290.人若不知道圣言的性质，根本就认识不到无限就包含在圣言的每一个最小细节中，也就是说，圣言包含无数事物，以致连天使都无法穷尽它们。其中每一样事物都好比一粒种子，能从地里生长为一棵大树，并产出大量种子，这些种子又长成大树，这些树一起形成一个园子，它们的种子转而再形成其它园子，依此类推，直至无限。主的圣言在其最小细节上就是如此，十诫尤其如此。因为十诫教导爱神爱邻，这是整部圣言的简要概括。这就是圣言的性质，主也以这样的比喻教导了这一点：
神国好像一粒芥菜种，有人拿去种在田里。这原是百种里最小的，等到长起来，却比各样的菜都大，且成了树，天上的飞鸟来宿在它的枝上。（马太福音13:31，32；马可福音4:31；路加福音13:18，19；以西结书17:2－8）
属灵种子、或真理的无限就在于圣言中，这一点从天使的智慧可以看出来，因为他们的智慧全都来自圣言。这智慧在天使里面会增长到永远，他们会变得越来越智慧，也越来越清楚地看到智慧永无止境，并发觉他们仅仅在智慧的入口处，甚至无法抵达主神圣智慧的最细微部分。他们称这神圣智慧为无底洞或深渊（bottomless 或great deep）。既然圣言来自这无底洞或深渊，因为它来自主，那么显然，圣言的每一部分都包含一种无限。
290. 倘若不告知聖言的如此屬性, 無人能領會到聖言的至細節之處都蘊藏著無限奧秘, 也就是所含內容無數, 甚至天人都無法全然說明。其中的任何一處都好比一粒種在地下能長成大樹的種子, 大樹轉而又產生許多類似的種子, 又長出類似的樹木, 從而形成一個園子, 它們的種子轉而形成更多的園子, 直至無限。這就是主之聖言在其細節層次的屬性所在, 應用在十誡上猶為真切。因為十誡教導愛上帝和愛鄰舍, 此乃全部聖言的總綱。
主用過類似的比喻來解釋聖言的如此屬性:天國好象一粒芥菜種, 有人拿去種在田裡。這原是百種裡最小的, 等到長起來, 卻比各樣的菜都大, 且成了樹, 天上的飛鳥來宿在它的枝上(馬太福音13:31-32;馬可福音4:31;路加福音13:18-19;以西結書17:2-8)。
聖言之中蘊藏著如此屬靈種子,或真理的如此無限, 這可從天人們的智慧得到確證。他們的智慧全都源自於聖言, 並在天人之中無限增長。他們變得越智慧, 就越清楚地看見:智慧無止境, 並越清楚地感受到他們自己只不過剛入門而已, 甚至無法觸及主之聖智的冰山一角。他們稱聖智為深不可測。聖言源自於此, 如同源自主, 其中所有內容都有某種無限。
290. If people were not told what the Word is like, none of them could have any idea that there is an infinity in the Word's least details, meaning that it contains things beyond number that not even the angels could ever fully draw out. Everything in it is comparable to a seed that has the capability of growing out of the ground to become a huge tree, which produces a tremendous number of seeds that are capable in turn of producing similar trees that together make up a whole grove, whose seeds in turn lead to many groves, and so on to infinity. This is the nature of the Lord's Word on a detailed level; it is especially true of the Ten Commandments. Because they teach love for God and love for our neighbor, they are a brief synopsis of the entire Word.
In fact, the Lord used a similar analogy to explain that this is the nature of the Word:
The kingdom of God is like a grain of mustard seed that someone took and sowed in a field. It is the least of all seeds, but when it has grown, it is bigger than all other plants and becomes a tree so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches. (Matthew 13:31-32; Mark 4:31-32; Luke 13:18-19; compare also Ezekiel 17:2-8)
If you think about angelic wisdom, you can see that the Word has this infinity of spiritual seeds, or truths. All angelic wisdom comes from the Word and grows inside the angels to eternity. The wiser they become, the more clearly they see that wisdom has no end, and the more clearly they perceive that they themselves are only in its front hall; they could never in the least touch the Lord's divine wisdom, which they call a bottomless depth. Since the Word comes from this bottomless depth, in that it is from the Lord, clearly all its parts have a kind of infinity.
290. No one who is ignorant of the nature of the Word can have the slightest idea that infinity is contained in its details, that is to say, that its contents are countless, so that not even the angels can exhaust them. Anything found there can be compared to a seed, which planted in the ground can grow into a great tree, and produce an abundance of seeds; these again produce similar trees to form a garden, and their seeds in turn form other gardens, and so on to infinity. The Word of the Lord is like this in its details, and such above all are the Ten Commandments. For since they teach love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour, they are a short summary of the whole Word. The Lord also shows that the Word is like this by a comparison:
The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his land. This seed is smaller than all other seeds; but when it has grown up, it is larger than any plant, and it becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches, Matthew 13:31-32; Mark 4:31-32; Luke 13:18-19; cf. also Ezekiel 17:2-8.
The fact that such an infinity of spiritual seeds or truths lies in the Word, can be established from the wisdom of the angels, the whole of which is derived from the Word, In their case wisdom goes on growing for ever. The wiser they become, the more clearly do they see that wisdom has no end; and they perceive that they are merely at its entrance, and they cannot reach even the minutest part of the Lord's Divine wisdom. They call this bottomless. Now since this is the source of the Word, coming as it does from the Lord, it is plain that all its details contain a sort of infinity.
290. Unless one knows the nature of the Word, he can have no idea that there is an infinity in every least particular of it, that is, that it contains things innumerable, which not even angels can exhaust. Each thing in it may be likened to a seed that is capable of growing up from the ground to a great tree and producing an abundance of seeds, from which again similar trees may be produced, these together forming a garden, and from the seeds of this other gardens, and so on to infinity. Such is the Word of the Lord in its least particulars, and such especially is the Decalogue; for this, because it teaches love to God and love towards the neighbor, is a brief summary of the whole Word. That such is the nature of the Word, the Lord also teaches by a similitude, thus:
The kingdom of God is like unto a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; which indeed is less than all seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of heaven come and lodge in the branches thereof (Matthew 13:31, 32; Mark 4:31, 32; Luke 13:18, 19; compare also Ezekiel 17:2-8);
That such is the infinity of spiritual seed or of truths in the Word, can be seen from angelic wisdom, which is all from the Word. This increases in the angels to eternity, and the wiser they become, the more clearly do they see that wisdom is without end, and perceive that they are merely in its outer court, and cannot in the smallest particular attain to the Lord's Divine wisdom, which they call a great deep. Since, then, the Word is from this great deep, because it is from the Lord, it is plain that there is a kind of infinity in every part of it.
290. It is impossible for any one who does not know the real nature of the Word to understand that there is an infinity of meaning in every one of its details, that is, that it contains things innumerable, which even the angels cannot exhaust. Everything in it may be compared to a seed, which may grow up from the ground into a great tree, and produce an abundance of seeds, from which again similar trees may be produced, forming a garden from whose seeds other gardens may be formed, and so on to infinity. Such is the Word of the Lord in all its parts, and such especially is the Decalogue; for this, as it teaches love to God and love towards the neighbor, is it brief summary of the whole Word. That this is the nature of the Word the Lord also teaches in the following simile:
"The kingdom of God (A.V., heaven) is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field. Which indeed is the least of all seeds; but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof" Matthew 13:31-32; Mark 4:31-32; Luke 13:18-19. Compare also Ezekiel 17:2-8.
The infinity of spiritual seeds, or truths in the Word, may be evident from the wisdom of the angels, which is wholly from the Word, and which increases with them to eternity. The wiser they become the more clearly do they see that wisdom is without end; and they perceive that they are only in its entrance hall, and cannot, even in the smallest degree, attain to the Lord's Divine Wisdom, which they call a fathomless deep. Now since the Word has come out of this fathomless deep, because it is from the Lord, it is clear that in all its parts there is a certain infinity.
290. Nemo, nisi sciat quale est Verbum, potest aliqua idea assequi, quod in singulis ejus sit infinitas, hoc est, contineat innumerabilia, quae ne quidem Angeli possunt exhaurire: quodlibet ibi potest assimilari semini, quod ex humo potest excrescere in magnam arborem, et producere copiam seminum, ex quibus iterum similes arbores, quae simul faciunt hortum, et ex hujus seminibus iterum horti, et sic in infinitum: tale est Verbum Domini in singulis, et talis est imprimis Decalogus, nam hic quia docet amorem in Deum, et amorem erga proximum, est brevis complexus totius Verbi. Quod Verbum tale sit, Dominus per similitudinem etiam exponit, ita, Simile est Regnum Dei grano sinapis, quod accipiens seminavit in agro suo, quod minus est omnibus seminibus, quando autem excreverit, majus est oleribus, et fit arbor, ita ut veniant volatilia Coeli, et nidulentur in ramis ejus, Matthaeus 13:31-32; Marcus 4:31-32; Luca 13:18-19. Confer etiam Ezechielem 17:2-8. Quod talis infinitas sit seminum spiritualium seu veritatum in Verbo, constare potest ex Sapientia Angelica, quae omnis est ex Verbo; haec crescit apud illos in aeternum, et illi, quo sapientiores fiunt, eo clarius vident quod Sapientia sit absque fine, et percipiunt quod ipsi modo sint in atrio ejus, et quod non possint quoad minutissimum attingere Sapientiam Divinam Domini, quam vocant Abyssum. Nunc quoniam Verbum est ex hac Abysso, quia a Domino, patet quod in omnibus ejus sit quaedam Infinitas.