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Commandments from his Youth; but whereas he lacked three Things, viz. that he had not removed his Heart from Riches, that he had not fought against Concupifcencies, and that he had not as yet acknowledged the Lord to be God,. therefore the Lord faid unto him, that he should fell all that he had, whereby is meant, that he fhould remove his Heartfrom Riches; that he fhould take up the Crofs, whereby is meant, that he should fight against Concupifcencies; and that he should follow Him, by which is meant, that he should acknowledge the Lord to be God: The Lord here fpake, as in all other Cafes, by Correfpondencies, fee the DOCTRINE CONCERNING THE SACRED SCRIPTURE, n. 17, For no one can fhun Evils as Sins, unless he acknowledges the Lord; and approaches him, and unless he fights against Evils, and thus removes Concupifcencies. But more will be faid on this Subject in the Article concerning Combats against Evils.

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That fo far as any one fhuns Murders of every Kind as Sins, fo

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far he hath Love towards his. Neighbour.

BY Murders, of every Kind are un

derstood alfo Enmities, Hatreds,. and Revenges of every Kind, which breathe a murderous Purpofe; for therein Murder lieth hid, as Fire under Embers; the infernal Fire is Nothing else but fuch. a murderous Spirit, and it is from this Ground that Men are faid. to burn with Hatred and Revenge; these are Murders in a natural Senfe: But by Murders in a fpiritual Sense are meant all the Methods of killing and deftroying the Souls of Men, which are various and, manifold :. But by Murder in a fupreme Sense is meant to hate the Lord. These three. Kinds of Murder make one, and cohere together, for whofoever is difpofed to kill

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the Body of Man in this World, he is alfo difpofed after Death to kill the Soul of Man, and even to destroy the Lord, for he burns with Anger against the Lord, and is defirous to put out his Name.

68. Thefe Kinds of Murders lie concealed inwardly with Man from his Birth, but ftill he is taught from his Infancy to cover them over with Civility and Morality, which he muft needs practise in his Converfation with Mankind, and fo far as he loves Honour or Gain, fo far he is watchful over himself left his murderous Inclinations fhould appear; this is effected by Man with Refpect to his external Part, whilft nevertheless his Internal confifts of the above Kinds of Murders: Such is the real Nature and Quality of Man in himself: Now whereas he lays afide his external Part with the Body when he dies, and retains his Internal, it is evident what a Devil

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a Devil he must become unlefs he be reformed.

69. Inasmuch as the aforefaid Kinds of Murders lie concealed inwardly with Man from his Birth, as was observed above, and together with them Thefts of every Kind, and falfe Witness of every Kind, with the Concupifcencies prompt. ing thereto, concerning which more will be faid presently, it is evident, that unless the Lord had provided Means of Reformation, Man muft needs have perished eternally. The Means of Reformation which the Lord hath provided are these; that Man is born in mere Ignorance; that whilft an Infant he is kept in a State of external Innocence; foon after in a State of external Charity, and then in a State of external Friendfhip; but as he cometh into the Exercife of the thinking Principle, by Virtue of his Understanding, he is kept in a certain Freedom of acting according to Reason;

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this is the State which was defcribed above, n. 19, and which we fhall here tranfcribe with a View to what follows; it runs thus:

"Man, during his Abode in the World, "is in the Midft between Heaven and "Hell; beneath is Hell, and above is

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Heaven, and at the fame Time he is

kept in the Liberty of turning himself "either to Hell or Heaven; if he turn"eth himself to Hell he turneth himself away from Heaven, but if he turneth " himself to Heaven, he turneth himself away from Hell. Or, what is the "fame Thing, Man, during his Abode in "the World, ftands in the Midft be"tween the Lord and the Devil, and is

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kept in the Liberty of turning himself

<< to one or the other; if he turns himself

to the Devil, he turns himself away "from the Lord, but if he turns himself "to the Lord, he turns himself away "from the Devil. Or, what is the fame

"Thing,

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