Charity · 6 of 12

Every Man Becomes a Form of Charity

158.VII EVERY MAN WHO LOOKS TO THE LORD AND SHUNS EVILS AS SINS BECOMES A FORM OF CHARITY, PROVIDED THAT HE HONESTLY, JUSTLY, AND FAITHFULLY CARRIES OUT THE WORK OF HIS OCCUPATION OR EMPLOYMENT. This follows as consequent upon the preceding law, that man is born in order to become a charity, and he cannot become a charity unless he constantly does the good of use from affection and delight. When, therefore, a man honestly, justly, and faithfully, carries out the work of his occupation or employment from affection and its delight, he is continually in the good of use, not only towards the community or state, but also towards particular sections thereof and towards private individuals. But he cannot do this unless he looks to the Lord and shuns evils as sins; for, as shown above, the “first” of charity is to look to the Lord and shun evils as sins, and the “second” of charity is to do goods [no. 40]. Moreover, the goods he does are the goods of use he is doing every day; and when he is not doing them, he has it in mind to do them. There is an interior affection abiding inwardly, and desiring it. It is owing to this that, all the time, from morning to evening, from year to year, from his earliest age to the end of his life, he is in the good of use. He cannot otherwise become a form of charity, that is, a receptacle of it.

159.Something shall now be said concerning charity in the case of the priest, the governor, and the officials under them; the judge, the commander of an army, and the officers under him; the common soldier; the business man, the workman, the farmer, the ship’s captain and the sailor, and servants.

160.Charity in the case of the Priest. If he looks to the Lord and shuns evils as sins, and honestly, justly, and faithfully does the work of the ministry he is charged with, he is doing a good of use continually, and becomes a charity in form. But he does this good of use or the work of the ministry honestly, justly, and faithfully, when it is the salvation of souls that affects him; and in proportion as this affects him, truths affect him, because by them he is to lead souls to heaven; and he is leading souls to heaven by means of truths when he leads them to the Lord. His love is then diligently to teach truths from the Word, because when he teaches them from the Word he is teaching them from the Lord. For the Lord not only is the Word (John i. 1, 2, 14), but He is also the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John xiv. 6), and He is the Door. He, therefore, who enters into the sheepfold through the Lord as the door, is a good shepherd; but he who does not enter into the sheepfold through the Lord as the door, is a bad shepherd, who is called a thief and a robber (John X. 1-9).

161.Charity in the case of Governors. By governors are meant those holding the highest positions in kingdoms, commonwealths, provinces, cities, societies, over which they have jurisdiction in civil affairs. Each one of them in his own position, if he looks to the Lord and shuns evils as sins, and if he honestly, justly, and faith fully carries out the work of his exalted function, is continually doing a good of use to the community and to the individuals in it, and becomes a charity in form. And this takes place when the good of the subjects or citizens affects him; and when this affects him, it moves him to enact, together with those who are wise and God-fearing, laws of use, to see that they are kept, and to be first in living subject to them; also, to appoint over the groups of people under him officials, who are intelligent and at the same time of good will, through whom, under his supervision, judgment and justice may prevail, and the general good always be promoted. He will regard himself as the highest in rank of those serving others, and not as the head, for the head directs all things of its body from love and wisdom in itself; and Love and Wisdom in itself is the only Lord, by whom he, too, as a servant, will be directed. 44

162.Charity in the case of Officials under them. By officials under governors are meant those who are appointed by them over groups of the people to fulfil various necessary and useful functions. Each one of them, if he looks to the Lord and shuns evils as sins, and if he honestly, justly, and faithfully carries out the work of his office, becomes a charity in form, because he is doing goods of use continually, while at work, and also when not at work; for then an affection for doing them becomes established in his mind [animus], and the affection for doing the goods of use is charity in its life. What affects him is the use, and not the honour, except for the sake of the use. Under every official there is, in accordance with the scope of his jurisdiction, a sort of lesser general good subordinate to the greater and greatest general good, which is that of the kingdom or republic. When an official who is a charity is doing his own work honestly, justly, and faithfully, he is taking thought for the lesser general good which is that of his contribution, and in this way he is taking thought for the greater, and the greatest, general good. Moreover, it is the same with the official as with the governor already treated of, the only difference being that which exists between what is greater and what is less, what is wide and what is narrow, what is extended to uses in a general way, and what is extended to them in a particular way. In addition, the one kind of extension is dependent on the other, as a retinue of servants is dependent.

163.Charity in the case of Judges. If they look to the Lord and shun evils as sins, and if they deliver judgments of justice, they become charities in form, because they are doing goods of use both to the community and to the individuals in it, thus to the neighbour. And they are doing them continually while executing judgment, and also when not doing so, because they think from what is just, they speak from what is just, and they act from what is just; for what is just is of their affection; and, in a spiritual sense, is the neighbour. He executes judgment on all from what judgement is just, and at the same time impartially; for these cannot be separated. Indeed he is then executing judgment in accordance with the law, for every law has these two principles for its end; and so, when a cunning- man tries to pervert the meaning of the law, he dismisses the suit. In coming to a judgment he considers it to be a sin to have regard to friendship, or a bribe, or relationship, or authority, or any advantage other than that every one who lives according to the laws shall be protected and a sin if, when pronouncing a just judgment the justice is not in the first place [with him], but in the second. The judgments of a just judge are all judgments of charity, even when he inflicts a fine or a penalty on the guilty evil; for in this way he is amending them, and guarding against their doing harm to other guiltless people, who are the neighbour; for he is like a father who, if he loves his children, corrects them when they do wrong.

164.Charity in the case of the Commander of an Army. By the commander of an army is meant its highest officer, whether he is the king or the archduke, or a commander appointed by either of them, who is holding the command-in-chief. If he looks to the Lord and shuns evils as sins, and if he acts honestly, justly, and faithfully in the affairs, of his generalship and command, he is doing the goods of use that are goods of charity. And because he is constantly meditating upon them, applying himself to them, and carrying them into effect, he becomes a charity. If he is the king or the archduke, he does not love war, but peace, and continues to love it during war. He only goes to war for the protection of his country, and thus he is not an aggressor but a defender; afterwards, indeed, when war has been commenced, he also is an aggressor, so long as aggression is defense. In battle, unless by birth he is of another nature, he is brave and active; after battle, mild and merciful. In battle he would fain be a lion; but after battle, a lamb. Inwardly in himself he does not exult in the slaughter of the enemy and the honour of victory, but in the deliverance of his country and his own people from hostile invasion and the resulting ruin and destruction. He acts prudently, he faithfully looks after his army as the father of a family looks after his children and servants, he loves each one of them according as he does his work honestly and actively; besides several like things. Cunning is not cunning with him, but prudence.

165.Charity in the case of Officers under the Commander of an Army. They can each one become a charity, that is, an angel of heaven, if they look to the Lord and shun evils as sins, and carry out the duties of their command honestly, justly, and faithfully. For in this way they, too, are constantly doing the goods of use that are of charity; for their minds are in them, and when the mind is constantly in goods of use, it becomes a form of charity. For each one, his country is the neighbour; in a spiritual idea he is the protection of it, and its security from invasion and destruction. He is not triumphant with false claims of what he has not merited; nor is he triumphant over what he has merited: he thinks the latter is his duty, and this makes him contented in spirit and not boastful. In war he loves the soldiers under him, according to their activity, honesty, and obedience; he looks after them, and wishes well to them as to himself, they being victims in the glory he has from his use. For officers can have a glory from their use and a glory from their rank. Those who are charities have a glory from their use, but not from their rank. The other things in his case are similar to those in the case of the commander of an army, already treated of, differing only in accordance with the extent of his command. I have seen such officers in a higher heaven; and I have seen officers who were not such, in hell.

166.Charity in the case of the Common Soldier. If he looks to the Lord and shuns evils as sins, and does his duty honestly, justly, and faithfully, he also becomes a charity; there being in this respect no distinction of persons. For he is averse to unjust plunderings; he detests unjust bloodshed. In battle it is another thing: then he is not averse to it, for then he does not think of it, but of the enemy as an enemy, who desires his blood. His fury dies away when he hears the sound of the drum calling him to cease from the slaughter. After victory he looks upon the prisoners as the neighbour according to the quality of their good. Before battle he raises his mind [animus] to the Lord, and commends his life into His hand; and after having done this, he brings his mind [animus] down again from its elevation into the body, and becomes brave; while in his mind [animus] above his bravery the thought of the Lord continues to abide, though he is not then aware of it. And then if he dies, he dies in the Lord; if he lives, he lives in the Lord.

167.Charity in the case of the Business Man. If he looks to the Lord and shuns evils as sins, and carries on his business honestly, justly, and faithfully, he becomes a charity. He acts with prudence of his own, as it were, though trusting all the while in Divine Providence; consequently he is not depressed in misfortunes, nor is he filled with pride in successes. He thinks of the morrow, and yet he does not think of it. He thinks of what will have to be done on the morrow, and how it should be done; yet he does not think of the morrow, because he attributes the future to Divine Providence and not to his own prudence: even his own prudence he attributes to Divine Providence. He loves transacting business as the principal part of his occupation, and loves money as the instrument of it; and he does not make the money the principal thing, and the business the instrumental, as the majority of the Jews do. Thus he loves the work, which is in itself a good of use, and does not love the means more than the work. He does not indeed make this distinction, but they are nevertheless so distinguished when he looks to the Lord and shuns evils as sins. For he shuns avarice, which is an evil, and the root of more evils. He loves the general good while loving his own good; for in this the general good lies, as the root of a tree hiding itself underground, out of which, nevertheless, the tree grows, and blossoms and bears fruit. Not that he gives the general good more, out of his own, than is due; but because the public good is also his fellow-citizen’s good having its existence from the latter, and he loves his fellow-citizens from the charity of which he is a form. No one can know the hidden things of charity in himself, because he does not see them: but the Lord sees them.

168.Charity in the case of Workmen. By workmen are meant labourers and artisans of various kinds. These, if they look to the Lord and shun evils as sins, and if they do their work honestly, justly, and faithfully, become forms of charity, each one according as he loves his work, and applies himself to it. For the things they have to do are goods of use, of service to the neighbour for various necessities and utilities, such as food, clothing, habitation, protection, preservation, enjoyment, and several other things; they are also of advantage to the commonwealth. Every workman, according as he puts his mind to his work and labour, from the love of it, is, in respect of affection and thought about it, in it; and to the extent that he is in it, he is kept from thinking and loving vanities, and so may be led by the Lord to the thinking and loving of goods, and also to the thinking and loving of the means to good, which are truths. The case is otherwise with a man who is not intent upon any work. Every workman who looks to the Lord and shuns evils as sins, shuns idleness, because it is the devil’s couch; he shuns dishonesty and fraud; he shuns luxury and intemperance. He is industrious, honest, sober, content with his lot, and does his work for the neighbour as for himself, because in doing it he is loving himself and him in equal degree.

169.Charity in the case of Farmers. Farmers, that is, husbandmen and vinedressers, if they look to the Lord and shun evils as sins, and do their work honestly, justly, and faithfully, become charities in respect of their spirits, and after death, when they become spirits, they are in a form of charity; and that form is a human form, in which latter form all are after death. Such farmers rise early in the morning, arrange their work, devote themselves wholeheartedly to their tasks, are unwearied at work, and cheerful as a result of it. After work they are thrifty, sober, and alert. At home with their families they act according to what is just; outside with others, according to what is honest. They regard the civil laws of justice, such as those of the Decalogue, as Divine, and obey them. They love their fields and vineyards, because of their crops; and they love the crops because they are blessings, and give thanks to the Lord for them, and so they are continually looking to the Lord.

170.Charity in the case of Ship-captains. Ship-captains, either entrusted with ships and the merchandise therein, or owning them, also become charities if they look to the Lord and shun evils as sins, and do their work honestly, justly, and faithfully. Their work is a greater good of use than many others, because by means of it there is effected a communication and as it were a conjunction of the whole globe with its parts, and of the parts with the whole. And this important work becomes a good of use, which is a good of charity in them, when they act prudently to the best of their knowledge, when, keeping watchful and sober, they carry out their duties assiduously, so that the voyage may be successful, do not rashly expose themselves to dangers, nor lose hope when they encounter unforeseen dangers, and afterwards when they have reached safety, they render praise and thanks to the Lord. They are just and honest in their dealings with the sailors, faithful towards the owners of the ship, and just in their dealings with the foreigners at whose port their ship calls. They have nothing to do with pirates; they are content with their pay, and with any gains over and above it that are lawful. Because seafaring men who are charities look to the Lord and shun evils as sins, and do their work honestly, justly, and faithfully, they are more devout in their morning and evening prayers and hymns than those whose life is spent on the land, for they trust in Divine Providence more than these do. I counsel seafarers henceforth to pray to the Lord, because He is the God of heaven and earth and sea . . .

171.Charity in the case of Sailors. Sailors also become charities if they look to the Lord and shun evils as sins, while doing their work honestly, justly, and faithfully. For when they shun evils as sins they are shunning the devil, the devil being evil itself; and in that case they are accepted by the Lord; and the goods they then do they are doing from the Lord. And in no other way do they do goods continually than in the work they are called upon to do, which is seamanship. That work is a good work, because it is a good of use; and having love towards the neighbour, or charity, is nothing else than doing a good of use. Moreover, when they shun the devil and are accepted by the Lord, they do not commit the evils that are listed in the Decalogue; that is, they do not kill, they do not commit adultery, they do not steal, they do not bear false witness; for no one who loves the neighbour does these things. For anyone who hates the neighbour so much that he would like to kill him, is not loving him; anyone wanting to commit adultery with someone else’s wife, is not loving the neighbour; anyone wanting to steal and plunder his goods, is not loving the neighbour; anyone who bears false witness against him, is not loving the neighbour; and so on. These are the evils that they who look to the Lord specially shun. Then, also, they are not afraid of death, because if they die, they die in the Lord, and come into heaven; and in heaven they all love one another like brothers or like companions, and render each other mutual services. I exhort sailors also, as I have just exhorted the ship-captain, to approach the Lord and pray to Him; for none other is God of heaven, earth, and sea.

172.Charity in the case of Servants. Servants, just the same as masters, become charities, that is, angels, when they look to the Lord and shun evils as sins, and carry out a servant’s tasks honestly, justly, and faithfully. Their tasks, which are the goods of charity proper to them and never-ceasing, are, attending on their masters, wishing well to them, not speaking ill of them, carrying on in their absence as honestly as in their presence, and not scorning to serve: for everyone, in whatever position of responsibility he is, is obliged to serve; even a king ought to serve the Lord. And in so far as anyone serves faithfully, he is loved and led by the Lord. And in the measure that anyone looks to the Lord and shuns evils as sins, he serves freely and not under compulsion.