Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 8263

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8263. 'I will sing to Jehovah' means that glory belongs to the Lord alone. This is clear from the meaning of 'singing to Jehovah' as ascribing glory to the Lord, dealt with just above in 8261, that is, as saying that glory belongs to Him. The reason why it belongs to Him alone is that in the Word 'Jehovah' means the Lord, 8261, so that He alone is God. Various places throughout the Word say that glory and honour must belong to God alone. Anyone unacquainted with the inner teachings of the Word may suppose that the Lord desires and loves glory in the way a person in the world does; and he may suppose this because glory is appropriate to Him above all others in the universe. But the Lord does not desire glory for His own sake, only for the sake of the person who ascribes it to Him. A person who ascribes glory to Him does so because he venerates Him as the One who is supreme and humbly regards himself as nothing in comparison. And since reverence and humility are both present when a person ascribes glory to the Lord, he is in a fit state to receive the inflow of goodness from the Lord, and so also of love towards Him. This is why the Lord desires a person to ascribe glory to Him, see 4347, 4593, 5957. Regarding the flow of goodness from the Lord, that it enters a humble heart, 3994, 7478.


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