Charity (Whitehead) n. 160

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160. (I.) Charity in the Priest. If he looks to the Lord and shuns evils as sins, and sincerely, justly, and faithfully performs the work of the ministry enjoined upon him, he does the good of use continually, and becomes charity in form. And he does the good of use or the work of the ministry sincerely, justly, and faithfully, when he is affected with a desire for the salvation of souls. And in proportion as he is so affected, he is affected by truths, because by means of them he leads souls to heaven; and he leads souls to heaven by means of truths when he leads them to the Lord. It is, then, his love diligently to teach truths from the Word; because when he teaches them from the Word he teaches them from the Lord. For the Lord not only is the "Word" (John 1:1, 2, 14), but is also "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6), and is the "door." He therefore that entereth in by the Lord as the "door" into the sheepfold is a good shepherd. And he that entereth not by the Lord as the "door" into the sheepfold is an evil shepherd, who is called a thief and a robber [John 10:1-9].


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