331. The Lord Cannot Go Against the Laws of Divine Providence, Because to Do So Would Be to Go Against His Divine Love and Against His Divine Wisdom, Thus Against Himself

In Angelic Wisdom Regarding Divine Love and Wisdom we showed that the Lord is Divine love and Divine wisdom, and that these two are being itself and life itself, from which everything else has being and life. We also showed, too, that the same Divinity emanates from Him, and moreover that the Divine emanation is the Lord.

Of the things emanating from Him, Divine providence is the primary one, for this is continually intent on the end for which the universe was created. The operation and progress of the end through the means is what we call Divine providence.

[2] Now because the Divine emanation is the Lord, and Divine providence is the primary thing that emanates, it follows that to go against the laws of His Divine providence would be to go against Himself.

One can also say that the Lord is providence, as we say that God is order. For Divine providence is the Divine order primarily concerned with the salvation of humankind, and as order is impossible without laws, since laws constitute it, and since every law takes its origin from order, so that it also is order, therefore it follows that as God is order, so He is the law of His order. The same may be said of Divine providence, that as the Lord is His providence, He is also the law of His providence.

It is apparent from this that the Lord cannot go against the laws of His Divine providence, because to go against them would be to go against Himself.

[3] Furthermore, no operation is possible apart from the subject of the operation and the means that make it possible. An operation apart from its subject and the means to it is impossible. The subject of Divine providence is mankind. The means are Divine truths, by which a person gains wisdom, and Divine goods, by which he gains love. Divine providence operates through these means to accomplish its end, which is the salvation of mankind, for he who wills the end wills also the means. When someone willing an end works to accomplish it, therefore, he does so through means.

But this will become clearer after we examine it according to the following outline:

(1) The operation of Divine providence to save a person begins at the person's birth and continues to the end of his life, and afterward to eternity.

(2) The operation of Divine providence takes place unceasingly, through means, out of pure mercy.

(3) Instantaneous salvation out of mercy apart from means is not possible.

(4) Instantaneous salvation out of mercy apart from means is the "fiery flying serpent" ¹ in the church.

അടിക്കുറിപ്പുകൾ:

252. It is also remarkable that mankind has not yet rightly observed that all things whatever which are manmade, or artificial, such as statues, pictures or countless other things, may be beautiful in outermost appearance and even regarded as very precious, when yet inwardly they are composed like clay and mud. It is only the surface that the sight of the eye admires.

But those things which grow from seeds begin from within and grow up or advance toward the outside; these are not only beautiful to see, but even the more beautiful, the more inwardly they are viewed.

It is similar in a person's life: those things which begin from the outside, or start with the human, are comparable to what is artificial, the outer surface of which people value and admire, while what is within is completely worthless; but things that are fashioned by God the Messiah from most deeply within are to be likened to those in nature that are beautiful from their innermost parts. This, then, is what God the Messiah says, that all of Solomon's magnificence cannot be compared to a tiny lily, which is nevertheless little valued [Matt. 6:28-30, Luke 12:27-28]. 1747, the 15th day of November (old calendar).