206. (VI.) As far as anyone takes cognizance of and knows what sins are, so far he can see them in himself, confess them before the Lord, and repent of them. This follows from all that has now been said. Therefore in order that a man may see what sins are, the first of the Word was the Decalogue; and therefore also the Decalogue is a complex of the whole Word, for which reason it is called the "ten Words," and by "ten words" are signified all truths in the complex. For a like reason there are similar precepts among all nations in the world which have religion. And the man who knows that they are Divine laws, and that therefore he who acts contrary to them acts contrary to God, or commits sin, can receive Divine influx, and at the same time also the will and effort as of himself to abstain from sins and repent of them. Confession of one's sins before the Lord effects conjunction with Him, and reception of influx from Him. And then the Lord accomplishes the work, and yet gives man to act as if of himself. Otherwise man could not act. The Lord at that time operates in him, through inmost things even to the outermost, and removes lusts, which are the roots of evil. This a man could not do of himself. Of himself man operates only in the outermost things; and yet the inmost things produce these. If therefore man removed evils of himself, he would still remain in them.