46.⑹圣爱的这些要素就是宇宙创造的原因，也是宇宙维护的原因。全面审视并仔细检查圣爱的这三个要素，我们会发现它们是创世的原因。第一个要素，即爱自己之外的其他人，是一个原因。这可见于整个宇宙，因为它在神之外，正如这个世界在太阳之外，祂由此能将祂的爱延伸至此，在它上面实践祂的爱，从而找到安息之处。我们也读到：神造天地之后，就安息了，这是安息日的来源（创世记2:2－3）。
第二个要素，即渴望与他人合而为一，也是一个原因。这可见于人被造为神的形像和样式的事实，这意味着人被造为接受神的爱与智慧的一个形式，因而被造为神能与之结合的一个存在，并且神为了人的缘故能与宇宙万物结合，宇宙万物无非是方法或途径。因为与最终原因的结合也是与居间原因的结合。万物被造都是为了人的缘故，这也可从创世记（1:28－30）明显看出来。
第三个要素，即致力于他人的幸福是一个原因。这可见于天使天堂，天使天堂是提供给每一个接受神爱之人的，其中所有的祝福唯独来自神。神爱的这三个要素也是宇宙维护的原因，因为维护就是持续的创造，就象实质是持续的存在一样。圣爱从永恒到永恒都是相同的，所以，它在创世时如何，在被造的这个世界中仍旧并继续如何。
46. (6)聖仁的這些特徵是宇宙被造的原因, 也是宇宙被維持的原因。
細細品鑒聖仁的這三要素, 會發現這三要素是宇宙被造的原因。第一個:仁愛祂自己身外的他人。這是創造的原因之一, 因為宇宙在上帝以外(正如自然在太陽以外)。宇宙就是上帝延展祂的仁愛,並能將祂的仁愛付諸行動且找到安息之處。我們讀到, 在上帝造天地之後, 祂安息了; 並且為此設立安息日(創世記2:2-3)。
從人是按上帝的形像和樣式被造的事實, 可以看出聖仁的第二個要素(上帝想成為其中之一)也是創造的原因之一。"形像"和"樣式"的意思是:我們按著易於接收由上帝而來的仁與智的形式而被造。上帝能與這些形式在一起, 且因著這些形式的緣故而與宇宙其它萬有在一起, 因為這些是實現目標的方法; 與終極方法的聯結也會與居間方法相聯結。創世記(關於創造的經書)清楚表明萬物是為了人類被造(創世記1:28-30)。
第三個要素(因祂自己而祝福他人)也是創造的原因之一, 可從以下的事實得出:祂將天人的天國提供給每一個接納聖仁進入的人, 這裡的所有祝福只是來自於上帝。
上帝仁愛的三個要素一樣是宇宙被維持的原因, 因為維持就是持續的創造。聖仁從永恆到永恆都是相同的。上帝仁愛的屬性, 現在如何,將來也如何, 與創世時的屬性一樣,從未改變。
46. 6. These essentials of divine love were the reason the universe was created, and they are the reason it is maintained. By examining and scrutinizing the three essentials of divine love, one can come to see that they were the reason for creation. The first essential, loving others outside of himself, was a reason for creation in that the universe is outside God (just as the world is outside the sun). The universe is something to which God could extend his love and in which he could put his love into action and so find rest. We read that after God had created heaven and earth he rested; and that he made the Sabbath day for that reason (Genesis 2:23).
You can see that the second essential, God's wanting to be one with others, was also a reason for creation from the fact that people were created in the image and likeness of God. The "image" and the "likeness" mean that we were made as forms that are receptive to love and wisdom from God - forms that God could be one with, and on whose account he could be one with all the other things in the universe, which are all nothing but means. A connection with the final cause is also a connection with the intermediate causes. Genesis, the Book of Creation, makes it clear that all things were created for the sake of humankind (Genesis 1:28-30).
That the third essential, God's blessing others from himself, is a reason for creation you can see from the fact that the angelic heaven was provided for everyone who has let God's love in, a place where the blessings of all come from God alone.
The three essentials of God's love are the reason the universe is maintained as well, because maintaining is an ongoing creation, just as continuing to exist is the same as perpetually coming into being. Divine love is the same from eternity to eternity. The nature God's love has now and will have in the future is the same nature it had when creating the world.
46. (vi) THESE PROPERTIES OF THE DIVINE LOVE WERE THE REASON THE UNIVERSE WAS CREATED, AND ARE THE REASON IT IS PRESERVED IN EXISTENCE.
A thorough scrutiny and examination of these three essentials of the Divine Love can lead us to see that they were the reason for creation. That the first, loving others than itself, was a cause is clear from the universe being other than God, as the world is other than the sun, and something to which His love could extend and on which it could be exercised and so come to rest. We read too that, after God had created heaven and the earth, He rested, and this was the origin of the Sabbath (Genesis 2:2-3).
[2] The second essential, wishing to be one with them, was also a cause as is clear from the creation of man in the image and likeness of God. By this is meant that man was made as a form to receive love and wisdom from God, that is, to be someone with whom God could unite Himself, and on his account with every single thing in the universe, since these are nothing but means to the end. For being linked to a final cause involves also being linked to mediate causes. It is clear from the Book of Creation or Genesis (Genesis 1:28-30) that all things were created on account of man.
[3] The third essential, devoting oneself to their happiness, was also a cause, as is clear from the heaven of angels, which has been provided for every human being who receives the love of God; all there are made happy by God alone. These three essentials of God's love are also the reason why the universe is preserved, because preservation is perpetual creation, just as remaining in existence is a perpetual coming into existence; and the Divine Love is from eternity to eternity the same. So as it was in the creation of the world, such too it remains in the created world.
46. (6) These essentials of the Divine Love were the cause of the creation of the universe, and are the cause of its preservation. That these three essentials were the cause of creation can be clearly seen by a careful investigation of them. That the first, which is to love others outside of oneself, was a cause, is seen in the universe in that it is outside of God, as the world is outside of the sun, and in that He is thus able to extend His love to it, and exercise His love upon it, and thus rest in it. So we read that after God had created the heavens and the earth He rested, and that this was why the Sabbath day was instituted (Genesis 2:2, 3). That the second essential, which is a desire to be one with others, was also a cause, is seen in the creation of man in the image and likeness of God, which means that man was made a form for receiving love and wisdom from God, thus a being with whom God could unite Himself, and also for man's sake with each thing and all things in the universe, which are nothing but means; for conjunction with a final cause is also conjunction with mediate causes. That all things were created for the sake of man is plain also from the Book of Creation, or Genesis (1:28-30). That the third essential, which is to render others blessed from oneself, is a cause, is seen in the angelic heaven, which is provided for every man who receives the love of God, and in which the blessedness of all comes from God alone. These three essentials of the love of God are also the cause of the preservation of the universe, since preservation is perpetual creation, as subsistence is perpetual existence; and the Divine love is the same from eternity to eternity, that is, such as it was in creating the world, such it is and continues to be in the world when created.
46. (8) THESE PROPERTIES OF THE DIVINE LOVE WERE THE CAUSE OF THE CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE, AND THEY ARE THE CAUSE OF ITS PRESERVATION.
That these three essentials of the Divine Love were the cause of Creation may be clearly seen from a careful examination of them. That the first, which is to love others outside of itself, was a cause is evident from the universe, which is outside of God as the world is outside of the sun, and to which He can extend His love, and in which He can exercise His love and consequently rest; as it is written that after God had created the heaven and the earth, He rested; and thus originated the Sabbath day, Genesis 2:2-3. That the second, which is to desire to be one with them, was a cause is evident from the creation of man in the image and likeness of God. By this is meant that man was made a form recipient of love and wisdom from God, so that He could unite Himself with man and, for his sake, with the whole universe and everything in it, as these are but means; for conjunction with a final cause implies also conjunction with mediate causes. That all things were created for the sake of man is evident from the Book of Creation, or Genesis 1:28-30. That the third essential of Divine Love, which is to make others happy from itself, is a cause of Creation is evident from the angelic heaven, which is provided for every man who receives the Love of God, where all are made happy from God alone. These three essentials of the Love of God are also the cause of the preservation of the universe, for preservation is perpetual creation, just as subsistence is perpetual existence; and as the Divine Love from eternity to eternity is the same, it is and it remains in the world after its creation such as it was when the world was being created.
46. VI. QUOD HAEC AMORIS DIVINI FUERINT CAUSA CREATIONIS UNIVERSI, ET QUOD SINT CAUSA CONSERVATIONIS EJUS. Quod illa tria Essentialia 1 amoris Divini fuerint causa Creationis, ex scrutinio et examine illorum perspici potest; quod hoc PRIMUM, quod est amare alios extra se, fuerit causa, constat ex Universo, quod sit extra Deum, sicut Mundus est extra Solem, et in quod potest amorem suum extendere, et in quo illum exercere, et sic quiescere; legitur etiam, quod postquam Deus creaverat Coelum et Terram, quieverit, et quod inde factus sit dies Sabbathi, Genesis 2:2-3.
[2] Quod SECUNDUM, quod est velle unum esse cum illis, fuerit causa, constat ex creatione hominis in imaginem et similitudinem Dei, per quas intelligitur, quod homo factus sit forma recipiens amorem et sapientiam a Deo, ita cum quo Deus se potest unire, et propter illum cum omnibus et singulis Universi, quae non aliud sunt quam media; nam conjunctio cum causa finali est quoque conjunctio cum causis mediis; quod omnia propter Hominem creata sint, patet etiam ex Libro Creationis seu Genesi 1:28, 29, 30.
[3] Quod TERTIUM, quod est beatificare illos ex se, sit causa, constat ex Coelo Angelico, quod provisum est omni homini, qui amorem Dei recipit, ubi omnium beatificatio est a Solo Deo. Quod tria illa essentialia amoris Dei etiam sint causa conservationis Universi, est quia Conservatio est perpetua Creatio, sicut subsistentia est perpetua existentia; ac Divinus Amor ab aeterno in aeternum est idem, ita qualis fuit in creando Mundum, talis est et manet in illo creato.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: Essentiala.