Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 6821

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6821. One's country is the neighbour over the community because it is like a parent, for being the place where the person is born, it nurtures him and protects him from all harm. One ought out of love for one's country to do good to it according to its needs, which have regard primarily to its sustenance, its public life, and its spiritual life. Anyone who loves his country and out of goodwill does good to it will in the next life love the Lord's kingdom, for there the Lord's kingdom becomes his country. And anyone who loves the Lord's kingdom loves the Lord since the Lord is the All in all of His kingdom, for strictly speaking the Lord's kingdom is the goodness and truth which reside with the inhabitants of that kingdom, and which they receive from the Lord.


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