Page:Sermons on the Lord's Prayer.djvu/23

 We have now to consider the remaining words of the address, "Who art in the heavens."

Strictly speaking, the Lord cannot be said to be in the heavens,—he is Personally above the heavens. For, in the words of the Apostle, before quoted, Jesus ascended up "far above all heavens." In Solomon's prayer, also, at the dedication of the temple, we have the sublime words, "Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee;" and in the Psalms it is said, "Lord, our Lord, who hast set thy glory above the heavens;" and again, "The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens." For the same reason, also, the Lord is called the "Most High," and is said to be "over all." The Lord, as is taught by the doctrine of the New Church, appears far above the heavens, as a Sun, whence is derived to the angels their light and heat, which are, in fact, truth and love; for spiritual light is truth, and spiritual warmth is love. And therefore the Lord is called in Scripture a "Sun"—and the "Sun of righteousness." The same truth is also implied in the expression, "His glory is above the heavens"—"glory" signifying his splendor and brightness, as the great source of spiritual light. It is also declared by the Apostle, that the Lord dwelleth in light inaccessible, or "which no man can approach unto." Thus, then, the Lord is properly to be thought of, as dwelling above the heavens, in the midst of a glorious spiritual sun, or great source of heavenly light and heat, which is, in truth, but an emanation from his own Divine