38.⑵神是良善本身和真理本身，因为良善属于爱，真理属于智慧。众所周知，一切事物都关乎良善和真理，这是万物源于爱和智慧的证据。从爱发出的每一个事物都被称为良善，因为它能被感受到，并且爱借以显明自身的快乐就是每个人的良善。而从智慧发出的每一个事物都被称为真理，因为智慧唯独由真理构成，并使它的物体沐浴在愉悦之光中。这愉悦被感知时，就是良善所产生的真理。因此，爱是各种良善的复合物，智慧是各种真理的复合物。但这二者皆来自神，神是爱本身，因而是良善本身，是智慧本身，因而是真理本身。正因如此，教会有两大要素，被称为仁与信。这仁与信构成教会的整体结构，并存在于其每一个部分中。原因在于，教会的一切良善都属于仁，被称作仁；教会的一切真理都属于信，被称作信。正是爱的快乐，也就是仁的快乐，使得快乐被称为良善；正是智慧的愉悦，也就是信的愉悦，使得真理被称为真理。因为赋予良善和真理生命的，是快乐和愉悦。若非它们通过这一源头拥有生命，各种良善和真理可以说毫无生命可言，就是一片不毛之地。
不过，爱的快乐有两种，即善爱的快乐和恶爱的快乐；而看似属于智慧的愉悦也有两种，即信真理的愉悦和信虚假的愉悦。爱的这两种快乐由于它们所产生的感受而被拥有它们的人视为良善；而信的这两种愉悦则由于它们所引起的觉察也被称为良善。但由于它们在理解力中，故它们其实是真理。然而，它们却是对立面，其中一种爱的良善是良善，另一种则是邪恶；其中一种信的真理是真理，而另一种则是虚假。其快乐本质上是良善的爱就象太阳的热，它会作用于肥沃的土壤、有用的树种和农作物，带来生机和出产。它的力量所到之处都变得象伊甸园，就是耶和华的园子，也象迦南地。而这爱之真理的愉悦则象春光，或象光流入盛满美丽鲜花的水晶花瓶，当花瓶被打开时，芳香四溢。然而，恶爱的快乐就象烤焦和毁灭的太阳之热，或这热作用于不毛之地和有害树种，如荆棘等。它的力量所到之处会制造阿拉伯沙漠，其中遍布毒蛇和火蛇。虚假的愉悦则象冬光，或象光流入满是蛆虫和恶臭爬行物的醋瓶。
要知道，每一种良善都通过真理形成，并以真理为衣包裹自身，从而与其它良善区别开来。而且，属于同一家族的一系列良善会将自己打包成捆，并覆上覆盖物，以使自己有别于其它家族。它们的这种形成方式可用人体的各个部位来说明。人的心智也是同样的情形，原因在于，心智的一切和人体的一切具有永恒不变的对应关系。由此可知，人的心智是由属灵的实质从内在、属世的实质从外在、最后由物质组织起来的。心智的快乐若是良善的，那么该心智就是由诸如存在于天堂中的那类属灵实质形成；而心智的快乐若是邪恶的，那么该心智就是由诸如存在于地狱中的那类属灵实质形成，其邪恶通过虚假被打包成捆。而前一种心智中的良善则通过真理被打包成捆。由于各种良善与邪恶都被打包成捆，故主说：
稗子要褥出来，捆成捆，留着烧，叫人跌倒的和作恶的，也要这样挑出来。（马太福音13:30，40，41；约翰福音15:6）
38. (2)上帝是善之本,理之本, 因為善從仁而來,理從智而來。
一切事物與善和理有關, 萬物源頭歸功於仁愛和智慧。從仁愛而來的一切被稱為善的, 仁愛通過去喜愛或去感受來表現自己, 所愛的或所感覺的就是每個人的善。從智慧而來的一切被稱為真的, 因為智慧僅由真理組成。因此, 仁愛是各種良善的複合體, 智慧是各樣真理的複合體。仁與智源於上帝; 祂是仁之本,因而是善之本。祂是智之本,因而是理之本。這就是為何義與信是教會兩大要素。義與信構成教會的整體結構,且存在於教會的每一部分; 因為教會之善稱為義, 教會之理稱為信。仁愛之樂,也是義之所樂, 所樂之事被稱為善。智慧之悅,也是信之所悅, 所悅之事被稱為理。喜樂愉悅給善與理帶來生機。如果不是喜悅帶來的生機, 各樣的善與理可以說是死氣沉沉,毫無生氣。
[2]不過, 仁愛之所樂,智慧之所悅有兩種。有愛善與愛惡的喜樂, 也有信真與信偽的愉悅。不管是愛善還是愛惡之樂, 擁有它們的人們認為都是好的, 都是善, 因為這是他們自己的感覺。不管是信真與信偽, 他們也認為是真的, 這是他們自我的認知。這兩類是對立的, 其中一種所愛之善是善, 另一種則是惡; 一種所信之理是理, 另一種則是謬。樂於善的愛就像太陽的熱, 當它作用於肥沃土地和有用的樹木和農作物時, 賦予它們生命與豐收。何處領受這愛的力量, 何處樂園被建立, 就是耶和華的園子, 就是迦南美地。由這愛而來的理, 其美麗如同春天裡的陽光; 或者如同光射在盛滿美麗鮮花的水晶瓶上, 打開瓶蓋, 芳香溢出。然而, 愛惡之樂, 就像太陽之熱作用於貧瘠荒地和無用的荊棘時, 烘烤它們,使其枯萎。何處領受這種"愛"的力量, 何處就有阿拉伯沙漠產立, 毒蛇滿布其中。從愛惡而來的偽謬, 就像寒冬的陽光, 或者如同光照在一個裝醋的皮袋上, 蛆蟲在醋裡遊蕩, 還有一些惡臭難聞的爬物。
[3]應該知道, 善通過理來形成, 用理來包裝自己, 以便於區別其它類型的善。一個系列的善自我打包成捆, 並用遮蓋物蓋好, 以區別於其它的系列。從人的身體各器官, 如此有組織地構造, 可明白一二。類似的事情也發生於人的頭腦中, 頭腦中的每一部分都永遠對應於身體的各細節之處。因此, 人的頭腦, 對它的內在而言, 是屬靈實質的組織合成。對它的外在而言, 是屬世物質的組織合成。樂於好善的頭腦, 是由天國般的屬靈實質組成。而以惡為樂的頭腦, 則是由地獄般的屬靈實質組成。後者頭腦中的惡被偽謬打包成捆, 前者之中的善被真理打包成捆。由於各樣的善和惡被聚集成捆, 主說:"稗子要褥出來, 捆成捆, 留著燒, 叫人跌倒的和作惡的, 也要這樣挑出來"(馬太福音13:30, 40-41;約翰福音15:6)。
38. 2. Because goodness comes from love and truth comes from wisdom, God is goodness itself and truth itself. Everyone knows that all things relate to goodness and truth (which is an indication that all things come from love and wisdom). Everything derived from love is called good. It feels good. Love reveals itself in pleasure, and pleasure feels good to everyone. Everything derived from wisdom is called true. Wisdom, which consists of nothing but truths, casts its subjects in a delightful light. When we perceive that delight, something true is coming from something good.
Love is all things that are good combined, and wisdom is all things that are true combined. Both sets of things are from God, who is love itself and therefore goodness itself, and wisdom itself and therefore truth itself.
As a result, there are two things that are essential to the church, called goodwill and faith. Each and every thing in the church consists of these two; in fact, these two have to be in each and every aspect of the church. The reason for this is that all good things related to the church have to do with goodwill and are called goodwill; and all true things related to the church have to do with faith and are called faith. It is our pleasure in love, which is the same as our pleasure in goodwill, that makes us call love good. It is our delight in wisdom, which is the same as our delight in having faith, that makes us call a true thing true. This pleasure and this delight bring those qualities to life; without any life coming from pleasure or delight, goodness and truth are more or less dead, and are in fact sterile.
[2] There are actually two kinds of pleasure having to do with love, and two kinds of delight that seem related to wisdom: the pleasure of a good kind of love or the pleasure of an evil kind of love; and a delight in true faith or a delight in false faith. People call the pleasure from each kind of love a good thing when they feel it; they also call the delight from each kind of faith a good thing when they perceive it, although because it is in the intellect it is actually true rather than good. Yet the two kinds are opposite to each other. When we feel good from the one type of love, it is actually good, but from the other type, it is actually evil. When we see truth in the one type of faith it is actually true, but in the other type, it is false.
The love in which we feel a genuinely good pleasure is comparable to the type of heat from the sun that makes plants fruitful and thriving, and causes fertile soil, and productive trees and grains. Where this type of heat is in effect, the land becomes like a paradise, a garden of Jehovah, or the [biblical] land of Canaan. The delight we feel in the truth related to this love is like the sunlight in spring, or like a ray of light shining on a crystal vase of gorgeous flowers, causing them to open and give off a sweet fragrance.
The love in which we feel an evil pleasure is comparable to the type of heat from the sun that makes plants dry and withered, and causes sterile soil and harmful plants like thorns and brambles. Where this type of heat is in effect, the land becomes an Arabian desert with serpents, hydras, and presters. The delight we feel in the falsity related to this love is like sunlight in winter, or like a ray of light shining on a jar of maggots and stinkbugs swimming in vinegar.
[3] It is important to realize that everything good structures itself, and also envelops itself, with things that are true. This is how it differentiates itself from other types of good. Furthermore, types of good from the same "family" join together to form bundles, and also envelop their bundles, in order to differentiate themselves from other types of good. This method of formation is clear from all parts of the human body, large and small.
A similar thing happens in the human mind, as should be inferable from the constant correspondence of all things related to the mind with all things related to the body. It follows that on the inside the human mind is constructed of spiritual substances, and on the outside, of earthly substances and finally physical materials. The mind that feels a good kind of pleasure from love is inwardly made of spiritual substances like those in heaven. The mind that feels an evil kind of pleasure from love is inwardly made of spiritual substances like those in hell. The evil things in the latter mind are in bundles tied with falsities. The good things in the former mind are in bundles tied with truths. Since this is how good things are bound together, and evil things as well, the Lord says that the tares need to be gathered into bundles for burning, and so do all things that offend (Matthew 13:30, 40-41; John 15:6).
38. (ii) GOD IS GOOD ITSELF AND TRUTH ITSELF, BECAUSE GOOD REFERS TO LOVE AND TRUTH TO WISDOM.
Everyone knows that everything has reference to good and truth, an indication that everything owed its origin to love and wisdom. For everything which comes from love is called good, for so it is felt, and the pleasure by which love shows itself is each person's good. Everything which comes from wisdom is called truth, for wisdom is composed of nothing but truths and bathes its objects in beautiful light; this beauty when so perceived is the truth arising from good. Love therefore is a compound of all kinds of goodness, and wisdom a compound of all kinds of truth. But both of these are from God, who is Love itself and thus Good itself, and Wisdom itself and thus Truth itself. This is why the church has two essentials, called charity and faith, which make up its whole structure and are present in every part of it. The reason is that all the kinds of good belonging to the church are part of and are called charity, and all its truths are part of and are called faith. The delights of love, which are also the delights of charity, are responsible for the delights being called goods; and the beauties of wisdom, which are also the beauties of faith, are responsible for truths being called truths. It is the delights and beauties which give them life; unless they have life from this source, the different kinds of good and truth are so to speak lifeless and barren.
[2] But the delights of love are of two kinds, and so are the beauties which look as if they belonged to wisdom. There are the delights of the love of good and those of the love of evil, and so too there are the beauties of faith in truth and those of faith in falsity. Both those kinds of delight of love are called good by the people who possess them, because this is how they are felt; and both those kinds of faith are also called good, since this is how they are perceived. But because they are in the understanding they are actually truths. All the same they are opposites, and the good of one love is good, that of the other is evil; and the truth of one faith is truth, that of the other is falsity. The love whose delight is in essence good resembles the heat of the sun, which gives life and fruitfulness as it works upon a fertile soil, useful trees and crops. Where its power is felt, a paradise is created, a garden of Jehovah, a sort of land of Canaan. The beauty of its truth resembles the sun's light in springtime, or light striking a crystal vessel full of lovely flowers, and giving out fragrance when it is opened. But the delight of the love of evil is like the heat of the sun parching and withering as it works on barren soil, and harmful trees, such as thorns and briars. Where its power is felt, an Arabian desert is created, full of poisonous snakes and fiery serpents; and the beauty of falsity is like the sun's light in winter, or light striking a leather bottle, full of worms swimming in vinegar, and foul-smelling creeping things.
[3] It ought to be known that every good is formed by truths, and clothes itself by their means, so as to be distinct from any other good. Moreover, the goods of one family group themselves in bundles, and give these a covering, to make them distinct from others. It is evident from all the parts of the human body that its structures are so organised. The reason the same thing happens in the human mind is that everything in the mind perpetually corresponds to the details of the body. Consequently the human mind is organised inwardly out of spiritual substances, externally out of natural substances and finally out of matter. The mind, whose delights of love are good, is inwardly built up of the kind of spiritual substances which are to be found in heaven. But the mind whose delights are evil is built up inwardly of the kind of spiritual substances which are to be found in hell. The evils of one are gathered into bundles by falsities, the kinds of good of the other by means of truths. Since kinds of good and evil are made up into such bundles, the Lord says that the tares are to be collected into bundles for burning, and so are the things which give offence (Matthew 13:30, 40-41; John 15:6).
38. (2) God is Good itself and Truth itself, because Good is of Love and Truth is of Wisdom. It is universally known that all things have reference to good and truth; which is proof that all things sprang from love and wisdom; for everything that proceeds from love is called good, for this is what is felt, and the delight by which the love becomes manifest is to everyone good; while every thing that proceeds from wisdom is called truth, since wisdom consists solely of truths, and affects its objects with the pleasantness of light; and this pleasantness, when it is perceived, is truth from good. Love is therefore the complex of all varieties of goodness, and wisdom the complex of all varieties of truth; but both the latter and the former are from God, who is love itself and thus good itself, and is wisdom itself and thus truth itself. It is from this that in the church there are two essentials, called charity and faith; and of these each thing and all things of the church consist, and these must be in each and all things of it; and for the reason that every good of the church pertains to charity, and is called charity; and every truth of the church pertains to faith, and is called faith. It is the delights of love, which are also the delights of charity, that cause what is delightful to be called good; and it is the pleasantness of wisdom, which is also the pleasantness of faith, that causes what is true to be called true; for delights and pleasantnesses are what give life to good and truth; and without life from these, goods and truths are like something inanimate, and are also barren.
[2] But the delights of love are of two kinds; so, too, are the pleasantnesses that seem to pertain to wisdom, namely, delights of the love of good and delights of the love of evil, and in consequence, the pleasantnesses of faith in what is true and of faith in what is false. In the subjects in which they exist, both of these kinds of delights, because of the feeling they produce, are called goods, and both of these kinds of pleasantness of faith, because of the perception they cause, are also called good; but as these are in the understanding they are in reality truths. Nevertheless, the two kinds are opposites, the good of one love being good, and the good of the other being evil, and the truth of one faith true, and that of the other false. The love whose delight is essentially good is like the sun's heat in its work of fructifying, vivifying, and operating upon fertile soil, and useful trees and fields of grain; and where it operates the place becomes like a paradise, a garden of Jehovah, and like the land of Canaan; while the pleasantness of the truth of that love is like the sun's light in spring, or like light flowing into a crystalline vase containing beautiful flowers, from which, when opened, a delightful odor goes forth. But the delight of the love of evil is like the sun's heat when it parches and destroys, or when it operates upon barren soil or upon noxious growths, as thorns and brambles; and where it operates the place becomes an Arabian desert where there are water snakes and venomous snakes; and the pleasantness of its falsity is like the sun's light in winter, or like light flowing into a bottle containing worms swimming in vinegar, and reptiles of offensive smell.
[3] It must be understood that every kind of good gives itself form by means of truths, and clothes itself about with truths, and thus distinguishes itself from every other good; also that the various kinds of good belonging to the same family bind themselves into bundles, and swathe these about, and thus distinguish themselves from other families. That they are formed in this way is shown in each and all things in the human body; and as there is an invariable correspondence of all things of the mind with all things of the body the human mind is evidently formed in like ways. And from this it follows that the human mind is organized inwardly of spiritual substances, and outwardly of natural substances, and lastly of material substances. The mind whose love's delights are good is formed inwardly of such spiritual substances as exist in heaven; while the mind whose love's delights are evil is formed inwardly of such spiritual substances as exist in hell; and its evils are bound into bundles by falsities, while the goods in the former mind are bound into bundles by truths. Because of such bindings of good and of evil into bundles the Lord says:
That the tares must be gathered together into bundles to be burned, as well as all things that offend (Matthew 13:30, 40-41; John 15:6).
38. (2) GOD IS GOOD ITSELF AND TRUTH ITSELF, BECAUSE GOOD IS OF LOVE, AND TRUTH IS OF WISDOM.
It is universally known that all things have relation to good and truth, and this is a proof that all things have derived their existence from love and wisdom; for everything that proceeds from love is called good, from the feeling it arouses; and whatever is delightful by which love manifests itself is every man's good. 1 On the other hand, everything that proceeds from wisdom is called truth, for wisdom consists of nothing but truths, and it affects its objects with the pleasantness of light which is perceived as truth from good. Love therefore comprises all varieties of good, and wisdom all varieties of truth; but both the former and the latter are from God, who is Love itself and consequently Good itself, and Wisdom itself and consequently Truth itself. Hence it is that in the Church there are two essentials, called charity and faith, of which all things of the Church are constituted and which will ever be in them. For all the goods in the Church have relation to charity, and are called charity, and all its truths have relation to faith, and are called faith. The delights of love, which are also the delights of charity, cause what is delightful to be called good; and the pleasures of wisdom, which are also the pleasures of faith, cause what is pleasant to be called truth; for what is delightful and what pleasant constitute their life, and without life derived from these, goods and truths are inanimate and sterile.
[2] The delights of love are of two kinds, as are also the pleasures which apparently are of wisdom; for there are delights of the love of good and delights of the love of evil, and consequently there are pleasures of the faith of truth and pleasures of the faith of falsity. The two delights of love, from the feeling they arouse in their subjects, are called goods, and the two pleasures of faith, from their perception, are also called goods, but because these are in the understanding, they are in reality truths. Nevertheless these two kinds of delights and pleasures are the direct opposites of each other, the good of the one love being good and the good of the other love being evil; so also the truth of the one faith is true, and the truth of the other faith is false. That love, however, whose delight is essentially good, is like the heat of the sun, fructifying, quickening, and acting on a fertile soil, on useful plants and fields of corn, and, wherever it acts, producing as it were a paradise, a garden of the Lord, a veritable land of Canaan; and the pleasure of its companion truth is like the light from the sun in spring-time, and the light flooding a crystal casket of beautiful flowers, which, when opened up, breathes out a grateful perfume. On the other hand, the delight of the love of evil is like the heat of the sun parching, withering, and acting on sterile soil and on noxious plants, such as thorns and brambles, and wherever it acts, producing an Arabian desert, where lurk hydras and fiery serpents; while the pleasure of its falsity is like the light from the sun in winter, and like the light that finds its way into a wine-skin in which are worms swimming about in sour wine and creeping things of a noisome smell.
[3] It should be known that every good fashions itself into a form by means of truths, and also clothes itself with them, and thus distinguishes itself from any other good; further, that goods of one kind bind themselves into groups, and at the same time envelop these in a covering, and in this way distinguish themselves from others. The formation of these groups may be exemplified from all things, in general and in particular, in the human body. It is evident that something like this takes place in the human mind because there is a perpetual correspondence between all things of the mind and all things of the body. Consequently it follows that the human mind is an organized form, consisting of spiritual substances interiorly, and of natural substances exteriorly, and in the last resort of matter. That mind, the delightful things of whose love are good, consists interiorly of spiritual substances, such as exist in heaven; but the mind, whose delights are evil, consists interiorly of spiritual substances such as exist in hell. The evils of the latter are bound into groups by means of falsities, but the goods of the former into groups by means of truths. This grouping of good and evil explains why our Lord said, that the tares must be gathered into bundles to be burnt, and likewise all things that offend. Matthew 13:30, 40-41; John 15:6.
Footnotes:
1. The translation adopted changes vera to amaena. Thus jucundum = delightful (to the feelings) is predicated of good, and amaenum = pleasant (to the sight) is predicated of truth.
38. II. QUOD DEUS SIT IPSUM BONUM ET IPSUM VERUM, QUIA BONUM EST AMORIS, ET VERUM EST SAPIENTIAE. Universaliter notum est, quod omnia se referant ad bonum et verum, indicium quod omnia ex Amore et Sapientia existant, 1 omne enim quod procedit ex amore, vocatur bonum, hoc enim sentitur, et jucundum, per quod amor se manifestat, est cuivis bonum; omne autem id quod procedit ex Sapientia, vocatur verum, sapientia enim non nisi quam ex veris consistit, et afficit sua objecta amoeno lucis, et hoc amoenum, dum percipitur, est verum ex bono; quare Amor est complexus omnium bonitatum, et Sapientia est complexus omnium veritatum; sed hae et illae sunt a Deo, qui est ipse Amor et inde ipsum Bonum, ac ipsa Sapientia et inde ipsum Verum. Inde est, quod in Ecclesia sint duo essentialia, quae vocantur Charitas et Fides, ex quibus omnia et singula ejus consistunt, et quae in ejus omnibus et singulis erunt; causa est, quia omnia bona Ecclesiae sunt charitatis, et vocantur Charitas, et omnia vera ejus sunt fidei, et vocantur fides: jucunda amoris, quae etiam sunt jucunda charitatis, faciunt ut jucunda dicantur bona, et amoena sapientiae, quae etiam sunt amoena fidei, faciunt ut vera dicantur vera, nam jucunda et amoena faciunt vitam illorum; absque vita ex illis, bona et vera sunt sicut inanimata, et quoque sunt sterilia.
[2] Sed Jucunda 2 amoris sunt duplicis generis, similiter Amoena, quae apparent sicut sapientiae; nempe jucunda Amoris boni, et jucunda amoris mali, et inde amoena fidei veri et amoena fidei falsi; duo illa jucunda Amoris in subjectis, in quibus sunt, ex sensatione illorum, vocantur bona, et duo illa amoena fidei, ex perceptione illorum etiam vocantur bona, sed quia in intellectu sunt, non aliud sunt quam vera; tametsi sibi opposita sunt, ac unius amoris bonum est bonum, et alterius amoris bonum est malum, tum unius fidei verum est verum, et alterius fidei verum est falsum: sed Amor, cujus jucundum est essentialiter bonum, est sicut calor Solis fructificans, vivificans, et operans in humum fertilem, inque arbores usus, et in segetes; et ubi operatur, fit sicut paradisus, hortus Jehovae, et sicut terra Canaan; et amoenum veri ejus, est sicut lux e Sole tempore veris, et sicut lux influens in vas crystallinum, in quo sunt flores pulchri, et ex quo aperto exspiratur suaveolentum; at jucundum amoris mali est sicut calor Solis exsiccans, enecans, et operans in humum sterilem, et in arbores noxae, ut in spinas et sentes, et ubi operatur, fit desertum Arabiae, ubi serpentes hydrae et presteres; et amoenum falsi ejus, est sicut 3 lux e Sole tempore hyemis, et sicut lux influens in utrem, in quo sunt vermes natantes in aceto, et reptilia nidoris tetri.
[3] Sciendum est, quod omne bonum se formet per 4 vera, et quoque se amiciat per illa, et sic se ab alio bono distinguat; et quoque quod bona unius prosapiae se in fasciculos ligent, et simul hos amiciant, et sic se ab aliis distinguant; quod ita fiant formationes, patet ex omnibus et singulis in Corpore humano; quod simile fiat in Mente humana, constat ex causa, quod perpetua Correspondentia omnium mentis sit cum omnibus corporis: inde sequitur, quod Mens humana organizata sit, interius ex substantiis spiritualibus, et exterius ex substantiis naturalibus, et demum ex materialibus; Mens, cujus amoris jucunda sunt bona, interius ex substantiis spiritualibus, quales sunt in Coelo, at Mens, cujus jucunda sunt mala, interius ex substantiis spiritualibus, quales sunt in inferno, et hujus mala ligantur in fasciculos per falsa, et illius bona in fasciculos per vera; quoniam tales colligationes bonorum et malorum sunt, ideo Dominus dicit, quod Zizania in fasciculos colligenda sint ad comburendum, et similiter offendicula, Matthaeus 13:30, 40-41; Johannes 15:6.
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