18. While they were thus conversing, an attendant came and announced that, by command of the prince, eight wise men were present and desired to enter. Hearing this, the angel went out and, receiving them, brought them in. Then, after the customary social formalities and proprieties, the wise men talked with them. They spoke first about the beginnings and increments of wisdom, intermingling various matters relating to its progress, saying that, with angels, wisdom never comes to an end and stops, but grows and is augmented to eternity.
On hearing this, the angel of the company said to the wise men: "At the table our prince spoke with these men concerning the seat of wisdom, that it is in uses; will you also be so kind and speak to them on this subject."
They then said: "As first created, man was imbued with wisdom and the love thereof, not for himself but that from himself he might communicate it to others. Hence, it is inscribed on the wisdom of the wise, that none is wise and none lives for himself alone unless at the same time for others. From this comes society; otherwise society would not exist. To live for others is to perform uses. Uses are the bonds of society, which are as many as there are good uses; and uses are infinite in number. There are spiritual uses, which pertain to love to God and to love towards the neighbor; there are moral and civil uses, which pertain to love of the society and state in which a man resides, and of his companions and fellow citizens among whom he lives; there are natural uses, which pertain to love of the world and of its necessities; and there are uses of the body, which pertain to the love of its preservation for the sake of the higher uses. [2] All these uses are inscribed on man and follow in order one after the other; and when they exist together, the one is within the other. Those who are in the first uses, which are spiritual, are also in the uses which follow; and such men are wise. But those who are not in the first and yet are in the second and from these in the following, are not wise in the same way but only appear to be so from their outer morality and affability. Those who are not in the first and second, but are in the third and fourth, are anything but wise, for they are satans, loving only the world and themselves from the world; and those who are only in the fourth are the least wise of all; for they are devils, living for themselves alone, and if for others, it is only for the sake of themselves. [3] Every love, moreover, has its own delight, it being by delight that love lives; and the delight of the love of uses is a heavenly delight which enters into the delights that follow in order, exalting them according to the order of their succession, and making them eternal."
They then enumerated the heavenly delights proceeding from the love of use, saying that there are myriads and myriads of them, and that those enter into them, who enter into heaven. And in further wise discourse concerning the love of use, they spent the day with them until the evening.
