THE LOVES OF SELF AND OF THE WORLD (pt. 4)

The New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrine
Emanuel Swedenborg
• Doctrinal Series •
THE LOVES OF SELF AND OF THE WORLD
(pt. 4)

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What the nature of the love of self is, may be evident from a comparison with heavenly love.

Heavenly love is to love uses for the sake of uses, or goods for the sake of goods, which the man performs to the church, to his country, to human society, and to a fellow-citizen.

But he who loves them for the sake of himself, does not love them otherwise than as his servants, because they are of service to him.

It follows from this that he who is in the love of self wills that the church, his country, human societies, and his fellow-citizens serve him, and not he them. He puts himself above them, and them below him.

(The New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrine 69)

• In the manuscript, the author, Emanuel Swedenborg, annexed to each section of the doctrine extracts from the Arcana Coelestia, because in the Arcana Coelestia the same things are more fully explained. Arcana Coelestia is available in print or online.