Day: January 7, 2017

Memorial for the Victims of Terrorism

 

Sept. 16, 2001

Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb. (PSA 37:1-2)

As we think about the tragedies of the past week, we cannot help but also think that this is the worst thing that’s every happened to America, the most innocent bystanders killed, the most destruction, the greatest sorrow ever suffered. But how do we measure grief? How can you compare the sorrow of one to that of another? Certainly our sorrow is great because it has reached out and affected everyone in our nation – and indeed, everyone in the world.

Not only are we challenged by the sheer size of the tragedy, but we are compelled to face the idea that there is simply nothing in our experience that we can compare this too, that would allow us to have some kind of perspective. The last time an enemy was able to attack the continental United States was during the War of 1812 – almost 200 years ago. Even the attack on Pearl Harbor was long enough ago that few today have a personal remembrance of it. And, both those attacks were made by an armed force acting on the official policy of another nation. Even if we don’t agree with those policies, they at least exist in some context that can be understood.

When people have some illness that threatens to change their way of life, there are support groups to help them through it. It really helps to talk to someone who has been down a frightening, dangerous road before you, and it is reassuring to see that the difficulty can be overcome. We have endured wars between nations before, but who has been down this road before?

So, we gather together in the presence of the Lord to try to make sense of insanity, to try to see what the future holds for us all, and to pray for the victims of terrorism and the devastated families that have survived them. Reading from the 37th Psalm, we hear the Lord telling us that if we can only be patient and trust in Him, He can take away the pain of this tragedy, and heal us: {7} Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. {8} Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret; it only causes harm. {9} For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the LORD, They shall inherit the earth.

There’s another aspect of this where we have no previous experience to draw on. Usually, when we go to church to remember one who has passed into the spiritual world, it’s only one person, and that person is know to us in some degree. But that is not the case today. We are mourning for a country more than a family or an individual, we are mourning for the loss of an entire way of life. And, there are thousands of people who, without warning, passed suddenly and violently into the other world. The Word teaches us that life is not our own, but that it is a continuous gift flowing in from the source of all life, God the Creator. He has created us from the dust of the earth in such a way that our bodies are vessels that can hold and contain the gift of life. And when that vessel is no longer able to do its job, whether the cause is disease, accident, or deliberate violence, then earthly life comes to an end.

HH 445. When the body is no longer able to perform the bodily functions in the natural world that correspond to the spirit’s thoughts and affections, which the spirit has from the spiritual world, man is said to die. This takes place when the respiration of the lungs and the beatings of the heart cease. But the man does not die; he is merely separated from the bodily part that was of use to him in the world, while the man himself continues to live. It is said that the man himself continues to live since man is not a man because of his body but because of his spirit, for it is the spirit that thinks in man, and thought with affection is what constitutes man. Evidently, then, the death of man is merely his passing from one world into another. And this is why in the Word in its internal sense “death” signifies resurrection and continuation of life.

HH 447. After the separation the spirit of man continues in the body for a short time, but only until the heart’s action has wholly ceased, which happens variously in accord with the diseased condition that causes death, with some the motion of the heart continuing for some time, with others not so long. As soon as this motion ceases the man is resuscitated; but this is done by the Lord alone. Resuscitation means the drawing forth of the spirit from the body, and its introduction into the spiritual world; this is commonly called the resurrection.

We know that some of the passengers on the airliners were children. It can comfort us to know that they are well cared for and happy, and that in spite of the circumstances of their passing, their life will become one of innocence where they gladly receive the goods and truths taught to them by their angel companions.

HH 332. As soon as little children are resuscitated, which takes place immediately after death, they are taken into heaven and confided to angel women who in the life of the body tenderly loved little children and at the same time loved God. Because these during their life in the world loved all children with a kind of motherly tenderness, they receive them as their own; while the children, from an implanted instinct, love them as their own mothers. There are as many children in each one’s care as she desires from a spiritual parental affection. This heaven appears in front before the forehead, directly in the line or radius in which the angels look to the Lord. It is so situated because all little children are under the immediate auspices of the Lord; and the heaven of innocence, which is the third heaven, flows into them.

And what of the adults who were working quietly at their desks one moment, and in the world of spirits with their companions the next?

HH 461 In a word, when a man passes from one life into the other, or from one world into the other, it is like passing from one place into another, carrying with him all things that he had possessed in himself as a man; so that by death, which is only the death of the earthly body, man cannot be said to have lost anything really his own. Furthermore, he carries with him his natural memory, retaining everything that he has heard, seen, read, learned, or thought, in the world from earliest infancy even to the end of life.

HH 493. The first state of man after death resembles his state in the world, for he is then likewise in externals, having a like face, like speech, and a like disposition, thus a like moral and civil life; and in consequence he is made aware that he is not still in the world only by giving attention to what he encounters, and from his having been told by the angels when he was resuscitated that he had become a spirit. Thus is one life continued into the other, and death is merely transition.

HH 494. The state of man’s spirit that immediately follows his life in the world being such, he is then recognized by his friends and by those he had known in the world; for this is something that spirits perceive not only from one’s face and speech but also from the sphere of his life when they draw near… So all, as soon as they enter the other life, are recognized by their friends, their relatives, and those in any way known to them; and they talk with one another, and afterward associate in accordance with their friendships in the world. I have often heard that those that have come from the world were rejoiced at seeing their friends again, and that their friends in turn were rejoiced that they had come.

Again, we read from the 37th Psalm, reflecting on the fact that in trying to cause harm, the wicked actually have done these people a favor by moving them our of this world of sorrow, and into a kingdom ruled by the Lord. {12} The wicked plots against the just, And gnashes at him with his teeth. {13} The Lord laughs at him, For He sees that his day is coming. {14} The wicked have drawn the sword And have bent their bow, To cast down the poor and needy, To slay those who are of upright conduct. {15} Their sword shall enter their own heart, And their bows shall be broken.

But what about those of us who have been left behind, who yet live in a world where evil seems to be unrestrained, and where the possibility exists that terrorists may strike again? How can we cope with our grief and our fear? Dr. Kubler-Ross was the first psychologist who sat down and talked to people who were dying, and to the families who had just experienced a personal loss. Later, her studies on death and dying led her to an investigation of Swedenborgian teachings which she reviewed favorably in her books. Her observations led her to identify five stages of grief. They are:

1. Denial – This can’t really be happening. I’ll soon wake up and discover it was all a bad dream.

2. Anger – Why did this happen to me?

3. Bargaining – If You will only make this go away, I’ll never do anything bad again.

4. Depression – Not just sadness, but detachment.

5. Acceptance – Eventually we heal, and are able to move on.

Although almost everyone will go through all five steps when grieving, each step does not get equal attention. Some may be passed quickly and easily, while other linger. They do not necessarily come in this particular order. Once a particular state is passed, it may come again in a different form. But by being aware of these states, we can cooperate in our own healing, assisting the Lord who is working in secret internal ways by keeping our external situation in order.

What do we do now? Continue to trust in the Lord and His Providence. Both today, and in the days to come. We can look backwards in our own lives and see His strong hand guiding us, leading us out of trouble. We can look back at the events of last Tuesday, and even though we still know very few details, patterns are beginning to emerge that indicate that in fact the hand of God was at work preventing an even worse disaster. Looking back and seeing the operation of the Divine Providence, we need to look forward with confidence, knowing that He is at work, in even the least particulars, turning the evil to lesser evils and milder hells, protecting the innocent, and gently welcoming newcomers into His heavenly kingdom.

In closing, we read again from the 37th Psalm: {34} Wait on the LORD, And keep His way, And He shall exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it. {35} I have seen the wicked in great power, And spreading himself like a native green tree. {36} Yet he passed away, and behold, he was no more; Indeed I sought him, but he could not be found. Amen.

First Lesson: PSA 37:1-15, 39-40

(PSA 37) Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. {2} For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb. {3} Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. {4} Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. {5} Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. {6} He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday. {7} Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. {8} Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret; it only causes harm. {9} For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the LORD, They shall inherit the earth. {10} For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, But it shall be no more. {11} But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. {12} The wicked plots against the just, And gnashes at him with his teeth. {13} The Lord laughs at him, For He sees that his day is coming. {14} The wicked have drawn the sword And have bent their bow, To cast down the poor and needy, To slay those who are of upright conduct. {15} Their sword shall enter their own heart, And their bows shall be broken. {39} But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their strength in the time of trouble. {40} And the LORD shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, And save them, Because they trust in Him. Amen.

Second Lesson: Luke 12:22-32

Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. {23} “Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. {24} “Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? {25} “And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? {26} “If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? {27} “Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. {28} “If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith? {29} “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. {30} “For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. {31} “But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. {32} “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Amen.

Third Lesson: DP 251 (port.)

The worshipper of himself and of nature confirms himself against the Divine Providence when he reflects that wars are permitted and in them the slaughter of so many men, and the plundering of their wealth. It is not from the Divine Providence that wars occur, because they involve murders, plunderings, violence, cruelties and other terrible evils which are diametrically opposed to Christian charity. Still they cannot but be permitted because, since the time of the most ancient people, meant by Adam and his wife, treated of above (n. 241), men’s life’s love has become such that it wills to rule over others, and finally over all; and also to possess the wealth of the world, and finally all wealth. These two loves cannot be kept in fetters, for it is according to the Divine Providence that everyone is allowed to act from freedom in accordance with reason, as may be seen above (n. 71-99); and without permissions man cannot be led from evil by the Lord, and consequently cannot be reformed and saved. For unless evils were allowed to break out, man would not see them and therefore would not acknowledge them, and thus could not be induced to resist them. Hence it is that evils cannot be repressed by any act of Providence; for if they were they would remain shut in, and like a disease, such as cancer and gangrene, they would spread and consume everything vital in man.

[2] For man from birth is like a little hell, between which and heaven there is perpetual discord. No man can be withdrawn from his hell by the Lord unless he sees that he is in hell and wishes to be led out; and this cannot be done without permissions, the causes of which are laws of the Divine Providence. This is why there are lesser and greater wars, the lesser between owners of estates and their neighbors, and the greater between the sovereigns of kingdoms and their neighbors. The lesser and the greater differ only in this, that the lesser are kept within certain bounds by national law, and the greater by international law; and that, while both the lesser and the greater are willing to transgress their own laws, the lesser cannot, and the greater can, yet still within the limits of possibility.

[3] There are many other reasons stored up in the treasury of Divine Wisdom why the greater wars with kings and rulers, involving as they do murders, plunderings, violence and cruelties, are not prevented by the Lord, either in their beginning or in their progress, until in the end the power of one or the other has been so reduced that he is in danger of destruction. Some of these reasons have been revealed to me, and among them is this: that all wars, although they may be civil in character, represent in heaven states of the Church and are correspondences. Such were all the wars described in the Word, and such also are all wars at this day. The wars described in the Word are those which the Children of Israel waged with various nations….

[4] Similar things are represented by the wars of the present day, wherever they occur; for all things which take place in the natural world correspond to spiritual things in the spiritual world, and all spiritual things have relation to the Church. It is not known in this world which kingdoms in Christendom represent the Moabites and the Ammonites, which the Syrians and the Philistines, and which the Chaldeans and the Assyrians, and the others with whom the Children of Israel waged war; and yet there are peoples who represent them. Moreover, the quality of the Church on earth and what the evils are into which it falls, and for which it is punished by wars, cannot be seen at all in the natural world; because in this world externals only are manifest, and these do not constitute the Church. However, this is seen in the spiritual world where internal things appear, and in these is the Church itself; and there all are conjoined according to their various states. The conflicts of these in the spiritual world correspond to wars which on both sides are governed according to correspondence by the Lord in accordance with His Divine Providence…. Amen.

Sentence of Scripture

(John 14:1-2) “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. {2} “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

Opening Prayer

O Lord Jesus Christ, our Heavenly Father, we sad and afraid because we have seen too well what can happen when people choose to disobey you, and when they love evil more than good. O Lord, help us to be strong and to do the things that we must do to come together as a people and to bring heavenly order into our world. Amen.

Children’s Prayer

Heavenly Father, it saddens us to know that there are people who choose to disobey Your Law, for when they stop doing things the right way, it hurts them, and it can hurt other people too. We thank You for the story of Noah and the Ark, for it reminds us that even when things in the world are unhappy and frightening, that You will keep our souls safe. Amen.

Closing Prayer

O Lord, we feel great sorrow. We are filled with grief. Our minds and hearts reach out the families and friends of those who have been taken from this world so suddenly and violently. Lord, open our eyes so that we can seek out ways to help these people, for it is Your hand that reaches out to them through us. O Lord, show us the way to end the pain and restore the peace. Amen.

Blot Out My Transgressions

 

A Sermon on Psalm 51

by Rev. James P. Cooper

Toronto, July 29. 2007

Last week the sermon focussed on the love of self as illustrated by the story of David and Bathsheba. We saw from the literal sense how so many sins were brought together in David’s adultery, finally culminating in David using Uriah’s own honour and honesty to destroy him in his attempt to cover up his crimes. It was also shown how the Lord responds to such selfish and self-deceiving states: by presenting the truth in such a away as to cause the sinner to judge himself against it. In David’s case, the prophet Nathan told David about a rich man who had stolen a poor man’s pet lamb and served it for dinner and when David exploded in rage that anyone could do such a thing, Nathan told him, “you are the man.”1

It is recorded in the book of Samuel that because David repented of his sin and worshiped the Lord, he was permitted to live. Part of his punishment was that the son that was born of adultery sickened and died. The other part was that his kingdom would never again be peaceful. His own sons would rise up in civil war against him causing David public disgrace because he thought he could keep his sins secret.2

In that context, it’s interesting to note the title given to Psalm 51 in the Old Testament: A Psalm of David when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Having shown us David the man in the fulness of his wickedness in the historical part of the Word, we are also given a picture of his internal states of humiliation in the Psalms. David had an amazing skill in articulating the sorrow that comes to the human heart and mind when one allows oneself to be led by the loves of self and the world.

The wonder of the internal sense of the Word is that while this works as a wonderful example of ancient literature that gives us an insight into a famous historical character (the sense of the letter), it also gives us insights into the states of the Jewish Church a thousand years before the Lord was born (the natural-historical sense); it gives us insights into our own spiritual states when we have discovered some evil in ourselves (the regenerative series); and it also gives us some indication of the kinds of battles the Lord Himself had to go through as He allowed each society of hell to attack Him while He was in the world (the glorification series).

With these things in mind, let us examine this Psalm, written by David in the depths of his humiliation, to see what it can teach us about the Lord’s states while on earth, and what we might learn that can be applied to our own states of temptation and apparent failure.

The Heavenly Doctrines Divide the Psalm into six sections. The first five verses comprise the first section, and are, in the internal sense, the Lord’s prayer that He may be purified of the infirmities derived from the mother.3 We are also told that these verses describe the Lord’s state while He was in the process of being glorified when He compared the state of His Human to that of His Divine. As we read these verses, we know that we cannot comprehend the Lord’s states – but we can reflect on those states on ourselves that are analogous.

1. Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions.

It’s necessary that we begin by admitting that we are not perfect, that we actually need help.

2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin [is] always before me.

Once our sins become clear to us we begin to see how they have touched and corrupted every detail of our life. There is nothing we can do ourselves to remove the taint.

We cannot do this ourselves, and the Lord will not do it unbidden, so we have to start the process by recognizing our need and asking for help – it sounds so simple, but it can be so hard to do when our ego gets in the way.

4 Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done [this] evil in Your sight – That You may be found just when You speak, [And] blameless when You judge.

There are those who would argue that adultery is an act of love that really only hurts people who are jealous and possessive, that the commandment against it is no longer relevant. But the Lord teaches and shows over and over again that there is no such thing as a victimless crime. At the very least, you hurt yourself and you offend God.

5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.

Without the knowledge of the internal sense, one might be led to think that this verse is teaching that a pure, spiritual life would be one without sexual activity. However, the sin referred to is not the act of conception, but rather the fact that parents pass on their spiritual heredity to their children. It might be clearer if restated this way: “Mary was not fully regenerated when she conceived the Lord, and so inclinations to evil were passed from her into the Lord’s Human.”

…In sin my mother conceived me refers to her spiritual state at that time in her life, not the physical act.

Having shown that the when the Lord was born into the world He received inclinations to evil from His mother which were the cause of states of temptation referred to in the first 4 verses, the Psalm goes on to explain how He would go about removing those inclinations and so reuniting Himself with the Father. The decision to make such a spiritual journey necessarily has within it the recognition that the journey needs to be made.

Beginning on the road to regeneration necessarily has within it the humbling experience of the genuine acknowledgement that we are lacking something, that we need to make the journey.

6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden [part] You will make me to know wisdom.

Here the Psalm is speaking about the process of regeneration, how while we struggle with the natural degree, working hard to get our lives in order and become obedient to the Lord’s laws of life, we long for something higher, some kind of spiritual enlightenment or sign that we are on the right track, that our efforts are actually accomplishing something useful. But the Lord works in secret. As He taught Naaman the Syrian Leper4, you are not cured by some big, dramatic miracle, but simply by washing thoroughly. As He taught Elijah, He is not in the earthquake, the wind, or the fire. He is a still, small voice.5

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Make me hear joy and gladness, [That] the bones You have broken may rejoice.

The references to hyssop and broken bones call to mind events associated with the crucifixion, indicating that on one level, this is a prophecy of what the Lord would have to endure during His life in the world, and at the same time it is a prophecy of the painful changes each one of us must go through to prepare ourselves for the life of heaven.

We need to look within, identify the sins that we have committed, and wash them away by amending our life. At the same time the false ideas that have allowed us to deceive ourselves into thinking that we did not need to change have to be replaced with truth from the Word; the bony structure of our native will has to be broken so that it can be replaced with a new structure based on truth.

The primary reason why they undergo vastation or desolation is so that the things of which they are firmly persuaded, originating in what is properly their own, may crumble (AC 2694:2)

This is painful and difficult because our evils and falsities are part of us – we love them, and since our loves make up our life, even when they are evil loves and delights, it hurts to give them up.

Thinking again of the crucifixion, we can see how important it was that His legs were not broken because of what it represents. Here, the bones God has broken will rejoice, suggestion that the bones represent a hardness within ourselves that prevent us from approaching the Lord. Only when our hardness, our stubborn states are broken, can we approach near to the Lord, feel His presence, and begin to rejoice.

9 Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

We all want to have a clean record. Once we come into a state of order, we are ashamed of our previous behaviour – the very things that we thought provided us with the very delights of our life so recently, in a previous state.

In these verses the Lord promises a fresh start, and the gift of the courage to hold to the new path in spite of the various things that will try to pull you back into the previous states of evil – even well meaning friends!

The next two verses represent a turning point. There is the reminder that even in these darkest states of our spiritual lives the Lord is near, and it remains possible to be conjoined with Him.

11 Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me [by Your] generous Spirit.

When we finally accept our weakness and ask the Lord to lift us up, then He flows in with comfort and hope that shows us the promise of heaven and the joy of the life to come.

13 [Then] I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You. 14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, The God of my salvation, [And] my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness. 15 O Lord, open my lips, And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.

Then, with the new understanding that comes from having brought oneself into the order of heaven in spite of the personal cost and pain, we can look on the various aspects of our natural life and see them in a new light. For example, the way a person who has been through deep, personal temptations and overcome worships will be more internal, more satisfying than that of the person who not yet fought a spiritual battle. The true meaning of sacrifice becomes apparent for the first time. There enters into it an inner knowledge that it is more than going through the motions, it is the intention behind it that gives real meaning to every event in life.

What good is, and indeed what blessedness and happiness are, nobody with even the sharpest mind is able to perceive unless he has experienced the state of being deprived of good, blessedness, and happiness. It is from this experience that he acquires a sphere of perception; and he acquires it to the same degree that he has experienced the contrary state, for the sphere of perception and how far it extends are determined by his experience of the two contrary states. (AC 2694:2)

16 For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give [it;] You do not delight in burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God [are] a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart – These, O God, You will not despise.

The final two verses are a promise that the Lord will give a gift to those who trust in Him, who follow where He leads, and who endure the pain of washing away evils and breaking the bones of stubbornness. For those who endure to the end, He promises to make them a church!

18 Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion; Build the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, With burnt offering and whole burnt offering; Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.

In summary then, the sense of the letter tells us that David has been called up short by Nathan the prophet. His sins have been revealed. It’s a big sin, his life is about to change because there’s no way to for him to get out of it. The external situation forces him to look at the internal situation through self examination – humble acknowledgement that one is a sinner – not just in general, but admitting to yourself that you really did it and it was really wrong – no excuses, no amelioration!

Bringing this teaching into our own states of evil, we can see that the stubbornness, the lying has to be broken, and then the healing can begin. We need to wash with hyssop, which represents cleaning the spirit, amending the book of life.

There is also the reassuring teaching that when we die, we leave the body behind – and everything associated with the body, most importantly the deeds. All the bad and stupid things that we have grown out of are left behind. But then so are all the GOOD things. What we are left with is a ruling love, a character that will begin to express itself in new deeds and acts. We can be reassured that no matter how bad things seem to be, the Lord can heal, He can uplift, He can flow in with comfort and hope if and when we invite Him to do so by opening our hearts to him and being truly willing to change our lives.

{1} Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. {2} Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. {3} For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. … {9} Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. {10} Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Amen.

Hear now the Word of the Lord as it is written in …

First Lesson: PSA 51

Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. {2} Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. {3} For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. {4} Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight; That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge. {5} Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me. {6} Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. {7} Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. {8} Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice. {9} Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. {10} Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. {11} Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. {12} Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. {13} Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You. {14} Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, The God of my salvation, And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness. {15} O Lord, open my lips, And my mouth shall show forth Your praise. {16} For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. {17} The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart; These, O God, You will not despise. {18} Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion; Build the walls of Jerusalem. {19} Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, With burnt offering and whole burnt offering; Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar. Amen.

Second Lesson: AC 2694

… The subject in previous verses has been the state of desolation which those people experience who are being reformed and becoming spiritual. But now the subject is the restoration of them, and here their comfort and hope of help.

[2] The fact that those who are being reformed are brought into a state of not knowing any truth, that is, into a state of desolation, insomuch that they experience grief and despair, and that at this point for the first time they receive comfort and help from the Lord, is something that is not known at the present day for the reason that few are being reformed. Those who are such that they are able to be reformed are brought into this state, if not during this life then in the next, where that state is very well known and is called vastation or desolation….

Those who experience such vastation or desolation are brought to the point of despair, and when in that state they receive comfort and help from the Lord, and at length are taken away out of that state into heaven, where in the presence of angels they are taught so to speak anew the goods and truths of faith.

The primary reason why they undergo vastation or desolation is so that the things of which they are firmly persuaded, originating in what is properly their own, may crumble, … and also that they may receive the perception of good and truth, which perception they are not able to receive until those false persuasions originating in what is their own are so to speak softened. And it is the state of distress and grief even to the point of despair that effects this change. What good is, and indeed what blessedness and happiness are, nobody with even the sharpest mind is able to perceive unless he has experienced the state of being deprived of good, blessedness, and happiness. It is from this experience that he acquires a sphere of perception; and he acquires it to the same degree that he has experienced the contrary state, for the sphere of perception and how far it extends are determined by his experience of the two contrary states. These, in addition to many others, are the reasons for vastation or desolation. Amen.

Here end the lessons. Blessed are they who hear the Word of God and keep it. Amen.

1 2SA 12:7

2 2SA 12:15

3 Prophets and Psalms

4 See 2KI 5

5 1KI 19:11-12