698. 'And did not repent of their works' signifies that, although instructed out of the Word, still they do not withdraw from untruths of faith and the consequent evils of life. By 'not to repent' is signified not to withdraw, as above (n. 693); and by 'works' here are signified untruths of faith and the consequent evils of life, as above (n. 641). According to the sense of the letter it is annoyances and sores that cannot drive them to repent of untruths and evils, but according to the spiritual sense it is instruction out of the Word that cannot drive them from untruths and evils, because these are infernal. It is plain from these considerations that by 'did not repent of their works' is signified that, although instructed out of the Word, they still did not withdraw from untruths of faith and the consequent evils of life. It is said that the 'works' here are untruths of faith and the consequent evils of life. It is so said because untruth of faith precedes, and evil of life follows. For it is an untruth of faith that an evil does not condemn him who is in faith, in consequence of which the man lives unconcerned, not thinking about any evil. And thus he never repents or does penance. He acts in a similar manner if he persuades himself that works effect nothing for salvation, but faith alone without them.