The Doctrine of Charity - Swedenborg Foundation

CHARITY 266is conquered, so far there is place for goods from the internal manto enter. Thus he gradually becomes a new man and is regenerated.181. Whatever the internal man produces and presents to sightand sense in the external is called a sign. If charity is in the internalit leads a man to reflect upon the evils within him, and actually totake cognizance of and know them, and so on. If he does not dothis his external is not a sign of charity; and if yet his external is inworship and piety, it is not a sign of charity, but is external charitywithout internal charity, which is not charity.182. By a sign is meant an indication and evidence that it exists;for it expresses and signifies and indicates and bears witness of it.183. There is no internal without its sign and indication. Ifcharity is in the internal man, or in the spirit, and this does notfight against the external man and his flesh, then charity perishes. Itis as a fountain of pure water; if there is no outlet it stagnates andthen it either ceases its flow or by stagnation the water becomesputrid. In another place there will be many confirmations of thesethings from the Word.[Two pages of the original manuscript are missing here.]9184. [The benefactions of charity are all the goods that a man,who is charity, does freely outside of his calling.]185. (4) No one is saved through these benefactions, but through theCharity from which they are done, and which is therefore in thosebenefactions. These benefactions are outside of a man, but charity is