Angelic Wisdom Concerning the Divine Love and the Divine WisdomSwedenborg, Emanuel
Religion
Angelic Wisdom Concerning the Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom
Swedenborg, Emanuel
God (Christianity) -- Love; God (Christianity) -- Wisdom
329. The end of the creation of the universe clearly shows what use is.
The end of the creation of the universe is the existence of an angelic
heaven; and as the angelic heaven is the end, man also or the human race
is the end, since heaven is from that. From which it follows that all
created things are mediate ends, and that these are uses in that order,
degree, and respect in which they have relation to man, and through man
to the Lord.
330. Inasmuch as the end of creation is an angelic heaven out of the
human race, and thus the human race itself, all other created things are
mediate ends, and these, as having relation to man, with a view to his
conjunction with the Lord, refer themselves to these three things in him,
his body, his rational, and his spiritual. For man cannot be conjoined to
the Lord unless he be spiritual, nor can he be spiritual unless he be
rational, nor can he be rational unless his body is in a sound state.
These three are like a house; the body like the foundation, the rational
like the superstructure, the spiritual like those things which are in the
house, and conjunction with the Lord like dwelling in it. From this can
be seen in what order, degree, and respect uses (which are the mediate
ends of creation) have relation to man, namely, (1) for sustaining his
body, (2) for perfecting his rational, (3) for receiving what is spiritual
from the Lord.
331. Uses for sustaining the body relate to its nourishment, its clothing,
its habitation, its recreation and enjoyment, its protection and the
preservation of its state. The uses created for the nourishment of the
body are all things of the vegetable kingdom suitable for food and drink,
as fruits, grapes, grain, pulse, and herbs; in the animal kingdom all
things which are eaten, as oxen, cows, calves, deer, sheep, kids, goats,
lambs, and the milk they yield; also fowls and fish of many kinds. The
uses created for the clothing of the body are many other products of these
two kingdoms; in like manner, the uses for habitation, also for recreation,
enjoyment, protection, and preservation of state. These are not mentioned
because they are well known, and their mere enumeration would fill pages.
There are many things, to be sure, which are not used by man; but what is
superfluous does not do away with the use, but ensures its continuance.
Misuse of uses is also possible, but misuse does not do away with use,
even as falsification of truth does not do away with truth except with
those who falsify it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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