C (Coulson) n. 0

Charity (Coulson) n. 0

0. ORDER AND ARRANGEMENT.*
[FIRST VERSION.]

1. THE "FIRST" OF CHARITY IS TO SHUN EVILS BECAUSE THEY ARE SINS.

2. THE "SECOND" OF CHARITY IS TO DO GOODS BECAUSE THEY ARE USES.

3. THE ESSENCE OF CHARITY IS GOOD, WHICH IS USE; AND THE OBJECTS OF CHARITY ARE, IN A NARROW SENSE AN INDIVIDUAL MAN, IN A WIDER SENSE A SOCIETY, IN A STILL WIDER SENSE ONE'S COUNTRY,** AND IN THE WIDEST SENSE THE HUMAN RACE; AND THESE ARE THE NEIGHBOUR.

4. CHARITY ITSELF IS TO ACT HONESTLY, JUSTLY, AND FAITHFULLY, IN EVERY WORK THAT BELONGS TO ANYONE'S OCCUPATION; AND, THROUGH THIS, A MAN BECOMES A CHARITY.

5. SIGNS OF CHARITY ARE ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE OF WORSHIP.

6. BENEFACTIONS OF CHARITY ARE ALL THE GOODS WHICH A MAN WHO IS A CHARITY DOES, IN FREEDOM, OUTSIDE THE SCOPE OF HIS OCCUPATION.

7. OBLIGATIONS OF CHARITY ARE ALL THOSE THINGS IT BEHOVES A MAN TO DO IN ADDITION TO THOSE ABOVE NAMED.

8. DIVERSIONS OF CHARITY ARE VARIOUS ENJOYMENTS OF THE BODY AND ITS SENSES.

9. WITHOUT FAITH, CHARITY IS NOT CHARITY; THEY ARE ONE LIKE ESSENCE AND FORM.

10. SUCH AS THE CHARITY IS, SUCH IS THE FAITH; THE FAITH THAT PRECEDES CHARITY IS THE FAITH OF COGNITIONS, WHICH IS A HISTORICAL FAITH OR MATTER OF KNOWLEDGE.

11. CHARITY CONJOINS THE LORD TO THE MAN. A MAN TO THE LORD.

12. LOVE TOWARDS THE NEIGHBOUR, WHICH IS CHARITY, INWARDLY IS LOVE TO GOD, THAT IS, THE LORD.

ORDER AND ARRANGEMENT.***

[SECOND VERSION.]

1. THE "FIRST" OF CHARITY IS TO LOOK TO THE LORD AND SHUN EVILS BECAUSE THEY ARE SINS; THIS IS DONE BY REPENTANCE.

2. THE "SECOND" OF CHARITY IS TO DO GOODS BECAUSE THEY ARE USES.

3. THE NEIGHBOUR, IN A SPIRITUAL IDEA, IS USE; AND USE IS THE GOOD OF CHARITY.

[4.a] A MAN IS THE SUBJECT OF CHARITY, AND SUCH AS THE SUBJECT IS, SUCH IS THE CHARITY EXERCISED BY HIM.****

4. [b] CHARITY ITSELF WITH ANYONE IS TO ACT HONESTLY, JUSTLY, AND FAITHFULLY IN EVERY WORK THAT BELONGS TO HIS OCCUPATION; AND,
THROUGH THIS, A MAN BECOMES A CHARITY.

5. SIGNS OF CHARITY ARE ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE OF WORSHIP.

6. BENEFACTIONS OF CHARITY ARE ALL THE GOODS WHICH A MAN WHO IS A CHARITY DOES, IN FREEDOM, OUTSIDE THE SCOPE OF HIS OCCUPATION.

7. OBLIGATIONS OF CHARITY ARE ALL THOSE THINGS IT BEHOVES A MAN TO DO IN ADDITION TO THOSE ABOVE NAMED.

8. DIVERSIONS OF CHARITY ARE VARIOUS ENJOYMENTS AND PLEASURES OF THE BODY AND ITS SENSES.

9. WITHOUT FAITH, CHARITY IS NOT CHARITY, AND WITHOUT CHARITY, FAITH IS NOT FAITH; THEY ARE ONE, LIKE ESSENCE AND FORM.

10. SUCH AS THE CHARITY IS, SUCH IS THE FAITH; THE FAITH THAT PRECEDES CHARITY IS THE FAITH OF COGNITIONS, WHICH IS A HISTORICAL FAITH, IN ITSELF KNOWLEDGE.

11. IN CHARITY THERE is THE CONJUNCTION OF A MAN WITH THE LORD, AND OF THE LORD WITH THE MAN.

12. CHARITY, OR LOVE TOWARDS THE NEIGHBOUR, IS ALSO LOVE TO THE LORD.
* This is as Swedenborg first wrote it out, before starting on the text.
** Note in left-hand margin "the Church."
*** This is as it stood after a number of corrections had been incorporated in it. Many of these corrections, as the handwriting of them made at different times shows, were made during the writing of the text. There are a couple of strokes drawn vertically through these headings, a usual sign with Swedenborg that he had made use of it for re-writing. This was probably done when the new list of headings, "The sections in their series," was prepared. See number 199.
**** This heading was inserted between 3 and 4 in the MS. without the succeeding numbers being changed.

C (Coulson) n. 1

Charity (Coulson) n. 1

1. I

THE "FIRST" OF CHARITY IS TO LOOK TO THE LORD AND SHUN EVILS BECAUSE THEY ARE SINS; THIS IS DONE BY REPENTANCE.

To be expounded in this order:

(1) In so far as anyone does not shun evils because they are sins, he remains in them.

(2) In so far as anyone does not recognize and know what are sins, he does not see otherwise than that he is without sin.

(3) In so far as anyone recognizes and knows what are sins, he can see them in himself, confess them before the Lord. and repent of them.

(4) Before repentance, good is spurious good. It is the same with charity, because good is of charity.

(5) Consequently the "first" of charity is to look to the Lord and shun evils because they are sins.

C (Coulson) n. 2

Charity (Coulson) n. 2

2. 1. In so far as anyone does not look to the Lord and shun evils because they are sins, he remains in them.

Man is born into evils of every kind. His will, which is his proprium,* is nothing but evil. Unless, therefore, a man is reformed and regenerated, he not only remains just as he was born, but becomes even worse, because he adds actual evils himself to those hereditarily acquired. A man remains such if he does not shun evils as sins. Shunning them as sins is shunning them as diabolical and hellish, and thus deadly, and because accordingly there is eternal damnation in them. If a man so regards them, then he believes that there is a hell and a heaven; he also believes that the Lord can remove evils, if he, too, as from himself, makes an effort to remove them. But the things which are shown on this subject in THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM, nos. 108-113, may be seen, to which I will add this: All evils are innately delightful, because man is born into the love of self, and that love delights in all the things that are of his proprium, that is, the things that he wills and thinks. Unless these inbred delights are subdued, everyone remains in them until death; and they are not subdued unless they are regarded as sweet poisons which kill, or as flowers beautiful in appearance but inwardly toxic, that is, unless the delights of the evils are regarded as being fatal, and this until they become undelightful.
* The Latin word proprium means "what is one's own." Swedenborg uses it in a special sense involving what is of the self.

C (Coulson) n. 3

Charity (Coulson) n. 3

3. 2. In so far as anyone does not recognize and know what are sins, he does not see otherwise than that he is without sin. Because of the Word, he knows that he is a sinner, in evils from head to foot, yet he does not really know, because he does not see any sin in himself. Consequently he prays with a ringing voice as it were, he confesses with a ringing voice as it were, and yet inmostly in himself he believes that he is not a sinner. This belief is made evident in the other life; for then he says, "I am pure, I am clean, I am guiltless"; nevertheless, when he is examined, he is impure, unclean, indeed even carrion. It is as if the skin were outwardly clear and soft, [but] the inner parts from the heart itself were diseased; or as if a liquid were, on the surface, like water, but in its depths putrid from stagnation.

C (Coulson) n. 4

Charity (Coulson) n. 4

4. 3. In so far as anyone recognizes and knows what are sins, he can see them in himself, confess them before the Lord, and repent of them.

It is said that he can if he will, and he who believes in eternal life does will. But even so, he ought to think not about the things he does, but about those he wants to do, which, when he believes them allowable, he also does, or, if he does not do them, it is on account of the world. There is an internal effect and* an external effect, or internal and external deed. The external effect or deed proceeds and has existence from the internal effect or deed, just as action from effort. Effort in a man is will; consequently, although he does not do a thing in body, yet if he makes it allowable, then the effort or will remains, and this, in spirit, is action itself. Therefore, recognizing and knowing what his sins are is recognizing and knowing his thoughts, and in them what he makes allowable, and then what he lusts after and favours in his thought. For example, if a man considers whether whoredom is a sin, and what a serious sin it is, whether hatred and acts of revenge are sins, whether thefts and the like, arrogance and pride, contempt also for others, and avarice, are sins; he must then remove any disguises he has cast over them, that is, any confirmations, and let him consult the Word, and he will see.

C (Coulson) n. 5

Charity (Coulson) n. 5

5. Everyone sees that he who acknowledges that a sin is a sin [can see the sins in himself] but he who makes them allowable in thought, and, on account of the world, not allowable in the body, cannot see them. He is like a man turning a mirror upside down to see his face, or like one who wants to see his face putting a piece of linen gauze in front of it.*

* Note on the left-hand margin of the original MS.: "Investigation: 1, If only as to actions it does not find out much, and this does not suffice; the reason; 2, but if as to thoughts and intentions then it finds out more; 3, but if he investigates what he reckons as a sin or as not a sin, then he finds out indeed, For whatever a man makes allowable in himself, that he does. To make allowable is of the will; it is effort, and in spirit is a deed; and he will do it in the body when obstacles are removed. Machiavellians also are such.

C (Coulson) n. 6

Charity (Coulson) n. 6

6. 4. Before repentance, good is spurious good. It is the same with charity, because good is of charity.

For there is evil inwardly with the man, because it has not been opened, and therefore not healed; and genuine good cannot spring from evil. The fountain is impure. The good which springs from evil may, in its outward form, appear good; but within it, is the man, such as he is inwardly. All that the man does thence is an image of him. Before the angels he himself appears in his own image, indeed, outside himself; which I have seen a thousand times. On this account the good which anyone does with the body may appear good before those who see only the external; but within there lies hidden the will and intention, which may be that he wishes to be thought sincere and good, so that he may impose on others for the sake of honour and gain. In a word, it is good that is either merit-seeking, or hypocritical, or diabolical, which is in order to deceive, revenge, kill, etc.; but this good is taken away at death when he is let into his interior things, and it becomes openly evil.

C (Coulson) n. 7

Charity (Coulson) n. 7

7. Every good that a man does to the neighbour is of charity, or is charity. The quality of the charity therefore may be recognized from the three things preceding, namely: 1, To what extent he shuns evils as sins, 2, To what extent he knows and recognizes what are sins; 3, And to what extent he has seen them in himself, confessed them, and repented. These are the indications to anyone of what quality is the charity he has.

C (Coulson) n. 8

Charity (Coulson) n. 8

8. 5. Consequently the "first" of charity is to look to the Lord and shun evils because they are sins.

Every good which a man does to the neighbour for the sake of the neighbour, or for the sake of truth and good, thus for the sake of what is in accordance with the Word, or for the sake of religion, thus for the sake of God, which therefore is from a spiritual love or affection, is called a good of charity, or a good work. This is not good in so far as it derives [anything] from the man, but is good in so far as it is from the Lord* through the man. The Lord does good to everyone, chiefly through others, but yet so that a man scarcely knows otherwise than that it is from himself; and therefore He quite often moves the wicked to do good to others, but from an affection of the love of self and of the world. This good is indeed of the Lord or from the Lord, but the man is not on that account rewarded. But a man is rewarded if he does good, not from a merely natural love or affection, but from a spiritual love or affection. The reward is the heavenly delight of that love and affection, which awaits him in eternity; and this in so far as he does not do it from himself, that is, in so far as he believes that all good is from the Lord, and does not place merit in it.
* The Latin original has ex homine (from the man), but the context demands ex Domino (from the Lord).

C (Coulson) n. 9

Charity (Coulson) n. 9

9. That no one can from himself do good which is good, but that in so far as a man shuns evils as sins, he does goods not from himself but from the Lord, may be seen in THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM, FROM THE PRECEPTS OF THE DECALOGUE, nos. 9-17, and 18-31.

C (Coulson) n. 10

Charity (Coulson) n. 10

10. From these it is evident that before repentance it is charity, the good of which is not from the Lord but from the man; but after repentance it is charity the good of which is not from the man but from the Lord. For the Lord cannot enter with a man, and do any good from Himself through him, before the devil, that is, evil, is cast out, but after he is cast out. The devil is cast out by repentance, and when he is cast out the Lord enters and does good there through the man, yet always in such a way that the man does not perceive otherwise than that he is doing it from himself; though he knows nevertheless that it is from the Lord.

C (Coulson) n. 11

Charity (Coulson) n. 11

11. From these things it is now evident that the "first" of charity is to shun evils as sins, which is done by repentance. Who does not see that an impenitent man is wicked? And who does not see that a wicked man has not charity? And who does not see that he who has not charity cannot do charity? Charity must be from charity in the man.

C (Coulson) n. 12

Charity (Coulson) n. 12

12. In conclusion, let some passages be brought forward from the Word, for example from the Lord's words to the Pharisees, about the internal man having to be purified.

Passages in Isaiah 1.

Some of the passages In THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM, nos. 28-31; also 50-52.

C (Coulson) n. 13

Charity (Coulson) n. 13

13. II
THE "SECOND" OF CHARITY IS TO DO GOODS BECAUSE THEY ARE USES.

To be expounded in this order:

(1) Doing no evil to the neighbour is of charity.

(2) Wishing to do good to the neighbour is of charity.

(3) A man may be doing good, which he believes to be of charity, and all the while not be shunning evil; and yet every evil is contrary to charity.

(4) In proportion as a man does not wish to do evil to the neighbour, he wishes to do good to him; but not the reverse.

(5) Before the good a man does is the good of charity, evil must first be put away, because it is contrary to charity; and this is done by looking to the Lord, and by repentance.

(6) Such as the recognition of evil is, and its consequent putting away by repentance, such is the good which is of charity.

(7) Hence it follows that the "first" of charity is to look to the Lord and shun evils as sins; and that the "second" of charity is to do goods.

C (Coulson) n. 14

Charity (Coulson) n. 14

14. Not wishing to do evil to the neighbour is of charity.

Everyone sees that charity does not do evil to the neighbour, because charity is love towards the neighbour, and he who loves someone is afraid of doing evil to him. There is a conjunction of minds between them. It is because of this that, when he does evil to him to whom he is conjoined by love., it is perceived in his mind as though he were doing evil to himself. Who can do evil to his children, wife, or friends? - For doing evil is contrary to the good of love.

C (Coulson) n. 15

Charity (Coulson) n. 15

15. Who does not see that anyone hating another, acting against him with hostility and animosity, burning with revenge, and desiring his death, is not loving the neighbour? that anyone who would commit whoredom with someone else's wife, who would deflower virgins and abandon them, or violate women, is not loving the neighbour? that he who would plunder and upon one pretext or another steal his goods, who injures another person's reputation by slandering and so bearing false witness, is not loving the neighbour? Nor, indeed, he who covets his house, his wife, or the many other things that are his neighbour's? From which it Is evident that not wishing to do evil to the neighbour is of charity.

C (Coulson) n. 16

Charity (Coulson) n. 16

16. Concerning this Paul writes thus, "Loving the neighbour is fulfilling the law," in two places.*

And elsewhere from the Word:
* Probably Rom. xiii. 8-10, and Gal. v. 14 were intended.

C (Coulson) n. 17

Charity (Coulson) n. 17

17. 2. Wishing to do good to the neighbour is of charity.

This is well known, for it is believed that giving to the poor, succouring the needy, assisting widows and orphans, benefiting ministers, contributing to churches, hospitals, and various pious uses, is of charity; again, that feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, sheltering the stranger, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, going to those bound in prison, and many other things, are good works of charity. But yet they are good only in so far as a man shuns evils as sins. If the man does these good works before shunning evils as sins, they are external, even merit-seeking, because they spring from an impure fountain, and things issuing from such a fountain are inwardly evil. There is the man in them, and the world in them.

C (Coulson) n. 18

Charity (Coulson) n. 18

18. That doing Christian good works is of charity is well known; and many people believe that good cancels out evil, and that so there are not [any] evils with a man, or that they are not regarded; but good does not cancel out evil unless the man thinks about the evils with himself, and repents of them.

C (Coulson) n. 19

Charity (Coulson) n. 19

19. There are many who have so believed, and have supposed that there was no evil with them. When examined, they have confessed that they were full of evils, and that unless they were kept in external things, they could not be saved.

C (Coulson) n. 20

Charity (Coulson) n. 20

20. 3. A man may be doing good, which he believes to be of charity, and all the while not be shunning evil; and yet every evil is contrary to charity.

It is evident that to shun evil [and to do Christian good] are two distinct things; for there are people who do every good of charity from piety and from thinking about eternal life, and all the while they do not know that hating, bearing revenge, committing whoredom, plundering and injuring, slandering, and so bearing false witness, and many [other things, are to be shunned]. There are judges who live piously, and yet do not count it a sin to make their judgments on a basis of friendship, relationship, or with a view to honour and gain; and even if they do know they are evils, they confirm themselves in the belief that they are not. So also do others. In a word, there are two distinct things, shunning evils as sins, and doing Christian good. He who shuns evils as sins does Christian goods, but they who do good and do not shun evils as sins, do not do any Christian good; for evil is contrary to charity, and is therefore to be abolished first before the good which anyone does is accompanied with charity, that is, is of charity. No one is able to do good and at the same time to do evil, or to will good and also evil.

C (Coulson) n. 21

Charity (Coulson) n. 21

21. Every good that in itself is good proceeds from the interior will. From this will, evil is removed by repentance.

*The evil into which a man is born resides there also. Unless, therefore, he repents, evil remains in the interior will, and the good proceeds from the. exterior will, and so his condition is a perverted one. The interior qualifies the exterior, and not the exterior the interior. The Lord says : "Cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter."**
* In the margin: "N.B."
** Matt. xxiii. 26.

C (Coulson) n. 22

Charity (Coulson) n. 22

22. Man has a twofold will, interior and exterior. The interior will is purified by repentance; and then the exterior does good from the interior. Exterior good does not remove the evil of lusting, or evil's root.

C (Coulson) n. 23

Charity (Coulson) n. 23

23. 4. In proportion as a man does not wish to do evil to the neighbour, he wishes to do good to him; but not the reverse.

There is civil good, there is moral good, and there is spiritual good. Good, before a man shuns evils as sins, is civil and moral good; but as a man shuns evils as sins, the good, both civil good and moral good, becomes spiritual as well, but not before.

C (Coulson) n. 24

Charity (Coulson) n. 24

24. Lusting lies hidden within, and its delight is outside. When, therefore, a man thinks from lusting and its delight, either he confirms evil and believes it to be allowed, and so is in evil; or he does not think about any evil with himself, and so believes himself to be sound.

C (Coulson) n. 25

Charity (Coulson) n. 25

25. It is true that a man ought to confess to being a sinner, and that from the head to the sole of the foot there is no soundness in him. This he can say, and say from knowledge; but still he cannot inwardly believe it unless he knows it through investigation. Then he can say these things, and then he first discerns that there is no soundness in him.

In this and in no other way is the ulcer opened and healed. In any other way it is palliative curing.

C (Coulson) n. 26

Charity (Coulson) n. 26

26. Did not the Lord preach repentance; the disciples also; and John the Baptist? Isaiah says that the first thing is to cease from evils, and that then one learns to do good.*

Nor does one know, before that, what is good, or of what quality good is. Evil does not know what is good; whereas good, from knowing what is good, knows evil.
* Isaiah i. 16, 17.

C (Coulson) n. 27

Charity (Coulson) n. 27

27. Before the good a man does is the good of charity, evil must first be put away, because it is contrary to charity; and this is done by repentance.

Since evil must first be known for the reason that it is to be put away, the Decalogue was the "first" of the Word, and in the whole of Christendom is also the " first " of the doctrine of the Church. All are initiated into the Church through knowing evil, and, because it is against God, not doing it.

C (Coulson) n. 28

Charity (Coulson) n. 28

28. Therefore this "first" was so holy, for the reason that no one is able to do Christian good before.

C (Coulson) n. 29

Charity (Coulson) n. 29

29. That good follows, is clearly evident from this:
A judge says, I do not intend to pass judgment from evil,* for various reasons, but justly; and he does good.
* In the margin: "N.B."

C (Coulson) n. 30

Charity (Coulson) n. 30

30. A farmer says, I do not intend to do my work except justly and faithfully; so he does good work.

C (Coulson) n. 31

Charity (Coulson) n. 31

31. So in a thousand other instances; when anyone does not do evil he does good.

C (Coulson) n. 32

Charity (Coulson) n. 32

32. It can therefore be taken as a maxim, that to shun evil as sin is to do good.

C (Coulson) n. 33

Charity (Coulson) n. 33

33. 6. Such as the recognition of evil is, and its consequent putting away by repentance, such is the good which is of charity.

According as a man knows what is more or less evil.
According as he knows the evils of faith and also the evils of life.
And how he desists from them;
And desists from them as he looks to the Lord and believes in Him.

C (Coulson) n. 34

Charity (Coulson) n. 34

34. Examples can teach.
Whether he is such inwardly; then the purer he is; then of better water is the fountain from which his good flows.

C (Coulson) n. 35

Charity (Coulson) n. 35

35. In a word, good to anyone is good in the same degree and of the same kind as evil to him is evil. The one cannot be separated from the other.

C (Coulson) n. 36

Charity (Coulson) n. 36

36. In so far as any one puts off the old man, he puts on the new.

C (Coulson) n. 37

Charity (Coulson) n. 37

37. In so far as anyone crucifies the flesh, he lives in the spirit.

C (Coulson) n. 38

Charity (Coulson) n. 38

38. No one can serve two masters at the same time.

C (Coulson) n. 39

Charity (Coulson) n. 39

39. Recognition involves that what is true and what is false has to be known. Putting away is of the will. Both are of the life.

C (Coulson) n. 40

Charity (Coulson) n. 40

40. 7. Hence it follows that the "first" of charity is to look to the Lord and shun evils because they are sins; and that the "second" of charity is to do goods. An evil man, as well as a good one, can do good. He can help someone in need, can do him many good offices, from goodwill, kindness, friendship, or compassion. But nevertheless these things are not of charity with the one who does them, but with the one to whom the charity is exercised. To outward appearance it is charity.

C (Coulson) n. 41

Charity (Coulson) n. 41

41. When anyone has shunned an evil as a sin several times, then there appears to him only the good that he is doing; and they [that is, the prior shunning of evil and the subsequent doing of good] are with him together. But nevertheless the one must be prior; and the one really is prior and interior.

C (Coulson) n. 42

Charity (Coulson) n. 42

42. III
THE NEIGHBOUR TO BE LOVED IS, IN A SPIRITUAL IDEA, GOOD AND TRUTH.

It is said, "in a spiritual idea", because it is in this that the spiritual man is interiorly, and because the angels are in the same idea. This idea is dissociated from matter, from space and time, and dissociated especially from person.

Arrangement into order:
(1) A man is not a man from the form, but from the good and truth with him, or what is the same, from the will and understanding.
(2) It is therefore the good and truth with a man that is the neighbour to be loved.
(3) The quality of neighbour with a man is in accordance with the quality of the good and truth with him; or such as the man is, such a neighbour is he.
(4) The degree of neighbour is in accordance with the degree of good and truth with the man; and hence one man is not neighbour in the same degree as another.
(5) The good of the internal will is the neighbour to be loved, and not the good of the external will, unless this makes one with it.
(6) Truth is the neighbour in so far as it proceeds from good and makes one with it as a form makes one with its essence.

C (Coulson) n. 43

Charity (Coulson) n. 43

43. 1. A man is not a man from the form, but from the good and truth with him, or what is the same, from the will and understanding.

That the will and understanding are the man himself, not the form, which may appear like a man in face and body, is well known. There are some who are foolish and insane, and yet they appear to be men. There are some so natural that they are like animals, except that they can speak. There are others who are rational, and others who are spiritual. It may even be that the human form of the latter appears less beautiful, yet they are men more than the former. Take good and truth away from them, and there is a human form without a man in it. They are like paintings and sculptures, and like apes.

C (Coulson) n. 44

Charity (Coulson) n. 44

44. It is said, "good and truth, that is, will and understanding," because good is of the will, and truth is of the understanding; for the will is the receptacle of good, and the understanding is the receptacle of truth.

C (Coulson) n. 45

Charity (Coulson) n. 45

45. But yet it is only in their subject that good and truth can be. A thing cannot be separated from its subject; and therefore man is the neighbour; but in a spiritual idea it is good and truth, man being a man from these.

C (Coulson) n. 46

Charity (Coulson) n. 46

46. 2. It is therefore the good and truth with a man that is the neighbour to be loved.

Put in front of you three or ten persons whom you may select for some domestic matter. Do you select otherwise than according to the good and truth with them? It is from the latter that a man is a man.

C (Coulson) n. 47

Charity (Coulson) n. 47

47. If you are selecting someone for your household staff out of ten persons, do you not inquire about his will and understanding?

C (Coulson) n. 48

Charity (Coulson) n. 48

48. The one of them you select is to you the neighbour who is loved. In like manner, a devil-man may, in face, look like an angel-man. Is it not an angel-man that is to be loved, not a devil-man? You do good to an angel-man on account of the good and truth with him, but not to a devil-man. Charity requires that the latter should be punished if he does evil, and the angel-man rewarded.

C (Coulson) n. 49

Charity (Coulson) n. 49

49. If you have in view ten maidens for the purpose of selecting one of them to be your wife, five of whom are harlots and five chaste, do you not select one of the chaste, in accordance with the good in her that agrees with your own?

C (Coulson) n. 50

Charity (Coulson) n. 50

50. 3. The quality of the neighbour with a man is in accordance with the quality of the good [and truth] with him; or such as a man is, such a neighbour is he. The Lord's parable of the man wounded by robbers, where it is said that the one who helped him is neighbour,* teaches that not every man is neighbour in the same way as another.
* Luke X. 29-37.

C (Coulson) n. 51

Charity (Coulson) n. 51

51. He who does not make distinctions in regard to the neighbour in accordance with the quality of the good and truth with him may be deceived a thousand times; his charity becomes confused and at length what is not charity. A devil-man may exclaim, "I am your neighbour: do good to me!" and if you do good to him, he may kill you or others. You are placing a knife or a sword in his hands.

C (Coulson) n. 52

Charity (Coulson) n. 52

52. This is what the simple do. They say, "Every man is equally my neighbour," also "It is not my business to investigate his quality, but this is regarded by God; I must simply help my neighbour." Yet this is not loving the neighbour. He who loves a neighbour from genuine charity finds out what sort of a man he is, and does good to him with discrimination, in accordance with the quality of his good.

C (Coulson) n. 53

Charity (Coulson) n. 53

53. In the other life such simple people are removed from others and kept apart; for if they come among diabolical spirits they are drawn into doing good to them, and into doing evil to the good. The evil cry out, "Set me free, help me!" This* is the very great strength that they acquire for themselves. Without the help of the simple, and as it were conjunction with them, they are not strong at all; but together with those they have deceived by the name of "neighbour," they are strong.
* In the margin: "N.B."

C (Coulson) n. 54

Charity (Coulson) n. 54

54. Genuine charity itself is prudent and wise. The* other charity is spurious, because it is of the will or of good only, and not at the same time of the understanding, or of truth.
* In the margin: "N.B."

C (Coulson) n. 55

Charity (Coulson) n. 55

55. 4. The degree of neighbour is in accordance with the degree of good and truth with the man; and hence one man is not neighbour in the same degree [as another].

Good is distinguished, in accordance with its degrees, into civil good, moral good, and spiritual good.

C (Coulson) n. 56

Charity (Coulson) n. 56

56. The neighbour a man ought to love from charity is spiritual good. Apart from this good there is no charity; for the good of charity is spiritual good, since it is in accordance with that good that, in the case of each one in the heavens, conjunction is effected.

C (Coulson) n. 57

Charity (Coulson) n. 57

57. Moral good, which is human good itself, being the rational good according to which man lives with man as a brother and companion, is the neighbour according to how much it derives from spiritual good. For moral good without spiritual good is external good; it is of the external will, and is not internal good. It may be evil, which ought not to be loved.

C (Coulson) n. 58

Charity (Coulson) n. 58

58. Civil good is the good of a life in accordance with the civil laws; and its beginning and foundation, which is "not to act against those laws," is on account of the penalties. If there is not moral good in this good, and spiritual good within that, then it is no other than the animal good in which beasts are, when kept shut up or chained, towards those who feed, punish, or caress them.

C (Coulson) n. 59

Charity (Coulson) n. 59

59. A man learns these goods in early childhood from the Decalogue. The laws of the Decalogue are first made civil laws, next moral laws, and at length spiritual laws; and then first the goods become goods of charity, in accordance with these degrees.

C (Coulson) n. 60

Charity (Coulson) n. 60

60. Charity itself regards the good of a man's soul first, and loves it as being that by which conjunction is effected. Next, it regards his moral good, and loves that in so far as he lives morally, in accordance with the state of perfection of his reason. And lastly it regards the civil good, in accordance with which a man has his standing in the world. Through his civil good a man is a man of the world; in accordance with his moral good he is a man above the worldly man and lower than the heavenly; but in accordance with his spiritual good he is a man of heaven, or an angel. The associating of men together is effected through this good, and then, according to these degrees, through the goods of the lower degrees. For example: There is the spiritual man who wishes well and does not understand well; and a man who does not understand well does not do well, so that he is scarcely a rational moral man. There is the man who understands well and does not wish well. He is the neighbour according to the understanding. But a man who does not wish well, however well he understands, is not the neighbour.

C (Coulson) n. 61

Charity (Coulson) n. 61

61. In a word, the will makes the neighbour, and the understanding in so far as it is of the will.

C (Coulson) n. 62

Charity (Coulson) n. 62

62. 5. The good of the internal will is the neighbour to be loved, and not the good of the external will, unless this makes one with it.
There is an internal will and an external will; likewise an internal and an external understanding.

C (Coulson) n. 63

Charity (Coulson) n. 63

63. The internal will has conjunction with heaven, and the external will with the world.

C (Coulson) n. 64

Charity (Coulson) n. 64

64. Every good is of the will; and the good-of-charity itself is the good of the internal will.

C (Coulson) n. 65

Charity (Coulson) n. 65

65. It is customary for these to be separated with man; and they are separated to the greatest extent with hypocrites, pretenders, and flatterers for the sake of gain.

C (Coulson) n. 66

Charity (Coulson) n. 66

66. But when those wills make a one, then both the goods make one good, which is the neighbour. These things to be illustrated by means of examples, and comparisons.

C (Coulson) n. 67

Charity (Coulson) n. 67

67. 6. Truth is the neighbour in so far as it makes one with good, and it makes one with it as a form makes one with its essence.

Every form derives its own [character] from an essence; therefore, such as the essence is, such is the form.

C (Coulson) n. 68

Charity (Coulson) n. 68

68. This can be illustrated by the fact that the understanding, regarded in itself, is such as the will is.

C (Coulson) n. 69

Charity (Coulson) n. 69

69. It can be illustrated by sound and speech. And by several other things.

C (Coulson) n. 70

Charity (Coulson) n. 70

70. That truth is good in form, may be seen in THE APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED.*
* See nos. 136, 242:2, 478:2, 725:4.

C (Coulson) n. 71

Charity (Coulson) n. 71

71. From this it is evident that, in a spiritual idea, good is the neighbour to be loved; or a man according to his good.

C (Coulson) n. 72

Charity (Coulson) n. 72

72. IV

THE OBJECT OF CHARITY IS A MAN, ALSO A SOCIETY, ALSO ONE'S COUNTRY, ALSO THE HUMAN RACE; AND ALL ARE THE NEIGHBOUR IN A NARROW AND IN A WIDE SENSE.

That a man is the neighbour is well known. A society is the neighbour because a society is a composite man; one's country is the neighbour because it consists of many societies, and so is a more composite man; and the human race is the neighbour because it is composed of large societies, each one of which is a man in composite form, hence it is a man in the widest sense.

Let these things be explained in this order:

(1) Every individual man is the neighbour according to the quality of his good.

(2) A society, small or large, is the neighbour according to the good of its use.

(3) One's country is the neighbour according to its spiritual, moral, and civil good.

(4) The human race is the neighbour in the widest sense; but, because it is distinguished into empires, kingdoms, and republics, any one of these is a neighbour according to the good of its religion, and according to the good which it performs to one's country and to itself.

C (Coulson) n. 73

Charity (Coulson) n. 73

73. 1. Every individual man is the neighbour according to the quality of his good.

Since, in a spiritual idea, good is the neighbour, and a man is the subject of good, and also the object of him who does good, it follows that in a natural idea a man is the neighbour.

C (Coulson) n. 74

Charity (Coulson) n. 74

74. One man is not the neighbour more than another in respect of his person merely, but in respect of the good from which he is such and such a man; for there are as many differences of neighbour as there are of good, and the differences of good are infinite.

C (Coulson) n. 75

Charity (Coulson) n. 75

75. It is supposed that a brother, a kinsman, or a relation, is more the neighbour than a stranger; and that anyone born in one's country is the neighbour more than one born outside it; but everyone, whether Greek or Gentile, is the neighbour according to his good.

C (Coulson) n. 76

Charity (Coulson) n. 76

76. The neighbour indeed is what everyone is according to spiritual relationship and kinship. This can be seen from the fact that after death every man comes among his own, with whom he is similar in respect of good, or, what is the same, similar in regard to affections. Moreover, natural relationships perish after death, spiritual relationships taking their place; for all in the same heavenly society recognize one another, and are associated together because they are in a similar good. Of ten brothers in the world, five may be in hell, and five in heaven, and the latter five in different societies; and when they meet they do not recognize one another. In fact they are, each one, in face, their own affections. From this it is evident that every man is the neighbour according to the quality of his good.

C (Coulson) n. 77

Charity (Coulson) n. 77

77. The goods according to the quality of which a man is the neighbour are especially spiritual goods. Charity regards these in the first place.

C (Coulson) n. 78

Charity (Coulson) n. 78

78. 2. A society, small or large, is the neighbour according to the good of its use.

Every society in a kingdom is established in accordance with the uses [in that kingdom], which are various. There are societies whose work is to administer justly various civil affairs, which are manifold; various judicial affairs; various affairs relating to the structure of the state; and various ecclesiastical affairs, such as consistories, academies, and schools. There are societies for the advancement of knowledge, which also are several.

C (Coulson) n. 79

Charity (Coulson) n. 79

79. Every society can be regarded no otherwise than as a man in composite form; for which reason it is the neighbour according to the good of use it performs. If a society performs eminent uses, it is the neighbour to a greater extent; if lowly uses, it is the neighbour to a lesser extent; if evil uses, it is the neighbour no otherwise than as a wicked man is; and the good I desire for him is that he may become good, and be provided, so far as is possible, with the means to improve, even though it should be by threats, corrections, penalties, or privations.

C (Coulson) n. 80

Charity (Coulson) n. 80

80. A society having one function cannot be regarded except as one composite man. When a kingdom is regarded as a man, certain persons are called members of the government; but among themselves they constitute one man, whose members are the individuals therein.

C (Coulson) n. 81

Charity (Coulson) n. 81

81. This is the same as in heaven. There every society, small or large, is as one man. It is also presented to view as one man. I have seen an eminent society as one man. The form of heaven is the human form.

C (Coulson) n. 82

Charity (Coulson) n. 82

82. So, too, a society on earth appears as one man before angels in the heavens.

C (Coulson) n. 83

Charity (Coulson) n. 83

83. 3. One's country is the neighbour according to its spiritual, moral, and civil good.

In everyone's idea his country is as it were one thing; and therefore all the laws, both those relating to justice and those relating to the structure of the state, are framed as it were for one man. His country, therefore, is as it were a man in compound form: it is, besides, called a body, in which the king is in the supreme position. Its good, which ought to be considered, is termed the public good and the common good. It is also said of the king that the people are in the body of his government.

C (Coulson) n. 84

Charity (Coulson) n. 84

84. Indeed, when it pleases the Lord, any one kingdom is presented to view before angels in heaven as one man, in the form, moreover, answering to its quality. That form is the form of their spiritual affection; the form of its face being the form of the affection of its spiritual good, and the form of its body being the form of its civil good, while its manners, speech, and the like, are its rational good. When one sees a kingdom as one man, it can be seen such as it really is; and in accordance with this it is the neighbour.

C (Coulson) n. 85

Charity (Coulson) n. 85

85. Birth does not make anyone the neighbour more than another, not even when it is one's mother or father; nor does education. These are estimations from natural good. Nor does kinship nor relationship make anyone a neighbour more than another, thus country does not either. One's country should be loved according to the quality of its good; but it is a duty to do good to it, and this is done by having regard for its use, since one thus has regard for the welfare of all. It is not a duty to do good to other kingdoms outside that one, because kingdom does not desire the good of another, but would like to destroy it as to wealth and power, thus also as to its protection. To love another kingdom more than one's own, therefore, by having more regard for its use, would be contrary to the good of the kingdom one is in; for which reason one's country should be loved in a higher degree.

C (Coulson) n. 86

Charity (Coulson) n. 86

86. Take this example: If I had been born in Venice or Rome, and if I were a Reformed Christian; ought my country, or where I was born, to be loved, for its spiritual good? I cannot love it on that account, nor on account of its moral and civil good in so far as this depends, as it does, on its spiritual good. In so far, however, as it does not depend on this, I can, even though that country hates me. So I must not hate an unfriendly or hostile country, but must still love it, bringing no harm upon it, but having regard for its good, in so far as it has good, but not having such regard to it as to confirm it in its own falsity and evil.

But more about the love of country in another place.

C (Coulson) n. 87

Charity (Coulson) n. 87

87. 4. The human race is the neighbour in the widest sense; but, because it is distinguished into empires, kingdoms, and republics, any one of these is a neighbour according to the good of its religion and of its moral qualities, and according to the good which it performs to one's country, and which makes one with its own good. These subjects are too extensive to be separately elucidated. It is enough that, if some man or other, from some kingdom or other, is at my house, and I am staying in the same house as he is, or I in the same city, to me he is then the neighbour according to his good. It is the same with all in that kingdom whom that particular man resembles. Supposing he is an ambassador of that kingdom, representing his king and therefore the kingdom; it cannot then be denied that to me he is the neighbour according to the good of his religion and of his moral qualities, and according as he wishes good to my country and his own; especially in so far as this makes one with his own good.

C (Coulson) n. 88

Charity (Coulson) n. 88

88. I am not speaking of any other good than the good of charity, and the good of genuine charity. It is possible for wicked people, for robbers and devils even, to love each other mutually, but not from charity, or the good of interior love. But because of their joining in evil-doing, stealing, whoring, taking revenge, killing, and blaspheming, they are neighbours among themselves. These are not meant, however, because charity and its good are treated of here.

C (Coulson) n. 89

Charity (Coulson) n. 89

89. I can love all in the universe according to their religion, not more so those in my native land than those in other kingdoms, nor those in Europe more than those in Africa. I love a Gentile in preference to a Christian, if he lives well according to his religion, if he worships God from the heart, saying, "I will not do this evil because it is against God." I do not love him on account of his doctrine however, but on account of his life; since if I love him on account of his doctrine only, I am loving him as an external man, while if I love him on account of his life, I am loving him as an internal man. For if he has the good of religion, he also has moral good, and civil good as well. They cannot be separated. But he who is only in doctrine cannot have religion. And so his moral and civil good does not have life in it. It is merely external. It wants to be seen, and to be thought to exist.

C (Coulson) n. 90

Charity (Coulson) n. 90

90. V

MAN IS THE SUBJECT OF CHARITY, AND SUCH AS IS THE CHARITY WITH HIM SUCH A SUBJECT OF IT HE IS; AND SUCH IS THE CHARITY HE EXERCISES TOWARDS THE NEIGHBOUR.*

Let these things be explained in this order:

(1) Man was created to be a form of love and wisdom.

(2) At this day, for a man to be man, he ought to be a charity in form.

(3) A man ought to be a charity in form, not from himself but from the Lord; thus he is a receptacle of charity.

(4) A man is a form of charity of such a quality as, with him, good of the will is conjoined to truths of the understanding.

(5) Whatever proceeds from such a man derives from that form that it is a likeness of it; thus it is charity.

(6) The neighbour can be loved from what is not charity; and yet this, regarded in itself, is not loving the neighbour.

(7) He is loving the neighbour, who loves him from the charity in himself.
* In the MS. this heading has been deleted. Cf. 4a in the "Order and Arrangement" in number 1a, and V in "The sections in their series" in number 199.

C (Coulson) n. 91

Charity (Coulson) n. 91

91. 1. Man was created to be a form of love wisdom.

He was created into the image of God, into the likeness of God;* and God is Love Itself and Wisdom Itself.
* Genesis i. 26.

C (Coulson) n. 92

Charity (Coulson) n. 92

92. It is well known that such as a man is by virtue of wisdom, such is the man; but the life of wisdom is love, and love is the essence, and wisdom is the form of love, as is shown in many places in ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING THE DIVINE LOVE AND WISDOM, to which it is not necessary to add more here.

C (Coulson) n. 93

Charity (Coulson) n. 93

93. 2. At this day, for a man to be man, he ought to be a charity in form.

It is said, at this day, because, in the process of time since the first creation, man has become external. For from love to the Lord he has turned away to wisdom. He has eaten of the tree of knowledge, and eaten of wisdom; and internal love is turned into exterior love.

C (Coulson) n. 94

Charity (Coulson) n. 94

94. The third heaven, which is from the first men, is in love and wisdom; whereas the second heaven is from the lower love called charity, and from the wisdom called intelligence. And at length, when man has become altogether external, then his love is called charity, and his wisdom, faith. Such is the state of the Church with men at this day.

C (Coulson) n. 95

Charity (Coulson) n. 95

95. With some there is spiritual love, but not celestial love, and spiritual love is charity; but with them then faith is the truth, and the truth makes the understanding or intelligence.

C (Coulson) n. 96

Charity (Coulson) n. 96

96. By a charity in form is meant that the man's life is a charity, and the form is from his life; but how this is will be told in what follows in the fourth article.

C (Coulson) n. 97

Charity (Coulson) n. 97

97. In heaven an angel appears in form as a charity. The quality of the charity is apparent from the face and is heard from the voice, a man after death becoming his own love, that is, the affection of his own love. Neither spirit nor angel is anything else; indeed, the form of his charity is in fact the spirit or angel himself in respect of his whole body.

By some an angel was seen, and they discerned the form of his charity in each of his members, which is marvellous.

C (Coulson) n. 98

Charity (Coulson) n. 98

98. In the world a man is not a charity in respect of his form, in face, body, or voice, but his mind may be; and after death his mind is a spirit in human form. Nevertheless, a sincere man, who thinks nothing contrary to charity, can be known from his face and voice; with difficulty however, because there exist such hypocrites as are able to imitate to the life, and even to put on, the sincerity of charity. But if an angel looks at his face and hears his voice, he recognizes what he is, not seeing the material covering that is over it, to which, however, a material man pays attention.

C (Coulson) n. 99

Charity (Coulson) n. 99

99. The forms of charity are innumerable, as many as the angels of the second heaven. In number they are unlimited. The varieties of charity are as many as the varieties of the affection of truth from good; and this affection is charity.

C (Coulson) n. 100

Charity (Coulson) n. 100

100. He who is not a form of charity is a form of hatred, or he who is not a form of the affection of truth from good, is a form of the affection of falsity from evil. It is of such that hell consists: they are all varieties of hatred and of lusting.

C (Coulson) n. 101

Charity (Coulson) n. 101

101. As there are genera of affections, and species of these genera, so there are also of charities. There are therefore charities in the plural, and there are degrees of charity of a twofold kind; which degrees are dealt with in ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING THE DIVINE LOVE AND WISDOM, PART III.

C (Coulson) n. 102

Charity (Coulson) n. 102

102. 3. A man ought to be a charity in form, not from himself but from the Lord; thus he is a receptacle of charity.

The life of a man who is to be regenerated is the affection of truth from good, or charity; and that life does not exist except from Life, thus from the Lord who is Life in Himself, as He Himself teaches: that He is "the Way, the Truth, and the Life";* and elsewhere, that "As the Father hath Life in Himself, so hath He given unto the Son to have Life in Himself";** and elsewhere. But, because Life is God, the Divine cannot be appropriated to man, who is finite and created, but it can inflow into, and be adjoined to, a receptacle; just as the eye is not light in itself, but can receive light, and as the ear is not hearing in itself, but is the receptacle for it. So with the rest of the senses. So, also, with the mind and its interior senses.
* John xiv. 6.
** John v. 26.

C (Coulson) n. 103

Charity (Coulson) n. 103

103. Man, therefore, is indeed the subject of charity but a receptive subject, for he is created into form receptive of life, just as the eye is created into a form receptive of light and its objects of sight by means of light; and the ear into a form receptive of sound by means of inflowing sound with its harmonies.

C (Coulson) n. 104

Charity (Coulson) n. 104

104. He who believes he is a form of charity from himself is mistaken; either he believes that he is God, or he believes that the Divine is transfused into him: so he denies God; or, if he does not think this, he places merit in works of charity, and so his external is made a charity, and not his internal; and in that case the Lord cannot dwell with him. The Lord does not dwell in the things of a man's proprium, but in that which is His own. He must dwell in what is Divine, and so He makes the man receptive of the Divine proceeding, which is of charity.

C (Coulson) n. 105

Charity (Coulson) n. 105

105. Man, however, is so created that he may think and will as from himself, and therefore speak and act as from himself; yet it is given him to know that every good of charity and truth of faith is from the Lord. He who does not think according to this truth is not in the light (lux) of truth, but in a fatuous light (lumen), and this, in the light of heaven, is darkness; and as a result he cannot be enlightened in any other truths, except as concerns the memory only, but not as concerns perception, which is faith in its essence.

C (Coulson) n. 106

Charity (Coulson) n. 106

106. From these things it is evident that a man is only a form of charity, and that the charity is of the Lord with him; and that it is given to the man as if he himself were the charity, to the end that he may become the receptacle of it, and so be in reciprocal conjunction, as from himself, though really from the Lord.

C (Coulson) n. 107

Charity (Coulson) n. 107

107. 4. A man is a form of charity of such a quality as, with him, good of the will is conjoined to truths of the understanding.

Everything of the will is called a good, and everything of the understanding a truth, because the will is in the heat of heaven, and the understanding in the light of heaven. And just as the will without the understanding has not any quality, and so cannot be called anything, but takes on a quality and becomes something in the understanding, and becomes of such and such a quality, or is something or other, according to what is in the understanding; - so it is in the case of a good without truth, and a good with truth.

C (Coulson) n. 108

Charity (Coulson) n. 108

108. Genuine truths should be learned therefore: with them the good of the will conjoins itself, and thus does the good of the will become the good of charity.

C (Coulson) n. 109

Charity (Coulson) n. 109

109. It is in this way, that is, from the truths in the understanding, that every variety of charity originates; for a truth in its essence is a good, the truth being the form of the good, precisely as speech is the voice's form. Let this be illustrated.

C (Coulson) n. 110

Charity (Coulson) n. 110

110. There are two forms of the voice; the one of singing, the other of speech; likewise of the affection of truth from good, or of charity. Let these things be treated of. N.B.

C (Coulson) n. 111

Charity (Coulson) n. 111

111. This being so, it is accordingly said that charity is the affection of truth from good, or the affection of spiritual truth. From this comes the affection of rational or moral truth, and the affection of civil or natural truth.

C (Coulson) n. 112

Charity (Coulson) n. 112

112. It is in consequence of this that they who are in charity are in light, or, if they are not in it, that they love light. Light is truth and heat is good; and it is well known that all quickening and fructification is from good by means of truth; so also is spiritual quickening and fructification.

C (Coulson) n. 113

Charity (Coulson) n. 113

113. Those who are not in charity, however, do not love truth in the light, but they are able to love truth in the shade; and this truth is what the truth of faith is at the present day, that is, that it ought to be believed to be true, although it is not seen to be so with the understanding. In this way, indeed, falsity may be called truth, and, from its confirmation, may be called* truth; as is done.
* The MS. here reads "called" (vocari), but the context suggests that "believed" (credi) may have been intended.

C (Coulson) n. 114

Charity (Coulson) n. 114

114. 5. Whatever proceeds from such a man derives from that form that it is a likeness of it; thus it is charity.

There are three things that proceed; there is thought, there is speech, and there is action. From a man who is a form of charity, there proceeds thought from the affection that is charity, speech from the voice which is of affection, and in which there is the affection of the thought, and action by means of a movement in which there is charity. This movement proceeds from effort; and the affection of the thought makes the effort.

C (Coulson) n. 115

Charity (Coulson) n. 115

115. The form of charity is first of all in his interior perception, which proceeds from the heat and light of the Spiritual. There, indeed, the man himself is a man. Out of that, charity is brought forth into the resulting or lower things; it both puts itself forth and brings itself into effect, scarcely otherwise than as there is produced from a seed the shoot and, little by little, the tree, the tree becoming as it were a tree in permanent being; while its fruits are the good works that are done, from the will Of good through the understanding of truth, in the body. And so the tree first has existence.

C (Coulson) n. 116

Charity (Coulson) n. 116

116. Its inmost form is like seed. It is well known that no other thing can spring from a seed than what is of that stock. It is the same with all, though with much variation; but still both the twig and the branch with fruit on them, are recognized as being from that tree.

C (Coulson) n. 117

Charity (Coulson) n. 117

117. Whatever, therefore, a man does who inwardly is a charity, is from his charity, although his deeds and speech and thoughts are of unlimited variety. All the things he brings forth are as it were images of him under differing forms, in all which, however, there is a common form, as the plane out of which they are (ex quo).*
* The following note is on the left-hand margin of the original MS. opposite nos. 117-122: "There is a compassion of charity, a clemency of charity, a friendship of charity, a good-will of charity, a modesty of charity: in a word, all virtues are of charity, but they come another name, and so under another category.

C (Coulson) n. 118

Charity (Coulson) n. 118

118. For this reason it happens that, if only a man's ruling affection is known, then, when he is saying or doing anything, another recognizes from what purpose and from what love, as it were from what fountain, it springs. The Lord says that an evil tree bringeth forth evil fruit, and a good tree good fruit, and that an evil tree cannot bring forth good fruit.*
* Matt. vii. 17, 18; Luke vi. 43.

C (Coulson) n. 119

Charity (Coulson) n. 119

119. A man's life is in everything he wills and thinks, in everything he says, and in everything he does. No one can carry out any action from life other than his own; all these things are effects of his life; and therefore there is the likeness.

C (Coulson) n. 120

Charity (Coulson) n. 120

120. In the spiritual world all affections are imaged forth variously, as trees, gardens, birds, animals: in these, when inmostly inspected, there is seen to be an image of the man; they are representatives of him.

C (Coulson) n. 121

Charity (Coulson) n. 121

121. In a word, there is an image of the man in each and every one of these things.

C (Coulson) n. 122

Charity (Coulson) n. 122

122. 6. The neighbour can be loved from what is not charity; and yet this, regarded in itself, is not loving the neighbour.

Let examples illustrate. An evil man can love a good man, and yet not in himself love good. Of a gentile, who says he will do his work faithfully because God so wills, one can say, "This is a man an atheist can love." When anyone who does not love his country hears someone else speaking and knows that he does love his country, he can as it were love him for it. He listens to him, saying to himself, "He is good at heart; he speaks from love," paying heed to him. I have heard hundreds pay heed to a man reputed to love his country, and scarcely ten of them were men who loved their country. The same can be the case with anyone who, hearing a preacher, says that he speaks from God, out of zeal for their souls; and these who do not love God at all, and believe nothing, are affected all the same while hearing him, and they praise him, and love him, and send him gifts. Every sincere man is loved by some who are insincere; every truthful man is loved by some liars; the faithful man by the unfaithful; the chaste man who loves his wife, by the unchaste; and so on.

C (Coulson) n. 123

Charity (Coulson) n. 123

123. However, this happens with every one while paying attention in a general way; but as soon as general perception passes away, then the light passes away too. This takes place when he submits the matter to the observation of his lower thought, and considers whether it is so or not. Into this thought there inflows light from the man or the world, whereas into general thought there inflows light out of heaven. This light inflows into man's intellectual continually, if only he does not let himself down into his own light; for, if he is that kind of man, he then extinguishes the light of heaven. All men have a general perception of truth; but the love of what is lower casts a man down precipitately into perception from the proprium. This perception is a material communicating with the sight of the eye. It is phantasy or imagination.

C (Coulson) n. 124

Charity (Coulson) n. 124

124. 7. He loves the neighbour, who does so from the charity in himself.

He conjoins himself with his neighbour's good and not with his person; and therefore, if the person departs from good, he does not love him. This conjunction, however, is a spiritual conjunction, because the neighbour, in a spiritual idea, is good.

C (Coulson) n. 125

Charity (Coulson) n. 125

125. Consequently, for a man to love the neighbour, he must be a charity in form.

C (Coulson) n. 126

Charity (Coulson) n. 126

126. [VI]

A MAN IS BORN TO THE END THAT HE MAY BECOME A CHARITY; BUT HE CANNOT BECOME A CHARITY UNLESS HE CONSTANTLY DOES THE GOOD OF USE TO THE NEIGHBOUR FROM AFFECTION AND DELIGHT.

General explanation in this order:

(1) The general good exists from the goods of use the individuals each perform; and the goods of use they each perform subsist from the general good.

(2) Ministries, functions, offices, and various employments are the goods of use the individuals each perform, from which the general good exists.

(3) All the offices and employments in a kingdom, commonwealth, or community, regarded as to the goods of use, make a form which corresponds to the heavenly form.

(4) They also make a form which corresponds to the human form.

(5) In this form, each one is a good of use in accordance with the scope of his office or employment.*
* Sections 4 and 5 represent in each case the Author's second version, as shown by crossed out passages in the MS. A sixth section, which has been scored out, is substantially the same as the heading of chapter VII, number 158.

C (Coulson) n. 127

Charity (Coulson) n. 127

127. 1. The general good exists from the goods of use the individuals each perform; and the goods of use they each perform subsist from the general good.

They are termed goods of use because all the goods which are of love towards the neighbour, or of charity, are uses, and all uses are goods, and therefore are named in one term, goods of use. They are also called fruits of use.

C (Coulson) n. 128

Charity (Coulson) n. 128

128. It is well known that every man is born to perform uses, and that he does perform uses to others. He who does not is, indeed, called a useless member, and rejected: he who performs uses to himself alone is also a useless member, although not so called. In a well constituted commonwealth, therefore, provision is made that no one shall be useless: if any one is useless, he is driven to some work; even a beggar is, if he is healthy.

C (Coulson) n. 129

Charity (Coulson) n. 129

129. Infants and children, so long as they are under nurses and masters, are not, indeed, performing goods of use, but yet they are learning to perform them, and should have them for an end. Then the good of use is in the end. For a house to be built, the materials must first be obtained, and the foundation laid, and the walls erected; and so finally the house is inhabited. The good of a house is the dwelling in it.

C (Coulson) n. 130

Charity (Coulson) n. 130

130. The general good consists of these things: That in a society or kingdom there should be 1. What is Divine among them. 2. What is just among them. 3. What is moral among them. 4. Diligence, skill, and uprightness among them. 5. The necessaries for life. 6. The necessaries for all kinds of work. 7. The necessaries for protection. 8. Sufficient wealth, because these three kinds of necessaries are procured with it.

C (Coulson) n. 131

Charity (Coulson) n. 131

131. The general good is from these things, coming not from the things themselves, but from each of the individuals there, and through the goods of use which they each perform - as what is Divine is indeed there by means of ministers, and what is just by means of governors and judges; as what is moral is there by means of what is Divine and what is just; and as necessaries are there by means of all kinds of work and commerce; and so on.

C (Coulson) n. 132

Charity (Coulson) n. 132

132. It is well known that every general is constituted of particulars. That is why it is called a general. Such, therefore, as the parts are, such is the general. A garden in general is of such a quality as are its trees and their fruits; meadows in general are of such a quality as are their crops; fields in general are of such a quality as their seed and its herbs and flowers; a ship in general is of such a quality as all its parts, which are several. The order among the parts, and the quality of the parts, causes the general to be more perfect or more imperfect.

C (Coulson) n. 133

Charity (Coulson) n. 133

133. That the goods of use which individuals each perform subsist from the general good, is well known; for each one derives his own good of use from the general. All things necessary for life, industries, and protection, and the wealth by which these necessaries are obtained, are from this; for by a general is meant not only a community and its society, but a whole region, and also a kingdom. But as these subjects are very extensive, they will be more clearly set forth in what follows; for there are many varieties, which however always agree with this law.

C (Coulson) n. 134

Charity (Coulson) n. 134

134. 2. Ministries, functions, offices, and various occupations are the goods of use the individuals each perform, from which the general good exists. By ministries are meant the activities of the priesthood and the duties connected with them; by functions are meant various civil positions; and by employments are meant occupations like those of the several kinds of craftsmen, by offices are meant various professions, businesses, and positions of service. Of these four the commonwealth, or society, consists.

C (Coulson) n. 135

Charity (Coulson) n. 135

135. Those who are in ministries are responsible for what is Divine being there; the functions of those in the various civil positions for what is just being there, and also what is moral, as well as diligence, skill, and uprightness; the various workmen for the necessaries for life, and business men for the necessaries for all kinds of work; soldiers, for protection, and this last especially to ensure sufficient wealth; also farmers.

C (Coulson) n. 136

Charity (Coulson) n. 136

136. Every one may know that the general good is in accordance with the goods of every kind, the industries, the pursuits.

C (Coulson) n. 137

Charity (Coulson) n. 137

137. 3. All the offices and employments, regarded as to the goods of use, make a form which corresponds to the heavenly form.

The heavenly form is such that everyone there is in some ministry, some function, in some office or employment, and in some work. All heavenly societies are such that no one there is useless. He who does no work, wanting to live in idleness, or only to talk, walk about, and sleep, is not tolerated there. All things there are so ordered that they are allotted a place nearer or further from the centre, in accordance with their use. The nearer to the centre, the more magnificent are the palaces; the further from the centre, the less magnificent are they. They are different in the east, the west, the south, and the north. Every one, on coming into a society, is initiated into his occupation, and is allotted a house corresponding to his work. Every society is a series of affections, in the order of the heavens.

C (Coulson) n. 138

Charity (Coulson) n. 138

138. Every one there is delighted with his own pursuit; it is the source of his delight. They shun idleness as one would a plague. The reason is this, that every one there does his work as from the love of use, and so has heart-felt delights; the love of use inflows out of the general body into him. From a heavenly society, in the first instance, it was given me to know that not only do the individuals, disposed in accordance with the varieties of their affections, make the general good, but that every one derives his own good from the general good.

C (Coulson) n. 139

Charity (Coulson) n. 139

139. So it is on earth; for in this way an earthly society corresponds to a heavenly society; and when it corresponds, then what is Divine is there, what is just is there, what is moral and upright is there, good sense is there, diligence is there. The general inspires these things into each of the parts, when the part, which is an angel, is in charity.

C (Coulson) n. 140

Charity (Coulson) n. 140

140. The necessaries for life and for all kinds of work, and also riches, and especially enjoyment and happiness, are given to him out of the general body, in the measure that he is a charity.

C (Coulson) n. 141

Charity (Coulson) n. 141

141. But people do not know this on earth, where everyone places delight and good fortune in honours and wealth. Those who do so on earth become mean and poor, and carry on an existence in the hells; while he who applies himself to some occupation from an affection of charity, comes into a heavenly society.

C (Coulson) n. 142

Charity (Coulson) n. 142

142. In a heavenly society there are functions, offices, and occupations innumerable, all spiritual, which might indeed be described, but not so as to be apprehended.

C (Coulson) n. 143

Charity (Coulson) n. 143

143. 4. They also make a form which corresponds to the human form.

It is similar in the human body. There, all the parts are goods of use in a most perfect form. And as they are in a most perfect form, they are felt as a one; nevertheless they are all different, and in each of these there are different things in their own series and their own order. There are the five organs of sense, the several viscera, the organs of generation, several in each sex; there are the external members; there are still more things of the mind, that is, of the will and the understanding.

C (Coulson) n. 144

Charity (Coulson) n. 144

144. The general things in the body are the heart and the lungs. Their actions inflow into all parts of the body, organs, viscera, and members. In the mind, it is the will and the understanding that are the general things. The general things there look to the individual things as their parts from which it subsists; and the general looks to the parts from which it exists.*
* There is a crossing out in this sentence, from which a confusion has arisen. Possibly Swedenborg meant to write, "The general things there look to the individual things as their parts from which they exist, and the parts look to the general from which they subsist," which would agree with what is said elsewhere.

C (Coulson) n. 145

Charity (Coulson) n. 145

145. All things there are formed from use, in use, and for use; they are all forms of use.

C (Coulson) n. 146

Charity (Coulson) n. 146

146. In the living [animali] body the form of government is such that any one part draws its portion from the general, and it takes care that the general gives to the part, so that it may subsist. The heart gives blood to each of the parts throughout the body; and any one of these, as it has need of it, takes what suits it, and surrenders something from its own store. In a word, the, form is a wonderful one.

C (Coulson) n. 147

Charity (Coulson) n. 147

147. There is the heavenly form of use in it; as is confirmed by the fact that any one heavenly society is like a man; moreover, it appears like a man. The uses there make that man, because the form of a heavenly society corresponds to the form of the living [animalis] body in respect of its uses.

C (Coulson) n. 148

Charity (Coulson) n. 148

148. The heavenly form is, in the least things and in the greatest things, a man; consequently the entire heaven is a Man, every society is a man, each individual angel is a man. This is because the Lord, from whom is heaven, is Man.*
* In the MS. here, following a crossed out draft of subsection 5, there is the statement, "Man is a form of heaven . . ." An examination of the MS. shows that most probably it should have been deleted.

C (Coulson) n. 149

Charity (Coulson) n. 149

149. 5. In this form, each one is a good of use in accordance with the scope of his office or employment.

Charity is nothing else than the affection of truth from good, and the affection of truth from good is the affection of use. For unless the affection of truth from good is brought into act, it perishes; and an act therefrom is a use.

C (Coulson) n. 150

Charity (Coulson) n. 150

150. Genuine truth, the affection of which is charity, looks to nothing else than life with the neighbour; and therefore, the affection of truth from good is nothing else. The good from which this affection is, is a desiring to do, and a desiring to know for the sake of doing; otherwise it is not the genuine good from which truth is.

C (Coulson) n. 151

Charity (Coulson) n. 151

151. When, therefore, a man is a use, or a good of use, he is also a charity.

C (Coulson) n. 152

Charity (Coulson) n. 152

152. And when that is the case, the man is said to be a charity in form; indeed he is an image of it. All things in that man are of charity; for when the man himself is, in general, breathing forth use, he is doing so in every particular as well. His life and his soul become a love of use, or an affection of use.

C (Coulson) n. 153

Charity (Coulson) n. 153

153. And then the man is looking inwardly to the Lord, and outwardly to his work.

C (Coulson) n. 154

Charity (Coulson) n. 154

154. 6. A man is born to the end that he may become a charity; but he cannot become a charity unless he constantly does the goods of use to the neighbour from affection and its delight.

In the following article it will be stated how a man is to do the good of use constantly to the neighbour, and this from affection and its delight.

C (Coulson) n. 155

Charity (Coulson) n. 155

155. He who places charity in good deeds alone cannot do this constantly.

C (Coulson) n. 156

Charity (Coulson) n. 156

156. And unless constant uses are done, a break in the continuity is brought about; and during this interval he may turn aside to all loves and the lustings therefrom, and thus not only be discontinuing his charity, but also get drawn away from uses. In this way the charity perishes, by reason of its opposites; and he serves two masters.*
* Matt. Vi. 24; Luke xvi.13.

C (Coulson) n. 157

Charity (Coulson) n. 157

157. It is possible, indeed, for a man to do the good of use from an affection of glory, honour, and gain, and from the delights of these; but in that case he is not a charity, but a lusting; thus he is not a form of heaven, but a form of hell. Even in hell every one is compelled to do good work; but not from an affection of it; he is compelled to do it.

C (Coulson) n. 158

Charity (Coulson) n. 158

158. VII

EVERY MAN WHO LOOKS TO THE LORD AND SHUNS EVILS AS SINS BECOMES A FORM OF CHARITY, PROVIDED THAT HE HONESTLY, JUSTLY, AND FAITHFULLY CARRIES OUT THE WORK OF HIS OCCUPATION OR EMPLOYMENT.

This follows as consequent upon the preceding law, that man is born in order to become a charity, and he cannot become a charity unless he constantly does the good of use from affection and delight. When, therefore, a man honestly, justly, and faithfully, carries out the work of his occupation or employment from affection and its delight, he is continually in the good of use, not only towards the community or state, but also towards particular sections thereof and towards private individuals. But he cannot do this unless he looks to the Lord and shuns evils as sins; for, as shown above, the "first" of charity is to look to the Lord and shun evils as sins, and the "second" of charity is to do goods [no. 40]. Moreover, the goods he does are the goods of use he is doing every day; and when he is not doing them, he has it in mind to do them. There is an interior affection abiding inwardly, and desiring it. It is owing to this that, all the time, from morning to evening, from year to year, from his earliest age to the end of his life, he is in the good of use. He cannot otherwise become a form of charity, that is, a receptacle of it.

C (Coulson) n. 159

Charity (Coulson) n. 159

159. Something shall now be said concerning charity in the case of the priest, the governor, and the officials under them; the judge, the commander of an army, and the officers under him; the common soldier; the business man, the workman, the farmer, the ship's captain and the sailor, and servants.

C (Coulson) n. 160

Charity (Coulson) n. 160

160. Charity in the case of the Priest.

If he looks to the Lord and shuns evils as sins, and honestly, justly, and faithfully does the work of the ministry he is charged with, he is doing a good of use continually, and becomes a charity in form. But he does this good of use or the work of the ministry honestly, justly, and faithfully, when it is the salvation of souls that affects him; and in proportion as this affects him, truths affect him, because by them he is to lead souls to heaven; and he is leading souls to heaven by means of truths when he leads them to the Lord. His love is then diligently to teach truths from the Word, because when he teaches them from the Word he is teaching them from the Lord. For the Lord not only is the Word (John i. 1, 2, 14), but He is also the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John xiv. 6), and He is the Door. He, therefore, who enters into the sheepfold through the Lord as the door, is a good shepherd; but he who does not enter into the sheepfold through the Lord as the door, is a bad shepherd, who is called a thief and a robber (John X. 1-9).

C (Coulson) n. 161

Charity (Coulson) n. 161

161. Charity in the case of Governors.

By governors are meant those holding the highest positions in kingdoms, commonwealths, provinces, cities, societies, over which they have jurisdiction in civil affairs. Each one of them in his own position, if he looks to the Lord and shuns evils as sins, and if he honestly, justly, and faith fully carries out the work of his exalted function, is continually doing a good of use to the community and to the individuals in it, and becomes a charity in form. And this takes place when the good of the subjects or citizens affects him; and when this affects him, it moves him to enact, together with those who are wise and God-fearing, laws of use, to see that they are kept, and to be first in living subject to them; also, to appoint over the groups of people under him officials, who are intelligent and at the same time of good will, through whom, under his supervision, judgment and justice may prevail, and the general good always be promoted. He will regard himself as the highest in rank of those serving others, and not as the head, for the head directs all things of its body from love and wisdom in itself; and Love and Wisdom in itself is the only Lord, by whom he, too, as a servant, will be directed. 44

C (Coulson) n. 162

Charity (Coulson) n. 162

162. Charity in the case of Officials under them.

By officials under governors are meant those who are appointed by them over groups of the people to fulfil various necessary and useful functions. Each one of them, if he looks to the Lord and shuns evils as sins, and if he honestly, justly, and faithfully carries out the work of his office, becomes a charity in form, because he is doing goods of use continually, while at work, and also when not at work; for then an affection for doing them becomes established in his mind [animus], and the affection for doing the goods of use is charity in its life. What affects him is the use, and not the honour, except for the sake of the use. Under every official there is, in accordance with the scope of his jurisdiction, a sort of lesser general good subordinate to the greater and greatest general good, which is that of the kingdom or republic. When an official who is a charity is doing his own work honestly, justly, and faithfully, he is taking thought for the lesser general good which is that of his contribution, and in this way he is taking thought for the greater, and the greatest, general good. Moreover, it is the same with the official as with the governor already treated of, the only difference being that which exists between what is greater and what is less, what is wide and what is narrow, what is extended to uses in a general way, and what is extended to them in a particular way. In addition, the one kind of extension is dependent on the other, as a retinue of servants is dependent.

C (Coulson) n. 163

Charity (Coulson) n. 163

163. Charity in the case of Judges.

If they look to the Lord and shun evils as sins, and if they deliver judgments of justice, they become charities in form, because they are doing goods of use both to the community and to the individuals in it, thus to the neighbour. And they are doing them continually while executing judgment, and also when not doing so, because they think from what is just, they speak from what is just, and they act from what is just; for what is just is of their affection; and, in a spiritual sense, is the neighbour. He executes judgment on all from what judgement is just, and at the same time impartially; for these cannot be separated. Indeed he is then executing judgment in accordance with the law, for every law has these two principles for its end; and so, when a cunning- man tries to pervert the meaning of the law, he dismisses the suit. In coming to a judgment he considers it to be a sin to have regard to friendship, or a bribe, or relationship, or authority, or any advantage other than that every one who lives according to the laws shall be protected and a sin if, when pronouncing a just judgment the justice is not in the first place [with him], but in the second. The judgments of a just judge are all judgments of charity, even when he inflicts a fine or a penalty on the guilty evil; for in this way he is amending them, and guarding against their doing harm to other guiltless people, who are the neighbour; for he is like a father who, if he loves his children, corrects them when they do wrong.

C (Coulson) n. 164

Charity (Coulson) n. 164

164. Charity in the case of the Commander of an Army.

By the commander of an army is meant its highest officer, whether he is the king or the archduke, or a commander appointed by either of them, who is holding the command-in-chief. If he looks to the Lord and shuns evils as sins, and if he acts honestly, justly, and faithfully in the affairs, of his generalship and command, he is doing the goods of use that are goods of charity. And because he is constantly meditating upon them, applying himself to them, and carrying them into effect, he becomes a charity. If he is the king or the archduke, he does not love war, but peace, and continues to love it during war. He only goes to war for the protection of his country, and thus he is not an aggressor but a defender; afterwards, indeed, when war has been commenced, he also is an aggressor, so long as aggression is defense. In battle, unless by birth he is of another nature, he is brave and active; after battle, mild and merciful. In battle he would fain be a lion; but after battle, a lamb. Inwardly in himself he does not exult in the slaughter of the enemy and the honour of victory, but in the deliverance of his country and his own people from hostile invasion and the resulting ruin and destruction. He acts prudently, he faithfully looks after his army as the father of a family looks after his children and servants, he loves each one of them according as he does his work honestly and actively; besides several like things. Cunning is not cunning with him, but prudence.

C (Coulson) n. 165

Charity (Coulson) n. 165

165. Charity in the case of Officers under the Commander of an Army.

They can each one become a charity, that is, an angel of heaven, if they look to the Lord and shun evils as sins, and carry out the duties of their command honestly, justly, and faithfully. For in this way they, too, are constantly doing the goods of use that are of charity; for their minds are in them, and when the mind is constantly in goods of use, it becomes a form of charity. For each one, his country is the neighbour; in a spiritual idea he is the protection of it, and its security from invasion and destruction. He is not triumphant with false claims of what he has not merited; nor is he triumphant over what he has merited: he thinks the latter is his duty, and this makes him contented in spirit and not boastful. In war he loves the soldiers under him, according to their activity, honesty, and obedience; he looks after them, and wishes well to them as to himself, they being victims in the glory he has from his use. For officers can have a glory from their use and a glory from their rank. Those who are charities have a glory from their use, but not from their rank. The other things in his case are similar to those in the case of the commander of an army, already treated of, differing only in accordance with the extent of his command. I have seen such officers in a higher heaven; and I have seen officers who were not such, in hell.

C (Coulson) n. 166

Charity (Coulson) n. 166

166. Charity in the case of the Common Soldier.

If he looks to the Lord and shuns evils as sins, and does his duty honestly, justly, and faithfully, he also becomes a charity; there being in this respect no distinction of persons. For he is averse to unjust plunderings; he detests unjust bloodshed. In battle it is another thing: then he is not averse to it, for then he does not think of it, but of the enemy as an enemy, who desires his blood. His fury dies away when he hears the sound of the drum calling him to cease from the slaughter. After victory he looks upon the prisoners as the neighbour according to the quality of their good. Before battle he raises his mind [animus] to the Lord, and commends his life into His hand; and after having done this, he brings his mind [animus] down again from its elevation into the body, and becomes brave; while in his mind [animus] above his bravery the thought of the Lord continues to abide, though he is not then aware of it. And then if he dies, he dies in the Lord; if he lives, he lives in the Lord.

C (Coulson) n. 167

Charity (Coulson) n. 167

167. Charity in the case of the Business Man.

If he looks to the Lord and shuns evils as sins, and carries on his business honestly, justly, and faithfully, he becomes a charity. He acts with prudence of his own, as it were, though trusting all the while in Divine Providence; consequently he is not depressed in misfortunes, nor is he filled with pride in successes. He thinks of the morrow, and yet he does not think of it. He thinks of what will have to be done on the morrow, and how it should be done; yet he does not think of the morrow, because he attributes the future to Divine Providence and not to his own prudence: even his own prudence he attributes to Divine Providence. He loves transacting business as the principal part of his occupation, and loves money as the instrument of it; and he does not make the money the principal thing, and the business the instrumental, as the majority of the Jews do. Thus he loves the work, which is in itself a good of use, and does not love the means more than the work. He does not indeed make this distinction, but they are nevertheless so distinguished when he looks to the Lord and shuns evils as sins. For he shuns avarice, which is an evil, and the root of more evils. He loves the general good while loving his own good; for in this the general good lies, as the root of a tree hiding itself underground, out of which, nevertheless, the tree grows, and blossoms and bears fruit. Not that he gives the general good more, out of his own, than is due; but because the public good is also his fellow-citizen's good having its existence from the latter, and he loves his fellow-citizens from the charity of which he is a form. No one can know the hidden things of charity in himself, because he does not see them: but the Lord sees them.

C (Coulson) n. 168

Charity (Coulson) n. 168

168. Charity in the case of Workmen.

By workmen are meant labourers and artisans of various kinds. These, if they look to the Lord and shun evils as sins, and if they do their work honestly, justly, and faithfully, become forms of charity, each one according as he loves his work, and applies himself to it. For the things they have to do are goods of use, of service to the neighbour for various necessities and utilities, such as food, clothing, habitation, protection, preservation, enjoyment, and several other things; they are also of advantage to the commonwealth. Every workman, according as he puts his mind to his work and labour, from the love of it, is, in respect of affection and thought about it, in it; and to the extent that he is in it, he is kept from thinking and loving vanities, and so may be led by the Lord to the thinking and loving of goods, and also to the thinking and loving of the means to good, which are truths. The case is otherwise with a man who is not intent upon any work. Every workman who looks to the Lord and shuns evils as sins, shuns idleness, because it is the devil's couch; he shuns dishonesty and fraud; he shuns luxury and intemperance. He is industrious, honest, sober, content with his lot, and does his work for the neighbour as for himself, because in doing it he is loving himself and him in equal degree.

C (Coulson) n. 169

Charity (Coulson) n. 169

169. Charity in the case of Farmers.

Farmers, that is, husbandmen and vinedressers, if they look to the Lord and shun evils as sins, and do their work honestly, justly, and faithfully, become charities in respect of their spirits, and after death, when they become spirits, they are in a form of charity; and that form is a human form, in which latter form all are after death. Such farmers rise early in the morning, arrange their work, devote themselves wholeheartedly to their tasks, are unwearied at work, and cheerful as a result of it. After work they are thrifty, sober, and alert. At home with their families they act according to what is just; outside with others, according to what is honest. They regard the civil laws of justice, such as those of the Decalogue, as Divine, and obey them. They love their fields and vineyards, because of their crops; and they love the crops because they are blessings, and give thanks to the Lord for them, and so they are continually looking to the Lord.

C (Coulson) n. 170

Charity (Coulson) n. 170

170. Charity in the case of Ship-captains.

Ship-captains, either entrusted with ships and the merchandise therein, or owning them, also become charities if they look to the Lord and shun evils as sins, and do their work honestly, justly, and faithfully. Their work is a greater good of use than many others, because by means of it there is effected a communication and as it were a conjunction of the whole globe with its parts, and of the parts with the whole. And this important work becomes a good of use, which is a good of charity in them, when they act prudently to the best of their knowledge, when, keeping watchful and sober, they carry out their duties assiduously, so that the voyage may be successful, do not rashly expose themselves to dangers, nor lose hope when they encounter unforeseen dangers, and afterwards when they have reached safety, they render praise and thanks to the Lord. They are just and honest in their dealings with the sailors, faithful towards the owners of the ship, and just in their dealings with the foreigners at whose port their ship calls. They have nothing to do with pirates; they are content with their pay, and with any gains over and above it that are lawful. Because seafaring men who are charities look to the Lord and shun evils as sins, and do their work honestly, justly, and faithfully, they are more devout in their morning and evening prayers and hymns than those whose life is spent on the land, for they trust in Divine Providence more than these do. I counsel seafarers henceforth to pray to the Lord, because He is the God of heaven and earth and sea . . .*
* In the MS. the end of this line and another line are partly torn away and partly indecipherable. The Scripture references given are probably "Matt. xxviii. 18; John iii. 35, xvii. 2; Matt. xi. 27," as in H.D. 291.

C (Coulson) n. 171

Charity (Coulson) n. 171

171. Charity in the case of Sailors.

Sailors also become charities if they look to the Lord and shun evils as sins, while doing their work honestly, justly, and faithfully. For when they shun evils as sins they are shunning the devil, the devil being evil itself; and in that case they are accepted by the Lord; and the goods they then do they are doing from the Lord. And in no other way do they do goods continually than in the work they are called upon to do, which is seamanship. That work is a good work, because it is a good of use; and having love towards the neighbour, or charity, is nothing else than doing a good of use. Moreover, when they shun the devil and are accepted by the Lord, they do not commit the evils that are listed in the Decalogue; that is, they do not kill, they do not commit adultery, they do not steal, they do not bear false witness; for no one who loves the neighbour does these things. For anyone who hates the neighbour so much that he would like to kill him, is not loving him; anyone wanting to commit adultery with someone else's wife, is not loving the neighbour; anyone wanting to steal and plunder his goods, is not loving the neighbour; anyone who bears false witness against him, is not loving the neighbour; and so on. These fire the evils that they who look to the Lord specially shun. Then, also, they are not afraid of death, because if they die, they die in the Lord, and come into heaven; and in heaven they all love one another like brothers or like companions, and render each other mutual services. I exhort sailors also, as I have just exhorted the ship-captain, to approach the Lord and pray to Him; for none other is God of heaven, earth, and sea.

C (Coulson) n. 172

Charity (Coulson) n. 172

172. Charity in the case of Servants.

Servants, just the same as masters, become charities, that is, angels, when they look to the Lord and shun evils as sins, and carry out a servant's tasks honestly, justly, and faithfully. Their tasks, which are the goods of charity proper to them and never-ceasing, are, attending on their masters, wishing well to them, not speaking ill of them, carrying on in their absence as honestly as in their presence, and not scorning to serve: for everyone, in whatever position of responsibility he is, is obliged to serve; even a king ought to serve the Lord. And in so far as anyone serves faithfully, he is loved and led by the Lord. And in the measure that anyone looks to the Lord and shuns evils as sins, he serves freely and not under compulsion.

C (Coulson) n. 173

Charity (Coulson) n. 173

173. VIII

SIGNS OF CHARITY ARE ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE OF WORSHIP.

All the things that are of charity have reference to looking to the Lord and shunning evils as sins, and doing the goods of use that are of anyone's office. All the things of worship however are external things, and are external things either of the body or of the mind. The external things of the body are done by actions and words; and the external things of the mind are those done in will and thought that cohere with the external things of the body.

C (Coulson) n. 174

Charity (Coulson) n. 174

174. External things of the body, that are of worship, are: 1. Regularly attending places of worship; 2. Listening to sermons; 3. Singing devoutly, and partaking of the saying prayers kneeling; 4. Sacrament of the Supper. Then at home: 1. Saying prayers morning and evening, also at dinners and suppers; 2. Talking with other people about charity and faith, and about God, heaven, eternal life, and salvation; 3. Also, in the case of priests, preaching, as well as teaching privately; 4. And for everyone, instructing children and servants in such matters; 5. Reading the Word, and books of instruction and piety.

C (Coulson) n. 175

Charity (Coulson) n. 175

175. External things of the mind, that are of worship, are: 1. Thinking and meditating about God, heaven, eternal life, and salvation; 2. Reflecting upon one's thoughts and intentions, to see whether they are evil or good, and reflecting that the evil ones are from the devil, and the good ones from God; 3. Being averse, in one's mind, from talk about ungodly, obscene, and filthy things; 4. In addition to the thoughts there are also affections that reach a man's sight and feeling.

C (Coulson) n. 176

Charity (Coulson) n. 176

176. These are termed external because they cohere with external things of the body, and make one with them.

C (Coulson) n. 177

Charity (Coulson) n. 177

177. That such things are external things of worship, and that external things of worship are signs of charity will be seen in the following order:

(1) Charity itself is in the Internal man, and its sign is in the External.

(2) When charity is in the Internal man, and makes it, then all the things of worship that are done in the External are its signs.

(3) Worship in the External man, proceeding from the charity in the Internal, appears before angels as a standard-bearer holding a banner; whereas worship in the External man, not proceeding from charity in the Internal, appears before angels as an actor holding a firebrand.

C (Coulson) n. 178

Charity (Coulson) n. 178

178. 1. Charity itself is in the Internal man, and its sign is in the External.

That there is an Internal and an External man, is well known; and that the Internal man is said to be the spirit and the External the flesh, is also well known. For it is said, and by some people recognized, that the spirit and the flesh are at war. The spirit that fights with the flesh is the Internal man, which is charity.

C (Coulson) n. 179

Charity (Coulson) n. 179

179. The Internal man as it is cannot manifest itself clearly to a man except by means of the External. It manifests itself when it is at war with the External; especially does it do so when a man examines himself, and sees his evils, and upon recognizing them confesses them, and when he considers repenting, and then resists his evils, and sets about leading a new life.

C (Coulson) n. 180

Charity (Coulson) n. 180

180. If a man does not do these things, his Internal man is evil; if he does them, his Internal man is good. For the Lord operates by means of the Internal man upon the External; and, because there is evil residing in the External, a conflict takes place. For, to the External man, which is called the flesh, spirits from hell are admitted, who are called the devil, and the Lord with the man fights against this devil, and, if the man also fights as from himself, conquers; and in so far as the devil is overcome, room is made for goods from the Internal man to enter. So, step by step, the man becomes new, and is regenerated.

C (Coulson) n. 181

Charity (Coulson) n. 181

181. Whatever the Internal man brings about and presents to sight and feeling in the External, is termed a sign. If there is charity in the Internal, it brings about the man's reflecting upon the evils in himself, and he then in fact recognizes and knows them, and so on. If he does not do this, his External is not a sign of charity; and even if his External is in worship and piety, this is not a sign of charity, being external charity without internal charity, which is not charity.

C (Coulson) n. 182

Charity (Coulson) n. 182

182. By a sign is meant an indication and testification that a thing exists; for it marks and signifies, and so indicates and testifies.

C (Coulson) n. 183

Charity (Coulson) n. 183

183. There is no Internal without its sign and its indication. If there is charity in the Internal man or the spirit, and it does not fight with the External man and its flesh, the charity perishes. It is like a fountain of pure water: if there is no outlet, it stagnates; and then either its flow fails, or the water becomes foul through stagnation.

Several confirmations of these things from the Word.

[The next two pages of the original MS. are missing.]

C (Coulson) n. 184

Charity (Coulson) n. 184

184. [IX

BENEFACTIONS OF CHARITY ARE ALL THE GOODS WHICH A MAN WHO IS A CHARITY DOES, IN FREEDOM, OUTSIDE THE SCOPE OF HIS OCCUPATION.]

C (Coulson) n. 185

Charity (Coulson) n. 185

185. 4. No one is saved by means of these benefactions, but by means of the charity out of which they are done, and which therefore is in these benefactions.

These benefactions are outside the man, and every one is saved according to the quality of the good or charity in him. Very many after death, who in the world had thought about their own salvation, seeing then that they are alive, and hearing that heaven and hell do exist, make a great parade of having done good works, given to the poor, helped the needy, and made contributions to pious uses. But it is said to them: "From what motive [origo] did you do those things? Did you shun evils as sins? Did you give them any consideration?" Some of them reply that they had faith. But it is said: "If you did not give any consideration to evils as sins in yourselves, how could you have faith? Faith and evil do not go together." So inquiry is made into what their life had been in their occupation, whether they had done the uses of their occupation for the sake of renown, position, and gain, as the principal goods, thus for the sake of themselves, or whether they had done them for the sake of the neighbour. They reply that they have made no such distinction. To this the reply is made: "If you had looked to God and shunned evils as sins, then these two things would be distinct of themselves, because the Lord distinguishes them"; and that in so far as they had not done this, they had acted from evil and not from good. Everyone's very affection is communicated in the spiritual world, and its nature displayed; and such as he is in respect of his affection, such are all things proceeding from him. In this way he is led to the society where his affection is.

C (Coulson) n. 186

Charity (Coulson) n. 186

186. If those who place charity only in the good actions or good deeds they do, have not charity in themselves, they are conjoining themselves interiorly with the infernal and exteriorly with the heavenly. But everyone is deprived of the exterior, and is left to his interior.

C (Coulson) n. 187

Charity (Coulson) n. 187

187. X

OBLIGATIONS OF CHARITY ARE ALL THOSE THINGS IT BEHOVES A MAN TO DO IN ADDITION TO THOSE SET FORTH ABOVE.

Obligations of charity are the payment of taxes for various necessities and uses in the commonwealth, these taxes being imposed on the subjects and citizens: also payment of duties to the Customs: expenses and outlays for various household necessities and uses, as regards oneself, one's wife and children, men-servants, maid-servants, and workmen: and, again, any expenses and outlays of theirs; also any engagements entered into which thereby become obligations. Besides these there are also civil obligations, namely those of subordination, obedience, honour, and intercourse, which are to be termed obligations because it behoves a man to fulfil them. But to enumerate them all in detail would fill a whole page. The various obligations that the laws of the kingdom impose are called obligations of charity, because charity does them as a matter of obligation, and not out of good pleasure; and, because charity regards them as uses, it does them honestly and willingly. With those who are in charity, the honesty and willingness of charity are inwardly in every obligation, though both the honesty and the willingness are in accordance with the uses to which they look forward in their obligations, and also in accordance with what they know of the administering of the uses.

C (Coulson) n. 188

Charity (Coulson) n. 188

188. With those, however, who are not in charity, those same obligations appear similar externally, but are not similar internally. For with them there is neither honesty nor willingness; and therefore, if they are not afraid of the laws, or if they can upon any pretext evade them, they defraud in their payments. With them, not only the things set forth above, but even the laws of justice, are obligations; for these they keep from fear of being punished and of losing renown, and on this account they are doing so because they are obliged to, and not from a love of what is just, thus not from love of the neighbour.

C (Coulson) n. 189

Charity (Coulson) n. 189

189. XI

THERE ARE DIVERSIONS OF CHARITY, WHICH ARE VARIOUS ENJOYMENTS AND PLEASURES OF THE BODILY SENSES, USEFUL FOR RECREATING THE MIND [animus].*

Such diversions are social intercourse, with its discussions about various matters, public, private, and domestic; also walks with their views, delightful on account of the various beauties and splendours of palaces and houses, of trees and flowers in gardens, woods, and fields, also of people, birds, and flocks; plays, moreover, of various kinds, presenting moral virtues, and turns of fortune from which something of Divine Providence shines out. These and similar things are for the sense of sight. Then, too, harmonies of music and of singing, that affect the mind [animus] according to their correspondence with affections; and besides these, seemly jests, that expand the mind [animus]. These are for the sense of hearing. Furthermore, banquets, feasts, and meals, with the cheerfulness attending them; and in addition, indoor games played with dice, balls, or cards; dancing, too, at weddings and festive gatherings. These and similar things are diversions useful for recreating minds [animus]. And in addition to these there are various kinds of manual work exercising the body and diverting the mind [animus] from its regular activities; then there is the reading of books containing opinions on history and philosophy which give delight, and the news in newspapers also.
* Swedenborg uses two terms for "mind," mens and animus. Generally, the former is used for the higher level in which the will and understanding are rationally active, while the latter applies to the lower level in which desires and ideas in connection with the body and the world are active; but mens is occasionally used with a wider significance. Cf. n. 204.

C (Coulson) n. 190

Charity (Coulson) n. 190

190. With everyone who is in some position or employment these are diversions. They may therefore be termed diversions of such positions or employments; but in point of fact they are diversions of the affections from which each one carries on his employment. There is an affection in every employment, and it bends the mind [animus], [and] keeps the mind [mens] intent upon working or applying itself, and this latter mind, if not relaxed, becomes dulled, and its desire loses its keenness; just like salt when it loses its saltiness and is consequently without any savour or stimulus. It Is also like a bent bow, which, unless it is unbent, loses the force it derives from its elasticity. It is precisely the same if the mind [mens] is kept a long time in the same ideas without any change; as is the case with the sight when only a single object or a single colour is looked at continuously; for the sight goes if anything black is looked at continuously, or anything red continuously, or anything white continuously; as, for instance, if snow is looked at continuously, the sight goes; but it is enlivened by several colours, whether seen one after another or all at the same time. Every form gives delight on account of the diverse things in it; for instance a garland of different coloured roses beautifully arranged. That is why a rainbow is more pleasing than the light itself.

C (Coulson) n. 191

Charity (Coulson) n. 191

191. When the mind [mens] has been continuously intent on any work, it longs for rest; and when resting it descends into the body, and there seeks its delights corresponding to the mind's [mens] activities. It makes its choice in accordance with its interior state in the body. The interiors of the body derive their pleasurable things chiefly from sensations of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch, which pleasurable things are indeed derived from things without, but they nevertheless insinuate themselves into the individual parts of the body, which are termed members and viscera. From this and no other source are their enjoyments and pleasures. Each of the fibres, and each tissue of the fibres, each capillary vessel, and thence general vessels, and thus everything in the whole body draws its own delights, which the man then feels not individually but as a whole: they become as it were one general thing. As is the mind of the head in them, so are the delights, pure or impure, spiritual or natural, heavenly or infernal; for inwardly in any of the body's sensations there is his will's love with its affections, and the understanding brings about a perception of the delights of these affections. For the will's love with its affections makes the life of each one, and from it the understanding's perception makes sensation; this is the origin of all delights and pleasures. For the body is a connected chain-like work, and a single form. Sensation communicates itself like a force applied to the separate links of a chain, and like a form made up of continuous chains.

C (Coulson) n. 192

Charity (Coulson) n. 192

192. But as the ministries, functions, offices, and works of all keep their minds [mens] on the stretch, and it is these that are to be relaxed, revived, and recreated by the diversions, it can be seen that the diversions are various in accordance with the interior affection in them; and that they are one thing if an affection of charity is in them, another thing if an affection for position only is in them, another if an affection for gain only is in them, another if done only for the sake of sustenance and the necessaries for living, another if only for the sake of a reputation, to become celebrated, another if only for what they earn, that they may increase their wealth, or that they may live in comfort; and so on.

C (Coulson) n. 193

Charity (Coulson) n. 193

193. In those who have an affection of charity, all the diversions set forth above serve it for recreation, even plays and games, as well as harmonies of music and singing, and all the beautiful things in fields and gardens, and social intercourse in general. The affection of use abides inwardly in them, and, while thus resting, is gradually renewed. A desire for one's function breaks off or ends those things. For the Lord inflows from heaven into them and effects the renovation; and He also gives an interior sense of gratification in them, of which those who are not in an affection of charity know nothing. He breathes into them something as it were fragrant or sweet only perceptible to oneself. It is said, fragrant, by which is meant spiritual pleasantness; and it is said, sweet, by which is meant spiritual delight. Pleasantness is said of wisdom, and of the understanding's perception therefrom; and delight [jucundum] is said of love, and the will's affection there from. With those who are not in an affection of charity, these things are not present, because their spiritual mind is closed; and in so far as they recede from charity, their spiritual mind, in respect of the Voluntary, is as if all stuffed up with glue.

C (Coulson) n. 194

Charity (Coulson) n. 194

194. In those who only have an affection for position, those, that is, who do the work of their function only for the sake of renown, so that they may be praised and promoted, these diversions are similar externally. They work hard, they take pains over their work, they do uses in abundance; not, however from the love of use, but from the love of self, thus not from the love of the neighbour, but from the love of glory. They can even feel delight in the work of their function; but it is an infernal delight. This, in their view, may counterfeit heavenly delight, since both delights are alike externally. But their delight is full of undelightful things, for there is no rest of mind [animus] or peace for them except when they are thinking about renown and position, or are being honoured and worshipped. When not thinking about those things, they throw themselves into sensuous pleasures, drunken bouts, luxuries, whoredoms, enmities, and acts of revenge, and slanders against their neighbours if they do not make libations in their honour. But gradually, if not raised into higher positions, they loathe their offices, and give themselves up to idleness, and become slothful; and when they have left this world they become demons.

C (Coulson) n. 195

Charity (Coulson) n. 195

195. In those who only have an affection for gain, these diversions are indeed diversions, but carnal ones, inspired within only by the delight of being wealthy. Such persons are diligent, prudent, industrious, especially when they are merchants, and workmen. If they are officials, they take pains over the duties of their office, and sell the uses they do; if judges, they sell justice; if priests, they sell salvation. To them, gain is the neighbour. By virtue of their office they love gain, and they love the gain derived from their office. Those who are in a high office may sell their country, and also betray the army and citizens to its enemies. It is clear from all this what the quality of their love is in the diversions set forth above; these are full of rapine. Moreover, in so far as they are not afraid of the civil laws or public penalties, or afraid of losing the renown that brings them the desired gain, they plunder and steal. Externally they are honest, but internally they are dishonest. The uses they do in their offices and employments are enjoyable and pleasant to them as dung is to swine, or as mice are to cats. They look upon other people as a tiger or a wolf looks upon lambs and sheep, which they devour if they can. As for the good of use, they do not know that it is anything. There is an infernal delight and pleasantness in their diversions. They are like asses, not seeing any pleasures in meadows and fields, except as something to feed upon, so long as there is wheat or barley in the ears. But these last things are said of the avaricious.

C (Coulson) n. 196

Charity (Coulson) n. 196

196. In those, however, who perform their employments solely for the sake of sustenance and the necessaries for living; also in those who perform them solely for the sake of a reputation, to become celebrated; and in those who perform them solely for what they earn, to the end that they may grow rich, or that they may live in comfort, the diversions set forth above are the only uses. They are corporeal and sensual men. Their spirits are unclean, being lustings and appetites. They do the duties of their employment for the sake of the diversions. They are beast-men - dead; and duties are a burden to them. They look for substitutes to do the work they ought to be doing; while they keep the reputation and the earnings. When not engaged in the diversions enumerated above, they are idlers and sluggards; they lie abed thinking of nothing else but how to find companions with whom to gossip, eat, and drink. They are a public burden. All such people after death are shut up in workhouses, where they are under an administrant judge, who daily appoints them the tasks they have to do; and if they do not do them they are given neither food, nor clothing, nor bed; and this goes on until they are driven to do something useful. The hells abound with such workhouses, about which [there may be] some thing at the end of this work. These workhouses stink; every grateful odour being from the life of spiritual love, or from the life of the love of use.

C (Coulson) n. 197

Charity (Coulson) n. 197

197. The conjunction of charity and faith is dealt with in THE DOCTRINE OF THE NEW JERUSALEM CONCERNING FAITH; also in the EXPLANATION OF THE APOCALYPSE; as well as in ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE; and in ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING THE DIVINE LOVE AND WISDOM.

C (Coulson) n. 198

Charity (Coulson) n. 198

198. In them everything has reference to these two:

1. There cannot exist a grain of spiritual faith part from charity, since charity is the life, soul, and essence of faith; 2. Such as the charity is, such is the faith; and the faith that precedes charity is a faith of cognitions, which is historical faith, in itself a knowing.

[Here ends the MS. of the first draft of the work.

The following pages contain:

1. A revised list of headings for a new draft.

2. Chapters I and II of the new draft.

3. Brief drafts of chapters XII and IV (on one page of the MS.).

4. The title of chapter III.

See the Editorial Note.]

C (Coulson) n. 199

Charity (Coulson) n. 199

199. CHARITY

The sections in their series.

I. THE "FIRST" OF CHARITY IS TO LOOK TO THE LORD AND SHUN EVILS AS SINS.

II. THE "SECOND" OF CHARITY IS TO DO GOOD TO THE NEIGHBOUR.

III. IN A NATURAL SENSE, THE NEIGHBOUR WHO IS TO BE LOVED IS A FELLOW CITIZEN, ALSO A SOCIETY, SMALL OR LARGE, ALSO ONE'S COUNTRY, ALSO THE HUMAN RACE.

IV. THE NEIGHBOUR IS TO BE LOVED IN ACCORDANCE WITH HIS SPIRITUAL GOOD, AND HIS MORAL, CIVIL, AND NATURAL GOOD THEREFROM; CONSEQUENTLY IT IS GOOD THAT, IN A SPIRITUAL SENSE, IS THE NEIGHBOUR TO BE LOVED.

V. EVERYONE LOVES THE NEIGHBOUR FROM THE GOOD OF CHARITY IN HIMSELF; CONSEQUENTLY THE QUALITY OF ANYONE'S CHARITY IS SUCH AS THE CHARITY HE HIMSELF IS.

VI. A MAN IS BORN TO THE END THAT HE MAY BECOME A CHARITY; BUT HE CANNOT BECOME A CHARITY UNLESS HE CONSTANTLY WILLS AND DOES THE GOOD OF CHARITY FROM AFFECTION AND ITS DELIGHT.*

VII. EVERY MAN, WHO LOOKS TO THE LORD, AND SHUNS EVILS AS SINS, BECOMES A CHARITY, IF HE HONESTLY, JUSTLY, AND FAITHFULLY CARRIES OUT THE WORK OF HIS OCCUPATION OR EMPLOYMENT.

VIII. SIGNS OF CHARITY ARE ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE OF WORSHIP.

IX. BENEFACTIONS OF CHARITY ARE ALL THE GOODS THAT A MAN WHO IS A CHARITY DOES, IN FREEDOM, OUTSIDE THE SCOPE OF HIS OCCUPATION.

X. OBLIGATIONS OF CHARITY ARE ALL THOSE THINGS IT BEHOVES A MAN TO DO IN ADDITION TO THOSE SET FORTH ABOVE.

I. THERE ARE DIVERSIONS OF CHARITY, WHICH ARE VARIOUS ENJOYMENTS AND PLEASURES OF THE BODILY SENSES USEFUL FOR RECREATING THE MIND.

XII. WHERE THERE IS NO TRUTH OF FAITH, THE CHURCH DOES NOT EXIST, AND WHERE THERE IS NO GOOD OF CHARITY, RELIGION DOES NOT EXIST.**

I

THE "FIRST" OF CHARITY IS TO LOOK TO THE LORD AND SHUN EVILS AS SINS.

It is well known that charity, or love towards the neighbour, is doing good to others. But how one should do good, and to whom, so that the charity may be charity, will be described in what follows. Everyone knows that no one can do good that is in itself good, except from Him who is Good Itself, or Good in Himself, that is, except from God. Moreover, it is possible for everyone to know that, so long as a man is in evil, and thus, through that evil, in company with the devil, he can do no other good than impure good, which outwardly has the appearance of being good, but inwardly is evil; which good is either pharisaical or done for reward. It will be necessary, therefore, to say first what a man should be, so that the good proceeding from him may be in itself good, thus the good of charity.***
* In the left-hand margin of the MS. opposite sections vi.-x.: "Enumerate the sins of which a man is not in the least conscious if he does not search himself carefully, but which he either confirms with himself or does not reckon as sins, and which accordingly he does continually on account of the delights they yield from what is hereditary; from the Decalogue and from reason; up to 50 or a hundred of them can be enumerated, the civil as well as the spiritual ones, etc."
** From an examination of the MS. it appears that Swedenborg, after writing out the contents of the draft that follows, altered the sections II, III, and IV to read as follows:

"II. The 'second' of charity is to do uses to the neighbour.

"III. In a natural sense, the neighbour to whom uses are to be done is a fellow citizen, also a society, small or large, also one's country, also the human race; and there are uses that are spiritual, and there are civil ones.

"IV. Uses are to be done to the neighbour in accordance with his spiritual good, and his moral, civil, and natural good therefrom."

He also crossed off section XII, and inserted the following over it: "Charity and faith make one."
*** Swedenborg wrote the following note in the left-hand margin of the MS. opposite this paragraph: "N.B. - From Paul respecting love towards the neighbour: If anyone asks which is first, to shun them as evils, or to love the neighbour."

C (Coulson) n. 200

Charity (Coulson) n. 200

200. This, however, will be done in the following order:

(1) No one can have charity except from the Lord.
(2) No one can have charity from the Lord unless he shuns evils as sins.
(3) A man ought to shun evils as sins, as from himself, while doing so nevertheless from the Lord.
(4) In so far as anyone does not shun evils as sins, he remains in them.
(5) In so far as anyone does not recognize and know what sins are, he sees no otherwise than that he is without sin.
(6) In so far as anyone recognizes and knows what sins are, he can see them in himself, confess them before the Lord, and repent.
(7) Good before repentance is not good, nor, before repentance, is charity charity.
(8) Consequently, the "first" of charity is to look to the Lord and shun evils as sins, which is done by repentance.

C (Coulson) n. 201

Charity (Coulson) n. 201

201. As regards the FIRST, No one can have charity except from the Lord.

Here, as in what follows, we name only the Lord, because the Lord is the only God; for He is God of heaven and earth, as He himself teaches. . .* He and the Father are one, like soul and body, as He also teaches . . . . ** He and the Spirit are the same, like the Divine in Him, and the Divine from Him.*** Thus He Himself is the One Only God; and thus the Divine Trinity is in His Person, and is named the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Now, because the whole Church, and all religion, is founded upon the idea of God, and upon the idea that God is one, and because this idea exists to no purpose unless God is one in Essence and in Person, and unless this unity of the trinity and trinity of the unity is in the Lord alone, therefore here at the very beginning, and afterwards in what follows, we name the Lord only. See, besides, THE DOCTRINE OF THE NEW JERUSALEM CONCERNING THE LORD, from beginning to end; also ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE, nos. [157, 262, 263].**** The reason no one can have charity except from the Lord, is that by charity is meant every good a man does to others; and the good a man does to others is indeed good for those to whom it is done, but it is not good him by whom is done, unless it is from God. For no good that is in itself a good, and is called a good of charity, and in its essence is a spiritual good, can flow forth from man, but from the Lord only. For, in order that a good of charity, or a spiritual good, may exist, the Lord must be in the Good, must indeed be the Good; for it proceeds from Him, and what proceeds from anyone derives its essence from Him; for He Himself is in what is His Own. If, therefore, the Lord were not the Good a man does to the neighbour, or, what is the same, unless the good a man does to the neighbour were from the Lord, it would not have an essence of good in it, but an essence of evil, for the man would be in it; and a man in himself and in his proprium is nothing but evil. This evil must first be removed, in order that the good proceeding from the man may not be the man's but the Lord's. A man is only a recipient of life: he is not life in himself, for, if he were life in himself, he would be God; and therefore, man is only a recipient of good, for good is of life, because love and wisdom are life, and good is of love, and truth is of wisdom. This life cannot be made over to man as his own; for man is finite and created, and the Lord cannot create and finite Himself in another. In that case, He Himself would no longer exist, and then the entire human race, and each individual by himself, would be God. To think this is not only irrational, but abominable also. In the spiritual world, such an idea about God and man stinks like a corpse. From all this it can be taken as established that there cannot be any good, which is in itself good, and is termed a good of charity, from man; it must be from the Lord, who alone is Good itself, thus is in Himself Good. This, the Lord does, indeed, produce from Himself, but through man. There is no subject through which the Lord produces good from Himself, other than man. Nevertheless the Lord has given man the faculty of feeling it in himself, indeed, as from himself, and therefore as his own, to the end that he may do it. For if he felt it was not from himself, but from the Lord, he would not do it; for he would then believe himself to be not a man, not even alive, and at length scarcely otherwise than like an automaton. And, from experience, I know that a man would rather die, than live perceptibly from another in himself. Indeed, unless a man felt the good he does as being from himself, the good would not remain in him either, but would flow through, like water through a water-skin all full of holes; nor could he then be formed for heaven, that is, reformed and regenerated, and so, being saved, live to eternity. Lest, however, a man, owing to this appearance, should attribute to himself the good or charity he does to the neighbour, and thereby appropriate evil to himself, in place of good, through believing he lives from himself, and consequently does the good from himself, thus attributing to himself what is the Lord's, it has pleased the Lord to reveal this in His Word, and to teach it. For the Lord says, "He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without Me ye can do nothing" (John xv. 5, and elsewhere).
* See Matt. xi 27; xxviii. 18: John iii. 35; xvii. 2.
** See John x. 30, 38; xiv. 9-11; xvii. 10.
*** See John xiv. 16-19; Matt. xxviii. 20.
**** The Author did not give any nos. in the MS., evidently intending to supply them later.

C (Coulson) n. 202

Charity (Coulson) n. 202

202. 2. No one can have charity from the Lord unless he shuns evils as sins.

By charity, here as above, is meant the good a man does to the neighbour. Everyone is able to do good to the neighbour, an evil man as well as a good man; but no one is able to do it by reason of good in himself, except from the Lord, and unless he shuns evils as sins. That no one is able to do good to the neighbour by reason of good in himself, except from the Lord, has been shown just above. The reason no one is able to do it unless he shuns evils as sins, is that the Lord cannot inflow into anyone with good so that it is received, unless the evils in him are removed; for evils do not receive good, they reject it. For it is the same with a man who is in evils, as it is with devils in hell. With devils, the Lord inflows with good, in just the same way as He inflows with angels in heaven; but the devils do not receive it, they turn the good into evil, and the truth into falsity, for their life's form is such, and everything that inflows is turned into a likeness of the form; just as the pure heat of the sun is turned into putrid and noisome smells when it inflows into urine that has been stagnant, into dung, and into corpses. In the same way, the pure light of the sun, inflowing into objects in which all things are disordered, is turned into hideous colours. It is the same with heavenly heat, which is Divine Good, and heavenly light, which is Divine Truth, in the case of a man whose life's form is inverted, and so is opposed to the heavenly form. From this it is evident that, as long as a man is not shunning evils as sins, he cannot be doing otherwise than loving evils; and the love with everyone makes the form of his life. It is comparatively like a bad tree, which receives heat and light from the sun just as a good tree does, but still can only produce fruit that is a likeness of its own form, and therefore bad. It is, too, comparatively like malignant and noxious plants, which derive from the sun's heat and light the life by which they grow, just the same as good and useful plants, and yet can produce nothing but what agrees with their own form. Every man is the form of his own love. Nothing else forms a man in respect of his spiritual part, but his love. If he loves evils, he becomes a form of evil, which is an infernal form; whereas if he loves goods, he becomes a form of good, which is a heavenly form. From this it is evident that unless a man shuns evils as sins, the form of his mind [mens] becomes, in respect of its spiritual things, an infernal form, which in itself does not receive any good from the Lord, and consequently does not bring forth any good that is in itself good. The Lord can bring forth good through any man, and He can turn the evil that an evil man brings forth into good. He can rouse an evil man to do good from selfish and worldly considerations; but in that case the Lord does not inflow into the evil of the man himself, but round about it into the surrounding things in him, thus into his external, by means of which the man wants to appear like a good man. That good, therefore, is good so far as the surface goes, but intrinsically is evil. With hypocrites, it is like gilded dung, so that scarcely anyone thinks it to be other than pure gold; nevertheless, if it is brought near to a sensitive nostril, the smell of the dung in it is perceived. These things, however, are fully shown in THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM, in the section where it is shown that, in so far as a man shuns evils as sins, he does goods, not from himself, but from the Lord, nos. 18-31; to which I will add only this, that every one can see this from merely general influx out of heaven. Take anyone you like, servant, farmer, workman, ship-captain, or merchant, provided only he has something rational, and tell him only that he who hates evil does good, and all of them will see it clearly. And, inasmuch as they know that all good is from God, tell them that, in so far is a man hates evil because it is against God, he does good from God; and they will see it. But say the same things to someone who has confirmed himself in faith alone, and accordingly at the same time in the idea that no one can do good from himself, and he will not see it; for false things have closed his rational sight or understanding, but not that of the others.

C (Coulson) n. 203

Charity (Coulson) n. 203

203. 3. A man ought to shun evils as sins, as from himself, while doing so nevertheless from the Lord.

Who, having read the Word, and having some religion, does not know that evils are sins? This is what the Word teaches from beginning to end, and this is the whole of religion. Evils are termed sins on account of their being contrary to the Word, and to religion. Who does not know that no one can shun evils as sins unless he does so as from himself? Who can repent any other way? Does not a man say within himself, "I won't do this. I will give up doing this. Indeed, when it recurs, I will fight against it and overcome it"? No one ever speaks in this is way within himself, however, unless he believes in God. He who does not believe in God does not reckon an evil as a sin, and so does not fight against it, but rather in favour of it. But he who believes in God says also within himself, "With God's help I will overcome it"; and so he makes supplication, and gets help. This is not denied to anyone, but is given to him, because the Lord, from His Divine Love, is in the continual endeavour to reform and regenerate man, and so to purify him from evils, and this constant endeavour of the Lord comes into effect, when the man truly desires it, and makes an effort for it. In this and no other way does a man receive the power to resist evils and to fight against them. Before this, he does not receive it, he rejects it. This, then, is shunning evils as sins as from oneself, while doing so nevertheless from the Lord. But on this subject, THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM, nos. 101-107, may also be seen; to which I will add this: Say to a man of sound reason, "Only believe that Christ, the Son of God, redeemed you from hell, and thus from all evil, and beseech God the Father to forgive you your sins on that account, and He will do so; and in that case there will be no need for you, as of yourself, to shun evils as sins. You can't do anything of yourself, can you? What is 'as of yourself,' then?" And picking up a pebble, or a little bit of wood, tell him, "Are you any more able to do anything towards justification and salvation than this pebble, or little bit of wood?" Then the man of some reason will reply, "I know I can do nothing of myself, but all the same I should repent of evils. This, the Lord Himself taught: His apostles taught it: Paul taught it: the Word teaches it, and so does all Religion. When I practise repentance, shall I not be doing something as of myself?" Suppose you then say, "What will you be doing, seeing you can do nothing? Do it if you like: I repent through faith, and faith saves without works." But the man of sound reason will reply, "You are mistaken, Sir. The Lord taught that I am both to do and to believe. For you, let it be faith; for me there shall be faith and works together. I know that after death a man will have to render an account of his works, and that everyone's believing is according to his doing."

C (Coulson) n. 204

Charity (Coulson) n. 204

204. 4. In so far as anyone does not shun evils as sins, he remains in them.

Man was created into the image and likeness of God, and made so that he might be a recipient of the Lord's love and wisdom. But, because he did not want to be a recipient, but wanted to be actual love and wisdom, and thus like God, he consequently inverted his form, and so turned away his affections and thoughts from the Lord to himself, and so began to love, even to worship, himself more than the Lord. In this way he estranged himself from the Lord, and looked backwards away from Him, thereby perverting the image and likeness of God in himself, and making it into an image and likeness of hell. This is signified by his eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.* By the serpent which he obeyed is signified the sensual, which is the ultimate of the natural man, and its lust. The sensual, because it exists in the world, and admits therefrom the objects it desires, loves the things of the world; and, if it is allowed to rule, it draws the mind [mens] away from the objects of heaven, which are goods of love and truths of wisdom, in themselves Divine. This is the origin of man being, in respect of his proprium, nothing but evil, and of his being born into it from parents. But means have been provided by the Lord, so that he may not perish on account of this; and these are, to look to the Lord and acknowledge that every good of love and every truth of wisdom is from Him, and nothing from man himself. In this way man inverts his form, turning away from himself and turning round to the Lord; thus he returns to the state into which he was created, which was, as has been said, that he might be a recipient of good and truth from the Lord, not from himself at all. Man's proprium having, by this inversion, become evil only, there is the other means of recovering the image of God, shunning evils as sins. For if a man does not shun evils as sins, but only shuns them as hurtful, he is still not looking to the Lord, but to himself, and so continues in a perverted state. When, however, he shuns evils as sins, he is also shunning them because they are against the Lord and contrary to His Divine laws; and then he beseeches the Lord for help and for power to resist them; and this power, when besought, is never denied. It is by these two means that a man is purified from his innate evils. Consequently, if he does not adopt these two means, he cannot but remain such as he was born. He cannot be purified from evils if he only looks to God and prays; for in that case he believes, after having prayed, either that he is entirely without sins, or that they have been remitted, by which he understands that they have been taken away. But in that case he still remains in them; and to remain in them is to increase them; for they are like a disease that eats away everything round about it and brings death. Nor are evils removed by only shunning them; for in that case the man is looking to himself, and he thereby strengthens the origin of evil, which was, that he turned himself backwards, away from the Lord, and round towards himself.
* Gen. iii. 6.

C (Coulson) n. 205

Charity (Coulson) n. 205

205. 5. In so far as anyone does not recognize and know what sins are, he sees no otherwise than he is without sin.

Every man loves his proprium, both the voluntary proprium and the intellectual. The voluntary proprium is evil, and the intellectual proprium is falsity from that evil, thus it is the falsity of evil. And because every man loves his proprium, he is thus loving the evil and its falsity; and, because everything that is loved is also delightful, therefore he knows no otherwise than that the evil he has is good, and that its falsity is truth - for that which is said to be good is all that which is delightful. From these things it can be seen at the outset that, if a man does not recognize and know what sins are, to that extent he sees no otherwise than that he is without sin. But, inasmuch as a man loves his own evil and its falsity, because he loves his proprium, he is not able from himself to know which thing is evil, and what thing is falsity from it; he has to see it from some other source. He must see it from the precepts of religion, all of which have reference to the ten precepts of the Decalogue. If at heart he rejects these precepts, he cannot by any means see otherwise than that he is without sin; and in that case, having been initiated from childhood into the worship of God, and being aware from the Church's teaching that he is a sinner from his very origin and subsequent birth, he sets about confessing that he is a sinner; but nevertheless, being unaware of what sin is, he believes all the time that he is not a sinner. I have heard people declaring that they were sinners, that they were in sins of every kind from conception and birth, that, from the head to the sole of the foot, there was no soundness in them, and more things of the same kind; but, because they did not know what sin is, they did not know that the love of self, and arrogance, are the heads of all sins. They did not know that bearing hatred and taking revenge just because one is not honoured and worshipped as a demigod, is a sin, nor that slandering the neighbour out of enmity and thus bearing false witness against him, is a sin; nor that deceiving anyone by word or deed, is a sin; that despising another in comparison with oneself, envying him his goods, being covetous of them, are sins. They did not know, either, that claiming merit for performing the various acts of worship towards God, in matters both of faith and of charity, is a sin; besides innumerable other things. I have heard them say that they did not know such things were sins; nor anything, indeed, no matter what the nature of it, that one thinks but does not say, or wills but does not do. On account of this ignorance one of them said he did not know he was a sinner - "and if I am," he said, "I am purified from them when I have said this prayer, 'I know not my sins, O God, take them away.'" But when the same person examined himself, which took place in the world of spirits, he noticed that his sins were so numerous that he could not tell them all. He saw, too, that he could, if he wanted to, recognize and know them. He said, however, that he did not want to, as he would then have to abstain from thinking and willing them, to do which would conflict with the delight of his life. From these things it is now evident that, in so far as any one does not recognize and know what sins are, he sees no otherwise than that he is without sin.

C (Coulson) n. 206

Charity (Coulson) n. 206

206. 6. In so far as anyone recognizes and knows what sins are, he can see them in himself, confess them before the Lord, and repent of them.

This follows as a result of all that has now been said. Therefore, in order that a man may see what sins are, the "first" of the Word was the Decalogue. For that reason also the Decalogue is a complex of all things of the Word. That is why it is called the Ten Words, the Ten Words signifying all truths in the complex. For the same reason, too, there are similar precepts among all nations in the universe with whom there is religion. Moreover, the man who knows that they are Divine laws, and that consequently anyone acting contrary to them is acting against God, or sinning, can receive Divine influx, and with that, too, a will or effort as of himself, that he would like to give up doing them and repent. The confession of one's sins before the Lord brings about conjunction with Him, and a reception of influx from Him; and then the Lord does it, while giving to the man to do it all the time as of himself. Otherwise the man would not do it. The Lord then operates through his inmost things right down to the outermost, and removes the lustings that are the roots of evil. This it is impossible for the man himself to do of himself. Of himself man acts upon the outermost things only, whereas it is the inmost things that make these. Therefore, if a man of himself were to remove the outermost things, the lustings would still remain.

C (Coulson) n. 207

Charity (Coulson) n. 207

207. 7. Good before repentance is not good, nor, before repentance, is charity charity.

Before repentance a man is in evil; he is evil only, for he is a form of evil and an image of hell. By repentance, however, the evil is removed and good is implanted. From which it follows that the good before repentance is not good. Before repentance the good is not done from the Lord, but from the man; and therefore it has not an essence of good but an essence of evil within it, however much in its form it appears outwardly as good. This is not recognized in the world, but it is after death, manifestly. It is heard in the very tone of his speech, and more, which evil there is in it, whether there is deceitfulness, enviousness, vaingloriousness, haughtiness, blasphemousness, or what is hypocritical, or even a desire for reward. All the words of his speech derive their tone from the evil that is in it and regards only itself. After repentance, however, the good is quite a different thing. It is a full good, open from the Lord Himself. It is lovely, innocent, pleasing, heavenly. There is the Lord and heaven in it, there is good itself in it. It is alive; it is formed out of truths though being from good, in good, and towards good; it is nothing else but some use to the neighbour; and hence it is serving. With every breath it puts away itself and its proprium, thus putting away evil. Its form is like the form of a lovely and beautifully coloured flower, shining out brilliantly under the sun's rays. Consequently, too, in the case of those who are in good, they are forms that can never be comprehended by the natural man:* they cannot be depicted, nor can they be described: the forms they have are forms of good. It is rightly said that they are forms of good; yet the form itself consists of truths, while its life is the good of love; for the good sets the truths into a form suited to itself, and makes every one of its truths living. This is what good after repentance is like.
* In the margin: "N.B."

C (Coulson) n. 208

Charity (Coulson) n. 208

208. 8. Consequently, the "first" of charity is to look to the Lord and shun evils as sins, which is done by repentance.

Who does not see that before a man can do good that is good, he must be cleansed from his evils? Does not a cup have to be cleansed? And if it is not cleansed, does not the wine get a taste from its uncleanness? And does not a dish have to be cleansed before food is put on it? For if the inside of the dish is all unclean, will not the food excite aversion? How can anything pure inflow from heaven into a man, when he is wholly impure and unclean? Must not the impure and unclean things be removed first? If you let your bedroom get filled with excreta, would not the whole house have an offensive smell? Could anyone go into it? Would not anyone going in say, "I can't," and would he not turn away from the house, saying, "It's only fit for swine"? Consequently, before the Lord can inflow with good, evil must be removed;* for influx before that is dangerous, as the good is turned into evil and increases it. The first thing, therefore, is to remove evil, and afterwards to inflow with good, and bring it into operation by means of the man. Anyone attempting to do good from the Lord, before evil has been removed by repentance, or without shunning evils as sins, is attempting what is impossible, and such things as may make him worse, inasmuch as, in the case of a wicked man, the good is turned into evil, and in that way it is profaned. That evil must be removed first, is clearly evident from the precepts of the Decalogue. Who is loving a person, when he wants to kill him, or hates him? Who is loving the neighbour,* when he commits whoredom with someone else's wife? Who is loving the neighbour, when he defrauds him?* Who is loving the neighbour, when he slanders him? Who is loving the neighbour, when he covets what belongs to him? Those evils, therefore, must first be removed; and in the measure that they are being removed, to that extent the neighbour is being loved. Paul speaks of these things thus: . . .**

But* people ask whether love towards the neighbour should be first, or whether shunning those evils should be first.* Everyone can see that shunning those evils should be first, inasmuch as a man is born into evil. Is it not necessary then for him to repent?
* In the margin: "N.B."
** In the MS. no passage is quoted here; but the intended passage is possibly Rom. xiii. 10: "Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: love therefore is the fulfillment of the law" (R.V.).

C (Coulson) n. 209

Charity (Coulson) n. 209

209. II

THE "SECOND" OF CHARITY IS TO DO GOOD TO THE NEIGHBOUR.

Isaiah, chapter i.; also concerning the cup and dish that are to be cleansed inside first.*

If this cleansing is not done, they still appear good outwardly. This is Pharisaic or hypocritical good, or something natural in which there is nothing spiritual, thus it is spurious good; and if done for the sake of salvation, it is good done for reward.

But these things are to be illustrated in this order:

(1) Not wishing to do evil to the neighbour, is loving him.

(2) Wishing to do good to the neighbour, is loving him.

(3) In so far as a man does not wish to do evil to the neighbour, he wishes to do him good from charity; but not the reverse.

(4) From this it follows, that the "first" of charity is to look to the Lord and shun evils as sins; and that the "second" of charity is to do good to the neighbour.
* Matt. xxiii. 26; Luke xi. 39

C (Coulson) n. 210

Charity (Coulson) n. 210

210. 1. Not wishing to do evil to the neighbour, is loving him.

For no one who loves another, does evil to him. Paul, too, says that he who loves the neighbour keeps the precepts of the Decalogue; he does not wish to kill; he does not wish to commit whoredom with someone else's wife; he does not wish to steal; he does not bear false witness; "therefore, he says," fulfilling the law is what charity is."* But, people ask, which is first, and which comes after? Whether loving the neighbour is first, and from that love not doing those evils - or whether removing them from oneself is first, and in that way loving the neighbour? It is evident enough that he who loves the neighbour does not do those evils. But people ask, how is anyone able to love the neighbour? Is he able to do so before he shuns those evils, and fights against them? It appears as if this love itself fights and so it does, though not before the man is in it. But, that he cannot come into that love, unless he first removes those evils, can be taken as established from the fact that every man by birth is in evils of every kind, that he lusts only after what is evil, and that, if he does not repent of them, he remains in them. Consequently those evils stand in the way of his being able to love the neighbour from that spiritual love. And Paul, therefore, says also, that the flesh is against the spirit, and that the flesh with its lusting must be crucified,** and that thus a man becomes spiritual, and a new creature.*** From this it may be seen that, in so far as a man crucifies the flesh, he lives in the spirit. Accordingly, man being such by birth, it follows that his spirit cannot love the neighbour unless he crucifies his flesh, which is done by repentance; and that, in so far as he does this, he loves the neighbour from the spirit, that is, inwardly; and that loving the neighbour from the heart, previous to this, is against man's nature. A belief has gathered strength in Christendom, that he who has faith loves the neighbour; but this belief is erroneous. No one can have a faith that has anything living in it, unless he shuns evils as sins, indeed, he has it to the extent that he shuns them. From these things it is now evident that the "first" of charity is not to do evil to the neighbour; for not doing evil to the neighbour is fighting against the evils in oneself, and repenting of them; and that the "second" of charity is to do good to the neighbour. It is possible for anyone, from the principle that it is Christian not to do evil to the neighbour, actually not to do it; but he who, from that principle alone, does not do evil to the neighbour, and does good to him, is still not loving him. His not doing evil to him is out of obedience to Divine law, not from the affection of love towards the neighbour. No one has any knowledge of this affection: he, however, who shuns evils as sins, that is, who does not love evils, comes into the affection of that love. Not doing evil but doing good from obedience is one thing, and not doing evil but good to the neighbour from an affection of love towards him is another. The difference* is like that between the heat and light by night from the moon and stars, and the heat and light by day from the sun. In the obedience there is not any of the heat of that love, nor any of its light; but in the affection there is; for the of love is heat.**** Consequently, they who have done good from obedience are in the lowest regions of heaven, and in a light and heat like that, of the moon. Indeed, the light of their understanding is in the shade: they do not see any spiritual truths in light. The distinction between them, moreover, is that those who do good from obedience are doing it from fear of punishment, and for the same reason also they abstain from doing evil; whereas those who do good from affection are not doing it from fear of punishment;**** and, further, those who do good from obedience are natural, while those who do it from affection are spiritual. Again, those who do good from obedience are those who are being reformed - this, moreover, comes first;**** whereas those who do good from affection are being regenerated - this comes next in order. All who have been under the belief that man is saved by faith alone, if they are living in a Christian manner, confessing they are sinners, but without having examined themselves, do good from obedience, not from affection; indeed, they have no knowledge at all of faith, or of love, or of God, except what they hear from a preacher: they do good deeds, nevertheless.**** It is those who do good from obedience who take the lead in benefactions, such as giving to the poor, helping the needy, and endowing places of worship and hospitals; and they cannot but think that they merit reward in doing these things. Nor do they understand the Word as meaning anything else, where it is said that they shall have their reward. Nor do they know that the affection itself of good, with its delights, is the reward.
* Cf. Rom. Xiii. 10.
** Cf. Gal. v. 16, 17, and 24, 25.
*** Cf. 2 Cor. v. 17; Gal. vi. 15; Eph. iv. 23, 24.
**** In the margin: "N.B."

C (Coulson) n. 211

Charity (Coulson) n. 211

211. The affection itself of love is like a flame, from which there is light in truths.* The reason for this is that the Lord inflows into a man's affection, and gives light. Moreover, love, in the spiritual world, appears from afar as a flame. Sometimes what look like flames descend from heaven, and these flames are affections of good and truth so appearing.* It is like someone doing homage to a king, a governor, or a person in authority, in accordance with the rules of rank, and thus outwardly loving him, without, however, inwardly loving him. He loves him because he sees in him . . .
* In the margin: "N.B."

C (Coulson) n. 212

Charity (Coulson) n. 212

212. XII

WHERE THERE IS NO TRUTH OF FAITH, THE CHURCH DOES NOT EXIST; AND WHERE THERE IS NO GOOD OF LIFE, RELIGION DOES NOT EXIST.

The Church and religion make one, like truth and good. And because truth is of faith and good is of charity, they make one as faith and charity do; and, in order that it may be still more clearly understood, they make one as do the understanding and the will. It is well known that it is possible for a man to understand well and all the while not will well, and to understand truths and thence give utterance to them, and yet not from willing them do them. But when he wills as he understands, and does as he says, then the will and the understanding with him make one. It is similar in the case of the Church and religion. The Church is a Church from its doctrine; and religion is religion from a life in accordance with doctrine. And the doctrine ought to be composed of truths, and the life ought to be made up of goods.

C (Coulson) n. 213

Charity (Coulson) n. 213

213. But, in order that these things may come into a clearer light, they must be explained in the following order:

(1) All the truths of faith in the Church are from the Word.

(2) The truths of faith that are from the Word teach what is to be believed and what is to be done, so that a man's lot may be eternal life.

(3) It is said "the Church" on account of doctrine, and "religion" on account of a life in accordance therewith.

(4) With those who, by both doctrine and life, are in faith separate from charity, there is neither the Church nor religion.

C (Coulson) n. 214

Charity (Coulson) n. 214

214. IV

THE NEIGHBOUR IS TO BE LOVED IN ACCORDANCE WITH HIS SPIRITUAL GOOD, AND HIS MORAL, CIVIL, AND NATURAL GOOD THEREFROM; CONSEQUENTLY IT IS GOOD THAT, IN A SPIRITUAL SENSE, IS THE NEIGHBOUR TO BE LOVED.

(1) A man is not a man by reason of his face and body, but by reason of the good of his will.

(2) When the good of a man's will is loved, the man himself is being loved.

(3) A man is a man by reason of his spiritual good, and not by reason of his moral, civil, and natural good separate from spiritual good.

(4) Such as a man's spiritual good is, such is his moral, civil, and natural good; because these three goods derive their life solely from spiritual good.

(5) Consequently, it is good that, in a spiritual sense, is the neighbour to be loved.

OBS. - Spiritual good is the good of charity, thus, the Lord, heaven, and the Church with him; for such is the man in the goods derived from it.

C (Coulson) n. 215

Charity (Coulson) n. 215

215. III

IN A NATURAL SENSE, THE NEIGHBOUR WHO IS TO BE LOVED IS A FELLOW-CITIZEN, ALSO A SOCIETY, SMALL OR LARGE, ALSO ONE'S COUNTRY, ALSO THE HUMAN RACE.