Spiritual Experiences Minor (Buss) n. 4637

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4637. CONCERNING CHARITY TOWARDS THE NEIGHBOR. When holiness and good descends from the Lord, through angels, into man and the delight of his life, then it is like a seed hidden in the ground. If the delight be pride, or the love of self, then it falls into evil ground, where there are thorns. So, also, if into that delight of man which is the lust of gain. Wherefore, such ground is regarded by the angels as something sterile, foul and excrementitious, into which nothing good can sink down, because it is swallowed up by evils. But if good and holiness from the Lord fall into the delight of charity, into the affection of justice and rectitude and into contempt of gain and honor except for the sake of use, then it falls into good ground and bears much fruit. Affection itself is the ground, whose quality is not perceptible in any other way than from the delight of the man. There is the best ground, if the affection is of charity; and, also, if the charity is of faith in the Lord. The worst ground is the delight of honor and dignity not for the sake of use; and next, the delight of riches not for the sake of use. As is the quality of the use, such is the delight.


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