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Heaven and Hell - Swedenborg Foundation

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So in other places.<br />

HEAVEN AND HELL 161<br />

217. In the Lord’s spiritual kingdom there are various forms<br />

of government, differing in different societies, the variety being<br />

in accord with the functions performed by the societies; <strong>and</strong><br />

the functions of these are in accord with the functions of all<br />

things in man to which they correspond. That these are various<br />

is well known, the heart having one function, the lungs<br />

another, the liver another, the pancreas <strong>and</strong> spleen another,<br />

<strong>and</strong> each sensory organ another. As in the body these organs<br />

perform various services, so there are various services pertaining<br />

to the societies in the greatest man, which is heaven, for the<br />

societies there correspond to these organs. That there is a<br />

correspondence of all things of heaven with all things of man<br />

may be seen in its own chapter above (n. 87–102). But all these<br />

forms of government agree in this, that they look to the public<br />

good as their end, <strong>and</strong> in that good to the good of the<br />

individual. 159<br />

And this is so because everyone in the whole<br />

heaven is under the auspices of the Lord, who loves all, <strong>and</strong><br />

from Divine love ordains that there shall be a common good,<br />

from which each individual shall receive his own good. Each<br />

one, moreover, receives good according as he loves the<br />

common good; for so far as he loves the common good he<br />

loves all <strong>and</strong> everyone; <strong>and</strong> as that love is love of the Lord he is<br />

to that extent loved by the Lord, <strong>and</strong> good comes to him.<br />

159. Every man <strong>and</strong> every community, also one’s country <strong>and</strong> the<br />

church <strong>and</strong> in the universal sense the kingdom of the Lord, is a neighbor, <strong>and</strong><br />

to do good to these from love of good in accordance with their state is to love<br />

the neighbor; that is, the neighbor is the good of these, which is the common<br />

good that must be consulted (n. 6818–6824, 8123).<br />

Civil good also, which is justice, is a neighbor (n. 2915, 4730,<br />

8120–8123).<br />

Therefore charity toward the neighbor extends itself to all things <strong>and</strong><br />

each thing of the life of man; <strong>and</strong> loving good <strong>and</strong> doing good from love of<br />

good <strong>and</strong> truth, <strong>and</strong> also doing what is just from a love of what is just in<br />

every function <strong>and</strong> in every work, is loving the neighbor (n. 2417,<br />

8121–8124).

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