98. Verse 2. I know thy works, and thy toil, and thy endurance, signifies all things that they will, think, and do, thus all things of love and faith in the spiritual and in the natural man. This is evident from the signification of "works," as being the things that are of the will and love (of which in what follows); and from the signification of "toil," as being the things that are of thought and faith (of which also in what follows); and from the signification of "endurance," as being the things done from will and thought, or the things that these do. But it can with difficulty be comprehended that this is the meaning of these words, unless it is known that all things done by man flow out from the interiors belonging to his mind, also that the mind is the all in everything that man does, and that the body is a mere obedience through which is exhibited, in a form visible before the eye, that which the mind wills and thinks. This is why those external things here mentioned, "works," "toil," and "endurance," signify wing, thinking, and consequent doing, or what is the same, loving, believing, and consequent presenting in act. But still these things are not comprehensible, unless it is also known that man has two faculties, called will and understanding, and that these two faculties are called by the one term "mind;" also that man has an internal and an external-an internal in the light of the spiritual world, and an external in the light of the natural world. (The Will and the Understanding are treated of in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem, n. 28-35; and the Internal and the External Man, n. 36-52.) When this is understood, it may be known that by "works," in the spiritual sense, is meant everything that man wills and loves, and by "toil" everything that man thinks or believes, and by "endurance" everything that man does from these. [2] But leaving these matters, as being, perhaps, too little known about and therefore too obscure to be clearly apprehended, let us advance to this point only, that by "works," in the spiritual sense, are meant all things that are of man's will or love; and this, for the reason that in what follows as to the seven churches, it is everywhere said first, "I know thy works;" as in these verses:
To the angel of the church of the Smyrneans write: These things saith the First and the Last, I know thy works, and affliction, and poverty (Rev. 2:8-9);
To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These things saith He that hath the two-edged sword, I know thy works, and where thou dwellest (Rev. 2:12-13);
To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These things saith the Son of God, I know thy works and charity (Rev. 2:18-19);
To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These things saith He that hath the seven spirits of God, I know thy works, that thou art said to live (Rev. 3:1);
To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These things saith He that is holy, He that is true, I know thy works (Rev. 3:7-8);
To the angel of the Laodicean church write: These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, I know thy works (Rev. 3:14-5). [3] As it is here said everywhere, "I know thy works," it is clear that "works" signify, in general, all things of the church; and as all things of the church have reference to love and faith, therefore these are what are meant in the spiritual sense by "works." These are meant in the spiritual sense by "works," because every work or deed or act, that to appearance is done from the body, is not done from the body, but is done by means of the body from man's will and thought, for not a particle of the body moves itself except from the will and thought. From this it is that "works" signify, not the things that appear in outward form, but the things of will and thought. That this is so is known to everyone who reflects. Who that is wise regards a man from his deeds alone, and not from his will? If the will is good he loves the deeds; but if the will is evil he does not love the deeds. He sees the deeds also, but interprets them according to the intention of the will. He who is spiritual attends still less to the deeds, but explores the will; for the reason already given, that deeds in themselves are nothing, but all that they are is from the will, for deeds are the will in act. It is said "will," but in the spiritual sense love is meant, for a man wills what he loves, and he loves what he wills. Man's will is only the receptacle of his love. (See what is said and shown in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem, on that faculty of man, n. 28-35; and in the work on Heaven and Hell, n. 358, 470-484.) [4] Because "works" or deeds in the Word signify specifically the things that proceed from man's love or will, it is often said in the Word that a man shall be judged and it shall be rendered unto him according to his works; and the meaning is according to works in the internal form, not in the external; as in the following passages:
The Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then shall He render unto everyone according to his works (Matt. 16:27). Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; their works do follow them (Rev. 14:13). I will give unto each one of you according to his works (Rev. 2:23). I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened; and the dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works. The sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell gave up those that were in them; and they were judged everyone according to their works (Rev. 20:12, 13). Behold I come, and My reward is with Me, to render to each one according to his works (Rev. 22:12). In Jeremiah:
I will recompense them according to their work, and according to the doing of their hands (Jer. 25:14). Jehovah, whose eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his works (Jer. 32:19). Elsewhere:
I will visit upon him his ways, and will render unto him for his works (Hosea 4:9). According to our ways and according to our works Jehovah hath done with us (Zech. 1:6). Where the Lord prophesies respecting the Last Judgment He makes mention of works only, and declares that:
Those who have done good works shall enter into life eternal, and those who have done evil works into condemnation (Matt. 25:32-46). [5] That "works" signify the things that are of love and faith the Lord also shows in these words:
They said to Jesus, What shall we do that we may work the works of God? Jesus answered, This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom [the Father] hath sent (John 6:28, 29). The night cometh, when no man can work (John 9:4). "Night" signifies the last time of the church, when there is no faith, because there is no charity. (That "night" signifies this time, see Arcana Coelestia, n. 2353, 6000.) "Works" are so frequently mentioned, because the sense of the letter of the Word is made up solely of things external, which are in nature and which appear before the eyes: and this in order that there may be a spiritual sense in each particular, as a soul in a body, for otherwise the Word would not be a means of communication with the angels, for it would be like a house without a foundation (see above, n. 8, 16). From this also it is that when "works" are mentioned, angels, because they are spiritual, do not understand works, but the things from which works spring, which are, as was said above, the will or love, and thought therefrom which is of faith. (This subject you will find more clearly explained in the work on Heaven and Hell, n. 470-483, where it is shown that man is after death such as his life was in the world.) "Toil," in the spiritual sense, means all things that man thinks, because spiritual toiling is thinking. And "endurance" signifies all things that man does, because "to endure" here means to be assiduous, and to put away the obstructions in the natural man that are continually rising up and hindering.
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