in that there is a likeness of creation in the forms
of animals as well as in the forms of plants, in that there is a
progression from firsts to outmosts, and from outmosts to firsts. A like
image of creation exists in every single thing there is in man; for there
is a like progression of love through wisdom into uses, consequently a
like progression of the will through the understanding into acts, and of
charity through faith into deeds. Will and understanding, also charity
and faith, are the firsts as their source; acts and deeds are the
outmosts; from these, by means of the enjoyments of uses, a return is
made to their firsts, which, as was said, are the will and understanding,
or charity and faith. That the return is effected by means of the
enjoyments of uses is very evident from the enjoyments felt in those
acts and deeds which are from any love, in that they flow back to the
first of the love from which they spring and that thereby conjunction
is effected. The enjoyments of acts and deeds are what are called the
enjoyments of uses. A like progression from firsts to outmosts, and from
outmosts to firsts, is exhibited in the forms most purely organic of
affections and thoughts in man. In his brains there are those star-like
forms called the cineritious substances; out of these go forth fibers
through the medullary substance by the neck into the body; passing through
to the outmosts of the body, and from outmosts returning to their firsts.
This return of fibers to their firsts is made through the blood vessels.
There is a like progression of all affections and thoughts, which are
changes and variations of state of those forms or substances, for the
fibers issuing out of those forms or substances are comparatively like
the atmospheres from the spiritual sun, which are containants of heat
and light; while bodily acts are like the things produced from the lands
by means of atmospheres, the enjoyments of their uses returning to the
source from which they sprang. But that the progression of these is such,
and that within this progression there is an image of creation, can hardly
be comprehended fully by the understanding, both because thousands and
myriads of forces operating in act appear as one, and because the
enjoyments of uses do not appear as ideas in the thought, but only affect
without distinct perception. On this subject see what has been declared
and explained above, as follows: The uses of all created things asce