In the preceding verse, the subject treated of is the temptations of those who live according to the Lord's precepts, and who acknowledge His Divine; therefore in this verse the consolations which follow spiritual temptations, are treated of. For, as was said above (n. 897), joys come into being after all spiritual temptations.

[2] The reason why by labours are meant temptations is, that temptations are labours of the soul, or spiritual labours. They are also meant by labour in Isaiah:

"Jehovah willed to bruise him, he weakened him; if he shall make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the will of Jehovah shall prosper in his hand; he shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied" (liii. 10, 11).

These things are said of the Lord, who is treated of in the whole of that chapter. The Lord's temptations, which were most grievous, because they were endured against the hells, are described by, Jehovah willed to bruise him, He weakened him. For by temptations the loves of the proprium are broken, thus the body is bruised and weakened. If he shall make his soul an offering for sin, signifies, if he shall undergo temptations even unto death. He shall see his seed, signifies that Divine truth shall proceed from Him, seed denoting truth; and where it is said of the Lord, Divine truth. He shall prolong his days, signifies Divine good, which shall also proceed from Him. Long, and hence to prolong are said of goodness (see above, n. 629); and days signify states. And the will of Jehovah shall prosper in his hand, signifies that thus all things in general and particular, in the heavens and on the earth, shall be kept in Divine Order. Of the labour of his soul, signifies by temptations. He shall see, and shall be satisfied, signifies glorification. These things are signified by these words, in the highest sense, in which the Lord is treated of. But, in the relative sense, by the same words, the salvation of the human race, for which the Lord fought from Divine Love is described. It is said, if he shall make his soul an offering for sin, as if it were a matter of doubt that he would so make it.

[3] But this involves the same as that which He Himself says in John:

"I lay down my soul, and I take it again; no one taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from my Father" (x. 17, 18).

The mystery that lies hid in these words, only he can see who knows the nature of the temptations by which man is regenerated. For a man therein is preserved in his own freedom, from which it appears to him as if he fought from himself. In fact, in temptations a man has spiritual freedom more strongly than when not in them; for it is more interior. Unless he fought from it in temptations, he could not become spiritual; for all freedom is of love; a man therefore then fights from the love of truth, and consequently from the love of life everlasting. Thus and no otherwise is the internal opened, and a man regenerated. From these few things, it may in some degree be seen what these words of the Lord involve, that is, that He fought from His own freedom, and at last laid down His soul, in order that He might do all things from His own proper power, and consequently might become righteousness, from Himself; this He could not have become except by virtue of His freedom. Hence it is said, "I lay down my soul of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command have I received from my Father."

[4] Those who do not know this mystery, interpret these words like the Arians, saying that the Lord was not the actual, but the adopted, Son of God; thus, that He was adopted because He was willing to lay down His life, or undergo the death of the cross. They do not know that those words involve that He, by His own power, fought from His Human against the hells and overcame them, and by His own proper power glorified His Human, that is, united it to the very Divine in Himself, and by that means made it Divine; and this, had he not been left to Himself in absolute freedom as to the Human, could not have been accomplished. From these things it is now evident why it is said in Isaiah, "If he shall make his soul an offering for sin."

That freedom is that which belongs to the love and the will, and thence to the life of man, and that this appears to be, as it were, his own, may be seen in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem (n. 141, 145). That a man must be in a state of freedom in order to be regenerated, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia (n. 1937, 1947, 2876, 2881, 3145, 3158, 4031, 8700). That otherwise the love of good and truth cannot be implanted in man, and appear to be appropriated to him as his own (n. 2877, 2879, 2880, 8700). That nothing that is done from compulsion can be conjoined to a man (n. 2875, 8700). That to compel oneself, is from freedom; but not to be compelled (n. 1937, 2881). That in all temptation there is freedom, but that this freedom is more interiorly within a man from the Lord; this is why he fights and desires to conquer, and not to be conquered, which without freedom he would not do (n. 1937, 1947, 2881). That the Lord alone fought against all the hells, and from His own proper power, and overcame them (n. 1692, 1813, 2826, 4295, 8273, 9937). That hence the Lord was made righteousness, from Himself alone (n. 1813, 2025, 2026, 2027, 9715, 9809, 10019). That the Lord's last temptation was in Gethsemane and upon the cross, when He obtained complete victory, by means of which He subjugated the hells, and at the same time glorified His Human (n. 2276, 2803, 2813, 2814, 10655, 10659, 10828). All these things are from the Arcana Coelestia, still more may be seen collected from the same work in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem, where man's freedom is treated of (n. 148, 149); concerning temptations in general (n. 196-200); and concerning the Lord's temptations (n. 201, 302).