33.⑹一切受造物都是有限的，无限在有限事物里面，如同在自己的容器中，在人里面则如同在自己的形像中。一切受造物都是有限的，因为万物都是通过灵界太阳而来自耶和华神，这太阳就在祂周围，离祂最近。灵界太阳是由祂放射出的实质构成的，其本质是爱。整个宇宙自初至末，都是通过这太阳藉着它的热和光而被造的。不过，此处不宜阐述创造的次序，后续章节会简要概述这一主题。现在最重要的是要知道，一物通过另一物形成，因而形成各个层级：灵界有三个层级，尘世有与它们相对应的三个层级，构成水陆球体的惰性物质同样有三个层级。《圣爱与圣智》一书（1763年出版于阿姆斯特丹）和《灵魂与肉体的互动》这本小册子（1769年出版于伦敦）充分解释了这三个层级的起源和性质。一切在后之物都通过这些层级而成为在先之物的容器，而这些在先之物则又是更在先之物的容器，依次类推，最终成为构成天使天堂太阳的最初元素的容器；因此，它们是无限的有限接受者。这也与古人的智慧一致，他们认为一切事物都能无限分割。一般认为，由于有限无法容纳无限，所以有限之物无法成为无限的容器。但在我的书中有关创世的内容已说明，神首先通过祂所发出的实质使得祂的无限成为有限，这就是离祂最近的周边气场的起源，这气场构成灵界太阳。祂通过灵界太阳形成剩下的气场，直至构成惰性物质的最外层；因此，祂按照层级使得这个世界越来越有限。说这番话是为了满足人类的理性，因为它若不明白原因，就永不罢休。
33. (6)所有被造物有限, 無限在有限事物之中, 如同在其接受容器之中; 在人之中尤如在其形像之中。
所有被造之物是有限的, 因為萬物都是藉著心灵世界的太陽而源自耶和華上帝; 这太陽最接近地圍繞著祂。從祂發出的構成這個太陽, 其本質是仁愛。太陽發出熱和光, 宇宙從頭到尾都藉著這太陽的熱和光而被造。應當知道, 一物由另一物形成, 因此構成不同層級。心灵世界的三個層次對應物质世界的三個層次, 構成這個水陸合成球體的物質有同樣的三個層次。(這些層次的來源及屬性如何已在『聖仁與聖智』和『靈魂與身體的對話』中詳盡解說。)通過這些層次, 之後的所有事物成了之前事物的容器(或接受器), 之前事物又成為更先事物的接受器, 按此連續往前……都成為心灵世界太陽的熱和光的接受容器了。熱與光由無限的上帝發出, 因而有限之物成了無限之物的容器。這就與古人的智慧相符合, 聲稱每個事物及所有事物可分割到無限。
一般常識認為, 因為有限不能認知無限, 所以有限之物不能作無限之物的接受器。不過之前說過, 藉著從祂發出的形成心灵世界的太陽, 上帝將祂的無限表現為有限。通過這個太陽, 祂逐步輻射推向週邊的環繞之物, 直到最外層部分——自然界的塵世之物。用這樣的方式, 藉著不同的層次, 祂使世界越來越有限。
33. 6. Every created thing is finite. The Infinite is in finite objects the way something is present in a vessel that receives it; the Infinite is in people the way something is present in an image of itself. Every created thing is finite because Jehovah God [created] all things through the sun of the spiritual world, which most closely surrounds him. That sun is made of a substance that went out from him, the essence of which is love. The universe from beginning to end was created from that sun through its heat and light. This is not the place, however, to lay out the steps of creation in sequence. A rough outline of them will be presented in sections to come [76, 78]. The only point relevant to the current discussion is that things were formed from what went before. As a result, levels were created - three levels in the spiritual world; three corresponding levels in the physical world; and the same number for the inert substances that make up the lands and waters of the world. Information on the origin and nature of those levels was published in Angelic Wisdom about Divine Love and Wisdom (Amsterdam 1763). It was fully laid out in the little work Soul-Body Interaction (published in London, 1769). Because of these levels, all things that came later were vessels for earlier things. These in turn were vessels for things earlier still, which were vessels for the primary substances that constitute the sun of the angelic heaven. This is how finite vessels that could receive the Infinite came about. (This process squares with ancient wisdom: every single thing can be divided without end.)
There is an idea in circulation that finite things are not large enough to hold the Infinite and therefore they could not be vessels for the Infinite. On the contrary, points that I made in my works on creation show that God first made his infinity finite in the form of substances put out from himself. The first sphere that surrounds him consists of those substances, and forms the sun of the spiritual world. By means of that sun, he then completed the remaining spheres even to the farthest one, which consists of inert elements. He increasingly limited the world, then, stage by stage. I lay this out here to appease human reason, which never rests until it knows how something was done.
33. (vi) EVERY CREATED OBJECT IS FINITE, AND THE INFINITE IS CONTAINED IN FINITE OBJECTS AS IN RECEIVERS, AND IN HUMAN BEINGS AS IMAGES OF IT.
Every created object is finite, because it is from Jehovah God that all things exist by means of the sun of the spiritual world, which most nearly surrounds Him; and that sun is composed of a substance which has emanated from Him, the essence of which is love. From that sun by means of its heat and light the universe, from first to last, was created; but this is not the place to expound the order of creation. A sketch of this will be given later. Here it is only important to know that one was formed from another, and that thus the three degrees were established: three in the spiritual world, and three corresponding to these in the natural world, and three more in the inert substances of which the terrestrial globe is composed. The origin and nature of those degrees have been fully expounded in my ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING THE DIVINE LOVE AND THE DIVINE WISDOM (Amsterdam, 1763) and the booklet ON THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE SOUL AND THE BODY (London, 1769). It was these degrees which made all subsequent things receivers of earlier ones, and these of yet earlier ones, and so eventually a receiver of the primordial substances which compose the sun of the heaven of angels; thus they are finite receivers of the infinite. This too is in agreement with the wisdom of the ancients, who held that everything is infinitely divisible. It is generally thought that because the finite cannot contain the infinite, finite things cannot be receivers of the infinite. But it has been established by what I have written about creation in my books that God first limited His infinity by means of substances emanating from Him, and this was the origin of the circuit most nearly surrounding Him which constitutes the sun of the spiritual world, and that by means of that sun He made the remaining circuits down to the last, which is composed of inert matter; and thus by degrees He made the world more and more limited. These remarks are made so as to satisfy the human reason, which is not happy unless it sees the cause.
33. (6) Every created thing is finite; and the Infinite is in finite things as in its receptacles, and is in men as in its images. Every created thing is finite because all things are from Jehovah God through the sun of the spiritual world, which most nearly encompasses Him; and that sun is composed of the substance that has gone forth from Him, the essence of which is love. From the sun, by means of its heat and light, the universe has been created from its firsts to its lasts. But this is not the proper place to set forth in order the process of creation, an outline of which will be given in subsequent pages. All that is important now is to know that one thing was formed from another, and thus degrees were constituted, three in the spiritual world and three corresponding to them in the natural world, and the same number in the passive materials of which the terraqueous globe is composed. The origin and nature of these degrees has been fully explained in the Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom (published at Amsterdam in 1763), and a small work on The Interaction of the Soul and the Body (published at London in 1769). Through these degrees all things posterior are made receptacles of things prior, and these again of things still prior, and so in succession receptacles of the primitive elements which constitute the sun of the angelic heaven; and thus have things finite been made receptacles of the infinite. This is in agreement with the wisdom of the ancients, according to which each thing and all things are divisible to infinity. It is a common idea that, because the finite cannot grasp the infinite, things finite cannot be receptacles of the infinite; but in what has been set forth in my works respecting creation it has been shown that God first rendered His infinity finite by means of substances emitted from Himself, from which His nearest surrounding sphere, which constitutes the sun of the spiritual world, came into existence; and that then through that sun He perfected the other surrounding spheres, even to the outmost, which consists of passive materials; and in this manner, by means of degrees, He rendered the world more and more finite. This much has been said to satisfy human reason, which never rests until it perceives a cause.
33. (6) EVERY CREATED THING IS FINITE, AND THE INFINITE IS IN FINITE THINGS AS IN ITS RECEPTACLES, AND IN MEN AS IN ITS IMAGES.
Every created thing is finite because all things are from Jehovah God by means of the Sun of the spiritual world, which constitutes the first sphere surrounding Him. That Sun is formed of substance proceeding from Him, the essence of which is Love. From that Sun, by means of its heat and light, was created the universe from first things to last. This however is not the place to explain in order the course of Creation, the scheme of which will be described later. At this point it is important only to know that one thing was formed from another, and that degrees originated therefrom, three in the spiritual world, three corresponding to these in the natural world, and a like number in the inactive matter of which the terraqueous globe consists. The origin and nature of these degrees have been fully explained in the work entitled THE ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING THE DIVINE LOVE AND THE DIVINE WISDOM, published at Amsterdam in 1763, and in a small work entitled THE INTERCOURSE BETWEEN THE SOUL AND THE BODY, published in London in 1769. By means of these degrees all posterior things are receptacles of prior things, these of still prior things, and so on to the receptacles of the first things which form the Sun of the angelic heaven, and in this way finite things are receptacles of the infinite. This also accords with the wisdom of the Ancients who held that all things in general and in particular are divisible to infinity. It is a common idea that, because the finite cannot grasp the infinite, finite things cannot be receptacles of the infinite. However, from what has been said in my works on Creation, it is evident that God first limited His infinity by substances sent out from Himself. From these arose the first sphere encompassing Him, which constitutes the Sun of the spiritual world. Afterwards, by means of that Sun, He formed the rest of the spheres, even to the last, which consists of inactive matter. In this way, by means of degrees He completed step by step the finite state of the world. This explanation is given here for the satisfaction of human reason, which does not rest unless it perceives a cause.
33. VI. QUOD OMNE CREATUM SIT FINITUM, ET QUOD INFINITUM SIT IN FINITIS UT IN RECEPTACULIS, ET QUOD IN HOMINIBUS UT IN SUIS IMAGINIBUS. Quod omne creatum sit finitum, est quia a Jehovah Deo omnia per Solem Mundi spiritualis, qui proxime ambit Ipsum, et Sol ille est ex substantia quae ex Ipso exivit, cujus essentia est amor; ex illo Sole per calorem et lucem ejus creatum est Universum a primis ad ultima ejus; sed progressum creationis in ordine exponere, non hujus loci est; in sequentibus dabitur aliquod ejus schema. Hic modo interest scire, quod unum formatum sit ab altero, et quod inde facti sint gradus, tres in spirituali Mundo, et tres illis correspondentes in naturali Mundo, ac totidem in quiescentibus, ex quibus Globus terraqueus consistit; sed unde illi Gradus, et quales sunt, in SAPIENTIA ANGELICA DE DIVINO AMORE ET DIVINA SAPIENTIA, Amstelodami An: 1763, evulgata; et in Codicillo de COMMERCIO ANIMAE ET CORPORIS, Londini An: 1769, edito, plene expositum est: per hos gradus factum est, quod omnia posteriora 1 sint receptacula priorum, et haec adhuc priorum, et sic in ordine receptacula primitivorum, ex quibus Sol Coeli Angelici consistit, et sic quod finita sint receptacula infiniti; hoc quoque coincidit cum Veterum sapientia, ex qua est, quod omnia et singula divisibilia sint in infinitum. Vulgaris idea est, quod, quia finitum non est capax infiniti, finita non possint receptacula infiniti esse; sed ex illis, quae in OPERIBUS MEIS de Creatione tradita sunt, constat, quod Deus Infinitatem suam primum finiverit per substantias ex Ipso emissas, ex quibus proximus ejus ambitus, qui facit Solem Mundi spiritualis, exstitit; et quod deinde per illum Solem reliquos ambitus usque ad ultimum, qui ex quiescentibus consistit, perfecerit, et quod sic Mundum per gradus plus et plus finiverit: haec allata sunt propter finem, ut rationi humanae, quae nisi videt causam non quiescit, satisfiat.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: pnsteriora.