145. Nunc quia Dominus est ipsum Divinum Verum ex Divino Bono, et hoc est ipsa Essentia Ipsius, et quisque ex Essentia sua agit quod agit, constat, quod Dominus continue velit, nec possit aliud velle, quam implantare verum et bonum, seu fidem et charitatem, cuivis homini. Hoc illustrari potest ex multis in Mundo, ut ex his, quod 1 omnis homo ex essentia sua velit, et cogitet, et quantum licet, loquatur et agat, ut pro exemplo, homo fidelis cogitat et intendit fidelia, homo honestus, probus, pius et religiosus, honesta, proba, pia et religiosa, et vicissim homo fastuosus, astutus, dolosus, avarus, talia quae cum essentia sua unum faciunt; hariolus non vult nisi hariolari; et stultus non nisi quam contra illa quae sapientiae sunt, garrire; verbo, Angelus non volvit et molitur nisi coelestia, et diabolus non nisi quam infernalia. Simile est cum omni subjecto inferioris sortis in Regno animali, ut cum ave, bestia, pisce, verme alato et non alato; unumquodvis cognoscitur ex sua essentia seu natura, ex hac et secundum hanc est cujusvis instinctus. Similiter in Regno vegetabili, omnis arbor, omne virgultum, et omne olus, cognoscitur ex suo fructu et semine, quibus essentia sua innata est, nec potest quicquam exinde aliud produci quam sui simile et suum; imo 2 ab essentia de omni humo, de omni argilla, de omni lapide tam nobili quam ignobili, 3 deque omni minera et metallo, judicatur.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: quqd.
2. Prima editio: suum imo.
3. Tam nobili quam ignobili ubi in prima editione tam nobilem ignobili.