AE 324, 325 - Spiritual Good - Worship, Incense, Representatives, Prayers

AE 324 [4, 7, 24-25]

. . . all worship of the Lord, that is truly worship,
is from celestial good by means of spiritual good;
for spiritual good, which is charity towards the neighbor,
is the effect of celestial good;
for charity towards the neighbor
is to perform uses and to lead a moral live
from a heavenly origin.

Moreover, "burning incense" signifies
those things of worship that are perceived as grateful,
and "incense" signifies spiritual good,
because all things that were instituted
in the Israelitish nation were representative
of things celestial and spiritual;
for the church with them
was not as the church at this day, which is internal,
but it was external;
and the externals represented and thus signified
the internal things of the church,
such as were disclosed by the Lord
in the Word of the New Testament;
for this reason
their church was called a representative church.
The externals of that church consisted
of such things in the world of nature
as corresponded to
the affections of good and truth in the spiritual world;
consequently when those who were of that church
were in externals in respect to worship,
those who were in the spiritual world, that is, in heaven,
were in the internals,
and conjoined themselves
with those who were in externals;
it was in this way that heaven at that time
made one with the men on the earth.

From this it can be seen why
there was a table for the bread in the tent of meeting,
and why there was a lampstand with lamps,
and an altar for incense.
For "bread" represented and thence signified
the good of love proceeding from the Lord,
or celestial good;
the "lampstand with lamps"
represented and thence signified
spiritual good and truth;
and "incense" represented and thence signified worship;
and because all Divine worship
that is perceived as grateful
is from spiritual good,
therefore that good was signified by "incense."
In order that this gratification
might be represented the incense
was made from fragrant spices,
and this also from correspondence;
for fragrant odors correspond to
the pleasantnesses and delights
that are in the thoughts and perceptions
from the joy of spiritual love.
For this reason incense corresponded to such things
as are received as grateful by the Lord
and perceived as grateful by angels.
This gratification is solely from spiritual good,
or from the good of charity towards the neighbor;
for this good is celestial good,
which is the good of love to the Lord in effect;
for celestial good, which is the good of love to the Lord,
is brought into effect solely through spiritual good,
which is the good of charity toward the neighbor;
consequently to be in this good and to exercise it
is to love and worship the Lord.

AE 325 [3-4]

. . . similar things are . . . signified
by prayers as by incense,
namely, worship from spiritual good . . ..

Worship does not consist
in prayers and in external devotion,
but in a life of charity;
prayers are only its externals,
for they proceed from the man through his mouth,
consequently men's prayers are such
as they themselves are in respect to life.
It matters not that a man bears himself humbly,
that he kneels and sighs when he prays;
for these are externals,
and unless externals proceed from internals
they are only gestures and sounds without life.
In each thing that a man utters there is affection,
and every man, spirit, and angel is his own affection,
for their affection is their life;
it is the affection itself that speaks,
and not the man without it;
therefore such as the affection is such is the praying.
Spiritual affection is what is called
charity towards the neighbor;
to be in that affection is true worship;
praying is what proceeds.
From this it can be seen
that the essential of worship is the life of charity,
and that its instrumental is gesture and praying;
or that the primary of worship is a life of charity,
and its secondary is praying.
From this it is clear
that those who place all Divine worship in oral piety,
and not in practical piety, err greatly.

Practical piety is to act in every work and in every duty
from sincerity and right, and from justice and equity,
and this because
it is commanded by the Lord in the Word;
for thus man in his every work
looks to heaven and to the Lord,
and thus is conjoined with Him.