366. ⑶不过，人对这些的接受取决于他的形式。这里所说的形式是指人在爱与智慧，换句话说，对各种仁之善的情感，同时对信之真的感知方面的状态。我在前面已说明，神是不可分割的一体，并且从永恒到永恒都是相同的，但不象简单的物体那样相同，而是无限的相同，一切差异皆归因于神所在的主体。接受者的形式或状态造成变化，这从婴孩、儿童、青少年、成年和老年的生命可以看出来；从婴孩到老年，每个阶段都有同一个生命，因为有同一个灵魂；但是它的状态却因着不同年龄和相应的调整而发生变化，人对生命的感知也是如此。
神的生命以其全部的丰盛，不仅与良善、虔诚的人同在，还与邪恶、不虔诚的人同在；一视同仁地对待天堂天使和地狱恶灵。不同之处在于，恶人堵住道路，关上门，惟恐神进入其心智的低层区域；而善人则清除道路，敞开门，邀请神进入其心智的低层区域，如同祂居于至高层。他们就这样调整意愿状态，以接受所流入的爱和仁，调整理解力的状态以接受所流入的智和信，换句话说，以接受神。然而，恶人却用各种肉体情欲和属灵的污秽阻挡这流注，他们把这些东西撒在路上，堵塞通道。然而，神自始至终都以其全部的神性本质居于其心智的至高层，赋予他们意愿良善和理解力真理的能力。人人都有这种能力，若非出于神的生命居于他的灵魂，这是决无可能的事。即便恶人也有这种能力，我蒙恩通过大量经历得知这一点。
人皆照自己的形式从神那里接受生命，这一点可通过对比各种植物来说明。一切树、灌木和草本皆照各自形式接受热和光的流注，无论那些有善用的，还是那些有恶用的。太阳及其热并未改变它们的形式，而是形式自身改变了太阳所产生的效果。矿物界的物质也一样。其中每一种，无论贵重的还是普通的，都是照其各部分的结构而接受流注，因而没有哪两块石头接受流注的方式是一样的，也没有哪两样矿物或金属接受流注的方式是一样的。它们当中有些能显示出最美丽的色彩变化；有些将光本色传出；而有些则在自己里面破碎并吸收这光。从这几个例子可以看出，正如尘世太阳以其热与光同等地与每一个物体同在，但接受的形式却改变了它的运作，同样，主通过天堂太阳的临在也是如此。因为祂以其本质上是爱的热和本质上是智慧的光而在这太阳中心。但是，由生命状态所决定的人的形式改变了主的运作；因此，人不能重生并得救的原因不在于主，而在于人自己。
366. (3)人接受它們(從主而來的流注)的情形取決於他的形式。
這裡所說的"形式"是指人關於他的仁與智的狀態, 用另一句話來說, 出於義而行善的狀態以及對信之真理感知的狀態。
上帝是一,不可分割, 從永遠到永遠都是相同。但是, 祂並非是簡單的相同, 而是無限的相同。一切的變化歸因於各個物體, 而非上帝的變化, 而是接收的形式與狀態產生了變化。這可從嬰孩,少年,青壯年,中年,老年的生命看得出來, 因為自小到老, 人有同樣的生命, 有同樣的靈魂, 但隨著年紀和環境的改變, 人的狀態也隨之改變, 對生命的感知也就不同。
[2]上帝的生命, 不僅完全地呈現於良善與虔誠人之中, 也於邪惡與不虔誠人之中; 一視同仁地對待天國的天人與地獄的惡靈。區別之處在于, 惡者擋住路並關上門來防止上帝臨到他們思想的較低層級; 而善者則鋪平路並打開門, 還邀請上帝進入他們思想的較低層級。(上帝已住在他們思想的最高層。)他們藉此調整意志的狀態以接收仁與義的注入, 調整認知的狀態以接收智與信的注入; 換句話說, 這樣做是為了接收上帝。
然而, 惡者通過各種各樣肉體的欲望和屬靈的污穢來阻擋這樣的注入, 堵塞通路以防止通過。儘管如此, 上帝以祂的神性本質依然居住在惡人思想的最高層級, 賜給他們意志良善與認知真理的能力。每個人都有這樣的能力, 即使源自上帝的生命並不在某人的靈魂中, 這樣的情形還是屬實。許多的經歷讓我知道, 甚至惡人也有此能力。
[3]每個人從上帝接收生命如何, 取決於每個人的形式。可用各樣的植物的比較來說明此點。每一棵樹,灌木或青草都是按其形式來接收熱與光的注入。這樣的事實不僅適用于好的或有用的植物, 也適用於那些有害的植物。太陽及太陽之熱並不會改變它們的形式, 而是各種形式自己更改太陽產生的影響。
礦物界的物質也是如此。不論是高品質的或者低等級的物質, 按各自結構不同所呈現的形式來接收太陽熱與光的注入。因此, 沒有兩樣的石頭,兩種礦石或金屬接同樣的方式來接收熱與光的注入。其中一些顯現出色彩變換的極致美麗, 一些只是簡單傳遞光,毫無色彩; 有些發散並吸收光。
由這些例子可以看出, 世上的太陽以其熱與光, 平等地呈現給此物彼物, 只因接收的形式不同改變了太陽及其光熱的影響。同樣, 主從天上的太陽也是如此呈現(祂在那太陽當中), 向萬物散發祂的熱(本質就是仁愛)與光(本質就是智慧)。然而, 是人的形式(由人的生命狀態所決定)產生不同的效果。因此, 主不用對人不能重生與得救負什麼責任, 是人自己負責。
366. (c) The qualities that flow in from the Lord are received by us according to our form. "Form" here means our state in regard to love and wisdom. Therefore it includes the state of our desires to do good out of goodwill and the state of our insights about the truths of faith.
God is one indivisible entity that is the same from eternity to eternity. He is not the same simple thing; he is the same infinite thing. All variation is supplied by the object in which it occurs, as I showed above [364]. It is the receiving form or state that causes variations, as we can see from the life that is in little children, teenagers, young adults, middle-aged adults, and the elderly. Because we keep the same soul, we have the same life inside from infancy to old age; but as our state goes through life stages and different circumstances, we perceive the life inside us differently.
[2] God's life is present in all its fullness not only in people who are good and religious but also in people who are evil and ungodly. That life is the same in angels of heaven as it is in spirits of hell. The difference is that evil people block the road and shut the door to prevent God from coming down into the lower areas of their mind. Good people, on the other hand, smooth the road and open the door. They invite God to enter the lower areas of their mind since he already inhabits the highest areas of it. They change the state of their will so that love and goodwill may flow in, and change the state of their intellect so that wisdom and faith may flow in - they open themselves to God.
Evil people block that inflow with various bodily cravings and spiritual garbage that they spread around to prevent access. Nevertheless, God with all his divine essence still dwells in the highest parts of evil people and gives them the ability to will what is good and understand what is true. This ability is something that all human beings have, although it would not be theirs at all if life from God were not present in their soul. Many experiences have taught me that even the evil have this ability.
[3] The way we individually receive life from God depends on our form. This can be illustrated with comparisons to every kind of plant. Every species of tree, every species of bush, every type of shrub, and every type of grass receives the inflowing heat and light according to its own form. This is true not only for plants that serve a good purpose but also for those that serve an evil purpose. The sun and its heat do not alter the form of the plants. Instead the forms themselves alter the effects of the sun.
The same is true for substances in the mineral kingdom. Every different substance, whether it has high quality or little value, receives what flows in according to the form of the structure of its component parts. No two types of stone, no two minerals, no two metals receive the inflowing heat and light in the same way. Some of them dapple themselves with exquisitely beautiful colors; some transmit light without altering it; some scramble the light inside themselves or suffocate it.
As you can see on the basis of these few examples, the sun in our world, along with its heat and light, is just as present in one object as it is in another, but the forms that receive it vary its effects; likewise the Lord is equally present to all, shining down from the sun in heaven, in whose midst he is, along with his heat (which is essentially love) and his light (which is essentially wisdom). It is our form as shaped by the state of our life that varies his effects. Therefore the Lord is not responsible for our failure to be reborn and saved; we ourselves are.
366. (iii) How the influences flowing in from the Lord are received by the person depends upon his form. Form here means the person's state as regards his love together with his wisdom, in other words, as regards his affections for the various kinds of good of charity, and at the same time his perceptions of the truths of his faith. I have shown above that God is one, indivisible, and the same from eternity and for ever, but not the same as a simple object but infinitely the same, all the variation being due to the subject in whom God is. The form or state of the receiver brings about the variations, as is evident from the life of babies, children, youths, adults and the aged. Everyone has the same life, because he has the same soul, from infancy to old age; but as its states change in keeping with different ages and adjustments, so too does the person's perception of life.
[2] God's life is present in all its fulness not only with good and religious people, but also with wicked and irreligious people; and in no way differently with the angels of heaven and the spirits of hell. The difference is that the wicked block the path and close the door, to prevent God entering the lower levels of their minds; whereas the good smooth the path and open the door, also inviting God to enter the lower levels of their minds, even as He dwells in the highest levels. By this they adjust the state of the will to receive the inflowing love and charity, and the state of the understanding to receive the inflowing wisdom and faith, in other words, so as to receive God. The wicked, however, block that inflow by various longings of the flesh and spiritual pollutions, which they place in the way and so prevent passage. But all the while God resides in their highest levels with the whole of His Divine essence, and gives them the ability to will good and to understand truth. Every person has this ability, and this could by no means be the case, if life coming from God were not in his soul. I have been enabled to learn by long experience that even the wicked have this ability.
[3] How the life everyone receives from God depends upon his form can be illustrated by comparisons with every kind of plant. Every tree, every bush, every shrub and every grass receives the inflowing heat and light in accordance with its form. So this is true not only of the good and useful plants, but even of those which are harmful. The sun with its heat does not cause changes in their forms, but the forms in themselves modify the effects produced. It is much the same with things in the mineral kingdom. Each one of them, the noble as much as the base, receives into itself the inflow in accordance with the form presented by the structure of its parts. Thus one stone differs in this from another, one mineral from another and one metal from another. Some of them display the most beautiful variations of colour; some transmit the light without variegation; and some break up the light in themselves and absorb it. These few illustrations may serve to establish that, just as the sun of the world is equally present with its heat and light in one object as in another, but the receiving forms produce its varied effects, likewise the Lord is present from the sun of heaven. For He is in its midst with His heat, which is in its essence love, and with His light, which is in its essence wisdom. But it is a person's form, determined by his states of life, which produces the varied effects; and consequently the Lord is not responsible for a person not being reborn and saved, but it is the person himself who is.
366. (3) What flows in from the Lord is received by man according to his form. Form means here man's state in respect both to his love and to his wisdom, consequently in respect both to his affections for the goods of charity and to his perceptions of the truths of faith. That God is one, indivisible, and the same, from eternity to eternity, not the same simply but infinitely the same, and that all variableness is in the subject in which He dwells, has been shown above. That the recipient form or state induces variations, can be seen from the life of infants, children, youths, adults, and aged persons; in each there is the same life, because the same soul, from infancy to old age; but as one's state is varied according to age and what is suitable thereto, in like manner is life perceived.
[2] The life of God in all its fullness is not only in good and pious men, but also in the wicked and impious, likewise both in the angels of heaven and in the spirits of hell. The difference is that the wicked obstruct the way and close the door, lest God should enter the lower regions of their minds; while the good clear the way and open the door, and invite God to enter into the lower regions of their minds as He inhabits the highest regions; and thus they form a state of the will for love and charity to flow into, and a state of the understanding for wisdom and faith to flow into, consequently for the reception of God. But the wicked obstruct that influx by various lusts of the flesh and spiritual defilements, which bestrew the way and clog the passage. Nevertheless, God with all His Divine essence resides in the biggest regions of their minds, and gives to them the capacity to will good and understand truth - a capacity which every man has and which he could by no means possess were there not life from God in his soul. That even the wicked have this capacity it has been granted me to know from much experience.
[3] That everyone receives life from God according to his form may be illustrated by comparison with plants of every kind. Every tree, every shrub, every bush and every blade of grass, receives an influx of heat and light according to its form, not only those that have a good use, but those also that have an evil use. The sun with its heat does not change their forms, but the forms change the effects of the sun in themselves. It is the same with the subjects of the mineral kingdom; each one of them, the valuable and the common alike, receives influx according to the form of the contexture of parts composing it, thus one stone differently from another, one mineral differently from another, one metal differently from another. Some of them adorn themselves with most beautiful variegated colors, some transmit the light without variegation, and some blur and suffocate it in themselves. From these few examples it can be seen that as the sun of the world with its heat and light is just as present in one object as in another, while it is their recipient forms that vary its operations, so is the Lord, from the sun of heaven in the midst of which He is, present in all men with His heat which in its essence is love, and with His light which in its essence is wisdom, and that it is the man's form, which is induced upon him by the states of his life, that varies the Lord's operations; consequently the cause that man is not born again and saved, is not the Lord, but man himself.
366. (3) Those things which flow in from the Lord are received by man according to his form. Form here means the state of man as to love and wisdom together, and hence as to his affection for the good of charity and his perception of the truth of faith. It has been shown above that God is one, indivisible, and the same from eternity to eternity; not the same, however, in one aspect, but infinitely, all variation arising from the subject in which He dwells. The form, that is, the recipient state, induces variations, as is evident from the life of infants, children, adolescents, adults and aged persons. The life in each is the same, because the soul is the same from infancy to old age; but the recipient state of every one varies as it is adapted to the changing circumstances of his age, and thus also his life appears to vary.
[2] The life of God in all its fullness is present not only with the good and pious, but also with the wicked and impious, and in like manner with the angels of heaven and the spirits of hell. The difference is that the wicked obstruct the way and close the door to prevent God from entering the lower regions of their minds, whereas the good prepare the way, and open the door, and invite God to enter the lower regions of their minds and dwell there, just as He has His dwelling-place in the highest regions of the mind. They thus adapt the state of their will to the influx of love and charity, and the state of their understanding to the influx of wisdom and faith, consequently to the reception of God. The wicked, however, obstruct the course of that influx, by various lusts of the flesh and spiritual defilements which they spread in the way, and thus choke the passage. God nevertheless, with all His Divine Essence, resides in their highest regions, and imparts to them the faculty of willing good and understanding truth. This faculty every man possesses, but it could by no means be his if life from God were not in his soul. It has been granted me to know from much experience, that even the wicked have this faculty.
[3] That every one receives life from God according to his form may be illustrated by comparison with plants of all kinds. Every tree, shrub, herb and blade of grass receives the influx of heat and light according to its form; and this is true both of those whose use is good and of those whose use is evil. The sun with its heat does not change their forms, but the forms change its effects in themselves. It is the same with the objects of the mineral kingdom; each of these, whether valuable or worthless, receives influx according to the form of the texture of its parts, thus one stone, mineral and metal differently from another. Some of them are variegated with the most beautiful colors, some transmit the light without variegation, and some blur and absorb it. From these few cases it may be evident that as the sun of this world with its heat and light is equally present in one object as in another, the recipient forms themselves varying its operation, so the Lord, from the midst of the Sun of heaven, is universally present with its heat, which in its essence is love, and with its light, which in its essence is wisdom; but that the form of man, which undergoes modification from the states of his life, varies their effects. Consequently, if a man is not born again and saved, the Lord is not the cause, but the man himself.
366. III. QUOD ILLA QUAE INFLUUNT A DOMINO, RECIPIANTUR AB HOMINE SECUNDUM EJUS FORMAM; per formam hic intelligitur status hominis quoad ejus amorem et simul sapientiam, proinde etiam quoad affectiones bonorum charitatis et simul perceptiones veritatum fidei ejus. Quod Deus sit unus, individuus, et idem ab aeterno in aeternum, non idem simplex sed infinitum, et quod omne varium sit a subjecto in quo est, supra ostensum est; quod Forma seu status recipiens inducat variationes, constare potest ex Vita infantum, puerorum, adolescentum, adultorum et senum; eadem Vita, quia eadem anima, unicuique ab infantia ad senectam inest, sed sicut status ejus secundum aetates et accommodationes variatur, ita quoque percipitur vita.
[2] Vita Dei in omni plenitudine non modo est apud homines bonos et pios, sed etiam apud homines malos et Impios, similiter apud Angelos Coeli, et apud Spiritus Inferni; discrimen est, quod mali praestruant viam et occludant januam ne intret Deus in inferiora mentis eorum, boni autem explanent viam et aperiant januam, et quoque invitent Deum, ut intret in inferiora mentis eorum sicut in supremis ejus habitat, et sic formant statum voluntatis ad influxum amoris et charitatis, et statum intellectus ad influxum sapientiae et fidei, proinde ad receptionem Dei; mali autem praestruunt illum influxum per varias concupiscentias carnis, et inquinamenta spiritualia, quae substernunt, ac arcent transitum; sed usque Deus in supremis illorum cum omni Divina sua essentia residet, et dat illis facultatem volendi bonum, ac intelligendi verum, quae facultas cuivis homini est, quae nequaquam illi esset, nisi vita a Deo animae ejus inesset; quod haec facultas etiam malis sit, a pluri experientia scire datum est.
[3] Quod quisque recipiat vitam a Deo secundum suam formam, illustrari potest per comparationes cum vegetabilibus omnis generis; unaquaevis arbor, unumquodvis arbustum, unumquodvis virgultum, et unumquodvis gramen, recipit influxum caloris et lucis secundum suam formam, ita non modo illa quae boni usus sunt, sed etiam illa quae mali usus sunt; et Sol cum suo calore non mutat formas illorum, sed formae in se mutant ejus effectus; Simile est cum subjectis Regni mineralis, unumquodvis illorum, tam excellens quam vilipensum, recipit influxum secundum formam contextus partium in se, ita diversimode unus lapis et alter, una minera et altera, ac unum metallum et alterum; quaedam ex illis se pulcherrimis coloribus variegant, quaedam transmittunt lucem absque variegatione, et quaedam illam in se confundunt et suffocant. Ex his paucis constare potest, quod sicut Sol Mundi cum suo calore et cum sua luce aeque praesens est in uno objecto sicut in altero, sed quod formae recipientes varient ejus operationes, similiter Dominus ex Sole Coeli, in cujus medio est, cum suo calore, qui in essentia sua est amor, et cum sua luce, quae in essentia sua est sapientia, sed quod forma hominis, quae inducta est per status vitae ejus, variet operationes; consequenter quod Dominus non in causa sit, quod non homo renascatur et salvetur, sed quod ipse homo.