EMANUEL SWEDENBORG was born at Stockholm in the year 1688. He enjoyed the advantages of a religious and liberal education, and became eminent for his attainments in literature, especially in the various branches of natural science and philosophy. About the year 1743, he was led to devote his attention principally to theology; and he was afterwards assiduously employed in preparing and publishing his various theological works, until he died at London, in the year 1772.
The following treatise was originally written in Latin, and published at Amsterdam, in the year 1763. It was afterwards translated into English, and several editions of it have already been published in England and America. The present edition has been thoroughly revised, and the translation made more literal and accurate thah it was before; and it is hoped that it will also appear more simple in its phraseology, and more intelligible to common readers.