Part 2
But, let us speak now about the natural universe (the world), since usually when one thinks of creation he is thinking of it. First, to the person who has the slightest religion, all things in the universe have been created by God, that is, by Divine Love and Divine Wisdom. By others creation is by nature who is their God. Though, the religious usually separate God from creation. Nonetheless, these Divine qualities are in the least and in greatest things, in the first and last things of all creation. So much so that it can be said God is there in a sort of image, that is, that in man, who is the crown of creation, can there be seen all things created through the Lord's love and wisdom there in the beauty of nature and in the love that all creatures have for their offspring, and from this one comes to see these in mankind himself, whereby he develops some sort of religion. This, of course, can readily be seen by those who believe the Lord's Word, believing that they themselves were made in the Lord's image and after His likeness. Here, one may also see that there is a likeness and image in man with all things of heaven. In this one sees that man is both like the natural world and like spiritual world. This can be seen in a man's affections and thoughts, which are spiritual; such things - thoughts - correspond with this world's animal kingdom; while man's will and understanding corresponds with the vegetable kingdom, and his ultimate life corresponds with the mineral kingdom. However, this is so far removed from the natural understanding of man unless correspondences are known understanding creation becomes impossible. This cannot be seen or understood by man except a man be enlightened, but it can understood in the spiritual world to those there who attend to it.
It is here, where we first see that there must be a correspondence and connection between this world and the spiritual, because affections and thoughts, will and understanding are spiritual, that is, they are not derived from nature itself, but from God Himself. In fact, with any thought, one sees that when natural life leaves the physical body dies and returns to the prime substance matter, that is, to the earth which the natural world consists.
Now, if life with man, which is of the Lord, leaves the natural body and returns to its prime substance, which is love and which is the Lord Himself, since it is from the Lord who is Divine and infinite, then it can be seen that the natural man and all things in the universe, both the spiritual and natural worlds are receptacles and the recipients of that Divine Life, but they are not made of the Divine itself. That this is so, as was said, the Divine cannot be divided and in the things of this world or in man himself and likewise angels, but in what is the Lord's with angels and man, which is the will and understanding. The question now becomes how then is the universe and mankind a recipient of the Infinite Divine that it exists or is created?
We have said, God is not in space or in time, but is apart from space and time, for we have shown that He is infinite and eternal and where there is not space or time. So, it now can be understood how the universe was created out of the Divine Infinite and Esse and not out of nothing for from nothing comes nothing. Yet, there is nothing of God in the universe, as was said. We had earlier said that the Lord from eternity or Jehovah as a Man created the universe and all things thereof from Himself and that this is seen in the Lord not being in space and time. Again, it was already shown how it is that the Lord is Man and this is from the Divine qualities of love and wisdom. It is not from thinking He is a man as we are, with natural properties of time and space, but from the qualities of love and wisdom.
Basically, let us think of the Lord not limited by space, therefore the Lord's body is not confined to size, large or small; it is infinite. In this one can understand how the Father is within the Lord even before His natural human was glorified or made Divine that the Human of the Lord was united with the Divine. Thus, the creation of the universe and all things in it are from the Lord as a Man, for He cannot deny Himself, that in God there is Love and Wisdom, mercy and clemency, absolute Good and Truth, these things all coming from Him that make man an image and likeness of Him. Therefore, how can any one deny the Lord is Man? These things cannot be abstracted from their subject, that is, from man, but are of God. They are in man and in the things of the natural world in what is the Lord's and unless they are there would be no creation, but only Divine.
Again, in the book 'Divine Love and Wisdom' it is said that the sun of heaven is the first proceeding from the Divine Itself and that from that proceeding the universe - heaven and earth - is created and all things of it. It is that proceeding love that is the 'heat' of the heaven's sun and the proceeding wisdom that is that sun's 'light'. Thus, from that sun proceeded not just Heaven, the spiritual world, but the natural world, for in creating the spiritual world one sees that there are discrete degrees or degrees of altitude 'as it were' between heaven, where there is celestial and spiritual discrete degrees, and on earth where the natural is (man being the highest, while animal, vegetable and mineral are natural discrete degrees), earth being the lowest or furthers from God. Thus, from the Heavens sun was the universe - the spiritual and natural worlds - created. However, we know that in this world there is also a sun, which the Lord has created from Heaven's sun, but it is dead, it being nothing but pure fire in which there is no life, the substances and matters of the natural world or universe ending and becoming inert. Moreover, if not for it - this world's sun - the works of creation would not come to a close and thus, come to a conclusion by which there is conjunction of God with man and man with God through reciprocation.
Yet, the appearance is that from this sun there comes life in the natural world, when just the opposite is true. All nature is dead for it derives its origin from the sun which is dead and inert. It was shown how the sun in the spiritual world is alive having come from or the first proceeding of Divine Love and Divine Wisdom through spiritual atmospheres. It is that Divine proceeding which is in the things of the natural world that there is life, though in the natural degree or state. In other words, the sun of the natural world is pure fire from which all life has been abstracted and thus life or Love and Wisdom - the Lord - is in space apart from space. Therefore, Divine Life is internally in the fire of the sun of the spiritual world, though externally in the fire of the natural world. In this one sees that the actuality of the sun is not from itself but is from the living force proceeding from the spiritual sun. One must come to understand that the heat and light proceeding from the natural sun is dead, thus the atmospheres - called ether and air - which carry down that heat and light are likewise dead. Therefore, all things under the atmospheres on the natural world that is called earths are dead.
All things of the natural world are receptacles of life of the Divine, and we have said, these are in space and time apart from space and time. Thus, all things in the physical universe are 'as it were' girded round by spiritual things which proceed and flow forth from the spiritual sun. An angel is aware of this surrounding, but man is not. It is this engirding of the natural world that causes activity leading to produce forms of uses such as plants and forms of life which are animals, even to supply the matters and substances through which man exists and subsists. Since all things of nature are dead, then there is only an appearance of life owing to true Life proceeding from the spiritual sun which accompanies and activates. (Here, one may begin to understand that this natural world is only a seminary for Heaven, that the natural body only lives 'as it were' and that it lives from the qualities it has from the Divine - Love, Wisdom, and Use.)
We see that creation ceases and rests in the lowest things of nature, which are dead, thus in the natural world things are immutable and fixed compared to things in the spiritual world which are not, for there things are subject to states of affections and thoughts. In things being fixed and immutable on earth there is distances of space between them, while in the spiritual world there is only an appearance of space between things, for once the affection or thought leaves - the state - the things vanish.
Again, there has been shown that there are two suns - one living the other dead - and without these there would be no creation at all. The living is of and from the Lord, and the other has been created from or through the first that there might be an end or a close in order that there is creation. Thus, it is that the universe is of two worlds - the spiritual and the natural. Both are similar externally, but entirely different internally. Their difference is in the man's and the angel's or the spirit's thinking, for one is natural the other spiritual according to their state. Thus, also man's mind has these degrees that can be opened in order that he live after his life in this world. Thus, also, is the need for the two suns. Angels think from the goods and truths that create the spiritual world and man think from the things of the natural world in which are from time and space. The Divine is creating the celestial and through it the spiritual and through the spiritual the natural is created. The creation of the dead sun was in order that it (creation) be founded, otherwise there would be no perennial or ever-enduring upon which all things end and rest. It is because of the end of creation that all things may return to the Creator that there is conjunction. In this one understands that Love loves another and that without creation there would be no other to love. The end of creation exists in ultimates in that there is conjunction of all things of the world through man with God. Otherwise God's Love has no effect and God as Love does not love Himself. The end or the Lord must be in everything in order that there is anything. In creation there is also order. What is the first end, but the Divine, from which everything comes into existence. What is the second or middle end or cause but the spiritual world, which conjoins the ultimate or the natural end with God? What is the last end or effect but the natural world in which are the ultimates so that love is reciprocated and that there be conjunction between the Lord and man.
Thus, the end is all in the cause and effect. However, the end cannot be in the cause or effect, except in something out of itself existing from itself. For there the end dwells in its own and affects actions that it might subsist, which is in the effect. That the Lord dwells and abides in the created universe is because there is conjunction of the Creator with the created universe and this is through recipients of His love and wisdom as of themselves, whereby they can elevate 'as of' themselves to the Creator, and thus become conjoined with God in spiritual freedom. It is men who are these subjects, for as said they are created in the image and likeness of the Lord who as was shown is very Man. One sees, here, that all things were created for the sake of man, and ascend by degrees from last things (animal, plants, and mineral) to man and through man (his affections and thoughts) thus opening up his mind to an will and understanding from the Lord and to Heaven.
From a over view, one may understand that the created universe had progressed from its first end, the Lord, through a first proceeding or sun of Heaven to its ultimate end, which is relative to its middle end or cause. And that out of the ground of the natural world are forms of uses continually raised in their various order up to man, who as to his body, is also from the ground. Then, it is the man himself who seen in his spirit is raised by the reception of love and wisdom from the Lord into a new understanding and will, - the receptacles of the Lord in man - the natural body falling off 'as it were' and the spiritual body remaining.
Most men think that by the universe is meant the natural or physical universe and does not think that the spiritual world is part of the created universe though, as was said, the two were created and are sustained by the Lord through the sun of Heaven. We have shown the two worlds are relative; they both have atmospheres, waters and earths, the one spiritual, the other natural. Thinking from the general principal of these - atmospheres, waters and earths - all things exist in both worlds, but with this difference, in the spiritual they come into existence from the Lord in accordance with their correspondences with the interiors of the angels whether celestial or spiritual or natural. In the natural world they come into existence through a general Divine order of proliferation and spiritual activation or uses thus, according to love and faith and to the will and understanding. Both in the natural and spiritual world these things are actuated and modified by heat and light by means of the sun, by means of atmospheres, though one spiritual the other natural.
Concerning atmospheres, which are airs or ethers, in the spiritual world, which exist from the sun there, and are the first proceedings of the Lord these atmospheres are the least forms or discrete substances. They each singly receive the sun - the 'fire' of the sun - that becomes divided into so many forms and substances. The spiritual atmospheres are like forms and substances enveloping Divine Love or spiritual heat adequate at last to the love of angels there. It is the same with mankind on earth, but with this difference, a man cannot feel the heat of Divine love, except perhaps a sort of delight and joy as can be known from a parent's love for their children. The same is with Divine Wisdom with angels. So, also, are the natural atmospheres at least in this respect, that they are discrete substances in least forms originating from the sun of this natural world. For it is through the atmospheres that the heat and light are carried down to the earth. The only differences between the two atmospheres are this earth's atmospheres carry fire and light and these are dead, while the atmospheres of spiritual world carry Divine fire and Divine light or Divine love and wisdom and is life.
It is here, where we first see that there must be a correspondence and connection between this world and the spiritual, because affections and thoughts, will and understanding are spiritual, that is, they are not derived from nature itself, but from God Himself. In fact, with any thought, one sees that when natural life leaves the physical body dies and returns to the prime substance matter, that is, to the earth which the natural world consists.
Now, if life with man, which is of the Lord, leaves the natural body and returns to its prime substance, which is love and which is the Lord Himself, since it is from the Lord who is Divine and infinite, then it can be seen that the natural man and all things in the universe, both the spiritual and natural worlds are receptacles and the recipients of that Divine Life, but they are not made of the Divine itself. That this is so, as was said, the Divine cannot be divided and in the things of this world or in man himself and likewise angels, but in what is the Lord's with angels and man, which is the will and understanding. The question now becomes how then is the universe and mankind a recipient of the Infinite Divine that it exists or is created?
We have said, God is not in space or in time, but is apart from space and time, for we have shown that He is infinite and eternal and where there is not space or time. So, it now can be understood how the universe was created out of the Divine Infinite and Esse and not out of nothing for from nothing comes nothing. Yet, there is nothing of God in the universe, as was said. We had earlier said that the Lord from eternity or Jehovah as a Man created the universe and all things thereof from Himself and that this is seen in the Lord not being in space and time. Again, it was already shown how it is that the Lord is Man and this is from the Divine qualities of love and wisdom. It is not from thinking He is a man as we are, with natural properties of time and space, but from the qualities of love and wisdom.
Basically, let us think of the Lord not limited by space, therefore the Lord's body is not confined to size, large or small; it is infinite. In this one can understand how the Father is within the Lord even before His natural human was glorified or made Divine that the Human of the Lord was united with the Divine. Thus, the creation of the universe and all things in it are from the Lord as a Man, for He cannot deny Himself, that in God there is Love and Wisdom, mercy and clemency, absolute Good and Truth, these things all coming from Him that make man an image and likeness of Him. Therefore, how can any one deny the Lord is Man? These things cannot be abstracted from their subject, that is, from man, but are of God. They are in man and in the things of the natural world in what is the Lord's and unless they are there would be no creation, but only Divine.
Again, in the book 'Divine Love and Wisdom' it is said that the sun of heaven is the first proceeding from the Divine Itself and that from that proceeding the universe - heaven and earth - is created and all things of it. It is that proceeding love that is the 'heat' of the heaven's sun and the proceeding wisdom that is that sun's 'light'. Thus, from that sun proceeded not just Heaven, the spiritual world, but the natural world, for in creating the spiritual world one sees that there are discrete degrees or degrees of altitude 'as it were' between heaven, where there is celestial and spiritual discrete degrees, and on earth where the natural is (man being the highest, while animal, vegetable and mineral are natural discrete degrees), earth being the lowest or furthers from God. Thus, from the Heavens sun was the universe - the spiritual and natural worlds - created. However, we know that in this world there is also a sun, which the Lord has created from Heaven's sun, but it is dead, it being nothing but pure fire in which there is no life, the substances and matters of the natural world or universe ending and becoming inert. Moreover, if not for it - this world's sun - the works of creation would not come to a close and thus, come to a conclusion by which there is conjunction of God with man and man with God through reciprocation.
Yet, the appearance is that from this sun there comes life in the natural world, when just the opposite is true. All nature is dead for it derives its origin from the sun which is dead and inert. It was shown how the sun in the spiritual world is alive having come from or the first proceeding of Divine Love and Divine Wisdom through spiritual atmospheres. It is that Divine proceeding which is in the things of the natural world that there is life, though in the natural degree or state. In other words, the sun of the natural world is pure fire from which all life has been abstracted and thus life or Love and Wisdom - the Lord - is in space apart from space. Therefore, Divine Life is internally in the fire of the sun of the spiritual world, though externally in the fire of the natural world. In this one sees that the actuality of the sun is not from itself but is from the living force proceeding from the spiritual sun. One must come to understand that the heat and light proceeding from the natural sun is dead, thus the atmospheres - called ether and air - which carry down that heat and light are likewise dead. Therefore, all things under the atmospheres on the natural world that is called earths are dead.
All things of the natural world are receptacles of life of the Divine, and we have said, these are in space and time apart from space and time. Thus, all things in the physical universe are 'as it were' girded round by spiritual things which proceed and flow forth from the spiritual sun. An angel is aware of this surrounding, but man is not. It is this engirding of the natural world that causes activity leading to produce forms of uses such as plants and forms of life which are animals, even to supply the matters and substances through which man exists and subsists. Since all things of nature are dead, then there is only an appearance of life owing to true Life proceeding from the spiritual sun which accompanies and activates. (Here, one may begin to understand that this natural world is only a seminary for Heaven, that the natural body only lives 'as it were' and that it lives from the qualities it has from the Divine - Love, Wisdom, and Use.)
We see that creation ceases and rests in the lowest things of nature, which are dead, thus in the natural world things are immutable and fixed compared to things in the spiritual world which are not, for there things are subject to states of affections and thoughts. In things being fixed and immutable on earth there is distances of space between them, while in the spiritual world there is only an appearance of space between things, for once the affection or thought leaves - the state - the things vanish.
Again, there has been shown that there are two suns - one living the other dead - and without these there would be no creation at all. The living is of and from the Lord, and the other has been created from or through the first that there might be an end or a close in order that there is creation. Thus, it is that the universe is of two worlds - the spiritual and the natural. Both are similar externally, but entirely different internally. Their difference is in the man's and the angel's or the spirit's thinking, for one is natural the other spiritual according to their state. Thus, also man's mind has these degrees that can be opened in order that he live after his life in this world. Thus, also, is the need for the two suns. Angels think from the goods and truths that create the spiritual world and man think from the things of the natural world in which are from time and space. The Divine is creating the celestial and through it the spiritual and through the spiritual the natural is created. The creation of the dead sun was in order that it (creation) be founded, otherwise there would be no perennial or ever-enduring upon which all things end and rest. It is because of the end of creation that all things may return to the Creator that there is conjunction. In this one understands that Love loves another and that without creation there would be no other to love. The end of creation exists in ultimates in that there is conjunction of all things of the world through man with God. Otherwise God's Love has no effect and God as Love does not love Himself. The end or the Lord must be in everything in order that there is anything. In creation there is also order. What is the first end, but the Divine, from which everything comes into existence. What is the second or middle end or cause but the spiritual world, which conjoins the ultimate or the natural end with God? What is the last end or effect but the natural world in which are the ultimates so that love is reciprocated and that there be conjunction between the Lord and man.
Thus, the end is all in the cause and effect. However, the end cannot be in the cause or effect, except in something out of itself existing from itself. For there the end dwells in its own and affects actions that it might subsist, which is in the effect. That the Lord dwells and abides in the created universe is because there is conjunction of the Creator with the created universe and this is through recipients of His love and wisdom as of themselves, whereby they can elevate 'as of' themselves to the Creator, and thus become conjoined with God in spiritual freedom. It is men who are these subjects, for as said they are created in the image and likeness of the Lord who as was shown is very Man. One sees, here, that all things were created for the sake of man, and ascend by degrees from last things (animal, plants, and mineral) to man and through man (his affections and thoughts) thus opening up his mind to an will and understanding from the Lord and to Heaven.
From a over view, one may understand that the created universe had progressed from its first end, the Lord, through a first proceeding or sun of Heaven to its ultimate end, which is relative to its middle end or cause. And that out of the ground of the natural world are forms of uses continually raised in their various order up to man, who as to his body, is also from the ground. Then, it is the man himself who seen in his spirit is raised by the reception of love and wisdom from the Lord into a new understanding and will, - the receptacles of the Lord in man - the natural body falling off 'as it were' and the spiritual body remaining.
Most men think that by the universe is meant the natural or physical universe and does not think that the spiritual world is part of the created universe though, as was said, the two were created and are sustained by the Lord through the sun of Heaven. We have shown the two worlds are relative; they both have atmospheres, waters and earths, the one spiritual, the other natural. Thinking from the general principal of these - atmospheres, waters and earths - all things exist in both worlds, but with this difference, in the spiritual they come into existence from the Lord in accordance with their correspondences with the interiors of the angels whether celestial or spiritual or natural. In the natural world they come into existence through a general Divine order of proliferation and spiritual activation or uses thus, according to love and faith and to the will and understanding. Both in the natural and spiritual world these things are actuated and modified by heat and light by means of the sun, by means of atmospheres, though one spiritual the other natural.
Concerning atmospheres, which are airs or ethers, in the spiritual world, which exist from the sun there, and are the first proceedings of the Lord these atmospheres are the least forms or discrete substances. They each singly receive the sun - the 'fire' of the sun - that becomes divided into so many forms and substances. The spiritual atmospheres are like forms and substances enveloping Divine Love or spiritual heat adequate at last to the love of angels there. It is the same with mankind on earth, but with this difference, a man cannot feel the heat of Divine love, except perhaps a sort of delight and joy as can be known from a parent's love for their children. The same is with Divine Wisdom with angels. So, also, are the natural atmospheres at least in this respect, that they are discrete substances in least forms originating from the sun of this natural world. For it is through the atmospheres that the heat and light are carried down to the earth. The only differences between the two atmospheres are this earth's atmospheres carry fire and light and these are dead, while the atmospheres of spiritual world carry Divine fire and Divine light or Divine love and wisdom and is life.
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