The Doctrine of Charity - Swedenborg Foundation

CHARITY 255151. When therefore a man is a use, or a good of use, he is alsocharity.152. And then the man is said to be charity in form, and he is animage of charity. All things in that man are of charity. For whenthe man himself breathes forth use in general, he breathes it forthalso in every particular. His life and soul become a love of use, oran affection of use.153. And then inwardly he looks to the Lord, and outwardly tohis work.154. (6) Man is born that he may become charity; and he cannotbecome charity unless he perpetually does the good of use to theneighbor, from affection and its delight. In the following article it willbe shown how a man is perpetually to do the good of use to theneighbor, and this from affection and its delight.155. He who places charity in good deeds alone cannot do thisperpetually.156. And if uses are not done perpetually there is an interruption,and in this interval he may turn aside into all loves and theconcupiscences therefrom, and so not only intermit his charity, buteven depart from good works. Charity thus perishes from itsopposites, and the man serves two lords.157. A man may even do the good of use from the affection ofglory, of honor, and of gain, and their delights. And then he is notcharity, but lust; thus he is not a form of heaven, but of hell. Evenin hell everyone is forced to do good work, but it is not done fromthe affection of it; he is forced to it.7Every man who looks to the lord and shuns evils as sins, if hesincerely, justly, and faithfully does the work of his office andemployment, becomes a form of charity158. This follows as a consequence from the preceding law, thatman is born that he may become charity; and he cannot become