457. 'Yet repented not from the works of their hands' signifies that neither did they flee from the things of their proprium, which are evils of every kind, as from sins. By 'the works of a man's hands' are signified the things of a man's proprium, which are evils and the resulting untruths, because by the 'hand' the things that proceed from the man are signified in their entirety, for the forces of the mind and the consequent forces of the body are determined into the hands and terminate there, and therefore by 'hands' in the Word is signified power. Consequently by 'the works of a man's hands' are signified the things of his proprium, which are evils and untruths of every kind. The things of the proprium of his will are evils, and the things of the proprium of his understanding are the resulting untruths. It is said of those who are treated of here that they 'repented not', because those who make faith alone everything of religion say in themselves, 'What need is there of repentance when sins are remitted by faith alone and we are saved? What do our own works contribute to this? I know that I have been born in sins, and that I am a sinner. If I confess this, and pray that my blemishes may not be imputed to me, has not repentance then been done? What need is there for more?' And so [such a man] does not think anything of sins to the extent that he does not know what sins are, and therefore by reason of the delight and pleasantness continually derived from them he is borne along in them and into them, as is a ship on to the rocks by wind and tide, while captain and crew are sleeping. [2] By 'the works of a man's hands' in the Word, in the natural sense thereof, are understood graven images, molten images and idols, but in the spiritual sense by them are signified evils and untruths of every kind, which are the things of a man's proprium; as in these places:-
Provoke Me not to anger by the works of your hands; if you were provoking Me to anger by the works of your hands, [it would be] to your own evil: I will recompense them according to their works, and according to the thing done of their own hands Jer. xxv 6, 7, 14.
The sons of Israel have provoked Me to anger by the works of their hands Jer. xxxii 30; xliv 8.
I will pronounce judgments with them upon all their wickedness, that they have bowed down to the works of their own hands Jer. i 16.
In that day shall the eyes look to the Holy One of Israel, and not to the altars the work of their own hands, and which their fingers have made Isa. xvii 7, 8; xxxi 7; xxxvii 19; Jer. x 9.
[3] That 'the work of a man's hands' is his proprium, and consequently evil and untruth, can be manifestly established from the fact that for this reason they were forbidden to build the altar and the temple of hewn stones and to work with iron upon the stones, for 'the work of a man's hands' was signified by these.
If thou wilt make Me an altar of stones, thou shalt not build it of hewn stones, because if thou shalt work with thy chisel upon it, thou shalt profane it Exod. xx 25.
Joshua built an altar of stones, upon which he did not work with iron Josh. viii 30, 31.
The temple at Jerusalem was built of whole stone, and neither hammer nor axe, nor any instrument of iron was heard, when it was being built 1 Kings vi 7.
[4] All the things that are done by the lord are also called 'the works of His hands', and these are the things of His Proprium, and in themselves goods and truths; as in these [places]:-
The works of the hands of Jehovah are the truth (veritas) and judgment Ps. cxi 7.
O Jehovah, Thy mercy is for ever, forsake not the works of Thy hands Ps. cxxxviii 8.
Thus says Jehovah the Holy One of Israel, and his Former, Ask signs from Me, concerning My sons, concerning the work of My hands command ye Me Isa. xlv 11.
Thy people are all just, the twig of My branches, the work of My hands Isa. lx 21.
O Jehovah, Thou art our Father, we are the clay, and Thou art our Potter, and all of us are the work of Thy hands Isa. lxiv 8 [NB. 7].
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