157. The sun in the natural world is nothing but fire and consequently lifeless, and because nature takes its origin from that sun, it too is lifeless. Creation itself cannot in the least be ascribed to the sun of the natural world, but must be ascribed wholly to the sun of the spiritual world, since the sun in the natural world is completely lifeless, while the sun in the spiritual world is alive, being the first emanation of Divine love and wisdom; and something that is lifeless does not do anything by itself, but as the result of some other agency. Consequently to ascribe to it any responsibility for creation would be like ascribing to the tool wielded in the hands of an artisan the work which the artisan accomplishes. The sun in the natural world is sheer fire from which every particle of life has been withdrawn. In contrast, the sun in the spiritual world is fire which has in it Divine life. The idea angels have of the fire of the sun in the natural world and of the fire of the sun in the spiritual world is this-that the Divine life is present inwardly in the fire of the sun in the spiritual world, but outwardly in the fire of the sun in the natural world. It can be seen from this that the activity of the natural sun comes not from itself, but from a living force emanating from the sun of the spiritual world. Consequently if the living force of that sun were to be withdrawn or removed, the natural sun would collapse. It is owing to this that worship of the sun is, of all the forms of worshiping God, the lowest, for it is altogether as lifeless as the sun itself. Therefore such worship is called in the Word an abomination.* * Deuteronomy 17:2-5.