5158. Heaven is a kingdom of uses; there is no one there who does not perform a use. The kinds of uses are countless, there are both those of which they are aware and of which they are unaware, because there are those who instruct others, who lead to good, who are with people, who awaken the dead, who protect, who govern others. In a word, there are innumerable duties, and all of them in their functions receive joy depending on their affection for use for the sake of use. This affection itself with its joy is the reward and payment meant in the Word. From this is clear that when affection's delight is itself the reward, it does not want to be rewarded. It is like a mother who tenderly loves young children: in this love lies her joy. She has no thought of reward the way a wet-nurse does, but is saddened if deprived of this use and would give everything she has simply to be allowed to have her joy. From this it is clear that she rejects reward on this account. She admittedly does sometimes thinks of her own happiness if, when the child becomes an adult, he or she is elevated to high positions, but she thinks about this distantly and scarcely thinks about it all when she is filled with her love.
5158. Heaven is a kingdom of uses. There is no one there who does not discharge a use. The kinds of uses are innumerable, both such as they are conscious of, and such as they are not conscious of; for there are, there, those who instruct others, those who lead to good, those who are with men, those who awake the dead, those who protect, and those who are responsible for others. In a word, there are innumerable duties and everyone, in his own place, receives certain duties according to his affection of use for the sake of use. That affection itself, with its joy, is the reward and recompense which is meant in the Word. Hence it is manifest, that, since the very delight of the affection is the reward, there is no desire of meriting just as a mother who tenderly loves her children - in which love the joy is - does not think about merit like a hired nurse, but grieves if she is deprived of that use, and is willing to give all that she has only to be allowed to possess her joy. Hence it is evident that she rejects the notion of merit on that account. Sometimes, indeed, she thinks what her happiness will be when the child becomes grown up and attains honors; but she thinks of this from afar, and scarcely anything about it when she is in her love.
5158. Coelum est regnum usuum, nullus ibi est, qui non praestat usum, usuum genera sunt innumerabilia, tam quae sciunt quam quae non sciunt, sunt enim qui instruunt alios, qui ducunt ad bonum, qui sunt apud homines, qui excitant mortuos, qui defendunt, qui aliis praesunt, verbo sunt officia innumerabilia, et quisque in sua statione gaudium accipit secundum affectionem usus propter usus; ipsa illa affectio cum suo gaudio est merces et remuneratio quae intelligitur in Verbo; inde patet, cum ipsum affectionis jucundum est merces, quod non mereri velit, est sicut mater quae amat tenere infantes, in quo amore est ejus gaudium; non cogitat de merito, sicut nutrix mercenaria, sed dolet si privatur illo usu, et vult dare omne quod habet, ut modo liceat ei frui suo gaudio, inde patet quod respuat meritum propter id, cogitat quidem quandoque de felicitate sua, si infans cum fit adultus, ad honores venit, sed hoc e longinquo cogitat, et vix aliquid de eo, cum est in suo amore.