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ILLUSTRATIONS OF

the counsels of heavenly wisdom, in the superior degrees, are brought into operation. When again we pray, Give us this day our daily bread, it is manifest we pray for the nourishment and support of order and its life in every degree of the human mind and body, acknowledging such nourishment and support to be from God, thus from reciprocal conjunction with Jesus Christ. In the three following petitions, namely, Remit to us our debts, [or sins,] as we remit to our debtors, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, the degrees of disorder are noted, with supplication for its removal; remission of debts [or sins] having relation to the commencement of such removal by the light of truth, which first makes debts and sins manifest; whilst temptation has relation to the combat between what is true and what is false, whereby a further removal is effected, and thus at length deliverance from evil, which is the entire subjugation of self-love, takes place, and completes the eradication of disorder. A difference therefore is made, between the remission of sins and deliverance from evil, because sins have reference to acts of disorder in the external, or natural man, and these are remitted whensoever they are seen by the light of truth to be offences against God; whereas evil has reference to the internal defiled source from whence those sins are produced, which is nothing else but selfish and worldly love; and deliverance from evil is effected, whensoever truth in the understanding is conjoined with good in the will; in other words, whensoever man not only knows his duty, but loves and delights to do it. Here therefore follows the conclusion, which is the soul’s glorification, consisting in the humble and grateful acknowledg-