unlawful
gains, so far sincerity and justice enter, and he loves what is sincere
and just from sincerity and justice, and thus does what is sincere and
just not from self but from the Lord.

Fourthly, so far as one shuns adulteries and thus shuns unchaste and
filthy thoughts, so far marriage love enters, which is the inmost love
of heaven, and in which chastity itself has its seat.

Fifthly, so far as one shuns murders, and thus shuns deadly hatreds and
revenges that breathe murder, so far the Lord enters with mercy and
love.

Sixthly, so far as one shuns false testimonies, and thus shuns lies and
blasphemies, so far truth from the Lord enters.

Seventhly, so far as one shuns a covetousness for the house of others,
and thus shuns the love and consequent lusts for possessing the goods of
others, so far charity toward the neighbor enters from the Lord.

Eighthly, so far as one shuns a covetousness for the wives of others,
their servants, etc., and thus shuns the love and consequent lusts of
ruling over others (for the things enumerated in this commandment are
what belong to man), so far love to the Lord enters.

These eight commandments include the evils that must be shunned, but the
two others, namely, the third and fourth, include certain things that
must be done, namely, that the Sabbath must be kept holy, and that
parents must be honored. But how these two commandments should be
understood, not by men of the Jewish church but by men of the Christian
church, will be told elsewhere. (A.E., n. 949).

Part Second--THE COMMANDMENTS

I. The First Commandment

"Thou shalt not make to thee other gods" includes not loving self and
the world above all things; for that which one loves above all things is
his god. There are two directly opposite loves, love of self and love
to God, also love of the world and love of heaven. He who loves himself
loves his own (proprium); and as a man's own (proprium) is nothing but
evil he also loves evil in its whole complex; and he who loves evil
hates good, and thus hates God. He who loves himself above all things
sinks his affections and thoughts in the body, and thus in his own
(proprium), and from this he cannot be raised up by the Lord; and when
one is sunk in the body and in his own (proprium) he is in corporeal
ideas and in pleasures that pertain solely to the body, and thus in
thick darkness in respect to higher things; while he who is raised up by
the Lord is in li