In God-Man Divine Esse [Being] and Divine Existere [Taking Form] are one
distinctly (as may be seen above, n. 14-16). And because Divine Esse is
Divine Love, and Divine Existere is Divine Wisdom, these are likewise
one distinctly. They are said to be one distinctly, because love and
wisdom are two distinct things, yet so united that love is of wisdom,
and wisdom is of love, for in wisdom love is, and in love wisdom Exists;
and since wisdom derives its Existere from love (as was said above, n. 15),
therefore Divine Wisdom also is Esse. From this it follows that love and
wisdom taken together are the Divine Esse, but taken distinctly love is
called Divine Esse, and wisdom Divine Existere. Such is the angelic idea
of Divine Love and of Divine Wisdom.
35. Since there is such a union of love and wisdom and of wisdom and love
in God-Man, there is one Divine Essence. For the Divine Essence is Divine
Love because it is of Divine Wisdom and is Divine Wisdom, because it is
of Divine Love. And since there is such a union of these, the Divine
Life also is one. Life is the Divine essence. Divine Love and Divine
Wisdom are a one because the union is reciprocal, and reciprocal union
causes oneness. Of reciprocal union, however, more will be said elsewhere.
36. There is also a union of love and wisdom in every Divine work; from
which it has perpetuity, yea, its everlasting duration. If there were more
of Divine Love than of Divine Wisdom, or more of Divine Wisdom than of
Divine Love, in any created work, it could have continued existence only
in the measure in which the two were equally in it, anything in excess
passing off.
37. The Divine Providence in the reforming, regenerating and saving of
men, partakes equally of Divine Love and of Divine Wisdom. From more of
Divine Love than of Divine Wisdom or from more of Divine Wisdom than of
Divine Love, man cannot be reformed, regenerated and saved. Divine Love
wills to save all, but it cam save only by means of Divine Wisdom; to
Divine Wisdom belong all the laws through which salvation is effected;
and these laws Love cannot transcend, because Divine Love and Divine
Wisdom are one and act in unison.
38. In the Word, Divine Love and Divine Wisdom are meant by "righteousness"
and "judgment," Divine Love by "righteousness," and Divine Wisdom by
"judgment;" for this reason "righteousness" and "judgment" are predicated
in the Word of God; as in David:
Righteousness and judgment are the support of Thy Throne (Ps. 89:14).
Jehovah shall bring forth righteousness as the light, and judgment as
the noonday (Ps. 37:6).
In Hosea:
I will betroth thee unto Me for ever, in righteousness, and in
judgment (2:18).
In Jeremiah:
I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, who shall reign as King
and shall execute judgment and righteousness in the earth (23:5).
In Isaiah:
He shall sit upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to
establish it in judgment and in righteousness (9:7).
Jehovah shall be exalted, because He hath filled the earth with
judgment and righteousness (33:5).
In David:
When I shall have learned the judgments of Thy righteousness. Seven
times a day do I praise Thee, because of the judgments of Thy
righteousness (Ps. 119:7, 164).
The same is meant by "life" and "light" in John:
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men (1:4).
By "life" in this passage is meant the Lord's Divine Love, and by "light"
His Divine Wisdom. The same also is meant by "life" and "spirit" in John:
Jesus said, The words which I speak unto you, they are spirit, and
they are life (6:63).
39. In man love and wisdom appear as two separate things, yet in themselves
they are one distinctly, because with man wisdom is such as the love is,
and love is such as the wisdom is. The wisdom that does not make one with
its love appears to be wisdom, but it is not; and the love that does not
make one with its wisdom appears to be the love of wisdom, but it is not;
for the one must derive its essence and its life reciprocally from the
other. With man love and wisdom appear as two separate things, because
with him the capacity for understanding may be elevated into the light
of heaven, but not the capacity for loving, except so far as he acts
according to his understanding. Any apparent wisdom, therefore, which
does not make one with the love of wisdom, sinks back into the love which
does make one with it; and this may be a love of unwisdom, yea, of
insanity. Thus a man may know from wisdom that he ought to do this or
that, and yet he does not do it, because he does not love it. But so far
as a man does from love what wisdom teaches, he is an image of God.