IN SUCH A FORM IS MAN IN GENERAL.

By man in the most general sense is meant the whole human race; by man in a general sense are meant the men of one kingdom taken together; in a sense less general those of a single province in a kingdom; in a sense still less general those of a city; in a particular sense those of a house; and in an individual sense every man. In the Lord's view, the whole human race is as one man; all in a kingdom are also as one man; likewise, all in a province, all in a city, and all in a house. It is not the men themselves that are thus seen together, but the uses with them. They that are good uses, that is, that perform uses from the Lord, when viewed together, are seen as a man perfect in form and beautiful; these are such as perform uses for the sake of the uses; that is, that love uses because they are uses of the house, of the city, province, kingdom, or of the whole world. But they that perform uses, not for the sake of uses, but for the sake of themselves alone, or the world alone, likewise appear before the Lord as one man, but as an imperfect and deformed man.

From what has now been said, it can be seen that the Lord has regard to men in the world, to each according to his use, and to men in the mass according to uses united in the form of a man. By uses are meant the uses of each one's function, which are the uses of his office, pursuit, and occupation. In the Lord's sight these uses are good works themselves.

Whereas all in any kingdom appear before the Lord as one man according to their love of uses, it is plain that all the English appear before Him as one man; likewise all the Dutch, all the Germans, all the Swedes and Danes, also the French, the Spaniards, the Poles, the Russians; but each nation according to its uses. Those in the several kingdoms that love the uses of their offices because they are uses, appear together as a man-angel; and those that love the uses of their offices for the sake of pleasures alone apart from uses appear together as a man-devil. Traders, in the man-angel, are those that love trading, and love wealth for the sake of trading, and at the same time look to God; but traders, in the man-devil, are those that love wealth, and love trading only for the sake of wealth. With the latter there is avarice, which is the root of all evils, but not with the former. For to love wealth alone, and not any use that may come of it, that is, to regard wealth in the first place and trading as secondary, is to be avaricious. Such men are, useful to a kingdom, but chiefly when they die, for then their wealth passes into the public use of those engaged in trade; the benefit that then accrues from such wealth is benefit to the kingdom, but not to the souls of those who gathered it.# In a word, accumulation of wealth by trading for the sake of wealth alone, is Jewish trading; but accumulation of wealth by trading for the sake of trading, is Dutch trading. Opulence is not harmful to the latter, but it is to the former. [#AUTHOR'S NOTE:-] These indeed benefit the common wealth by accumulating wealth in it, and enriching it; but they do not benefit their own souls.