Page:Sermons on the Lord's Prayer.djvu/100

 and inwardly strengthened, and brought nearer to the kingdom of heaven. And then, as after the Lord's temptation in the wilderness, "angels come and minister unto us;" an interior, heavenly peace is breathed into the heart,—a sweet calm comes over the spirit, like the dawn of morning after a night of storm,—and we feel ourselves more nearly conjoined to the Lord. Such is the reward of victory in temptation.

"He who is in the combats of temptation and conquers," says the New Church Doctrine, "acquires to himself more and more power over evil spirits, or over the diabolical crew, till at length they dare not assault him; but, on every victory obtained, the Lord reduces to order the goods and truths from which the combat was supported, when, consequently, these are purified; and in proportion as they are purified, the celestial things of love are insinuated into the exterior man, and a correspondence is effected." Again, "When any one revolves evil in his mind, and intends it, he should say to himself, 'I think of this, and I intend it; but because it is a sin, I will not do it' By this, the temptation injected from hell, is broken, and its further entrance prevented." And again: "A man explores the intentions of his will, while he explores his thoughts, for the intentions manifest themselves in the thoughts. While, for instance, he thinks, wills, and intends, revenge, or adultery, or theft, or false witness, and has a desire for such things,—if he applies his mind, and considers whether he would do those things if the fear