423# 这是仁爱本身，因为仁爱可以定义为每天并不断地向邻舍行善，不仅向个体的邻舍行善，也向集体的邻舍行善。这只有通过在一个人所从事的职责、业务和工作，以及与人们的往来互动中的良善和公义才能实现，因为这是一个人的日常工作。甚至当他没有积极行善时，行善仍不断占据他的心智，是他的思维和意图的对象。如此行使仁爱的人会越来越成为形式上的仁爱，或仁爱的化身；因为公义和忠诚形成了他的心智，对它们的行使则形成了他的身体；随着时间推移，他因如此获得的形式而逐渐只意愿和思考与仁爱有关的东西。这样的人最终成为圣言所说的那些人，即：他们有写在心上的律法（耶利米书31:33）。他们也不将功德置于自己的作为或行为，因为他们不会想到功德，只会想到责任，这是每个好公民都应该履行的。然而，人根本不能凭自己出于属灵的公义和忠诚来行事；因为每个人都从父母那里继承了一种为自己和世界而实行良善和公义的倾向或特性；但没有人继承为了良善和公义而实行良善和公义的倾向或特性。因此，只有那些敬拜主，当出于自己行事时，就出于祂行事的人获得了属灵的仁爱，并通过习惯行使这仁爱而充满它，或把它变成自己的。
423. 這是真正的義, 可以這樣解釋:義就是每天和不斷地向鄰舍行
善; 不僅對個體的鄰舍, 還包括對集體的鄰舍。唯一的途徑便是在所從事的職業或工作的任何場合,與交往的人們公正誠實地行事。這是人每天所做的事情; 即使在未做之時, 它們仍持續地佔據人的思想(想著這些, 並意圖去做)。
人若以此方式將義踐行出來, 就越來越成為義的滿有生命力的表現。公正與誠實形成他的思想,義的踐行形成他的身體。隨著時間推移, 這樣的思想日益形成, 以至於讓他所願所想的任何事都與 義相關。這樣的人最終成為聖言中所提及的"將律法寫在心上"的人(耶利米書31:33)。他們不會認為自己的行為值得稱讚, 因為他們從來沒有想得到什麼讚賞, 只認為是他們的義務。在他們看來, 以這樣的方式行事是公民當行的應份之事。
不過, 一個人決不能憑自己按屬靈的公平和誠實來行事, 因為每個人從父母遺傳了如此屬性:為自己或為世俗利益才去做善事, 無人會為了良善與公平而去行善。因此, 只有當人敬奉主, 在主的帶領下行, 看起來仿佛自己在做, 這樣他就獲取了屬靈之義, 藉著踐行而吸收屬靈之義。
423. This is goodwill itself because it can be defined as follows: goodwill is doing good to our neighbor daily and constantly - not only to our neighbor as an individual but also to our neighbor collectively. The only way to do this is through practicing goodness and justice in our position and work and with the people with whom we have any interaction, because these are things we do every day. When we are not doing them, they still stay in our minds all the time; we think about them and intend to do them.
People who practice goodwill in this way become better and better forms of goodwill. Justice and faithfulness shape their minds and the practice of goodwill shapes their bodies. Over time, because of their form, they get to the point where everything they want and think about relates to goodwill. In the long run, they become like the people mentioned in the Word who have the law written on their hearts [Jeremiah 31:33]. Such people also take no credit for what they are doing since they are not thinking about receiving credit for it; they are thinking about their duty. In their view, acting this way is the right thing for citizens to do.
Nevertheless, we are completely incapable of acting on the basis of spiritual justice and faithfulness on our own. We all inherit from our parents the trait of doing what is good and just for our own sake or for worldly reasons. None of us hereditarily does these things for the sake of goodness and justice. Therefore only when people worship the Lord, and function from the Lord while they seem to be functioning on their own, do they attain spiritual goodwill and become saturated with it as the result of constant practice.
423. This is real charity, because it can be defined as doing good to the neighbour daily and constantly, not only to the neighbour as an individual but also collectively; and the only way of doing this is by good and fair dealing in the position, business or work in which one is engaged and with anyone with whom one comes into contact. For this is what one does every day, and when one is not doing it, it still constantly occupies one's mind, one's thoughts and intentions. A person who exercises charity in this way becomes more and more a living form of charity; for justice and faithfulness develop his mind, and 1 exercise does his body, and in process of time the formation of his mind prevents him from willing and thinking of anything but such things as have to do with charity. These people end up by becoming like those described in the Word as having the law engraved on their hearts. Also they do not regard deeds as meritorious, since they never think of that, but rather about the duty which makes a decent citizen act like this. But a person can by no means act from spiritual justice and faithfulness of himself, for everyone inherits from his parents the trait of doing good and acting fairly for selfish and worldly reasons, and no one does so for the sake of goodness and fairness. If therefore anyone worships the Lord, and while acting of himself acts under the Lord's guidance, it is he who acquires spiritual charity, and by its exercise absorbs it.
Footnotes:
1. Perhaps ut 'as' should be read here for et 'and'.
423. This is charity itself, because charity may be defined as doing good to the neighbor daily and continually, not only to the neighbor individually, but also to the neighbor collectively; and this can be done only through what is good and just in the office, business, and employment in which a man is engaged, and with those with whom he has any dealings; for this is one's daily work, and when he is not doing it it still occupies his mind continually, and he has it in thought and intention. The man who thus practises charity, becomes more and more charity in form; for justice and fidelity form his mind, and the practice of these forms his body; and because of his form he gradually comes to will and think only such things as pertain to charity. Such at length come to be like those of whom it is said in the Word, that they have the law written on their hearts. Nor do they place merit in their works, because they do not think of merit but of duty-that it becomes a citizen so to act. But a man can by no means of himself act from spiritual justice and fidelity; for every man inherits from his parents a disposition to do what is good and just for the sake of himself and the world; but no man inherits a disposition to do it for the sake of what is good and just; consequently, only he who worships the Lord, and acts from Him when acting from himself, attains to spiritual charity, and becomes imbued with it by the practice of it.
423. This is charity itself, because charity may be defined as doing good to the neighbor daily and continually, not only to the neighbor individually, but also collectively. This can only be effected by each doing what is good and just in the office, business and work in which he is engaged, and with whomsoever he has any dealings, for this is his daily employment. Even when he is not actively engaged in doing good, it is still present in his mind, and is the object of his thoughts and intentions. He who thus practices charity becomes more and more its embodiment; for justice and fidelity form his mind, and their exercise forms his body; so that in the process of time, from the form thus acquired he wills and thinks nothing but what has relation to charity. Such men at length become like those of whom it is said in the Word, that they have the Law written in their hearts. They also attach no merit to their works; for they do not think of merit but only of duty, which it behooves every good citizen to perform. A man, however, of himself cannot at all act from spiritual justice and fidelity; for every one inherits from his parents a disposition to do what is good and just for the sake of himself and the world, and not for the sake of what is good and just. Only those, therefore, who worship the Lord, and act from Him while acting from themselves, acquire spiritual charity and by habitual exercise make it their own.
423. Quod hoc sit ipsa Charitas, est quia haec definiri potest, quod sit bonum facere proximo quotidie et continue, non solum proximo in singulari, sed etiam proximo in plurali, et hoc non fieri potest nisi quam per bonum et justum in officio, negotio et opere, in quo quisque est, et cum quibus in aliquo commercio est; hoc enim quotidie facit, et cum non facit, usque continue insidet menti ejus, et id cogitat ac intendit. Homo qui ita Charitatem exercet, is plus et plus fit Charitas in forma; nam justitia et fidelitas formant mentem ejus, et exercitia corpus ejus, et successive ex forma sua non aliud vult et cogitat, quam talia quae charitatis sunt. Hi tandem fiunt sicut illi, de quibus in Verbo, quod Legem cordibus suis inscriptam habeant. Hi quoque non ponunt meritum in operibus, quoniam non cogitant de eo, sed de debito, quod ita facere deceat civem. Sed homo nequaquam potest ex spirituali justitia et fidelitate agere ex se; omnis enim homo haereditario trahit a parentibus, ut bonum et justum propter se et mundum agat, et nullus propter bonum et justum; quare qui Dominum colit, et ab Ipso, dum ex se, agit, is modo charitatem spiritualem adipiscitur et per exercitia imbuit.