Page:The Life and Mission of Emanuel Swedenborg.djvu/41

 His son-in-law, Magister Unge, writes in 1731 to Emanuel, "Möller is now beginning to swindle the Bishop on a new account; for he desires to print the collection of sermons which was burned. . . . How will this end if he begin printing in his poverty? . . . What will this lead to? The Bishop plunges himself more and more into debt. He is now writing daily with great industry at the two other volumes of the collection of sermons, which was burned." In 1728 he had himself written to a friend, "If I had all the money which I have invested in the printing of books, I would be worth now from sixty to seventy thousand dalers in copper." Besides various religious works, he wrote and printed books on the Swedish language, grammar and lexicons, books for schools, a new translation of the Bible and a Swedish Commentary, Pharos Sacra America Illuminata, and other works. Much of his interest in writing and publishing had long been in behalf of the Swedish colonial missions, especially the mission of Pennsylvania and Delaware. It was by his influence with the King that the first missionaries were sent to this colony, and their interests looked after until the recognition of the independence of the United States. The colony elected Swedberg their first bishop, as did also the Swedish churches at London and Lisbon, and this appointment was confirmed by the King. To their concerns he devoted much time and labor, which they repaid with great respect and affection.

In recounting Bishop Swedberg's public labors first, we have followed his own example, making these duties always of the first importance. But at the same time he was eminently a family man, being the affectionate husband of three successive wives, and the loving father of five sons and four daughters, all children of his first wife. Of these, however, two sons died in childhood. Like his own father, Swedberg esteemed children as a blessing from the Lord, and thought that too much could not be done for them. "It is really the case," said he, "that you must never grudge expenses, if