Sing ye praises with understanding, not while staring into space

 Psalm 47:7 - King James Version (KJV)

<7> For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding.

There are many religious people who do not place much stock in understanding the truths of faith; but they did not learn this attitude problem from God. Speaking of God, 'God' is a predicate of truth, as is 'king'; and the 'earth' is the Church. As for 'praise', this signifies worship. So we are to worship our Lord as divine truth within the Church from the standpoint of understanding and practice. 

Often one emphasizes here that neither I nor God nor the Church want you to be a servile wretch who assumes that something is true simply because someone has said it.

Rather, your Father, your Mother, and any true servant of God want you to worship knowingly, and not apart from knowledge. 

Philippians 1:9 - King James Version (KJV)

<9> And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;

And this I pray, that your bread may abound yet more and more in wine.

Speaking of servility, we have seen various aspects of Peter as the truths of faith, and as a type of the quality of understanding -- like the four horsemen -- in the Church. But we have not singled out this particular aspect noted in today's new-church-quotes, so that has been brought in in the context of our not wanting you to be servile or blind. It would be better for you to honestly see these teachings and those who spread them in an unflattering light than for you to simply be a flatterer who knows not what they flatter.

We read in today's selection that, "a servile state ensues when good does not lead" (AE9). As we know, everything in the law and the prophets has to do with love of God and the neighbor, and it is this love which is to lead people.

If they are not led by this love, then they do not see love hidden under every tittle and jot of the Word and do not thus interpret it correctly and wield it likewise to lead others to the good of life and true, knowing love. 

When people are governed by knowing love, what is more, they could not possibly feel freer or more liberated; for there is no higher liberation and freedom than that of being led by the Lord and thus by Love in person. The closer people get to the Lord, the freer they will feel; and it will be a true freedom, not the false freedom of serving divers lusts which too many call freedom in this life.

Speaking of love, and some of the bits of the Gospel which we have not much touched, let us consider an episode involving this love in practice, this good of life, this disciple John : 

John 21:20-22 - King James Version (KJV)

<20> Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? <21> Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? <22> Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.

We will look at this specifically because it involves a relation of Peter, the truths of faith, to John, the good of life resulting from the marriage of faith and charity in the heart; and all such relations are meaningful and instructive.

The Writings say of this enigmatic passage which has intrigued many for centuries:

"By this is signified that faith, in the last period of the church, would turn itself away from the Lord; for it is said of Peter, by whom such faith is signified, that “turning about, he saw”; also that he said of the disciple whom Jesus loved, or of John, by whom is signified the good of charity, “what shall this one [do]?” that is, that he is not anything. But Jesus said to him, “If I will that he tarry till I come,what is that to thee? Follow thou me.” By this is signified that the good of charity will follow the Lord, and will acknowledge him,even to the last period of the old church, and the first of the new" (ibid).

What did Cain say when asked about Abel's blood having been shed? He said, "Am I my brother's keeper?" In translation this means: What is charity to me, who have the faith which is all that is necessary?

For in the last stage(s) of the Church Peter, the truths of faith, becomes divorced from charity; and they scarcely see any point then of John's having some special work to do, or of Abel -- charity, the brother -- continuing to breathe. 

Let us also look at another episode which an unknowing eye might merely categorize as Jesus' making sure Mary did not live in penury and discomfort during the remainder of her mortal coil: 

John 19:26-27 - King James Version (KJV)

<26> When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! <27> Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.

Of this the Writings relate, "By “mother” and by “woman” is here meant the church, and by “John” the good of charity; and by the things here said, that the church will be where the good of charity is" (ibid).

Thus, the Church is wherever Cain has not slain Abel, wherever John continues his special work for the Lord; for the Mother, the Church, dwells in the house of charity in practice, represented by the "disciple whom Jesus loved", that very John who transcribed the Gospel and on whose breast Jesus laid to represent the importance of charity in the Church. 

1 Corinthians 13:13 - King James Version (KJV)

<13> And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Oh, don't run to Paul for help! Paul has been coopted. Paul is solidly on the side of the Church.

You may well run to those for help who do not understand as Peter did not what special work John was to do; but you will receive as little true instruction from them as if you depended on the imminent arrival of horses of Egypt.

Alas, the horses of Egypt* will be late for eternity; though now they make a noise and bruit about.

*reasonings about spiritual things drawn from the mere natural mind and memorized spiritual information and thus divorced from charity 

It is to be hoped, therefore, that you will all sing praises with understanding, worshipping God knowingly and not blindly; and that God will help you to understand the importance of charity in the Church and liberate you from any tyrants who invisibly pull the strings of lusts not overcome.

Are there then invisible tyrants pulling these strings, like those vile people in this life who notice someone has a trouble with alcohol and then ply them with drink in order to secure selfish advantage? There are, then, invisible tyrants; and side by side with them are God and the angels, urging you freely to accept the eternal gift of true liberation.

Be it so.

Appendix: "When writing concerning freedom, and saying that he who is led by the Lord is free, and he a slave who, in his own opinion, is led by himself a spirit applied himself to my left side, thinking that he was free because he spoke from himself. But it was given to say to him, that he was not [led] by himself but by others, and by those too of such a character, that they would kill him if they could; and I asked him if it were not better that he should be led by the Lord, who gives every good, or wills well to all? When he still persisted in thinking that he was ruled by himself and spoke from himself, it was shown him by what spirits he was led, and what ones spoke through him, and that when these spoke others spoke in them and led them, and so on successively to the number of five, six, or seven, who confessed that they spoke through them one from another, while they supposed that they were speaking from themselves. It was observed that they formed a certain circular spire, and that thus the influx of the Lord's life flowed in through a kind of perpetual-spiral form. But this form no one can know but the Lord" (Spiritual Experiences 3495).

"Although everyone is able to be led wherever it pleases the Lord, nevertheless, some are led more easily than others. The reason is that the Lord leaves to everyone their freedom of thinking in accordance with the inclination of each, and the Lord does not infringe on this freedom. Therefore, they who have faith, who believe that the Lord governs all things, and who do not allow themselves to be driven by passion and falsity, are more easily led" (Spiritual Experiences 1976).