89、爱使人成为邻舍，每个人都照着他的爱之性质而为邻舍，这一点从那些爱自己的人身上很明显地看出来。这些人只承认那些最爱他们的人，也就是说，那些与他们关系最密切的人为他们的邻舍。他们拥抱这些人，亲吻他们，给他们好处，称其为弟兄、家人。事实上，爱自己的人因是邪恶的，故会说，这些人比其他人更是邻舍；他们照着其他人爱他们的程度，因而照其爱的质和量而视其他人为邻舍。这些人对邻舍的观念源于他们自己，因为正是爱构成并决定了这种观念。然而，那些不爱自己胜过他人的人，如所有属于主国度的人，都会从他们爱之胜过一切的那一位，也就是从主形成他们对邻舍的观念；他们会照着各人对主并从主所获得的爱的性质而视各人为邻舍。由此清楚可知，教会之人应当从何处形成他对邻舍的观念，并且各人照着他从主所拥有的良善而为邻舍；因此，良善本身才是邻舍。
89、爱使人成为友邻，爱的特性决定一个人如何践行友邻的职分，这些事实通过比较那些爱自己的人，就变得清晰可见。爱自己的人认可的友邻，是那些最爱他们的人，即与他们最亲近的人。也就是，那些拥抱他，亲吻他，给他好处，并称其为家人的人。事实上，爱自己的人是邪恶的，他们把上述之人看为友邻，远过于其他人。他们认可某人为友邻，仅仅因为这人爱他。他们也会认可他人为友邻，但依据是，他人爱他们的程度，或他人给予他们的爱的方式和度量。这样的人从自我出发，去判定谁是友邻，因为他们用来判断和取舍的依据是他们的爱。
那些不把爱自己置于首位的人，也就是属于主的国度的人，他们判断谁是友邻的依据，是所有人都应该爱的唯一对象，也就是主。他们根据一个人对主的爱和从主而来的爱，而认可此人为其友邻。这样就很清楚了，教会之人应该从哪个角度判断谁是友邻。一个人是否友邻取决于他来自主的良善。也就是说，良善是我们判断的出发点。
89. The fact that love is what makes someone a neighbor and that we fulfill the role of a neighbor depending on the nature of our love becomes clear in the case of people whose lives are devoted to loving themselves. Such people recognize as neighbors those who love them the most-that is, those who are most closely connected to them. These they embrace, these they kiss, these they benefit, and these they call family. In fact, because [people devoted to self-love] are evil, they consider the types of people just mentioned to be their neighbors more than others are; only if others show them love do they consider them too to be their neighbors. They accept someone else as their neighbor, then, to the extent that they receive love from that person and depending on the kind and amount of love they receive. People like this start with themselves to determine who their neighbor is because the determining and deciding factor is whatever one loves.
People who do not love themselves above all, though (and this is true of all who are in the Lord's kingdom), start in determining who their neighbor is with the One whom we should love above all-that is, with the Lord-and they consider an individual to be their neighbor depending on the love that individual has for and from the Lord.
This makes it quite clear where we of the church should start in deciding who our neighbor is and shows that people are our neighbors depending on the goodness they have from the Lord-that is, goodness itself is where we should start.
89. By looking at people who are selfish, we can see very clearly that love is what determines friendship, and that people are our friends according to the kind of love they have. When we are selfish, we think of the people who love us most — those in our family — as our friends. They are the ones we hug and kiss, help, and call our brothers. In fact, if they are harmful people, we consider them to be closer friends than anyone else. We think of other people as our friends depending on the kind of love they have for us, and how much. Since it is love that causes and determines our friendships, we consider ourselves to be what determines friendship.
But when we do not love ourselves more than we love other people, we consider the one we should love more than anyone else — the Lord — to be what determines our friendships. We regard people as our friends according to the kind of love they have in them — their love for the Lord and also the love in them that comes from him. This is how everyone in the Lord’s realm lives.
It is clear from this how we should determine people’s relationship to us as friends, if we are religious: people are our friends according to the good qualities from the Lord in them. So goodness is our friend.
89. A proof that love determines who is the neighbour, and each person is the neighbour as the quality of his love dictates, is to be seen in the case of those in a state of self-love. They acknowledge as the neighbour those who love them best, that is, to the extent that they are their own. They embrace them, kiss them, do good to them and call them brothers; or rather, because they are evil, they call them above others the neighbour. They regard the rest as the neighbour in proportion to their love for themselves, so in accordance with the nature and depth of their love. Such people's idea of the neighbour springs from themselves, because it is love which causes and determines it.
Those, however, who do not love themselves above others, the condition of all who belong to the Lord's kingdom, will form their idea of the neighbour from Him whom they ought to love above all, that is, from the Lord; and they will regard each person as neighbour in accordance with the nature of the love they have for Him and receive from Him. From this it is clear from what a person who belongs to the church should form his idea of the neighbour, and that each is the neighbour in accordance with the good he has from the Lord, or goodness itself.
89. That it is love that causes any one to be a neighbour, and that every one is a neighbour according to the quality of his love, appears clearly from the case of those who are in the love of self. They acknowledge as a neighbour those by whom they themselves are loved most; that is, in the proportion in which they belong to them. These they embrace; these they kiss; to them they do good; and these they call brethren: nay, being evil, they call them neighbour in preference to others; the rest they acknowledge for a neighbour in proportion as they are loved by them; and thus according to the quality and extent of their love. Such persons derive the origin of the neighbour from themselves, because it is the love that causes and determines [the neighbour]. Those, on the other hand, who do not love themselves in preference to others, as is the case with all those who are of the Lord's kingdom, derive the origin of the neighbour from Him whom they ought to love above all things, and thus from the Lord. They also will esteem every one as a neighbour according to the quality of his love to the Lord, and from the Lord. From this it becomes plain, from whence the man of the Church ought to derive the origin of the neighbour; and that every one is a neighbour, according to the good which is from the Lord; and consequently, that good itself is the neighbour.
89. That love is what causes anyone to be the neighbor, and that everyone is the neighbor according to the quality of his love, appears manifestly from those who are in the love of self. These acknowledge for their neighbor those who love them most, that is, so far as they belong to themselves; these they embrace, they kiss them, they confer benefits on them and call them brothers; yea, because they are evil, they say, that these are the neighbor more than others: they esteem others as the neighbor in proportion as they love them, thus according to the quality and quantity of their love. Such persons derive the origin of neighbor from self, by reason that love constitutes and determines it. But they who do not love themselves more than others, as is the case with all who belong to the kingdom of the Lord, will derive the origin of neighbor from Him whom they ought to love above all things, consequently, from the Lord; and they will esteem everyone as the neighbor according to the quality of his love to Him and from Him. From these things it appears from whence the origin of neighbor is to be drawn by the man of the church; and that everyone is the neighbor according to the good which he possesses from the Lord, thus good itself is the neighbor.
89. Quod amor sit qui facit ut proximus sit et quod quisque proximus sit secundum quale amoris ejus, patet manifeste ab illis qui in amore sui sunt. Illi pro proximo agnoscunt qui se maxime amant, hoc est, quantum sunt sui; hos amplectuntur, hos osculantur, his benefaciunt, et hos fratres vocant; immo, quia mali sunt, hos dicunt proximum esse prae aliis; reliquos, sicut se amant, pro proximo habent, ita secundum quale et quantum amoris: tales a se originem proximi ducunt, ex causa quia amor facit et determinat. Illi autem qui se non amant prae aliis, quemadmodum omnes qui e regno Domini sunt, originem proximi ducent ab Ipso quem super omnia amare debent, ita a Domino; et pro proximo habebunt unumquemvis secundum quale amoris in Ipsum et ab Ipso. Ex his liquet unde origo proximi ab homine ecclesiae ducenda est; et quod quisque proximus sit secundum bonum quod a Domino, ita ipsum bonum.