Translated from the Latin of

THE HON. EMANUEL SWEDENBORG. Originally published at Amsterdam in the Year 1763.

THE FIFTH EDITION.

LONDON.

Printed by J. and E. Hodson, Cross Street, Hatton Garden; For the Society for Printing and Publishing the Writings of the Hon. Emanuel Swedenborg, Instituted in London in the Year 1810,

SOLD BY T. KELLY, NO. 52, PATERNOSTER-ROW, And may be had by giving Orders to any of the Booksellers in Town or Country.

PREFACE.

THE Decalogue is acknowledged by

all christians to contain the words of eternal truth; and the sum and substance of it is declared by our Lord himself to consist in the love of God, and the love of our neighbour. Hence it was, that when he was asked by a certain person," what he should do, that he might inherit eternal life?" he made no other than this short and plain reply, "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments," Matt. xix. 17.

The doctrine of life, therefore, is clearly and fully revealed in the ten commandments; and those, who love truth, for truth's sake, need not be at a loss to discover the way that leadeth unto life. They need not consume their time and strength in speculative investigations, or deep and unprofitable metaphysical inquiries.

Let them begin with resisting their selfish and worldly passions. Let all selfish and worldly prejudices and interests

be set aside. In other words, let them begin with close and serious self-examination of their hearts and lives, their affections and their thoughts, as well as their words and deeds, by the precepts of the decalogue. If they are honest and ingenuous in the search, they will soon find, that in their affections and thoughts, if not in their words and deeds, they have greatly deviated from the way of life therein commanded they will soon find, that in themselves they have no strength to obey any one of the precepts in sincerity and truth; but that they stand every moment in need of that holy and all-powerful influence, which proceeds only from the source of goodness and truth.

This, if they persevere, will lead them to the exercise of faith, and of prayer. Their understandings will then be opened. They will be enabled to see and admire the great truths contained in the Holy Scriptures, which they were ignorant of before they will be enabled, in some degree, to comprehend what our Lord said to his two disciples, on the way to Emmaus, when "beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded to them in all the scriptures the things concerning HIMSELF;" and also, what his meaning was, when at his last appearance to them,