“And the Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' And let him who hears say, 'Come!' And let him who thirsts come. And whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” - Revelation 22:17
Kempton New Church

December
19

“Then Joseph, Being a Just Man”

And° the birth of Jesus Christ was thus: His mother Mary, being betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, was found with child from the Holy Spirit. And° Joseph her husband, being just, and would not expose her to public infamy, intended to send her away privately. And° while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, fear not to take to thee Mary thy wife, for that which is begotten in her is from the Holy Spirit. And° she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus; for He shall save His people from their sins. And° all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was declared by the Lord through the prophet, saying, Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. (Matthew 1:18–23)

All things that are of the natural man, such as memory-knowledges of whatever kind, are nothing but things of service; for they serve the rational by enabling it to think equitably and will justly. (AC 3019)

The Lord’s presence with man is in good, and therefore in what is just and equitable, and further in what is honorable and becoming (what is honorable being the complex of all the moral virtues; and what is becoming being simply its form); for these are goods which succeed in order, and are the planes in man on which conscience is founded by the Lord, and consequently intelligence and wisdom. (Arcana Cœlestia 2915)

In civil and moral life there exist what is honorable and what is becoming. What is honorable is to will well to others from the heart in the affairs of civil life, and what is becoming is to testify this in speech and gesture. (Arcana Cœlestia 4574:3)

The Lord is justice itself, and does whatever He does from judgment itself. (True Christian Religion 459:15)

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