116# 启2:9. “我知道你的作为”表示爱。这从“作为”的含义清楚可知，“作为”或行为是指意愿或爱的事物，因为作为或行为从那里发出，任何东西从中发出之物构成那发出的东西中的全部，正如原因在结果中；因为当原因被除去时，结果也就不复存在了。人的意愿和由此而来的作为或行为也是如此；意愿是原因，作为或行为是结果，并且众所周知，当意愿停止时，作为或行为就停止了。由此清楚可知，作为或行为在原因上就是意愿。人的意愿是属灵的，但由此而来的作为或行为是属世的；因此，此处“作为”或行为在灵义上是指意愿。“作为”或行为也是指爱，因为一个人所爱的，他也会意愿，从心里意愿的，他就会热爱；你若更细微地查看这个主题，就会发现人的内层意愿的一切事物都属于他的爱。然而，在日常交谈中，我们会说人的爱，不说他的意愿，因为爱是多种多样的，一个人会拥有许多种爱，所有爱都一起在意愿中，而人却只感觉为一个，因为他将意愿与理解力区分开来。因此，意愿是人的属灵本身，因为爱是属灵的。圣言提到“作为”或行为，没有提到意愿或爱(如在此处和下文，对教会的天使说，“我知道你的作为”，而不是说“我知道你的意愿或你的爱”)，是因为圣言字义上的一切事物都是属世的，并包含属灵事物在里面。因此，为了把圣言的灵义带出来，必须探究在属世之物里面，或属世之物从中发出的属灵之物。
116. (Verse 9) I know thy works. That this signifies love, is evident from the signification of works, as denoting the things of the will or love, because works proceed therefrom, and that from which anything proceeds constitutes the all in that which proceeds, just as the cause is in the effect; for when the cause is removed, the effect also ceases. The same is the case with man's will, and the works that result; the will is the cause, and the works are the effect, and it is well known, that if the will ceases, the work ceases; it is therefore evident, that works are the will in the cause. Man's will is spiritual, but the works therefrom are natural; and therefore by works, in a spiritual sense, the will is understood. The reason why by works is also meant the love, is, that what a man loves, that he also wills, and what he wills in heart, that he loves; and if the subject be more minutely examined, it will be seen that all things of the interior will of man pertain to his love. But the reason why, in common discourse, it is called the love of man, and not his will, is, because loves are manifold, and one man possesses many, and all are together in the will; this is perceived only as one by man, because he distinguishes between the will and the understanding: the will therefore is the Spiritual itself of man, because love is spiritual. The reason why works, and not the will, or love, are mentioned in the Word, as in this place, and in what follows to the angels of the churches, "I know thy works," and not, I know thy will, or love, is, because all the things in the literal sense of the Word are natural, and contain within them things spiritual. In order therefore that the spiritual sense of the Word may be manifest, the Spiritual which is in the natural, or from which the natural proceeds, must be explored.
116. Verse 9. I know thy works, signifies love. This is evident from the signification of "works," as being the things that are of the will or love, since works proceed therefrom, and that from which anything proceeds constitutes the all in that which proceeds, as cause does in effect, for when the cause is taken away or ceases the effect ceases. So it is with man's will and works therefrom; will is the cause and works are the effects, and it is well known that when will ceases work ceases. From this it is clear that "works" in relation to cause are the will.
The will of man is spiritual, but works therefrom are natural; therefore here by "works," in the spiritual sense, the will is meant. By "works" is meant also the love, because what a man loves that he wills, and what in heart he wills that he loves; and if you look more deeply you will see that all things of man's interior will are of his love. Yet in common discourse we speak of man's love, not of his will, because the loves are manifold, and there are many in one man, and all are together in the will, which is perceived by man as a one, because he distinguishes between will and understanding. The will, therefore, is man's spiritual itself, because love is spiritual. "Works" are mentioned in the Word, and not the will or love (as here and in what follows, to the angels of the churches, "I know thy works," and not "I know thy will," or "thy love"), because all things that are in the sense of the letter of the Word are natural, and contain within them things spiritual; to bring out, therefore, the spiritual sense of the Word, the spiritual, which is in the natural or from which the natural proceeds, is to be explored.
116. (Vers. 9.) "Novi tua opera." - Quod significet amorem, constat ex significatione "operum", quod sint quae sunt voluntatis seu amoris, quia opera inde procedunt; et id a quo aliquid procedit, facit omne in eo quod procedit, similiter ut causa in effectu; nam ablata aut cessante causa, cessat effectus: ita etiam voluntas hominis et inde opera; voluntas est causa et opera sunt effectus; et notum est quod cessante voluntate cesset opus; inde patet quod opera sint voluntas in causa. Voluntas hominis est spiritualis, opera autem inde sunt naturalia; inde nunc est quod per "opera" in spirituali sensu intelligatur voluntas. Quod etiam per "opera" intelligatur amor, est quia id quod homo amat hoc vult, et quod corde vult hoc amat; et si penitius inspicis, videbis quod omnia interioris voluntatis hominis sint amoris ejus. Quod tamen in communi sermone dicatur hominis "amor" et non ejus voluntas, est quia amores multiplices sunt, et plures in uno homine, et omnes simul in voluntate, quae non aliter quam Sicut una ab homine percipitur, quia distinguit inter voluntatem et intellectum. Est itaque voluntas ipsum spirituale hominis, quia amor est spiritualis. Quod in Verbo "opera" nominentur et non voluntas seu amor (ut hic et in sequentibus ad Angelos Ecclesiarum, "Novi opera tua", et non Novi voluntatem tuam, seu amorem tuum), est causa, quia omnia quae in sensu litterae Verbi naturalia sunt, et in se continent spiritualia; quapropter ut sensus spiritualis Verbi pateat, explorandum est spirituale quod in naturali, seu a quo naturale procedit.