6 396. "There are five kinds of reception,' by shunning evils of all kinds as sins against says Swedenborg, (Diary, n. 2955,) speaking him, and diligently searching his Word, of the reception of his own writings by the which from beginning to end bears incontesworld. First, there are those who reject table witness to the truth of the doctrines them utterly, either because they are in a dif- I have delivered to the world.' Dr. H. after ferent persuasion, or are enemies of the faith: this returned home, about a day's journey they cannot be received by these, whose minds from London, (to East Malling, in Kent,) and are impenetrable. The second genus receives heard soon after that Swedenborg was near them as scientifics, and in this point of view, his departure, and expressed a desire to see and as curiosities, they are delighted with him; but some hinderances to the visit,' says them. The third genus receives them intel- he, happening at the time, I did not embrace lectually, and with readiness, but their lives the opportunity as I should have done; for remain unaltered by them. The fourth re- those hinderances might have been surmountceives them persuasively, allowing them to ed. My neglect on this occasion appears to penetrate to amendment of life; to this class me without excuse, and lies very heavy on they occur in certain states, and do good ser- my mind to this day.' vice. The fifth genus consists of those who receive them with joy, and are built up in them. His Connection with Rev. John Wesley. 397. "In August, 1771, Swedenborg came 400. From the time of his seizure till his from Amsterdam to London, and took up his death he was visited but by few friends, and abode for the second time with one Shear- always appeared unwilling to see company. smith, peruke maker, at 26, Great Bath Nevertheless we meet with him once again in Street, Coldbath Fields. Notwithstanding his a semi-public character. Towards the end advanced age, he still continued indefatigable of February, 1772, the Rev. John Wesley is with his pen, and, after finishing his True in conclave with some of his preachers, who Christian Religion, he proceeded to the execution of another work, a supplement to the former, treating in detail of the various churches which have existed upon the earth. This treatise he either did not complete, or the end of it is missing. He now renewed his intercourse with his friends in London, who have handed down some interesting accounts of the closing scenes of his life. 398. "Towards the end of the year, Dr. Hartley and Mr. Cookworthy visited him at his lodgings in Clerkenwell. The details of the interview are not given, only that it was impossible to avoid noticing his innocence and simplicity, and how, on inviting him to dine with them, he politely excused himself, adding that his dinner was already prepared, which proved to be a meal of bread and milk. 399. "On Christmas eve a stroke of apoplexy deprived him of his speech, and he lay afterwards in a lethargic state for more than three weeks, taking no sustenance beyond a little tea without milk, and cold water occasionaily, and once a little currant jelly. At the end of that time he recovered his speech and health somewhat, and ate and drank as usual. It does not appear that he had any medical advice in his sickness. Dr. Hartley now again visited him, in company with Dr. Messiter, and asked him if he was comforted with the society of angels as before, and he answered that he was. Furthermore, they besought him to declare whether all that he had written was strictly true, or whether any part, or parts, were to be excepted. I have written,' answered Swedenborg, with a degree of warmth, nothing but the truth, as you will have more and more confirmed to you all the days of your life, provided you keep close to the Lord, and faithfully serve him alone, are taking instructions, and assisting him in preparations for a circuit he is shortly to make, when a Latin note is put into his hand, which causes him evident astonishment. The substance is as follows: 6 'Great Bath Street, Coldbath Fields, February, 1772. Sir, I have been informed in the world of spirits that you have a strong desire to converse with me. I shall be happy to see you if you will favor me with a visit. 'I am, Sir, your humble servant, EMANUEL SWEDENBORG.' Wesley frankly acknowledged to the company that he had been strongly impressed with a desire to see and converse with Swedenborg, and said that he had not mentioned the desire to any one. He wrote for answer that he was then occupied in preparing for a six months' journey, but would wait upon Swedenborg on his return to London. Swedenborg wrote in reply that the proposed visit would be too late, as he, Swedenborg, should go into the world of spirits on the 29th day of the next month, nevermore to return. sult was, that these two celebrated persons did not meet.” * Wilkinson's Biography, pp. 206-212. The re *It is certain that Wesley was at this time attracted to Swedenborg. Besides other proofs, we have one in a letter written to Wesley by the Rev. Francis Okely, a Moravian minister. This gentleman visited Swedenborg, probably between August and December, 1771, and wrote to Wesley upon the interview is letter, (Arminian Magazine, vol. viii., p. 353, 1785,) dated Upton, Dec. 10, 1771, is somewhat interesting. "Swedenborg is to me a riddle, certainly, as you [Wesley] say, he speaks many great and important truths; and as certainly seems to me to contradict Scripture in other places. But, as without divine illumination; and I am obliged to confess, that I be told me, I could not understand his True Christian Religion have not yet a sufficiency of it for that purpose. I am thankful my present course does not seem absolutely to require it. We conversed in the high Dutch, and notwithstanding the impediment in his speech, I understood him well. He spoke with all the coolness and deliberation you might expect from any, the most sober and rational man. Yet what he said was out of my 66 It appears certain that Mr. Wesley was 402. "Yet Mr. Wesley, thus miraculously very much impressed with the truth of Swe- convinced of the truth of Swedenborg's claim denborg's writings, for it is stated on the (as far, at least, as relates to his intercourse authority of Rev. Mr. Clowes, rector of St. with the spiritual world), afterwards exerted John's, Manchester, that in a conversation himself to check the extension of the same which Wesley had with a mutual and intimate conviction to others! - in which, however, he friend of theirs, Mr. Richard Houghton, Esq., only afforded a proof of Swedenborg's conof Liverpool, and which was reported to Mr. stant assertion, that miraculous evidence is Clowes by Mr. Houghton, that Wesley ex- inefficacious for producing any real or permapressed himself as follows: "We may now nent change in a man's confirmed religious burn all our books of Theology. God has sent sentiments. 403. us a teacher from heaven; and in the doctrines I have little doubt (concludes Mr. of Swedenborg, we may learn all that it is Noble) that, though some erroneous sentiments necessary for us to know." confirmed in his understanding prevented him from accepting, in this world, the doctrines of the New Church, his intentions were upright, and there was a principle of real good in his heart, which, in the other life would throw off the errors that obscured it, and enable him to receive the truth. This, it is probable, was seen by Swedenborg, and was the reason of his inviting him to an interview: and thus, I trust, though Mr. Wesley acted chiefly as an opponent to him while on earth, he may now be associated with him in heaven." Documents, pp. 108-110. 401. The manner (says Rev. Mr. Noble, in the letter from which the above is extracted) in which Mr. Wesley here expressed himself, was strong indeed; so much so, that were it not certain that his mind must have been at that time under a very powerful influence in Swedenborg's favor, he might be suspected to have spoken ironically. This I observed in my letter to Mr. Clowes; to which he replies, 'I can hardly conceive, from the manner in which it was expressed by Mr. Houghton, that irony had any thing to do with it:" and Mr. Houghton must have known with certainty whether it had or not. His repeating Mr. Wesley's observation to Mr. Clowes, as an 404. Two or three weeks before Swedeninducement to him to peruse the writings of borg's decease, he was visited by his old friend, Swedenborg, is a complete proof that Mr. H. Mr. Springer, the Swedish Consul in London. believed it to mean what it expresses. But Mr. S. asked him when he believed the New an examination of dates will show, that Mr. Jerusalem would be manifested, and if the Wesley's statement to that gentleman was manifestation would take place in the four made while the impression from Swedenborg's quarters of the world. His answer was, that supernatural communication was acting in all" no mortal could tell the time, no, nor even its force. sphere of intelligence, when he related his sight of, and daily con versation in, the world of spirits, with which he declared himself better acquainted than with this. "I heartily wish that all the real designs which an omnipotent and omniscient God of Love might have, either by him, or by It is amusing to read what Okely says of his difficulty about vealed them unto babes. Close of his Earthly Life. the highest angels, but God only. Read," said he, "the Revelation (xxi. 2) and Zechariah (xiv. 9), and you will find, past doubt, that the New Jerusalem of the Apocalypse, which denotes a new and purer state of the Christian church, will manifest itself to all the earth." 405. "Mr. Bergstrom, the Landlord of the whose house he had once lodged for ten weeks, King's Arms tavern in Wellclose Square, at We here recall a little narrative in Swedenborg's Diary (n. 5997). He had been writing upon the Apocalypse, and had treated of called to see him during his last days. Mr. the threefold man, celestial, spiritual, and natural, and of goods and truths in their series, and coming to an inn with his mind B. asked him whether he would take the Sacon the subject, he opened it to the good wife who was the land-rament? Somebody present at the time prolady, Tisula Bodama her name. "She was a person of simplehearted faith. She understood clearly all I said; but there was posed sending for the Rev. Mr. Mathesius, a learned man present who did not understand it, nay, could not the officiating minister of the Swedish church. understand it. And so the case is with many other things." The Lord has hidden them from the wise and prudent, and re- Swedenborg declined taking the Sacrament While speaking of Okely, who was the author of a Life of from this gentleman, who had previously set Behmen, we take the opportunity of stating, that too close a par- abroad a report that he was out of his senses: allel is often made between Behmen and Swedenborg. There are indeed truths common to both, and no man who values an and he sent for the Rev. Arvid Ferelius, extraordinary brother would say a word in disparagement of another Swedish clergyman with whom he deep-thoughted Jacob Behmen. But his want of education and utterance; his identification of the spiritual with the subjective was on the best terms, and who had visited for man upon earth; his failure of seership, and consequently of real experience; and above all, his inapprehension of the sole him frequently in his illness. Ferelius soon divinity of Christ, which scattered through his theology the returned with Bergstrom to Swedenborg's beddarkness inevitable upon an attempted approach to the thus unapproachable Father - a darkness the more virulent as the ge- side. On every previous visit Ferelius had nius is more intense; these great vacancies, and a host of asked him whether or no he was about to die, other things, such as his doctrine of the bi-sexual Adam, establish between him and Swedenborg a gulf not to be overpassed. Beyer in answer to a question upon the subject, and it is impos Swedenborg had indeed never read his works, as he told Dr. sible to affiliate his own works in any sense upon Behmen's. The admirers of Behmen are aware of this, and Mr. Law has shown it by violent stamping against Swedenborg. to which he always answered in the affirmative. On this occasion the priest observed to him, that as many persons thought that he had endeavored only to make himself a name by his new theological system (which object he and infirm. That towards the end of February, had indeed attained), he would do well now to publish the truth to the world, and to recant either the whole or a part of what he had advanced, since he had now nothing more to expect from the world, which he was so soon about to leave forever.' Upon hearing these words, Swedenborg raised himself half upright in bed, and placing his sound hand upon his breast, said with great zeal and emphasis: 'As true as you see me before you, so true is every thing that I have written. I could have said more had I been permitted. When you come into eternity, you will see all things as I have stated and described them, and we shall have much to discourse about them with each other. Ferelius then asked whether he would take the Lord's Holy Supper? He replied with thankfulness, that the offer was well meant; but that being a member of the other world, he did not need it. He would, however, gladly take it, in order to show the connection and union between the church in heaven and the church on earth. He then asked the priest if he had read his views on the Sacrament? He also told him to consecrate the elements, and leave the rest of the form to him, as he well knew what it was and meant. Before administering the Sacrament, Ferelius inquired of him whether he confessed himself to be a sinner? Certainly,' said he, so long as I carry about with me this sinful body. With deep and affecting devotion, with folded hands and with head uncovered, he confessed his own unworthiness, and received the Holy Supper. After which, he said that all had been properly done, and presented the minister in gratitude with one of the few remaining copies of his great work, the Arcana Calestia. He was quite clear in his mind throughout the ceremony. This was two or three weeks before his death. 406. 1772, he declared to Elizabeth Shearsmith (then Reynolds) and to Richard Shearsmith's first wife (then living) that he should die on such a day; and safely affirm on her oath he departed this life exactly on the very day he had foretold, that is, one month after his prediction. That about a fortnight before his death he received the Lord's Supper from the hands of Mr. Ferelius, a Swedish minister. to whom he earnestly recommended to abide in the truth contained in his writings. That a little while before Mr. Swedenborg's decease he was deprived of his spiritual sight, on which account being brought into very great tribulation, he vehemently cried out, O my God, hast thou then wholly forsaken thy servant at last? But a few days after he recovered again his spiritual sight, which circumstance appeared to make him completely happy; that this was the last of his trials. That during his latter days, even as on the former, he retained all his good sense and memory in the most complete manner. That on the Lord's day, 29th March, hearing the clock strike, Mr. Swedenborg asked his landlady and her maid, who were then both sitting by his bedside, what it was o'clock, and on being answered it was 5 o'clock, he replied, it is little moment after he gently gave up the ghost. well, I thank you, God bless you both, and then a Moreover, that on the day before and on that of his departure, Mr. Swedenborg received no visits of any friend whatever, and these deponents never heard him either then or before utter any thing that had the least appearance of, or relation to, a that the said Elizabeth Shearsmith thinks she can 66 recantation. RICHARD SHEARSMITH. 408." After Swedenborg's decease, his body was carried to the house of Mr. Burkhardt, an undertaker, and former clerk to the Swedish church in London, where he was laid in state, and buried from thence on the 5th day of April, in three coffins, in the vault of the above church, in Prince's Square, Radcliffe He had told the people of the house Highway, with all the ceremonies of the Luwhat day he should die, and as Shearsmith's theran religion; the service being performed servant maid reported: He was as pleased!' on the occasion by the Rev. Arvid FereliusAnd she made a comparison that the pleasure the last service which he performed in Engwas such as if she herself were going to have land. In 1785, Swedenborg's coflin was side a holiday, to go to some merrymaking. In by side with Dr. Solanders. To this day not Sandel's more accomplished but not deeper a stone or an inscription commemorates the language: He was satisfied with his sojourn dust of the wonderful Norseman. upon earth, and delighted with the prospect 409. "During the later career of Swedenof his heavenly metamorphosis.'' Wilkin-borg, his country had looked on, not without son's Biography, pp. 214, 215. interest, directed both to his character, his 407. "The only particulars relative to the pretensions and his labors. No sooner was close of Swedenborg's natural life, on which he dead, than the House of Clergy, through we can rely, are to be found in an affidavit, their President, requested Ferelius to give made by Mr. and Mrs. Shearsmith, with whom such an account of him in writing as his exSwedenborg boarded at the time of his death. perience would warrant, which he did, but the It is as follows: document is unfortunately missing. On Octo"Affidavit taken before the Right Hon. Thom- Board of Mines, pronounced his eulogium in ber 7, 1772, M. Sandel, Counsellor of the as Wright, then Lord Mayor of the city of London, the Hall of the House of Nobles, in the name the 24th November, 1784, viz.: That towards Christmas, 1771, Mr. Swedenborg had a stroke of of the Royal Academy of Sciences of Stockthe palsy, which deprived him of his speech, which holm. Sandel was no follower of his, but his he soon recovered, but yet remained very weak discourse, take it for all and all, is the finest resumption that we have of the name and it was with Swedenborg. The powers of his character of Swedenborg. We give the open-mind were matched with an extraordinary ing of the document to show what a scientific strength of body, which pain and passion seem man in such an Assembly dared say of Swedenborg, notwithstanding his spirit-seeing. "Permit me,' says he, to entertain you this day upon a subject, which is not of an abstracted or remote nature, but is intended to revive the agreeable remembrance of a man celebrated for his virtues and his knowledge, one of the oldest members of this Academy, and one whom we all knew and loved. 666 scarcely to have touched, and hence the crowd of his works, and his broad apparent leisure. The day of such a man is full of commerce and transactions; the reciprocation is unwearied from health to genius; the able-bodied hours cultivate his life to uncommon productiveness, and stretch out the points and patches of his time towards the largeness of their eternal source. 6 6 "The sentiments of esteem and friendship with 411. "Health in its whole sense is happiwhich we all regarded the late M. Emanuel Sweness. Here again Sandel says of Swedendenborg, assure me of the pleasure with which you will listen to me while he is the subject of my borg: Content within himself and with his discourse; happy should I be could I answer your situation, his life was in all respects one of the expectations, and draw his eulogium in the manner happiest that ever fell to the lot of man, urtil it deserves! But if there are some countenances the very moment of its close.' 'His inward of which, as the painters assure us, it is extremely serenity and complacency of mind,' says Hartdifficult to give an exact likeness, how difficult ley, were manifest in the sweetness of his then must it be to delineate that of a vast and sub- looks and his outward demeanor.' His own lime genius, who never knew either repose or fatigue; who occupied with sciences the most testimony corroborates that of Sandel. In a profound, was long engaged with researches into passage in his Diary (n. 3623), where he the secrets of nature, and who, in his latter years, treats of the proposition, that the enjoyments applied all his efforts to unveil the greatest mys- and pleasures of life are never denied to us,' teries; who to arrive at certain branches of knowl- he says: To this I can bear witness, that edge, opened for himself a way of his own, without they have never been denied to me, but grantever straying from sound morals and true piety; ed, and not only the pleasures of the body and who being endowed with a strength of faculties truly extraordinary, in the decline of his age, the senses as to others of the living, but I boldly elevated his thoughts still further, and have had joys and happiness such as no others soared to the greatest heights to which the intel- I suppose have felt in the universal world, lectual faculty can rise; and who, finally, has and these, both more and more exquisite than given occasion to form respecting him a multitude any mortal can imagine or believe.' of opinions, differing as much from each other as do the minds of the different men by whom they are formed!' 412. " Swedenborg's works furnish one continued proof of these assertions. Who does not know that peace and power are one; that 410. “When a life is past, we speak with tranquillity is the main circumstance of the right of the health and happiness of the de- best lifetimes? No matter to this whether parted. On these points a few words express the sky be calm, or the soul unassaulted; it is what is known of Swedenborg. He always,' the preservation of the balance, and the firmsays Sandel, enjoyed most excellent health, footedness of the man, under whatever trials, having scarcely ever experienced the slightest that constitute the repose of which we speak. indisposition.' He was never ill,' says Rob- Swedenborg's works, we repeat, from beginsahm, except when in states of temptation.' ning to end, are on a high level of peace; Once he had a grievous toothache for many their even flow is as of a sea inclining only days. Robsahm recommended him some com- to the constellations. No cursory moon regumon remedy. But he refused it, and said: lates its tides from nearer attractions, but they 'My pain proceeds not from the nerve of the move to the vault, and though they change, tooth, but from the influx of hypocritical spir- it is not by months, but with ages. 6 PART III. its that beset me, and by correspondence cause this plague, which will soon leave me.' Like other studious sedentary persons, his stomach was weak, particularly during the last fourPersonal Testimonies and Anecdotes. teen years of his life, which caused him to be somewhat singular in his diet. Not less, how- 413. "HAVING thus followed Swedenborg ever, from the concurrent testimony of those through his life and labors, it remains to gather who knew him best, than from the works that up any personal particulars that remain unaphe executed, we know that he enjoyed a fine propriated, and also to place before the reader constitution. Health is the ground which what testimonies exist, to the public and prigreat persons cultivate, whereby they ex-vate character of Swedenborg. We begin change the light flying hours into golden usage. with the latter first. If the record savor of To them it is industry represented in its pow- eulogy, it is from no partiality of ours, but er; the human riches of time. The minute because history chooses. glass runs willingly sand of centuries when great ideas are in the healthful moments. So 414. "Sandel says: If his love of knowl edge went too far, it at least evinced in him an ardent desire to obtain information himself, and is so far from the ambition of headand convey it to others; for you never find ing a sect, that wherever he resides on his travin him any mark of pride or conceit, of rash- els, he is a mere solitary.' And after Sweness, or of intention to deceive. If he is not denborg's death, Hartley again writes: 'The to be numbered among the doctors of the great Swedenborg was a man of uncommon church, he at least holds an honorable rank humility. He was of a catholic spirit, and among sublime moralists, and deserves to be loved all good men of every church, making instanced as a pattern of virtue and of respect at the same time candid allowance for the infor his Creator. He never allowed himself nocence of involuntary error. However selfto have recourse to dissimulation. denying in his own person as to gratifications and indulgences, even within the bounds of moderation, yet nothing severe, nothing of the precisian appeared in him.' A sincere friend of mankind, in his examination of the character of others, he was particularly desirous to discover in them this virtue, which he regarded as an infallible 418. "And lastly Ferelius remarks: Many proof of the presence of many more. He may suppose that Assessor Swedenborg was was cheerful and agreeable in society. By a singular and eccentric person; this was not way of relaxation from his important labors, the case. On the contrary, he was very agreehe sought and frequented the company of per-able and complaisant in company; he entered sons of information, by whom he was always into conversation on every topic, and accomwell received. He knew how to check oppor-modated himself to the ideas of the party; tunely, and with great address, that species and he never mentioned his own writings and of wit which would indulge itself at the ex-doctrines but when he was asked some quespense of serious things. As a public function- tion about them, when he always spoke as ary, he was upright and just while he dis- freely as he had written. If, however, he obcharged his duties with great exactness, he served that any persons asked impertinent neglected nothing but his own advancement. questions, or attempted to ridicule him, he In the Diet his conduct was such as gave them answers that quickly silenced them, to secure him both from the reproaches of his without making them any the wiser.' own conscience and from those of others. He 419. "The persons in whose houses he lived under the reigns of many of our sover- lodged, bear concurrent testimony. Mr. Brockeigns, and enjoyed the particular favor and mer (who lived in Fetter Lane) says, that kindness of them all. It may truly if he believed Swedenborg's conversation be said that he was solitary, but never sad.' with angels and spirits to be true, he should 415. "Count Höpken remarks: 'I have not wonder at any thing he said or did; but not only known him these two and forty years, should rather wonder that surprise and astonbut also some time since daily frequented his ishment did not betray him into more company. I do not recollect to have guarded expressions than were ever known to known any man of more uniformly virtuous escape him: for he did and said nothing but character; always contented, never fretful or what he (Brockmer) could easily account morose; he was a true philosopher, and lived for in his own mind, if he really believed like one. He labored diligently, and lived what Swedenborg declares in his writings to frugally, without sordidness. He be true. He was of a most placid possessed a sound judgment upon all occasions, and serene disposition.' un saw every thing clearly, and expressed him- 420. " Bergstrom says: 'He once lived ten self well on every subject. 416. "Robsahm says: How he was looked upon in foreign lands I do not know, but in Stockholm even those who could not read his writings were always pleased to meet him in company, and paid respectful attention to whatever he said.' 417. "He affects no honor,' says Hartley, 'but declines it; pursues no worldly interest; *"Count Höpken says in a letter to a friend: 'I have some times told the king, that if ever a new colony were to be formed, than that developed by Swedenborg from the Sacred Scriptures, and this on the two following accounts: 1st. This religion, in preference to, and in a higher degree than, any other, must produce the most honest and industrious subjects; for this religion places properly the worship of God in uses. 2dly. It causes the least fear of death, as this religion regards death merely as a transition from one state into another, from a worse to a better situation; nay, upon his principles, I look upon death as being of hardly any greater moment than drinking a glass of water.' no religion could be better, as the prevailing and established one, weeks with me in my house, during which sentiments, I do not meddle with them.' |