5881. THE LIFE OF CHARITY WITH MAN. It was perceived, that, in the Christian globe, man is by no means able to be in the life of charity, unless, when thinking about the Lord, he thinks of His Divine. To think about His Divine only when one is in the doctrinal, and not when he is thinking apart from that, is not thinking of the Lord's Divine. Nor does a man think of the Lord's Divine when he prays the Father for the sake of the Son: he does not then have the Lord in his idea of the Divine. It was also perceived that everyone, who, when thinking of the Lord, thinks about the Lord's Divine, is in the life of charity; for, him the Lord leads.
5881a. It was observed, too, that many declared charity and not faith to be the essential of the Church, believing that thus they would be saved in preference to others; but they who said this from a principle only, and not from life, do not in the least differ from those who are in faith alone. A certain one said that he understood that he, since he believes in charity, has the life of charity, just as he who believes in faith has the life of faith. Hence it was manifest that they believed life to dwell in anyone, apart from actual living.
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