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Doc. 5.) 35
ROBSAHM’S MEMOIRS.
his own speculations he tries to fathom heavenly things, which
transcend his comprehension." He then explained to me,
”
that the Lord in His prayer taught us to pray against such
speculations, in the words Lead us not into temptation ; by
which is meant that we must not, from our own power and
by our own intelligence, begin to doubt the heavenly truths
which are revealed to us: "For," he added, "you are well
aware how often it has happened, that students, and especially
theologians, who unnecessarily indulged too much in specula
tions, have lost their understanding. I, for my own part,” he
concluded, "had never expected to come into that spiritual
state, in which I am now; but the Lord selected me for this
state, and for revealing the spiritual meaning of the Sacred
Scriptures, which He had promised in the prophets and in the
book of Revelation. My purpose previously had been to explore
nature, chemistry, and the sciences of mining and anatomy."
15. This conversation gave me an opportunity of asking
him , where and how it was granted him to see and to hear
what takes place in the world of spirits, in heaven, and in
hell. Whereupon Swedenborg answered as follows: "I was in
London and dined rather late at the inn where I was in the
habit of dining, and where I had my own room. My thoughts
were engaged on the subjects we have been discussing. I was
hungry, and ate with a good appetite. Towards the close
of the meal I noticed a sort of dimness before my eyes: this
became denser, and I then saw the floor covered with the
most horrid crawling reptiles, such as snakes, frogs, and similar
creatures.21 I was amazed ; for I was perfectly conscious, and my
thoughts were clear. At last the darkness increased still more;
but it disappeared all at once, and I then saw a man sitting
in a corner of the room; as I was then alone, I was very
much frightened at his words, for he said: ’Eat not so much ’.
All became black again before my eyes, but immediately it
cleared away, and I found myself alone in the room.
"Such an unexpected terror hastened my return home ; I
did not let the landlord notice anything; but I considered
well what had happened, and could not look upon it as a
mere matter of chance, or as it it had been produced by a
physical cause.
3 *
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