174. Verse 26. And he that overcometh and keepeth My works unto the end, signifies perseverance in love and faith after combat against these loves and their removal as far as possible. This is evident from the signification of "overcoming" as being to fight against the delights of the loves of self and of the world, and to remove them. That this is the spiritual sense of these words follows from the connection. It is evident also from the signification of "keeping unto the end," as being perseverance even unto death; for he who perseveres even unto death in love and faith is saved; for such as he then is in respect to his life, he thenceforth remains to eternity (See above, n. 125). It is evident also from the signification of "works" as being the things of love and faith in cause and in effect, that is in internals and in externals. These things are here signified by "works," because these are the things treated of in what is written to the angel of this church (See above, n. 150). It is said, "keepeth My works," because everything of love and faith, and every opening of the internal and its conjunction with the external is from the Lord alone; therefore the "works," by which these are signified, are not man's, but the Lord's with man; and consequently it is said, "My works."

2507. 'Of Sarah his wife' means spiritual truth joined to the celestial. This is clear from the meaning of 'Sarah his wife' as intellectual truth joined to Divine Good, or what amounts to the same, spiritual truth joined to the celestial, dealt with in 1468, 1901, 2063, 2065, 2172, 2173, 2198. What the spiritual is, and what the celestial, has been stated quite often already, see 1155, 1577, 1824, 2048, 2088. That is called the celestial which consists in good, that is, which consists in love to the Lord and in charity towards the neighbour; and that is called the spiritual which consists in truth, that is, which consists in faith deriving from love and charity.