seraphita-第12节

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indeed　his　habits　prevented　them　from　being　fully　known。　He　lived　a

hidden　life；　not　seeking　either　riches　or　fame。　He　was　even　noted　for

a　sort　of　repugnance　to　making　proselytes；　he　opened　his　mind　to　few

persons；　and　never　showed　his　external　powers　of　second…sight　to　any

who　were　not　eminent　in　faith；　wisdom；　and　love。　He　could　recognize　at

a　glance　the　state　of　the　soul　of　every　person　who　approached　him；　and

those　whom　he　desired　to　reach　with　his　inward　language　he　converted

into　Seers。　After　the　year　1745；　his　disciples　never　saw　him　do　a

single　thing　from　any　human　motive。　One　man　alone；　a　Swedish　priest；

named　Mathesius；　set　afloat　a　story　that　he　went　mad　in　London　in

1744。　But　a　eulogium　on　Swedenborg　prepared　with　minute　care　as　to　all

the　known　events　of　his　life；　was　pronounced　after　his　death　in　1772

on　behalf　of　the　Royal　Academy　of　Sciences　in　the　Hall　of　the　Nobles

at　Stockholm；　by　Monsieur　Sandels；　counsellor　of　the　Board　of　Mines。　A

declaration　made　before　the　Lord　Mayor　of　London　gives　the　details　of

his　last　illness　and　death；　in　which　he　received　the　ministrations　of

Monsieur　Ferelius　a　Swedish　priest　of　the　highest　standing；　and　pastor

of　the　Swedish　Church　in　London；　Mathesius　being　his　assistant。　All

persons　present　attested　that　so　far　from　denying　the　value　of　his

writings　Swedenborg　firmly　asserted　their　truth。　'In　one　hundred

years；'　Monsieur　Ferelius　quotes　him　as　saying；　'my　doctrine　will

guide　the　CHURCH。'　He　predicted　the　day　and　hour　of　his　death。　On　that

day；　Sunday；　March　29；　1772；　hearing　the　clock　strike；　he　asked　what

time　it　was。　'Five　o'clock'　was　the　answer。　'It　is　well；'　he　answered；

'thank　you；　God　bless　you。'　Ten　minutes　later　he　tranquilly　departed；

breathing　a　gentle　sigh。　Simplicity；　moderation；　and　solitude　were　the

features　of　his　life。　When　he　had　finished　writing　any　of　his　books　he

sailed　either　for　London　or　for　Holland；　where　he　published　them；　and

never　spoke　of　them　again。　He　published　in　this　way　twenty…seven

different　treatises；　all　written；　he　said；　from　the　dictation　of

Angels。　Be　it　true　or　false；　few　men　have　been　strong　enough　to　endure

the　flames　of　oral　illumination。



〃There　they　all　are；〃　said　Monsieur　Becker；　pointing　to　a　second　shelf

on　which　were　some　sixty　volumes。　〃The　treatises　on　which　the　Divine

Spirit　casts　its　most　vivid　gleams　are　seven　in　number；　namely：

'Heaven　and　Hell'；　'Angelic　Wisdom　concerning　the　Divine　Love　and　the

Divine　Wisdom'；　'Angelic　Wisdom　concerning　the　Divine　Providence'；

'The　Apocalypse　Revealed'；　'Conjugial　Love　and　its　Chaste　Delights'；

'The　True　Christian　Religion'；　and　'An　Exposition　of　the　Internal

Sense。'　Swedenborg's　explanation　of　the　Apocalypse　begins　with　these

words；〃　said　Monsieur　Becker；　taking　down　and　opening　the　volume

nearest　to　him：　〃'Herein　I　have　written　nothing　of　mine　own；　I　speak

as　I　am　bidden　by　the　Lord；　who　said；　through　the　same　angel；　to　John：

〃Thou　shalt　not　seal　the　sayings　of　this　Prophecy。〃'　（Revelation　xxii。

10。）



〃My　dear　Monsieur　Wilfrid；〃　said　the　old　man；　looking　at　his　guest；　〃I

often　tremble　in　every　limb　as　I　read；　during　the　long　winter　evenings

the　awe…inspiring　works　in　which　this　man　declares　with　perfect

artlessness　the　wonders　that　are　revealed　to　him。　'I　have　seen；'　he

says；　'Heaven　and　the　Angels。　The　spiritual　man　sees　his　spiritual

fellows　far　better　than　the　terrestrial　man　sees　the　men　of　earth。　In

describing　the　wonders　of　heaven　and　beneath　the　heavens　I　obey　the

Lord's　command。　Others　have　the　right　to　believe　me　or　not　as　they

choose。　I　cannot　put　them　into　the　state　in　which　God　has　put　me；　it

is　not　in　my　power　to　enable　them　to　converse　with　Angels；　nor　to　work

miracles　within　their　understanding；　they　alone　can　be　the　instrument

of　their　rise　to　angelic　intercourse。　It　is　now　twenty…eight　years

since　I　have　lived　in　the　Spiritual　world　with　angels；　and　on　earth

with　men；　for　it　pleased　God　to　open　the　eyes　of　my　Spirit　as　he　did

that　of　Paul；　and　of　Daniel　and　Elisha。'



〃And　yet；〃　continued　the　pastor；　thoughtfully；　〃certain　persons　have

had　visions　of　the　spiritual　world　through　the　complete　detachment

which　somnambulism　produces　between　their　external　form　and　their

inner　being。　'In　this　state；'　says　Swedenborg　in　his　treatise　on

Angelic　Wisdom　（No。　257）　'Man　may　rise　into　the　region　of　celestial

light　because；　his　corporeal　senses　being　abolished；　the　influence　of

heaven　acts　without　hindrance　on　his　inner　man。'　Many　persons　who　do

not　doubt　that　Swedenborg　received　celestial　revelations　think　that

his　writings　are　not　all　the　result　of　divine　inspiration。　Others

insist　on　absolute　adherence　to　him；　while　admitting　his　many

obscurities；　they　believe　that　the　imperfection　of　earthly　language

prevented　the　prophet　from　clearly　revealing　those　spiritual　visions

whose　clouds　disperse　to　the　eyes　of　those　whom　faith　regenerates；

for；　to　use　the　words　of　his　greatest　disciple；　'Flesh　is　but　an

external　propagation。'　To　poets　and　to　writers　his　presentation　of　the

marvellous　is　amazing；　to　Seers　it　is　simply　reality。　To　some

Christians　his　descriptions　have　seemed　scandalous。　Certain　critics

have　ridiculed　the　celestial　substance　of　his　temples；　his　golden

palaces；　his　splendid　cities　where　angels　disport　themselves；　they

laugh　at　his　groves　of　miraculous　trees；　his　gardens　where　the　flowers

speak　and　the　air　is　white；　and　the　mystical　stones；　the　sard；

carbuncle；　chrysolite；　chrysoprase；　jacinth；　chalcedony；　beryl；　the

Urim　and　Thummim；　are　endowed　with　motion；　express　celestial　truths；

and　reply　by　variations　of　light　to　questions　put　to　them　（'True

Christian　Religion；'　219）。　Many　noble　souls　will　not　admit　his

spiritual　worlds　where　colors　are　heard　in　delightful　concert；　where

language　flames　and　flashes；　where　the　Word　is　writ　in　pointed　spiral

letters　（'True　Christian　Religion；'　278）。　Even　in　the　North　some

writers　have　laughed　at　the　gates　of　pearl；　and　the　diamonds　which

stud　the　floors　and　walls　of　his　New　Jerusalem；　where　the　most

ordinary　utensils　are　made　of　the　rarest　substances　of　the　globe。

'But；'　say　his　disciples；　'because　such　things　are　sparsely　scattered

on　this　earth　does　it　follow　that　they　are　not　abundant　in　other

worlds？　On　earth　they　are　terrestrial　substances；　whereas　in　heaven

they　assume　celestial　forms　and　are　in　keeping　with　angels。'　In　this

connection　Swedenborg　has　used　the　very　words　of　Jesus　Christ；　who

said；　'If　I　have　told　you　earthly　things　and　ye　believe　not；　how　shall

ye　believe　if　I　tell　you　of　heavenly　things？'



〃Monsieur；〃　continued　the　pastor；　with　an　emphatic　gesture；　〃I　have

read　the　whole　of　Swedenborg's　works；　and　I　say　it　with　pride；　because

I　have　done　it　and　yet　retained　my　reason。　In　reading　him　men　either

miss　his　meaning　or　become　Seers　like　him。　Though　I　have　evaded　both

extremes；　I　have　often　experienced　unheard…of　delights；　deep　emotions；

inward　joys；　which　alone　can　reveal　to　us　the　plenitude　of　truth；the

evidence　of　celestial　Light。　All　things　here　below　seem　small　indeed

when　the　soul　is　lost　in　the　perusal　of　these　Treatises。　It　is

impossible　not　to　be　amazed　when　we　think　that　in　the　short　space　of

thirty　years　this　man　wrote　and　published；　on　the　truths　of　the

Spiritual　World；　twenty…five　quarto　volumes；　composed　in　Latin；　of

which　the　shortest　has　five　hundred　pages；　all　of　them　printed　in

small　type。　He　left；　they　say；　twenty　others　in　London；　bequeathed　to

his　nephew；　Monsieur　Silverichm；　formerly　almoner　to　the　King　of

Sweden。　Certainly　a　man　who；　between　the　ages　of　twenty　and　sixty；　had

already　exhausted　himself　in　publishing　a　series　of　encyclopaedical

works；　must　have　received　supernatural　assistance　in　composing　these

later　stupendous　treatises；　at　an　age；　too；　when　human　vigor　is　on　the

wane。　You　will　find　in　these　writings　thousands　of　propositions；　all

numbered；　none　of　which　have　been　refuted。　Throughout　we　see　method

and　precision；　the　presence　of　the　Spirit　issuing　and　flowing　down

from　a　single　fact；the　existence　of　angels。　His　'True　Christian

Religion；'　which　sums　up　his　whole　doctrine　and　is　vigorous　with

light；　was　conceived　and　written　at　the　age　of　eighty…three。　In　fact；

his　amazing　vigor　and　omniscience　are　not　denied　by　any　of　his

critics；　not　even　by　his　enemies。



〃Nevertheless；〃　said　Monsieur　Becker；　slowly；　〃though　I　have　drunk

deep　in　this　torrent　of　divine　light；　God　has　not　opened　the　eyes　of

my　inner　being；　and　I　judge　these　writings　by　the　reason　of　an

unregenerated　man。　I　have　often　felt　that　the　INSPIRED　Swedenborg　must

have　misunderstood　the　Angels。　I　have　laughed　over　certain　visions

which；　according　to　his　disciples；　I　ought　to　have　believed　with

veneration。　I　have　failed　to　imagine　the　spiral　writing　of　the　Angels

or　their　golden　belts；　on　which　the　gold　is　of　great　or　lesser

thickness。　If；　for　example；　this　statement；　'Some　angels　are

solitary；'　affected　me　powerfully　for　a　tim