bor, and to hate is to wish to kill. Hence it is, that the devil, by whom is understood hell in its whole complex, is called by the Lord, 'a murderer from the beginning.'"[1]
And now, in the last place,—we may refer briefly to the celestial sense of this Commandment, which is the highest sense. This sense always treats of the Lord Himself; for the Lord is the very centre and essence of his Word—for he is the Word. To kill, in this sense, "is to be angry with, and hate the Lord, and to wish to blot out his name." Here is the very essential principle of the spirit of murder, and its fountain. For the desire to kill a man's body is derived, though perhaps unconsciously, from a still deeper desire to kill his soul: and that desire springs from hatred to that principle which is the very life of the soul, namely, goodness: and goodness is from the Lord, and is indeed the Lord Himself in men's souls. This hatred against the Lord is inherent in the very nature of evil; and all bad men have it within their hearts, though they may not be aware of it while in this world: but after death, it will burst forth, and show itself. Indeed, it sometimes manifests itself even here; it is from this cause that wicked men delight to swear, and blaspheme, and take God's name in vain. And once it has shown itself in dreadful act—when the Jews crucified the Lord of Glory; and all bad men continually "crucify him afresh" in their hearits.
Such, in conclusion, are the various and extensive
- ↑ Ap. Ex., n. 1014.
