is not grounded in self-love, but in the love of uses: and as
the love of uses is from the Lord, therefore all good uses in the
heavens are splendid and refulgent; and as all in our society are in
this love, therefore the atmosphere appears golden from the light which
partakes of the sun's flame-principle, and the sun's flame-principle
corresponds to that love." As they said this, they appeared to me to be
encompassed with such a sphere, from which an aromatic odor issued that
was perceivable by the senses. I mentioned this circumstance to them,
and intreated them to continue their discourse respecting the love of
uses; and they proceeded thus: "The dignities which we enjoy, we indeed
sought after and solicited for no other end than that we might be
enabled more fully to perform uses, and to extend them more widely. We
are also encompassed with honor, and we accept it, not for ourselves,
but for the good of the society; for the brethren and consociates, who
form the commonalty of the society, scarcely know but that the honors of
our dignities are in ourselves, and consequently that the uses which we
perform are from ourselves; but we feel otherwise, being sensible that
the honors of the dignities are out of ourselves, and that they are as
the garments with which we are clothed; but that the uses which we
perform, from the love of them, are within us from the Lord: and this
love receives its blessedness from communication by uses with others;
and we know from experience, that so far as we do uses from the love
thereof, so far that love increases, and with it wisdom, whereby
communication is effected; but so far as we retain uses in ourselves,
and do not communicate them, so far blessedness perishes: and in such
case use becomes like food stored up in the stomach, which, not being
dispersed, affords no nourishment to the body and its parts, but remains
undigested, and thereby causes loathing: in a word, the whole heaven is
nothing but a continent of use, from first principles to last. What is
use but the actual love of our neighbor? and what holds the heavens
together with this love?" On hearing this I asked, "How can any one know
whether he performs uses from self-love, or from the love of uses? every
man, both good and bad, performs uses, and that from some love. Suppose
that in the world there be a society composed of mere devils, and
another composed of mere angels; I am of opinion that the devils in
their society, from