himself away from them, he becomes their slave for ever.
Such is the true state of the case. How, then, is it possible for one who cherishes an unforgiving spirit towards others, to have his own trespasses forgiven? To have sins forgiven, or, what is the same, to have evils removed, is, in fact,—as the New Church Doctrine teaches,—to have our spirits removed or withdrawn from infernal societies; for so long as man is in evils, he is in connection with such societies, and it is from that source that the evils flow in. But if man indulges his evils, he is, as just shown, binding himself more and more closely to infernal societies; and he cannot be separated or withdrawn from them except by ceasing to indulge the evil, and by fighting against it. But he who will not fight against an evil—as the evil of anger and revenge, for instance—but prefers to indulge and cherish it, does not suffer himself to be withdrawn from the company of the infernal spirits who are in that evil. In this state, it is impossible that that sin should be forgiven him; for he does not ask to have it forgiven: he rather chooses it and loves it: he is not willing to be withdrawn from that hell. And as all evils are connected together—therefore by binding himself to one, he, in a manner, gives himself up to all; and thus his other sins and trespasses cannot be forgiven, while he voluntarily indulges in any one sin.
How can a man kneel down with a sincere heart, and say to the Lord, "forgive me my trespasses," while he is conscious of cherishing an angry and unforgiving spirit against his fellow-man? He cannot:
