124. Piety is thinking and speaking piously, giving a lot of time to prayer, also behaving humbly, going regularly to church and listening devoutly to sermons there, frequently each year attending the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, and all the other religious observances prescribed by the church. A life of charity, however, is willing and doing good to the neighbour, acting in every task out of justice and equity, out of good and truth, and likewise in every public office. In short, a life of charity consists in performing services. In such a life the worship of God takes first place, but in the former one second place. Consequently everyone who separates one from the other, living a life of piety and not a life of charity at the same time, does not worship God. He may think about God, yet not be inspired by God, but by himself, for he constantly thinks about himself and gives no thought to the neighbour. If he thinks about the neighbour, he disparages him, if he is not also such as he is. He also thinks of heaven as a reward. As a result his mind is full of the idea of merit, and also self-love, and a contempt for or neglect of performing services, and so of the neighbour, and at the same time a confident belief that he is without guilt. From this it can be established that a life of piety divorced from a life of charity is not a spiritual life, such as should be present in the worship of God. (Compare Matthew 6:7,8).