December11

Be Good, Honest, and Fair

And◦ the birth of Jesus Christ was in··this··way: His mother Mary, being betrothed to Joseph, before they came··together, was found with child from◦ the Holy Spirit. And◦ Joseph her husband, being just, and not◦ willing to expose· her ·to· ·public··infamy, intended to send· her ·away privately. And◦ while he thought on these··things, behold◦, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in▵ a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, fear not◦ to take··to··thee Mary thy wife, for◦ that which is begotten in her is from◦ the Holy Spirit. And◦ she shall bring··forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus; for◦ He shall save His people from their sins. (Matthew 1:18-21)

Heavenly love consists in loving what is good, honest, and just, because it is good, honest and just, and in doing this from love; and those that have this love have a life of goodness, honesty, and justice, which is the heavenly life. (Heaven and Hell 481.1)

The Lord’s presence with man is in good, and therefore in what is just and equitable, and further in what is honorable and becoming (what is honorable being the complex of all the moral virtues; and what is becoming being simply its form); for these are goods which succeed in order, and are the planes in man on which conscience is founded by the Lord, and consequently intelligence and wisdom. (Arcana Coelestia 2915)

All those are in the good of charity who have conscience (that is, who are unwilling to depart in any degree from what is just and fair, and good and true, and this for the very sake of what is just and fair, and good and true, for this principle is from conscience), and who from having conscience think well of the neighbor and desire his welfare, even should he be an enemy; and this without any recompense. These are they who are in the good of charity, whether they be without the church or within the church. If within the church, they adore the Lord, and willingly hear and do the things that He has taught. (Arcana Coelestia 2380.2)

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