Week 6    Day 6

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Spirits Discussing Charity (Cont.)

The Conclusion to a Memorable Relation of Spirits Discussing Charity

TCR 459:13. When all this had taken place, I raised my hand and asked them to permit me, although a stranger, to offer my opinion also. The president proposed this, and consent being given, I spoke as follows: “It is my opinion that charity is to act with judgment from a love of justice in every employment and office, but from a love derived from no other source than the Lord God the Savior. All that I have heard from those sitting upon the benches, both on the right and on the left, are eminent examples of charity. But, as the president of this assembly stated at first, charity in its origin is spiritual, but in its flowing forth is natural; and natural charity, if it is inwardly spiritual, appears to angels transparent like a diamond; but if not inwardly spiritual, and therefore merely natural, it appears to the angels like a pearl that resembles the eye of a cooked fish.

[14] “It is not for me to say whether the eminent examples of charity which you have presented in order are inspired by spiritual charity or not. But I can say what the spiritual that ought to be in them must be, that they may be natural forms of spiritual charity. The spiritual itself of these is this, that they be done with judgment from a love of justice; that is, that in the exercise of charity, man should see clearly whether he is acting from justice, and this he sees from judgment. For a man may do evil by deeds of beneficence, and by what appear to be evil deeds he may do good.

“For example: One who gives to a needy robber the means with which to buy a sword, by a beneficent act is doing evil, although the robber in begging the money did not tell what he would do with it. So again, if one rescues a robber from prison and shows him the way to a forest, saying to himself, ‘It is not my fault that he commits robbery; I have given succor to the man.’ Take as another example one who feeds an idler, and prevents his being compelled to work, saying to him, ‘Go into a bedroom in my house and lie in bed; why should you weary yourself?’ Such a one favors idleness. Or again, take one who promotes relatives and friends with dishonest inclinations to offices of honor, in which they can plot many kinds of mischief. Who cannot see that such works of charity do not proceed from any love of justice combined with judgment?

[15] “On the other hand, a man may do good through what appear to be evil deeds. Take as an example a judge who acquits an evil- doer because he sheds tears, pours out words of piety, and begs the judge to pardon him because he is his neighbor. But in fact, a judge performs a work of charity when he decrees the man’s punishment according to the law; for he thus guards against the man’s doing further evil and being a pest to society, which is the neighbor in a higher degree, and he prevents also the scandal of an unjust judgment.

Who does not know also that it is good for servants to be chastised by their masters, or children by their parents, when they do wrong? The same is true of those in hell, all of whom are in the love of doing evil. They are kept shut up in prisons, and when they do evil are punished, which the Lord permits for the sake of their amendment. This is so because the Lord is justice itself, and does whatever He does from judgment itself.

[16] “From all this it can be seen clearly why, as just said, spiritual charity is done with judgment from a love of justice, and yet from a love derived from no other source than the Lord God the Savior. This is because all good of charity is from the Lord; for He says,

He that abides in Me and I in him, the same bears much fruit; for apart from Me, you can do nothing (John 15:5).

Also that He has all power in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18).

And all love of justice with judgment is from no other source than the God of heaven, who is justice itself, and the source of all man’s judgment (Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15).

[17] “From all this we may conclude that all that has been said about charity from the benches on the right and left, namely, That charity is morality inspired by faith; That it is piety inspired by commiseration; That it is doing good alike to the virtuous and the vicious; That it is to serve by every means one’s relatives and friends; That it is giving to the poor and assisting the needy; That it is building infirmaries and supporting them by contributions; That it is endowing churches and doing good to their ministers; That it is the old Christian brotherhood; That it is to forgive everyone his trespasses; all these are eminent examples of charity when they are done with judgment from a love of justice. Otherwise, they are not charity, but are merely like brooks separated from their fountains, or like branches torn from their tree; because genuine charity is to believe in the Lord and to act justly and rightly in every employment and office. Therefore, he who from the Lord loves justice and practices it with judgment, is charity in its image and likeness.”

[18] When this had been said there was silence, such as comes to those who from their internal man, but not as yet in the external, see and acknowledge that something is true. This I perceived from their faces. But I was then suddenly removed out of their sight, returning from the spirit into my material body; for the natural man, because of his being clothed with a material body, is not visible to any spiritual man, that is, to a spirit or angel, nor they to him.

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