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Doc. 209.] 159
HIS SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE IN 1744.
if I were awake. I noticed, however, that these words were
put into my mouth : "O Thou Almighty Jesus Christ, who of
Thy great mercy deignest to come to so great a sinner,
make me worthy of this grace !" I lifted up my hands, and
prayed, when a hand came and strongly pressed my hands ; I
then continued my prayer, and said, "O Thou, who hast pro
mised to receive in mercy all sinners, Thou canst not other
wise than keep this Thy word !" I lay on His bosom (sköte*),
and looked at Him face to face. It was a countenance with
a holy expression, and so that it cannot be described ; it was
also smiling, and I really believe that His countenance was
such during His life upon earth.† He addressed me and
asked, if I had a certificate of my health (om jag har sund
hets pass) ? I answered, "O Lord, Thou knowest this better
than I ;" when He said, "Do it then !" -This, as I perceived
in my mind, signified, "Love me really, or do what thou hast
promised." O God, impart to me grace for this ! I perceived
that I could not do this by my own strength. I now awoke
in a tremor. I again came into such a state that, whether
asleep or awake, I was in a train of thought. I thought,
"What can this mean ? Has it been Christ, the Son of God whom
I have seen? But it is sinful in me to doubt this." As we
are, however, commanded to try the spirits, I reflected on
everything; and from what had happened the previous night
I perceived, that during the whole of that night I had been
purified and encompassed and preserved by the Holy Spirit,
and thus had been prepared for this purpose ; and then [I re
flected] that I had fallen on my face, and I thought of the
words I had uttered, and considered that the prayer did not
come from me, but that the words were put into my mouth,
yet so that it was I who spoke, and further, that all was holy.
* This word means both bosom and lap.
The Swedish editor says here, "The time which had hitherto been ac
cepted for Swedenborg’s first revelation, viz. April 1745, in consequence of
this notice has to be placed a whole year earlier, and the place where
this revelation took place has to be changed from London to the Hague."
As to the true date of the opening of Swedenborg’s spiritual sight, see
Note 168.
See Note 162, i, F.
L
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