44.这就是圣爱的性质。这一点从它的气场遍及整个宇宙，并根据人的状态而影响每个人可以得知。它尤其感染父母，因为正是这爱使他们温柔地爱着自己之外的他们的子女，愿意与他们合为一体，并致力于他们的幸福。圣爱的这种气场不仅打动好人，也打动坏人，不仅打动人类，也打动各种动物和鸟类。有哪个母亲在生育孩子后不是一心与它结合，为它提供食物？鸟儿孵化幼雏后心里所惦念的，不就是将它们庇佑在翅膀下，通过它们小小的嘴将食物送到它们的喉咙里？众所周知，连毒蛇和蝰蛇也爱它们的后代。这种普遍的气场尤其打动那些从内心接受神爱之人，他们就是那些信神并爱邻之人。这种人所具有的仁爱就是神爱的一个形像。
即便那些不善良的人之间的友谊也模仿这爱。人在坐席时，会把最好的东西给他的朋友，拥抱他，爱抚他，握住他的手，许诺给朋友提供服务和帮助。那些同质或相似之人想要并努力结合的感觉唯独出自这一本源。神性气场同样作用于无生命之物，如树木、植被。不过，它是通过尘世太阳及其热与光做到这一切的。这热从外面渗透进去，与它们结合起来，使它们发芽、开花、结果，这些类似于有生命之物里面的幸福。太阳的热就具有这种果效，因为它与属灵之热，也就是爱相对应。矿物界的各种事物中甚至也有这爱作工的代表形像。这爱的写照体现在这些矿物升华为有用的形式，以及宝石的形成。
44. 聖仁的真實屬性可從它遍佈宇宙的作用範圍得以確證。聖仁以不同的方式,按我們的狀態來影響我們每個人。聖仁的影響在父母身上有特別的效果。因為這樣, 父母慈柔地仁愛他們的兒女(兒女在他們以外), 想與兒女一起, 因自己祝福兒女。聖仁的影響不僅對善者,也對惡者; 不僅對人,也對各樣的動物和植物。
無疑, 在生子期間, 每一位母親的唯一念頭就是形影不離地照顧她的孩子。每個正在坐在蛋上孵雛的鳥只想把子女護在翅下,叼食親口餵養它們。眾所周知, 連毒蛇也會仁愛它們的後代。
這種普世的作用對那些讓上帝仁愛流入之人有特別的影響力——就是那些信上帝和對鄰舍行義之人, 在他們裡面的義就是上帝仁愛的一種形像。
即使在惡人當中, 會以友誼來模仿這樣的愛。在他們的餐桌上, 主人為客人端上美食。朋友間會握手,相擁,親吻, 並彼此承諾相互幫助與支持。這種仁愛也是思想一致或相符之人相互結盟,建立結合關係的唯一來源。
甚至在類似樹木花草等植物當中, 聖仁的影響力同樣發揮作用, 只不過它的運行是通過世間太陽及其光與熱來實現而已。熱從外部進入樹木等植物並成為它們的一部分, 促使它們發芽,生長,以及後來的開花結果, 果實給動物們帶來祝福。物質的熱有這樣的作用, 是因為它與屬靈之熱(也就是仁愛)相對應。
事實上, 在礦物世界的各樣物質中, 都是聖仁作工的寫照。聖仁的描繪體現在提煉這些物質的過程,以增加它們的益處和價值。
44. The true nature of divine love is recognizable from its sphere, which pervades the universe and affects each of us in different ways depending on our state. That sphere of divine love has a special influence on parents. Because of it, they tenderly love their children (who are outside themselves), they want to be one with them, and they want to bless them from themselves. The sphere of divine love affects not only the good but also the evil, and not only people but also animals and birds of every kind.
Surely in the course of giving birth every mother's only thought is of bonding with and caring for her offspring. Every bird hatching chicks from eggs thinks only of cherishing them under her wings and putting food in their mouths with kisses. Even poisonous snakes and vipers love their offspring, as is commonly known.
This universal sphere has a special influence on those who let God's love in - those who believe in God and love their neighbor. The goodwill that is in them is an image of God's love.
Even among people who are not good, friendship emulates this love. At her or his own table, the host will give the guest the better food. Friends will kiss, hug, and join hands, and promise each other help and support. This love is also the sole origin of alliances and the tendency for like-minded and compatible people to form partnerships.
Even in inanimate things like trees and plants that same divine sphere is at work, although in this case it operates through the sun in this world, and its heat and light. Heat comes from the outside into trees and plants and becomes a part of them, causing them to sprout and then develop flowers and fruit, which are in turn blessings to animals. Physical heat has this effect because it corresponds to spiritual heat, which is love.
In fact, even among various substances of the mineral kingdom there are representations of divine love at work. Allegories of divine love appear in the processes for refining these substances to increase their usefulness and value.
44. That this is the nature of the Divine Love is to be known from its sphere which pervades the universe, and affects every person according to his mental state. It particularly affects parents, since it is this which makes them dearly love their children, who are other than themselves, wish to be one with them, and devote themselves to their happiness. This sphere of the Divine Love affects not only the good but also the bad; and not only human beings, but also animals and birds of every kind. What has any mother in mind when she has given birth to a child but to unite herself with it and seek its good? What bird has anything in mind when it has hatched its chicks other than to warm them under its wings, and by kisses to put food into their gullets? It is well known that even snakes and vipers love their offspring. That universal sphere especially affects those who receive that love of God's into themselves, and these are those who believe in God and love the neighbour. Charity in their case is an image of that love.
[2] Even friendship among those who are not good apes that love. At his table a person gives his friend the best portion, embraces him, touches him and holds his hand, and promises to put himself at his friend's service. The feeling of liking and the striving of those who are alike and of the same type to be together come from the same origin. That same Divine sphere also works on inanimate things, as on trees and plants, but it does this through the sun of the world, and its heat and light. The heat penetrates them from without, links itself to them, and makes them bud, flower and fruit, which answers to happiness in an animal. This is the result of that heat, because it corresponds to spiritual heat, which is love. There are even representations of the working of this love in various things in the mineral kingdom; specimens of this are to be seen in the exaltation 1 of minerals into useful forms and the formation of gems.
Footnotes:
1. Exaltation: a term of early chemistry for the transformation of elements into different forms, e.g. the formation of diamonds from carbon.
44. That such is the nature of the Divine love is known from its sphere, which pervades the universe, and affects everyone in accordance with his state. It especially affects parents, and is the source of their tender love for their children (who are outside of themselves), and their desire to be one with them, and to render them blessed from themselves. This sphere of Divine love affects not only the good, but also the evil, and not only men but also birds and beasts of every kind. What else does a mother think about when she has brought forth her child than uniting herself with it, as it were, and providing for its good? What other concern has a bird, when she has hatched her young from the egg, than to cherish them under her wings, and through their little mouths put food into their throats? It is known that even serpents and vipers love their offspring. This universal sphere especially affects those who receive within themselves this love of God, who are such as believe in God and love their neighbor. Charity with such is an image of that love. With those who are not good, friendship simulates that love; for at his table a man gives his friend the better things, kisses him, caresses and holds his hand, and proffers him useful offices. This love is also the sole origin of the sympathies and endeavors after union of those who are homogeneous or similar. This same Divine sphere is also operative in things inanimate, as trees and plants, but by means of the sun of the world, and its heat and light; for its heat enters them from without and unites with them, causing them to germinate, bloom, and bear fruit; and these resemble blessedness in things animate. The sun's heat does this because it corresponds to spiritual heat, which is love. Representations of the operation of this love are also found in the various subjects of the mineral kingdom. Types of this are presented in the exaltation to use of these, and their consequent preciousness.
44. That this is the nature of the Divine Love may be perceived from its sphere, which pervades the universe and affects everyone according to his state. Especially does it affect parents, inspiring them with tender love towards their children, who are outside of themselves, and with the desire to be one with them, and to make them happy from themselves. This sphere of the Divine Love affects not only the good but also the evil, and not only men but also animals and birds of every kind. What does a mother think, when she has brought forth her child, but how she may, as it were, unite herself with it and provide for its welfare? What other concern has a bird, when she has hatched her young, than to cherish them under her wings, and feed them lovingly from her own mouth? Moreover, it is well known that even serpents and snakes love their offspring. This universal sphere particularly affects those who receive the Love of God, as those do who believe on God and who love their neighbor: charity with them is an image of that love. Friendship amongst those who are not good simulates that love, for every friend presses on a friend invited to his table the best he has, shows him the customary acts of favor and makes him offers of service. 1 From the same source also springs that sympathetic yearning of like-minded people for union with one another. Further, that same Divine sphere acts upon inanimate things, as trees and plants, but through the sun of this world by means of its heat and light; for heat, permeating them from without unites with them, causing them to bud, blossom and bear fruit, answering to the happiness of animate creatures. This is the function of the sun's heat because it corresponds to spiritual heat, which is love. Representations of the operation of this love are exhibited also in the various subjects of the mineral kingdom. There, differences in kind and consequently in value are determined by the uses to which the minerals can be impressed.
Footnotes:
1. This combines the separate actions indicated by osculatur, palpat et conjungit manus.
44. Quod Divinus Amor talis sit, cognoscitur ex Sphaera ejus, quae pervadit Universum, ac afficit unumquemvis secundum ejus statum; illa imprimis afficit Parentes, ex qua est quod tenere ament liberos suos, qui sunt extra illos, quod velint 1 unum cum illis esse, et quod velint beatificare illos ex se; haec Divini Amoris Sphaera non modo afficit bonos sed etiam malos, et non modo homines, sed etiam bestias et aves omnis generis; quid mater aliud cogitat dum peperit foetum, quam se illi sicut unire, et prospicere ejus bono; quid avis aliud, cum exclusit pullos ex ovis, quam fovere illos sub alis, et per oscula inferre escas in guttura illorum; quod dracones et viperae etiam suam progeniem ament, notum est. Universalis illa sphaera afficit in specie illos qui Amorem illum Dei in se recipiunt, qui sunt qui credunt in Deum, et amant proximum; charitas apud illos est imago illius amoris.
[2] Amicitia inter non bonos illum amorem etiam simulat; amicus enim ad mensam suam dat amico potiora, illum osculatur, palpat et conjungit manus, ac pollicetur officia usus. Sympathica ac nisus homogeneorum et similium ad conjunctionem non aliunde ducunt originem. Eadem illa Divina Sphaera operatur etiam in inanimata, ut in arbores et herbas, sed per Solem Mundi, et ejus calorem et lucem, calor enim intrat illas ab extra, conjungit se cum illis, et facit ut germinent, florescant, et fructificent, quae vice beatitudinis sunt in animatis; hoc facit ille calor, quia correspondet calori spirituali, qui est amor. Operationis hujus amoris repraesentationes dantur etiam in variis subjectis Regni mineralis; typica ejus sistuntur in exaltationibus illorum ad usus et inde pretiositates.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: veliat.