LJC 48 - The Dutch

LJC 48

. . . Christians with whom the Word is read
and the Lord is worshiped,
are in the middle of the nations and people
of the whole spiritual world,
because the greatest spiritual light is with them,
and the light is radiated from there as from a center
into all the circumference even to the last boundary;
and it enlightens . . ..
In this middle,
the Reformed Christians have places allotted to them
according to their reception
of spiritual light from the Lord;
and since the English have that light
stored up in the intellectual part,
therefore they are in the inmost of that middle region;
and because the Dutch keep that light
more nearly conjoined to natural light,
and so there is no such brightness of light
apparent among them,
but in its place something not transparent
which is receptive of rationality from spiritual light,
and at the same time from spiritual heat . . ..
Another reason why they are in
these quarters of the Christian middle region is,
that trade is their final love,
and money is the mediate subservient love,
and that love is spiritual;
but where money is the final love,
and trade the mediate subservient love,
the love is natural, and partakes of avarice.
In the before-mentioned spiritual love,
which regarded in itself is the common good,
in which and from which is the good of the country,
the Dutch excel others.