Emanuel Swedenborg (1688 – 1772) was a Swedish Lutheran theologian, scientist, philosopher and mystic. He is best known for his book on the afterlife, Heaven and Hell. Swedenborg had a prolific career as an inventor and scientist while becoming increasingly interested in spiritual matters. In 1741, at the age of 53, he entered into a spiritual phase in which he began to experience dreams and visions. During the last 28 years of his life, Swedenborg wrote 18 published theological works, and several more that were unpublished.
Quotes by Emanuel Swedenborg…
It is clear that the first step in the new birth is a reception of truths by the understanding, and the second is the will to act in accordance with truths, and finally to practice them. No one, however, can be said to be reformed by mere knowledge of truth; for man is able to acquire these and to talk about, teach, and preach them… But he is a reformed man who has affection for truth for the sake of truth.
All who have conscience say whatever they say from the heart, and do whatever they do from the heart; for not having a divided mind they speak and act according to what they understand and believe to be true and good.
Man does not wish to come out of spiritual servitude into spiritual liberty, for the reason, first, that he does not know what spiritual servitude is and what spiritual liberty is; he does not possess the truths that teach this; and without truths, spiritual servitude is believed to be freedom, and spiritual freedom to be servitude.
Every one who is in good can perceive evil; and he who is in truth can see falsity… Those whose understandings are in light from wisdom are like men who at mid-day are standing upon a mountain and seeing clearly all that is below.
Truths, which enter with affection, are reproduced.
For the sake of this end there has been given to man the ability to elevate his understanding into the light in which the angels of heaven are, that he may see what he must will and must do.
From all this it may be concluded that an unregenerate man is like one who sees phantoms at night… and afterwards, when he is being regenerated, he is like the same man seeing in the early dawn that the things he saw at night are delusions.
No one can conquer an enemy without coming in site of him.
Natural man is said to be dead however good his actions may be from the civil and moral point of view.