801.荷兰人之所以占据基督徒中心区的这些地方，是因为贸易是他们爱的目标，金钱是服务于该目标的工具，这种爱是属灵的。但若金钱成了爱的目标，贸易成了服务的工具，就象犹太人那样，那么这爱就成了属世之爱，因为它被贪欲玷污了。只要对贸易的爱是首要目标，它就是属灵的，因为它的目的是为了服务社区利益，个人利益与社区利益不可分割，并且看似比社区利益还重要，因为他出于其属世人思考。然而，只要贸易是目标，属灵之爱就存在，并且在天堂，都是根据爱的目标来看待每个人。这爱好比王国的统治者，或家主，其它爱则好比臣民或仆人。此外，对目标的爱还居于心智的最高或至内层，而对工具的爱则在它之下或之外，对它唯命是从。荷兰人比其他人拥有更多属灵之爱。但犹太人将这爱颠倒了，结果他们对贸易的爱纯粹是属世的，其中丝毫不含社区利益，唯独有自己的利益。
801. 荷兰人之所以占据基督徒中心区的这些地方, 是因为贸易是他们爱的目标, 金钱是服务于该目标的工具, 这种爱是属灵的。 但若金钱成了爱的目标, 贸易成了服务的工具, 就象犹太人那样, 那么这爱就成了属世之爱, 因为它被贪欲玷污了。 只要对贸易的爱是首要目标, 它就是属灵的, 因为它的目的是为了服务社区利益, 个人利益与社区利益不可分割, 并且看似比社区利益还重要, 因为他出于其属世人思考。 然而, 只要贸易是目标, 属灵之爱就存在, 并且在天堂, 都是根据爱的目标来看待每个人。 这爱好比王国的统治者, 或家主, 其它爱则好比臣民或仆人。 此外, 对目标的爱还居于心智的最高或至内层, 而对工具的爱则在它之下或之外, 对它唯命是从。 荷兰人比其他人拥有更多属灵之爱。 但犹太人将这爱颠倒了, 结果他们对贸易的爱纯粹是属世的, 其中丝毫不含社区利益, 唯独有自己的利益。
801. Another reason why Dutch people live in these particular parts of the Christian central region is that their highest love and goal is doing business, and they love money only as a means that serves that higher goal. This is a spiritual kind of love to have.
If money is the ultimate goal people love, however, and doing business is loved only as a means that serves that ultimate goal - a situation found among Jews - this is an earthly kind of love to have; it leads to insatiable desire for wealth.
The reason why loving to do business is spiritual when it is the ultimate goal is that business is useful and serves the common good. Yes, their own benefit is also part of the equation; when we are thinking from our earthly selves it may even appear more important than the common good. Nevertheless, when being in business is the goal, it is also what is loved the most; and the goal that we love the most is what is considered most important in heaven. The goal we love the most is like the leader of a country or the head of a household; all the other loves are like that leader's subjects and servants. The goal we love dwells in the highest and inmost regions of our mind. The intermediate loves we have are below and outside that highest love; they follow its commands.
The Dutch, more than other people, have this spiritual type of love. Jews have an inverted version of it; therefore their love of doing business is merely earthly in nature. What lies deep within it is not the common good but their own benefit.
801. A further reason why the Dutch are in those quarters of the Christian nucleus is because trade is the aim of their love, and money the means of serving that aim; and this is a spiritual love. But when money is the aim of their love, and trade the means serving that aim, as in the case of the Jews, that is a natural love, being tainted with avarice. The reason the love of trading is spiritual, provided it is the chief aim, is that its purpose is to serve the good of the community. One's personal good is inseparable from this, and seems to surpass it, because people's thoughts come from the natural man. But so long as trade is the aim, the spiritual love exists too, and in heaven everyone is looked at from the point of view of the aim of his love. This love is like the lord of a realm, or like the master of a household, and the other loves are like his subjects or servants. The love of the aim also resides in the highest and inmost levels of the mind, and the loves which are means are below and outside this, obedient to its command. The Dutch above others have this spiritual love; the Jews the reverse of this love. So in their case the love of trading is wholly natural, having hidden within it no regard for the good of the community, but only that of the self.
801. And the reason why the Dutch occupy those quarters of the Christian center is that business is their final love, and money a mediate love subservient thereto; and such a love is spiritual. But where money is the final love and business a mediate love subservient thereto, as with the Jews, that love is natural and springs from avarice. The love of business,- when final, is spiritual, because of its use, in that it subserves the common good to which indeed the man's own good is closely conjoined and appears to him to be of more importance than the common good, because he thinks from his natural man. Nevertheless, when business is an end, the love of it is also the end, and in heaven everyone is regarded in accordance with his final love; for the final love may be likened to the ruler of a kingdom or the master of a house, and the other loves to their subjects or servants. Moreover, the final love has its seat in the highest or inmost parts of the mind, while the mediate loves are below it or outside of it, and subservient to its every nod. The Dutch are in that spiritual love more than any others. But the Jews are in that love inverted; consequently their love of business is purely natural, containing within it nothing of the common good, but solely their own good.
801. A further reason why the Dutch are in those quarters of the Christian centre is that the love of trading is their chief love, and the love of money a mediate, subordinate love; and the love of trading is a spiritual love. Where the love of money, however, is the chief love, and the love of trading a mediate, subordinate love, as with the Jews, that love is natural, and is grounded in avarice. When the love of trading is the chief love, it is spiritual, owing to its use; for it serves the common good, with which indeed the personal good of the individual is bound up. Yet the good of the individual is more directly apparent than the common good, because the individual thinks from his natural man. Still, when trading is the end in view, its love is the trader's chief love; and every one in heaven is regarded according to his chief love. One's chief love is like the ruler of a kingdom, or like the master of a house, the other loves being like subjects or servants. This chief love, moreover, resides in the highest and inmost regions of the mind, while the mediate loves are beneath and apart, and are subservient to its control. The Dutch, more than all others, are in this spiritual love of trading, whereas the Jews are in an inverted love. Their love of trading, therefore, is merely natural, having in its inmost recesses no regard for the common good, but only for the personal good of the individual.
801. Causa, quod Hollandi in illis Meditullii Christiani Plagis sint, est quoque quia Negotiatio est Amor finalis illorum, ac Pecunia Amor medius inserviens, et ille Amor est spiritualis; at ubi Pecunia est Amor finalis, et Negotiatio amor medius inserviens, quemadmodum apud Judaeos, est ille Amor naturalis, et trahit ex avaritia. Quod Amor negotiandi dum est finalis, sit spiritualis, est ex usu ejus, quod inserviat communi bono; cum quo proprium bonum quidem cohaeret, et hoc prae illo apparet, quia homo ex naturali suo homine cogitat; sed usque dum Negotiatio est finis, est quoque ille amor, et quisque secundum amorem finalem spectatur in Coelo; Amor enim finalis est sicut Dominus Regni, aut sicut herus Domi, et reliqui amores sunt sicut ejus subditi et famuli; et quoque Amor finalis in supremis ac intimis mentis residet, et amores medii sunt infra et extra illum, et serviunt ei ad nutum; in spirituali hoc amore sunt Hollandi prae aliis: at Judaei in Amore inverso, quare Amor negotiandi illorum est mere naturalis, in quo nihil ex communi bono, sed solum ex proprio, intus latet.