It seems important to set forth this matter clearly; for on Swedenborg's testimony his theological writings are not in any sense, as they are so often regarded, a continuation of his philosophical speculation. There is an interposition of the Lord, and a new departure. There is the Divine purpose to open the spiritual sense of the Word. It must be accomplished by means of a man; and the man, however naturally endowed and trained, must needs be further prepared by intromission into the spiritual world. Thus he says, the spiritual sense of the Word could not "be comprehended, without knowing how things are in another life, for most things which are in the internal sense of the Word have respect to these things, recount them and involve them."[2] So of the doc-
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THE SECOND COMING.
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Church, which is the New Jerusalem, it follows that He will do it by means of a man, who is able not only to receive the doctrines of this Church with his understanding, but also to publish them by the press. That the Lord has manifested Himself before me, His servant, and sent me on this office, and that after this He opened the sight of my spirit, and thus let me into the spiritual world, and gave me power to see the heavens and the hells, and also to speak with angels and spirits, and this is now continually for many years, I testify in truth; and also that from the first day of that call, I have not received anything which pertains to the doctrines of that Church from any angel, but the Lord alone while I read the Word.[1]
