409# 主降世以前，几乎无人明了何为内在人，亦无人明了何为仁义；故主才在如此多处教导爱；所谓爱，即仁义。此点正构成旧约或旧盟与新约或新盟之间的根本分别。
主在马太福音中教导人，应当出于仁义善待敌对者与仇敌：“你们听见有话说：当爱你的邻舍，恨你的仇敌。只是我告诉你们，要爱你们的仇敌，为那逼迫你们的祷告。这样就可以作你们天父的儿子；因为他叫日头照好人，也照歹人；降雨给义人，也给不义的人。”（太5:43–45）又当彼得问主：“我弟兄得罪我，我当饶恕他几次呢？到七次可以吗？”主回答说：“我对你说，不是到七次，乃是到七十个七次。”（太18:21–22）
我又从天上听见：主赦免每一个人的罪，从不报复，甚至也不归罪于人；盖因祂乃爱本身、良善本身。然而，罪并不因此即被涂抹；罪惟有借悔改而被涂抹。既然主曾对彼得说，人当饶恕至七十个七次，则主自己岂不更当如此吗？
409# 在主降世之前，几乎没有人知道内在人是什么、仁爱是什么。这就是为何主如此频繁地教导兄弟之爱，即仁爱；这构成了旧约和新约之间的区别。在马太福音，祂教导说，要出于仁爱向敌人或仇敌行善：
你们听见有话对古人说，当爱你的邻舍，恨你的仇敌。只是我告诉你们，要爱你们的仇敌，为咒诅你们的人祝福，善待恨你们的人，为那伤害和逼迫你们的人祷告；这样你们才可以作你们在天上的父的儿子。（马太福音5:43-45）
当彼得问祂，他当饶恕得罪他的人几次，到七次可不可以时，祂回答说：
我对你说，不是到七次，乃是到七十个七次。（马太福音18:21，22）
我从天上听说，主饶恕每个人的罪，从不因罪惩罚任何人，甚至不算为有罪，因为祂是爱本身和良善本身；然而，罪不会因此被洗去，因为只有通过悔改才能洗去罪。既然主告诉彼得要饶恕到七十个七次，那么有什么事是主不会做的呢？或说主会在什么时候停止饶恕我们呢？
409. Before the Lord came into the world, almost no one knew what the inner self was or what goodwill was. That is why in so many passages the Lord teaches love and goodwill. This is a distinguishing feature between the Old Testament or Covenant and the New.
In Matthew the Lord teaches that we are to do good to our adversaries and enemies and have goodwill toward them:
You have heard the statement made to the ancients, "You are to love your neighbor and hate your enemy. " But I am saying to you, love your enemies, bless the people who are cursing you, do good to the people who are hating you, and pray for the people who are hurting you and persecuting you, so that you may be children of your Father who is in the heavens. (Matthew 5:43-45)
To Peter, who was asking how many times he should forgive someone who was sinning against him - whether he should give forgiveness as many as seven times - the Lord answered,
I do not say as many as seven times, but as many as seventy times seven. (Matthew 18:21-22)
I have also heard from heaven that the Lord forgives everyone's sins and never takes revenge or even assigns spiritual credit or blame, because he is love and goodness itself. Yet for all that, our sins are not washed away. Nothing washes our sins away except repentance. Since the Lord told Peter to forgive up to seventy times seven instances of sin, at what point would the Lord stop forgiving us?
409. Before the Lord came into the world hardly anyone knew what the internal man was or what charity was. This is why in many places He taught loving care, which is charity; and this is a difference between the Old and New Testaments (or Covenants). The Lord taught that kindness should be done out of charity to an opponent or enemy in this passage of Matthew:
You have heard that the men of old were told, You are to love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who hurt and persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father in the heavens, Matthew 5:43-45.
And when Peter asked Him how many times he should forgive one who sinned against him, whether it should be as many as seven times, He replied:
Not up to seven times, I tell you, but up to seventy times seven times, Matthew 18:21-22.
I have been told from heaven that the Lord forgives everyone his sins, and never punishes him for them, or even imputes them to him, because He is love itself and good itself. Nevertheless the sins are not wiped away by this, for it is only by repentance that they can be wiped away. For if he told Peter to forgive up to seventy times seven times, is there anything that the Lord Himself would not do?
409. Before the Lord came into the world scarcely anyone knew what the internal man is or what charity is, and this is why in so many places He taught brotherly love, that is, charity; and this constitutes the distinction between the Old Testament or Covenant and the New. That good ought to be done from charity to the adversary and the enemy the Lord taught in Matthew:
Ye have heard that it hath been said to them of old time, Thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that hurt you and persecute you; that ye may be sons of your Father who is in the heavens (Matthew 5:43-45).
And when Peter asked Him how often he should forgive one sinning against him, whether he should do so until seven times, He replied:
I say not unto thee, until seven times, but until seventy times seven (Matthew 18:21, 22).
And I have heard from heaven that the Lord forgives to everyone his sins, and never takes vengeance nor even imputes sin, because He is love itself and good itself; nevertheless, sins are not thereby washed away, for this can be done only by repentance. For when He told Peter to forgive until seventy times seven, what will not the Lord do?
409. Before the Lord came into the world, scarcely anyone knew what the internal man and charity were. This is why He so frequently taught loving-kindness, and this is charity; and this makes the difference between the Old Testament or Covenant and the New. That good ought to be done, from the spirit of charity, to an adversary and an enemy, the Lord taught in Matthew:
"Ye have heard that it hath been said (to them of old time), Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy: But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven" 5:43-45.
And when Peter asked Him how often he should forgive one sinning against him, whether he should forgive him until seven times, Jesus answered:
"I say not unto thee, Until seven times; but, until seventy times seven" 18:21-22.
I have also heard from heaven that the Lord forgives every man his sins, and never punishes for them, and does not even impute them, because He is Love itself and Good itself; nevertheless, that sins are not wiped out on this account, for that can only be done by repentance. Since then He told Peter that he should forgive until seventy times, what will not the Lord do?
409. Antequam Dominus in Mundum venit, vix aliquis novit quid Internus homo, et quid Charitas, quapropter tam multis in locis docuit 1 Dilectionem, hoc est Charitatem; et hoc facit discrimen inter Testamentum seu Foedus Vetus et Novum. 2 Quod Adversario et Inimico ex Charitate benefaciendum sit, Docuit Dominus apud Matthaeum, Audivistis quod dictum sit veteribus, Amabis proximum tuum, et odio habebis inimicum tuum, Ego vero dico vobis, Amate inimicos vestros, benedicite maledicentibus vobis, benefacite odio vos habentibus, et orate pro laedentibus et persequentibus vos, ut sitis filii Patris vestri qui in Coelis, Cap. 5:43-45: Et Petro interroganti quoties peccanti contra se remitteret, num usque ad septies, respondit, non dico tibi ad septies, sed usque ad septuagies septies, Matthaeus 18:21-22; Et audivi e Coelo, quod Dominus remittat unicuique peccata ejus, et nusquam vindicet, et ne quidem imputet, quia est ipse Amor et ipsum Bonum, sed quod usque per id peccata non abstersa sint, haec enim non nisi quam per poenitentiam absterguntur; cum enim dixit Petro, quod remitteret usque ad septuagies septies, quid non Dominus.
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