The New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrine
Emanuel Swedenborg
• Doctrinal Series •
LOVE TOWARDS THE NEIGHBOR, OR CHARITY
(pt. 9)
What has hitherto been said [
in previous articles] is concerning the neighbor. Love towards him, or Charity, shall now be treated of.
It is believed by many, that love towards the neighbor consists in giving to the poor, in assisting the indigent, and in doing good to everyone;
but charity consists in acting prudently, and to the end that good may result. He who assists a poor or indigent evil doer does evil to the neighbor through him, for through the assistance which he renders, he confirms him in evil, and supplies him with the means of doing evil to others. It is otherwise with him who gives support to the good.
But charity extends itself much more widely than to the poor and indigent; for
charity consists in doing what is right in every work, and our duty in every office. If a judge does justice for the sake of justice, he exercises charity; if he punishes the guilty and absolves the innocent, he exercises charity, for thus he consults the welfare of his fellow-citizens and of his country. The priest who teaches the truth, and leads to good, for the sake of truth and good, exercises charity. But he who does such things for the sake of self and the world, does not exercise charity, because he does not love the neighbor, but himself.
The case is the same in all other instances, whether a man be in any office or not:-
• as with children towards parents, and with parents towards children
• with servants towards masters, and with masters towards servants
• with subjects towards the king, and with a king towards subjects
whoever of these does his duty from a principle of duty, and what is just from a principle of justice, exercises charity.
The reason why such things belong to love towards the neighbor, or charity, is because, as was said above, every man is the neighbor, but in a different manner.
• a less and greater society is more the neighbor
• our country is still more the neighbor
• the Lord's kingdom still more
• the Lord above all
and in a universal sense
• good, which proceeds from the Lord, is the neighbor
consequently also
• sincerity and justice.
Wherefore he who does any good for the sake of good, and he who acts sincerely and justly for the sake of sincerity and justice, loves the neighbor and exercises charity; for he does so from the love of what is good, sincere, and just, and consequently from the love of those in whom good, sincerity, and justice are.
(The New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrine 100-103)
• 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.
