The Doctrine of Charity - Swedenborg Foundation

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CHARITY 264The signs of charity are all things that pertain to worship8173. All things of charity have regard to looking to the Lord andshunning evils as sins, and doing the goods of use that pertain toone’s calling. But all things of worship are externals, of the bodyand of the mind. The externals of the body are performed by actsand by words; and the externals of the mind are those that areperformed by the will and the thought, which cohere with theexternals of the body.174. The externals of the body which pertain to worship are: (1)Frequenting temples. (2) Listening to sermons. (3) Devoutlysinging, and praying on the knees. (4) Partaking the sacrament ofthe supper. And at home: (1) Prayer morning and evening, and atdinners and suppers. (2) Conversing with others about charity andfaith, and about God, heaven, eternal life, and salvation. (3) And inthe case of priests, preaching, and also private instruction. (4) Andwith everyone, the instruction of children and servants in suchmatters. (5) Reading the Word, and books of instruction and ofpiety.175. The externals of the mind which pertain to worship are: (1)Thought and meditation concerning God, and concerning heaven,eternal life, and salvation. (2) Reflection upon one’s thoughts andintentions, as to whether they are evil or good, and that the evil arefrom the devil, and the good from God. (3) Aversion of one’s mindfrom impious, obscene, and filthy language. (4) Besides thoughts,there are also affections which come to the sight and sense of aman.176. These are called externals because they cohere and make onewith the externals of the body.
CHARITY 265177. That such things are externals of worship, and that theexternals of worship are signs of charity, will be seen in thefollowing order:(1) Charity itself is in the internal man, and its sign is in theexternal.(2) When charity is in the internal man, and constitutes it, then allthe acts of worship that are performed in externals are signs of it.(3) Worship in the external man proceeding from charity in theinternal, appears to the angels as a standard bearer with a banner inhis hand. But worship in the external man not proceeding from charityin the internal, appears to the angels as an actor with a firebrand in hishand.178. (1) Charity itself is in the internal man, and its sign is in theexternal. That there is an internal and an external man is known;and that the internal man is called the spirit, and the external theflesh, is also known. For it is said and it is known by some thatthere is a conflict between the spirit and the flesh. The spirit whichcontends against the flesh is the internal man, who is charity.179. The quality of the internal man cannot manifest itself to aman except by the external. It manifests itself when there is aconflict with the external; especially it manifests itself when a manexamines himself, sees his evils, and from knowledge confessesthem and thinks about repentance, and then resists his evils andsets about living a new life.180. If a man does not do these things his internal man is evil;but if he does them his internal man is good. For through theinternal man the Lord operates into the external; and as evil is thenresiding in the external, a conflict arises. For into the external man,which is called the flesh, spirits from hell are admitted, who arecalled the devil; and the Lord in man fights against him. And if, asof himself, the man also fights, he conquers; and as far as the devil
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Page 3 and 4: ContentsTranslator’s Note1. The f
Page 5 and 6: CHARITY 221Translator’s NoteThis
Page 7 and 8: CHARITY 223is to shun them as diabo
Page 9 and 10: CHARITY 225the man is within it, as
Page 11 and 12: CHARITY 22713. (1) Not to will to d
Page 13 and 14: CHARITY 229eternal life, and yet do
Page 15 and 16: CHARITY 23131. So in a thousand oth
Page 17 and 18: CHARITY 233(5) The good of the inte
Page 19 and 20: CHARITY 23554. Genuine charity itse
Page 21 and 22: CHARITY 237an essence. Therefore wh
Page 24: CHARITY 240laws, are enacted as for
Page 27 and 28: CHARITY 24392. It is known that suc
Page 29 and 30: CHARITY 245receptacle. So with the
Page 31 and 32: CHARITY 247114. (5) Whatever procee
Page 33 and 34: CHARITY 249123. But this is so with
Page 35 and 36: CHARITY 251130. The general good co
Page 37 and 38: CHARITY 253this, that everyone ther
Page 39 and 40: CHARITY 255151. When therefore a ma
Page 41 and 42: CHARITY 257the Lord as the “door
Page 43 and 44: CHARITY 259continually loves peace.
Page 45 and 46: CHARITY 261He loves the general goo
Page 47: CHARITY 263accepted by the Lord, an
Page 51 and 52: CHARITY 267within him; and everyone
Page 53 and 54: CHARITY 26911There are diversions o
Page 55 and 56: CHARITY 271diversions vary accordin
Page 57 and 58: CHARITY 273diversions are the only
Page 59 and 60: CHARITY 275(2) No one can have char
Page 61 and 62: CHARITY 277the Lord, he would not d
Page 63 and 64: CHARITY 279far he does good from Go
Page 65 and 66: CHARITY 281himself. And because the
Page 67 and 68: CHARITY 283206. (6) As far as anyon
Page 69 and 70: CHARITY 285neighbor does not love h
Page 71 and 72: CHARITY 287evils in oneself, and re
Page 73 and 74: CHARITY 289213. But that these thin
Page 75: CHARITY 2915. The signs of charity

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