December
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“To Heal the Brokenhearted”

The Spirit of the Lord Jehovih is upon Me, because Jehovah has anointed Me to bring good tidings to the meek; He has sent Me to bind up the broken of heart; to proclaim liberty to the captives; and to the bound, the opening of the prison; to proclaim the year of good pleasure for Jehovah, and the day of vengeance for our God; to comfort all who mourn; to set for the mourners of Zion; to give them a headdress instead of ashes; the oil of joy instead of mourning; the cloak of praise instead of a dim spirit; that they may be called the oaks of justice, the planting of Jehovah, to give Me splendor. (Isaiah 61:1‒3)

These things (in Isaiah) are said of the Lord. “the poor” to whom Jehovah hath anointed Him to preach good tidings signify those who are in few truths, and yet desire truths that their soul may be sustained by them; “the broken in heart” signify those who in consequence are in grief; (Apocalypse Explained 811.18; Cf. Luke 4:16‒21)

Many of the ancient and after them some modern writers have assigned the affections to the heart, and have made the heart their dwelling‐place. From this have come into common language such expressions as a stout heart, a timid heart, a joyful heart, a sad heart, a soft heart, a hard heart, a great heart, a weak heart, a whole heart, a broken heart, a heart of flesh, a heart of stone; likewise being gross, or soft, or tender in heart; giving the heart to a thing, giving a single heart, giving a new heart, laying up in the heart, receiving in the heart, not reaching the heart, hardening one’s heart, a friend at heart; also the terms concord, discord, folly, and other similar terms expressive of love and its affections. There are like expressions in the Word, because the Word was written by correspondences. (Divine Love and Wisdom 378)

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