556.“他们虽至于死，也不爱惜性命”表凡爱自己胜过主的。“爱惜性命（soul，或灵魂）”表示爱自己和这个世界，因为“性命”（即灵魂）表示人自己的生命，就是每个人生来所拥有的，这生命就是爱自己与这个世界高于一切；因此，“不爱惜性命（或灵魂）”表示不爱自己和世界胜过主和属于主的事物；“虽至于死”表示宁愿去死；所以，这是说爱主高于胜过一切，并爱邻如己（马太福音22:37-40）；宁愿去死，也不从这两种爱中退出。主的这些话所表相同：
凡得着性命的，将要失丧性命，凡为耶稣失丧性命的，将要得着性命。（马太福音10:39；路加福音17:33）
爱惜自己性命的，就失丧性命；在这世上恨恶自己性命的，就要保守性命到永生。（约翰福音12:25）
耶稣说，若有人要跟从我，就当舍己；凡要救自己性命的，必丧掉性命；凡为我丧掉性命的，必得着性命。人若赚得全世界，赔上自己的灵魂，有什么益处呢？人还能拿什么作为自己灵魂的代价呢？（马太福音16:24，26；马可福音8:34-37；路加福音9:24-25）
“爱主”表示喜欢遵守祂的诫命（约翰福音14:21-24）。原因在于，祂本人就是祂自己的诫命，因为诫命来自祂，因此祂在这些诫命里面，进而在生命刻有诫命的人里面；诫命就铭刻在意愿并行出诫命的人里面。
556. "And they did not love their lives to the death." This symbolically means, and they did not love themselves more than the Lord.
To love their lives means, symbolically, to love themselves and the world; for their lives symbolize the life characteristic of a person that he has from birth, and that is to love himself and the world above all else. Therefore, not to love one's life means, symbolically, not to love oneself and the world more than the Lord and whatever is the Lord's. To the death means, symbolically, to wish rather to die. Consequently it is to love the Lord above all else and the neighbor as oneself (Matthew 22:37-40), and to wish to die rather than turn away from those two loves.
The like is symbolically meant by these words of the Lord:
Whoever (wishes to find) his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for (Jesus's) sake will find it. (Matthew 10:39, cf. Luke 17:33)
He who loves his life will lose it, but he who hates his life in this world will keep it into eternal life. (John 12:25)
...Jesus said..., "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself... ...whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (Matthew 16:24-26, cf. Mark 8:34-37, Luke 9:23-25)
To love the Lord means to love to do what He commands (John 14:21-24). That is because He is what He commands, for His commandments originate from Him, so that He is present in them, and is thus present in the person on whose life they are engraved, and they are engraved on a person by his willing and doing them.
556. 'And they did not love their own soul even unto death' signifies those who have not loved themselves more than the Lord. By 'to love their own soul' is signified to love themselves and the world, for by 'soul' is signified a man's proprial life, which everyone has from birth, and this is to love one's self and the world above all things. Therefore by 'not to love their own soul' is signified not to love one's self and the world more than the Lord and the things that are the Lord's. 'Even unto death' signifies to be willing rather to die; consequently it is to love the Lord above all things and the neighbour as one's self (Matthew 22:37-40 [Schm. 35-38]), and to be willing to die rather than recede from those two loves. The like is signified by these words of the Lord:
Whosoever wills to find his own soul, shall lose it, and whosoever loses [his] soul for the sake of Jesus, shall find it. Matthew 10:39; Luke 17:33.
He who loves his own soul shall lose it, but he who hates his own soul in this world, shall keep it unto life eternal. John 12:25.
Jesus said, Anyone who wills to come after Me, let him deny himself; he who wills to keep his own soul, shall lose it; but he who loses his own soul for My sake, shall find it. What is a man profited if he gains the whole world, but causes the loss of the soul? or what shall a man give as the sufficient price of the redemption of his own soul? Matthew 16:24-26; Mark 8:35-37; Luke 9:24-25.
By 'to love the Lord' is understood to love to do His commandments (John 14:20-24). This is because He himself is His commandments, for they are from Himself, therefore He Himself is in them, thus in the man in whose life they have been inscribed, and they are inscribed in that man by willing and doing them.
556. And they loved not their soul unto death, signifies who loved not themselves more than the Lord. By "loving their soul" is signified to love themselves and the world, for by the soul is signified man's own life, which everyone has by birth, which is to love himself and the world above all things; therefore by "not loving his soul" is signified not to love himself and the world more than the Lord and the things which are of the Lord; "unto death," signifies to be willing to die rather; consequently it is to love the Lord above all things, and the neighbor as one's self, (Matthew 22:35-39); and to be willing to die rather than recede from those two loves. The same is signified by these words of the Lord:
Whosoever will find his soul, shall lose it, and whosoever shall lose his soul for the sake of Jesus, shall find it, (Matthew 10:39; Luke 17:33).
He that loveth his soul shall lose it; but he that hateth his soul in this world, shall keep it unto life eternal, (John 12:25).
Jesus said, If anyone will come after Me, let him deny himself; for whosoever will save his soul, shall lose it; but whosoever will lose his soul, for My sake, shall find it. What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, but cause the loss of his soul? or what shall a man give as a sufficient price of redemption for his soul? (Matthew 16:24, 26; Mark 8:35-37; Luke 9:24-25).
By "loving the Lord" is meant to love to do His commandments, (John 14:20-24). The reason is, because He Himself is His own commandments, for they are from Him, consequently He is in them, thus in the man in whose life they are inscribed; and they are inscribed in man by willing and doing them.
556. "Et non dilexerunt animam suam usque ad mortem," significat qui non amaverunt semet plus quam Dominum. - Per "diligere animam suam" significatur amare semet et mundum; per "animam" enim significatur vita hominis propria, quae cuivis est a nativitate, quale est amare se et mundum super omnia: quare per "non amare animam suam" significatur non amare se et mundum plus quam Dominum et quae Domini sunt: "usque ad mortem," significat velle potius mori; consequenter est amare Dominum super omnia, et proximum sicut se ipsum, (Matthaeus 22:35-39) 1, ac potius velle mori, quam a binis illis amoribus recedere. Simile significatur per haec Domini verba:
"Quisquis vult invenire Animam suam, perdet illam; et quisquis perdiderit Animam propter Jesum, inveniet illam," (Matthaeus 10:39; Luca 17:33);
"Qui amat Animam suam, perdet illam; sed qui odio habet Animam suam in hoc mundo, in vitam aeternam servabit illam," (Johannes 11:25);
"Jesus dixit, Quisquis vult post Me venire, abneget semet; qui voluerit Animam suam servare, perdet illam; qui vero perdiderit Animam suam propter Me, inveniet illam; quid prodest homini, si totum Mundum lucratus fuerit, Animae autem jacturam fecerit; aut quid dabit homo pretium sufficiens redemptionis Animae suae," (Matthaeus 16:24-26; 2Marcus 8:35-37; Luca 9:24-25).
Per "amare Dominum" intelligitur amare facere praecepta Ipsius, (Johannes 14:20-24); causa est, quia Ipse est Sua praecepta, sunt enim ab Ipso, proinde Ipse in illis, ita in homine cujus vitae inscripta sunt et illa homini inscribuntur per velle et facere illa.
Footnotes:
1. 35-39 pro "35 ad 38"
2. 24-26 pro "24, 25"