Charity (Coulson) n. 171

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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 fire 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.


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