Of late years it has become common to talk of Swedenborg as a clairvoyant, to associate him with mesmeric subjects, and make him a kinsman of French and American spiritualists, such as Cahagnet, and Andrew Jackson Davis. This mistake is made through ignorance. It is a law of the spiritual world that every man is associated with his like. Supposing, therefore, that any man’s spiritual sight were opened, he would come into conjunction only with spirits like himself; that is, with those who would echo his own ideas and opinions, and repeat his own feelings. It is evident, then, that in such a case the nature of the revelations are entirely dependent upon the character of the revelator, and in all cases must be suspiciously received by the lover of truth. Now Swedenborg claims to have been under the special protection of the Lord, and to have received the doctrines he promulgated directly from Him, and not in any case from spirits. Of course, every one will decide for himself as to how far he can receive this assertion; but it is well that all should be informed of the precise character of Swedenborg’s claim, and of his own testimony as to the source of his information. In his Diary, written about this time, he says, that “spirits narrate things wholly false, and lie. When spirits begin to speak with man, care should be taken not to believe them; for almost everything they say is made up by them, and they lie; so that if it were permitted them to relate what heaven is, and how things are in heaven, they would tell so many falsehoods, and with such strong assertion, that man would be astonished; wherefore it was not permitted me, when spirits were speaking, to have any belief in what they stated. They love to feign. Whatever may be the topic spoken of, they think they know it, and form different opinions about it, altogether as if they knew; and if man then listens and believes, they insist, and in various ways deceive and seduce.”
Any one who has paid attention to the phenomena of spirit-rapping, and to the communications received through clairvoyants from the world of spirits, and has observed the very Babel of contradictions uttered by these “mediums,” will be able to appreciate the truth of the passage we have quoted, as well as our desire to draw a broad and distinct line between such and Swedenborg.
It is a very natural question, and one often put by those unconversant with the nature of spiritual intercourse, how it happens that such a man as Swedenborg, sitting quietly in his chair, could see and speak with angels and spirits, and travel through vast spaces in the spiritual world. It is thus: Space and time are attributes of matter alone. Their appearances do, indeed, exist in the spiritual world, but not as the fixed and mensurable things of our material sphere. Did not our subject forbid digression, it would be easy to bring this truth down to the comprehension of every one, by reference to a few items of experience which must at some time have fallen to the lot of all. We are all, as to our minds, in constant, though insensible, communion with spirits; and from them we receive thoughts and feelings of every kind. A good man and a wicked man may be, as to the body, in the same room, while between their minds there may be the wide gulf that separated Dives and Lazarus. Now if the spiritual sight of these two men were opened, where would they be? One would be in heaven, and the other in hell; and that, too, without either moving from the place where he stood. It was in virtue of this principle of the spirit’s perfect independence of space, that Swedenborg, under the Divine guidance and protection, was led through spiritual societies of all kinds: and in his various works we have the record of the wondrous things thus heard and seen.
Again, it may be asked: What is the nature of this spiritual sight so often referred to? In the words of Paul we answer: “There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body;” and, as a consequence, there is a natural sight, and there is a spiritual sight. The natural body lives from the spiritual body, and derives its form and parts from it. The natural body is the instrument of the spiritual body, and through it as a medium, it is enabled to exist in this lower world, and in constant contact with matter. Now it is possible for the spiritual body to be raised partially above the natural body, without causing death, or the entire withdrawal of its life from the natural body. This partial withdrawal of the spiritual body, and the enjoyment of sight in the spiritual world, is what is meant by the opening of the spiritual sight. Time forbids us to draw upon the innumerable illustrations of this fact which the history of the past and the experience of the present, in conjunction with the Word of God, afford. Let one instance from the Bible suffice. In 2 Kings, vii. 8-17, we read that Elisha, compassed about with horses, chariots, and a great host, sent by the king of Syria to seize him, was on a mountain with his servant, who, full of terror, exclaimed: “Alas! my master, how shall we do? And he answered, Fear not, for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed and said, Lord, I pray thee open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw: and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.” Here is a case quite to the point. The natural eyes of the young man were already open; for how otherwise could he have seen the Syrian host, and have been afraid? Elisha prayed that his eyes might be opened. What eyes? Why, clearly, the eyes of his spiritual body; which done, he was enabled to perceive the heavenly guardianship which was extended over his master. Every one will now understand what we mean, when we shall have occasion to speak of the opening of man’s spiritual sight.
Having thus defined the conditions of Swedenborg’s spiritual vision, and cleared away some questions which, if answered, would have impeded our narrative, we will now proceed with our history.
CHAPTER IX.
Prepares for his New Office—Resigns his Assessorship—His “Adversaria”—His “Spiritual Diary”—The Death of Polheim.
Called to a high and holy office, Swedenborg set about preparing himself for the fulfilment of its duties. Leaving London in the beginning of July, 1745, he took ship for Sweden, where he arrived on the 7th of August. On this voyage, his spiritual intercourse was suspended. He lived quietly at home during 1746; probably in the performance and enjoyment of the settled routine of his Assessorship, and in earnest meditation on the heavenly arcana now fully opened to his view. In 1747, in order that he might be more at liberty to devote himself to the mission to which the Lord had called him, he asked leave of King Frederick to retire from his Assessorship, and that he might enjoy, during life, as a retiring pension, half of his official salary; requesting, at the same time, that no addition to his rank or title might be conferred upon him. The King yielded to his wishes; but in consideration of his long and faithful service of thirty-one years, continued to him the whole of his salary.
Meanwhile, he learned Hebrew, and read the Bible through several times in its original languages. Like all true students, he read and thought with pen in hand; and as the hidden and Divine wisdom of the Word was opened to him, he embodied in “Adversaria,” or notes, the truths thus revealed. These Adversaria extend over the historical books of the Old Testament, and several of the prophets. They have all been printed of late years, from their author’s original Latin manuscript, by that indefatigable and learned Newchurchman, Dr. Tafel, of Tübingen. They have not yet been translated into English, probably because they were not published by Swedenborg himself, and are only to be regarded as preparatory studies for future works. They also abound with indistinct views on many subjects, which subsequent knowledge rendered clear. As records of their author’s spiritual progress, as well as for the many valuable facts which they contain, it is to be hoped that the day is not far distant when the “Adversaria” will appear in an English dress. We cannot spare anything which serves to illustrate the mental history of such a man as Swedenborg.