Charity · 10 of 12

To Do Good to the Neighbour

209.II THE “SECOND” OF CHARITY IS TO DO GOOD TO THE NEIGHBOUR. Isaiah, chapter i.; also concerning the cup and dish that are to be cleansed inside first. If this cleansing is not done, they still appear good outwardly. This is Pharisaic or hypocritical good, or something natural in which there is nothing spiritual, thus it is spurious good; and if done for the sake of salvation, it is good done for reward. But these things are to be illustrated in this order: (1) Not wishing to do evil to the neighbour, is loving him. (2) Wishing to do good to the neighbour, is loving him. (3) In so far as a man does not wish to do evil to the neighbour, he wishes to do him good from charity; but not the reverse. (4) From this it follows, that the “first” of charity is to look to the Lord and shun evils as sins; and that the “second” of charity is to do good to the neighbour.

210.1. Not wishing to do evil to the neighbour, is loving him. For no one who loves another, does evil to him. Paul, too, says that he who loves the neighbour keeps the precepts of the Decalogue; he does not wish to kill; he does not wish to commit whoredom with someone else’s wife; he does not wish to steal; he does not bear false witness; “therefore, he says,” fulfilling the law is what charity is.” But, people ask, which is first, and which comes after? Whether loving the neighbour is first, and from that love not doing those evils - or whether removing them from oneself is first, and in that way loving the neighbour? It is evident enough that he who loves the neighbour does not do those evils. But people ask, how is anyone able to love the neighbour? Is he able to do so before he shuns those evils, and fights against them? It appears as if this love itself fights and so it does, though not before the man is in it. But, that he cannot come into that love, unless he first removes those evils, can be taken as established from the fact that every man by birth is in evils of every kind, that he lusts only after what is evil, and that, if he does not repent of them, he remains in them. Consequently those evils stand in the way of his being able to love the neighbour from that spiritual love. And Paul, therefore, says also, that the flesh is against the spirit, and that the flesh with its lusting must be crucified, and that thus a man becomes spiritual, and a new creature. From this it may be seen that, in so far as a man crucifies the flesh, he lives in the spirit. Accordingly, man being such by birth, it follows that his spirit cannot love the neighbour unless he crucifies his flesh, which is done by repentance; and that, in so far as he does this, he loves the neighbour from the spirit, that is, inwardly; and that loving the neighbour from the heart, previous to this, is against man’s nature. A belief has gathered strength in Christendom, that he who has faith loves the neighbour; but this belief is erroneous. No one can have a faith that has anything living in it, unless he shuns evils as sins, indeed, he has it to the extent that he shuns them. From these things it is now evident that the “first” of charity is not to do evil to the neighbour; for not doing evil to the neighbour is fighting against the evils in oneself, and repenting of them; and that the “second” of charity is to do good to the neighbour. It is possible for anyone, from the principle that it is Christian not to do evil to the neighbour, actually not to do it; but he who, from that principle alone, does not do evil to the neighbour, and does good to him, is still not loving him. His not doing evil to him is out of obedience to Divine law, not from the affection of love towards the neighbour. No one has any knowledge of this affection: he, however, who shuns evils as sins, that is, who does not love evils, comes into the affection of that love. Not doing evil but doing good from obedience is one thing, and not doing evil but good to the neighbour from an affection of love towards him is another. The difference is like that between the heat and light by night from the moon and stars, and the heat and light by day from the sun. In the obedience there is not any of the heat of that love, nor any of its light; but in the affection there is; for the of love is heat. Consequently, they who have done good from obedience are in the lowest regions of heaven, and in a light and heat like that, of the moon. Indeed, the light of their understanding is in the shade: they do not see any spiritual truths in light. The distinction between them, moreover, is that those who do good from obedience are doing it from fear of punishment, and for the same reason also they abstain from doing evil; whereas those who do good from affection are not doing it from fear of punishment; and, further, those who do good from obedience are natural, while those who do it from affection are spiritual. Again, those who do good from obedience are those who are being reformed - this, moreover, comes first; whereas those who do good from affection are being regenerated - this comes next in order. All who have been under the belief that man is saved by faith alone, if they are living in a Christian manner, confessing they are sinners, but without having examined themselves, do good from obedience, not from affection; indeed, they have no knowledge at all of faith, or of love, or of God, except what they hear from a preacher: they do good deeds, nevertheless.

211.The affection itself of love is like a flame, from which there is light in truths. The reason for this is that the Lord inflows into a man’s affection, and gives light. Moreover, love, in the spiritual world, appears from afar as a flame. Sometimes what look like flames descend from heaven, and these flames are affections of good and truth so appearing. It is like someone doing homage to a king, a governor, or a person in authority, in accordance with the rules of rank, and thus outwardly loving him, without, however, inwardly loving him. He loves him because he sees in him . . .