218. III. TEMPORAL AND ETERNAL THINGS ARE SEPARATED BY MAN, BUT ARE CONJOINED BY THE LORD. This is so because all things pertaining to man are temporal, and from these man may be called temporal; while all things pertaining to the Lord are eternal, and from these the Lord is called Eternal. Moreover, temporal things are those which have an end and perish, but eternal things are those which have no end and do not perish. Everyone may see that these two cannot be joined together unless by the infinite wisdom of the Lord, and therefore that they can be joined together by the Lord, but not by man. However, in order that it may be made known that these two are separated by man and are conjoined by the Lord it shall be shown in the following order:
1. What temporal things are, and what eternal things are. 2. Man is in himself temporal and the Lord is in Himself eternal; and therefore nothing can proceed from man but what is temporal, and nothing from the Lord but what is eternal. 3. Temporal things separate eternal things from themselves, and eternal things conjoin temporal things to themselves. 4. The Lord conjoins man to Himself by means of appearances;
5. And also by means of correspondences.
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