Page:The Doctrines of the New Church Briefly Explained.djvu/180

174 principally the worship of the mouth in a temple morning and evening. But the worship of God does not consist essentially in this, but in a life of uses." (A. C. n. 7884.)

"He who thinks that the worship of the Lord consists solely in frequenting the temple, hearing preaching there, and praying, and that this is enough, is much deceived. The real worship of the Lord consists in the performance of uses; and uses consist, during a man's life in the world, in the faithful discharge of every one's duty in his particular vocation; that is, in serving his country, society and his neighbor from the heart, in acting with sincerity in all his relations, and in performing duties prudently according to the nature of each. These uses are in the highest degree the exercises of charity, and those whereby the Lord is principally worshiped. Frequenting the temple, listening to sermons, and saying prayers are also necessary; but without uses, they are of no avail, for they are not of the life, but teach what the quality of the life should be. The angels in heaven have all their happiness from uses and according to uses, insomuch that uses are to them heaven,. . . these being the things according to which happiness is there given, and by which the Lord is principally worshiped." (A. C. 7038.)

"A man, while he lives in the world, should not omit the practice of external worship, for by this internal things are excited; and external things are kept by external worship in a state of sanctity, so that internal things can flow in." (A. C. 1618.) "Yet [the real] worship does not consist in prayers and outward devotion, but in a life