Part 5 (1/2)

The books of the Word are all those which have an internal sense. In the Old Testament they are the five books of Moses, the book of Joshua, the book of Judges, the two books of Samuel, the two books of Kings, the Psalms of David, the Prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zecharaiah, Malachi; and in the New Testament the four Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John; and the Apocalypse.

--_Arcana Coelestia, n._ 10,325

THE LIFE OF CHARITY AND FAITH

”He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy G.o.d.”

--_Micah,_ VI, 8

THE LAW OF CHARITY

Not to do evil to the neighbor is the first thing of charity, and to do good to him fills the second place.... That a man cannot do good which in itself is good before evil has been removed, the Lord teaches in many places: ”Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

Neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit”--_Matt._ XVI, 18.

So in Isaiah: ”Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before Mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well” (I, 16,17).

--_True Christian Religion, n._ 445

GOOD IN ITS WHOLENESS

Before repentance good is not done from the Lord, but from the man. It has not, therefore, the essence of good within it, however it appears like good outwardly. Good after repentance is another thing altogether. It is a whole good, un.o.bstructed from the Lord Himself. It is lovely; it is innocent; it is agreeable, and heavenly. The Lord is in it, and heaven. Good itself is in it. It is alive, fas.h.i.+oned of truths. Whatever is thus from good, in good, and toward good, is nothing less than a use to the neighbor, and hence it is a serving.

It puts away self and what is one's own, and thus evil, with every breath. Its form is like the form of a charming and beautifully colored flower, s.h.i.+ning in the rays of the sun.

--_The Doctrine of Charity, n._ 150

THE MAN OF CHARITY

Every man who looks to the Lord and shuns evils as sins, if he sincerely, justly and faithfully performs the work which belongs to his office and employment, becomes an embodiment of charity.

--_The Doctrine of Charity_, VII

In common belief charity is nothing else than giving to the poor, succoring the needy, caring for widows and orphans, contributing to the building of hospitals, infirmaries, asylums, orphanages, and especially churches, and to their decoration and income. But most of these things are not the proper activities of charity, but extraneous to it. A distinction is to be made between the duties of charity, and its benefactions. By the duties of charity those exercises of it are meant, which proceed directly from charity itself. These have to do primarily with one's occupation. By the benefactions those aids are meant which are given outside of, and over and above the duties.

--_True Christian Religion, n._ 425

THE ACTIVITY OF CHARITY

Charity is an inward affection, moving man to do what is good, and this without recompense. So to act is his life's delight.

The life of charity is to will well and to do well by the neighbor; in all work, and in every employment, acting out of regard to what is just and equitable, good and true. In a word, the life of charity consists in the performance of uses.

--_Heavenly Doctrine, nn._ 106, 124