The 'Love' In Which the Lord Can Dwells

Selection from Divine Wisdom ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

Use is fulfilling one's duty and doing one's work, rightly, faithfully, honestly and justly. What the proper meaning is of "goods of charity" in the Word, also called "works" and "fruits," and here called "uses," is not known except in a vague way and by some people only. On the basis of the literal sense of the Word, uses are believed to consist in "giving to the poor," "assisting those in need," "doing kindnesses to widows and orphans," and things of that kind. These uses, however, are not what is meant in the Word by "fruits," "works" and the "goods of charity". What is meant is -

carrying out one's duty, whether in the public service, or in business, or in employment, rightly, faithfully, honestly and justly;

when this is being done, then the welfare of the "general body of people or mankind" is being cared for, and thus, the welfare of one's country, too, as well as that of societies larger or smaller, and of one's fellow-citizen, companion and brother; these...are the neighbor in its broad and narrow senses. For every one, whether priest, ruler, or official, merchant, or workman, is then doing uses every day: the priest by his preaching: the ruler and the official by their administering: the merchant by his trading: the workman by his labor. Take, for example, a judge who passes judgment rightly, faithfully, honestly and justly: he is performing a use to the neighbor every time he passes judgment; similarly a minister every time he teaches: and so with all the others.

That such uses are meant by "goods of charity" and by "works" is clear from the Lord's government in the heavens. There, just as in the world, everyone must be in some function and service, that is, in some office or in some work; and proportionate to the faithfulness, honesty and justice they exercise in it, are the distinction, splendor and happiness they enjoy. Sluggards and idlers are not admitted into heaven, but are cast out, either into hell or into a desert place, where they live in want of everything and in misery.

Such are the things that in the heavens are called goods of charity, works and uses. Furthermore, everyone who is faithful, honest and just in his occupation or employment in the world is also faithful, honest and just after departing from the world, and is welcomed in heaven by angels.

Moreover, everyone's heavenly joy is in accordance with the quality of his faithfulness, honesty and justice. The reason for this is that -

the mind, when devoted to its occupation or employment from a love of use, is kept knit together, and so, kept in spiritual delight, which is a delight in faithfulness, honesty and justice, and is withheld from delight in fraud and dishonesty, as well as from delight in mere gossiping and feasting, which is, moreover, delight in idleness, and idleness is the devil's couch.

Everyone can see that the Lord cannot dwell in a love for these latter things, whereas in a love for the former He can.

(Divine Wisdom XI: 133,134)

The Neighbor ~'The Object of Charity'

Selection from Divine Wisdom ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

The Lord is the source of charity, and the neighbour is the object of it. It is clear from what was said in the article [posted below], that the Lord is the source "from which" the love of uses, or charity, is and comes forth.

The reason the neighbour is the object of it, is because it is towards the neighbour that one ought to have charity, and to him that charity is to be performed.

As the neighbour is said to be the object of charity, it should be stated, too, what and who the neighbour is. The neighbour in a broad sense is the "general body of people or mankind" (commune seu Publicum): in a less broad sense it is the Church, one's country, a society, larger or smaller: and in a narrow sense it is a fellow-citizen, a companion and a brother. Performing uses to these from love is exercising charity towards the neighbour, for he who from love performs uses to them, is loving them.

The reason he is loving them is because the love of uses and the love of the neighbour cannot be separated.

Indeed, from a love of uses, or from charity, a man can do good to an enemy or to a wicked person, but the uses he performs to them are uses to bring about their repentance or their reconciliation, these uses varying in character, and being effected in various ways:

• Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
• Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
• But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
• That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
• For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
• And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
• Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

(Matthew 5:25; 43-48; see also Luke 6:27, 28, 35)

(Divine Wisdom II:131:2)

The Love of Uses is Charity

Selection from Apocalypse Explained ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

LOVE AND CHARITY

The love of uses is charity. In each and all things there are these three: an end, a cause, and an effect. The end is that "from which it originates" (a quo): the cause is that "by means of which it comes into existence" (per quod): and the effect is that "in which it has existence" (in quo).

When an end, by means of a cause, is in its effect, it then has existence.

In every love and in every affection from it, there is an end, and this end purposes or desires to do what it loves, and the thing done is its effect.

• The Lord is the End "from which"

• Man is the cause "by means of which"

• and Use is the effect "in which" the end has existence.

• The Lord is the End "from which," because out of His Divine Love He unceasingly purposes or wills to do uses, that is, goods to mankind

• Man is the cause "by means of which," because a man is, or can be, in the love of uses, and when in that love, he purposes or wills to do uses

• and Uses are the effects "in which" the end has existence; uses are the things that are also called "goods".

This shows clearly that the love of uses is the charity a man ought to have towards his neighbour.

That there is an end, a cause, and an effect in each and all things can be tested by anything whatever: as, for instance, when a man is doing something, he will say either to himself or to some one else, or some one else will say to him, Why are you doing that? that is, what is your "end" (or purpose): How do you do that? that is, by what "cause" (or means): and, What are you doing? that is, what is the "effect."

The end, the cause and the effect are also termed "the end-cause" (causa finalis), "the middle cause" and "the thing caused";

it is by reason of a law in regard to causes that "the end" is the all in the cause, and thereby the all in the effect, the "end" being the very essence of them both.

Similarly the Lord, because He is "the End," is the All in the love of uses, or charity, with a man, and thereby He is the All in the uses done by him, that is, in the uses done by means of him. From this is the belief in the Church that all good is from God and none from man; and that God is Good Itself. It follows as a consequence, therefore, that exercising charity is doing uses, or the goods that are uses; and so, that the love of uses is charity.

(Divine Wisdom XI:1,2)