Page:Swedenborg, Harbinger of the New Age of the Christian Church.djvu/239

 "His father, Jesper Swedberg, was Bishop of Skara, a man of great learning; but this Emanuel Swedenborg received richer endowments from God. His knowledge as well as his sincerity was great. He was constant in friendship, extremely frugal in his diet, and plain in his dress. His usual food was coffee with milk, and bread and butter; sometimes, however, he partook of a little fish, and only at rare intervals ate meat; and he never drank above two glasses of wine. . ..

"Two or three weeks before his decease . . . I asked him when he believed that the New Jerusalem, or the New Church of God, would manifest itself, and whether this manifestation would take place in the four quarters of the world. His answer was that no mortal and not even the celestial angels could predict the time; that it was solely in the will of God. 'Read,' said he, 'the Book of Revelation xxi. 2, and Zechariah xiv. 9, and you will see there that the New Jerusalem will undoubtedly manifest itself to the whole earth.' . ..

"Fifteen years ago [in 1766] Swedenborg set out for Sweden, and asked me to procure a good captain for him, which I did. I contracted with