Arcana Coelestia #4370
4370. ‘Accipe quaeso benedictionem quae adducta tibi’: quod significet Divina quae adjungenda Divino Bono naturali, constat ex significatione 'benedictionis hic quod sint illa quae in capite praecedente xxxii vers. 14, 15 1 memorata sunt, per quae quod Divina bona et vera cum illorum servitiis per quae initiatio fieret, significata sint, videatur n. 4263, 4264; quae quod adjungenda Divino Bono naturali, supra n. 4364 explicatum est.
Fusnotat:
1. The editors of the third Latin edition made a minor correction here. For details, see the end of the appropriate volume of that edition.
Present
It was customary in the representative Ancient Church, and later in the Jewish Church, when people went to the judges, and at a later time, to the kings or priests, to present them with a gift. The people were commanded to do this. The reason for this custom was that the gifts people presented to those men represented the kinds of things mankind possessed that ought to be offered to the Lord when any approach is made to Him. Such gifts are ones that a person offers in freedom and therefore ones that come truly from himself, because his freedom resides in what comes from his heart, and what comes from his heart comes from his will. What comes from his will comes from a desire arising from his love, and this desire constitutes his freedom, or what is truly his own. This should be the origin of any gift made by a person to the Lord when making any approach to Him. This kind of gift was represented by the gifts mentioned above, for 'kings' represented the Lord regarding Divine Truth, while 'priests' represented Him regarding Divine Good. These gifts also served as introductions, which were made to obtain favor.
(Referencat: Arcana Coelestia 5619)