416.主的国是当爱的、最高等级的邻舍。原因在于，主的国表全世界的教会，被称为“圣徒的团契”，也表天堂。所以，人若爱主的国，就会爱全世界凡承认主、信祂，并对邻仁爱的所有人，以及天堂中的所有人。那些爱主的国之人爱主高于一切，因而相比其他人，他们对神的爱更伟大。天上和地上的教会是主的身体，因为教会成员在主里面，主也在他们里面。
因此，对主国度的爱是最完全意义上的对邻之爱。因为那些爱主国度的人不仅爱主高于一切，还爱邻如己。对主的爱是普遍的爱，因而贯穿于属灵生活的一切细节，也贯穿于属世生活的一切细节。因为这爱在人里面居于至高层，至高之物流入较低之物，并带给它们生命，如同意愿流入一切意图，因而流入一切行为，也如同理解力流入一切思维，因而流入一切言语。因此，主说：
你们要先求祂的国和祂的义，这些东西都要加给你们了。（马太福音6:33）
天国就是主的国度，这在但以理书得以证实：
看哪，有一位象人子的，驾着天云而来。得了权柄、荣耀、国度，使各方、各国、各族的人都事奉祂。祂的权柄是永远的，不能废去；祂的国必不败坏（但以理书7:13，14）。
416. 主的國為何是最高層次當愛的鄰舍？因為主的國表示普世的教會, 被稱為"聖徒的團契", 還表示天國。若一個人愛主的國, 他就愛世上每一個接受主,信祂並愛鄰舍之人, 也愛天國裡的所有人。
那些愛主國度的人們愛主勝過其它一切, 因而比其它所有人對上帝有更大的愛, 因為在天國和地上的教會就是主的身體, 教會的成員在主裡面,主在他們裡面。
[2]於是, 對主國度的愛是更完全地愛鄰舍, 因為愛主國度的人不僅愛主勝過一切其他, 而且還愛鄰舍如同自己。對主的愛是普遍的愛, 因而蔓延到屬靈生活的點點滴滴, 也蔓延至世俗生活的所有細節。對主的愛居住在人最高的層面中, 最高層的流注入較低層, 並帶來生命, 正如意志注入到所有的意圖與行為之中, 認知注入到一切想法和談話中。因此主說:你們要先求祂的國和祂的義, 這些東西都要加給你們了(馬太福音6:33)。
天國就是主的國度, 正如以下『但以理書』中所說:見有一位象人子的, 駕著天雲而來。得了權柄,榮耀,國度, 使各方,各國,各族的人都事奉祂。祂的權柄是永遠的, 不能廢去; 祂的國必不敗壞(但以理書7:13-14)。
416. The Lord's kingdom is the neighbor to which we are to give the highest level of our love, because the Lord's kingdom means the church across the entire world, also known as "the communion of saints. " It includes heaven as well.
People who love the Lord's kingdom love all in the whole world who acknowledge the Lord, have faith in him, and have goodwill toward their neighbor; they also love all who are in heaven. People who love the Lord's kingdom love the Lord above all else. They have more love for God than others do. This is because the church in the heavens and on earth is the Lord's body. They are in the Lord and the Lord is in them. Loving the Lord's kingdom, then, is fully loving their neighbor. People who love the Lord's kingdom not only love the Lord above all else; they also love their neighbor as themselves. Love for the Lord is a universal love. It affects every aspect of spiritual life and also every aspect of earthly life. This is because love for the Lord dwells in the highest reaches of us, and things at the top flow into things lower down and bring them to life in the same way that our will flows into all our intentions and actions, and our intellect flows into all our thoughts and conversations. Therefore the Lord says,
Seek first the kingdom of the heavens and its justice. Then all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:33)
The kingdom of the heavens is the Lord's kingdom, as the following passage in Daniel shows:
Behold, there was someone coming with the clouds of heaven - someone like the Son of Humankind. He was given dominion, glory, and a kingdom. All people, nations, and tongues will worship him. His dominion is a dominion of an age that will not pass and his kingdom is one that will not perish. (Daniel 7:13-14)
416. The reason why the Lord's kingdom is the neighbour to be loved in the highest degree is that the Lord's kingdom means the church throughout the whole world, what is called the communion of saints, and it also means heaven. If therefore a person loves the Lord's kingdom, he loves everyone in the whole world who acknowledges the Lord and has faith in Him and charity towards the neighbour, as well as all in heaven. Those who love the Lord's kingdom love the Lord above all else, and consequently have greater love to God than all others. For the church in the heavens and upon earth is the Lord's body, since its members are in the Lord and the Lord in them.
[2] Love for the Lord's kingdom then is love towards the neighbour in the fullest sense. For those who love the Lord's kingdom not only love the Lord above all else, but also love the neighbour as themselves. Love to the Lord is universal love, thus pervading every detail of spiritual life and also every detail of natural life. For that love dwells at the highest level in a person, and what is highest flows into what is lower, bringing it to life, just as the will does into every intention and thus every action, and as the understanding into every thought and thus every utterance. This is why the Lord says:
Seek first the kingdom of the heavens and its righteousness, then everything will be given to you in addition, Matthew 6:33, The kingdom of the heavens is the Lord's kingdom, as is established by this passage in Daniel:
Behold, one like the Son of Man was coming with the clouds of the heavens. And to him was given dominion, glory and the kingdom, and all peoples, nations and tongues will worship him. His dominion will be a dominion for ever, which will not pass away and his kingdom one which will not perish, Daniel 7:13-14.
416. The Lord's kingdom is the neighbor that is to be loved in the highest degree, because the Lord's kingdom means the church throughout the world, which is called the communion of saints; also heaven is meant by it; consequently he who loves the Lord's kingdom loves all in the whole world who acknowledge the Lord and have faith in Him and charity towards the neighbor; and he loves also all in heaven. Those who love the Lord's kingdom love the Lord above all things, and are consequently in love to God more than others, because the church in the heavens and on earth is the body of the Lord, for those who are in it are in the Lord and the Lord in them. Therefore love towards the Lord's kingdom is love towards the neighbor in its fullness; for those who love the Lord's kingdom, not only love the Lord above all things, but also love the neighbor as themselves; for love to the Lord is a universal love, and consequently is in each thing and all things of spiritual life, and in each thing and all things of natural life; for that love has its seat in the highest things in man, and things highest flow into lower things and vivify them, as the will flows into all things of intention and of action therefrom, and the understanding into all things of thought and of speech therefrom. Therefore the Lord says:
Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you (Matthew 6:33).
That the kingdom of the heavens is the Lord's kingdom is evident from these words in Daniel:
Behold, there was coming with the clouds of heaven one like unto the Son of Man; and there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom; and all peoples, nations, and languages shall worship Him. His dominion is a dominion of ages, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed (Daniel 7:13-14).
416. The Lord's kingdom is the neighbor that ought to be loved in the highest degree, because by the Lord's kingdom is meant both the Church throughout the whole earth, known as the communion of saints, and also heaven. He, then, who loves the Lord's kingdom, loves all those throughout the whole world who acknowledge the Lord, and have faith in Him and charity towards the neighbor; and he loves also all who are in heaven. Those who love the Lord's kingdom love the Lord above all things, and are thus in love to God more than others; for the Church in heaven and on earth is the Lord's body, the members of the Church being in the Lord, and the Lord in them. Love, therefore, towards the Lord's kingdom is love towards the neighbor in its fulness; for those who love His kingdom, not only love the Lord above all things, but also love the neighbor as themselves.
Love to the Lord is a universal love, and consequently permeates everything in every detail both of the spiritual and of the natural life. This love has its seat in the highest things with man, and these descend by influx into the lower, and vivify them, just as the will enters into the whole of the intention, and thence into action, and as the understanding enters into the whole of the thought, and thence into speech. Therefore, the Lord says:
"Seek ye first the kingdom of the heavens (A.V., of God) and its righteousness; and all these shall be added unto you" Matthew 6:33.
The kingdom of the heavens is the kingdom of the Lord, as is evident from these words in Daniel:
"Behold, one like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of the heavens. And there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him: His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed" 7:13-14.
416. Quod Regnum Domini sit Proximus, qui in supremo gradu amandus est, est causa, quia per Regnum Domini intelligitur Ecclesia in toto terrarum Orbe, quae Communio sanctorum vocatur, et quoque intelligitur Coelum; quare qui Regnum Domini amat, is amat omnes in universo Mundo, qui Dominum agnoscunt, ac fidem in Ipsum, et Charitatem erga proximum, habent, et quoque amat omnes in Coelo. Illi qui amant Regnum Domini, amant Dominum super omnia, proinde prae reliquis in Amore in Deum sunt; nam Ecclesia in Coelis et in Terris est Corpus Domini, sunt enim in Domino et Dominus in illis.
[2] Est itaque Amor erga Regnum Domini Amor erga proximum in sua plenitudine; illi enim qui amant Regnum Domini, non modo amant Dominum super omnia, sed etiam amant proximum 1 ut seipsum; 2 nam Amor in Dominum est Amor universalis, et inde est in omnibus et singulis Vitae spiritualis, et quoque in omnibus et singulis Vitae naturalis, residet enim ille amor in supremis apud hominem, ac suprema influunt in inferiora, ac vivificant illa, sicut Voluntas in omnia intentionis et inde actionis, ac Intellectus in omnia cogitationis et inde sermonis: quare dicit Dominus, Quaerite primum Regnum Coelorum 3 et ejus Justitiam, tunc omnia adjicientur vobis, Matthaeus 6:33 quod Regnum Coelorum sit Regnum Domini, constat ex his apud Danielem, Ecce cum nubibus Coelorum sicut FILIUS HOMINIS veniens fuit; et Huic datum est Dominium, 4 Gloria, et Regnum, ac omnes Populi, Gentes, et Linguae Ipsum colent; 5 Dominium Ipsius 6 dominium saeculi, quod non transibit, et Regnum Ipsius quod non peribit, Cap. 7:13-14.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: procimum.
2. Prima editio: seipfum.
3. Nisi legeris Dei, sic Novum Testamentum Graecum, Arcana Coelestia 1, Arcana Coelestia 5449 et CI 64.
4. Prima editio: Daminium.
5. Prima editio: coleent.
6. Prima editio: Ipfius.