rewarded in accordance with his thought and affection, which are the source of his deeds, or which are in his deeds; for deeds are nothing apart from these, and are precisely such as these are.{1} All this shows that the man’s external accomplishes nothing, but only his internal, which is the source of the external.  For example:  if a man acts honestly and refrains from fraud solely because he fears the laws and the loss of reputation and thereby of honor or gain, and if that fear did not restrain him would defraud others whenever he could; although such a man’s deeds outwardly appear honest, his thought and will are fraud; and because he is inwardly dishonest and fraudulent he has hell in himself.  But he who acts honestly and refrains from fraud because it is against God and against the neighbor would have no wish to defraud another if he could; his thought and will are conscience, and he has heaven in himself.  The deeds of these two appear alike in outward form, but inwardly they are wholly unlike.

{Footnote 1} It is frequently said in the Word that man will be judged and will be rewarded according to his deeds and works (n. 3934).  By “deeds and works” deeds and works in their internal form are meant, not in their external form, since good works in external form are likewise done by the wicked, but in internal and external form together only by the good (n. 3934, 6073).  Works, like all activities, have their being and outgo [esse et existere] and their quality from the interiors of man, which pertain to his thought and will, since they proceed from these; therefore such as the interiors are such are the works (n. 3934, 8911, 10331).  That is, such as the interiors are in regard to love and faith (n. 3934, 6073, 10331, 10332).  Thus works contain love and faith, and are love and faith in effect (n. 10331).  Therefore to be judged and rewarded in accordance with deeds and works, means in accordance with love and faith (n. 3147, 3934, 6073, 8911, 10331, 10332).  So far as works look to self and the world they are not good, but they are good so far as they look to the Lord and the neighbor (n. 3147).

359.  Since a man can live outwardly as others do, can grow rich, keep a plentiful table, dwell in an elegant house and wear fine clothing according to his condition and function, can enjoy delights and gratifications, and engage in worldly affairs for the sake of his occupation and business and for the life both of the mind and body, provided he inwardly acknowledges the Divine and wishes well to the neighbor, it is evident that to enter upon the way to heaven is not so difficult as many believe.  The sole difficulty lies in being able to resist the love of self and the world, and to prevent their becoming dominant; for this is the source of all evils.{1} That this is not so difficult as is believed is meant by these words of the Lord: 

     Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly of heart, and ye
     shall find rest to your souls; for My yoke is easy and My
     burden is light (Matt. 11:29, 30).