Faith20.由于仁是对邻之爱，所以现在说一说什么是邻舍。就属世意义而言，邻舍是指集体和个体的人。集体的人是指教会、我们的国家和社区；个体的人是指我们的同胞，在圣言中被称为“弟兄”和“同伴”。但就属灵意义而言，邻舍是指良善；由于良善在于功用，所以邻舍在属灵意义上是指功用。每个人都必承认，功用就是属灵的邻舍。因为谁会爱一个仅仅作为一个人的人呢？我们爱他是因为他里面赋予他品质的东西，因而是因为他的品质，因为这才是这个人。我们所爱的这种品质就是功用，被称为良善；因此，这就是邻舍。由于圣言在核心上是属灵的，所以就它的属灵意义而言，爱良善就是爱邻舍。
20. Since caring is love for our neighbor, I need to say what “our neighbor” is. In an earthly sense, our neighbor is humankind both collectively and individually. Humankind collectively understood is the church, the country, and the community; humankind individually understood is the fellow citizen who in the Word is called our brother or sister or companion.
In a spiritual sense, though, our neighbor is whatever is good, and since useful service is good, useful service is our neighbor in a spiritual sense.
It is important for everyone to realize that spiritually speaking, useful service is our neighbor. Who actually loves someone simply as “someone”? No, we love people because of what is within them, what makes them the kind of people they are. That is, we love them for their nature, because that is what each human being is. The quality we love is their usefulness and is what we call “good”; so this is our neighbor.
Since the Word is spiritual at heart, this is the spiritual meaning of “loving our neighbor.”
20. Because charity is love for the neighbor, we must say what the neighbor is.
In the natural sense, the neighbor is mankind collectively and individually. Mankind collectively is the church, the country, and society. And mankind individually is one’s fellow countryman, who in the Word is called brother and companion.
In the spiritual sense, however, the neighbor is goodness, and because useful endeavor is good, the neighbor in the spiritual sense is useful endeavor.
It must be acknowledged by everyone that useful endeavor is the spiritual neighbor. For who loves someone only for his person? Rather he loves him for what he has in him, which makes him the kind of person he is, thus for his character; for this is the real person.
This character that makes a person loveable is useful endeavor, and it is called good. This is accordingly the neighbor.
Because the Word at its heart is spiritual, therefore loving useful endeavor is what it is to love the neighbor in its spiritual sense.
20. Since charity is love towards the neighbour it will now be stated what is meant by the neighbour. The neighbour in the natural sense is man, collectively and individually. Man collectively is the Church, one's country, and society; and man individually is a fellow-citizen, who in the Word is called a brother and a companion. But the neighbour in the spiritual sense is good; and as good consists in use, the neighbour in the spiritual sense is use. Every one will acknowledge that use is the spiritual neighbour. For who loves a man merely as a person? He surely loves him because of something in him by virtue of which he is what he is, and therefore because of his character, for that is the man. This character or quality which is loved is his use, and is called good; therefore, this is the neighbour. As the Word in its inmost being is spiritual, therefore, in its spiritual sense loving good is what is meant by loving the neighbour.
20. As charity is love toward the neighbor, we will say what the neighbor is. In the natural sense, the neighbor is man both collectively and individually. Collectively, man is the church, our country, and society; individually, he is our fellow-citizen, who in the Word is called "brother" and "companion." But in the spiritual sense the neighbor is good, and as use is good, the neighbor in this sense is use. That use is the spiritual neighbor must be acknowledged by everyone. For who loves a human being merely as a person? We love him for that which he has in him, and which gives him his character; thus from his quality, for this is the man. And this quality that we love is use, and is called good, so that this is the neighbor. And as, in its bosom, the Word is spiritual, therefore in its spiritual sense this is to "love the neighbor."
20. Quia charitas est amor erga proximum, dicetur etiam quid proximus. Proximus in naturali sensu est homo in composito et in individuo. Homo in composito est ecclesia, patria, et societas; et homo in individuo est concivis, qui in Verbo vocatur "frater" et "socius." At proximus in spirituali sensu est bonum; et quia usus est bonum, est proximus in spirituali sensu usus. Quod usus sit spiritualis proximus, quisque agnoscet; quis enim amat hominem solum ut personam? sed amat illum ex eo quod in illo est, ex quo est talis, ita ex quali ejus, hoc namque est homo: hoc quale, quod amatur, est usus, et vocatur bonum; inde est hoc proximus. Quia Verbum in sinu suo est spirituale, ideo illud est amare proximum in spirituali ejus sensu.