6393. And he shall bow his shoulder to bear. That this signifies that nevertheless he labors with all exertion, is evident from the signification of “shoulder,” as being all power, or all exertion (see n. 1085, 4931-4937); and from the signification of “bearing a burden,” as being to do works for the sake of merit; hence by “bowing the shoulder to bear” is signified to labor with all exertion to do works for the sake of merit. The reason why this is called “bearing,” is that they do not do what is good from the affection of good, thus not from freedom, but from the affection of self, which is servitude (n. 6390).

[2] As further regards those who desire a reward for the works which they perform, be it known that they are never contented, but are indignant if they have not a greater reward than others; and if they see others more blessed than themselves, they are sad and find fault. Neither do they make bliss consist in inward bliss, but in outward, namely, in being eminent, in having dominion, and being served by angels, thus in being above the angels, consequently in being princes and great men in heaven; when yet heavenly bliss consists, not in wishing to rule, nor in being served by others, but in wishing to serve others, and in being the least; as the Lord teaches:

James and John the sons of Zebedee came, saying, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on Thy right hand, and the other on Thy left hand, in Thy glory. But Jesus said to them, Ye know not what ye ask. To sit on My right hand and on My left hand is not Mine to give, except to whom it has been prepared. Ye know that they who are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones have authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you; but whosoever will be great among you shall be your minister, and whosoever of you will be first shall be servant of all; for the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister (Mark 10:35-45).

[3] And that they have heaven who do what is good without the end of reward, the Lord teaches in Luke:

Everyone that exalteth himself shall be humbled, but he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, nor thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbors, lest haply they also call thee in turn, and a recompense be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind; then thou shalt be blessed; because they have not wherewith to recompense thee; for thou shalt be recompensed in the resurrection of the just (Luke 14:11-14).

The “recompense in the resurrection of the just” is internal happiness from doing well without reward, which they receive from the Lord when they perform uses; and they who love to serve without recompense, the more they love it, the more noble are the uses to which they are appointed, and they are in fact greater and more powerful than others.

[4] They who do good works for the sake of recompense, say the same, because they know from the Word that they should desire to be the least in heaven; but at the time they are thinking that by so saying they will become great, thus there is the same end in view; but they who do what is good without recompense, really think nothing about being eminent, but only about being of service.

[5] See what was said and shown above about merit from works, and about the quality of those who are in it in the other life, that they appear to cut wood and to mow grass (n. 1110, 1111, 4943) how they are represented (n. 1774, 2027); that they who have done what is good for the sake of self and the love of the world receive no recompense for this good in the other life (n. 1835); that they who place merit in works interpret the Word according to the letter in their favor, and that they deride its interior contents (n. 1774, 1877); that true charity is wholly void of self-merit (n. 2371, 2373, 2380, 3816); that they who separate faith from charity make the works which they have done self-meritorious (n. 2373); that they who enter into heaven put off from themselves what is their own and self-merit (n. 4007); that to believe that they do good from themselves, and that by this good they have merit, is the case with most persons in the beginning of reformation, but that they put this off as they are being regenerated (n. 4174).

2027. That “to thy seed after thee” signifies that He would give all these things to those who should have faith in Him, is evident from the signification of “seed,” as being faith (see n. 1025, 1447, 1610), and in fact the faith of charity (see n. 379, 389, 654, 724, 809, 916, 1017, 1162, 1176, 1258). They who place merit in the actions of their lives have not the faith of charity, and therefore are not the seed here meant; for thereby they desire to be saved, not because of the Lord’s righteousness, but because of their own. That there is no faith of charity in them, that is, no charity, is evident from the fact, that they set themselves before others, and thus regard themselves and not others, except insofar as they are of service to them; and they either despise or hate those who are not willing to render them service. Thus by the love of self they dissociate, and never associate; and thus destroy what is heavenly, namely, mutual love, which gives heaven its stability; for heaven itself is in it, and all its consociation and unanimity subsist and consist in it; for in the other life whatever destroys unanimity is contrary to the order of heaven itself, and thus conspires to the destruction of the whole. Such are they who place merit in the actions of their lives, and claim righteousness for themselves. Of these there are many in the other life.

[2] They sometimes shine in the face like little torches, but from an illusive fire that proceeds from self-justification, and in fact they are cold. They are sometimes seen running about and confirming self-merit from the literal sense of the Word, for they hate the truths which are of the internal sense (n. 1877). Their sphere is a sphere of self-regard, and is thus destructive of all ideas that do not regard self as a kind of deity. The sphere of many of this sort together is so conflicting that there is nothing there but enmity and hostility; for when everyone desires the same thing, namely, to be served, he murders others in his heart.

[3] Some of them are among those who say that they have labored in the Lord’s vineyard, whereas they have at the same time continually had in mind their own preeminence, glory, and honors, as well as gain; and even that they might become the greatest in heaven and be served by the angels, in heart despising others in comparison with themselves, and thus being imbued with no mutual love, in which heaven consists, but with the love of self, in which they place heaven; for they know not what heaven is. (Respecting such see above, n. 450-452, 1594, 1679.) These are of those who desire to be first, but become last (Matthew 19:30; 20:16; Mark 10:31); and who say that they have prophesied by the name of the Lord, and have done many wonderful works; but to whom it is said, “I know you not” (Matthew 7:22-23).

[4] Very different is the case with those who from simplicity of heart have supposed that they merit heaven, and have lived in charity; these have looked upon meriting heaven as something that is promised, and they easily acknowledge it to be of the Lord’s mercy; for the life of charity is attended with this, because true charity loves all truth.