444.道德的生活若同时也是属灵的，就是仁爱的生活，因为实践道德的生活和实践仁爱的生活其实是一回事。因为仁爱就是向邻舍意愿良善，因而是向他行善；这也是道德的生活。属灵的律法就是主的这一律法：
无论何事，你们愿意人怎样待你们，你们也要怎样待人，因为这就是律法和先知的道理。（马太福音7:12）
这条律法同样普遍适用于道德生活。不过，要列出一切仁爱行为，并将其与道德生活所要求的行为相对照，势必占用大量篇幅。因此，只引用十诫的第二块石版中六条诫命就能足以说明。谁都能清楚看出，
它们是道德生活的的诫命；从前面（329－331节）可以看出，它们还包含与爱邻相关的一切。仁爱完全了所有这些诫命，这从保罗书信清楚可知：
要彼此相爱，因为爱人的就完全了律法。像那不可奸淫、不可杀人、不可偷盗、不可作假见证、不可贪婪，或有别的诫命，都包括在 “当爱邻如己”这句话之内了。爱是不加害于邻舍的，所以爱就完全了律法。（罗马书13:8，9，10）
若人的思维仅仅出自外在人，那他难免惊讶于第二块石版上的这七条诫命是耶和华以不可思议的奇迹在西奈山上所颁布的；然而，世上所有国家的法律体系，包括以色列人刚刚离开的埃及，都有这些法规，因为没有它们，国家就无法维系下去。但是，耶和华之所以颁布它们，还用手指写在石版上，是为了使它们不仅能成为世间社会的戒律，并因此成为属世道德生活的戒律，还能成为天堂社会的戒律，并因此成为属灵道德生活的戒律；以致违反它们不仅是与人作对，还与神作对。
444. 當道德的生活同時也屬靈時, 那就是義的生活, 因為道德的生活與義的生活在實踐上是一回事。義就是願鄰舍好, 因而對他們好。這也是道德生活所涉及的。
以下是主所規定的屬靈法律:所以, 無論何事, 你們願意人怎樣待你們, 你們也要怎樣待人, 因為這就是律法和先知的道理(馬太福音7:12)。
上述的法律同樣普遍適用于道德生活。不過, 列出所有關於義的實踐行為, 用來與道德生活的實踐行為作對比, 需要太多篇幅。因此, 只引用十誡的第二塊石版中六條誡命來說明。任何人都看得出, 這些誡命也是道德生活的誡命。(因為它們包含著愛鄰舍的方方面面, 參看329-331節。)
愛成就了律法, 可清楚從保羅書信中看出:要彼此相愛, 因為愛別人就完全了律法。像那不可姦淫,不可殺人,不可偷盜,不可作假見證,不可貪婪, 或有別的誡命, 都包括在這句話之內:"當愛你的鄰舍如同自己。"愛就是不向鄰舍作惡; 愛成就了律法。(羅馬書13:8-10)
任何人倘若僅僅由其外在人來思考此事, 他無法避免地驚駭於如此神奇的方式,由耶和華在西乃山上頒佈第二塊石版上的這六條誡命, 而地球上所有國家的法律體系的都有同樣的法規, 包括以色列子民那時剛離開的埃及。離了這些法規, 沒有哪個國家能維持下去。
耶和華來頒佈並用手指寫在兩塊石版之上, 使得這些誡命不僅應用於民間的社群,因而屬世的道德生活, 而且能適用于天國的社群,因而屬靈的道德生活。因此, 違背它們不僅是與其他人作對, 還與上帝作對。
444. When our moral life is also spiritual, it is a life of goodwill, because the practices involved in a moral life and in a life of goodwill are the same. Goodwill is wishing our neighbors well and therefore treating them well. This is also a moral way of life. The following statement by the Lord is a spiritual law:
All things whatever that you want people to do for you, do likewise for them. This is the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 7:12)
This same law is universally applicable to a moral life as well. But listing all the practices related to goodwill and comparing them with the practices related to a moral life would require many pages. Just take six commandments from the second tablet of the Ten Commandments for an illustration - it is clear to everyone that they are principles for a moral life. (As for their containing all aspects of loving our neighbor, see 329, 330, and 331 above.)
The following statement in Paul makes it clear that goodwill fulfills all the commandments:
Love each other, for those who love others have fulfilled the law. The commandments that you are not to commit adultery, you are not to kill, you are not to steal, you are not to bear false witness, you are not to covet, and anything else that has been commanded, are included in the following saying: "You are to love your neighbor as yourself. " Goodwill does not do evil to its neighbor. Goodwill is the fullness of the law. (Romans 13:8-10)
People who think only with their outer selves cannot help being astounded that the seven commandments on the second tablet were proclaimed by Jehovah on Mount Sinai in such a miraculous way, given that these same rules were legal principles of civic justice in all the countries on earth, including Egypt, where the children of Israel had just come from. No country can survive without these rules.
The reason why Jehovah proclaimed them, however, and wrote them with his own finger on tablets of stone was that they are rules not only for all civic communities and therefore rules for a moral earthly life, they are also rules for all heavenly communities and therefore rules for a moral spiritual life. Acting against these rules then is acting not only against other people but also against God.
444. The reason why, when a moral life is at the same time spiritual, this is charity, is that the practices of a moral life and a charitable one are the same. Charity is willing good to the neighbour and as a result dealing well with him; and this too is the concern of a moral life. The spiritual law is the one prescribed by the Lord:
Everything you wish people to do to you, do the same to them; this is the Law and the Prophets, Matthew 7:12.
This same law applies universally to moral life. But it would take a great many pages to list all charitable deeds and compare them with the deeds prescribed by a moral life, so merely six commandments of the second table of the Ten Commandments can serve as an illustration. It is plain to anyone that they are the commandments of moral life; and it may be seen above (329-331) that they also contain everything to do with love towards the neighbour. Charity fulfils all these commandments, as is clear from the following passage of Paul:
Love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, You are not to commit adultery, You are not to commit murder, You are not to steal, You are not to be a false witness, You are not to covet, and any other commandment there may be, these are all summed up in this phrase: You are to love your neighbour as yourself. Charity does not do evil to the neighbour; it is the fulfilment of the law, Romans 13:8-10.
[2] If anyone's thinking comes solely from the external man, he cannot fail to be surprised that the seven commandments of the second table were delivered by Jehovah on Mount Sinai amid such miraculous circumstances, when those same rules were enjoined by the laws of the civil legal system in every kingdom upon earth, including therefore Egypt, which the Children of Israel had just left; for no kingdom can last without them. But the fact that they were delivered by Jehovah, and written by His finger on two stone tables, caused them to be not only the commandments of the civil community, and so of natural moral life, but also the commandments of the heavenly community, and so of spiritual moral life. Thus to break them would not only be acting against one's fellow men, but also against God.
444. Moral life, when it is also spiritual, is a life of charity, because the practices of a moral life and of charity are the same; for charity is willing rightly towards the neighbor, and consequently acting rightly towards him; and this is also moral life. The spiritual law is this law of the Lord:
All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them; for this is the law and the prophets (Matthew 7:12).
This same law is the universal law of moral life. But to recount all the works of charity, and to compare them with the works of moral life, would fill many pages; let the six commandments of the second table of the Decalogue serve for illustration. It is evident to everyone that these are precepts of moral life. That they include everything relating to love to the neighbor, may be seen above (n. 329-331). That charity is the fulfilling of all these precepts, is evident from the following in Paul:
Love one another; for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment it is summed up in this word, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Charity worketh no ill to his neighbor; charity is the fulfilling of the law (Romans 13:8-10).
He who thinks from the external man only, cannot but wonder that the seven commandments of the second table were promulgated by Jehovah on Mount Sinai with so great a miracle; when yet these same precepts, in all the kingdoms of the world, consequently also in Egypt whence the children of Israel had lately come, were the precepts of the law of civil justice, for without them no kingdom can continue to exist. But they were promulgated by Jehovah, and were, moreover, written by His finger on tables of stone, in order that they might be not only the precepts of civil society, and therefore of natural-moral life, but also the precepts of heavenly society, and therefore of spiritual-moral life; so that acting contrary to them would be not only acting in opposition to men, but also to God.
444. Moral life, when at the same time spiritual, is the life of charity, because the practices of moral life and of charity are the same. For charity consists in wishing well to the neighbor and, from good will, in doing good to him; and the same is true of moral life. The spiritual law is expressed in this law of the Lord:
"All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the Law and the Prophets" Matthew 7:12.
This is also the universal law of moral life. But to recount all the works of charity, and compare them with those of moral life would require many pages. Let six commandments of the second table of the Decalogue serve for illustration. It is evident to every one that these are precepts of the moral life; and that they also comprise all things relating to love towards the neighbor may be seen above in 328, 330-331. That charity fulfils all those commandments is evident from these words of Paul:
"Love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Charity (A.V., Love), worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore charity (A.V., love) is the fulfilling of the law" Romans 13:8-10.
He who thinks from the external man only cannot but wonder that the seven commandments of the second table of the Decalogue were promulgated in so miraculous a manner by Jehovah on Mount Sinai, when yet they were precepts of the law of civil justice in all kingdoms throughout the world, and consequently in Egypt also, whence the Children of Israel had lately come; for without these precepts no kingdom can subsist. They were promulgated by Jehovah, and written on tables of stone with His finger, in order that they might be precepts not only of civil society, and thus of naturally moral life, but also those of heavenly society, and thus of spiritually moral life. So that to act contrary to them is not only to act against men, but also against God.
444. Quod Moralis vita, dum simul est spiritualis, sit Charitatis vita, est quia exercitia Moralis vitae et Charitatis sunt eadem; Charitas enim est bene velle proximo, et inde bene agere cum illo, hoc etiam est Vitae moralis; Lex Spiritualis est haec Domini, Omnia quaecunque volueritis, ut faciant vobis homines, sic et vos facite illis; haec est Lex et Prophetae, Matthaeus 7:12 eadem haec Lex est universalis Vitae moralis: Sed omnia Charitatis opera recensere, et illa cum operibus vitae moralis conferre, est plurium paginarum opus; sint modo illustrationi sex Praecepta Secundae Tabulae Legis Decalogi, quae quod sint praecepta vitae moralis, cuivis patet, quae quod etiam contineant omnia quae amoris erga proximum sunt, videatur supra, 329-331. Quod Charitas impleat illa omnia, constat ex his apud Paulum, Amate vos invicem, qui enim amat alterum, Legem implevit; nam illud non moechaberis, non occides, non furaberis, non falsus testis eris, non concupisces, et si quid aliud mandatum, in hoc verbo comprehenditur, amabis proximum ut teipsum; Charitas proximo non malum facit; plenitudo legis est Charitas, Romanos 13:8-10.
[2] Qui ex solo Externo homine cogitat, ille non potest non mirari, quod septem Praecepta Secundae Tabulae a Jehovah super monte Sinai cum tanto miraculo promulgata sint, cum tamen eadem illa in omnibus Regnis in terris, proinde etiam in Aegypto, unde filii Israelis nuper venerunt, fuerunt Praecepta Legis justitiae civilis, nam absque illis nullum Regnum subsistit: sed quod a Jehovah promulgata sint, et insuper Tabulis lapideis digito Ipsius inscripta, fuit causa, ut non solum essent Praecepta Societatis civilis, et sic Vitae moralis naturalis, sed etiam Praecepta Societatis coelestis, et sic Vitae moralis spiritualis; ita quod facere contra illa, non modo esset facere contra homines, sed etiam contra Deum.