410.由于仁爱本身居于内在人，是善愿的居所，并通过内在人居于外在人，是善行的居所，故可知，被爱的是内在人，外在人由此而被爱。还可知，人当因着他里面良善的品质而被爱；因此，良善本身才是本质上的邻舍。这一点可通过以下例子来说明：有人若从三、四个人中选出一位管家或仆人来，他岂不会考查他的内在人，选出忠诚可靠的那一位，并为此而爱他吗？同样，一个国王或长官会从三、四个候选人中选出能胜任职务的人，而拒绝不能胜任的人，无论他外表如何，也无论他的言行如何。
既然人人都是邻舍，而人又具有无限的多样性，每个人当根据自己的良善而被爱，那么显然，对邻之爱有属和种，以及等级之分。由于当爱主高于一切，故可知，对邻之爱的等级是按照对主之爱来划分的；换句话说，按照他自身所拥有的主或来自主之物的多少来划分，这也是他所拥有的良善的度量，因为一切良善皆来自主。
不过，由于这些等级存在于内在人，而内在人在世上很难被察觉，所以只要照着所知道的等级来爱邻舍就足够了。但死后，这些等级可被清楚觉察到，因为在灵界，意愿的情感和由此而来的理解力的思维会在他们周围形成一种属灵的气场，该气场能以各种方式被感觉到。而在世时，属灵的气场会被肉体吸收，并被包裹在这人所发出的属世气场中。对邻之爱有等级之分，这明显从主关于撒玛利亚人的寓言看出来：撒玛利亚人怜悯那个被盗贼打伤的路人，然而祭司和利未人看到后却走开了；当主问这三个人中哪一个是邻舍时，得到的答复是：“那个怜悯他的”（路加福音10:30－37）。
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410. 因為義自身居住在內在人之中, 那裡是善願所在之地, 然後延伸到外在人, 善行便發生。於是可知, 當愛的應該是內在人; 愛外在人也應以內在人為基礎。因此, 當按著人裡面所擁有的良善的類型如何來愛這個人。於是得出, 善本身才是本質上的鄰舍。
可用以下的例子來說明:若從三四個候選人中選一名管家或家僕時, 誰不是先考查人的內在, 選一個誠實守信的, 並喜愛這樣的人呢？
類似地, 國王或行政長官想從三四名候選人中選一名適合擔任職務者, 拒絕不合適的候選人, 不管這些人看起來怎麼好, 或者不管他們為了贏得職位說什麼做什麼。
[2]每個人都是鄰舍, 人表現為無窮的類別, 當照著每個人裡面擁有的善去愛每一個人。可清楚看出:對鄰舍之愛各有種類, 還分等級。
因為愛主當超過其它一切, 便可得出, 我們愛鄰舍的程度應當如何取決於鄰舍愛主的程度, 換句話說, 要看鄰舍裡面主有多少或者來自主的有多少而定, 這也可測出他擁有的良善有多少, 因為一切良善來自於主。
[3]不過, 這樣的程度存在於內在人之中, 難得被世人察覺, 照著我們能意識到的良善來愛鄰舍, 就足夠了。
人死後, 這些便能清楚感知, 因為在心靈世界, 意志中的情感與認知中的想法在人的周圍造成一種屬靈的氣氛, 其他人能以各種方式感受得到。然而在物質世界, 這種屬靈的氣氛被肉身所吸收, 被包容在肉身散發的屬世氣氛之內。
主講的關於撒瑪利亞人的寓言證明了愛鄰舍的不同程度。撒瑪利亞人憐憫那個被盜賊打傷的路人, 然而祭司和利未人卻視而不見走開了 。當主問起三個人中哪個是傷者的鄰舍, 回答是:"是憐憫他的"(路加福音10:30-37)。
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410. Since goodwill resides in the inner self, where benevolence is felt, and then extends into the outer self, where good actions occur, it follows that people's inner selves are what we should love; and we should love their outer selves on the basis of their inner selves. Therefore we are to love people according to the type of goodness they have inside. It is the goodness itself, then, that is actually our neighbor.
The following situations may serve as illustration: When we choose ourselves a household manager out of three or four candidates, or we hire a servant, we investigate that person's inner self. We choose someone who is honest and faithful and prefer that candidate because of those qualities.
The same is true for monarchs or government officials. Out of three or four candidates, they select someone suitable for the job and reject the unsuitable, no matter whose looks they prefer or what the candidates say or do to win them over.
[2] Everyone is our neighbor, and people come in an infinite variety. Since we need to love them all as our neighbor for the type of goodness they possess, clearly there are genera and species of loving our neighbor, as well as higher and lower degrees of that love.
Since the Lord is to be loved above all else, it follows that the degrees of our love for our neighbors depend on their love for the Lord, that is, on the amount of the Lord or the amount from the Lord that our neighbors possess in themselves. That is also the amount of goodness they possess, since all goodness comes from the Lord.
[3] Nevertheless, since these degrees are within people's inner selves and these are rarely obvious to the world, it is enough to love our neighbor by the degree of goodness that we are aware of.
Now, these degrees are clearly perceived after death, since there the feelings in our will and the thoughts in our intellect form a spiritual sphere around us that others can sense in various ways. In this world, however, this spiritual sphere is absorbed by our physical body and is contained in the physical sphere that pours out around us.
The Lord's parable about the Samaritan shows that there are degrees of love for our neighbor. The Samaritan had mercy on the person who had been wounded by robbers - a person whom both the priest and the Levite had seen and yet passed by. When the Lord asked which of the three seemed to have been a neighbor, the reply was "the one who had mercy" (Luke 10:30-37).
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410. Since charity itself resides in the internal man, the seat of the good will, and is from there in the external, the seat of good actions, it follows that it is the internal man who is to be loved, and the external man as a consequence. It also follows that a person should be loved for the quality of good there is in him; good itself therefore is essentially the neighbour. This can be illustrated by these examples. When anyone chooses from three or four persons a steward to run his household, or to be a servant, does he not investigate that person's internal man, and choose one who is honest and faithful, and so love him? Similarly a king or magistrate chooses from three or four candidates one who is suitable for office and rejects one who is unsuitable, however fine he looks and however much he speaks and acts to curry favour.
[2] Since therefore every person is the neighbour, and people display infinite variety, and each of them is to be loved as the neighbour in accordance with the good in him, it is clear that love towards the neighbour has genera and species, as well as degrees. Now because the Lord is to be loved above all else, it follows that the degrees of that love are to be measured by love to Him; in other words, by how much of the Lord or what is from the Lord he possesses in himself, for this is a measure of how much good he possesses too, because all good comes from the Lord.
[3] But because these degrees exist in the internal man, who is rarely to be discerned in the world, it is sufficient for one to love the neighbour in terms of the degrees one does know. After death these are clearly perceived, for in that world the affections of the will and the resulting thoughts of the understanding create a spiritual sphere around them, which is felt in various ways. But in the world that spiritual sphere is absorbed by the material body and is enveloped in the natural sphere which then emanates from the person. The existence of degrees of love towards the neighbour is proved by the Lord's parable about the Samaritan, who had pity on the man wounded by robbers, though the priest and the Levite saw him and passed by; and when the Lord asked which of the three would seem to have been the neighbour, he received the reply, 'The one who had pity' (Luke 10:30-37).
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410. Since charity itself has its seat in the internal man, wherein it is willing well, and from that is in the external man, wherein it is well-doing, it follows that the internal man is to be loved, and from that the external; consequently that a man is to be loved according to the quality of the good that is in him. Therefore good itself is essentially the neighbor. This may be illustrated thus: When one selects for himself from among three or four a steward for his house, or a servant, does he not try to find out about his internal man, and choose one who is sincere and faithful, and for that reason love him? In like manner a king or magistrate from three or four persons would select one competent for office, and would refuse the incompetent, whatever his looks, or however favorable his speech and actions.
[2] Since, then, every man is the neighbor, and the variety of men is infinite, and everyone is to be loved as a neighbor according to his good, it is plain that there are genera and species and also degrees of love to the neighbor. And because the Lord is to be loved above all things, it follows that the degrees of love towards the neighbor are to be measured by love to the Lord, that is, by how much of the Lord or of what is from the Lord the other possesses in himself; for thus far he possesses good, since all good is from the Lord.
[3] But as these degrees are in the internal man, and the internal man rarely manifests itself in the world, it is sufficient that the neighbor be loved according to the degrees that are known. But after death these degrees are clearly perceived; for the affections of the will and the consequent thoughts of the understanding form a spiritual sphere round about those in the spiritual world, which is felt in various ways; while in this world this spiritual sphere is absorbed by the material body, and encloses itself within a natural sphere, which then flows forth from man. That there are degrees of love towards the neighbor, is plain from the Lord's parable of the Samaritan who showed mercy to the man wounded by thieves, whom the priests and the Levite saw and passed by; and when the Lord asked which of those three seemed to have been the neighbor, He was answered,
He who showed mercy (Luke 10:30-37).
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410. Charity itself resides in the internal man as good-will, and thence passes into the external man, where it is manifested as good deeds. It follows, therefore, that the internal man ought to be the object of love, and from that the external; so that a man ought to be loved according to the quality of the good that is in him; thus good itself is essentially the neighbor. This may be illustrated by the following considerations. When anyone selects a steward for his house or a servant, from three or four, he examines the internal character of the man, and, choosing a sincere and faithful person, bestows his favor upon him. So, too, a king or a magistrate, from three or four persons, selects one qualified for an office, and rejects anyone not suitable, however attractive his appearance, and plausible his speech, and ingratiating his manner.
[2] Since, therefore, every man is the neighbor, and there is an infinite variety of men, and every one ought to be loved as the neighbor according to the good in him, it is evident that there are many kinds, classes and degrees of love towards the neighbor. Now, since the Lord ought to be loved above all things, it follows that the degrees of love towards the neighbor ought to be estimated by love towards the Lord, and thus by how much of the Lord or from the Lord the neighbor really possesses; for in the same proportion he is in possession of good, because all good is from the Lord.
[3] As, however, these degrees are in the internal man, and this seldom manifests itself in the world, it is enough that the neighbor be loved according to the degrees of which one has knowledge. These degrees are clearly observed after death; for then the affections of the will and the thoughts of the understanding that arise from these form a spiritual sphere about all persons, which is perceived in various ways. In this world, however, that spiritual sphere is absorbed by the material body, and is then enclosed within the natural sphere which emanates from the man. The fact that there are degrees of love towards the neighbor is evident from the Lord's parable concerning the Samaritan who showed mercy to the man that was wounded by thieves. The Priest and the Levite saw him and passed by; and when the Lord inquired which of the three had shown himself to be his neighbor, the answer was:
"He that showed mercy" Luke 10:30-37.
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410. Quoniam ipsa Charitas residet in Interno 1 homine, in quo est bene velle, et inde in Externo, in quo est benefacere, sequitur quod Internus homo amandus sit, et inde Externus, proinde quod homo secundum quale boni, quod in illo est, amandus sit; quapropter ipsum Bonum est essentialiter Proximus; hoc illustrari potest per haec; dum quis ex tribus aut quatuor eligit sibi procuratorem domus, aut famulum, numne indagat Internum ejus hominem, ac eligit sincerum et fidelem, et inde diligit illum. Similiter Rex aut Magistratus, quod ex tribus aut quatuor eligat habilem functionis, ac repudiet inhabilem, qualemcunque vultum praeferat, et loquatur et agat ad favorem.
[2] Cum ergo omnis homo est proximus, ac infinita varietas hominum est, et quisque secundum bonum ejus ut proximus amandus est, patet quod sint genera et species, tum gradus Amoris erga 2 proximum: nunc quia Dominus super omnia amandus est, sequitur quod metiendi sint gradus illius amoris secundum Amorem in Ipsum, ita quantum Domini aut ex Domino alter possidet in se, nam tantum etiam possidet bonum, quia omne bonum est a Domino.
[3] Sed quia hi gradus sunt in Interno homine, et hic raro se manifestat in Mundo, satis est, ut Proximus ametur secundum gradus quos cognoscit; sed hi post mortem clare percipiuntur, nam ibi affectiones voluntatis et inde cogitationes Intellectus faciunt sphaeram spiritualem circum illos, quae sentitur variis modis; at spiritualis illa sphaera in Mundo absorbetur a Corpore materiali, et se includit sphaerae naturali, quae ex homine tunc exundat. Quod gradus Amoris erga proximum sint, constat ex Parabola Domini de Samarita, qui misericordiam fecit vulnerato a latronibus, quem Sacerdos et Levita videntes praetergressi sunt, et cum Dominus quaesivit, quis illorum trium videretur Proximus fuisse respondebatur, qui fecit misericordiam, Luca 10:30-37. 3
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