Page:Swedenborg, Harbinger of the New Age of the Christian Church.djvu/150

 of this life and prepare for life in the kingdom of heaven:—

"1. Diligently to read and meditate upon the Word of God.

"2. To be content under the dispensations of God's providence.

"3. To observe a propriety of behavior, and to preserve the conscience pure.

"4. To obey what is commanded, to attend faithfully to one's office and other duties, and in addition to make one's self useful to society in general."

As marking the progress of the preparation, we find in his philosophical works, besides the growing humility and reverence that illumine the pages, some plain statements, drawn we cannot doubt from his spiritual experience. In the part of The Animal Kingdom treating of the soul, he says—

"To change the disposition is to change the very nature. To change a good disposition into an evil one is comparatively easy; but to change an evil one into a good is more difficult. This can in no way be effected except by means of the rational mind and its understanding, whether the understanding be our own, or derived from faith, or