67.创世之前，神就是爱本身和智慧本身，并且也是努力发挥服务或作用的这二者的合一。因为若离了用或服务，爱与智慧就是理性稍纵即逝的想象而已。若不致力于服务或用，它们的确会飞离。脱离服务或用的爱与智慧还象小鸟飞越汪洋大海，最终因精疲力竭而掉进海里淹死。这证明，神创造宇宙是为了服务或用得以存在，以便整个宇宙可称作用或服务的舞台。由于人是创世的主要目的，故可知，万物被造都是为了人类的缘故。因此，属于秩序的万物都被汇集起来，浓缩于人里面，就是为了神能通过他实现主要的服务或用。爱与智慧若没有它们的第三个伴侣，也就是服务或用，就好比太阳的热与光因不作用于人和动植物而成为毫无价值的东西，但若流入并作用于这些主体，就变得真实了。因为有三样事物依次相随，即目的、原因和结果。在学术界，众所周知，目的若不通过一个有效的原因实现，就什么也不是，而这个目的和原因若不产生一个结果，同样什么也不是。目的和原因是头脑的抽象揣测，但它们必须针对某个结果，目的关注这个结果，而原因则实现它。爱、智慧和服务或用也一样：服务或用是爱所关注并通过原因实现的目的。当这个服务或用实现时，爱与智慧就有了真实的存在，并将自己的住处和居所置于那服务或用中，在那里安息，如同在自己的家里安息。拥有神的爱与智慧之人在履行服务或用时也一样。为了使他能为神履行服务或用，他被造为神的形像和样式，也就是神性秩序的形式。
67. 創世之前, 上帝就是仁之本和智之本。仁與智有發揮用處的驅動力。若無用, 那麼仁與智就僅僅是飛逝的抽象概念而已。倘若不是朝著有用這個方向行進, 確實會飛離消匿。無用的仁與智, 就像小鳥飛越大海, 最終精疲力竭掉進海裡淹死。
為了有用得以存在, 上帝創造了宇宙。因此, 宇宙變成了演示這些有用功能的一個舞臺。因為人類是上帝創世的最主要原因, 因而其它所有事物完全是為了我們人類的緣故而被造。聖規的所有方面被彙聚並濃縮於我們身上, 就是為了上帝能藉著我們來執行有用服務的最高形式。
如果不是有用, 仁與智就成為虛幻, 如同太陽的熱與光對人,動植物不起作用。當這熱與光流入到這些事物並發揮作用時, 就變得真實了。
有三個因素按規律排成一個系列:目的,途徑和結果。當知道, 目的如果離開有效的途徑或方法, 等於空談。若沒有結果, 目標與途徑也是空談。當然, 我們可以純粹在頭腦中思量一個目的以及達成它的途徑, 但我們這樣做還是單單為了結果。結果是目的所期願的, 途徑或方法使其成為可能。
仁,智,用, 三者類似。"用"是"仁"所期願的,通過"智"這一途徑來達成的結果。當"用"達成時, 仁與智得以真實地存在。仁與智在"用"之中為自己建造居所來生活與停留, 并在那裡安息,如同回到自己的家。當上帝的仁與智在我們裡面,我們成為有"用"時, 情形也是如此。我們按上帝的形像與樣式,或按聖規被造, 就是為了讓我們能行出上帝之"用"。
67. Before creation, God was love itself and wisdom itself. That love and that wisdom had a drive to be useful. Without usefulness, love and wisdom are only fleeting abstract entities, and they do indeed fly away if they do not move in the direction of usefulness. The two prior things without the third [love and wisdom without usefulness] are like birds flying across a great ocean that eventually become worn out, fall into the ocean, and drown.
God created the universe so that usefulness could exist. Therefore the universe could be called a theater of useful functions. Because we, the human race, are the principal reason for creation, it follows that absolutely everything else was created for our sake. All aspects of the divine design have been brought together and concentrated in us so that God can perform the highest forms of useful service through us.
Without usefulness as a third party, love and wisdom would be as unreal as the heat and light of the sun would be if they had no effect on people, animals, and plants. That heat and that light become real by flowing into things and having an effect on them.
Another set of three things that follow in order is purpose, means, and result. The learned world knows that a purpose is nothing unless it has reference to an efficient cause or means; and the purpose and the means are nothing unless there is a result. We can of course contemplate a purpose and the means of accomplishing it purely in our minds, but we still do so only for the sake of the result that the purpose intends and that the means make possible.
Likewise with love, wisdom, and useful service. Useful service is what love intends and what it occasions through the means. When useful service results, love and wisdom take on a real existence. In that useful service, they set up a place for themselves to live and stay, and there they rest as if they were at home. We are that way ourselves when God's love and wisdom are in us and we do something useful. The reason we were created images and likenesses of God, or forms of the divine design, was so that we would be able to do God's useful services.
67. Before creation God was Love itself and Wisdom itself, and He was these two exerting themselves to perform services. For without service love and wisdom are volatile figments of the reason, and they actually do fly away unless they devote their energy to service. Love and wisdom separated from service are also like birds flying across a mighty ocean and at length so tired by flying they fall down and drown. This proves that the universe was created by God in order that services should come into being, so that one might call the universe a theatre of services. Since man is the principal end in view in creation, it follows that everything was created on his account; so every detail of order was made applicable to him and concentrated on him, in order that by means of him God could perform primary services. Love and wisdom without their third partner, service, can be equated with the sun's heat and light, which would be empty principles unless they worked on men, animals and plants; but they become real by irradiating them and working on them.
[2] End, cause and effect are a trio with a fixed sequence. Educated people know that an end is nothing if it is not accompanied by an efficient cause, and the end and this cause are nothing, if there is no effect. One can form abstract speculations about ends and causes, but they must aim at some effect, which the end has in view and the cause brings about. It is the same with love, wisdom and service: service is the aim love has in view and brings about by means of a cause. When the service is effected, love and wisdom come into real existence, and make their residence and seat in that service, and come to rest there as if in their home. It is similar with a person, in whom are the love and wisdom of God, when he performs services; and it was so that he should perform services for God, that he was created to be an image and likeness [of God] 1 , that is, a form for the Divine order.
Footnotes:
1. These words are added in the margin in the author's own copy.
67. Previous to creation God was love itself and wisdom itself and the union of these two in the effort to accomplish uses; for love and wisdom apart from use are only fleeting matters of reason, which fly away if not applied to use. The first two separated from the third are like birds flying above a great ocean, which are at length exhausted by flying, and fall down and are drowned. Evidently, therefore, the universe was created by God to give existence to uses; and for this reason the universe may be called a theater of uses. And as man is the chief end of creation, it follows that each and all things were created for the sake of man; and therefore each and all things belonging to order were brought together and concentrated in him, to the end that through him God might accomplish primary uses. Love and wisdom apart from their third, which is use, may be likened to the sun's heat and light; which, if they did not operate upon men, animals, and vegetables, would be worthless things; but by influx into and operation upon these they become real. For there are three things that follow each other in order, namely, end, cause, and effect; and it is known in the learned world that the end is nothing unless it regards the effecting cause, and that the end and this cause are nothing unless an effect is produced. The end and cause may indeed be contemplated abstractly in the mind, but still only on account of some effect which the end purposes and the cause secures. It is the same with love, wisdom, and use; use is the end which love purposes, and through the cause accomplishes; and when use is accomplished love and wisdom have a real existence; and in the use they make for themselves a habitation and foundation where they rest as in their home. It is the same with the man who has in him the love and wisdom of God when he is performing uses; and to enable him to perform Divine uses he was created an image and likeness of God, that is, a form of Divine order.
67. Before Creation God was Love itself and Wisdom itself, and these two in the endeavor to perform uses; for love and wisdom apart from use are only abstractions of the mind, which fade away unless they are applied to use. They are then like birds which, in their flight over a great ocean, wearied at length by flying, fall down and are drowned. From this it is evident that the universe was created by God for the existence of uses, and so it may be called a theater of uses. As man is the chief end of Creation, it follows that all things in general and in particular were created for his sake, and consequently that all things pertaining to order were gathered together and concentrated in him, that through him God might accomplish primary uses. Love and wisdom without use, their third principle, may be compared to the sun's heat and light, which, unless they operated upon men, animals, and vegetables, would be empty conceptions: they become realities, however, by their influx into those things and by their operation in them. There are three things also which follow in order, end, cause, and effect, and it is well known in the learned world that the end is nothing unless it has regard to an efficient cause; and that the end and this cause are nothing unless an effect is produced. The end and cause can indeed be contemplated in the mind in an abstract manner, but still with regard to some effect which the end purposes and the cause promotes. The case is the same with love, wisdom, and use: use is the end which love purposes, and accomplishes through the cause; and when use results love and wisdom really exist, and in use they make for themselves a habitation and an abiding-place, where they rest as in their own home. It is the same with man in whom are present the love and wisdom of God while he performs uses; and that he may perform Divine uses he was created an image and likeness, that is, a form of Divine order.
67. Deus ante Creationem fuit ipse Amor et ipsa Sapientia, et haec duo in conatu faciendi usus, nam Amor et Sapientia absque usu sunt modo volatilia rationis, et quoque evolant, nisi in usum se conferant; sunt quoque priora duo separata a tertio sicut aves, quae super magno Oceano volant, et tandem lassae volatu decidunt, et submerguntur: inde constat, quod Universum a Deo creatum sit, ut existant usus, quare etiam Universum vocari potest Theatrum usuum; et quia homo est principalis finis creationis, sequitur quod omnia et singula creata sint propter hominem, et inde quod omnia et singula ordinis in illum collata sint, et in illo concentrata, ut Deus per illum usus primarios faciat. Amor et Sapientia absque tertio suo, quod est Usus, aequiparari possunt calori et luci solis, quae nisi operarentur in homines, animalia et vegetabilia, forent res inanes, at fiunt reales per influxum in illa, et per operationem in illis.
[2] Sunt etiam tria, quae in ordine consequuntur, Finis, Causa et Effectus, et scitur in Literato Orbe, quod finis non sit aliquid nisi spectet causam efficientem, et quod finis et haec causa non sint aliquid, nisi fiat effectus; possunt quidem finis et causa abstracte in Mente volvi, sed usque propter aliquem effectum, quem finis intendit, et causa procurat; simile est cum amore, sapientia, et usu, et usus est quem amor intendit, et per causam producit, et cum usus est productus, amor et sapientia realiter existunt, et in illo habitationem et sedem sibi faciunt, et sicut in sua domo requiescunt; simile est cum homine, in quo amor et sapientia Dei sunt, dum usus facit; ac ut usus Dei faciat, creatus est imago et similitudo [Dei], 1 hoc est, forma Divini Ordinis.
Footnotes:
1. Sic in margine exemplaris scriptoris, fortasse manu scriptoris.