nter into man and lead
him so long as these evils are not set aside as sins; for they are
infernal, and in fact are hell with man, and unless hell is set aside
the Lord cannot enter and open heaven. This is what is meant by the
Lord's words to the rich man:

Who asked Him about eternal life, and said that he had kept the
commandments of the Decalogue from his youth; whom the Lord is said to
have loved, and to have taught that one thing was lacking to him, that
he should sell all that he had and take up the cross (Matt. xix. 16-22;
Mark x. 17-22; Luke xviii. 18-23).

"To sell all that he had" signifies that he should relinquish the things
of his religion, which were traditions, for he was a Jew, and also
should relinquish the things that were his own, which were loving self
and the world more than God, and thus leading himself; and "to follow
the Lord" signifies to acknowledge Him only and to be led by Him;
therefore the Lord also said, "Why callest thou Me good? There is none
good but God only." "To take up his cross" signifies to fight against
evils and falsities, which are from what is one's own (proprium).
(A.E., n. 934.)

III. Shunning Evils

In the previous chapter two things are said to be necessary that works
may be good, namely, that the Divine of the Lord be acknowledged, and
that the evils forbidden in the Decalogue be shunned as sins. The evils
enumerated in the Decalogue include all the evils that can ever exist;
therefore the Decalogue is called the ten commandments, because "ten"
signifies all.

The first commandment, "Thou shalt not worship other gods," includes not
loving self and the world; for he that loves self and the world above
all things worships other gods; for everyone's god is that which he
loves above all things.

The second commandment, "Thou shalt not profane the name of God,"
includes not to despise the Word and doctrine from the Word, and thus
the church, and not to reject these from the heart, for these are God's
"name."

The fifth commandment, "Thou shalt not steal," included the shunning of
frauds and unlawful gains, for these also are thefts.

The sixth commandment, "Thou shalt not commit adultery," includes having
delight in adulteries and having no delight in marriages, and in
particular cherishing filthy thoughts respecting such things as pertain
to marriage, for these are adulteries.

The seventh commandment, "Thou shalt not kill," includes not hating the
neighbor