s infinite, can so give order and form to the universe.
Who else or what else is able to foresee and provide all things needful
for the food and clothing of man, - food from the fruits of earth and
from animals, and clothing from the same? How marvelous that so
insignificant a creature as the silk-worm should clothe in silk and
splendidly adorn both women and men, from queens and kings to
maidservants and menservants, and that insignificant insects like the
bees should supply wax for the candles by which temples and palaces are
made brilliant. These and many other things are manifest proofs that the
Lord from Himself by means of the spiritual world, brings about
everything that comes into existence in nature.

357. To this must be added that those who have confirmed themselves in
favor of nature, from the visible things of the world, until they have
become atheists, have been seen by me in the spiritual world; and in the
spiritual light their understanding appeared open below, but closed above,
because in thought they had looked downward toward the earth, and not
upward toward heaven. Above their sensual, which is the bottom of the
understanding, appeared something like a veil; which in some flashed with
hellish fire, in some was black like soot, and in some livid like a corpse.
Therefore let every one beware of confirmations in favor of nature; let
him confirm himself in favor of the Divine; there is no lack of material.

358. PART FIFTH.

TWO RECEPTACLES AND ABODES FOR HIMSELF, CALLED WILL AND UNDERSTANDING,
HAVE BEEN CREATED AND FORMED BY THE LORD IN MAN; THE WILL FOR HIS DIVINE
LOVE, AND THE UNDERSTANDING FOR HIS DIVINE WISDOM.

The Divine Love and Divine Wisdom of God the Creator, who is the Lord
from eternity, and also the creation of the universe, have been treated
of; something shall now be said of the creation of man. We read
(in Gen. 1:26) that man was created "in the image of God, after His
likeness." By "image of God" is there meant the Divine Wisdom, and by
"likeness" of God the Divine Love; since wisdom is nothing but an image
of love, for in wisdom love presents itself to be seen and recognized,
and because it is seen and recognized in wisdom, wisdom is an image of
it. Moreover love is the esse of life, and wisdom is the existere of life
therefrom. In angels the likeness and image of God clearly appear, since
love from within shines forth in their faces, and wisdom in their beauty,
and their beauty is