TCR 661 - Three Universals of Hell and Heaven and How Each Regards Uses

TCR 661 [3, 4, 5-6, 14]

There are three universals of hell,
but they are diametrically opposite to those of heaven.
The universals of hell are these three loves:
the love of ruling from the love of self,
the love of possessing the property of others
from the love of the world, and scortatory love.
The universals of heaven opposite to these
are these three loves:
the love of ruling from the love of use,
the love of possessing worldly goods
from the love of performing uses
by means of them,
and love truly conjugial.

. . . the first universal love of hell,
(is) namely, the love of ruling from the love of self,
and  . . . the universal love of heaven corresponding to it,
(is) namely, the love of ruling from the love of uses.
. . . In order . . . that both may be perceived
they must be placed in contrast, one against the other;
just as a beautiful and handsome face
is seen to advantage when an ugly and deformed one
is placed in contrast with it.

The love of ruling from the love of self
is in the highest degree infernal
because to rule from the love of self
is to rule from the proprium (ego),
and person's proprium is by birth evil itself,
and evil itself is diametrically opposed to the Lord.
Therefore, the deeper people advance in that evil,
the more do they deny God
and the holy things of the Church,
and worship themselves and nature.
. . . This love is such that,
if it is unrestrained and no obstacle stands in its way,
it rushes on from stage to stage even to the very highest.
Even there it does not rest,
and grieves and laments if further progress is denied it.

With politicians this love mounts to such a degree
that they desire to be kings and emperors;
and, if possible,
to have dominion over all things in the world,
and to be styled king of kings, and emperor of emperors.
With the clergy this same love increases
till they desire to be gods;
and if that were possible,
to have dominion over all things in heaven,
and to be styled gods.
It will be seen in what follows
that such men in their heart
do not acknowledge any God.
Those on the other hand
who desire to rule from the love of uses
do not desire to rule from themselves but from the Lord,
since the love of uses is from the Lord,
and is the Lord Himself.
Such men regard dignities
only as means for performing uses,
which they place far above dignities;
whereas the others place dignities far above uses.

. . . the uses which we perform
are from the love of them,
which is within us from the Lord,
and this love finds its blessedness
from communication with others by means of uses.
We know from experience
that as far as we perform uses from the love of them,
the love increases, and with the love,
wisdom from which communication is made possible.
On the other hand,
as far as we keep uses within ourselves,
and do not share them,
the blessedness perishes.
Then use becomes like food retained in the stomach,
and as it is not diffused
to act as nourishment for the body and its parts,
it remains undigested, and causes sickness.
In a word, heaven is comprised of nothing but uses,
from first things to last.

What is use
but practical love of the neighbor?
and what holds the heavens together but this love?