Concerning heaven and its wonders, and concerning hell: being a relation of things heard and seen / Translated from the Latin.

  • Emmanuel Swedenborg
Date:
1843
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Concerning heaven and its wonders, and concerning hell: being a relation of things heard and seen / Translated from the Latin. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    325/372 (page 313)
    555—558 which rules in hell, and consequently makes hell with man. It is therefore necessary to describe what self-love is, and to show that all evils and the falses thence derived originate in that love. 556. Self-love consists in a man’s willing well to himself alone, and not to others except for the sake of himself, even though they be the church, or his country, or human society at large. To confer benefits merely for the sake of our own reputation, honor, and glory, is also a form of self-love, because unless these rewards can be obtained by doing good to others, the selfish man says in his heart, “ What business is it of mine ? Why should I do this ? What advantage is it to me ?” and so he does nothing. It is evident therefore that a man who is principled in self-love, neither loves the church, nor his country, nor society, nor any use, but himself alone. His delight is the delight of mere self- love, and since the delight which proceeds from the love makes the life of man, therefore his life is a life of self, and the life of self is a life derived from the proprium of man, and the pro¬ prium of man is essentially nothing but evil. He who loves himself, loves also those with whom he is connected, as his children, his grand-children, and, in general, all who act in unity with him, and whom he calls his friends. To love these is also to love himself; for he regards them as it were in himself, and himself in them, and numbers amongst his friends all who commend, honor, and pay their court to him. 557. The nature of self-love is best known by comparison with heavenly love. Heavenly love consists in loving uses for their own sake, that is in loving the very works which a man performs for the good of the church, or of his country, or of society, or of a fellow-citizen; for this is to love God and the neighboi’, because all uses and all good works are from God, and are [abstractedly] the neighbor who is to be loved : but whoever loves them for the sake of himself, loves them merely as servants who minister to his gain or ease. Hence it follows, that he who is principled in self-love, would have the church, his country, his fellow-citizens, and all human society, serve him; for he exalts himself instead of being their servant, and puts them beneath him. So far therefore as any one is in self-love, he removes himself from heaven, because he removes himself from heavenly love. 558. Again: so far as any one is in heavenly love, he is led of the Lord, for that love consists in loving uses and good works, and in doing them with delight of heart for the sake of the church, of our country, of a fellow-citizen, or of human society; but the Lord Himself is in that love, and it comes down from Him. So far also as any one is in self-love, he is led of him¬ self, for that love consists in performing uses and good works for the sake of himself; but in proportion as any one is led of himself, he is not led of the Lord, and hence it follows, that