437.如今人们相信，仁爱就是简单的行善，然后人就不会作恶；所以仁爱的第一步就是行善，其次才是不作恶。然而，事实完全相反；仁爱的第一步是弃恶，其次才是行善；因为灵界的普遍法则，并由此成为尘世的普遍法则是：人越不意欲邪恶，就越意愿良善；因此，他越远离升腾一切邪恶的地狱，就越转向降下一切良善的天堂；所以，人越拒绝魔鬼，就越被主接受。人不能站在这二者之间，头朝两边摇摆，同时向双方祈求。论到这种人，主说：
我知道你的行为，你也不冷也不热；我巴不得你或冷或热。你既如温水，也不冷也不热，所以我必从我口中把你吐出去。（启示录3:15，16）
谁会带着一队士兵在两军之间参与战斗，同时在两边开战？谁会对邻舍心怀邪恶的同时又对他心怀良善？即便可以，邪恶也是将自己隐藏在了良善中。尽管隐藏的邪恶没有显明在行为中，但只要正确地深入思考，它仍会在很多事上显明自己。主说：
一个仆人不能事奉两个主，你们不能又事奉神，又事奉玛门（路加福音16:13）。
437. 如今人們相信:義只不過是行善, 人因此而不作惡; 所以行善為走向義首先要做的事, 其次才是不作惡。然而這與事實完全顛倒:走向義的第一步應該是離棄作惡, 第二步才是行善。因為這是心靈世界,因而也是物質世界的普遍法則:只要人不願意作惡, 就越願意向善。因此, 越是厭惡地獄(一切邪惡由此上升), 就願轉向天國(一切良善由此降下)。於是, 越是拒絕魔鬼, 就越被主接受。人不能站在魔鬼與主之間, 扭轉脖子同時向雙方祈求。
這樣的人就是主在下列經文中所指之人:我知道你的行為, 你也不冷也不熱; 我巴不得你或冷或熱。你既如溫水, 也不冷也不熱, 所以我必從我口中把你吐出去(啟示錄3:15-16)。
有什麼人能帶著一隊士兵投入到兩軍對峙的戰鬥中, 同時向兩軍作戰？有哪個對鄰舍懷惡的人, 同時又向這個鄰舍行善呢？倘若可以, 惡豈不是掩藏在所行之善當中？儘管掩藏之惡不會顯明在善行的外表, 只要稍加考慮, 仍會從許多事情上表現出來。主說:"沒有僕人能事奉二主, 你不能又事奉上帝, 又事奉瑪門"(路加福音16:13)。
437. There is a belief nowadays that goodwill is just our doing good, and if we do that, we are not doing evil. The idea therefore is that the first step toward goodwill is to do good and the second step is not to do evil. This is completely upside-down, however. The first step toward goodwill is to remove evils and the second step is to do good, because there is a law that is universal to the spiritual world and also therefore to the physical world: The less evil we intend, the more good we intend. Therefore the more we turn away from hell (from which all evil ascends), the more we turn toward heaven (from which all goodness descends). The more we reject the Devil, then, the more we are accepted by the Lord. People cannot stand between the Devil and the Lord with a flexible neck and pray at the same time to each of them. People like this are those whom the Lord meant when he said,
I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. It would have been better if you were cold or hot; but since you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot I am about to spew you out my mouth. (Revelation 3:15-16)
Could anyone leading a troop of soldiers join a battle between two armies and fight on both sides at once? Can we focus on doing evil to our neighbors and also doing good to them? Would our evil not then lie hidden inside our good actions? Although evil that conceals itself does not appear in our actions, it is still obvious from many things when we reflect on it in the right way. The Lord says, "No servant can serve two masters. You cannot serve God and Mammon" (Luke 16:13).
437. The current belief is that charity is no more than doing good, and that then a person does no evil; consequently it is the first thing in charity to do good and the second not to do evil. But the exact opposite is the case. The first thing in charity is to banish evil, and the second is to do good. For it is a universal law in the spiritual world, and so also in the natural world, that so far as a person does not will evil, he wills good. So in as far as he turns away from hell, from where all evil comes up, so far does he turn towards heaven, from where all good comes down. And in the same way, to the extent that anyone rejects the devil, so far does the Lord accept him. No one can stand between the two twisting his neck around so as to pray simultaneously to both; it is people like this of whom the Lord says:
I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot. But because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I shall spit you out of my mouth, Revelation 3:15-16.
Can anyone skirmish with his squadron between two armies and be on both sides at once? Can anyone cherish evil against his neighbour and at the same time good towards him? If he does, the evil conceals itself in the good. Although evil which conceals itself may not be seen in actions, still it shows itself in many things when they are properly considered. The Lord says:
No servant can serve two masters. You cannot serve God and Mammon, Luke 16:13.
437. At the present day it is believed that charity is simply doing good, and that then one does not do evil; consequently that the first thing of charity is to do good, and the second not to do evil. But it is wholly the reverse; the first thing of charity is to put away evil, and the second to do good; for it is a universal law in the spiritual world and from that in the natural world also, that so far as one does not will evil he wills good; thus that so far as he turns away from hell from which all evil ascends, so far he turns towards heaven from which all good descends; consequently also, that so far as anyone rejects the devil he is accepted by the Lord. One cannot stand with his head vibrating between the two, and pray to both at once; for of such the Lord says:
I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot; would that thou wert cold or hot. So because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spit thee out of My mouth (Revelation 3:15-16).
Who can skirmish with his troop between two armies, favoring both? Who can be evilly disposed towards the neighbor, and at the same time well disposed towards him? Does not evil then lie hidden in the good? Although the evil that so hides itself does not appear in the man's acts, it manifests itself in many things when they are reflected upon rightly. The Lord says:
No servant can serve two masters. . . . Ye cannot serve God and mammon (Luke 16:13).
437. It is believed at the present day that charity consists merely in doing good, and that then one does not do evil; consequently that the first thing of charity is to do good, and the second, not to do evil. The case, however, is quite the reverse: the first thing of charity is to put away evil, and the second, to do good. For it is a universal law in the spiritual world, and hence also in the natural world, that so far as a man wills no evil, he wills what is good. Thus so far as he turns away from hell, from which evil ascends, he turns towards heaven, from which all good descends; and, therefore, so far as anyone rejects the devil, he is accepted by the Lord. No one can stand between God and the devil and, turning his head this way and that, pray to both at the same time. Those who attempt to do so are meant by these words of the Lord:
"I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth" Revelation 3:15-16.
An officer cannot gallop about with his troop between two armies and take sides with both; nor can anyone intend evil and at the same time good towards the neighbor. For then evil lurks in the good; and although the hidden evil does not appear in the actions themselves, yet it does make itself manifest in many particulars, if one examines them carefully. The Lord says:
"No servant can serve two masters... Ye cannot serve God and mammon" Luke 16:13.
437. Creditur hodie, quod Charitas duntaxat sit bonum facere, et quod tunc non malum faciat, consequenter quod primum Charitatis sit bonum facere, et secundum ejus non malum facere; sed prorsus inversum est; primum Charitatis est amovere malum, et secundum ejus est facere bonum, nam universalis Lex in Mundo spirituali est, et inde quoque in Mundo naturali, quod quantum quis non vult malum, tantum velit bonum, ita quantum se avertit ab inferno, a quo omne malum ascendit, tantum se vertat ad Coelum, e quo omne bonum descendit; proinde etiam, quod quantum quis rejicit diabolum, tantum acceptetur a Domino; non potest quis stare inter utrumque collo versatili, et simul orare ad unum et ad alterum; hi enim sunt de quibus Dominus haec dicit, Novi tua opera, quod neque frigidus sis neque calidus; utinam frigidus esses aut calidus; sed quia tepidus es, et neque frigidus neque calidus, exsputurus sum te ex ore, Apocalypsis 3:15-16; quis potest inter binos Exercitus velitare cum sua turma, ac utrique favere; quis potest in malo esse contra proximum, et simul in bono erga illum; numne tunc malum se recondit in bono; tametsi malum quod se recondit non appareat in actibus, usque se manifestat in multis, dum super illa rite reflectitur: dicit Dominus, Nullus servus potest duobus Dominis servire; non potestis Deo servire et Mammonae, Luca 16:13.