Conjugial Love

CONJUGIAL LOVE

THE FLIGHTS Of WISDOM

ReJatfinfe' itt

CONJUGIAL LO-VJE

After Which Follow

THE PLEASURES OF INSANITY

Relating to

SCORTATORY LOVE

From the Latin

of
EMANUEL SWEDENBORG

REVISED TRANSLATION

By
Rev. H. L. Cornell, M.D., Ph.D.

(Second and Enlarged Edition)

Published By
CORNELL PUBLISHING COMPANY

3108 Humboldt Street

Los Angeles, California

1938

THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO

EMAKUEL SWEDENBORG, THE

SERVANT OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.

BORN JAN. 29ra, 1688.
PASSED OUT, MCH. 29TH, 1772.

PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION

The First Edition of this book, the revised translations of
Conjugial Love, Part II, articles 423 to 476 inclusive, was pub-
lished on January 29th. 1938. the 250th Anniversary of the birth
of Emanuel Swedenborg. It was stated in the Introduction to the
First Edition that the entire book on Conjugial Love, Parts I
and II, should be revised and retranslated, in order to get rid of
the faulty, natural, and sensual translations, made by the earlier
translators of a hundred years ago, and soon after the original
manuscripts were released by Swedenborg. These Revelation?,
which were given to Swedenborg directly by the Lord, to interpret
the Scriptures, and to reveal the doctrines of the Lord's New
Church, the New Jerusalem, and the facts about the Last Judgment
of the Christian Church, and the Lord's Second Coining, \vere
rather a surprise and shock to the world, and to the men and
women of Swedenborg's time, and the spiritual contents of the
Writings were so far above the concepts of the earlier translators,
that they made many mistakes of translation^ errors in grammar,
syntax, meaning of verbs, adjectives, words, etc. that in order to
try to make sense out of what Swedenborg said, the translators
began to interpolate new words, omit some words from the Latin,
change the punctuation, tone down, to disregard series and context
to ignore correspondences, the References given by Swedenborg*
and to make translations suited to their own natural, worldly, and
sensual ideas, and to try to describe things, people, and conditions
about which Swedenborg had said nothing. Thus the earlier trans-
lators gave to the world profane, contradictory, injurious, and
false translations, which have tended to work mischief, false doc-
trines, heresies, slander and reproach to the New Church Organ-
izations, almost from the time of the passing of Swedenborg
himself, and the release of his last manuscripts.

Bowing to what the people of the New Church Organizations
thought was the superior knowledge and understanding of the
earlier translators, these false and superficial translations have
been allowed to stand, and to be declared official, for the past
hundred years, and more. But, at last they were to be exposed
through a Lawsuit over some property, and known as the **Kramph
Will Case", a struggle between the General Convention and die
General Church, or The Academy, in 1908 and 1909, two rival
factions of the New Church Organizations. The trial of this case
brought out the facts and errors of interpretation, of the book
known as "Conjugial Love", especially Part II of this book, show-
ing that the translations were so natural, erotic, and profane,
that they allowed certain sex evils and licenses in the name of
religion, and to such an extent that the Court passed a judgment
upon the translations, that they were contrary to the Public

u PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION

MuraK to the Law- of the Mate, and of the Nation. This Judicial
derision caused an awakening in the New Church Organizations,
and also caused a public <*candal. and much adverse newspaper
I u Mir it) over the uorld.

Mr. William MrGeorire,, Jr. an Attorney, a man born and
rai,*ed in the Neu Church. \\as retained on this case, to defend the
property interest* of the General Convention, hut lost the case,
\\hich \va# derided in favor of The Academy Branch of the New
Church. Mr. McGeorge had gone along blindly all his life,
accepting the translations as a matter of course, but this trial was
an e\e-opener to him. and he decided to investigate, to do some
translating for himself, some original study as to the meanings
of the Writings- of Swedenborg, and as a result of his studies, and
enlightenment, he wrote two great books, the first, "To the Law
and to the Testimony", in 1912, and a second book, fct How Long
Halt Ye Between Two Opinions", in 1919. In these two books he
gave many ne\\ translations of Part I and II. of Conjugial Love,
and what lie thought were the true meanings of what Swedenborg
had written. These Looks brought much persecution down upon
his head, from the older Leaders of the New Church, and also
severe criticism, arid showed up the ignorance and prejudices of
the leaders, that Mr. McGeorge completely lost his faith in the
doctrines of the New Church, especially as to sex matters, and
said, ipage 548, of the book. Halt Ye Between Two Opinions),
"Personally, I was never willing to admit that I was a Sweden-
borgian, and therefore 1 am not distressed about the passing away
of the k Swedenborgian' church. Indeed, I hope it will soon pass
away, and that the Lord's New Church will be established". At
this time Mr. McGeorge was quite an old man, being over 70
years of age, and he could not do much more to get these old
translations revised, and he expressed the desire that others would
take up the work where he left off, and carry it on. From years
of study of the Writings of Swedenborg, and their Truth and
spiritual power, I recognized the merits of the claims put forth
by Mr. McGeorge, and decided to cany on his work, hand on his
translations, and the new enlightenment he had received as to
what Swedenborg was writing about. There are thousands of
people over the World who are interested in the Writings of
Swedenborg, and in these translations which I am now giving out,
it was, and is. my purpose to give them to the World, to place
them in the free Public Libraries, so that the young people, and
those outside of the New Church Organizations, could see ihem,
get the truth, and in the years to come help do their part in
getting the truth about the Swedenborg Teachings, and the New
Church, before the world, and thus remove the shame and scandal
which has been brought upon this, the last great Church to be
established and ordained by our Lord, and which Church is to
endure to eternity, and which is now the Official Church of the
Christian Heavens.

PREFACE TO ?ECO\D EDITION <<>ii

Judging from the reception Mr. McGeorge had at the hand?
of the old leaders of the New Church Organizations, I did not
expect the sympathy, approval, and cooperation of these leaders
when I got out the first, or abridged edition of this book of trans-
lations on Conjugial Love, and therefore. I got out the book at rny
own expense, and as my gift to the Lord's Work. The old leaders
have heckled and condemned ray work very severely. One New
Church Magazine Editor has condemned the book in very caustic
terms. One has intimated that I should be "Reticent", keep quiet,
and not try to hand on these ideas just because I have the money
to do so. Others, the older leaders, have said that the new trans-
lations which I have handed on, and also the translations made by
Mr. McGeorge, are '"no translations at alT, because they help
give the reader some idea of the spiritual content of the Writings,
One has written, or intimated, that I should now give the New
Church people a "breathing spell", and not try to hand them
anything further at this time about what Mr, McGeorge has said
and taught concerning the book on Conjugial Love. But, none of
these things move me. In the first place, I am not giving out
these translations, and carrying on the work of Mr. McGeorge, as
a favor, or disfavor, to the present, and older leaders, in the New
Church^ as they have already shown their antagonistic attitude
toward any changes, but the work is done, and given out to the
world at large, to new minds, to the young people of a new
generation coming on. and that the true New Church may be
carried on by open minds, and by those who are seeking the truth,
and who are not willing to condone the evils of old translations
because they are afraid to assert themselves, or to resist the estab-
lished leaders, and do little, or no thinking for themselves. The
young people, and the more enlightened New Church people,
have responded very favorably to the first edition of this book,
which has encouraged me to go on, and issue this larger and more
complete revised edition of the book on Conjugial Love. Years
of work and study have been given by me to the investigation of
the Writings of Swedenborg, and also to the new ideas and views
of Mr. McGeorge, both of the Latin and English texts, and the
leaders of the present New Church Organizations are as welcome
to the results of this study, as are the new-comers.

In the Introduction to the First Edition, the abridged Edition
of this Work, the especial meanings of terms, new words, coined
words, capitalized words, are explained, and in order to get a
deeper grasp of the purposes of this book you should read and
study carefully the Introduction to the First Edition of this Work,
which Introduction has been printed in this Second Edition.

This book, and its translations, contains a complete Digest of
what has been said by Mr. McGeorge, and also all the trans-
lations made by him, of passages contained in Conjugial Love.
Parts I and II. have been incorporated in these translations, in
their proper place. Mr. McGeorge would have liked to have done

viii PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION

this before he pasised on from physical life, but this work I have
now done for you. Therefore, \\lien you come to a translation
which you think is wrong, and not according to old and estab-
lished ideas as to what the Writings teach, please remember that,
if you desire to criticise or permute, you will be very apt to be
persecuting Mr. McGeorjre. One Editor, in a Review, very severely
criticised a translation made by McGeorge. which appeared in
the First Edition of this book, and it seems, and from observation
it would appear, that the older leaders of the present New Church
Organizations, are rnuHi against the ne^\ and true translations
made by Mr. McGeorge. and that they will fight and oppose any-
body uho tries to hand them on, or keep them before the people,
as the ideas of McGeorge. and my own ideas as well, do not
harmonize with the present natural and sensual translations of
Conjugial Love, that are so commonly accepted to-day as standard
and official If you wish to be a deep student of Mr. McGeorge,
and his two books, and of these new translations, you can do so
by procuring copies of these two books, some of which can still
be had, but they are rare. You may find copies of them in the
Public Libraries of the larger Cities, as that is where I first saw
them. A large part of these two books is taken up with the errors
of translation, and it would take almost a volume in itself to
record them here, and bring the facts before you, and if you
would care to go into the details of these errors, it would be
necessary for you to procure the books, and study them for
yourselves.

Many of the old and original translations of this book on
Conjugial Love have been allowed to remain, as they are in-
offensive, and have caused no controversies in the Church. The
principle articles which have given offense are those from 423 to
476, of Part II of this book. It cannot of course, be claimed that
these new translations, as advocated by Mr. McGeorge, and myself,
are perfect, but they are a great advance over the old and estab-
lished ones, in the opinion of the writer, and if studied, lived,
believed, and followed up, should see a great and new spiritual
era in the life, work, and usefulness of the Lord's New Church
Organizations on earth.

H. LESLIE CORNELL.

Los Angeles, Calif.
Oct 1st, 1938.

PREFACE TO FIRST EDITION

For many years I have been a student of Swedenborg's Theo-
logical Works, and have quite a complete Library of his books.
They have appealed to me very much, and his revelations have
become my religion, and a fixed part of my life. These Writings
are the first real truths I have ever encountered as to the inner
and spiritual meanings of the Word, and I consider that they
were handed down to us from the Lord, to Mr. Swedenborg. who
called himself, "The Servant of the Lord Jesus Christ". In read-
ing his books I was very much impressed with the high spiritual
tone that pervaded them. The book on Conjugial Love was the
last one to be read, and the present translations did not make a
very favorable impression upon my mind, and I did not under-
stand how Swedenborg could so completely reverse himself, end
teach such natural, and what I call, unchaste things. Time went
on, and eventually I came across one of Mr. McGeorge's books
in the Public Library, his book called. "How Long Halt Ye
Between Two Opinions", and his arguments for a more spiritual
interpretation of Part Two appealed to me. and explained to me
the deep, spiritual significations that were behind the literal words
of these Scientifics. That was in 1933. and when I finished reading
Mr. McGeorge's book, I said to myself that I would retranslate
Part II, and put it on a higher spiritual plane, and give to the
world the real message that Swedenborg was trying to convey.
Some years passed by, and I did not know where I could get
copies of the two books written by Mr. McGeorge, his first book
being entitled, "To the Law and to the Testimony", published in
1912, and his second book, "How Long Halt Ye Between Two
Opinions", published in 1919. Finally, in answer to earnest
praver, copies of these two books came into my hands, which I
could call my own, and to mark as I pleased. Also a copy of the
Latin text, a set of Pott's Concordance, and the other books
necessary to work on this translation, and to read up the Refer-
ences, were procured. It then took me several months to make a
digest and index of Mr. McGeorge's books, so that what he had
said about Swedenborg's meanings, and his use of Latin words,
could be quickly located. The job of making this new translation
seemed to be a large undertaking for me, in view of the fact that
I was not a New Church Minister, nor a member of that Church,
but my faith was large that the Lord had called me to do it to
the best of my ability and knowledge, with His help and guidance,
and the work was begun. The results of my effort I leave for you
to judge. To make this translation., and possibly more, were the
last great things I felt I must do before passing on to the Other
Side of Life. Having retired from the active Practice of Medicine
some years ago, I have had the time to do considerable research

x PREFACE TO FIRST EDITION

work, and study along religious and scientific lines, and also to
engage in literary \\ork and writing. One of the main reasons also
for undertaking this work was the urgent request of Mr. McGeorge
in his books for some one to take it up and carry on, as he was
too old to do much more, and was also in ill-health. Mr. McGeorge
was born on Oct. 18. 1841. My birthdate was July 23rd, 1872,
and my birthplace in a small town near Philadelphia, Penn., just
a short distance from the present location of the Academy. If the
Lord should >pare me for a few years yet for work here, it is my
hope and purpose to do more study and research w r ork, and
possibly more translating, in an effort to get the book on Con-
jugial Lo\e in better shape, and that these doctrines may be better
understood by New Churchmen, and the World At Large. The
Church of the New Jerusalem is the last great Church of our
Lord to be established, and which is to endure to eternity, and it
is time now for the New Church to begin to take on new life,
after these 150 years of its existence, and to revise translations
which have given offense in the past, due to wrong interpretations
of them by the early translators of a hundred years ago. I am
not an entire stranger to the New Church Leaders, for it was in
1934 that I had considerable correspondence with Rev. William
Worcester, in regard to attending the Theological School, and was
at that time accepted as a student, but w T as unable to attend, due to
family and business cares and duties at the time. Locally, here in
Los Angeles, I have attended the New Church, and met with the
members, but have not joined. Being raised a Presbyterian, and
educated for the w^ork of a Foreign Missionary of that Church, as
a Physician and Minister, my study included a College Course,
Theological and Medical. I did service in Siam and Burma. In
College, Latin was a favorite study with me, and when I thought
of renewing it. after forty years of absence from it, as was the
case also with Mr. McGeorge, things looked more difficult, but
those clouds cleared away when I got into it.

In this translation I have incorporated all the translations of
Part Two, numbers 423 to 476, made by Mr. McGeorge in his
books, and also have left a great portion of the present translations
stand, making changes only when necessary to give a more
accurate meaning of Swedenborg's words. Mr. McGeorge confined
himself to translating only a few numbers, the most important
and controversial ones, and dwelt upon them at length in explain-
ing principles, and giving spiritual interpretations, and the cor-
respondences, to the teachings. There were some very difficult
numbers for me to translate, using correspondences, and to get the
translations away from the merely natural plane. Swedenborg
said that the only way to know what he was writing about was to
go to his Writings, read his References, and not to depend too
much upon lexicons. Mr. McGeorge called the Writings the "Divine
Lexicon". Also his use of CAPITALS was important, as he usually
capitalized common words to give them a higher spiritual mean-

PREFACE TO FIRST EDITI<>\ x!

ing. Many of the words he used he coined, to rive them a
spiritual meaning, and to rai*e them above the ordinary lexicon
meaning of words of similar appearance, Th5? is where the trans-
lators have gone wronsr in so many instances hy translating his
words literally, and to take them at their face value. His coined,
or new words, are not to be found in any modern lexicon. The
principle word? he coined were Scoriatio* Fornicatio^ Concu*
binatus^ and Adulterium. whirh he said referred to spiritual con-
cWons. and not to physical and material ones. He has said, that
in Part II he was talking about the Spiritual Sexes, the Till and
Understanding. Love and Wisdom. Good and Truth, and their
Heavenlv Marriage, and not about physical sex relations. He said
the words "Amor Sexus" are the Spiritual Sexes, and these words
should be translated, '"Sexual Love'*, and not "Love of the Sex"
as the translators have it. The word Adulterium also refers to the
adulteration of good, and does not mean the common word,
"adultery"', as we understand it. The word Scortatio* scortatory
love, means all extra-conjugial loves, such as would destroy Con-
jugial Love, and the heavenly marriage of good and truth. The
word Fornicatio means falsity, to falsify truth, and does not mean
the word "Fornication"* as used in the Scripture, as Swedenborg
is talking about the spiritual sexes. The sins of Fornicatio refer
to those of the Understanding alone. He uses the word Con-
cubinatus as meaning sins, or evils, of the will and understanding
combined. The words Amor Adulterii should be translated
"Adulterous Love", and not the "Love of Adultery", as is done in
every instance by the earlier translators. Swedenborg savs that
these two words, "Amor Adulterii," are the equivalent of Scor-
tatory Love. The word "Conjugial" does not mean "conjugal",
but the celestial marriage of good and truth, and what he calls
Conjugial is that which prevails in heaven among the angels, and
is rarely seen on Earth, but did exist among the Peoples of the
Most Ancient Church, who were a celestial people, and communi-
cated directly with the angels. In C.L., n. 127, Swedenborg writes
of Conjugial Love as follows: "Conjugial Love corresponds to the
affection of genuine truth, its chastity, purity, and holiness. These
are angelic qualities, and certainly are not very often attained by
any human being during earth life. CONJUGAL LOVE means human
loves, and human matrimonies, such as we have in the world.
The Translators have constantly translated the word "Conjugial",
as though it meant "Conjugal". The words "Amor Conjugialis"
are translated "Conjugial Love". The word "Amor 9 ' is a sacred
and holy word, and is always used in a sacred sense, to imply
something heavenly, and when it means an evil love, it is modified
by an adjective meaning such, as by "libidinis", which indicates
a lower and illicit love. When an adjective is used with Amor^
the adjective should be translated first as Adulterous Love, Con-
jugial Love, Sexual Love, Scortatory Love, Pellicate Love. Forni-
catory Love, etc., and not as Love of Adultery, Love of the Sex,

xii PREFACE TO FIRST EDITION

etr. Adult*- rou? Love S- quite different from the Love of Adultery.
Also Sexual Lo\e i> quite different from the Love of the Sex. If
these word> ^re properly translated in the New Church literature,
the stigma \\hidi has been hanging over the New Church for 150
\ears. would Mon pa^> away, in my opinion, and the Church
would have a rapid growth to a million members, instead of the
meagre arui ^mall membership it has to-day. The New Church is
the C.iModian nf the greatest and most sacred truth in the world
to-fit), and a mir-<ionar\ zeal should take hold of New Church-
men, to -eo that the>e truths are properly given to the world, and
a> Sweden horjr intended them to be. The old translations were
made bj men uho did not seem to know what Swedenborg was
talking about, and especially in Part II of this book on Conjugial
Love. Part One also needs revision, and to get rid of many
objectionable translations there, where these false translations
occur frequently, as **Love of the Sex", etc. In writing Part IL
Swedenhorg was dealing with a delicate subject literally, and it
was very necessary to write in a somewhat veiled language, with
an appeal to the natural men of his day, but also to contain a
deeper meaning for spiritual people. He knew that in time the
inner perceptions of New Churchmen w T ould be opened, and that
they would come to know what he meant. All sacred and holy
truths whirli have come down from the Lord have had to be
veiled, or partially covered, to prevent their destruction, and such
has been the case with what Swedenborg has given us in Part II.
in my opinion. A Scientific is the outer shell which holds the
precious kernel and meat on the inside, and every Scientific con-
tains heavenly and celestial truths inside, as well as the outer
husk, for those who want to feed on husks. Mr. McGeorge has
been a new and modern Prophet, and Apostle of the New Church,
a man with a new vision of the truths which E.S. has given us
from the Lord, and we ought to carry on the work, give the world
the new light on the Writings of Part II, which are very spiritual
and holy, when understood, and to-day, I consider my study of
Part II as the best part of Swedenborg's Writings, and with teach-
ings that have drawn me closer to the Lord than ever. Let this
Part II also be a help to you, and do not discard it, as it is a
precious jewel of truth when you know what Swedenborg is talk-
ing about. It has now fallen to my lot to gather up what Mr.
McGeorge has taught, and put his teachings, views, and the new
light he has given us, and his translations, into such shape that the
world can have the benefit of them, and also to make further
revisions and translations on those sections he did not have time
to reach. If what I am doing for you appeals to you, and to the
rank and file of New Churchmen, and also to others outside of the
New Church Organizations, I will feel that I have done my duty,
and that my life has been well spent, and of use. As these Writings
were given to Swedenborg by the Lord, we will never in this
present life be able to fully comprehend them, but we can do our

PREFACE TO FIRST EDITIO\ xiii

best and make the effort. I have careful!) read the Arcana
through twice., but every time I take down one of these volumes. I
see new truths I did not comprehend in former reading*. Then*
are celestial things, and better understood by the celestial angels
than by us here. As you read through the translations I am sub-
mitting here, you will see the words and terms explained by the
correspondences, and also by phrases in parenthesis, so that it
will not be necessary for me to make any great and lengthy
explanation of them here in this Introduction, as it would take a
large volume to write what I know, and would like to say about
this Part II. Read these translations carefully, and I think you
will agree with me that this is one of the Jewels of the Writings.
and is intended to point men and women to heaven, and the
heavenly marriage, such as is enjoyed by the angels. The main
thing that Swedenborg was dealing with in Part II was the
Heavenly Marriage of Good and Truth, and to teach people how
to attain to such a conjunction in their own souls. In these writings,
the MR stands for the Understanding, the Heavenly Husband. The
UXOR stands for the Will, or the Heavenly Wife. HOMO stands for
the natural man, or the external mind. Infantes are those young,
still in states of Innocence and irresponsibility. The Adolescens
are those in the next higher state, the state of the growing Under-
standing, and in sins of ignorance. The Juvenis is the next stage,
that of reason, also of lust and in the sins of lust, or scortations,
and the falsifying of truth. The next stage after this, if the erring
Understanding has not yet joined itself to good and truth, is
where both the Will and Understanding become involved in evils.
adulterations of good, and profanation of truth. You will fre-
quently meet with these terms in the translations, and also find
them explained there.

The translations given here are Numbers 423 to 476, inclusive,
the same as appear in the book. "Laws of Order*\ as published fay
the Academy. As a concluding word I wish to impress upon you
the fact that it is necessary to know Correspondences before you
can understand the Writings of Swedenborg. He tells us so many
times that a knowledge of Form, Order, Degrees, Influx and
Correspondence, is necessary in order to understand and com-
prehend his Writings. In C.L. n. 127, he writes, "These, however,
are Arcana of too deep a nature to enter the understanding with
any degree of light, unless preceded by Knowledge about Cor-
respondence; nor is it possible so to explain them as to make
them comprehensible, unless this Knowledge be disclosed to the
understanding". What could be plainer instruction than this?
Some people say there are no Correspondences in Swedenborg^s
Writings, and that such are limited to the Word only, but from
what I read in the Writings, they are mistaken, in my opinion.
We must "know, and use Correspondences, and be familiar with
the Writings as a whole, in order to understand the meanings in
CL., and especially in Part II, and not make a new line of thought

xiv PREFACE TO FIRST EDITION

out of Part II. interpreted literally, which is against the general
trend of his teachings. as. has been done by the Translators.

There are 112 Numbers, or Article?, in Part II of C.L., but I
have limited this book to the translation of only 53 of them, as
the Academy has done in their "Laws of Order*'. But this has
been done to sive \ou time to think the matter over, and to see
how you receive these. There are some very important Articles
and Teachings in Part Two, from 477 to 535, "about the Kinds and
Decree? of "Adulteries", about the Lust of Defloration, the Lust
of Varieties, the Lust of Violation, the Lust of Seducing Inno-
cences. Imputation, etc.. which ought to be revised, and their
spiritual meanings brought out, to give you the truth about these
Teachings. Of course, it would mean some sacrifice of present
literature and plates to make a complete revision of the Volume
on Conjugial Love, but, as this is the one book of Swedenborg's
Writings which has been in controversy, I feel that such a step
would result in a great Forward Movement for the New Church,
and rapid growth in its membership, influence, and power in the
World for good, and upliftment of the people from the Heresies,
Sects, and Creeds, which have grown up from a false interpreta-
tion of the literal sense of the Word. I trust these translations
I am now giving you will prove of great spiritual blessing to
you, and that you w^ill all take a renewed interest in Part Two
of this book, and discover its hidden treasures.

H. L CORNELL, M.D.

Los Angeles.
Jan. 29th, 1938.

CONTEXTS

PART THE FIRST

PRELIMINARIES: THE JUY> OF HEAVEN AM* THE .V PIIAI^ THF.HE
(nos. 1-26).

MARRIAGES ix HEAVEN fnns. 2741). noc.

I. Man lives a man after he leave? the natural ^tate, . . 28-31
II. The male ( understanding ) then U a male, an*] the female

(will), a female, \ 32.33

HI. Every one's own love remain? with him after death. . . ?A-fo
IV. Sexual love especially remains; and with those who '-nr^e
into heaven, as those do who become -piritual hi the
natural world, conjupal love remains 37,38

V. These things fully confirmed by personal observation, . 3^

VI. Consequently there are marriages in the hea\ens. . . 40
VII. Spiritual weddings are meant by the Lord's words, that

after the resurrection they are not given in marriage, . 41

Conjugial love seen in ito own form with two married part-
ners who were conveyed down from hearen in a vhantjt^ 42,43
Three noiitiates from the world receive information nn the
subject of marriage.* in heaven, 44

THE STATE OF MARRIED PARTNERS AFTER DEATH (nos-f 45-54),

L Sexual love remains with every man (or woman) after the
death of the physical body, such as it had been interiorly,
that is, such as it had been in his interior will and thought

in the natural world, * . .46,47

II. Conjugial love likewise remains such as it had been inter-
iorly; that is, such as it had been in the unarms interior will
and thought in the natural world, 48

III. The two married partners most generally meet after the

death of the physkal bodies, recognize each other, again
consociate, and for some time live together: this takes
place in the first state, thus while they are in externals
as in the natural world, 47b

IV. But successively, as they put off their externals, and enter

into their internals, they perceive what had been the
quality of their love and inclination for each other
mutually, and consequently whether they can live together,

or not, 48b

V. If they can live together, they remain married partners; but

if they cannot, they separate; sometimes the husband <vir)

from the wife, sometimes the wife from the husband, and

sometimes both mutually from each other, ... 49

VI. Then there is given to the man a suitable wife, and to the

woman likewise a suitable husband, 50

VII. Married partners enjoy similar consociation with each other
as in the natural world, but more delightful and blessed;
yet without prolification, for which, or in place of which,
they have spiritual prolification, which is that of love and
wisdom, 51,52

xvi CONTENTS

nos.
VIII. This takes place with those who come into heaven; but

it is otherwise with those who go to hell, . . . 53, 54

Chaste sexual love, 55

The temple of wisdom, where a discussion was held by the
wise men on the causes of the beauty of the feminine sex, 56

TRULY CONJUGIAL LOVE (nos. 57-73).

I. There exists a truly conjugial love, which at the present
day is so rare that it is not known what its quality is,

and scarcely that it exists, 58,59

II. The origin of that love is from the marriage of good and

truth, 60,61

III. There is a correspondence of that love with the marriage

of the Lord and the church, 62, 63

IV. That love, on account of its origin, and on account of its

correspondence, is celestial, spiritual, holy, pure, and clean,
above every other love which from the Lord is with the
angels of heaven and with the men of the church, . . 64

V. It is also the fundamental love of all celestial and spiritual

loves, and hence of all natural loves, .... 65-67
VI. And into that love are collected all joys and all delights

from first to last, 68, 69

VIL But none others come into that love, and are able to be in
it, but those who approach the Lord, and love the truths

of the church, and do its goods, 70-72

VIII. This love was the love of loves with the Ancients, who lived
in the golden, silver, and copper ages; (but afterwards it

successively departed,) 73

Conjugial love among those who lived in the Golden Age, . 74, 75
Conjugial love among those who lived in the Silver Age, . 76

Conjugial love among those who lived in the Copper Age, . 77

Conjugial love among those who lived in the Iron Age, . 78

Conjugial love among those who lived after those Ages, . 79, 80
The Glorification of the Lord hy the angels in the heavens,
on account of His advent, and on account of (the restora-
tion of) conjugial love then,. . 81
The precepts of the New Church 9 82

THE ORIGIN OF CONJUGIAL LOVE FROM THE MARRIAGE OF GOOD
AND TRUTH (nos. 83-102).

I. Good and truth are the universals of creation, and hence are
in all created things; but in the created subjects they are

according to the form of each, 84-86

IL There does not exist solitary good, nor solitary truth, but

they are everywhere conjoined, 87

III. There is the truth of good, and from this the good of truth ;

or, the truth from good, and the good from that truth:
and in those two there has been implanted from creation
an inclination to become conjoined into a one, . . 88, 89

IV. In the subjects of the animal kingdom, the truth of good, or

the truth from good, is masculine; and from that the good

of truth, or the good from that truth, is feminine, . . 90, 91

V. From the influx of the marriage of good and truth from the

Lord, there is sexual love, and there is conjugial love, . 92, 93
VI. Sexual love belongs to the external or natural man, and

hence it is common to every animal, .... 94

C( A TEXTS xv ii

no<.

VII. But conjugial love belongs to the Internal or spiritual man,

(and hence this love is peculiar to man), . . . 95,96
VIII. With man conjugial love is in sexual love, as a gem in its

matrix, 97

IX. Sexual love with man is not the origin of conjugial love,
hut its first manifestation; thus it is like the natural
external into which the spiritual internal is implanted, . 98

X. When conjugial love has heen implanted, sexual love inverts

itself, and becomes the chaste love of the sex, . . 99

XL The male and the female were created to be the very form

of the marriage of good and truth, 100

XII. The two married consorts are that form in their inmosts,
and hence in the things that are derived from those in-
mosts, in proportion as the interiors of their minds are

opened, 101,102

The origin of conjugial love, and its virtue or potency,
discussed by wise men summoned together from the

European world, 103-114

A paper let down from heaven into the earth, on which was
written: "The marriage of Good and Truth", . . . 135

THE MARRIAGE OF THE LORD AND THE CHURCH, AND ITS CORRE-
SPONDENCE (nos. 116-131).

I. The Lord in the Word is called the Bridegroom and Hus-
band, and the church the bride and wife; and the con-
junction of the Lord with the church, and the reciprocal
conjunction of the church with the Lord, is called marriage, 117
II. The Lord is also called the Father, and the church the

mother, . . . 118,119

III. The offspring from the Lord as the Husband and Father,

and from the church as the wife and mother, are all
spiritual; and in the spiritual sense of the Word are
meant by sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, sons-
in-law and daughters-in-law, and by the other names of
relationship, 120

IV. The spiritual offspring, which are born from the marriage

of the Lord with the church, are truths, from which there
are understanding, perception, and all thought, and goods,
from which there are love, charity, and all affection, . 121
V. From the marriage of good and truth, which proceeds from
the Lord, and flows in, man receives truth, and to this
the Lord conjoins good, and thus the church is formed by

the Lord with man 122-124

VI. The husband does not represent the Lord, and th.e wife the
church; because both together, the husband and the wife,

constitute the church, 125

VII. Therefore there is no correspondence of the husband with
the Lord, and of the wife with the church, in the mar-
riages of angels in the heavens, and of human beings on
earth, 126

VIII. But there is a correspondence with conjugial love, fecunda-

tion, prolification, the love of children, and similar things
which are in marriages and from marriages, ... 127
IX. The Word is the medium of conjunction, because it is from

the Lord, and dius is the Lord, 128

X. The church is from the Lord, and is with those who come

to him, and live according to His precepts, . . . 129

xviii CONTENTS

nos.
XL Conjugial love is according to the state of the church,

because it is according to the state of wisdom with man, . 130

XIL And, since the church is from the Lord, conjugial love also

is from Him, . 131

What the image and likeness of God are, and what the tree
of Ufe is, and what the tree of knowledge of good and evil, 132-136

A conversation with two angels from the third heaven on
the subject of the conjugial love in that heaven, . . 137

THE CHASTE AND THE NON-CHASTE (nos. 138-156).

I. Hie chaste and the non-chaste are predicated only of mar-
riages, and of such things as helong to marriage, . . 139, 140

II. The chaste is predicated only of monogomous marriages, or

of the marriage of one man with one wife, ... 141

El. The Christian conjugial (principle) alone is chaste, . . 142

IV. Truly conjugial love is chastity itself, .... 143

V. All the delights of truly conjugial love, even the ultimate

ones, are chaste, 144

VI. With those who are made spiritual by the Lord, conjugial

love is more and more purified and made chaste, . . 145, 146
VII. The chastity of marriage comes into existence by means of

a total renunciation of scortations on account of religion, 147-149
VIII. Chastity cannot be predicated of little children, nor of boys
and girls, nor of youths and maidens before they feel in
themselves/ sexual love, 150

IX. Chastity cannot be predicated of eunuchs so born, nor of

eunuchs so made, 151

X. Chastity cannot be predicated of those who do not believe
scortations to be evils of religion; and still less of those
who do not believe scortatory love to be hurtful to society, 152

XL Chastity cannot be predicated of those who abstain from

scortations only for various external reasons, . . . 153
XIL Chastity cannot be predicated of those who believe mar-
riages to be unchaste, 154

XIII. Chastity cannot be predicated of those who have renounced

marriages by vowing perpetual celibacy, unless there be

and remain in them the love of a truly conjugial life, . 155

XIV. The state of marriage is to be preferred to the state of

celibacy, 156

Of the Ancients in Greece, who enquired of new-comers,
"What of regeneration from the natural state? 99 , and
are told by them about men that have been found in the

forest, 151a-154a

The golden shower, and the palace where the wives spoke
various things on the subject of conjugial love, . . 155a

THE CONJUNCTION OF THE SOULS AND MINDS BY MEANS OF MAR-
RIAGE, WHICH is MEANT BY THE LORD'S WORDS, THAT THEY
ARE NO LONGER Two, BUT ONE FLESH (nos. 156a-181).
I. From creation there has been implanted in both sexes a
faculty and inclination, whereby they are able and willing

to be conjoined as into a one, 157

II. Conjugial love conjoins two souls, and hence two minds,

into a one, 158

HI. The will of the wife conjoins itself with the understanding-

CONTEXTS xix

nos.

of the man, and hence the understanding of the man con-
joins itself with the will of the wife, . 159
IV. The inclination to unite the man to herself is constant and
perpetual with the wife, but inconstant and fluctuating

with the man, 160

V. Conjunction is inspired into the man by the wife according
to her love, and is received by the man according to his

wisdom, 161

VI. This conjunction is effected successively from the first days
of marriage; and, with those who are in truly conjugial
love, it is effected more and more thoroughly to eternity, 162

VII. The conjunction of the wife with the rational wisdom of
the husband, is effected from within, but with his moral
wisdom from without, 163-165

VIII. For the sake of this conjunction as the end, there has been

given to the wife a perception of the affections of the

husband, and also the utmost prudence in governing them, 166

IX. The wives conceal this perception with themselves, and hide

it from their husbands, on account of causes which are

necessities, in order that conjugial love, friendship, and

confidence, and thus the blessedness of dwelling together,

and the happiness of life, may be secured, . . . 167

X. This perception is the wisdom of the wife; and this wisdom

is not possible with the man: neither is the rational wisdom

of the man possible with the wife, 168

XI. The wife, from love, is continually thinking about the man's
inclination towards her, with the purpose of conjoining
him with herself; it is otherwise with the man, . . 16^

XII. The wife conjoins herself with her husband by means of

applications to the desires of his will, .... 170

XIII. The wife is conjoined with her husband by means of the

sphere of her life, which goes out from her love, . . ' 171

XTV. The wife is conjoined with the husband by means of the
appropriation of the forces of his virtues or manhood ; but
this is effected according to their mutual spiritual love, 172
XV. Thus the wife receives into herself the image of her hus-
band, and hence perceives, sees, and feels his affections, 173

XVI. There are duties proper to the man, and duties proper to
the wife; and the wife cannot enter into the duties proper
to the man, nor the man into the duties proper to the wife,

and perform them rightly, 174, 175

XVII. These duties, according to mutual aid, also conjoin the two

into a one, and at the same time constitute one house, . 176
XVIII. Married partners, according to the above-named conjunc-
tions, become one man (homo) more and more, . . 177

XIX. Those who are in truly conjugial love, feel that they are a

united man, and as it were one flesh, . . . . 178
XX. Truly conjugial love, considered in itself, is a union of
the souls, a conjunction of the minds, and an effort for
conjunction in the bosoms, and hence in the body, . . 179

XXI. The states of this love are innocence, peace, tranquility,
inmost friendship, full confidence, and a desire of the
disposition and of the heart to make all good mutual to
each other; and the states arising from all these are
blessedness, blissfulness, delightsomeness, and pleasure;
and from the eternal enjoyment of these is heavenly
feisty, 180

xx CONTENTS

nos.
XXIL These things can by no means exist except in the marriage

of one man with one wife, 181

The opinions of the ancient Sophi in Greece on the subject
of the life of human beings after death, . . . . 182
The wedding garden called "Adramandoni", where a con-
versation was held on the subject of the Influx of Con-
jugial Love, 183

THE CHANGE OF THE STATE OF LIFE ( WHICH TAKES PLACE) WITH
MEN AND WOMEN BY MEANS OF MARRIAGE (nos. 184-206).
I. The state of a man's life from infancy even to the end of

his life, and afterwards to eternity, is continually changing, ' 185
II. A man's internal form, which is that of his spirit, is like-
wise continually changing, 186

III. These changes are different with men (viri) from what they

are with women; since men from creation are forms of
knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom, and women are forms
of the love of those things with men, .... 187

IV. With men there is an elevation of the mind into a higher

light, and with women an elevation of the mind into a
higher heat; and the woman feels the delights of her heat
in the man's light, ......... 188, 189

V. With both men and women, the states of life before mar-
riage are different from what they are after marriage, . 190

VI. With married partners the states of life after 'marriage are
changed and succeed each other according to the con-
junctions of their minds by means of conjugial love, . 191
VII. Marriages also induce other forms on the souls and minds

of married partners, 192

VIII. The woman is actually formed into the wife of the man

according to the description in the Book of Creation, . 193

IX. This formation is effected by the wife by secret means; and
this is meant by the woman being created while the man
slept, 194

X. This formation by the wife is effected by means of the con-
junction of her own will with the internal will of the man, 195

XL This is for the sake of the end that the will of both of them
may become one, and that thus they both may become one

man (homo), 396

XII. This formation by the wife is effected by means of the

appropriation of the affections of the husband, . , 197

XIII. This formation by the wife is effected by means of the

reception of the propagations of the soul of the husband,
with the delight originating from the circumstance that
she wills to be the love of he,r husband's wisdom, . . 198

XIV. Thus a maiden is formed into a wife, and a bachelor into

a husband, ]99

XV. In the marriage of one man (vir) with one wife, between
whom there exists truly conjugial love, the wife becomes
more and more a wife, and the husband more and more

a husband, 200

XVI. Thus also their forms are successively being perfected and

ennobled from the Interior, ...... 201

XVII. The offspring born of two who are in truly conjugial love,
derive from their parents the conjugial principle of good
and truth; whence they have the inclination and faculty*

CONTENTS xxi

DOS.

if a son, for perceiving the things which belong to wisdom,
and if a daughter, for loving the things which wisdom

teaches, 202-205

XVIII. This happens because the soul of the offspring is from the

father (the Lord), and its clothing from the mother, . 206

A conversation of the ancient So phi in Greece on the sub-
feet of employments in heaven, 207

The golden shower, and the palace where the wives again
spoke on the subject of conjugial love, .... 208

UNIVERSALS RELATING TO MARRIAGES (nos. 209-230).

I. The especial sense of conjugial love is the sense of touch., 210
II. With those who are in truly conjugial love, the faculty of
becoming wise increases; but with those who are not in
conjugial love, it decreases, 211,212

III. With those who are in truly conjugial love, the happiness

of dwelling together increases; but with those who are not

in conjugial love, it decreases, 213

IV. With those who are in truly conjugial love, the conjunction

of minds increases, and thereby friendship ; but with those
who are not in conjugial love, it decreases, . . . 214
V. Those who are in truly conjugial love, continually desire to
be one man; but those who are not in conjugial love,

desire to be two, 215

VI. Those who are in truly conjugial love, in marriage look to
what is eternal; but with those who are not in conjugial

love, the case is reversed, 216

VII. Conjugial love resides with chaste wives;; but still their

love depends upon their husbands, 216a

VIII. Wives love the bonds of marriage, provided only that the

men also love them, 217

IX. The intelligence of woman is in itself modest, elegant, pacific,
yielding, soft, tender; but tie intelligence of men is in itself
grave, harsh, hard, daring, fond of licentiousness, . . 218
X. Wives are in no excitement as men are; but they have a

state of preparation for reception, 219

XL The men have abundance according to the love of pro-
pagating the truths of their wisdom, and according to the
love of doing uses, ........ 220

XII. The determinations are at the good pleasure of the husband, 221

XIII. There is a conjugial sphere which flows in from the Lord

through heaven into each and all things of the universe,

even to its .ultimates, 222

XIV. This sphere is received by the feminine sex, and through it

is transferred into the masculine sex, and not contrariwise, 223
XV. Where there is truly conjugial love, this sphere is received

by the wife, and solely through the wife by the husband, 224
XVI. Where the love is not conjugial, this sphere is indeed

received by the wife, but not by tie husband through her, 225
XVII. Truly conjugial love may exist with one of the married

partners, and not at the same time with the other, . . 226
XVIII. There are various likenesses and unliken esses, both internal

and external, with married partners, 227

XIX. Various likenesses can be conjoined, but not with unlike-

228

xxii CONTENTS

110 S.

XX. The Lord provides likenesses for those who desire truly
conjugial love; and if they do not exist on earth, He pro-
vides them in the heavens, 229

XXI. According to the defect and loss of conjugial love, man

approaches to the nature of the beast, .... 230

The judges of friendship, of whom the exclamation, "0 how
just!" was made, 231

The reasoners, of whom the exclamation, "0 how learned!"

was made, 232

The confirmers, of whom the exclamation, "0 how ui-ac!"

was made,' 233

THE CAUSES OF COLDS, SEPARATIONS, AND DIVORCES, IN MARRIAGES
(nos. 234-260).

I. There is spiritual heat and there is spiritual cold; and
spiritual heat is love, and spiritual cold the deprivation

thereof, 235

II. Spiritual cold in marriages is a disunion of the souls, and
a disjunction of the minds, whence come indifference, dis-
cord, contempt, loathing, and aversion; from which, with
many, there at length ensues separation as to bed, bed-
chamber, and house, 236

III. There are many causes of cold in their successions, some

internal, some external, and some accidental, . . . 237

IV. The internal causes of cold are from religion, . . . 238, 239
V. The first of these causes is the rejection of religion by both

of the married partners, 240

VI. The second is, that one of the married partners has religion,

and the other has not 241

VII. The third is, that one of the married partners has a different

religion from the other, 242

VHI. The fourth is, imbibed falsity of religion, .... 243
IX. These are causes of internal cold, but, with many, not, al

the same time of external cold, 244, 245

X. There are also many external causes of cold; and the, first

of them is, an unlikeness of disposition and manners, . 246
XL The second is, that conjugial love is believed to be one with
scortatory love, except that the latter is not allowed by law,

but the former is, 247

XII. The third is, a striving for pre-eminence between the married

partners, 248

XIII. The fourth is, a want of determination to some employment

or occupation, whence comes wandering cupidity, . . 249

XIV. The fifth is, inequality of state and condition in externals, 250
XV. There are also some causes of separation, .... 251

XVI. The first of them is, a vitiated slate of mind, . . . 25%

XVII. The second is, a vitiated state of body, .... 253

XVIII. The third is, impotence before marriage, .... 254

XIX. Scortatory love is the cause of divorce, . 255
XX. There are also many accidental causes of cold, and the !irnt
of these is the commonness of delight which results from

its being continually allowed, 25d

XXI. The second is, that living with a married partner from

covenant and law, seems to be compulsory and not free, 257

CONTENTS xxiii

nos.
XXII. The third is, affirmation by the wife, and a talking about

love by her, 258

XXIII. The fourth is, the man's thought by day and night, that the

wife is willing; and on the other hand, the wife's thought

that the man is not willing, 259

XXIV. In proportion as cold is in the mind, it is in the body also;

and according to the increase of that cold, the externals

of the body also are closed, 260

Of those who are in the love of ruling from the love of self, 261-266
Of those who are in the love of possessing all the things

of the world, .... * 267,268

Of Lucifer, 269

Conjugial cold, 270

THE CAUSES OF APPARENT LOVE, FRIENDSHIP, AND FAVOUR IN
MARRIAGES nos. 271-292).

I. In the natural world almost all are capable of being con-
joined as to the external affections, but not as to the in-
ternal affections, if these disagree and appear, ... 272

II. In the spiritual world all are conjoined according to the
internal affections, but not according to the external affec-
tions, unless these act as a one with the internal affections, 273

III. It is the external affections according to which matrimonies

are generally contracted in the world, .... 274

IV. But if the internal affections, which conjoin the minds, are

not within, the bonds of matrimony are loosened at home, 275
V. Nevertheless matrimonies in the world ought to continue till

the end of life, 276

VI. In those matrimonies in which the internal affections do not
conjoin, there are external affections which stimulate the

internal ones, and consociate, 277

VII. Hence there are apparent love, apparent friendship, and

favour between married partners, 278

VIII. These appearances are conjugial simulations, and they are

praiseworthy, because useful and necessary, ... 279

IX. These conjugial simulations, with a spiritual man (homo),

conjoined with a consort who is natural, derive their quality

from justice and judgment, 280

X. These conjugial simulations with natural men derive their

quality from prudence for the sake of various reasons, . 281
XL They are for the sake of amendments, and for the sake of

accommodations, 282

XII. They are for the sake of preserving order in domestic affairs,

and for the sake of mutual help, . ... 283

XIII. They are for the sake of unanimity in the care of the

younger and older children, 284

XIV. They are for the sake of peace at home, . . . . 285
XV. They are for the sake of reputation outside of the home, . 286

XVI. They are for the sake of various favours expected from the
married partner, or from his or her relatives, and thus for
fear of losing such favours, ...... 287

XVIL They are for the sake of excusing blemishes, and conse-
quently for the sake of avoiding disgrace, . . . 288

XVIII. They are for the sake of reconciliations, .... 289

xxiv CONTENTS

nos.

XIX. If favour does not cease with the wife, when faculty ceases
with the man, there may be formed a friendship emulating
conjugial friendship, when the consorts grow old, . . 290

XX. There exist various kinds of apparent love and friendship
between married partners, of whom one has been brought
under the yoke, and consequently is subject to the other, 291

XXL In the world there exists infernal marriages between mar-
ried partners who inwardly are the most inveterate enemies,
and outwardly are as the most attached friends, . . 292

The seven wives sitting in the garden of roses * who spake
various things on the subject of conjugial love, . . 293

Observations by the same ivives on the subject of the pru-
dence of women, 294

BETROTHALS AND WEDDINGS (nos. 295-314).

I. The choice belongs to the man and not to the woman, . 296
II. The man ought to court and entreat the woman respecting

marriage with him, and not the woman the man, . . 297

III. The woman ought to consult her parents, or those who are

in place of parents, and then deliberate with herself, before

she consents 298, 299

IV. After the declaration of consent, pledges ought to be given, 300
V. The consent ought to be confirmed and corroborated by

means of solemn betrothal, 301

VL By betrothal both are prepared for conjugial love, . . 302
VII. By means of betrothal, the mind of the one is conjoined
with the mind of the other, so that a marriage of the spirit
may be effected before the marriage of the body, . . 303
VIII. This is the case with those who think chastely of marriages;
but it is otherwise with those who think unohastely of

them, 304

IX. "Within the time of betrothal, it is not allowable to be con-
joined corporeally, 305

X. When the time of betrothal is completed, the wedding ought

to take place, 306

XI. Previous to the celebration of the wedding, the conjugial

covenants ought to be ratified in the presence of witnesses, 307
XII. The marriage ought to be consecrated by a priest, . . 308

XIII. The wedding ought to be celebrated with festivity, . . 309

XIV, After the wedding, the marriage of the spirit is made also a

marriage of the body, and thereby a full marriage, . . 310
XV. Such is the order of conjugial love with its successive stages

from its first heat to its first torch, 311

XVI. That conjugial love precipitated, without order and its

modes, burns out the marrows and comes to an end, , . 312
XVII. The states of the minds of both parties proceeding in suc-
cessive order, flow in into the state of marriage; neverthe-
less in one manner with the spiritual and in another with

the natural, 313

XVIIL Because there exist successive order, and simultaneous order,

and the latter is from the former and according to it, . 314
A discussion on the subject of the soul and Us quality, , 315
The garden where a conversation took place on the sub feet
of the Divine Providence in relation lo marriage, , , 316

CONTENTS xxv

nos.
REPEATED MARRIAGES (nos. 317-325).

I. After _ the death of a married partner, again to contract

matrimony depends on the preceding conjugial love, . 318
II. It depends also on the state of marriage in which they had

lived 319

III. With those who have not been in truly conjugial love, there

is no obstacle or hindrance to their again contracting
matrimony, - 320

IV. Those who had lived together in truly conjugial love are

unwilling to many again, except for reasons separate from

conjugial love, 321

V. The state of the marriage of a bachelor with a maiden is

different from that of a bachelor with a widow, . . 322
VI. The state of the marriage of a widower with a maiden is

also different from that of a widower with a widow, . 323
VII. The varieties and diversities of these marriages as to love

and its attributes exceed all number, .... 324
VIII. The state of a widow is more grievous than the state of a

widower, ' 325

The difference between what is spiritual and what is natural, 326-329
Discussing whether a woman who loves herself on account
of her beauty, loves her husband; and whether a man who
loves himself on account of his intelligence, loves his wife, 330, 331

POLYGAMY (nos. 332-342).

I. Truly conjugial love cannot exist except with one wife, con-
sequently neither can truly conjugial friendship, confidence,
potency, and such a conjunction of the minds that two may

be one flesh, 333, 334

II. Thus the celestial blessednesses, spiritual blissfulnesses, and
natural delightsomenesses, which from the beginning were
provided for those who are in truly conjugial love, can
only be given with one wife, 335

III. All those things cannot possibly exist except from the Lord

alone; and they do not exist with any others than those
who approach Him alone, and at the same time live accord-
ing to His commandments, 336

IV. Consequently, truly conjugial love, with its felicities, can

exist only with those who are of the Christian Church, . 337
V. Hence it is that it is not allowable for a Christian to marry

more than one wife, 338

VI. If a Christian marries several wives (has several wives at
the same time), he commits not only natural adultery, but

also spiritual adultery, 339

VII. The Israelitish nation was permitted to marry several wives,
because the Christian Church was not with that nation,
and consequently truly conjugial love could not exist with
them 340

VIII. At the present day, the Mohammedans are permitted to
marry several wives, because they do not acknowledge the
Lord Jesus Christ to be one with Jehovah the Father, and
thus to be the God of heaven and earth; and therefore
they cannot receive truly conjugial love, .... 341

IX* The Mohammedan heaven is outside of the Christian heaven,
and is divided into two heavens; a lower and a higher;

xxvi CONTENTS

nos.

and no others are elevated into their higher heaven but
those who renounce concubines, and live with one wife,
and acknowledge our Lord as equal to God the Father,
to Whom has been given dominion over heaven and earth, 342-344

X. Polygamy is lasciviousness, 345

XI. Conjugial chastity, purity, and holiness, cannot possibly

exist with polygamists, 346

XIL Polygamists, so long as they remain polygamists, cannot

become spiritual, 347

XIII. Polygamy is not sin with those with whom it is in accord-

ance with religion, 348

XIV. Polygamy is not sin with those who are in ignorance about

the Lord 349, 350

XV. Of these, such, although polygamists, are saved as acknowl-
edge a God, and from religion live according to the civil

laws of justice, 351

XVI. But none either of the latter or of the former can be con-

sociated with the angels in the Christian heavens, . . 352

Self-prudence, 353,354

The perpetual faculty of loving one's wife in heaven, . . 355, 356

JEALOUSY (nos. 357-379).

I. Zeal, considered in itself, is like the fire of love blazing up, 358
II. The blazing up, or flame of that love, which is zeal, is a
spiritual blazing up or flame, arising from the infestation
of and assault upon the love, 359-361

III. The quality of a man's zeal is according to the quality of

his love; thus it is different with him whose love is good

from what it is with him whose love is evil, . . . 362

IV. The zeal of a good love and the zeal of an evil love are

alike in externals, but utterly unlike in internals, . . 363, 364

V. The zeal of a good love in its internals contains a hidden
store of love and friendship; but the zeal of an evil love
in its internals contains a hidden store of hatred and
revenge, 365,366

VI. The zeal of conjugial love is called jealousy, . . . 367

VIL Jealousy is like a blazing fire against those who infest the
love with the married partner, and it is like a terrible fear

for the loss of that love, 368

VIII. There exists spiritual jealousy with monogomists, and natural

jealousy with polygamists, . 369, 370

IX. Jealousy with those married partners who tenderly love
each other, is a just grief arising from sound reason, Jest
conjugial love be divided, and thus perish, . . . 371,372
X. Jealousy with married partners who do not love each other,
arises from many causes; arising with some from various
distempers of the mind, 373-375

XI. With some there is not any jealousy; and this also is from

various causes, 376

XII. There is also jealousy in regard to concubines, but not such

as in regard to wives, 377

XIII. Jealousy likewise exists among beasts and birds, . . 378

XIV. The jealousy with men and husbands is different from that

with women and wives, 379

A discussion whether nature is of life, or life of nature;

CONTENTS xxvii

nos.
also, on the subject of the centre and expanse of life and

of nature, 380

Orators delivering their opinions on the subject of the origin
of the beauty of the feminine sex, 381-384

THE CONJUNCTION OF CONJUGIAL LOVE WITH THE LOVE OF CHILDREN
(nos. 385-414).

I. Two universal spheres proceed from the Lord to preserve
the universe in its created state; of which the one is the
sphere of procreating, and the other the sphere of pro-
tecting the things procreated, 386

II. Those two universal spheres make a one with the sphere of

conjugial love and the sphere of love of children, . . 387

III. Those two spheres universally and singularly flow in into

all things of heaven and all things of the world, from first

to last, . 388-390

IV. The sphere of the love of children is a sphere of protection

and support of those who are unable to protect and support

themselves, 391

V. That sphere affects both the evil and the good, and dis-
poses every one to love, protect, and support his offspring,
out of self-love, 392

VI. This sphere principally affects the female sex, thus mothers,

and the male sex, or fathers, by derivation from them, . 393
VII. This sphere is also a sphere of innocence and peace from

the Lord, 394

VIII. The sphere of innocence flows in into the children, and

through them into the parents, and affects them, . . 395

IX. It also flows in into the souls of the parents, and conjoins
itself with the same sphere in the children; and it is chiefly

insinuated by means of the touch, 396, 397

X. In the degree in which innocence departs from children,
affection and conjunction also abate, and this successively
even to separation, 398

XL The state of rational innocence and peace with the parents
towards the children is (grounded in the cirsumstance),
that they know nothing and can do nothing from them-
selves, but from others, especially from the father and
mother; and this state also successively departs, in propor-
tion as they know and have ability from themselves and

not from others, 399

XII. The sphere of the love of procreating progresses in order
from the end through the causes into the effects, and
makes periods, by means of which creation is preserved
in the state foreseen and provided for, .... 400, 401

XIII. The love of children descends, and does not ascend, . 402

XIV. Wives have one state of love before conception, and a

different state after conception even to the birth, . . 403
XV. With parents, conjugial love is conjoined with the love of

children by spiritual causes, and thence by natural ones, 404
XVI. The love of children is different with spiritual married

partners from what it is with natural ones, . . . 405-407
XVII. With the spiritual* that love is from what is interior or prior,

but with the natural from what is exterior or posterior, 408
XVIIL Hence it is, that that love exists with married partners who

mutually love each other, and also with married partners

who do not love each other at all, 409

xxviii CONTENTS

nos.
XIX. The love of children remains after death, especially with

women, 410

XX. Children are educated under the Lord's auspices by such
women, and grow in stature and intelligence as in the

world 411,412

XXI. It is there provided by the Lord, that with those children
the innocence of childhood should become the innocence
of wisdom, and that thus the children should become angels, 413, 414
That all things that exist and take place in the natural
world, are from the Lord through the spiritual world, . 415422

CONTENTS xxix

PART THE SECOND

nos.

THE OPPOSITION OF SCORTATORY LOVE AND CONJUGIAL LOVE
(nos. 423-443).

I. That the quality of scortatory love is not known unless the

quality of conjugial love is known, 424

II. That scortatory love is opposite to conjugial love, . . 425

III. That scortatory love is opposite to conjugial love, as the

natural man, viewed in himself, is opposite to the spiritual

man, 426

IV. That scortatory love is opposite to conjugial love, as the

connubial relation of evil and falsity is opposite to the

marriage of good and truth, 427,428

V. That scortatory love is therefore opposite conjugial love,

just as hell is opposite to heaven, 429

VI. That the uncleanness of hell is from scortatory love, and

that the cleanness of heaven is from conjugial love, . . 430
VII. That it is similar in regard to the uncleanness in the church,

and the cleanness there, 431

VIIL That the union of evil and falsity more and more makes
good not good, and truth not truth, and that, on the other
hand, good and truth conjoined makes good more and

more good and truth, 432,433

IX. That there is a sphere of scortatory love, and a sphere of

conjugial love, 434

X. That the sphere of scortatory love comes up out of hell, and

the sphere of conjugial love comes down from heaven, . 435
XL That in each of those worlds those two spheres meet, but

do not conjoin, 436

XII. That between these two spheres is an equilibrium, and in

this is man, 437

XIII. That man is able to turn himself to whichever sphere he

will, but that in so far as he turns himself to one, he turns
himself from the other, 438

XIV. That each sphere brings with it delights 439

XV. That the delights of scortatory love begin from the flesh

(the natural mind), and that they are of the flesh even in
the spirit; but that the delights of conjugial love begin in
the spirit, and that they are of the spirit even in the flesh, 440, 441
XVL That the delights of scortatory love are pleasures of insanity,
and that the delights of conjugial love are the delights of

wisdom, 442,443

Of the angels who were ignorant of what scortation is 9 . 444

FORNICATIO (nos. 444a-460).

I. That fornicatio is of sexual love 445

II. That sexual love, from which is fornicatio, begins when the
growing understanding commences to think and act from
its own intelligence, and the affection of its thought begins
to become intellectual, i.e., has good from truth or truth
from good, 446

III. That fornicatio is of the natural man, 447

IV. That fornicatio (falsity) is lust, but not the lust of scortatory

lore, 448,449

xxx CONTENTS

nos.

V. That sexual love, if that does not pass off into fornicatio,
cannot with certain ones be entirely restrained, without

most evil results, 450 .

VI. That, therefore, those in corporeal love, who think of
marriages as scortations, who attribute the origin of con-
jugial love and its potency to other than the Divine, in-
augurate, maintain, and populate the lupanaria of hell, . 451

VII. That forrdcatio is light, so far as it looks to conjugial love,

and the understanding puts that foremost in thought, . 452

VIII. That a corrupt affection for falsifying is grievous in the
degree that it looks to (or regards) a complete union

with falsity, 453

IX. That the lust of fornicating is more grievous as it inclines
towards the lust of varieties, and towards the lust of

defloration, 454

X. That the sphere of the lust of fornicating, such as it is in
principle, is in the middle between the sphere of scortatory
love and the sphere of conjugial love, and makes the

equilibrium 455

XL That care is to be taken, lest conjugial love, by immoderate

and inordinate fornications, should be destroyed, . . 456

XII. Inasmuch as the holy marriage of one man (vir) with one
wife (uxor) is the jewel of human life, and the pearl of

great price of the Christian religion, 457, 458

XIII. That this conjugial (principle) can possibly be kept in
existence with those who, because of manifold (or varying)
false pretexts (or excuses), cannot initiate (or intend)
marriages, and likewise, because of a condition in which
they are constantly exciting their salacity, they are unable
to govern their lusts, if sexual love is confined strictly
(or briefly to the understanding alone, .... 459

XTV. That pellicatus is preferable to wandering lust, provided
that it is not implanted in many (i.e., in both the will and
understanding), nor in a perfectly innocent heavenly love,
nor in the affection free from all falsity, nor with a good
that is united to truth, and is held separate (or distinct)
from conjugial love, . 460

Of delight, that it is the universal of heaven and hell) . 461

CONCUBINATUS (nos. 462-476).

I. That there are two kinds of concubinatus, which greatly
differ from each other: one conjointly with conjugial love,
and the other separately from that love, .... 463
II. That concubinatus conjointly with conjugial love IK not per-
missible to Christians, and is detestable, .... 464

III. That it is polygamy, which by the Christian world is damned,

and ought to be damned, 465

IV. That it is scortatio (all forms of extra-con jugial love), by

which conjugial love, the most precious treasure of the

Christian life, is destroyed, 466

V. That concubinage disjointly from conjugial love, while
entered into from causes legitimate, just, and truly weighty,
is not (or may not be) unpermissible, .... 467
VI. That the legitimate causes of this concubinatus are likewise
the legitimate causes of divorce, when the adulterous will
is fully united to the adulterous understanding, . . 468,469

CONTENTS xxxi

nos.
VII. That the just causes of this concubinatus are the just causes

of separation from the bedchamber (separation of minds), 470

VIII. That the weighty causes of this concubinatus are real and

not real, 471

IX. That the really weighty causes are such as are based upon

what is just, 472, 473

X. That the weighty causes not real, are those which are not

from the just, although from an appearance of what is just, 474
XL That those, who from the spiritual causes explained above,
are in this external marriage, may, or can be, in internal

marriage, 475

XII. That when concubinatus persists (or becomes permanent),
active cooperation (or mixing together) with conjugial love

is not permitted, 476

Of an adulterer who was taken up to heaven., and who
there saw things contrary to what they really are, . . 477

ADULTERIES: THEIR KINDS AND DEGREES (nos. 478-499).

I. There are three kinds of adulteries, simple, twofold, and

threefold 479

II. Simple adultery is that of an unmarried man with the wife
of another, or of an unmarried woman with the husband
of another, 480,481

III. Twofold adultery is that of a husband with the wife of

another, or of a wife with the husband of another, . . 482, 483

IV. Threefold adultery is with blood relations, . . . 484
V. There are four degrees of adulteries, according to which

their predications, their charges of blame, and after death

their imputations take place, 485

VI. Adulteries of the first degree are adulteries of ignorance,
which are committed by those who cannot as yet, or cannot
at all, consult the understanding, and thus check them, . 486

VII. Adulteries committed by these persons are mild, . , 487

VIII. Adulteries of the second degree are adulteries of lust, which
are committed by those who indeed are able to consult the
understanding, but from accidental causes at the moment

are not able to do so, 488

IX. Adulteries committed by these persons are imputatory,
according as the understanding afterwards favours them

or does not favour them, 489

X. Adulteries of the third degree are adulteries of the reason,
which are committed by those who confirm with the under-
standing that they are not* evils of sin, .... 490

XL The adulteries committed by these persons are grievous, and

are imputed to them, according to confirmations, . . 491

XII. Adulteries of the fourth degree are adulteries of the will,
which are committed by those who make them allowable
and pleasing, and who do not think them of such great
importance as to make it worth while to consult the under-
standing about them 492

XIII. The adulteries committed hy these persons are exceedingly

grievous, and are imputed to them as evils of set purpose,

and remain seated in them as guilt, 493

XIV. Adulteries of the third and fourth degrees are evils of sin,

according to the measure and quality of the understanding

xxxii CONTENTS

nos.
and the will in them, whether they are committed in act,

or not committed in act, 494

XV, Adulteries from set purpose of the will, and adulteries from
confirmation of the understanding, render human beings

natural, sensual, and corporeal, 495,496

XVI. And this to such a degree that at length they reject from

themselves all things of the church and of religion, . 497
XVII. Nevertheless they possess human rationality like others, . 498
XVIII. But they use that rationality when they are in externals, but

abuse it when in their internals, 499

Of the three priests who were accused by adulterers, . 500

THE LUST OP DEFLORATION (nos. 501-505).

I. The state of a maiden or undeflowered woman before mar-
riage and after marriage 502

II. Virginity is the crown of chastity, and the pledge of con-

jugial love, 503

III. Defloration without a view to marriage as the end, is the

villainy of a robber, 504

IV. The lot of those who have confirmed themselves in the per-

suasion that the lust of defloration is not an evil of sin,

after death is grievous, : 505

THE LUST OF VARIETIES (nos. 506-510).

I, That by the lust of varieties is understood the lust of scorta-

tion entirely unrestrained, 507

II. That lust is love and at the same time loathing for the sex, 508

III. That lust utterly annihilates conjugial love with itself, . 509

IV. The lot after death of those (who have been addicted to

that lust) is miserable, since they have not the inmost of

life, 510

THE LUST OF VIOLATION (nos. 511, 512).

THE LUST OF SEDUCING INNOCENCES (nos. 513, 514).

THE CORRESPONDENCE OF SCORTATIONS WITH THE VIOLATION OF THK
SPIRITUAL MARRIAGE (nos. 515-520).

Of those who are adulterers from set purpose and from con-
firmation, that they do not acknowledge anything of heaven
and the church, 521,522

THE IMPUTATION OF BOTH LOVES, SCORTATORV AND CONJUGIAI,
(nos 523-531).
I. The evil in which any one ia, is imputed to him after death;

likewise the good, 524

II. The transcription of the good of one person into another is

impossible, 525

III. Imputation, if by it is meant such transcription, in a frivolous

term, 526

IV. Evil is imputed to every one according to the quality of his

will, and according to the quality of his understanding;

likewise good, ' 527-529

V. Thus scortatory love is imputed to every one, . . . 530
VL Thus conjugial love (likewise) is imputed to every one, . 531

Of the new things that have been revealed by the Lord, . 532-535

THE DELIGHTS OF WISDOM

Relating to

CONJUGIAL LOVE

PRELIMINARIES
THE JOYS OF HEAVEN AND THE WEDDINGS THERE

1. I FORESEE that many who read these things that follow, and
the Memorable Relations at the end of the chapters, will believe
that they are inventions of the imagination; but I asservate in
truth that they are not inventions, but have of a truth been done
and seen; and that they have been seen, not in any dozing state
of mind, but in a state of full wakefulness. For it has pleased
the Lord to manifest Himself to me, and to send me to teach
those things which will belong to the New Church, which is meant
by the "New Jerusalem" in the Apocalypse. For the sake of this
end He has opened the interiors of my mind and spirit; by virtue
of which it has been given me to be in the spiritual world with the
angels, and at the same time in the natural world with men, and
this now for twenty-five years.

2. On a certain time I saw an angel flying underneath the
eastern heaven, who had a trumpet in his hand and at his mouth,
which he sounded towards the north, towards the west, and to-
wards the south. He was clad in a cloak, which streamed behind
him as he flew; and he was girt with a girdle which as it were
flamed and shone with fiery stones and sapphires. He flew down-
wards, and let himself slowly down on to the earth, near where I
was standing. As soon as he touched the earth, he stood erect on
his feet, and paced to and fro; and then, seeing me, he directed
his' steps towards me. I was in the spirit, and was standing, in the
spirit, on a hill in the southern quarter.

When he was near me, addressing him I asked, "What is the
matter now? I heard the sound of your trumpet, and saw your
descent through the air."

The angel replied, "I have been sent to call together those
who are the most celebrated for learning, the most clear-sighted
in genius, and the most eminent in the renown of wisdom, who
are on this part of the earth from the kingdoms of the Christian
world, that they may assemble on this hill where you are standing,
and from the heart utter their minds, as to what had been their
thought, understanding, and wisdom, while in the natural world,
concerning HEAVENLY JOY, and concerning ETERNAL HAPPINESS.
The cause of my mission was this, that some new-comers from
the natural world, having been admitted into our heavenly society,
which is in the east, have informed us, that not a single person
in the whole Christian world knows what heavenly joy is, and
what eternal happiness is, nor, consequently, what heaven is. My

3

3] CONJUGIAL LOVE

brethren and companions wondered much at this, and said to me,
'Go down, call together and assemble the wisest in the state of
spirits, (into which all mortals are first collected after their
departure out of the natural world,) to the end that we may know
of a certainty, from the mouth of many, whether it be the Truth
that there is such thick darkness, or dense ignorance, among
Christians, concerning the future life'."

And he said, "Wait a little while, and you will see companies
of the wise ones flocking hither; the Lord will prepare a house of
assembly for them."

I waited, and lo! after half an hour, I saw two troops from
the north, two from the west, and two from the south; and, as
they came, they were introduced by the angel of the trumpet into
the house prepared for them, where they took the places assigned
them according to the quarters. There were six troops or
companies; and there was a seventh from the East, which, by
reason of its light, was not seen by the others. When they were
gathered together, the angel explained the reason of their being
called together, and desired that the companies in order would
utter their wisdom concerning HEAVENLY JOY, and concerning
ETERNAL HAPPINESS. Then each company formed themselves into
a ring, with their faces turned towards each other, in order that
they might recall that subject according to the ideas which they
had conceived in the former state, and then examine it, and that,
after having examined it, and consulted together, they might
state what they thought about it.

3. After consultation, the FIRST COMPANY, which was from the
north, said that heavenly joy and eternal happiness are one with
the very life of heaven ; wherefore every one who enters heaven,
enters into its festivities as to the life; no otherwise than as a
person who goes to a wedding enters into its festivities. u ls not
heaven before our sight, above us, and consequently in a place?
and are there not there, and nowhere else, states of bliss on states
of bliss, and pleasures on pleasures? Into these blissful states
and pleasures a man is introduced, both as to the perception of
the mind and as to every sensation of the body, in consequence of
the fullness of the joys of that place, when he is admitted into
heaven; wherefore, heavenly happiness, which is also eternal
happiness, consists solely in admission into heaven, and admis-
sion into heaven depends on the Divine favor."

When they had said this, the SECOND COMPANY from the North
uttered this conjecture from their wisdom: "Heavenly joy and
eternal happiness consist solely in most delightful social gather-
ings with angels, and sweetest conversations with them, whence
the faces are kept continually expanded with gladnesses, and the
lips of the whole company are kept continually in pleasant smiles
at kind speeches and pleasantries. What else are heavenly joys,
than the variations of such things to eternity?"

4

THE JOYS OF HEAVEN [3

The THIRD COMPANY, which was the first of the wise ones from
the western quarter, gave utterance to the following opinion from
the thoughts of their affections: "In what else do heavenly joy
and eternal happiness consist than in feasting with Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob, on whose tables there will be delicate and rich
foods, and generous and noble wines, and after the banquets
games and dances of maidens and young men dancing to the
music of svmphonies and flutes, with sweetest songs and odes
interspersed; and lastly in the evening stage performances; and
this again to be followed by feasts, and so on every day to
eternity?"

When they had said these things, the FOURTH COMPANY, which
was the second from the western quarter, expressed their opinion,
saying, "We have entertained many ideas concerning heavenly
joy. and concerning eternal happiness: and we have explored a
variety of joys, and compared them one with another, and have
come to the conclusion, that heavenly joys are paradisiacal joys.
What is heaven but a paradise, whose extension is from the east
to the west, and from the south to the north, wherein are trees of
fruits, and flowers of delights, in the midst of which is the mag-
nificent tree of life, around which the blessed will sit, eating fruits
of delicate flavor, and adorned with garlands of the sweetest
smelling flowers? These fruits and flowers. -under the influence of
a perpetual spring, are renewed, and renewed again, every day,
with infinite variety; and bv their perpetual growth and blossom-
ing, and at the same time bv reason of the constantly vernal tem-
perature of the atmosphere, the minds (animus) of the blessed,
being continuaUv renewed, cannot but attract and breathe daily
new joys, and thus be restored to the flower of afire, and thereby
to the primitive state, into which Adam and his wife were created,
and thus he led back into their paradise, which has been trans-
ferred from earth to heaven."

The FIFTH COMPANY, which was the first of the men of genius
from the southern auarter. pronounced the following opinion:
"Heavenly joys and eternal happiness consist solely in most
exalted power, and overflowing treasuries, and thus in more than
kingly magnificence, and splendor bevond that of the mreatest
nobles. That the joys of heaven, and their continual enjoyment,
which is eternal happiness, consist in these things, we have clearly
perceived from the case of those persons in the former state who
have possessed them; and especially from this circumstance, that
the happy in heaven are to reign with the Lord, and to be kings
and princes, because they are the sons of Him Who is King of
kings and Lord of lords: and that they are to sit on thrones and
be ministered to bv angels. The magnificence of heaven we have
clearly perrewed from this fact, that the New Jerusalem, whereby
is described the glory of heaven, is to have gates, each of which
will consist of a single pearl, and streets of pure gold, and a wall
founded upon precious stones; consequently, that every one who

5

4, 5] CONJUGIAL LOVE

is received into heaven will have a palace of his own, glittering
with gold and precious materials, and that the government will
pass in orderly succession from one to another. And since we
know that in such things joys are innate, and happiness is in-
herent, and that they are the promises of God, which cannot fail,
we could not deduce the most happy state of heavenly life from
any other source."

After this, the SIXTH COMPANY, which was the second from
the southern quarter, raised their voice, and said, "The joy of
heaven and its eternal happiness consist solely in a perpetual
glorification of God, a never-ceasing festival of praise, and most
blessed worship, with songs and shouts of joy, and thus ia a con-
stant elevation of the heart towards God, with a full reliance on
His acceptance of the prayers and praises for the Divine bounty
in imparting blessedness to them." Some of this company added,
that this glorification would be attended with magnificent illumi-
nations, with most fragrant incense, and with stately processions,
preceded by a high pontiff with a great trumpet, who would be
followed by primates and office-bearers, great and small, and,
after these, by men carrying palms, and by women with golden
images in their hands.

4. The SEVENTH COMPANY, which, by reason of its light, was
not seen by the rest, was from the east of heaven; they were
angels of the same society as the angel of the trumpet. When
these heard in their heaven, that not a single person in the
Christian world knew what the joy of heaven and eternal happi-
ness were, they said one to another, "Surely this cannot be the
truth: such thick darkness, and such dullness of mind, cannot pre-
vail among Christians. Let us also go down and hear whether il
be the truth ; for if it be the truth, it is indeed a monstrous thing."

Then those angels said to the angel of the trumpet, "You know
that every man that had desired heaven, and had thought anything
definite concerning the joys there, is introduced after death into
the joys of his imagination; and that, after they have found out
the quality of those joys, in that they are according to the idle
ideas of their mind, and according to the ravings of their own
phantasy, they are led away from them, and instructed. This
happens in the state of spirits to most of those who in the former
state had meditated about heaven, and had drawn some conclusion
concerning the joys there, till they desired to possess these joys."

On hearing these things, the angel of the trumpet said to the
six companies of the wise ones of the Christian world who had
been called together, "Follow me; and I will introduce you into
your joys, and consequently into heaven."

5. Having said this, the angel went before them; and he was
first accompanied by the company of those who had persuaded
themselves that heavenly joys consisted solely in most delightful

6

THE JOYS OF HEAVEN L5

social gatherings and sweetest conversations. These the angel in-
troduced to companies in the northern quarter, who, in the former
state, had considered the joys of heaven to be no other than these.
There was there a spacious house, into which such had been gath-
ered together. In the house there were more than fifty rooms,
distinguished according to the various kinds of conversation. In
some of these rooms they conversed about such matters as they
had seen and heard in the public places of resort and in the
streets; in others they spoke about the various charms of the
beautiful sex, with a mixture of pleasantries, so that the coun-
tenances of all in the company were expanded in cheerful merri-
ment; in others they talked about the news relating to the courts,
administrations, and the body politic, and to various matters which
had transpired from privy councils, with reasonings and conjec-
tures of their own about the outcomes of such councils; in others
again they conversed about business matters; in others about
literature; in others about such things as belong to statesmanship
and moral life; and in others about affairs relating to the Church,
and about the sects; and so forth.

It was given me to look into that house; and I saw people
running from one room to another, seeking such company as best
suited their own affection and consequent joy; and in the different
companies I saw three kinds of persons ; some as it were panting
to speak, some eager to ask questions, and some greedy to listen.

The house had four doors, one towards each quarter; and I
observed that many broke away from their company, and hastened
to go out. I followed some of them to the East door, and I saw
several sitting by it with sad countenances. I went up to them,
and asked why they were sitting thus sadly; and they replied,
"The doors of this house are kept shut against those who would
go out, and this is the third day since we entered, and we have
completely exhausted the life of our desire in company and con-
versation, and are so tired out with continual conservations, that
we can scarcely bear to hear a murmur of the sounds which come
from them ; wherefore, we have betaken ourselves in weariness to
this door ; and we knocked, but it was answered us, that the doors
of this house are not opened to those who would go out, but only
to those who would enter, and that we must remain and enjoy the
joys of heaven; from which answer we concluded, that we are to
remain here to eternity; hence sorrow has come over our minds,
and now our breast begins to be oppressed, and anxiety begins to
arise."

The angel then spoke to them, and said, "This state is the
death of your joys, which you had believed to be the only heavenly
joys, when yet they are only accessories of heavenly joys."

And they asked the angel, "What then is heavenly joy?"

And the angel replied briefly thus, "It is the delight of doing
something that is of use to oneself and others; and the delight of
use derives its essence from love and its existence from wisdom.

7

6] CONJUGIAL LOVE

The delight of use, originating in love through wisdom, is the sou!
and life of all heavenly joys. In the heavens there are most delight-
ful social gatherings, which exhilarate the minds (mens) of the
angels, amuse their lower minds (animus), delight their breasts,
and recreate their bodies, but they hold these gatherings after
they have done uses in their respective function and work. From
these uses there is soul and life in all their gladnesses and delights;
but if you take away that soul or life, the accessory joys gradually
cease to be joys, becoming first indifferent, then as it were trifles,
and at last sorrowful and anxious."

When he had said these things, the door was opened, and those
who were sitting near it bounded out, and fled home, each one to
his own function, and to his own work, and they were warmed
into life again.

6. After this the angel addressed those who had deluded them-
selves with the idea that the joys of heaven, and enternal happi-
ness, consisted in feasts with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, suc-
ceeded by sports and public shows, and these by other feasts, and
so on to eternity. He said unto them: "Follow me; and I will
introduce you into the happiness of your joys:" and he led them
through groves into a plain floored with planks, on which were
set tables, fifteen on one side and fifteen on the other.

They asked, "Why are there so many tables?" and the angel
replied, "The first table is for Abram, the second for Isaac, the
third for Jacob, and by the side of them, in a series, are the
tables of the twelve apostles. On the other side are the same
number of tables for their wives; the first three are for Sarah,
Abram 's wife, for Rebecca, the wife of Isaac, and for Leah and
Rachel, the wives of Jacob : and the other twelve are for the wives
of the twelve apostles."

After a slight delay, all the tables appeared covered with
dishes, the little spaces between which were adorned with little
pyramids holding sweetmeats. Those who were about to feast
stood around the tables waiting to see the presidents of the tables ;
after they had waited a little while, these were seen entering in
order of procession, from Abram to the last of the apostles; and
then each president, going up to his own table, reclined on a couch
at the head thereof; and they said thence to the bystanders,
"Recline ye also with us ;"and the men reclined with the patriarchs
(and apostles), and the women with their wives: and they ate and
drank in gladness, and with reverence.

After the repast, the patriarchs (and apostles) went out; and
then were introduced games, and dances of maidens and young
men, and after these there were public shows*

At the conclusion of these entertainments, they were again

invited to feasts, but with this restriction, that on the first day they

should eat with Abram. on the second with Isaac, on the third

with Jacob, on the fourth with Peter, on the fifth with James, on

8

THE JOYS OF HEAVEN [6

the sixth with John, on the seventh with Paul, and with the rest in
order till the fifteenth day, when the banquets should be renewed
again in like order, only changing their seats, and so on to
eternity.

After these events the angel called together the men of the
company, and said to them, "All those whom you have seen at the
tables, had been in a similar imaginary thought as yourselves,
concerning the joys of heaven, and thus concerning eternal happi-
r^s; and it is with the intent that thev may see the vanity of their
I'rhns, and be led away from them, that such representations of
banquets have been appointed and permitted bv the Lord, Those
Dersonages whom you saw at the head of the tables, were old men
in feigned characters, many of them of the peasant class, who
wore long beards, and on account of their comparative wealth
^ 7 ere exceedingly haughty, who were deluded by the phantasy that
rhev were those ancient patriarchs. But follow me to the ways
that lead out of this place of sports."

They accordingly followed, and saw groups of fifty here and
fiftv there, who had surfeited themselves with dainties to the point
of vomiting, and who wished above all things to return to their
domestic emplovments, some to their professional duties, some to
their business affairs, and some to their works; but many of them
were detained by the keepers of the grove, and Questioned con-
cerning the days they had feasted, and whether thev had as yet
eaten at table with Peter and Paul ; and it was represented to them
that it would be unbecoming and a shame of them to go out
before they had done so. But most of them answered, "We have
exhausted our jovs; our food has become insipid to us, and its
flavor dry: the stomach loathes it, and we cannot bear the taste
of it: we have spent some days and nights in that luxury: we
earnestlv request to be set free." Then being set free, they fled
home with panting breath and at full speed.

After this the angel called the men of the company, and in
the way he taught them the following particulars concerning
beaven: "There are in heaven, the same as in the natural world,
both foods and drinks, both banquets and feasts; and at the houses
of the more distinguished there are tables on which are the richest
foods, dainties and delicacies, wherewith the minds (animus] are
exhilarated and recreated. There are also sports and public shows,
concerts of music, vocal and instrumental, and all these things in
the highest perfection. Such 'things are a source of jov to them.
but not of happiness; for happiness ought to be within JO^ T S and
consequently to flow from them. The happiness within the iovs
causes them to be jovs; it enriches them, and prevents the ; r
becoming worthless and loathsome; and every one has this happi-
ness from the use in his own function. There is a certain vein
latent in the affection of the will of every angel, which attracts hi?
mind (mens] to do something: bv this his mind calms itself, and
is satisfied. This satisfaction and that calmness constitute a state

9

7] CONJUGIAL LOVE

of mind capable of receiving the love of use from the Lord ; and
from the reception of this love comes heavenly happiness, which
is the life of the above-mentioned joys. Heavenly food in its
essence is nothing else than love, wisdom, and use together; that
is, use done through wisdom out of love; wherefore food for the
body is given to every one in heaven according to the use which
he performs; sumptuous food to those who are in eminent use;
moderate, but of an exquisite flavor, to those who are in use of a
middle degree ; and common to those who are in common use ; but
none at all to the slothful.

7. After this the angel called to him the company of the so-
called wise ones, who had placed heavenly joys, and the eternal
happiness flowing thence, in most exalted power and overflowing
treasuries, and in more than kingly magnificence, and splendor
beyond that of the greatest nobles, because it is said in the Word,
that they are to be kings and princes, and to reign with Christ to
eternity, and to be ministered unto by angels: with many other
similar expressions.

The angels said unto them, "Follow me, and I will introduce
you into your joys." And he introduced them into a colonnade
constructed of pillars and pyramids: in front there was a palace
of lowly structure, through which there was an open entrance into
the colonnade; through this palace he introduced them, and lo!
there were seen people in groups of twenty. So they waited, and
suddenly there stood present a certain one who had the appearance
of an angel, and he said to them, "The way to heaven is through
this colonnade: wait a little while and prepare yourselves; for the
elder ones of you are to be kings, and the younger ones princes."

When he had said this, there appeared beside each pillar a
throne, and on each throne a silken cloak, and on each cloak a
sceptre and a crown: and beside each pyramid there appeared a
chair of state raised three cubits from the ground, and on each
chair of state a chain of links of gold, and the badges of an order
of knighthood, fastened at the ends with diamond clasps. And
then they heard a voice saving, "Go now, and array yourselves in
vour robes; be seated, and wait:" and instantly the elder ones ran
to the thrones, and the vounger ones to the chairs of state; and
they arrayed themselves in their robes and seated themselves. And
then there appeared as it were a mist rising up from below, which,
on being inhaled by those who sat on the thrones and chairs of
state, made their faces puff up and their breasts swell out, and
caused themselves to be fully persuaded that now they we#e kings
pnd princes. That mist was an aura of the phantasy with which
thev were inspired. And suddenly several young men flew down
as it were from heaven ; and two of them stood in waiting behind
each throne, and one behind each chair of state: and then by turns
acclamation was made by a herald, in these words: "Ye kings and
princes, wait a little longer; your palaces in heaven are now being

THE JOYS OF HEAVEN [8

made ready for you; your courtiers and guards will soon come,
and introduce you." They waited and waited, till their spirits were
exhausted, and they grew weary with desire.

After a space of three hours, the heaven above their heads was
opened, and the angels looked down in pity upon them, and said,
"Why sit ye here like doltheads playing comedv? They have
made a mockery of you, and have changed you from men into
mere images, because you have induced on vour hearts the phan-
t-sv. that you should reign with Christ as kings and princes, and
that angels should then minister unto vou. Have you forgotten the
Lord's words, that whosoever would be great in heaven must
become a servant? Learn therefore what is meant bv being kings
and princes, and what by reigning with Christ; that it means
being wise and doing uses. For the kingdom of Christ, which is
heaven, is a kingdom of uses; inasmuch that the Lord loves all,
and consequently wishes good to all; and good is use; and because
the Lord does goods or uses mediately through angels, and in the
world through men, therefore, to those who do uses faithfully, He
gives the love of use, and its reward, which is internal blessed-
ness; and this is eternal happiness. There are in the heavens,
as in the earths, lofty administrative positions, and overflowing
treasuries; for there are governments and forms of government,
and consequently greater and lesser Powers and dignities. Those
of the highest rank have palaces and courts, which for magnifi-
cence and splendor exceed the -palaces and courts of the emperors
and kinsrs of the earth; and they derive honour and glory from
the number of their courtiers, ministers, and retinue, and their
magnificent vestments. But these persons of the highest rank are
chosen from those whose heart is in the public welfare, and only
their bodily senses in the dignity of magnificence for the sake of
obedience: and as it is for the public welfare that every one should
be of some use in society, as in the common body, and as all use
is from the Lord, and is done through angels and men as if by
them, it is manifest that this is meant by reigning with the Lord.

On hearing these things out of heaven, the kings and princes
descended from their thrones and chairs of state, and cast away
their sceptres, crowns and cloaks; and the mist in which was the
aura of phantasy, departed from them, and a bright white cloud,
in which there was the aura of wisdom, covered them, whence
soundness returned to their minds.

8. After this the angel returned to the house of assembly of
the wise ones from the Christian world, and called to him those
who had persuaded themselves that the jovs of heaven and eternal
happiness consisted in paradisiacal delights.

To these he said, "Follow me, and I will introduce you into a
paradise, your heaven, so that you may enter upon the blessedness
of your eternal happiness." And he introduced them through a
lofty gate, constructed of the boughs and shoots of noble trees

8] CONJUGIAL LOVE

woven together. After their entrance, he led them through winding
paths from one quarter to another. The place was actually a
paradise, in the first entrance to heaven, into which were admitted
those who in the world had believed that the whole heaven is a
single paradise, because it is called paradise, and had impressed
on themselves the idea that after death there would be a perfect
rest from all kinds of labour, and that this rest would consist in
inhaling the very souls of delights, walking on roses, being glad-
dened with the most delicate vintages (mustum) of grapes, and
frequenting festive gatherings; and that this life did not exist
except in a heavenly paradise.

Led by the angel, they saw a great multitude of both old and
young men and boys, and also of women and girls, sitting by
threes and tens on banks of roses; some wreathing garlands to
adorn the heads of the old men, the arms of the young men, and
in festoons the bosoms of the boys ; others gathering fruits off the
trees, and bearing them in baskets to their companions; others
pressing the juice (mustum) out of grapes, cherries, and currants,
into cups, and drinking jovially; some inhaling with their nostrils
the fragrant smells that exhaled, and were diffused around, from
flowers, fruits, odoriferous leaves; others singing sweet odes, by
which they charmed the hearing of those present, others sitting by
fountains, and diverting the waters of the leaping jets into various
forms; others walking, conversing together, and jesting; others
running, playing games, dancing in one place minuets, in another
round dances; others retiring into little summer-houses to lie on
couches; besides manv other paradisiacal enjoyments.

After these things had been seen, the angel led his companions
bv roundabout ways hither and thither, and at last led them to a
most beautiful bank of roses, surrounded by olive, orange, and
citron trees: here there were some persons sitting disconsolate,
with their hands under their cheeks, mourning and weeping. The
companions of the angel accosted them and said, "Why are you
sitting thus?" and they replied, "This is the seventh day since we
came into this paradise: when we entered, our mind seemed to be
as it were elevated into heaven, and admitted into the inmost
blissful nesses of its joys; but after three days those blissfulnesses
began to pall, and in our minds they began to decay and to become
tasteless, and consequently to become no blissf ulnesses ; and when
our imaginary joys had thus died out, we were afraid of losing all
the delightsomeness of our life, and began to doubt whether anv
such thing as eternal happiness existed. We then wandered through
the wavs and paths, in search of the gate through which we had
entered; but we wandered round and round about, and asked
those we met, some of whom said that it was impossible to find
I he gate, because this paradisiacal garden is a spacious labyrinth
of such a nature, that whoever wants to go out, enters further and
further into it; 'wherefore,' said thev, 'you cannot but remain
here to eternity; you are in the middle of the garden, where all
12

THE JOYS OF HEAVEN [9

delights are centered'," They further said to the angel's com-
panions, "We have now been sitting here for a day and a half,
and as we are without hope of finding the way out, we have sat
down on this bank of roses, where we view around us olives,
grapes, oranges, and citrons, in abundance; but the longer we
look at them, the more our sight is wearied with seeing, our smell
with smelling, and our taste with tasting: and this is the cause of
the dejection, sorrow, and weeping, in which you now see us."

On hearing this, the angel of the company said to them, "This
paradisiacal labyrinth is truly an entrance into heaven; I know
the way out; and I will lead you out." When he had said this,
those who were sitting down rose up, and embraced the angel, and
accompanied him, together with his company. And the angel, as
they went, taught them what heavenly joy, and eternal happiness
flowing thence, were; that they do not consist in external para-
k disiacal delights, unless together with these there are also internal
"paradisiacal delights: "external paradisiacal delights are merely
.delights of the external mind; but internal paradisiacal delights
are delights of the affections of the soul: unless the latter be in
the former, these have no heavenly life, because they have no
soul ; and every delight without its corresponding soul, forthwith
'becomes feeble and dull, and fatigues the lower mind (animus)
more than labour. There are everywhere in heaven paradisiacal
gardens, and from these also the angels derive joys; and in so far
as in these joys there is a delight of the soul, in the same pro-
portion those joys are joys to them."

" On hearing this, they all asked, "What is the delight of the
soul, and whence is it?"

The angel replied, "The delight of the soul is from love and
wisdom from the Lord; and as love is the efficient, and as it is the
efficient through wisdom, therefore the seat of both love and
wisdom is in the effect, and the effect is use. This delight inflows
.from the Lord into the soul, and descends through the higher and
lower parts of the mind into all the senses of the body, and fulfils
itself in them: thus joys becomes joy, and becomes eternal from
the Eternal Being from Whom it is. You have just now seen
paradisiacal places ; and I assure you that there is nothing therein,
not even the smallest leaf, which is not from the marriage of love
and wisdom in use; wherefore if a man be in this marriage, he is
in a heavenly paradise, and consequently in heaven."

9. After this, the angel conductor returned to the house of the
assembly, to those who had firmly persuaded themselves that
heavenly joy and eternal happiness consist in a perpetual glorifi-
cation of God, and an unceasing festival (of worship) to eternity;
because they had believed when in the natural world that they
should then see God, and because the life of heaven, by reason of
the worship of God, is called a perpetual sabbath.

To these the angel said, "Follow me, and I will introduce you

13

9] CONJUGIAL LOVE

into your joy." And he introduced them into a little city, in the
midst of which was a temple, and all the houses were called
sacred abodes or chapels. In that city they saw a concourse of
people flocking together from all parts of the surrounding
country, and among them a number of priests, who received and
saluted them on their arrival, and taking them by the hand led
them to the gates of the temple, and from thence into some of the
chapels around it, and initiated them into the unceasing worship
of God; telling them that the city was an entrance-hall to heaven,
and that the temple of the city was an entrance to a magnificent
and most spacious temple in heaven, where God is glorified by
the angels with prayers and praises to eternity, "It is ordered,"
said they, "both here and in heaven, that you shall first enter into
the temple, and remain there three days and three nights: and
that after this initiation you shall enter the houses of this city,
where are so many chapels consecrated by us, and that you shall
go from chapel to chapel, and, in communion with those who are
gathered together there, pray, give praise, and repeat chants ; take
heed, above all things, that ye think within yourselves, and speak
with your companions, nothing but what is holy, pious, and
religious."

After this the angel introduced his companions into the temple
which was filled and crowded with many of those who in the
natural world had been in great dignity, and also with many of
the common people : guards were stationed at the doors to prevent
any one from going out until he had stayed there three days. And
the angel said, "To-day is the second day since the present con-
gregation entered the temple: examine them, and you will see
their glorification of God." And they examined them, and saw
that most of them were asleep, and that those who were awake
were gaping and yawning; and some of them, in consequence of
their thoughts being so continually elevated towards God, and not
allowed to relapse into the body, seemed to themselves, and thence
also to others, as if their faces were cut off or separated from
their bodies; some had wild and raving eyes, on account of their
being constantly kept raised upwards ; in a word, all of them had
an oppression at the chest, and great weariness of spirits from
irksomeness, and they had turned away from the pulpit, and were
crying out, "Our ears are stunned: put an end to your sermon;
we no longer hear your voice, and the very sound of it begins
to disgust us." They then all rose up, and ran in a body to the
doors, broke them open, and pressed hard on the guards, and
drove them off.

On seeing this, the priests followed them, and placed them-
selves at their sides, teaching and teaching, praying, sighing, and
saying, "Celebrate the festival, glorify God, sanctify yourselves;
in this entrance-hall of heaven we will inaugurate you into the
eternal glorification of God in that magnificent and most spacious
temple which is in heaven, and thus (introduce you) to the enjoy-
14

THE JOYS OF HEAVEN [10

ment of eternal happiness." These words, however, were unheeded
by them, and scarcely heard, on account of the dullness caused
by two days' inactivity of mind, and detention from household
and public affairs. But when they attempted to pull themselves
away from the priests, the priests caught hold of their arms and
also of their garments, in order to force them back again into
the chapels to a repetition of their prayers and chants; but in
vain: they cried out, "Let us alone; we have a sensation in the
body as of fainting."

As they said this, lo! there appeared four men (vir) in shin-
ing white garments, with mitres on their heads; one of them in
the natural state had been an archbishop, and the three others,
bishops; they had now become angels. They called the priests
together, and addressing them, said, "We have seen from heaven
how you feed these sheep. Ye feed them so that they become
insane, ^ou do not know, what is meant, by the glorification of
,God. It means bringing forth the fruits of love, that is^ doing the,
work of one's $&ctip.n faithfully, sincerely, and diligently, for
this is of the love of God, and of the love of the neighbor; and
jhis is the bond of society, and its good. Thereby God is glorified,
and in that case He is glorified by worship at stated times. Have
you never read these words of the Lord, "Herein is My Father

florified that ye bring forth much fruit; and ye shall become My
isciples" (John xv. 8) ? Ye priests are" able to be in the glorifi-
cation of worship, because this is your office, and from it you
derive honour, glory, and remuneration; but even you could not
be in that glorification more than they, unless honour, glory, and
remuneration were annexed to your office."

Having said this, the bishops ordered the doorkeepers to let
all in and out freely: "for there is such a multitude of people,
who could think of no other heavenly joy than the perpetual
worship of God, because they have known nothing of the state
of heaven."

10. After this the angel returned with his companions to the
place of assembly, from whence the companies of the wise ones
had not yet departed, and there he called to him those who
believed that heavenly joy and eternal happiness ^consist only in
adjoissiop, into., heaven, and this out of Divine favpuf n ; T amirthat
then they would have joy, just as do those in the world who enter
into the courts of kings on days of festivity, or into weddings to
which they have been invited.

To these the angel said, "Wait here a little while, and I will
sound the trumpet, and hither will come those who have been
most renowned for wisdom in the spiritual things of the church."
After some hours, there were present nine men (vir), each wear-
ing a wreath of laurel as a mark of his renown: these the angel
introduced into the house of assembly, in which there were present
all those who had been called together at the first: in the presence

lo

10] CONJUGIAL LOVE

of these the angel addressed the nine laureates, and said, "I know
that by your desire, formed according to your idea, it has been
given you to ascend into heaven, and that you have returned to
this lower or sub-celestial state, with a full knowledge of the
state of heaven: relate therefore what sort of a place heaven
appeared to you."

And they replied in order. And the FIRST said: ' u My idea of
heaven from my earliest childhood to the end of my life in the
natural world was, that it was a place abounding with all bless-
ings, blissfulnesses, delightsomenesses, pleasantnesses, and pleas-
ures; and that if I were admitted, I should be encompassed by die
aura of such felicities, and should imbibe them with a full breast,
like a bridegroom when he celebrates his nuptials, and when he
enters the bridal chamber with his bride. With this idea I
ascended into heaven, and passed the first guard, and also the
second; but when I came to the third, the chief of the guard
accosted me and said, 'Who are you, friend? 9 and I answered,
'Is this not heaven ? I have come up hither by reason of the long-
ing of my desire; admit me, I pray you:' and he admitted me.
And I saw the angels in,. white garments, and they came about me
and examined me, and muttered, 'Behold a new guest, who is not
clothed with a garment of heaven,' and I heard this and thought,
This seems to me to be a similar case to his of whom the Lord
says that he came into the wedding without a wedding garment:
and I said, 'Give me such garments;' and they laughed; and then
one came running from the government-house with this command:
'Strip him naked, cast him out, and cast his garments after him' ;
and so I was cast out."

The SECOND in order said: U I believe as he did, that if I were
but admitted into heaven, which was over my head, I should
there be encompassed with joys, and inhale them to eternity. I
also gained my desire; but the angels on seeing me fled away,
and said one to another, "What prodigy is this? how came this
bird of night here?' and I really felt as if I had undergone some
change, and was no longer a man: although I was not changed
but the feeling arose from breathing the heavenly atmosphere.
Presently, however, there came one running from the government-
house with an order that two attendants should lead me out, and
conduct me by the way I had ascended, till I reached my own
house; and when I was at home, I appeared to others and to my-
self as a man."

The THIRD said : My constant idea of heaven was derived from
place, and not from love; wherefore, when I came into this state,
I desired heaven with a great desire. And I saw some who were
ascending thither, and I followed them, and was admitted, but
not beyond a few paces. But when I wanted to gladden my mind
(animus) according to my idea of the joys and blessednesses in
heaven, a stupor, caused by the light of heaven, which was as
white as snow, and whose essence is said to be wisdom, seized on
16

THE JOYS OF HEAVEN [10

my mind (mens), and a consequent darkness seized on my eyes,
and I began to go mad: and thereupon, by reason of the heat of
heaven, which corresponded with the brightness of that light, and
whose essence is said to be love, my heart palpitated, anxiety
seized me, and I was tortured with inward pain, and threw myself
prostrate on the ground. While I lay prostrate, one of the attend-
ants came out of the government-house with an order that they
should carry me slowly down into my own light and heat; and
when I came into my own light and heat, my spirit and my heart
returned."

The FOURTH said, that he also had been in the idea of place,
and not in the idea of love, when thinking about heaven. "As
soon", said he, "as I came into the spiritual world, I enquired of
the wise ones whether it was allowed to ascend into heaven, and
they said to me, that it is allowed to all, but that there was need to
beware lest they should be cast down again. At this I laughed,
and ascended, believing, as did the others, that all in the entire
natural state were capable of receiving the joys of heaven in all
their fullness; but, as a matter of fact, when I was within I was
almost deprived of life, and by reason of the pain and the con-
sequent torture in my head and body, I threw myself prostrate
on the ground, where I writhed about like a snake when it is
brought near the fire: and I crawled to the brink of a precipice,
from which I cast myself down; and I was afterwards taken up
by those who were standing below, and carried to an inn, where
health returned to me."

The OTHER FIVE also related wonderful things about their
ascents into heaven, and compared the changes of the states of
their life with the state of fish when raised out of the waters into
the air, and with the state of birds in the ether; and they said
that after those hard experiences they no longer desired heaven,
but only a suitable life among their like wherever they might be.
"We know," added they, "that in the state of spirits, where we now
are, all are previously prepared, the good for heaven, and the evil
for hell ; and that when they a"re prepared, they see ways opened
for them to societies of their like, with whom they are to remain
to eternity; and that they then enter these ways with delight,
because they are the ways of their love."

When all of the first assembly heard these relations, they
likewise confessed that they had had no other idea of heaven than
as of a place, where with open mouth they should be drinking
in to eternity the joys that surrounded them.

After this the angel of the trumpet said to them: ^You^ge,
j&0w that ^4oys, ( ,Qf,,bBayeii r .aiid eternal happiness, do not belong
"to "a plage,, but to the. ptate of a man'$ life; and a state of heavenly
lifers dsriYedJjW* love and wisdom; and since use is the con-
tafiant of love amd windom,, a fltntfi o f hfflYfiply Hfc is- derived
jfrnin frg conjiinjGtioa.>xxOayfc.and wjLsdpja.wa use- It is the same
if we call them charity, faith, and a good work; for charity is

17

11] CONJUGIAL LOVE

love, faith is truth whence wisdom proceeds, and a good work is
a use. Moreover, in our spiritual world there are places as in the
natural world; otherwise there could be no habitations and dis-
tinct abodes; nevertheless place there is not place, but an appear-
ance of place according to the state of love and wisdom, or of
charity and faith. Every one who becomes an angel carries his
own heaven within himself, because he carries within himself the
love of his own heaven. For a man is, by creation, a least effigy,
image, and type of the great heaven ; the human form is nothing
else. Wherefore, every one comes into that society of heaven of
whose form he is an effigy in particular; therefore, when he enters
into that society he enters into a form corresponding to his own ;
thus he enters from his own individual self, as it were, into a
society of his own self, and from this society of his own individual
self, as it were, into that same society in himself, and inhales its
life as his own life, and his own life as that of the society; every
society is as one common body, and the angels in it are as the
like parts, from which the common body co-exists. Hence, then,
it follows, that those who are in evils and consequent falsities,
have formed in themselves an effigy of hell, and this is torture in
heaven by reason of the influx and violence of the activity of one
opposite upon another; for infernal love is opposite to heavenly
love, and consequently the delights of those two loves come into
collision with each other like enemies, and whenever they meet
they destroy each other."

11. After these occurrences a voice was heard from heaven,
saying to the angel of the trumpet, "Choose ten out of all those
who have been called together, and introduce them to us. We
have heard from the Lord that He will prepare them so that,
during the space of three days, the heat and light, or the love and
wisdom, of our heaven, shall not do them any injury."

Ten were then chosen, and they followed the angel. They
ascended by a steep foot-path up a certain hill, and from thence
up a mountain, on which was the heaven of those angels, which
had before appeared to them at a distance like an expanse in the
clouds. The gates were opened for them: and after they had
passed through the third gate, the angel introducer hastened to
the prince of that society or heaven, and announced their arrival ;
and the prince answered, "Take some of my attendants, and tell
them that they are welcome, and introduce them into my ante-
chamber, and apportion to each a separate room with a bed-
chamber, and appoint some of my courtiers and servants to
minister to them, and do their bidding." And it was done so.

On being introduced by the angel, they asked whether they
might go and see the prince; and the angel replied, "It is now
morning, and it is not permissible to go and see the prince before
noon; till that time all are engaged in their particular duties and
works; but you are invited to dinner, and then you will sit at
18

THE JOYS OF HEAVEN [12, 13

table with our prince; in the meantime I will introduce you into
his palace, where you will see the magnificent and splendid
things."

12. When they were led to the palace, they first viewed it from
without. It was large, and built of porphyry, with a foundation
of jasper; and before the gates were six lofty columns of lapis
lazuli; the roof was of plates of gold; the lofty windows, of the
most transparent crystal, also had frames of gold. After viewing
the outside, they were introduced within, and were conducted from
one room to another; and they saw ornaments of inexpressible
beauty, on the ceilings, decorations of inimitable carving; near
the walls they saw set silver tables overlaid with gold, on which
were placed various utensils made of precious stones and of entire
gems in heavenly forms, and many other things such as no eye
had ever seen on the natural plane, and consequently such as no
one could bring himself to believe existed in heaven.

While they were in astonishment at these magnificent sights,
the angel said, "Be not surprised; the things which you now see
were not made and fashioned by any angelic hand, but were
framed by the Maker of the universe, and presented as a gift to
our prince; wherefore the architectonic art is here in its very art,
and from it are derived all the rules of that art in the natural
world." The angel said further, "You may possibly suppose that
such things charm our eyes and infatuate them to such an extent,
that we believe them to be the joys of our heaven: but because
our hearts are not in these things, they are only accessory to the
joys of our hearts; therefore, so far as we contemplate them as
accessory, and as the workmanship of God, so far we contemplate
in them the Divine omnipotence and clemency."

13. After this the angel said to them, "It is not yet noonday:
come with me into the garden of our prince, which is near this
palace." So they went; and as they were entering, he said, "Behold
the most magnificent of all the gardens in this heavenly society!"

But they replied, "What do you say? there is no garden here.
We see only one tree, and on its branches and at its top as it were
fruits of gold, and as it were leaves of silver, with their edges
adorned with emeralds, and beneath the tree little children with
their nurses."

At this, the angel said, with an inspired voice, "This tree is in
the midst of the garden; and by us it is called the tree of our
heaven, and by some the tree of life. But advance, and approach
nearer, and your eyes will be opened, and you will see the
garden."

They did so, and their eyes were opened, and they saw trees
most heavily laden with fruits of fine flavour, entwined about with
tendrilled vines, whose tops with their fruits inclined towards the
tree of life in the midst.

19

14] CONJUGIAL LOVE

These trees were set in a continuous series, which began from
a point and was continued into endless rings or gyres, as of a
perpetual spiral. It was a perfect arboreal spiral, in which species
followed species without a break, according to the nobleness of
the fruits. The beginning of the circumgyration was at a con-
siderable distance from the tree in the midst, and the intervening
space glittered with a beam of light, which caused the trees of the
gyre to shine with a graduated splendor that was continued from
the first to the last. The first trees were the most excellent of all,
being laden with the choicest fruits, and were called paradisiacal
trees, being such as are never seen in the earths of the natural
world, because they do not, and can not, exist there; after these
came trees of oil; after these trees of wine; after these trees of
fragrance; and lastly, trees of wood, useful for building. Here
and there in this arboreal spiral or gyre, there were seats formed
of the young shoots of the trees behind, brought forward and
entwined together, and enriched and adorned by their fruits. In
this perpetual ring of trees, there were gates which opened into
flower gardens, and from these into greenswards, laid out in
borders and beds.

At the sight of these things the companions of the angel
exclaimed, "Behold heaven in form! wherever we turn the glances
of our eyes, there flows in something heavenly-paradisiacal, which
is inexpressible."

On hearing this the angel rejoiced, and said, "All the gardens
of our heaven are representative forms or types of heavenly
blessednesses in their origins; and because the influx of theae
blessednesses elevated your minds, therefore you exclaimed,
'Behold heaven in form!* but those who do not receive that influx,
regard these paradisiacal things no otherwise than as things of
the forest; and all those who are in the love of use receive the
influx; whereas those who are in the love of glory, not proceeding
from use, do not receive it. He afterwards explained and taught
what the particular things of that garden represented and signified.

14. While they were thus employed, there came a messenger
from the prince, who invited them to eat bread with him ; and at
the same time two attendants of the court brought garments of
fine linen, and said, "Put on these ; for no one is admitted to the
prince's table unless he be clothed in the garments of heaven."

So they girded themselves, and accompanied their angel, and
were introduced into an open court of the palace, where there was
a promenade, where they waited for the prince; and there the
angel introduced them to the company for conversation of the
magnates and ministers, who were also waiting for the prince.
And lo! in about an hour the doors were opened, and through a
wider door on the west, they saw the prince entering in order and
pomp of procession. His privy councillors went before him, after
them his councillors of the treasury, and next the chief officers

20

THE JOYS OF HEAVEN [15, 16

belonging to the court; in the midst of these was the prince; after
him followed courtiers of various ranks, and lastly the guards; in
all they amounted to one hundred and twenty.

Then the angel, placing himself before the ten new-comers,
who by their dress now appeared like inmates of the palace,
approached with them towards the prince, and respectfully intro-
duced them ; and the prince, without stopping the procession, said
to them, "Come with me to bread."

So they followed him into the dining hall, and they saw a
table magnificently laid out, having in the middle a tall golden
pyramid, with a hundred salvers arranged in three rows on their
forms or stands, containing sweet-cakes, and wine-jellies, with
other delicacies made of bread and wine ; and through the middle
of the pyramid, there gushed as it were a leaping fountain of
wine sweet as nectar, whose jet fell in different directions from
the top of the pyramid, and filled the cups. At the sides of this
high pyramid were various heavenly forms of gold, on which were
dishes and plates loaded with food of every kind: these heavenly
forms on which were the dishes and plates, were forms of art
derived from wisdom, and can neither be produced in the world
by any art, nor described by any words. The dishes and plates
were of silver, engraved in relief, on their surface, with forms
similar to those on their supports; the cups were of transparent
gems. Such was the splendid furniture of the table.

15. The dress of the prince and his ministers was as follows:
The prince was clad in a long robe, reaching to the ankles, of a
crimson color, set with stars of a silver colour wrought in needle
work ; and under this robe he was girded with a tunic of bright silk
of a purple colour; this was open about the breast, where there
appeared the fore part of a kind of zone with the ensign of his
society: the ensign was an eagle brooding over her young at the
top of a tree; this ensign was of shining gold surrounded with
diamonds. The privy councillors were dressed after nearly the
same manner, but without the ensign; instead of which they wore
cut sapphires, hanging from their necks by a golden necklace.
The courtiers were in cloaks of a chestnut colour, on which were
wrought flowers surrounding young eagles; the vests which they
wore under these were of silk of an opaline colour; so also were
their breeches and stockings. SucK was their apparel.

16. The privy councillors and councillors of the treasury, and
the ministers, stood around the table, and at the order of the
prince folded their hands together, and at the same time uttered
in a low voice a devout thanksgiving to the Lord, and after this,
at the prince's bidding, reclined themselves on couches at the
table; and the prince said to the ten strangers, "Do you also
recline with me; behold, there are your seats:" and they reclined;
and die courtiers who had previously been sent by the prince to

21

16] CONJUGIAL LOVE

minister unto them, stood behind them. Then the prince said unto
them, "Take each of you a plate from its ring, and afterwards a
salver from the pyramid;" and they did so, and lo! instantly new
plates and salvers appeared in the place of those that were taken
away; and their cups were filled with wine from the fountain that
leaped out of the great pyramid; and they ate and drank.

When dinner was about half ended, the prince addressed the
ten guests, and said, "I have heard that you were called together
in the sphere which is under this heaven, to disclose your thoughts
concerning the joys of heaven and the eternal happiness llience
resulting, and that you expressed different opinions, each accord-
ing to the delights of the external mind. JJjjt what are the delights
Q{ the natural mind, without the delights' of the soul? It is the
soul that enjoys them. The delights of the soul are in themselves
imperceptible blessednesses; but they become more and more
perceptible as they descend into the thoughts of the mind s and
from these into the desires of the external mind. In the thoughts
of the mind they are perceived as blissfulnesses, in the desires of
the lower mind as delightsomenesses, and in the sensous mind
itself as pleasures. Eternal happiness is derived from the latter
and the former together; but from the latter alone there results a
happiness not eternal but temporary, which comes to an end and
passes away, and in some cases becomes unhappineas. You have
now seen that all your joys are also joys of heaven, and that these
are far more excellent than you could have conceived: but still
these joys do not inwardly affect our minds. There are three
things which flow in as a one from the Lord into our BOU!$; these
three as a one, or this trine, aretlp^ r \5sd&m, &nijl&&! fjlbve and

wisdom exist only ideally, because they exist onlylln the affection
and thought of the mind; but in use they exist really, because
they exist at the same time in an act and work of the natural
mind; and where they exist really, there they also subsist. And,
since love and wisdom exist and subsist in use, it is uses that affect
us; anijAfie*-conaists,.Jua 4aithullyy sincerely, and diligently ...di*
jcj^y^ng^jhej^ The love of use, and a

consequent busying oneself in use, keeps the mind together and
prevents it from melting away, and from wandering about, and
imbibing all the lusts which flow in through the senses,, with
allurements through the lower mind and the natural world,
whereby the truths of religion and the truths of morality, with
their goods, become scattered lo every wind; but the busying of
the mind in use keeps and binds those truths together, and dis-
poses the mind into a form capable of receiving the wisdom
derived from those truths; and then it exterminates from the &$$..
the idle sports and pastimes both of falsities and of vamtiegAmif
you will hear more on these subjects from the wise ones or our
society, whom I shall send to you in the afternoon."

So saying, the prince arose, and the guests with him, and said
grace, and charged their angel conductor lo lead ihem hack to
22

THE JOYS OF HEAVEN [17

their rooms, and to show them all the honours of civility, and also
to summon men (vir) of urbanity and affability to entertain them
with conversation on the various joys of the society.

17. When they were returned, it was done so, and those who
had been summoned from the city to entertain them with con-
versation concerning the various joys of the society, arrived, and,
after courteous greetings, spoke in choice and elegant phrases
with them, walking up and down the while. But their angel con-
ductor said, "These ten men were invited into this heaven to see
its joys, and to receive thus a new idea concerning eternal happi-
ness: recount therefore some of its joys which affect the external
mind; and afterwards some wise ones will come, who will men-
tion some of the things which render those joys blissful and
happy."

On hearing this, those who had been summoned from the city,
related the following particulars:

"1. There are here days of festivity appointed by the prince,
in order that the lower minds may be relaxed from the weariness
which the lust of emulation may have brought upon some. On
these days there are concerts of music and singing in the public
places, and outside the city there are games and shows: in the
public places at such times there are raised orchestras, enclosed
by barriers, formed of vines entwined together, from which hang
clusters of grapes; within these barriers in three rows, one above
another, sit the musicians, with stringed instruments, and with
wind instruments, both alto and bass, loud-toned and soft, and at
the sides there are male and female singers, who entertain the
citizens with most pleasant solos and part songs, varied at in-
tervals. These concerts continue there on those days of festivity
from morning till noon, and afterwards till evening.

"2. Moreover, every morning from the houses around the
public places are heard the sweetest songs of maidens and girls,
with which the whole city resounds. It is one affection of spiritual
love, which is sung every morning, that is, sounded by modifica-
tions of the singing voice, or by modulations, and that affection
in the song is perceived as the affection itself; it flows in into the
souls of the hearers, and excites them to a correspondence with
it; such is heavenly singing. The singers say, that the sound of
their song is as it were self -inspired and self-animated from
within, and exalted delightfully according to its reception by the
hearers. When this is ended, the windows of the houses of the
public places, and at the same time of the houses of the streets,
are shut, and so also are the doors; and then the whole city is
silent, and no noise is heard in any part of it, nor is any person
seen loitering about: all then are strictly performing the duties of
their employments.

"3. At noon-time the doors are opened, and in the afternoon
the windows also in some houses, and boys and girls are seen

23

18] CONJUGIAL LOVE

playing in the streets, while their nurses and tutors sit in the
porches of the houses, keeping them within bounds.

"4. At the outskirts of the city, there are various sports of
boys and youths; there are races, and games with balls; there are
games with little balls which are struck back, called rackets; there
are trials of skill among the boys, in order to discover which is
the quickest, and which the most backward, in speaking, acting,
and perceiving; and the quickest receive some leaves of laurel
as a reward ; besides many other things of a like nature, designed
to call forth the latent abilities of the boys.

"5. Moreover outside the city there are dramatic entertain-
ments, in theatres, by actors who represent the various honourable
qualities and virtues of moral life, among whom there are lesser
actors for the sake of representing relatives."

And one of the ten asked, "What is meant by c for the sake of
relatives'?"

And they replied, "]NTo virtue^idth-ats honourable qualities
and beauties, can be exhibited to the life except ,ty means of
relatives, from the greatest of them to the least; the lesser actors
represent the least of them, even till they become none; but it has
been decreed by law, that nothing of the opposite, which is called
dishonourable and unbecoming, should be exhibited, except
figuratively and as it were from afar. The reason for this decMfe"
is, that nothing that is honourable and good in any virtue can by
successive progressions pass over to what is dishonourable and
evil, but only to its least till it perishes ; and when it perishes the
opposite commences; wherefore heaven, where all things are
honourable and good, has nothing in common with hell, where
all things are dishonourable and evil."

18. During this conversation an attendant came running, and
announced that eight wise ones, by order of the prince, were
present, and wished to enter; on hearing which, the angel went
out, and received them, and brought them in ; and presently the
wise ones, after the customary and becoming formalities of intro-
duction, spoke with them, first concerning the beginnings and
increase of wisdom, with which they intermixed various things
concerning its progression, showing, t^at^ with the Angela Jvdsdom
never has.. .ari-end,.ar. cfi.as.ea.-tQ JMubut JBKat it grows and increases

hearing this, the angel of the company said to them, "Our
prince at table spoke with them concerning the seat of wisdom,
as being in use: will you also be pleased to speak with them on
the same subject."

And they said, "Man at his first creation, was imbued with
wisdom and its love, not for the sake of himself, but that he
might communicate it to others from himself. Hence it i in-
scribed on the wisdom of the wise, that no one is wise, or lives,
for himself alone, but for others at the same time: this is the
24

THE JOYS OF HEAVEN [19

origin of society, which otherwise could not exist. Living for
others consists in doing uses. Uses are the bonds of society, and
these bonds are as many in number as there are good uses; and
uses are infinite in number/There are spiritual usps, which belong
to love to God and to love towards the neighbo|$ahere are moral
and civil uses, which belong to the love of the society and city in
which a man is, and of his companions and fellow- citizens with
whom he isj^there are natural uses, which .belong to the love of
the world and its necessities; and there arWcorporeal uses, which
be'ong to the love of self-preservation for the sake of higher uses.
All these uses are inscribed on man, and follow in order one after
another; and when they are together, one is in the other. Those
who are in the first uses, which are spiritual, are also in the
following ones, and these persons are wise; but those who are
not in the first, and yet are in the second, and thus in the follow-
ing ones, are not so wise, but only appear to be so by virtue of
external morality and civility. Those who are in neither the first
nor the second, but only in the third and fourth, are not wise in
the least, for they are satans, since they love only the world, and
themselves for the sake of the world; but those who are only in
the fourth, are the least wise of all, for they are devils, because
they live for themselves alone, and if they live for others, it is
only for the sake of themselves. Moreover, every love has its own
delight; for love lives by means of its delight: and the delight of
the love of uses is a heavenly delight, which enters into the follow-
ing delights in order, and according to the order of succession
exalts them and makes them eternal." After this they enumerated
the heavenly delights proceeding from the love of use, and they
said, that there are myriads and myriads of them ; and that those
who enter into heaven enter into those delights. With further wise
conversation on the love of use, they passed the day with them
until the evening.

19. Towards evening there came a courier clothed in linen, to
the ten strangers, the companions of the angel, and invited them
to a wedding which was to be celebrated the next day; and the
strangers were very glad that they also were to see a wedding in
heaven. After this they were conducted to the house of one of the
privy-councillors, and supped with him; and after supper they
returned to the palace, and separated, each one to his own bed-
room, and slept till morning.

And when they awoke in the morning, they heard the singing
of the maidens and young girls from the houses around the public
place, which singing was mentioned above. That morning there
was sung the affection of conjugial love; the sweetness of which
so affected and moved the hearers, that they perceived a blessed
pleasantness instilled into their joys, which elevated and renewed
them.

When it was time, the angel said, "Gird yourselves, and put

25

20] CONJUGIAL LOVE

on the garments of heaven, which our prince sent you." So they
put them on, and lo ! the garments shone as from a flaming light ;
and they asked the angel, "Whence is this?" He replied, "Because
you are going to a wedding: on such occasions our garments
shine, and become wedding garments."

20. After this the angel conducted them to the house of the
wedding, and the door-keeper opened the doors; and presently
within the threshold they were received and greeted by an angel
sent by the bridegroom, and were brought in and led to the seats
assigned to them: and soon after they were invited into a room
adjoining the bridal-chamber, in the middle of which they saw a
table on which was placed a magnificent candlestick fitted with
seven branches and sconces of gold: against the walls there were
hung lamps of silver, which being lighted made the atmosphere
appear golden: and they saw at the sides of the candlesticks two
tables, on which were placed loaves in three rows; and in the
four corners of the room there were tables, on which were crystal
cups.

While they were surveying these things, lo! a door opened
from a chamber near the bridal-chamber, and they saw six maidens
coming out, and after them the bridegroom and bride, holding
each other by the hand, and leading each other towards a seat
which was placed opposite to the candlestick: on this seat they
placed themselves, the bridegroom on the left, and the bride on
his right, and the six maidens stood at the side of the seat near
the bride. The bridegroom was dressed in a cloak of bright crim-
son, and a vest of fine shining linen, with an ephod, on which
there was a thin golden plate set all around with diamonds, and
on the plate was engraved a young eagle, the wedding badge of
this heavenly society: and on his head he wore a mitre. The bride
was dressed in a scarlet robe, under which was an embroidered
gown that reached from her neck to her feet, and below her
breast she wore a golden girdle, and on her head a crown of gold
set with rubies.

When they were seated, the bridegroom turned himself towards
the bride, and placed a golden ring on her finger, and he pro-
duced bracelets and a necklace of pearls, and fastened the brace-
lets on the wrists of her hands, and the necklace around her neck,
and said, "Accept these pledges;" and when she accepted them,
he kissed her, and said, "Now thou art mine," and he called her
his wife.

When this was done the guests cried out, "May there be a
blessing!" This was first cried out by each one separately, and
afterwards by all together. One who had been sent by the prince
as his representative also joined in this cry; and at that instant
the room adjoining the bridal-chamber was filled with an aromatic
smoke, which was a sign of blessing from heaven.

Then the ministers took loaves from the two tables near the
26

THE JOYS OF HEAVEN [21

candlestick, and cups, now filled with wine, from the tables in
the corners, and gave to each guest his own loaf and his own cup,
and they ate and drank.

After this the husband and wife rose up, and the six maidens
followed with the silver lamps, now lighted, in their hands, as
far as the threshold; and the married pair entered the bridal-
chamber, and the door was shut.

21. Afterwards the angel conductor spoke with the guests
about his ten companions, telling them that he had by command
introduced them, and showed them the magnificent things of the
prince's palace, and the wonders there; and that they had dined
at table with him, and afterwards had conversed with the wise
ones of the society; and he requested that they might be allowed
to enjoy some conversation with them also. So they approached,
and conversed with them.

And a wise one of the men at the wedding said, "Do you
understand the significance of what you have seen?"

They replied, that in some little degree they did; and then they
asked him why the bridegroom, now a husband, had been dressed
in that particular manner.

He answered, "That the bridegroom, now a husband, repre-
sented the Lord, and the bride, now a wife, represented the church,
because weddings in heaven represent the marriage of the Lord
with the church. Hence it is that he wore a mitre on his head,
and was dressed in a cloak, a vest, and an ephod, like Aaron;
and that the bride, now a wife, wore a crown on her head, and
wore a robe like a queen; but to-morrow they will be dressed
differently, because this representation lasts only to-day."

They asked further, "Since he represented the Lord, and she
the church, why did she sit at his right hand?"

The wise one replied, "Because there are two things which
constitute the marriage of the Lord and the church love and
wisdom; the Lord is love, and the church is wisdom; and the
wisdom is at the right hand of love. For the man of the church
is wise as of himself, and in proportion as he is wise he receives
love from the Lord. The right hand also signifies power; and love
has power by means of wisdom: but, as was just now said, after
the wedding the representation is changed; for then the husband
represents wisdom, and the wife the love of his wisdom. This
love, however, is not a primary love, but a secondary love, which
the wife has from the Lord through the wisdom of the husband.
The love of the Lord, which is the primary love, is the love of
being wise with the husband; wherefore after the wedding, both
together, the husband and his wife, represent the church."

They asked again, "Why did not you men stand beside the
bridegroom, now the husband, as the six virgins stood beside the
bride, now the wife?"

The wise one answered, "Because to-day we are numbered

27

22, 23] CONJUGIAL LOVE

among the virgins ; and the number six signifies all and what is
complete."

But they said, "What does this mean?"

He replied, 'Virgins signify the church; and the church con-
sists of both sexes: wherefore also we, as to the church, are
virgins. That this is the case, is evident from these words in the
Apocalypse: 'These are they who have not been polluted with
women; for they are VIRGINS ; and they follow the Lamb whither-
soever he goeth 9 (chap, xiv.4). And because virgins signify the
church, therefore the Lord likened it to ten virgins invited to a
wedding (Matt, xxv.l). And because by Israel, Zion, and Jeru-
salem is signified the church, therefore mention is so often made
in the Word of the VIRGIN AND DAUGHTER OF ISRAEL, ZION, AND
JERUSALEM. The Lord also describes His marriage with the church
in these words in David: 'AT THY RIGHT HAND (DID STAND) THE
QUEEN in fine gold of Ophir: her garment is of brocades of gold:
she shall be brought unto the king in GARMENTS OF NEEDLEWORK:
THE VIRGINS AFTER HER, her friends, shall come into the king's
palace' (Psalm xlv.9-16)."

Afterwards they said, "Is it not expedient that some priest be
present and minister at the wedding?"

The wise one answered, "This is expedient in the natural
spheres, but not in the heavens, on account of the representation
of the Lord Himself and the church. On the natural planes they
do not know this; but even with us a priest administers at
betrothals, and hears, receives, confirms, and consecrates the con-
sent. Consent is the essential of marriage; and all the things
which follow are its formalities."

22. After this the angel conductor went to the six maidens,
and gave them an account of his companions, and requested that
they would favour them with their company. And they approached;
but when they were near, they suddenly retired, and entered into
the womens' apartment, where also were the maidens their friends.

On seeing this, the angel conductor followed them, and asked
why they had retired so suddenly without speaking with them;
and they replied, "We could not approach." He said, "Why not?"
and they answered, "We do not know; but we perceived some-
thing which repelled us and drove us back again: we hope they
will excuse us."

The angel then returned to his companions, and told them of
this answer, and added, "I conjecture that you do not possess
chaste sexual love. In heaven we love maidens on account of their
beauty and the elegance of their manners; and we love them very
much, but chastely." On this his companions laughed, and said,
"You conjecture aright: who can see such beauties near and not
feel admiration for them?"

23. After this festive companionship, all those who had been
28

THE JOYS OF HEAVEN [24, 25

invited to the wedding departed, and also those ten men with their
angel: the evening was far advanced, and they went to bed.

At daybreak they heard a proclamation, "To-DAY is THE SAB-
BATH", and they arose and asked the angel what it meant. He
replied, "It is for the worship of God which returns at stated
times, and is proclaimed by the priests. It is performed in our
temples, and lasts about two hours; wherefore, if it please you,
go with me, and I will take you there."

So they dressed themselves, and accompanied the angel, and
entered the temple. It was a large temple, capable of containing
about three thousand persons. It was of a semicircular form:
the benches or seats were continuous, being carried round in a
circular sweep according to the shape of the temple; and the
back seats were raised higher than the front ones. The pulpit
in front of the seats was drawn back a little from the center ; there
was a door behind the pulpit, on the left.

The ten strangers entered with their angel conductor, and he
pointed out to them the places where they were to sit, saying to
them, "Every one who enters into the temple knows his own place;
he knows it by virtue of what is innate; nor can he sit anywhere
else: if he sits anywhere else, he hears nothing and perceives
nothing, and he also disturbs order; and when order is disturbed,
the priest is not inspired."

24. When the congregation had assembled, the priest ascended
the pulpit, and preached a sermon full of the spirit of wisdom.
The sermon was about the holiness of the Sacred Scripture, and
the conjunction of the Lord with both worlds, the spiritual and
the natural, by means thereof. In the illustration in which he was,
he fully proved, that the Holy Book was dictated by Jehovah the
Lord, and that consequently He is in it, so far that He is the
wisdom therein; but that the wisdom which is Himself therein,
lies concealed under the sense of the letter, and is opened only to
those who are in the truths of doctrine, and at the same time in
the goods of life, and thus who are in the Lord, and the Lord in
them. To this sermon he added a devout prayer, and descended.

As the audience were going out, the angel requested the priest
to speak a few words of peace with his ten companions; so he
drew near to them, and they conversed together for half an hour;
and he spoke about the Divine Trinity, that it is in Jesus Christ,
in Whom all the fullness of the Divinity dwells bodily, according
to the declaration of the Apostle Paul ; and afterwards about the
union of charity and faith; but he said the union of charity and
truth,

25. After expressing their thanks, they returned home; and
there the angel said to them, "This is now the third day since your
ascent into the society of this heaven, and you were prepared by
the Lord to remain here three days ; wherefore, it is time that we

29

26] CONJUGIAL LOVE

separate ; put off, therefore, the garments sent you by the prince,
and put on your own;" and when they were in their own gar-
ments, they were inspired with a desire to depart ; so they departed,
and descended, the angel accompanying them to the place of
assembly; and there they gave thanks to the Lord for vouchsafing
to bless them with knowledge, and thereby with intelligence, con-
cerning heavenly joys and concerning eternal happiness.

26. I again asservate in truth, that these things were done and
said as they are related ; the former in the state of spirits, which
is intermediate between heaven and hell, and the latter in the
society of heaven to which the angel of the trumpet, who acted as
conductor, belonged. Who in the Christian world would have
known anything about heaven, and the joys and happiness there,
the knowledge of which is also the knowledge of salvation, unless
it had pleased the Lord to open to some person the sight of his
spirit, and to show and teach him? That similar things exist in
the spiritual world appears very manifestly from the things which
were seen and heard by the Apostle John, and which are described
in the Apocalypse; as, that he saw the Son of Man in the midst
of the seven candlesticks (chap, i.12, 13) ; also a tabernacle,
temple, ark, and altar in heaven (xv.5, 8; xi.19; vi.9; viii.3;
ix.13) ; a book sealed with seven seals; the book opened, and
horses going forth thence (v.l; vi.l, 2, 4, 5, 8) ; four animals
around the throne (iv.6) ; twelve thousand chosen out of each
tribe (vii.4-8) ; locusts ascending out of the abyss (ix.3,7) ; the
dragon, and his combat with Michael (xii.7) ; a woman bringing
forth a male son, and fleeing into the wilderness on account of
the dragon (xii.l, 2, 5, 6) ; two beasts, one ascending out of the
sea, and the other out of the earth (xiiiJ, II) ; a woman sitting
upon a scarlet beast (xvii.3) ; the dragon cast out into a pool of
fire and brimstone (xx.3,10) ; a white horse, and the great supper
(xix.ll, 17) ; a new heaven and a new earth, and the holy Jeru-
salem descending, described as to its gates, wall, and the founda-
tions of the wall (xxi.l, 2, 12, 14, 17-20); also a river of
the water of life, and trees of life bearing fruits every inonth
(xxii.l, 2) ; besides many other things, all which were seen by
John, while as to his spirit he was in the spiritual world and in
heaven. Not to mention the things which were seen by the
apostles after the Lord's resurrection; and the things which were
afterwards seen by Peter (Acts xi) ; also the things which were
seen and heard by Paul. Besides tlie things which were seen and
heard by the prophets; as by EZEKIEL, who saw four animals
which were cherubs (chapter i, and chapter x) ; a new temple and
a new earth, and an angel measuring them (chapters xL-xlviii) ;
and was led away to Jerusalem, and there saw abominations; and
also into Chaldea into captivity (chapter viii. and chapter xi.).
The case was similar with ZECHARIAH, who saw a man riding
among the myrtle trees (chap, i.8, and following verses) ; also
30

THE JOYS OF HEAVEN [26

four horns; and afterwards a man with a measuring line in his
hand (chap, ii.5; iii.l, and following verses) ; likewise a candle-
stick and two olive trees (chap, iv.2, and following verses) ; also
a flying roll, and an ephah (chap, v.l, 6) ; also four chariots
going forth between two mountains, and horses (chap, vi.l, and
following verses). So likewise with DANIEL, who saw four beasts
ascending out of the sea (chap, vii.l, and following verses) ; also
combats of a ram and a goat (chap, viii.l, and following verses) ;
who also saw the angel Gabriel, and spoke much with him
(chap. ix). The youth of Elisha saw chariots and horses of fire
round about Elisha; and he saw them when his eyes were opened
(2 Kings vi.15, 17). From these and many other instances in the
Word, it is evident that the things which exist in the spiritual
world appeared to many both before and after the Lord's coming;
what wonder, then, is it, that the same things should now also be
seen when the church is commencing, or when the New Jerusalem
is coming down from the Lord out of heaven?

31

MARRIAGES IN HEAVEN

27. That there are marriages in heaven, cannot enter into the
faith of those who believe that a man after he leaves the natural
state is a soul or spirit, and who conceive of a soul or spirit as
of a thin ether or breath of air: who believe also that a man will
not live as a man till after the day of the last judgment; and, in
general, of those who know nothing about the spiritual world, in
which angels and spirits are, consequently in which the heavens
and hells are; and because that world has been heretofore un-
known, and it has been altogether unknown that the angels of
heaven are men in perfect form, and in like manner the spirits
of hell, but in imperfect form, therefore it was impossible for
anything to be revealed concerning marriages in that world; for
they would have said, "How can a soul be conjoined with a soul,
or a breath of air with a breath of air, as one married partner
with another in the natural world?" besides many other tilings,
which, the instant they were said, would take away and dispel all
faith concerning marriages in the other world. But now, since
many things have been revealed concerning that world, and its
quality has also been described in the Work on Heaven and Hell,
and also in the Apocalypse Revealed* the fact that marriages take
place there, can be confirmed, even before the reason, by the
following propositions:

I. Man lives a man after he leaves the natural state.

II. The male (Understanding) then is a male, and the female
(Will), a female.

III. Every one's own love remains with him after death
(resuscitation).

IV. Sexual love especially remains; and with those who come
into heaven, as those do who become spiritual in the natural world,
conjugial love remains.

V. These things fully confirmed by personal observation.

VI. Consequently there are marriages in the heavens.

VII. Spiritual weddings are meant by the Lord's words, that
after the resurrection they are not given in marriage.

Now follows an explanation of these propositions in their
order.

28. I. MAN LIVES A MAN AFTER HE LEAVES THE NATURAL STATE,
That man lives a man after he leaves the natural state, has been
heretofore unknown in the natural world, for the reasons men-
tioned just now; and, what is surprising, it has been unknown
even in the Christian world, where there is the Word, and
enlightenment thence concerning eternal life, and where the Lord

32

MARRIAGES IN HEAVEN [29

Himself teaches, "that all the dead rise again; and that God is not
the God of the dead but of the living' (Matt, xxii.31, 32; Luke
xx. 37, 38). Moreover, man, as to the affections and thoughts of
his mind, is in the midst of angels and spirits, and he is so con-
sociated with them, that he cannot be separated from them without
expiring. It is still more surprising that this is unknown, when
yet every man that has passed from the natural world since the
first creation, after this event has come, and still comes to his own,
or, as it is said in the Word, has been gathered, and is gathered
to his own. Besides, man has a common perception, which is the
same thing as the influx of heaven into the interiors of the mind,
by virtue of which he inwardly in himself perceives truths, and
as it were sees them, and especially this truth, that he lives a man
after death, a happy man if he has lived well, and an unhappy
one if he has lived ill. For who does not think this, when he
elevates his mind a little above the natural, and above the thought
which is nearest to his sensual mind; as is the case when he is
more interiorly in Divine worship, and when he lies on his
expiring couch, and is awaiting his passing; in like manner when
he hears about those who have left the natural state, and about
their lot? I have related thousands of particulars about the
departed, as in what sort of lot were the brethren, married part-
ners, and friends of certain persons. I have also written concern-
ing the lot of the English, the Dutch, the Papists, the Jews, the
Gentiles, and likewise concerning the lot of Luther, Calvin, and
Melancthon; and hitherto I have never heard any one say, "How
can such be their lot, when they have not yet risen out of their
natural state, for the last judgment has not yet taken place? Are
they not in the meantime souls which are breaths of air, and
which reside in some indefinite place?" Such things I have never
yet heard said by any one; and from this circumstance I have
been able to conclude, that every one perceives in himself that he
lives in human form after death. What man (vir) who has loved
his married partner and his children, will not say to himself,
when they are passing, or have passed out, if his thought be
elevated above the external and sensuous mind, that they are in
the hand of God, and that he shall see them again after his own
resuscitation, and again be conjoined with them in a life of love
and joy?

29, Who cannot see from reason, if he is willing to see, that
man after resuscitation is not a breath of air, of which there is no
other idea than as a puff of wind, or as of air and ether, and that
it constitutes or contains the soul of the man, which desires and
waits for conjunction with its own cast off natural body, in order
that it may enjoy again the things of the natural mind, and their
delights, as before in the natural world? Who cannot see, that if
this were the case with man after his passing from the natural
state, his future state would be more contemptible than that of the

33

30, 31] CONJUGIAL LOVE

fishes, birds, and animals of ,the natural world, whose souls do not
live, and consequently are not in such anxiety by reason of desire
and expectation? If man, after his spirit leaves his natural body,
were such a breath of air, and thus a puff of wind, he would
either float about in the universe, or, according to the traditions of
some, would be reserved in some indefinite place, or in the limbo
of the Fathers, until the last judgment. Who cannot from reason
conclude thence, that those who have lived since the first creation,
which is asserted by some to have been six thousand years ago,
must be still in a similar anxious state, and progressively more
anxious, because all expectation from false hopes produces
anxiety, and from time to time increases it; consequently that they
must still be either floating about in the universe, or be kept con-
fined in some indefinite place, and thus in extreme misery; and
that the case must be similar with Adam and his wife, with
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and with all who have lived since that
time? Hence it follows, that nothing would be more deplorable
than to be born a man. But, on the contrary, it has been provided
by the Lord, Who is Jehovah from eternity, and the Creator of the
universe, that the state of the man who conjoins himself with Him
by means of a life according to His precepts, becomes more
blessed and happy after resuscitation (death of the physical body)
than before in die natural world; and that it is more blessed and
happy from this circumstance, that the man then is spiritual, and
a spiritual man feels and perceives spiritual delight, which is
super-eminent in comparison with natural delight, because it
exceeds the latter a thousand times.

30. That angels and spirits are men, may be manifest from
those seen by Abraham, Gideon, Daniel, and the prophets, and
especially by John when he wrote the Apocylypse, and also by
the women in the Lord's sepulchre; yea, from the Lord Himself
being seen by the disciples after His resurrection. The reason of
their being seen was, that the eyes of the spirit of those who saw
them were opened at the time; and when the eyes of the spirit
are opened, angels appear in their own form, which is the human
form; but when the eyes of the spirit are closed, that is, when
they are veiled by the sight of the natural eyes, which derive from
the material world all that pertains to them, then they do not
appear.

31. It must, however, be known, that a man after he leaves
the physical state, is not a natural, but a spirit man; and that,
nevertheless, he still appears in all respects like what he was
before; so like, indeed, that he knows no otherwise than that he
is still in the natural world: for he has a similar body, a similar
face, similar speech, and similar senses; because he has a similar
affection and thought, or a similar will and understanding. He is
indeed actually not similar, because he is a spirit, and con-

34

MARRIAGES IN HEAVEN [32

sequently an interior man; but the difference does not appear to
him because he cannot compare his state with his previous natural
state, for he has put off the latter, and is in the former; wherefore,
I have often heard such persons say, that they know no otherwise
than that they are in the former state, with only this difference,
that they no longer see those whom they have left in the natural
world; but that they see those who have departed out of
that world, or have expired. The reason why they now see the
latter and not the former, is, that they are not natural, but spir-
itual, or substantial men; and a spiritual or substantial man sees
a spiritual or substantial man, as a natural or material man sees
a natural or material man, but not contrariwise, on account of the
difference between what is substantial and what is material, which
is like the difference between what is prior and what is posterior;
and what is prior, because in itself it is purer, cannot appear to
what is posterior, which in itself is grosser; nor can what is pos-
terior, because it is grosser, appear to what is prior, which in itself
is purer ; consequently an angel cannot appear to a man of the nat-
ural world, nor a man of the natural world to an angel. The reason
why a man after resuscitation is a spiritual or substantial man, is,
that this spiritual or substantial man lay concealed inwardly in the
natural or material man; this natural or material man was to it
as a covering, or as a skin about to be cast off; and when the
covering or skin is cast off, the man comes forth spiritual or
substantial, and thus purer, more interior, and more perfect. That
the spiritual man is still a perfect man, although he does not
appear to the natural man, was plainly evidenced from the Lord's
appearing to the apostles after His resurrection, in that He
appeared, and presently did not appear; and yet He was a man
like to Himself both when seen and when not seen: they also said
that, when they saw Him, their eyes were opened,

32. II. THE MALE (UNDERSTANDING) THEN is A MALE, AND THE
FEMALE (WILL) A FEMALE. Since a man lives after leaving the
natural state, and man is male and female, and there is such a
distinction between the masculine and feminine that the one cannot
be changed into the other, it follows, that after the death of the
physical the male lives a male, and the female a female, both
being a spiritual man. It is said that the masculine cannot be
changed into the feminine, nor the feminine into the masculine,
and that therefore after resuscitation the male is a male, and the
female a female. But because it is not known in what the mascu-
line essentially consists, and in what the feminine, therefore it
shall here be stated in a few words. The difference consists essen-
tially in this, that the inmost in the male is love, and its covering
is wisdom; or, what is the same thing, the male is love covered
or veiled by wisdom; and that the inmost in the female is that
wisdom of the male, and its covering is love thence derived; but
this love is feminine love, and it is given by the Lord to the wife

35

33, 34] CONJUGIAL LOVE

through the wisdom of the husband; whereas the former love is
masculine love, and is the love of growing wise, it is given by the
Lord to the husband according to the reception of wisdom. Hence
it is that the male is the wisdom of love, and the female, the love
of that wisdom ; wherefore from creation there has been implanted
in both the love of conjunction into a one; but of these things
more will be said in the following pages. That the feminine is
from the masculine, or that the woman was taken out of the man
(vir) is manifest from these words in Genesis: "Jehovah God took
one of the ribs of the man (vir) and closed up the flesh in the
place thereof; and He built the rift, which He had taken out of the
man (homo) into a woman; and He brought her to the man; and
the man said, This is my bone of bones, and flesh of my flesh;
hence she shall be called Ishshah (woman), because she was taken
out of the man (vir, Hebrew Ish) (chap, ii.21-23) : the significa-
tion of a rib, and of flesh, will be stated elsewhere.

33. From this primitive formation it follows, that the male is
born intellectual, and that the female is born voluntary; or what
is the same thing, that the male is born into the affection of know-
ing, understanding, and growing wise, and that the female is born
into the love of conjoining herself with that affection in the male.
And because the interiors form the exteriors to their own likeness,
and the masculine form is the form of intellect, and the feminine
form is the form of the love of that intellect, therefore the male
and the female differ as to the features of the face, the tone of the
voice, and the form of the body ; the male having harder features,
a harsher tone of voice, and a stronger body, and also a bearded
chin, and in general a form less beautiful than that of the female ;
they differ also in their gestures and manners ; in a word, there is
nothing alike; but still there is conjunctiveness in every par-
ticular; yea, the masculine in the male is masculine in every part
of his body, even the smallest part, and also in every idea of his
thought, and in every spark of his affection; so, likewise, the
feminine in the female; and since thus the one cannot be changed
into the other, it follows, that after the death of the physical the
male is still a male, and the female a female.

34. III. EVERY ONE'S OWN LOVE REMAINS WITH HIM AFTER
DEATH (RESUSCITATION) . Man knows that love is, but he does not
know what love is. He knows that love is, from common con-
versation, as from its being said: such a one loves me, a king
loves his subjects, and the subjects love the king; a husband loves
his wife, and a mother her children, and conversely; also, such or
such a person loves his country, his fellow citizens, his neighbor;
in like manner of things abstractedly from person, as when it is
said, that a person loves this or that thing. But although love is so
universal in conversation, scarcely any one knows what love is.
While meditating on the subject, as he is not then able to form

36

MARRIAGES IN HEAVEN [35, 36

any idea of thought concerning it, and thus to convey it into the
light of the understanding, because it is a matter not of light but
of heat, he either says that it is not anything, or else that it is
merely something that flows in from sight, hearing, conversation,
and thus makes the spirit. He is altogether ignorant that love is
his very life, not only the general life of his whole body, and the
general life of all his thoughts, but also the life of all their
particulars. A wise man can perceive this from queries like these:
if you remove the affection of love, can you think anything, and
can you do anything? Do not thought, speech, and action grow
cold in proportion as the affection which belongs to the love
grows cold? And do they not grow warm in proportion as the
affection which belongs to the love grow warm? Love therefore
is the heat of man's life, or his vital heat. The heat of the blood,
and also its redness, are from no other sources. The fire of the
angelic sun, which is pure love, effects this.

35. That every one has his own love, or a love distinct from
the love of another; that is, that no two men have exactly the
same love, may be manifest from the infinite variety of faces: the
faces are the types of the loves ; for it is known that the faces are
changed and varied according to the affections of love; a man's
desires also, which belong to his love, and likewise his joys and
sorrows, shine forth thence. From this consideration it is evident,
that a man is his own love; yea, that he is the form of his own
love. It must, however, be known, that the interior man, which is
the same as his spirit which lives after the death of the physical,
is the form of his own love, but not so the exterior man in the
natural world, because the latter has learned from childhood to
conceal the desires of his love, to make a pretense and show of
desires which are different from his own.

36. The reason why every one's own love remains with him
after he leaves his material body, is, as was said just above,
No. 34, love is the life of man ; and hence it is the man himself.
A man also is his own thought, thus his own intelligence and
wisdom; but these make a one with his love. For a man thinks,
yea, if he be in freedom, speaks and acts, from his love, and
according to it; whence it may be seen, that love is the Esse or
essence of a man's life, and that thought is the existere or existence
of his life thence derived ; wherefore speech and action which flow
from the thought, do not flow from the thought, but from the love
through the thought. From much experience it has been given me
to know, that a man after he departs the physical is not his own
thought, but that he is his own affection and consequent thought;
or, that he is his own love and consequent intelligence; also that
a man after resuscitation puts off everything which does not agree
with his love ; yea, that he successively puts on the face, the tone
of voice, the speech, the gestures, and the manners of the love of

37

37-39] CONJUGIAL LOVE

his life. Hence it is, that the universal heaven is arranged in order
according to the varieties of the affections of the love of good,
and the universal hell according to all the affections of the love
of evil.

37. IV. SEXUAL LOVE ESPECIALLY REMAINS; AND WITH THOSE

WHO COME INTO HEAVEN, WHO ARE THOSE WHO BECAME SPIRITUAL
IN THE NATURAL WORLD, CONJUGIAL LOVE REMAINS. The reason why

sexual love remains with man after the death of the physical, is,
that the male then is a male and the female a female; and the
masculine in the male is masculine in the whole and in every part
thereof ; and in like manner the feminine in the female ; and there
is a conjunctivness in all their singulars, yea, even their variest
singulars. Now, since this conjunctiveness was implanted by
creation, and hence is perpetually within, it follows, that the one
desires and breathes conjunction with the other. Love, considered
in itself, is nothing else than a desire and a consequent effort for
conjunction; and conjugial love for conjunction into a one. For
the male human being and the female human being have been so
created, that out of two they may become as it were one human
being, or one flesh; and when they become one, then, taken
together, they are a human being in his fullness ; but without such
conjunction, they are two, and each of them is like a divided or
half a human being. Now, since this conjunctiveness lies inmostly
latent in every singular of the male, and in every singular of the
female, and the faculty and desire for conjunction into a one is in
every singular, it follows, that the mutual and reciprocal sexual
love remains with human beings after the death of the physical
body.

38. It is said ? sexual love and conjugial love, because sexual
love is different from conjugial love. Sexual love is with the
natural man, but conjugial love with the spiritual man. The
natural man loves and desires only external conjunctions, and the
pleasures of the lower mind arising therefrom; whereas the
spiritual man loves and desires an internal conjunction, and the
blissfulnesses of the spirit arising thence, and these blissfulnesses
he perceives are possible with one conjugial partner, with whom
he can be perpetually more and more conjoined into a one: and
the more he is thus conjoined, the more he perceives his blissful-
nesses ascending in a like degree, and enduring to eternity. But
the natural man does not think so. Hence then it is that it is said,
that after the death of the physical, conjugial love remains with
those who come into heaven, who are those who become spiritual
while in the natural world.

39. V. THESE THINGS FULLY CONFIRMED BY PERSONAL OBSERVA-
TION. That man lives a man after resuscitation, and that the male
then is a male, and the female a female; and that every one's own
love remains with him, and especially sexual love and conjugial

38

MARRIAGES IN HEAVEN [40,41

love, are positions which I have thus far endeavored to confirm
by such things as belong to the understanding, and are called
rational things. But, since man from his childhood has obtained
from his parents and masters, and afterwards from the learned
and the clergy, the belief that he will not live a man after the
death of the physical body until the day of the last judgment, in
the expectation whereof they have now been for six thousand
years ; and since many have alleged that this is one of the articles
of faith, which ought to be embraced in faith, and not by the
understanding, it was necessary that the above positions should
be confirmed also by the proofs of personal observation; other-
wise, a man who believes only the senses, would say, from the
faith previously impressed on him: "If men loved men after the
death of the natural body, I should see and hear them: who has
ever descended out of heaven, or ascended out of hell, and related
such things?" But, whereas it was never possible, nor can it ever
be possible, for any angel of heaven to descend, or for any spirit
of hell to ascend, and speak with any man, except with those who
have the interiors of the mind, which are the interiors of the
spirit, opened by the Lord ; and this opening of the interiors can-
not be fully effected except with those who have been prepared
by the Lord to receive the things which belong to spiritual wisdom,
therefore it has pleased the Lord thus to prepare me, so that the
state of heaven and hell, and the state of the life of men hereafter,
might not remain unknown, and be laid asleep in ignorance, and
at length buried in denial. Nevertheless, the proofs of personal
experience on the subjects above mentioned, cannot, by reason of
their abundance, be adduced here; but they have been already
adduced in the Work on fjeayqn and Helb and afterwards in the
Continuation concerning the Spiritual World, and lastly in the
Apocalypse Revealed; and especially in the Memorable Relations
which follow after the paragraphs or chapters of the present
Work.

40. VI. CONSEQUENTLY THERE ARE MARRIAGES IN HEAVEN.
Since these positions have been confirmed by reason, and at the
same time by experience, they need no further demonstration.

41. VII. SPIRITUAL WEDDINGS ARE MEANT BY THE LORD'S

WORDS, THAT AFTER THE RESURRECTION THEY ARE NOT GIVEN IN

MARRIAGE. In the Evangelists the following words are read:
"Certain of the Sadduces* who deny the resurrection, asked Jesus,
saying, Master, Mosjes wrote, If any ones brother die, having a
wife, and he be childless, his brother shall take his wife, and raise
up seed unto his brother. There were seven brethren, of whom one
after the other took the wife; but they died childless; last of all
the woman dted also; in the resurrection therefore whose wife
shall she be of the seven? But Jesus answering, said unto them,
The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage; but those

39

41] CONJUGIAL LOVE

who shall be held worthy to attain to another age and the resur-
rection from the dead 7 shall neither marry nor be given in mar-
riage, for they can die no more; for they are like unto the angels,
and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. But that the
dead rise again, Moses also shewed at the bramble-bush^ when he
called the Lord the God of Abraham* and the God of Isaac, and
the God of Jacob; for He is not the God of the dead, but of the
living; for all live unto Him" (Luke xx.27-38; Matt xxii.22-31 ;
Mark xii.18-27). There are two things which the Lord taught by
these words: first, that man rises again after death; and secondly,
that in heaven they are not given in marriage. That man rises
again after death, He taught by these words, "That God is not
God of the dead, but of the living, and that Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob are alive": and further in the parable concerning the rich
man in hell, and Lazarus in heaven (Luke xvi.22-31). Secondly,
that in heaven they are not given in marriage., He taught by these
words, "that those who shall be held worthy to attain to another
age, neither marry nor are given in marriage." That none other
than spiritual weddings are here meant, appears manifestly from
the words which immediately follow, "that they can no more die;
because they are like unto the angels, and are sons of God, being
sons of the resurrection." By spiritual weddings is meant con-
junction with the Lord, and this is effected in the natural world;
and when it is effected in the natural state, it is also effected in
the heavens ; wherefore in the heavens they are not married again,
nor again given in marriage: this is also meant by these words.
"That the sons of this age marry and are given in marriage; but
those who are held worthy to attain to another age neither marry
nor are given in marriage." These are also called by the Lord,
"sons of the wedding" (Matt, ix.15; Mark ii.19) ; and in this
passage, "angels", "sons of God", and "sons of the resurrection".
That making a wedding denotes being conjoined with the Lord,
and that entering into a wedding denotes being received into
heaven by the Lord, is manifest from the following passages:
"The kingdom of the heavens is like unto a man, a king, who
made a wedding for his son, and sent out servants and invited to
the wedding" (Matt, xxii.2-14). "The kingdom of the heavens is
like unto ten virgins, who went forth to meet the bridegroom; of
whom five being prepared entered In unto the wedding* (Matt
xxv.l and following verses). That the Lord here meant Himself,
is evident from verse 13 of that chapter, where it is said, "Watch
ye* because ye know not the day and the hour in which the Son of
Man will come: 9 ' also from the Apocalypse: "The time of the
wedding of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself
ready: blessed are those who aw called to the wedding mpper of
the Lamb" (xix.7, 9)> That there is a spiritual meaning in each
and all things that the Lord spoke, has been fully shown in th(*
Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scripture,
published at Amsterdam in the year 1763.
40

MARRIAGES IN HEAVEN [42

42. To the above I shall add two Memorable Relations out of
the spiritual world. The first is as follows:

One morning I looked up into heaven, and I saw above me
expanse above expanse; and I saw that the first expanse, which
was the nearest, opened, and then the second, which was above it,
and lastly the third, which was the highest; and, from the enlighten-
ment thence, I perceived, that upon the first expanse were the
angels of which the first or ultimate heaven consists; upon the
second expanse were the angels of whom the second or middle
heaven consists; and upon the third expanse were the angels of
whom the third or highest heaven consists.

I wondered at first what this meant, and why it happened:
and presently there was heard out of heaven a voice as of a
trumpet saying, "We have perceived, and now see, that you have
been meditating on CONJUGIAL LOVE ; and we know that as yet no
one in the natural world knows what truly conjugial love is in its
origin and in its essence; and yet it is of importance that it should
be known: wherefore it has pleased the Lord to open the heavens
to you, in order that enlightening light and perception thence may
flow in into the interiors of your mind. With us in the heavens,
especially in the third heaven, our heavenly delights are prin-
cipally from conjugial love; wherefore, in consequence of leave
having been given us, we will send down to you a married pair,
in order that you may see."

And lo! there then appeared a chariot descending out of the
highest or third heaven, in which there appeared one angel; but
as it approached, there appeared therein two. The chariot at a
distance glittered before my eyes like a diamond, and to it were
harnessed young horses white as snow; and they who sat in the
chariot held in their hands two turtle-doves; and they called out
to me, "Do you wish us to come nearer to you? but in that case
take heed, lest the coruscation which flashes out of the heaven
whence we have descended, and is flaming, penetrate interiorly;
by its influx the higher ideas of your understanding, which in
themselves are heavenly, are indeed enlightened; but these ideas
are inexpressible in the state in which you dwell: wherefore
receive rationally what you are about to hear, and explain it
rationally to the understanding."

I replied, "I will take heed; come nearer."

And they came nearer ; and lo ! it was a husband and his wife ;
and they said, "We are married partners : we have lived happy in
heaven from the first age, which by you is called the golden age,
and we have lived perpetually in the same flower of age in which
you see us to-day."

I observed them both attentively, because I perceived that they
represented conjugial love in its life and in its attire; in its life in
their faces, and in its attire in their garments; for all angels are
affections of love in human form. The ruling affection itself
shines forth out of their faces ; and garments are allotted to them,

41

42] CONJUGIAL LOVE

from the affection, and according to it: wherefore it is said in
heaven, that every one is invested with his own affection. The
husband appeared of age intermediate between youth and young
manhood: from his eyes darted forth sparkling light by reason
of the wisdom of love, from which light his face was as it were
inmostly radiant; and in consequence of the radiance the surface
of his skin as it were shone; hence his whole face was one resplen-
dent beauty. He was dressed in a garment reaching down to his
feet, and underneath it was a garment of a purple colour, girt
about with a golden girdle, upon which were three precious stones,
two sapphires at the sides, and a fiery stone in the middle; his
stockings were of shining linen, with threads of silver interwoven,
and his shoes were all of silk. This was the representative form
of conjugial love with the husband. But with the wife it was as
follows: her face was seen by me, and it was not seen; it was
seen as beauty itself, and it was not seen because this beauty was
inexpressible; for in her face there was a splendor of flaming
light, such as the angels in the third heaven have, and this light
dimmed my sight; wherefore I was simply lost in astonishment.

Observing this, she spoke to me, saying, "What do you see?"

I replied, "I see nothing but conjugial love and the form there-
of; but I see, and I do not see."

Hereupon she turned herself sideways from her husband; and
then I was able to observe her more attentively. Her eyes sparkled
from the light of her own heaven, which light, as was said, is
flammeous, and therefore is derived from the love of wisdom ; for
the wives in that heaven love their husbands from their wisdom
and in their wisdom, and the husbands love their wives from that
love and in that love towards themselves: and thus they are united.
This was the origin of her beauty, which was such that it would
be impossible for any painter to imitate and exhibit it in its form,
for there is no such lustre in his colours; nor is such beauty
expressible in his art. Her hair was arranged in beautiful order
according to its correspondence with her beauty; and in it were
inserted flowers of diadems; she had a necklace of fiery stones,
from which hung a rosary of chrysolites; and she had bracelets
of pearls. She was arrayed in a scarlet robe, and underneath it
she had a crimson stomacher, fastened in front with clasps of
rubies ; but what surprised me was, that the colours varied accord-
ing to her aspect towards her husband, and according thereto
sparkled sometimes more and sometimes less; in mutual aspect,
(or face to face) more, and in sideways aspect, less.

When I had seen these particulars, they again spoke with me;
and when the husband was speaking, he spoke at the same time
as from his wife; and when the wife was speaking, she spoke at
the same time as from her husband; for such was the union of their
minds from whence their speech flowed; and then also I heard the
tone of voice of conjugial love, that inwardly it was simultaneous,
42

MARRIAGES IN HEAVEN [43,44

and also that it proceeded from the delights of a state of peace
and innocence.

At length they said, "We are recalled; we must depart." And
then they again appeared to be conveyed in a chariot as before.
They were conveyed by a paved way between flower beds, from
the beds of which arose olive trees, and trees full of oranges: and
when they were near their own heaven, maidens came to meet
them, and received them and led them in.

43. After this an angel appeared to me out of that heaven,
holding in his hand a parchment, which he unrolled, saying, "I
saw that you were meditating upon conjugial love. In this parch-
ment there are arcana of wisdom concerning that love, which have
never yet been disclosed in the natural world. They must now be
disclosed, because it is of importance that they should be. Those
arcana "abound more in our heaven than in the rest, because we
are in the marriage of love and wisdom; but I foretell that no
others will appropriate that love to themselves but those who are
received by the Lord into the New Church, which is in the New
Jerusalem." Having said this, the angel let down the unrolled
parchment, which a certain angelic spirit took, and laid on a table
in a certain chamber, which he instantly locked, and held out the
key to me, and said, "Write."

second Memorable Relation:

saw three novitiate spirits from the natural world, who
were wandering about, examining everything, and asking questions
about it. They were in wonderment on finding that men lived
altogether as before, and that they saw similar things as they had
seen before; for they knew that they had departed out of the
former, or natural world, and that in that state they had believed
that they should not live as men until after the day of the last
judgment, when they should again be clothed with the flesh and
bones that had been laid in their graves ; wherefore, in order that
they might be freed from all doubt that they were really and truly
men, they by turns viewed and touched themselves and others,
and felt objects, and by a thousand proofs convinced themselves
that they were now men as in the former natural state; besides
which they saw each other in a brighter light, and objects in
greater brilliance, and thus more perfectly.

Just then, two angelic spirits happened to meet them, and
stopped them, saying, "Whence are you?"

They replied, "We have departed out of a world, and again
we live in a world; thus we have migrated from a world (one
state) into another world (another state) ; this surprises us."

Then the three novitiates questioned the two angelic spirits
concerning heaven; and as two of the three novitiates were youths,
and from their eyes there flashed forth as it were a fiery ardour
of lasciviousness, the angelic spirit said, "Possibly you have seen

43

44] CONJUGIAL LOVE

some women;" and they replied, "We have." And as they made
inquiry about heaven, the angelic spirits made the following
statement: "In heaven there are all kinds of magnificent and splen-
did things, and such things as the eye had never seen; there are
also maidens and young men ; maidens of such beauty that they
may be called beauties in beauty's own form, and young men of
such morality that they may be called moralities in morality's
own form; and the beauties of the maidens and the moralities of
the young men correspond to each other, as forms mutually re-
lated to and fitted for each other."

And the two novitiates asked, "Are there in heaven human
forms exactly similar to those which are in the natural world?"

The answer was made, "They are exactly similar; nothing is
taken away out of the man (vir), and nothing out of the woman;
in a word, the man (vir) is a male, and the woman (ferriina) a
woman, in all the perfection of form in which they were created:
retire, if you like, and examine yourself, whether anything is
wanting to make you less a man (vir) than before."

Again, the novitiates said, "We have heard in the natural state
from which we have departed, that in heaven they are not given
in marriage, because they are angels: does sexual love, therefore,
not exist there?"

And the angelic spirits replied, "Your kind of sexual love
t* exist in heaven; hut the.angejic sexual love, which, is
and devoid of all allurement from lust."

To this the novitiates said, "If there exists sexual love devoid
of all allurement, what in that case is sexual Jove?" And while
they were talking about this love, they sighed, and said, "Oh how
dry is the joy of heaven! What young man, if this be the case, can
possibly wish for heaven? Is not such a love barren and devoid
of life?"

To this the angelic spirits replied, smiling, "Angelic sexual
love, or such sexual love as exists in hfeaven, is nevertheless full
of inmost delights: it is a most pleasant expansion of all things
of the mind, and consequently of all things of the breast, and
inwardly in the breast, it is as if the heart sported with the lungs,
from which sport proceeds a respiration, a tone of voice, and a
speech which cause the social gatherings among the sexes, or
among young men and maidens, to be heavenly sweetnesses them-
selves, which are pure. All novitiates, on ascending into heaven,
are explored as to the quality of their chastity, for they are let
into the company of maidens, the beauties of heaven, who perceive,
from their tone of voice, their speech, their face, their eyes, their
gesture, and their exhaling sphere, of what quality they are as
regards sexual love; and if their love be unchaste, they flee away
from them, and tell their companions that they have seen satyrs
or priapuses. The new comers also undergo a change, and before
the eyes of the angels appear rough and hairy, and with feet like

44

MARRIAGES IN HEAVEN [44

those of calves or leopards, and presently they are cast down, lest
by their lust they should pollute the heavenly aura."

On hearing this, the two novitiates again said, "So there is no
sexual love in heaven; what is chaste sexual love but a love
emptied of the essence of its life? And thus, does not the con-
sociations of young men and maidens in heaven consist of dry
joys? We are not stocks and stones, but perceptions and affec-
tions of life."

On hearing this the two angelic spirits indignantly replied,
"You are utterly ignorant of what chaste sexual love is, because
as yet you are not chaste. That love is the very delight itself of
the mind, and hence of the heart, and not at the same time of the
sensuous mind beneath the heart. Angelic chastity, which is com-
mon to both sexes, prevents the passing of that love beyond the
enclosure of the heart; but within that enclosure, and above it,
the morality of a young man is delighted with the beauty of a
maiden in die delights of chaste sexual love; which delights are
too interior, and too abundant in pleasantness, to be described in
words. The angels have this sexual love, because they have con-
jugial love only; and this love cannot exist together with unchaste
sexual love. Truly conjugial love is chaste love, and has nothing
in common with unchaste love; it is restricted to one only of the
sex, and removed from all others; for it is a love of the spirit and
thence of the body, and not a love of the body and thence of the
spirit; that is, it is not a love which infests the spirit/'

On hearing this, the two novitiate youths rejoiced, and said,
"There still exists in heaven sexual love; what else is conjugial
love?"

But to this the angelic spirits replied, "Think more deeply,
weigh the matter well, and you will perceive, that your sexual
love is an extra-con jugial love, and that conjugial love is
altogether different; and that the latter is as distinct from the
former, as wheat is from chaff, or rather as the human is from
the bestial. If you were to ask the women in heaven, 'What is
extra-conjugial love?' I asservate that they would reply, 'What is
this? What are you talking about? How can you utter such an
expression which so wounds our ears? How can a love not created
be generated in man?' If you were then to ask them, 'What is
truly conjugial love?' I know they would reply, 'It is not sexual
love, but the love of one of the sex; and it comes into existence
no otherwise than when a young man sees a maiden provided by
the Lord, and a maiden a young man, and both feel what is con-
jugial being kindled in their hearts, and perceive, he that she is
his, and she that he is hers, for love meets love, and causes them
to know each other, and instantly conjoins their souls, and after-
wards their minds, and thence enters their bosoms, and after the
wedding penetrates further, and thus becomes a full love, which
grows every day into conjunction, till they no longer are two,
but as it were one/ I know also that they would swear that they

45

44] . CONJUGIAL LOVE

do not know any other sexual love; for they say, 'How can sexual
love exist, unless it be so mutual and reciprocal as to breathe
after an eternal union, which consists in two being of one mind?'"
To this the angelic spirits added, "In heaven they are utterly ignor-
ant of what scortatory love is; nor do they know that it exists, or
that its existence is possible. The angels grow cold all over the
body at unchaste or extra-conjugial love; and, on the other hand,
they grow warm all over the body from chaste or conjugial love.
With the men (viri) there, all the nerves are unstrung at the sight
of a fornicator, and recover their tension at the sight of a wife."

The three novitiates, on hearing this, asked, "Is there a similar
love between married partners in the heavens as in the natural
worlds?"

And the two angelic spirits replied, that it was exactly similar.
And as they perceived that the novitiates wished to know whether
in heaven there were similar ultimate delights, they said, that they
were exactly similar, but much more blessed, because angelic per-
ception and sensation are much more exquisite than human per-
ception and sensation: "and what," added they, "is the life of that
love unless derived from the vein of potency? When this vein
fails, does not that love fail and grow cold? Is not this virtue the
very measure, degree, and basis of that love? Is it not its begin-
ning, its support, and its fulfilment? It is a universal law, that
primary things exist, subsist, and persist, from ultimate tilings;
this applies also to that love; wherefore, unless there were ulti-
mate delights, there would be no delights of conjugial love
at all."

The novitiates ,then,3sked whether offspring were born from
the ultimate delights of that love in heaven; and if not, of what
u$e.w<ere those dejights?

The angelic spirits replied, that no natural offspring were
born, but spiritual offspring.

And the novitiates asked, "What are spiritual offspring?"

They replied, "Two married partners by means of the ultimate
delights are more united in the marriage of good and truth, and
the marriage of good and truth is the marriage of love and
wisdom; and love and wisdom are the offspring which are born of
that marriage; and since in heaven the husband is wisdom, and
the wife is the love thereof, and both are spiritual, therefore no
other than spiritual offspring can be conceived and begotten there,
Hence it is that the angels, after the delights, do not become sad,
as some do in the natural world, but cheerful ; and this they have
from a continual influx of fresh powers (vires] succeeding the
former ones, which renovate, and at the same time enlighten: for
all who come into heaven, return into their vernal youth, and
into the powers of that age, and remain so to eternity."

~ The three novitiates, on hearing this, said, "Is it not read in
the Word, that in heaven they are not given in marriage, because
they are angels?"
46

MARRIAGES IN HEAVEN [44

To this the angelic spirits replied, "Look up into heaven, and
an answer will be given you."

And they asked why they should look up into heaven.

The angelic spirits said, "Because thence we have all inter-
pretations of the Word. The Word is inwardly spiritual, and the
angels, because they are spiritual, will teach the spiritual under-
standing of it."

After a little while the heaven over their heads was opened,
and two angels came within sight of them, and said, "There are
weddings in the heavens, as in the natural world; but for no
others in the heavens than those who are in the marriage of good
and truth; nor are any others angels; wherefore, it is spiritual
weddings, which are of the marriage of good and truth, that are
meant in the Word. These spiritual weddings take place on the
natural plane, but not after the death of the physical body, thus
not in the heavens; as it is said of the five foolish virgins, who
were also invited to the wedding, that they could not enter,
because they did not possess the marriage of good and truth; for
they had no oil, but only lamps. By oil is meant good, and by
lamps truth; and being given in marriage denotes entering into
heaven, where the marriage of good and truth is."

The three novitiates were made glad on hearing this, and being
filled with a desire of heaven, and with the hope of wedding there,
they said, "We will diligently practice morality and virtue of life,
that we may obtain what we wish for."

47

THE STATE OF MARRIED PARTNERS AFTER DEATH

45. That there are marriages in the heavens has been shown
just above; it remains now to be shown whether the marriage
covenant which has been contracted in the natural world will
remain, and be in force after leaving this state, or not. As this is
a matter not of judgment, but of experience, and as the experience
has been given me by consociation with angels and spirits, it must
be adduced by me; but yet in such a manner that reason also may
assent thereto. It is also among the wishes and desires of married
persons to know this; for men (viri) who have loved their wives,
and likewise wives who have loved their husbands, wish to know
whether (if they have expired) it will be well with them, and
whether they shall ever meet again. Many married pairs also
wish to know beforehand whether they will be separated after the
death of the physical, or whether they will live together: those
who disagree in their dispositions wish to know whether they will
be separated; and those who agree, whether they will live together,
Since these answers are wished for, they shall be given, and in the
following order:

I. Sexual love remains with every man (or woman) after the
death of the physical body, such as it had been interiorly, that is,
such as it had been in his interior will and thought in the natural
world.

II. Conjugial love likewise remains.

III. The two married partners most generally meet after the
death of the physical bodies, recognize each other., again con-
sociate 9 and for some time live together: this takes place in the
first state, thus while they are in externals as in the natural world.

IV. But successively, as they put off their externals, and enter
into their internals, they perceive what had been the quality of
their love and inclination for each other mutually, and conse-
quently whether they can live together, or not.

V. // they can live together, they remain married partners;
but if they cannot, they separate; sometimes the husband (vir)
from the wife, sometimes the wife 'from the husband, and some-
times both mutually from each other.

VI. Then there is given to the man a suitable wife, and to the
woman likewise a suitable husband.

,<^VIL Married partners enjoy similar consociations with vac/i
other as in the natural world, but more delightful and blessed;
jyet without prolification, for which, or in place of which, they
have spiritual prolification, which is that of love and wisdom.

VIII. This takes place with those who come into heaven; but
it is otherwise with those who go into hell.
48

STATE OF MARRIED PARTNERS [46-4R

Now follows the explanation, by which these articles are
illustrated and confirmed.

46. I. SEXUAL LOVE REMAINS WITH EVERY MAN (OR WOMAN)

AFTER THE DEATH OF THE PHYSICAL BODY, SUCH AS IT HAD BEEN
INTERIORLY, THAT IS, SUCH AS IT HAD BEEN IN HIS INTERNAL WILL
AND THOUGHT IN THE NATURAL WORLD. Every love follows man
after his physical death, because it is the esse of his life; and the
ruling love, which is the head of all the others, remains with man
to eternity, and together with it the subordinate loves. The reason
why they remain, is, that love belongs properly to the spirit of
man, and to the body from the spirit; and a man after physical
death becomes a spirit, and so carries his love with him; and as
love is the esse of man's life, it is evident that such as a man's
life has been in the natural world, such does his lot become when
he enters the spiritual world. As regards sexual love, it is the
universal of all loves, for it has been implanted from creation in
the very soul of man, from which the essence of the whole man
is, and this for the sake of the propagation of the human race.
The reason why this love especially remains, is, that after resusci-
tation a man (vir) is a man, and a woman is a woman; and that
there is nothing in the soul, in the mind, and in the body, which
is not masculine in the male, and feminine in the female; that
these two have been so created, that they have a powerful striving
for conjunction, yea, for conjunction so as to become a one. This
effort or striving is sexual love, which precedes conjugial love.
Now, since the conjunctive inclination is inscribed on each and all
things of the male and of the female, it follows, that this inclina-
tion cannot be obliterated, or die, with the natural body.

47. The reason why sexual love remains such as it had been
interiorly in the natural world, is, that with every man there is an
Internal and External, which are also called the internal and
external man ; and hence there is an internal and an external will
and thought. A man, when he expires, leaves his external mind
behind, and retains his internal; for externals, strictly speaking,
belong to his natural mind, and internals, strictly speaking, belong
to his spirit. Now, since a man is his own love, and love resides
in his spirit, it follows that sexual love remains with him after
the death of the physical body, such as it had been interiorly with
him; as for example, if that love interiorly had been conjugial or
chaste, it remains conjugial and chaste after he leaves the phys-
ical ; but if it had been interiorly scortatory, it remains such also
after his resurrection. But it ought to be known that sexual love
is not the same with one person as with another; its differences
are infinite: nevertheless, such as it is in the spirit of any one,
such also it remains.

48. II. CONJUGIAL LOVE LIKEWISE REMAINS, SUCH AS IT HAD

BEEN INTERIORLY; THAT IS, SUCH AS IT HAD BEEN IN THE MAN'S

49

47 [6] CONJUGIAL LOVE

INTERIOR WILL AND THOUGHT IN THE NATURAL WORLD. Since sexual

love is one thing, and conjugial love another, therefore a distinct
name is given to each, and it is said, that the latter also remains
after death such as it has been with a man, while he lived in the
natural world, in his internal man. But as few know the difference
between sexual love and conjugial love, therefore, on the threshold
of this Treatise, I will preface something about it. Sexual love is
and with several, is a natural love; for it is common to man with
love is towards one, and with one of the sex. Love towards several,
and with several, is a natural love; for it is common to man with
beasts and birds, which are natural. But conjugial love is a
spiritual love, and it is peculiar and proper to men, because men
were created, and therefore are born, in order that they may
become spiritual; wherefore, in the proportion in which a man
becomes spiritual, he puts off sexual love, and puts on conjugial
love. In the beginning of marriage sexual love appears as if
conjoined with conjugial love; but in the progress of marriage
they are separated; and then, with those who are spiritual, sexual
love is exterminated, and conjugial love is insinuated; but with
those who are natural, the contrary takes place. From what has
now been said, it is evident, that sexual love, because it is a love
with several, and in itself natural, yea, animal, is impure and
unchaste, and, because it is roving and unlimited, it is scorlatory ;
but that conjugial love is altogether otherwise. That conjugial
love is spiritual, and, strictly speaking, human, will manifestly
appear from what follows:

47 (b). III. THE TWO MARRIED PARTNERS MOST GENERALLY

MEET AFTER THE DEATH OF THE PHYSICAL BODIES, RECOGNIZE EACH
OTHER, AGAIN CONSOCIATE, AND FOR SOME TIME LIVE TOGETHER:
THIS TAKES PLACE IN THE FIRST STATE, THUS WHILE THEY ARK IN

EXTERNALS AS IN THE NATURAL WORLD. There are two states into
which man enters after death, an external and an internal state.
He comes first into his external state, and afterwards into the
internal ; and while in the external state, married partners, if they
have both died, meet each other, recognize each other, and if they
have lived together in the world, consociate again, and for some
time live together; and when they are in this state, they do not
know the inclination of each to the other, because this conceals
itself in the internals. But afterwards, when they come into their
internal state, the inclination manifests itself; if it is concordant
and sympathetic, they continue their conjugial life; but if it is
discordant and antipathetic, they dissolve their conjugial life. If
a man has had several marriage partners, he conjoins himself
with them successively, while he is in the external state, but when
he enters the internal state, in which he perceives the inclinations
of his love, as to their quality, he then either adopts one, or leaves
them all; for in the spiritual world, as well as in the natural, it is
not allowable for any Christian to marry several wives, because
50

STATE OF MARRIED PARTNERS [48 [6]

this infests and profanes religion. The case is the same with a
woman who has had several husbands : nevertheless the women do
not adjoin themselves to their husbands; they only present them-
selves, and the husbands adjoin them to themselves. Be it known
that husbands rarely recognize their wives, but that wives well
recognize their husbands: the reason is, that women have an
interior perception of love, and men (viri) only an exterior
perception.

48 (b). IV. BUT SUCCESSIVELY, AS THEY PUT OFF THEIR

EXTERNALS, AND ENTER INTO THEIR INTERNALS, THEY PERCEIVE
WHAT HAD BEEN THE QUALITY OF THEIR LOVE AND INCLINATION
FOR EACH OTHER MUTUALLY, AND CONSEQUENTLY WHETHER THEY

CAN LIVE TOGETHER, OR NOT. There is no need to explain this
further, because it follows from what was explained in the pre-
ceding article; here it shall merely be shown how a man after
death puts off his externals and puts on his internals. Every one
after death is first introduced into the world which is called the
state of spirits, and which is intermediate between heaven and
hell ; and in that state he is prepared, the good man for heaven,
and the evil man for hell. This preparation has for its end, that
the Internal and External may agree together and make a one, and
not disagree and make two: in the natural world they make two,
and only make a one with those who are sincere at heart. That
they make two is manifest from the deceitful and the cunning;
especially from hypocrites, flatterers, dissemblers, and liars. But
in the spiritual world it is not allowable thus to have a divided
mind, but he who has been evil in internals must also be evil in
externals; likewise, he who has been good in internals must be
good in externals. For every man after death becomes such as he
had been interiorly, and not such as he had been exteriorly. For
the sake of this end, he is let alternately into his external and his
internal: and every man, while he is in his external, is wise, that
is, he wishes to seem wise, even if he be an evil man; but an evil
man is insane in his internal. By those changes he is able to see
his insanities, and to repent of them: but if he had not repented
during his earth life, he cannot afterwards; for he loves his
insanities, and wishes to remain in them : wherefore he forces his
external also to be insane likewise; thus his internal and his
external become a one; and when this is effected, he is prepared
for hell. But it is otherwise with a good man: such a one, because
in the natural world he had looked unto God and had repented,
was more wise in his internal than in his external : in his external
also, through the allurements and vanities of the natural world,
he had sometimes raved; wherefore, his external is likewise
reduced to agreement with his internal, which, as was said, is
wise; when this is effected, he is prepared for heaven. From these
considerations it plainly appears, how the putting off the external,
and putting on the internal, after death, is effected.

51

49, 50] CONJUGIAL LOVE

49. V. IF THEY CAN LIVE TOGETHER, THEY REMAIN MARRIED
PARTNERS; BUT IF THEY CANNOT, THEY SEPARATE, SOMETIMES THE
HUSBAND (VIR) FROM THE WIFE, SOMETIMES THE WIFE FROM THE
HUSBAND, AND SOMETIMES BOTH FROM EACH OTHER. The reason

why separations take place after death is, that the conjunctions
which are made in the natural world are seldom made from any
internal perception of love, but from an external perception,
which hides the internal. The external perception of love derives
its cause and origin from such things as belong to the love of the
material, and of the sensuous mind. Wealth and possessions
especially are objects of natural love, and dignities and honours
are objects of the love of the natural mind: and besides these
things, there are also various allurements that entice, such as
beauty, and a counterfeit grace of manners, and sometimes even
unchastity. Besides, matrimonies are contracted within the dis-
trict, city, or village, in which the parties were born, or where
they live, and even there the choice is confined and limited to the
families that are known, and, among these, to such as are of a
corresponding condition of life. Hence it is that marriages con-
tracted in the natural world are for the most part external and
not at the same time internal; when yet it is the internal con-
junction, which is the conjunction of souls, which constitutes
marriage itself; and this conjunction is not perceptible until man
puts off the external and puts on the internal, which takes place
after death. Hence now it is that separations take place then, and
afterwards new conjunctions with similar and homogeneous part-
ners; unless these conjunctions have been provided in the natural
world, as takes place with those who from early manhood have
loved, wished for, and asked of the Lord a lawful and loving
companionship with one woman, and who spurn and detest
wandering lusts.

50. VI. THEN THERE is GIVEN TO THE MAN A SUITABLE WIFE,

AND TO THE WOMAN LIKEWISE A SUITABLE HUSBAND. The reason

is, that no other married partners can be received into heaven, so
as to remain there, than those who are interiorly united, or are
capable of being united as into a one. For in heaven two married
partners are not called two, but one angel ; this is meant by the
Lord's words, "that they are no longer two, but one flesh." The
reason why no other married partners are received into heaven
is> that no others can dwell together in heaven, that is, be together
in one house, and in one bedchamber and bed; for all who are
in the heavens are consociated according to affinities and relation-
ships of love, and have habitations according to these. For in the
spiritual world there are not spaces, but there are appearances
of spaces ; and these appearances are according to the state of life
of those who are there, and states of life are according to states
of love. Wherefore, in that heavenly state no one can dwell but in
his own house, which is provided for him and assigned to him
52

STATE OF MARRIED PARTNERS [51, 52

according to the quality of his love: if he dwells in any other,
he is distressed in his breast and breathing; and it is not possible
for two to dwell together in the same house unless they are like-
nesses; and married partners are absolutely unable to do so
unless they are mutual inclinations; if they are external inclina-
tions; if they are external inclinations, and not at the same time
internal, the very house or place itself separates, rejects, and
expels them. This is the reason why, for those who after prepara-
tion are introduced into heaven, there is provided a marriage with
a consort whose soul inclines to union with the soul of the other,
so that they no longer wish to be two lives, but one life. This is
the reason why after separation there is given to the man a suit-
able wife, and to the woman likewise a suitable husband.

51. VII. MARRIED PARTNERS ENJOY SIMILAR CONSOCIATION

WITH EACH OTHER AS IN THE NATURAL WORLD, BUT MORE DELIGHT-
FUL AND BLESSED; YET WITHOUT PROLIFI CATION, FOR WHICH, OR
.IN PLACE OF WHICH, THEY HAVE SPIRITUAL PROLIFI CATION, WHICH

IS THAT OF LOVE AND WISDOM. TTie reason why^marrkd^|)artneFS
epjoy- similar intercourse as in the natural w-orfd,, is, .that after
death the male is a male, and the female a female, and there
Jbas been implanted in both from creation an inclination . tp , con-
junction; and this inclination with man belongs to his spirit, and
thence to his natural mind and externals. Wherefore after death,
when man becomes a spirit, the same mutual inclination remains,
and this cannot exist without similar consociation. For after
death man is a man as before ; neither is there anything wanting
either in the male or in the female: as to the form they are like
themselves, and also as to the affections and thoughts; what else,
then, follows thence, but that they must enjoy similar fellowship?
and also that, since con jugial love is chaste, pure, and holy, this
intercourse must be full? but on this subject see the several
particulars in the Memorable Relation*. jp^JfJoJJM^ The reason
why the intercourse"^ more delightful and blessed is that when
conjugial love becomes of the spirit, it becomes more interior and
pure, and consequently more perceptible; and every delightsome-
ness grows according to the perception, and grows even until its
blessedness is discernible in its delightsomeness.

52. The reason why the marriages in the heavens are without
prolification, and that instead thereof there is spiritual prolifica-
tion, which is that of love and wisdom, is, that with those who
are in the spiritual world, the third degree, which is the natural
is wanting; and it is this which is the containant of spiritual
things; and spiritual things without their containant have no con-
sistence, like the things which are procreated in the natural world.
Moreover, spiritual things, considered in themselves, have relation
to love and wisdom; wherefore love and wisdom are the things
which are born of marriages in the heavens. It is said that love

53

53, 54] CONJUGIAL LOVE

and wisdom are born, because conjugial love perfects an angel,
for it unites him with his consort; whence he becomes more and
more a human being; for, as was said above, two married partners
in heaven are not two, but one angel. Wherefore, by means of
the conjugial unition they become filled with the Human, which
consists in being willing to become wise, and in loving that which
belongs to wisdom.

53. VIII. THIS TAKES PLACE WITH THOSE WHO COME INTO
HEAVEN; BUT IT IS OTHERWISE WITH THOSE WHO GO 7NTO HELL.

The statements that after death a suitable wife is given to the
man (vir), and a suitable husband to the wife, and that they
enjoy delightful and blessed intercourse, but without any other
prolification than spiritual prolification, must be understood of
those who are received into heaven and become angels; the reason
is, that these are spiritual, and marriages in themselves are spir-
itual, and hence holy. But those who go to hell are all natural;
and merely natural marriages are not marriages, but conjunctions,
which originate in unchaste lust. The quality of these conjunctions
will be stated in the following pages, where the chaste and the
unchaste principles are treated of, and further where scortatory
love is treated of.

54. To what has been above related concerning the state of
the married partners after death, the following statements must
be added. I. That all those married partners who are merely
natural, are separated after death; the reason is, that with them
the love of marriage is cold, and adulterous love is warm. Never-
theless after separation they sometimes consociate as married
partners with others; but after a short time they withdraw from
each other: and this in many cases is done repeatedly; and at
length the man is made over to some fornicator, and the woman
to some scortator, which is effected in an infernal prison, which
is treated of in the Apocalypse Revealed* No. 153(10), where
promiscuous scortation is forbidden to both of them under a
penalty. II. Married partners, of whom one is spiritual and the
other natural, are also separated after death ; and to the spiritual
one is given a suitable partner; but the natural one is consigned
to places of lasciviousness among his or her like. III. But they
who in the natural world have lived unmarried, and have alto-
gether alienated their mind from marriage, if they are spiritual,
remain unmarried ; but if they are natural, they become scortatorw.
It is otherwise with those who in their single state have desired
marriage, and especially with those who have solicited it without
success; for these, if they are spiritual, blessed marriages are
provided, but not until they are in heaven. IV. They who in the
natural world have been shut up in monasteries, both virgins and
men, at the conclusion of the monastic life, which continues some
space of time after death, are set free and discharged, and obtain

54

STATE OF MARRIED PARTNERS [55

the wished-for liberty of their desires, whether they are desirous
of living in a married state or not: if they are desirous of living in
a married state, this is granted them; but if not, they are con-
veyed to the unmarried at the side of heaven ; but those who have
burned with forbidden lust are cast down. V. The reason why the
unmarried are at the side of heaven, is that the sphere of per-
petual celibacy infests the. sphere of conjugial love, which is the
very sphere of heaven; and the reason why the sphere of con-
jugial love is the very sphere of heaven, is, that it descends from
the heavenly marriage of the Lord and the church.

55. To the above I shall add two Memorable Relations. The
first is this:

On a certain time there was heard out of heaven a very sweet
tune: there were there wives with virgins, who were singing a
song. The sweetness of their singing was like the affection of
some love flowing forth harmoniously. Heavenly songs are noth-
ing else than sonorous affections, or affections expressed and mod-
ified by sounds; for as thoughts are expressed by speech, so
afflictions are expressed by song; from the symmetry and fluency
of the melody or modulation, the angels perceive the subject of
the affection.

On this occasion there were many spirits about me; and some
of them informed me that they heard this very sweet tune, and
that it was the tune of some loving affection, the subject of which
they did not know: they therefore made various conjectures about
it, but in vain. Some conjectured that the singing expressed the
affection of a bridegroom and bride when they are betrothing
themselves, some that it expressed the affection of a bridegroom
and bride when they are going to their wedding; and some that
it expressed the primitive love of a husband and wife.

But at that moment there appeared in the midst of them an
angel out of heaven, and he said, that they were singing about
chaste sexual love.

Hereupon the bystanders asked, "What is chaste sexual love?*'

And the angel said, "It is the love of a man (vir) towards a
maiden or wife who is beautiful in form and graceful in manners,
free from any idea of lasciviousness, and the same love experi-
enced by a maiden or wife towards a man." Having said this the
angel vanished.

The song continued ; and as the bystanders then knew the sub-
ject of the affection which it expressed, they heard it with much
variety, each one according to the state of his love. Those who
looked upon women chastely heard that song as a symphonious
and sweet song; those who looked upon women unchastely heard
it as a disharmonious and melancholy song; and those who
looked upon women with loathing heard it as a discordant and
hoarse song.

At that moment the area on which they were standing was

55

55] CONJUGIAL LOVE

suddenly changed into a lecture hall, and a voice was heard,
saying, "Discuss this love."

And suddenly there were present spirits from various societies,
and in the midst of them some angels in white. The latter then
spoke and said, "We in this spiritual world who have inquired
into every species of love, not only into the love of a man (vir)
towards a man, and of a woman towards a woman; and into the
reciprocal love of husband and wife; but also into the love of a
man (vir) towards women, and of a woman towards men; and it
has been granted us to pass through societies and explore them,
and we have never yet found sexual love chaste except with those
who from truly conjugial love are in continual potency, and these
.are in^ the., highest Jieavens! It has also been granted us to per-
ceive the influx of this love into the affections of our hearts, and
we have experienced that in sweetness it exceeds every other love,
except the love of two married partners whose hearts are a one;
but we ask you to discuss this love, because to you it is new and
unknown; and since it is pleasantness itself, it is called by us in
heaven, heavenly sweetness."

When, therefore, they discussed it, those spoke first who were
unable to think of chastity in relation to marriages, and they said,
"Who, when he beholds a beautiful and lovely maiden or wife,
can so chastise and purify the ideas of his thought from con-
cupiscence, as to love the beauty and yet have no desire to take a
taste of it, if he is allowed to? Who can convert the concupiscence
which is innate in every man, into such chastity, thus into what is
not itself, and yet love? Can sexual love, when it enters from the
eyes into the thoughts, stop short at the face of a woman? Does
it not instantly descend into the breast, and beyond? The angels
spoke unmeaning words when they said, that this love exists
chaste, and yet is the sweetest of all loves, and that it can only
exist with husbands who are in truly conjugial love, and thence in
supereminent potency with their wives. Are those husbands more
able than other men, when they see beautiful women, to keep the
ideas of their thought on high, and as it were to suspend them, so
that they shall not descend and proceed to that which constitutes
that love?"

Afterwards those spoke who were both in cold and in heat; in
cold towards their wives, and in heat towards the sex; and they
said, "What is chaste sexual love? Is not sexual love a contradic-
tion in terms when chastity is added to it? What is the contra-
diction involved in the added term, except that the 'subject is
deprived of its predicate, and then is not anything? How can
chaste sexual love be the sweetest of all loves when chastity
deprives it of its sweetness? You all know where the sweetness
of that love resides; when therefore the idea of conjunction, which
is usually associatd with that love, is banished, where and whence
then is the sweetness?"

Then some others took up the word, and said, "We have been

56

STATE OF MARRIED PARTNERS [55

with the most beautiful women and have felt no desire ; wherefore
we know what chaste sexual love is."

But their companions, who were acquainted with their lascivi-
ousness, replied, "You were then in a state of loathing towards the
sex, by reason of impotence; and this is not chaste sexual love,
but the ultimate of unchaste love."

On hearing what had been said, the angels were indignant, and
requested those who stood on the right, or to the south, to speak.
These said, "There is the love of a man (vir) and a man, and also
of a woman and a woman; and there is the love of a man for a
woman, and of a woman for a man ; and these three pairs of loves
totally differ from each other. The love of a man and a man is as
the love of understanding and understanding; for the man was
created, and consequently is born to become understanding: the
love of a woman and a woman is as the love of affection and
affection of the understanding of men; for the woman who was
created and is born to become the love of the understanding of a
man. These loves, namely, of a man and a man, and of a woman
and a woman, do not enter deeply into the breasts, but stand with-
out and only touch each other: thus they do not interiorly conjoin
the two : wherefore also two men, by their antagonistic reasonings,
combat together like two wrestlers; and two women, by their
antagonistic concupiscences, deal blows at each other like two
pugilists. But the love of a man and a woman is the love of the
understanding and its affection; and this love enters deeply and
conjoins, and this conjunction is that love. But the conjunction
of minds, and not at the same time of the bodies, or the effort
towards that conjunction alone, is spiritual love, and consequently
chaste love; and this love exists only with those who are in truly
conjugial love, and thence in eminent potency, because these, on
account of their chastity, do not admit the influx of love from the
body of any other woman than their own wife; and as they are
in supereminent potency, they cannot do otherwise than love the
sex, and at the same time hold unchastity in aversion. Hence they
have chaste sexual love, which, considered in itself, is interior
spiritual friendship, which derives its sweetness from eminent but
still chaste potency. They possess eminent potency in consequence
of a total renunciation of scortation: and as the wife alone is
loved, the potency is chaste. Now, since that love with those does
not partake of the lower mind, but only of the spirit, it is chaste;
and as the beauty of a woman, from innate inclination, at the
same time enters into the mind, that love is sweet."

On hearing this many of the bystanders put their hands to
their ears, saying, "Those statements offend our ears: and what
you have spoken is of no account to us." These bystanders were
unchaste.

Then again was heard that song out of heaven, and sweeter
now than before; but to those unchaste ones it sounded so dis-
cordant that, because of the grating of the discord, they rushed

57

56] CONJUGIAL LOVE

out of the lecture hall and fled, leaving behind them the few who
from wisdom loved conjugial chastity.

56. The second Memorable Relation:

Once when I was speaking with angels in the spiritual world,
I was inspired with a pleasant desire to see the TEMPLE OF
WISDOM, which I had seen once before ; and I asked them the way
to it. They said, "Follow the light, and you will find it."

I said, "What do you mean by following the light?"

They said, "Our light grows brighter and brighter as we draw
near to that temple; wherefore, follow the light according to the
increase of its brightness; for our light proceeds from the Lord
as a sun, and hence, considered in itself, it is wisdom."

I then, in company with two angels, directed my course accord-
ing to the increase of the brightness of the light, and ascended by
a steep path to the summit of a hill which was in the southern
quarter There was a magnificent gate there, and the keeper, on
seeing the angels with me, opened it; and lo! there was seen an
avenue of palm trees and laurels, according to which we directed
our course. It was a winding avenue, and terminated in a garden,
in the midst of which was the TEMPLE OF WISDOM.

On arriving there I looked about me, and I saw several smaller
buildings, just like the temple, in which were the wise. We drew
near to one of them, and in the doorway we spoke to the person
who dwelt there, and told him the occasion of our coming, and the
manner of our approach: and he said, "You are welcome; enter
and sit down, and let us discourse together about wisdom."

I saw the little building within, that it was divided into two,
and yet was one: it was divided into two by a transparent wall;
but it appeared as one by reason of its transparence, which was
like that of the purest crystal. I inquired why it was so.

He said, "I am not alone; my wife is with me, and we are two;
but yet we are not two, but one flesh."

But I said, "I know that you are a wise one; and what has a
wise one or a wisdom to do with a woman?"

At this our host, from a certain indignation, changed coun-
tenance, and beckoned with his hand, and lo! instantly other wise
ones came out of the neighboring buildings, to whom he said
jocosely, "Our stranger here asked this question, 'What has a
wise one or a wisdom to do with a woman?'"

At this they all smiled and said, "What is a wise one or a
wisdom without a woman, or without love? A wife is the love of
a wise man's wisdom."

But our host said, "Let us now discourse together about
wisdom; let the conversation be about causes, and at present about
the cause of the beauty of the feminine sex."

Then they spoke in order; and the first assigned as the cause,
that women were created by the Lord affections of the wisdom of
the men (viri), and the affection of wisdom is beauty itself.
58

STATE OF MARRIED PARTNERS [56

The second assigned as the cause, that woman was created by
the Lord through the wisdom of the man, because from the man ;
and that hence she is a form of wisdom inspired with the affection
of love; and as the affection of love is life itself, the female is the
life of wisdom, and the male is wisdom ; and the life of wisdom is
beauty itself.

The third assigned as the cause, that to women there has been
given a perception of the delights of conjugial love; and as their
whole body is an organ of that perception, it cannot be otherwise
than that the habitation of the delights of conjugial love with its
perception, should be beauty.

The fourth assigned as the cause, that the Lord has taken away
beauty and elegance of life from the man, and transcribed it into
the woman; and that hence the man without reunion with his
beauty and elegance in the woman, is grim, austere, dry, un-
lovable, and is not wise except for himself alone, and such a one
is foolish : but when a man is united with his beauty and elegance
of life in a wife, he becomes agreeable, pleasant, lively, and
lovable, and thereby wise.

The fifth assigned as the cause, that women were created
beauties, not for the sake of themselves, but for the sake of the
men; in order that the men, who of themselves are hard, might
be softened; that their minds, of themselves harsh, might become
gentle; and that their hearts, of themselves cold, might become
warm; which effects take place when they become one flesh with
their wives.

The sixth assigned as the cause, that the universe was created
by the Lord as a most perfect work ; and that nothing was created
in it more perfect than a woman, beautiful in face and graceful in
manners, for this reason, that man might render thanks to the
Lord for this bounty, and repay it by the reception of wisdom
from Him.

After these, and many other similar things had been said, the
wife of our host appeared on the other side of the crystal wall,
and said to her husband, "Speak, if it please you;" and when he
spoke, the life of wisdom from the wife was perceived in his dis-
course; for in the tone of his speech was the love of her; thus
experience testified to the Truth.

After this we went over the Temple of Wisdom, and also the
paradisiacal places around it, and being thereby filled with joy
we departed, and passed through the avenue to the gate, and
descended by the way we had ascended.

59

TRULY CONJUGIAL LOVE

57. Conjugial love is of infinite variety; it does not exist
exactly the same in any two persons. It appears indeed as if it
were the same with many; but it so appears before the judgment
of the body, and as this judgment is gross and obtuse, man has
but little discernment from it in such matters. By the judgment
of the body is meant the judgment of the mind from the external
senses. But to those who see from the judgment of the spirit, the
differences are apparent; and more distinctly to those who are
able to elevate the sight of this judgment higher, which is effected
by withdrawing it from the senses, and exalting it into a higher
light; these can at length confirm themselves in understanding,
and thus see, that conjugial love does not exist the same in any
two persons. Nevertheless no one can see the infinite varieties of
this love in any light even of the elevated understanding, unless
he first knows what is the quality of that love in its very essence
and integrity, thus what was its quality when, together with life
from God, it was imparted to man. Unless this its state, which
was most perfect, be known, it is in vain to attempt to discover
its differences by any investigation: for there is no fixed point,
from which as a beginning, those differences may be deduced, and
to which as their focus they may be referred, and thus may appear
in a true, and not in a fallacious light. This is the reason why we
here proceed to describe that love in its genuine essence; and as
it was in this essence when, together with life from God, it was
infused into man, we proceed to describe it as to its quality in its
primeval state; and as in this state it was truly conjugial, there-
fore this section is entitled, TRULY CONJUGIAL LOVE. This descrip-
tion of it shall be made in the following order:

I. There exists a truly conjugial love, which at the present
day is so rare that it is not known what its quality is, and scarcely
that it exists.

II. The origin of that love is from the marriage of good and
truth.

III. There is a correspondence of that love with the marriage
of the Lord and the church.

IV. That love, on account of its origin* and on account of its
correspondence, is celestial, spiritual, holy, pure* and clean,, above
every other love which from the Lord is with the angels of heaven
and with the men of the church.

V. It is also the fundamental love of all celestial and spiritual
loves, and hence of all natural loves,

VI. And into that love are collected all joys and all delights
from primes to ultimates, or from first to last. '

60

TRULY CONJVGIAL LOVE [58, 59

VII. But none others come into that love, and are able to be
in it, but those who approach the Lord, and love the truths of the
church, and do its goods.

VIII This love was the love of loves with the Ancients, who
lived in the golden, silver, and copper ages; but afterwards it
successively departed.

The explanation of these articles now follows.

58. I. THERE EXISTS A TRULY CONJUGIAL LOVE WHICH AT THE

PRESENT DAY IS SO RARE THAT IT IS NOT KNOWN WHAT ITS QUALITY

is, AND SCARCELY THAT IT EXISTS. That there exists such a con-
jugial love as is described in the following pages, may indeed be
acknowledged from the first state of that love, when it insinuates
itself and enters into the hearts of a bachelor and maiden; thus
from its first state with those who begin to love one alone of the
sex, and to desire that one as a bride; and still more from its
state during the time of betrothal, while it lasts, and as it pro-
gresses toward the wedding; and lastly on the wedding day and
the first few days after. At such times, who does not acknowledge
and consent to the following statements: that that love is the
fundamental of all loves, and also that into it are collected all
joys and delights from first to last? And who does not know that,
after this pleasant time, those gladnesses successively pass away
and depart, till at length, they are scarcely felt? In this case, if
it be said as before, that that love is the fundamental of all loves,
and that into it are collected all joys and gladnesses, these state-
ments are neither agreed to nor acknowledged, and possibly it is
said that they are nonsense or transcendental mysteries. From
these considerations it is evident that the primitive love of mar-
riage emulates truly conjugial love, and presents it to view in a
certain image. The reason of this is, that then sexual love, which
is unchaste, is cast away, and in place of it, the love of one of
the sex, which is truly conjugial love, and chaste, remains im-
planted. Who does not then regard other women with a look of
indifference, and his only one with a look of love?

59. The reason why truly conjugial love is, nevertheless, so
rare that its quality is not known, and scarcely its existence, is,
that the state of pleasantnesses before the wedding is afterwards
changed into a state of indifference, owing to an insensibility to
those pleasantnesses. The causes of this change of state are too
numerous to be here adduced; but they shall be adduced in a
future part of this Work, where the causes of colds, separations,
and divorces, will be disclosed in their order; from which it will
be seen, that with most people at the present day that image of
conjugial love is so far abolished, and with the image the knowl-
edge thereof, that it is not known what its quality is, and scarcely
that it exists. It is known that every man, when he is born, is
merely corporeal, and that from corporeal he becomes more and

61

60] CONJUGIAL LOVE

more interiorly natural, and thus rational, and at length spiritual.
The reason why he thus progressively advances is that the cor-
poreal is like ground, into which natural, rational, and spiritual
things are implanted in their order ; thus a man becomes more and
more a man. The case is nearly similar when he enters upon
marriage; a man then becomes a fuller man, because he is con-
joined with a consort, with whom he acts as one man; but this is
effected in a certain image, in the first state spoken of above At
that time, likewise, he commences from the corporeal, and pro-
ceeds to the natural, but as to conjugial life, and thus as to con-
junction into a one. Those who then love corporeal natural
things, and rational things only from them, cannot be conjoined
with a consort as into a one, except as to those externals: and
when those externals fail, cold invades the internals and disperses
the delights of that love, as from the mind so from the body, and
afterwards as from the body so from the mind: and this until
there is left nothing of the remembrance of the primeval state of
their marriage, consequently no knowledge concerning it. Now
since this takes place with most people at the present day, it is
evident that it is not known what is the quality of truly conjugial
love, and that it is scarcely known that such a love exists. The
case is different with those who are spiritual. With these the first
state is an initiation into perpetual blissfulness, which are height-
ened in proportion as the Spiritual Rational of the mind, and
from thence the Natural Sensual of the body, in each party,
become conjoined and united with the same in the other party.
But these cases are rare.

60. II. THE ORIGIN OF THAT LOVE is FROM THE MARRIAGE OF
GOOD AND TRUTH. That all things in the universe have relation to
good and truth, is acknowledged by every intelligent man, because
it is a universal truth. That likewise in each and all things of the
universe good is conjoined with truth, and truth with good, cannot
but be acknowledged, because this also is a universal truth, which
coheres with the former truth. The reason why all things in the
universe have relation to good and truth, and why good is con-
joined with truth, and truth with good, is, that both proceed from
the Lord, and they proceed from Him as a one. The two things
which proceed from the Lord are love and wisdom, because these
are Himself, thus from Himself, and all things which are of love
are called goods, and all things which are of wisdom are called
truths; and as those two proceed from Him as the Creator, it
follows that they are in the created things. This may be illustrated
by the heat and light which proceed from the sun. From these
are all things of the Earth, for they germinate according to the
presence of heat and light, and according to their conjunction;
and moreover, natural heat corresponds to spiritual heat, which is
love; and natural light corresponds to spiritual light, which is
wisdom.

62

TRULY CONJUGIAL LOVE [61-63

61. That con jugial -love proceeds from the marriage of good
and truth, will be demonstrated in the following section, or para-
graph: the fact is mentioned here only in order that it may be
seen that that love is celestial, spiritual, and holy, because it is
from a celestial, spiritual, and holy origin. In order that it may
be seen that the origin of conjugial love is from the marriage of
good and truth, it is of importance that the matter should here be
stated in a short summary. It was said just above, that in all
created things, in general and particular, there is a conjunction of
good and truth ; and conjunction does not exist unless it be recip-
rocal ; for conjunction from the one part, and not from the other
in return, is dissolved of itself. Now, since there is a conjunction
of good and truth, and indeed a reciprocal conjunction, it follows
that there is a truth of good, or a truth from good, and that there
is a good of truth, or a good from truth. That the truth of good,
or the truth from good, is in the male, and that it is the very
masculine principle, and that the good of truth, or good from
truth, is in the female, and that it is the very feminine principle ;
also that between these two there is a conjugial union, will be
seen in the following section; it is here only mentioned in order
to give some preliminary ideas on the subject.

62. III. THERE is A CORRESPONDENCE OF THAT LOVE WITH

THE MARRIAGE OF THE LORD AND THE CHURCH; that IS, as the
Lord loves the church, and desires that the church should love
Him, so husband and wife mutually love one another. That there
is a correspondence between these two cases, is known in the
Christian world; but the quality of that correspondence is not as
yet known; wherefore that correspondence shall be explained in
one of the following paragraphs. (See nos. 116-131). It is here
mentioned in order that it may be seen that conjugial love is
celestial, spiritual, and holy, because it corresponds to the celes-
tial, spiritual, and holy marriage of the Lord and the church.
This correspondence also follows from the origin of conjugial
love from the marriage of good and truth (which was treated of in
the preceding article), because the marriage of good and truth"
is the church with man: for the marriage of good and truth is
the same as the marriage of charity and faith, because good
belongs to charity, and truth to faith. That this marriage con-
stitutes the church, cannot but be acknowledged, because it is a
universal truth; and every universal truth is acknowledged as
soon as it is heard, which (immediate acknowledgment) comes
from the Lord's influx, and at the same time from the confirma-
tion of heaven. Now, since the church is the Lord's, because it is '
from the Lord, and since conjugial love corresponds to the mar-
riage of the Lord and the church, it follows that that love is from
the Lord.

63. But in what manner the church is formed by the Lord

63

64, 65] CONJUGIAL ' LOVE

with the two married partners, and, through the church, conjugial
love, shall be illustrated in the paragraph spoken of above: at
present it shall merely be stated, that the church is formed by the
Lord with the man (vir), and through the man with the wife; and
that after it has been formed with both, the church is a full
church; for then there is effected a full conjunction of good and
truth; and the conjunction of good and truth is the church. That
the conjunctive inclination, which is conjugial love, is in the same
degree as the conjunction of good and truth, which is the church,
will be confirmed by demonstrative arguments in what follows
in the series.

64. IV. THAT LOVE, ON ACCOUNT OF ITS ORIGIN, AND ON

ACCOUNT OF ITS CORRESPONDENCE, IS CELESTIAL, SPIRITUAL, HOLY,
PURE, AND CLEAN, ABOVE EVERY OTHER LOVE WHICH IS FROM THE
LORD WITH THE ANGELS OF HEAVEN AND WITH THE MEN OF THE

CHURCH. That conjugial love, from its origin, which is the mar-
riage of good and truth, is such, was confirmed above by a few
arguments, but the subject was merely touched upon there ; it was
likewise briefly confirmed above, that that love is such on account
of its correspondence with the marriage of the Lord and the
church. These two marriages, from which conjugial love descends
as an offshoot, are essentially holy; wherefore if it be received
from its Author, who is the Lord, holiness from Him follows,
which continually decants and purifies it: if there then be in the
man's will a desire and effort towards it, that love becomes per-
petually cleaner and purer from day to day. Conjugial love is
called celestial and spiritual because it is with the angels of
heaven; celestial with the angels of the highest heaven, because
those angels are called celestial angels; and spiritual with the
angels beneath that heaven, because these angels are called spir-
itual angels. Those angels are so called, because the celestial are
loves, and hence wisdoms, and the spiritual are wisdoms and
hence loves. Their conjugial quality is similar. Now, since con-
jugial love is with the angels of both the higher and lower
heavens, as was also shown in the first paragraph concerning
"Marriages in Heaven," is is manifest that it is holy and pure.
The reason why that love, considered in its essence and from its
derivation, is holy and pure above every other love with angels
and with men, is, that it is as the head of the other loves. ( Con-
cerning this its eminence, something shall be said in the following
article.

65. V. IT IS ALSO THE FUNDAMENTAL LOVE OF ALL CELESTIAL
AND SPIRITUAL LOVES, AND HENCE OF ALL NATURAL LOVES, The

reason why conjugial love, considered in its essence, is the funda-
mental love of all loves of heaven and the church, is, that its
origin is from the marriage of good and truth, and from this
marriage proceed all the loves which constitute heaven and the
64

TRULY CONJUGIAL LOVE [66, 67

church with man. The good of this marriage constitutes love, and
its truth constitutes wisdom ; and when love draws near to wisdom,
or conjoins itself therewith, then love becomes love; and when
wisdom in return draws near to love, and conjoins itself there-
with, then wisdom becomes wisdom. Truly conjugial love is noth-
ing else than the conjunction of love and wisdom. Two married
partners, between, or in whom at the same time, this love is, are
an effigy and form of it: all likewise in the heavens, where the
faces are genuine types of the affections of each one's own love,
are likenesses of it; for, as was shown above, it is in them in
general and in every part. Now, since two married partners are
that love in effigy and form, it follows that every love which pro-
ceeds from the form of love itself, is a resemblance thereof;
wherefore if conjugial love be celestial and spiritual, the loves
proceeding from it are also celestial and spiritual. Conjugial
love therefore is as the parent, and all other loves are as the
offspring. Hence it is, that from the marriages of the angels in
the heavens are generated spiritual offspring, which are those of
love and wisdom, or of good and truth; concerning which genera-
tion see above (Nos 51, 52) .

66. The same manifestly appears from the creation of men
into that love, and from their formation afterwards from it. The
male was created to become wisdom from the love of growing
wise, and the female was created to become the love of the male
from his wisdom, and consequently was created according to that
wisdom; from which consideration it is evident that two married
partners are the very forms and effigies of the marriage of love
and wisdom, or of good and truth. It ought to be well known,
that there does not exist any good or truth which is not in a sub-
stance as in its subject: abstract goods and truths do not exist:
for they are nowhere, because they have no abode, yea, neither
can they appear even as fleeting things ; wherefore they are merely
entities, concerning which reason seems to itself to think abstract-
edly; but nevertheless it cannot think of them except as being in
subjects; for every idea of. mail, however sublimated, is substan--
dial, th^tj^^ffixed tQ^iobs^n.cp. It ought moreover to be known,
that there does not exist any substance without a form; an un-
formed substance is not anything, because nothing can be pre-
dicated of it; and a subject without predicates is also an entity of
no reason. These philosophical considerations have been added
in order that thereby also it may be seen that two married part-
ners who are in truly conjugial love, are actually forms of the
marriage of good and truth, or of love and wisodm.

67. Since natural loves flow forth from spiritual loves, and
spiritual loves flow forth from celestial loves, therefore it is said
that conjugial love is the fundamental love of all celestial and
spiritual loves, and hence of all natural loves. Natural lovesjiaye

^ "~

68, 69] CONJUGIAL LOVE

relation to the loves, of . self and the world; but spiritual lov.es
Jjive relation to love towards the neighbor ;~ and celestial loves
Jiave relation to love to the Lord; and since the relations of loves
are such, it is evident in what order they follow, and in what order
they are present with man. When they are in this order, then
natural loves lives from spiritual loves, and these from celestial
loves, and all in this order from the Lord, from Whom they are.

68. VI. INTO THAT LOVE ARE COLLECTED ALL JOYS AND DE-
LIGHTS FROM PRIMES TO ULTIMATES. All delights whatsoever that
are felt by man are of his love; the love manifests itself, yea,
comes into existence and lives, by means of them. It is known that
delights exalt themselves in the proportion that the love exalts
itself, and also in proportion as the incident affections touch the
reigning love more nearly. Now, since conjugial love is the
fundamental love of all good loves, and since it is inscribed on
the veriest singulars of man, as was shown above, it follows thai
the delights of that love exceed the delights of all other loves,
and also that it delights these loves according to its presence, and
at the same time conjunction with them ; for it expands the inner-
most parts of the mind, and at the same time the innermost parts
of the body, as the delicious current of its fountain Hows through
and opens them. The reason why all delights from primes to
ultimates are collected into this love, is on account of the sur-
passing excellence of its use: its use is the propagation of the
human race, and hence of the angelic heaven; and as this use was
the end of ends of creation, it follows that all the blessednesses,
blissfulnesses, delightsomenesses, pleasantnesses, and pleasures,
which could possibly be conferred upon man by the Lord the
Creator, are collected into this his love. That delights follow the
use, and are in man according to the love of use, is evident from
the delights of the five senses, sight, hearing, smell, taste, and
touch. Each of these senses has delights with variations accord-
ing to its specific uses. JHat then must be the delight belonging
4;o the sense of conjugial love, the use of which is the complex
w of all other uses?

t*~ "

$9il know that few will acknowledge that all joys and

.cjejignts from, primes to ultimates are collected into conjugial
. love; because truly conjugial love, into which they are collected,
ia at this day so rare, that it is not known what its quality is, and
scarcely that it exists, according to what was explained and con-
firmed above (nos. 58, 59) ; for those joys and delights do not
exist in any other than genuine conjugial love; and as this IH HO
rare on earth, it is impossible to describe its supereminent felicities
from any other source than from the mouth of angels, because
they are in it. They, have said that the innermost delights of this
love, which are of the soul, into which the conjugial quality of
love and wisdom, or of good and truth from the Lord, first flows
66

TRULY CONJUGIAL LOVE [70, 71

in, and imperceptible and consequently ineffable, because they
are at the same time the delights of peace and innocence; but
that in their descent they become more and more perceptible, in
the higher parts of the mind as blessednesses, in the lower parts
of the mind as blissfulnesses, in the breast as delightsomenesses
derived from those and that from the breast they diffuse themselves
into each and all things of the body, and at last unite themselves
in ultimates into the delight of delights. Moreover, the angels
have related wonderful things about these delights, saying also
that the varieties of these delights in the souls of married partners,
and from their souls in their minds, and from their minds in their
breasts, are infinite and also eternal; and that they are exalted
according to the wisdom with the husbands ; and this, because they
live to eternity in the flower of their age, and because nothing is
more blessed to them than to grow wiser and wiser. But more
about those delights from the mouth of the angels, may be seen
in the Memorable Relations, especially in those added to some of
the following chapters.

70. VII. BUT NONE OTHERS COME INTO THAT LOVE, AND ARE
ABLE TO BE IN IT, BUT THOSE WHO APPROACH THE LORD, AND LOVE

THE TRUTHS OF THE CHURCH, AND DO ITS GOODS. The reasons why
no others come into that love but those who approach the Lord,
are, that monogamous marriages, which are of one man (vir)
with one wife, correspond to the marriage of the Lord and the
church, and, that the origin of those marriages is from the mar-
riage of good and truth; on which subject see above (nos. 60
and 62) . That from this origin, and from that correspondence,
it follows, that truly conjugial love is from the Lord, and is for
those who approach Him directly, cannot be fully confirmed
unless those two arcana be treated of in detail, as shall be done
in the sections which immediately follow this one, one of which
will treat of the origin of conjugial love from the marriage of
good and truth, and the other, of the marriage of the Lord and
the church, and of the correspondence of that marriage. That
hence it follows, that conjugial love with man is according to
the state of the church with him, will also be seen in those sec-
tions.

71. The reason why none others can be in truly conjugial
love except those who receive it from the Lord, who are they
who approach Him directly, and from Him live the life of the
church, is that that love, looked at from its origin, and from
its correspondence, is celestial, spiritual, holy, pure, and clean,
above every love which is with the angels of heaven and the men
of the church, as was shown above (no. 64) ; and these its attrib-
of the church, as was shown above (no. 64) ; and these its attributes
can not possibly exist except with those who are conjoined with
the Lord, and by Him are consociated with the angels of heaven.

67

72] CONJUGIAL LOVE

For these shun, as injuries to the soul, and as hell-pools, extra-
conjugial loves (i.e., loves beyond, or outside of, conjugial
love), which are conjunctions with others than one's own mar-
ried partner; and in proportion as married partners shun those
conjunctions, even as to the lusts of the will and the intentions
thence, in the same proportion that love is purified with them,
and becomes successively spiritual, first while they live on earth,
and afterwards in heaven. It is not however possible for any
love to become perfectly pure either with men or angels; con-
sequently neither this love; but since the intention which is of
the will is primarily regarded by the Lord, therefore in propor-
tion as men is in this intention, and perseveres in it, in the same
proportion he is initiated into its purity and holiness, and suc-
cessively advances therein. The reason why no others can be in
spiritual conjugial love, but those who are such from the Lord,
is, that heaven is in this love; and the natural man, with whom
that love derives its pleasure only from the flesh, cannot approach
to heaven, nor to any angel, not even to any man in whom that
love is, for it is the fundamental love of all celestial and spiritual
loves (see above, nos. 65 to 67). That this is so has been con-
firmed to me by experience. I have seen genii in the spiritual
world who were being prepared for hell, approach to an angel
who was being delighted with his consort; and at a distance, as
they approached, they became like furies, and sought out caverns
and ditches as asylums, into which they cast themselves, TKaT
evil spirits love that which is homogeneous to their affection
however unclean it is, and hold in aversion the spirits of
heaven, as that which, because it is pure, is heterogeneous to
them, may be concluded from what was related in the "Prelim-
inaries" in no. 10.

72. The reason why those who love the truths of the church,
and do its goods, come into this love, and are capable of being
in it, is, that none others are received by the Lord; for these
are in conjunction with Him, and consequently can be kept in
that love by Him. There are two things which constitute the
church, and hence heaven, with man, the truth of faith and the
good of life. The truth of faith effects the Lord's presence, and
the good of life according to the truths of faith effects con-
junction with Him, and thus the church and heaven. The reason
why the truth of faith effects presence, is, that it is of light;
spiritual light is nothing else. The reason why the good of life
effects conjunction, is, that it is of heat: spiritual heat is nothing
else, for it is love; and the good of life is of love; and it is
known that all light, even the light of winter, causes presence,
and that heat united to light causes conjunction; for gardens
and flower beds appear in all degrees of light, but they do not
flower and bear fruits except when heat becomes conjoined with
light. From these considerations the conclusion is evident that
~

TRULY CONJUGIAL LOVE [73-75

not those are gifted by the Lord with truly conjugial love, who
merely know the truths of the church, but those who know them
and do its goods.

73. VIII. THIS LOVE WAS THE LOVE OF LOVES WITH THE

ANCIENTS, WHO LIVED IN THE GOLDEN, SILVER, AND COPPER AGES.

That conjugial love was the love of loves with the Most Ancient
and with the Ancient people, who lived in the first ages thus
named, cannot be known from histories because their writings
are not extant: those which are extant are of writers who lived
after those ages ; for they are mentioned by these, and the purity
and integrity of their life is also described, and likewise its
successive decrease, which is as the decrease of gold to iron.
But on account of the last, or iron age, which commenced from
those writers, may, as to some part, be gathered from the his-
torical records of the lives of some of their kings, judges, and
wise men, who, in Greece and elsewhere, were called Sophi. That
this age, however, would not endure, as iron endures in itself,
but that it would be like iron mixed with clay, which do not
stick together, is foretold by Daniel (chap. ii. 40-43). Now,
since the ages which were named the golden, silver, and copper
ages, had passed away before the time of the written documents,
and thus no knowledge concerning their marriages is possible
on earth, it has pleased the Lord to make those marriages known
to me through a spiritual way, by conducting me to the heavens
where the dwellings of those who lived in those ages are, so that
I might learn from their own mouth of what quality the mar-
riages with them had been, during their life in their several eras:
for all who have departed out of the natural world since the
creation are in the spiritual world, and all as to their loves are
still like unto themselves, and remain such to eternity. As
these things are worthy of being known and related, and con-
firm the holiness of marriages, I purpose to make them public as
they were shown me in a wakeful state of my spirit, and after-
wards recalled to my remembrance by an angel, and thus de-
scribed. And as they are from the spiritual world, like the
other accounts annexed to the preceding chapters, I have decided
to arrange them into six Memorable Relations according to the
progression of the ages. Jp

74. These six Memorable Relations which are from the spir-
itual world, concerning conjugial love, reveal what was the
quality of that love in the first eras, and what was its quality
afterwards, and what its quality is at the present day; whence
it is manifest that that love has successively fallen away from its
holiness and purity, until it has become scortatory; but that
nevertheless there is a hope of its being brought back again to
its primeval or ancient holiness.

75. The first Memorable Relation:

69

75] CONJUGIAL LOVE

Once while I was meditating on conjugial love, my mind was
seized with a desire of knowing what had been the quality of
that love among those who lived in the GOLDEN AGE, and what
it had been afterwards among those who lived in the following
ages, which are called after the silver, copper, and iron: and as
I knew that all who had lived well in those ages are in the
heavens, I prayed to the Lord that I might be allowed to speak
with them and be instructed.

And lo! an angel stood near me and said, "I have been sent
by the Lord to be your guide and companion: I will first guide
and accompany you to those who lived in the first era or age,
which is called the golden age." And he said, "The way to
them is arduous; it lies through a dark forest, which none can
pass except with a guide given by the Lord."

I was in the spirit, and girded myself for the journey; and
we turned our faces towards the east; and as we advanced I saw
a mountain, whose height extended beyond the region of clouds.
We passed through a great wilderness, and came into the forest
crowded with various kinds of trees and rendered dark by their
density, of which the angel had foretold me. That forest was
divided by several narrow foot paths; and the angel said that
they were so many windings and intricacies of error: and that
unless his eyes were opened by the Lord, so as to see olive trees
engirded with ten drilled vines, and his steps were directed from
olive tree to olive tree, the traveler would go astray into Tartarus
which is round about at the sides. This forest is such, to the
end that the passage may be guarded; for no other nation than
the Primeval one dwells upon that mountain.

After we had entered the forest, our eyes were opened, and we
saw here and there olive trees intertwined with vines, from which
hung clusters of grapes of a dark blue color, and the olive trees
were arranged in perpetual gyres; wherefore we directed our
circuitous journey as they presented themselves to our view; and
at length we saw a grove of tall cedars, and on their branches
some eagles; on seeing which the angel said, "We are now on
the mountain not far from its summit."

And we went on, and lo ! behind the grove was a round plain,
where there were feeding lambs and ewe lambs, which were rep-
resentative forms of the state of innocence and peace of the moun-
taineers.

We passed through this plain, and lo! we saw tabernacles on
tabernacles, to the number of several thousands, in front and at
the sides as far as the sight could reach. And the angel said,
44 We are now in the camp, where are the armies of the Lord
Jehovih: so they call themselves and their habitations. These
Most Ancient people, while they were in the world, dwelt in tab-
ernacles; wherefore now also they dwell in tabernacles. But
let us bend our way to the south, where the wiser of them are,
that we may meet some one with whom we may converse."
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TRULY CONJUGIAL LOVE [75

On the way I saw at a distance three boys and three girls
sitting at the door of a certain tent; but when we approached,
the boys and girls appeared like men (viri) and women of a
middle stature; and the angel said, "All the inhabitants of this
mountain appear at a distance like little children because they
are in a state of innocence; and childhood is the appearance of
innocence."

These men (viri) on seeing us, ran up to us, and said,
"Whence are you, and how came you here? Your faces are not
of the faces of our mountain."

And the angel replied, and related the means of access
through the forest, and what the cause of our coming was.

On hearing this, one of the three men invited and introduced
us into his tabernacle. The man was dressed in a robe of a
purple colour, and a vest of white wool; and his wife was
dressed in a crimson gown, with a stomacher under it of fine linen
wrought with needlework.

And as in my thought there was a desire of knowing the
state of marriage among the Most Ancient people, I looked by
turns on the husband and the wife, and observed as it were the
unity of their souls in their faces; and I said, "You two are
one."

And the man answered, "We are one; her life is in me, and
mine in her; we are two bodies, but one soul. The union be-
tween us is like that of the two sanctuaries in the breast, which
are called the heart and the lungs; she is my heart and I am
her lungs; but as by the heart we here mean love, and by the
lungs wisdom, she is the love of my wisdom, and I am the
wisdom of her love; wherefore her love from without veils my
wisdom, and my wisdom from within is in her love. Hence, as
you said, there is an appearance of the unity of our souls in
our faces,"

I then asked, "If the union is such, are you able to look at
any other woman than your own?"

He replied, "I am able to; but as my wife is united to my
soul, we both look together, and then nothing of lust can enter;
for while I behold the wives of others, I behold them through
my own wife, whom alone I love: and as my own wife has
the faculty of perceiving all my inclinations, she, as an interme-
diate, directs my thoughts, and removes everything discordant,
and at the same time infuses a cold and horror of everything
unchaste; wherefore it is as impossible for us to look at the
wife of a fellow being from lust as it is to look at the light of
our heaven from the shades of Tartarus; therefore neither does
there exist with us any idea of thought, and still less any ex-
pression of speech, for the allurements of libidinous love." He
could not utter the word scortatory, because the chastity of their
heaven opposed it.

Hereupon my angel guide said to me, "You hear now the

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speech of the angels of this heaven, that it is the speech of wis-
dom, because they speak from causes."

After this I looked around, and saw their tabernacle as it
were overlaid with gold; and I asked, "Whence is this?"

He replied, "It is in consequence of a flaming light, which,
like gold, glitters, irridates, and tinges the curtains of our taber-
nacle while we are in conversation about conjugial love; for
the heat from our sun. which in its essence is love, at such
times bares itself, and tinges the light, which in its essence is
wisdom, with its colour, which is golden; and this takes place
because conjugial love in its origin is the sport of wisdom and
love; for the man (vir) was born to be wisdom, and the woman
to be the love of the man's wisdom: hence are the delights of
that sport in conjugial love, and from it, between us and our
wives. We have seen clearly for thousands of years in our
heaven, that those delights as to abundance, degree and power
are excellent and eminent according to the worship among us
of the Lord Jehovih from Whom inflows that heavenly union or
marriage, which is the union or marriage of love and wisdom. 5 *

When he had said this, I saw a great light upon the hill in
the midst among the tabernacles; and I inquired, "Whence is
that light?"

He said, "It is from the sanctuary of the tabernacle of our
worship."

And I asked whether I might approach it; and he said that
I might. I approached therefore, and saw the tabernacle without
and within, answering exactly to the description of the taber-
nacle which was built for the sons of Israel in the wilderness;
the form of which was shown to Moses on Mount Sinai (Exod.
xxv. 40; xxvi. 30). I then asked, "What is there within that
sanctuary, from whence so great a light proceeds?"

He replied, "There is a tablet on which is this inscription:
THE COVENANT BETWEEN JEHOVAH AND THE HEAVENS." He said
no more.

And as by this time we were ready to depart, I asked, "Did
any of you while you were in the natural world live with more
than one wife?"

He replied, "I know not one; for we could not think of more.
We have been told by those who had thought of more, that in-
stantly the heavenly blessednesses of their souls withdrew from
the innermosts to the extremes of their bodies, even to the nails,
and together therewith the distinguished marks of virility; when
this was perceived, they were cast out of our land."

Having said this, the man ran to his tabernacle, and re-
turned with a pomegranate, in which there was an abundance
of seeds of gold; and he gave it to me, and I brought it away
with me, as a sign that we had been with those who lived in the
golden age. And then, after a salutation of peace, we went
away, and returned home,
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TRULY CONJUGIAL LOVE [76

76. The second Memorable Relation:

The next day the same angel came to me, and said, "Do you
wish me to guide and accompany you to the peoples who lived
in the SILVER ERA or AGE, that we may hear from them concern-
ing the marriages of their time?" And he added that access to
these also can only be had of the Lord's auspices.

J^wssJrjLJlie .spirit as before, and accompanied my guide. We
first came to a hill on the confines between the east and the
south; and while we were ascending its heights, he showed me a
far stretch of country: we saw at a distance an eminence as it
were mountainous, between which and the hill on which we
stood was a valley, and beyond the valley a plain, and from the
plain a rising ground of easy ascent.

We descended the hill to pass through the valley, and we saw
here and there on the sides pieces of wood, and stones, carved
into the figures of men, and of various beasts, birds, and fishes;
and I asked the angel, "What are these? are they idols?

He replied, "By no means: they are representative configura-
tions of various moral virtues and spiritual verities. The peo-
ples of that age possessed the science of correspondence; and as
every man, beast, bird, and fish, corresponds to some quality,
therefore each carved figure represents partially some virtue, or
verity, and several together represent the virtue or verity itself in
a general extended form. These are what in Egypt were called
hieroglyphics."

We proceeded through the valley, and when we entered the
plain, lo! we saw horses and chariots, horses variously har-
nessed and caparisoned, and chariots of different forms; some
carved like eagles, some like whales, some like stags with horns,
and like unicorns, and likewise at the further end some carts, and
stables round about at the sides; and when we approached, both
horses and chariots disappeared, and instead thereof we saw
men, in pairs, walking, talking, and reasoning. And the angel
said to me, "The different species of horses, chariots, and stables,
seen at a distance, are appearances of the rational intelligence of
the men of that era; for a horse, by reason of correspondence,
signifies the understanding of truth; a chariot, its doctrine; and
stables, instructions; you know that in this world all things ap-
pear according to correspondences."

But as we passed these things by, and ascended by a long
acclivity, and at length saw a city, which we entered ; and in walk-
ing through the streets and public places we viewed the houses:
they were so many palaces built of marble, having steps of
alabaster in front, and at the sides of the steps pillars of jasper;
we also saw temples of precious stones of the colour of the
sapphire and the lapis lazuli. And the angel said to me, "Their
houses are of stones, because stones signify natural verities, and
precious stones spiritual verities; and all those who lived in the

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76] CONJUGIAL LOVE

silver era had intelligence from spiritual verities, and thence from
natural verities: silver also has a similar signification."

While wandering through the city, we saw here and there
consorts in pairs: and as they were husbands and wives, we
expected that we should be invited somewhere; and while this
expectation was in our mind, as we were passing by, we were
called back by two into their house, and we went up and entered:
and the angel, speaking for both, explained to them the cause
of our coming into this heaven, saying, that it was "for the sake
of instruction concerning the marriages among the Ancients, of
whom you in this heaven are."

They replied, "We are from the peoples in Asia; and the
chief pursuit of our age was the study of verities through which
we had intelligence. This was the study of our soul and mind;
but the study of the senses of our bodies was the representations
of verities in forms; and the science of correspondences conjoined
the sensuals of our bodies with the perceptions of our minds, and
procured us intelligence"

On hearing this the angel asked them to give some account
of the marriages among them.

So the husband said, "There is a correspondence between
spiritual marriage, which is that of truth with good, and natural
marriage, which is that of a man (vir) with one wife; and as we
have studied correspondences, we have seen that the church, with
its truths and goods, can by no means exist with any others
except those who live in truly conjugial love with one wife; for
the marriage of good and truth is the church with man. Where-
fore all we in this heaven say that the husband is truth, and the
wife the good thereof; and that good cannot love any other truth
than its own, neither can truth love in return any other good
than its own. If any other were loved, internal marriage, which
constitutes the church, would perish, and marriage would become
only external, to which idolatry, and not the church corresponds.
Therefore marriage with one wife we call sacrimony; but if it
should take place among us with more than one wife, we should
call it sacrilege."

As he said this, we were introduced into a room adjoining the
bridal chamber, where there were many designs on the walls,
and little images as it were molten of silver; and I enquired
"What are those?"

They said, "They are pictures and forms representative of the
many qualities, properties and delightsomenesses which belong
to conjugial love. These represent the unity of souls, these, the
conjunction of minds, these, the concord of breasts, these,' the
delights thence arising."

While we were surveying these things, we saw as it were a
rainbow on the wall, consisting of three colours, crimson, purple,
and white; and we saw how the crimson colour passed through
the purple, and tinged the white with a dark blue colour, and that

74

TRULY CONJUGIAL LOVE [77

this colour flowed back through the purple into the crimson and
raised this as it were into a flaming beam.

And the husbancl said to me, "Do you understand this?"

I replied, "Instruct me."

So he said, "The crimson colour, from its correspondence,
signifies the conjugial love of the wife; the white colour the
intelligence of the husband; the purple colour, the beginning of
conjugial love in the perception of the husband from the wife;
and the dark blue colour, with which the white was tinged, signi-
fies the conjugial love then in the husband; and this colour
flowing back through the purple into the crimson, and raising it
as it were into a flaming beam, signifies the conjugial love of the
husband flowing back to the wife. Such things are represented
on those walls, while from meditation on conjugial love, its
mutual, successive, and simultaneous union, we look with atten-
tive eyes at the rainbows there."

To this I said, "These things are more than mystical at the
present day; for they are appearances representative of the arcana
of the conjugial love of one man with one wife."

And he replied, "They are so; yet to us in this heaven they
are not arcana, and consequently neither are they mystical."

As he said this, there appeared at a distance a chariot drawn
by small white cobs, on seeing which the angel said, "That chariot
is a sign for us to depart;" and then, as we were descending the
steps, our host gave us a bunch of white grapes clinging to the
vine leaves: and lo! the leaves became silver; and we brought
them down with us for a sign that we had spoken with the people
of the silver age.

77. The third Memorable Relation:

After one day, the angel, guide and companion came to me
and said, "Gird thyself, and let us go to the heavenly inhabitants
in the west, who are of the men who lived in the third age, or in
the COPPER AGE. Their habitations are from the south by the
west towards the north; but they do not reach unto the north."

Having girded myself, I accompanied him, and we entered
their heaven on the southern side. There was there a magnificent
grove of palm trees and laurels. We passed through this, and
then on the very confines of the west we saw giants of twice the
ordinary stature of men.

They asked us, "Who let you in through the grove?"

The angel said, "The God of heaven."

And they replied, "We are guards to the western Ancient
heaven; but pass on."

We passed on, and from an eminence, we saw a mountain
reaching to the clouds, and, between us on the eminence and the
mountain, villages on villages, with gardens, groves, and plains
between diem. We passed through the villages to the mountain
which we ascended; and lo! its summit was not a point but a

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77] CONJUGIAL LOVE

plain, on which was an extensive and spacious city. All the
houses of the city were built of the wood of resinous trees, and
their roofs consisted of beams.

And I asked, "Why are the houses here made of wood?"

And the angel replied, "Because wood signifies natural good;
and the men of the third age of the Earth were in this good;
and as copper also signifies natural good, therefore the age in
which they lived the ancients named from copper. Here there
are also sacred buildings constructed of the wood of the olive,
and in the midst of them is the sanctuary, where there lies in an
ark the Word that was given to the inhabitants of Asia before the
Israelitish Word; the historical books of which are called the
WARS OF JEHOVAH, and the prophetic books, THE ENUNCIATIONS ;
both mentioned by Moses (Num. xxi. 14-15, 27-30). This Word
at the present day is lost in the kingdoms of Asia, and is only
preserved in Great Tartary."

The angel then led me to one of the sacred buildings, which
we looked into, and saw in the midst of it that sanctuary, the
whole in the brightest white light ; and the angel said, "That light
is from that ancient Asiatic Word; for all Divine truth in the
heavens gives forth light."

As we were going out of the building, we heard that it had
been reported in the city that two strangers had arrived there;
and that they were to be examined as to whence they came, and
what their business there was; and immediately an officer came
running out of the court, and took us before the judges: and on
being asked whence we came, and what our business there was,
we replied, "We have passed through the grove of palm trees,
and also the abodes of the giants who are the guards of your
heaven, and afterwards the region of villages; from which cir-
cumstances you may conclude that we have not come hither of
ourselves, but of the God of heaven. The business on which we
came is, that we may be instructed concerning your marriages,
whether they be monogamous or polygamous."

And they replied, "What are polygamous marriages? Are
they not scortatory?"

And then the bench of judges deputed an intelligent person
to instruct us in his own house on this matter: and when we
were in his house, he set his wife by him and spoke as follows:
"We have preserved among us the precepts concerning marriages,
from the Primeval, or Most Ancient people, who were in truly
conjugial love, and consequently excelled all others in the power
and potency of that love in the world, and are now in a most
blessed state in their heaven, which is in the east. We are their
posterity, and they, as fathers, gave to us, as their sons, canons
of life, among which is the following concerning marriages:
'Sons, if you wish to love God and the neighbor, and if you wish
to become wise, and to be happy to eternity, we counsel you to
live monogamists; if you depart from this precept, all heavenly
76

TRULY CONJUGIAL LOVE [78

love will pass away from you, and therewith internal wisdom;
and you will be exterminated? This precept of our fathers we
have obeyed as sons, and have perceived its verity, which is, that
in the proportion in which any one loves his own married partner
alone, he becomes a celestial and internal, and that in the propor-
tion in which any one does not not love his own married partner
alone, he becomes natural and external; and such a one loves
only himself and the images of his own mind, and is silly and
foolish. Hence it is, that all of us in this heaven are monogamists,
and because we are such, all the borders of our heaven are
guarded against polygamists, scortators and fornicators. If polyg-
amists invade us, they are cast out into the darkness of the north ;
if scortators, they are cast out into the fire-places of the west;
and if fornicators, they are cast out into the illusory lights of
the south."

On hearing this, I asked what he meant by the darkness of
the north, the fire-places of the west, and the illusory lights of
the south.

He answered, "The darkness of the north is dullness of mind
. an.4,; r ignprance . f verities ; the fire-places of the west are the
IbKg&jok evil ; and the illusory lights of the south are the falsifi-
cations of truth, which are spiritual fornications."

After this, he said, "Follow me to our museum of treasures. 9 '
So we followed him, and he showed us that the writings of the
Most Ancient people were on tablets of wood and stone, and
afterwards on thin tablets of polished wood; and that the second
age set down its writings on parchments; he brought me a parch-
ment, on which were copied the canons of the Primeval people
from their tablets of stone, among which also was the precept
concerning marriages.

Having seen these and other remarkable things of Antiquity
itself, the angel said, "It is now time for us to be going;" and
then our host went into the garden, and plucked some twigs off
a tree, and bound them into a bunch, and gave them to us, saying,
"These twigs are from a tree, which is native of or peculiar to
our heaven, and whose juice has a balsamic fragrance." We
brought this bunch down with us, and descended by the way by
the east, which was not guarded; and lo! the twigs were changed
into shining brass, and their tips into gold, as a sign that we had
been with the people of the third age, which is named from copper
or brass.

78. The fourth Memorable Relation:

After two days the angel again spoke to me, saying, "Let us
complete the period of the ages; the last age still remains, which
is named from IRON. The people of this era dwell in the north
on the side of the west, inwards, that is, in the direction of
latitude: they are all from the ancient inhabitants of Asia, among
whom was the Ancient Word; and wordship from it; consequently

77

78] CONJUGIAL LOVE

they \vere before the time of our Lord's coming into the world.
This is evident from the writings of the Ancients, in which those
times are so named. These same Eras are meant by the statue
seen by Nebuchadnezzar, of which the head was of gold, the
breast and arms of silver, the belly and thighs of brass, the legs
of iron, and the feet of iron and also of clay (Dan. ii. 32, 33)."

These things the angel said to me in the way, which was
shortened and anticipated by changes of state induced on our
minds according to the genius of the inhabitants whom we passed;
for spaces, and consequently distances in the spiritual world, are
appearances according to the states of the minds. When we raised
our eyes, lo ! we were in a wood consisting of beeches, chestnuts,
and oaks; and on looking around us, there appeared bears to the
left and leopards to the right: and when I wondered at this, the
angel said, "They are neither bears nor leopards, but men, who
guard these inhabitants of the north; with their nostrils they
scent the spheres of life of those who pass by, and they rush
violently on all who are spiritual, because the inhabitants are
natural. Those who only read the Word, and derive thence
nothing of doctrine, appear at a distance like bears; and those
who confirm falsities thence, appear like leopards." But when
they saw us, they turned away, and we passed on.

After the forest there appeared thickets, and afterwards fields
of grass divided into plots bordered with box; after these the
land sloped down into a valley, wherein were cities on cities. We
passed by some of them, and entered into one great one: its
streets were irregular; so were the houses; the latter were built of
bricks, with beams between, and plastered over.

In the public places were temples of hewn lime-stone; the
substructure of which was below the earth, and the superstructure
above. We descended into one of them by three steps, and saw
round about at the walls idols of various forms, and a crowd
on their knees paying adoration to them: in the midst was the
choir, out of which the head of the tutelary god of that city
projected. As we were going out, the angel said to me that those"
idols, with the Ancients who lived in the silver age, who have
been treated of above, were images representative of spiritual
verities and moral virtues; ^n4 jthat when the .science of corre-
spondence was forgotten and extinct, those images first became
objects, of worship, and -afterwards were adored as deities; hence
came idolatry.

When we were outside the fane, we observed the men and
their dress. Their faces were like steel, of a gray colour, and
they were dressed like comedians, with aprons round about their
loins hanging from a vest fitting closely to the breast; and on
their heads they wore caps with the brims rolled up so as to
make them resemble boats.

But the angel said, "Enough of this; let us seek instruction
concerning the marriages of the people of this era."

78

TRULY CONJUGIAL LOVE [78

So we entered into the house of one of the authorities, who
wore on his head a tower-shaped cap. He received us kindly, and
said, "Enter, and let us converse together."

We entered into the hall, and there seated ourselves; and I
asked him about the marriages of this city and country. He
said, "We do not live with one wife, but some with two and
three, and some with more, because we are delighted with variety,
obedience, and honour as of majesty; and these we receive from
our wives according to their number. With one wife there would
be no delight from variety, but weariness from sameness; there
would be no flattering from obedience, but annoyance from
equality; neither would be any blissfulness from domination and
the honour thence derived, but vexation from wrangling about
superiority. And what is a woman? Is she not born subject to
the man's will; to serve and not to rule? Wherefore in this place
every husband in his own house enjoys as it were royal majesty;
and as this is of our love, it is also the blessedness of our life."

But I asked, "In such a case where is conjugial love, which
from two souls makes one soul, and conjoins minds, and renders
man blessed? This love cannot be divided, for if it be divided
it becomes a heat which effervesces and passes away."

To this he replied, "I do not understand what you say; what
else renders a man (homo] blessed, but the emulation of wives
for the honour of the first place in their husband's favour?"

As he said this, a man (vir) entered into the women's apart-
ment, and opened the two doors, and there issued thence a libidi-
nous effluvium, which smelt like mire; this arose from polygamous
love, which is connubial, and at the same time scortatory ; where-
fore I arose and shut the doors.

Afterwards I said, "How can you subsist upon this earth
when you do not possess any truly conjugial love, and also when
you worship idols?"

He replied, "As to connubial love, we are so extremely jealous
of our wives, that we do not suffer any one to enter further within
our houses than the hall; and where there is jealousy, there also
is love. As to idols, we do not .worship them, but we are not
able to think of the God of the universe, except by means of
appearances presented before our eyes; for we cannot elevate
our thoughts above the sensuals of the body, nor think of God
above the things which are within its range of vision."

I then asked him again, "Are not your 'idols of different
forms? How then can they excite the mental vision of one God?"

To this he replied, "This is a mystery to us; something of the
worship of God lies concealed in each form."

I then said, "You are merely sensual corporeal men; you
possess neither the love of God, nor the love of a married partner
which partakes anything of what is spiritual; and these loves
together form a man (homo), and from sensual make him
celestial."

79

79] CONJUGIAL LOVE

As I said this, there appeared through the gate as it were
lightning, and I asked what it meant.

He said, "Such lightning is a sign to us that there will come
the Ancient one from the east, who teaches us about God, that
He is one, that He alone is omnipotent, Who is the First and the
Last; f he also admonishes us not to worship idols, but only to
look upon them as images representative of virtues proceeding
i;om^ tlie one ., God, which together form the worship of Him.
This ancient one is our angel, whom we revere and to whom
we hearken. He comes to us and raises us up when we are falling
into obscure worship of God by reason of mere fancies respecting
images."

On hearing this, we went out of the house and the city; and
in the way, from what we had seen in the heavens, we drew some
conclusions about the circle and progression of conjugial love;
of its circle, that it had passed from the east to the south, from
the south to the west, and from the west to the north; of its
progression, that it had decreased according to its circulation,
namely, that in the east it was celestial, in the south spiritual,
in the west , natural, and in the north sensual ; and also that it
had decreased in a like degree with the love and worsjiip of God.
From which considerations this conclusion is made, that this love
in the first era was like gold, in the second like silver, in the third
like brass, and in the fourth like iron, and that at length it ceased
to be.

Then the angel, my guide and companion, said, "Nevertheless
I am nourished by the hope that this love will be raised up again
by the God of heaven, Who is the Lord, because it is capable of
being so raised up again."

79. The fifth Memorable Relation:

The angel who had been my guide and companion to the
Ancients who had lived in the four ages the golden, the silver,
the copper, and the iron again came and said to me, "Do you
wish to see the age which succeeded those Ancient ones, and to
know what its quality was, and still is? Follow me and you shall
see. They are those of whom Daniel thus prophesied : 'A kingdom
shall arise after those four, in which iron shall be mixed with clay
of mire: they shall mingle themselves by the seed of man; but
then shall not cohere one with the other, as iron is not mixed with
day' (Dan. ii: 41-43) ": and he said, "By the seed of man, where-
by iron shall be mixed with clay, and still they shall not cohere,
is meant the truth of the Word falsified."

When he had said this, I followed him, and in the way he
related to me these particulars: "They dwell in the borders
between the south and the west, but at a great distance beyond
those who lived in the four former ages, and also at a greater
depth."

We then proceeded through the south to the region bordering
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TRULY CONJUGIAL LOVE [79

on the west, and passed through a dreadful forest; for in it there
were pools, out of which crocodiles raised their heads, and gaped
at us with their wide jaws beset with teeth; and between the pools
were terrible dogs, some of which were three-headed like Cerberus,
some two-headed, all looking at us as we passed by, with a horrible
hungry look and fierce eyes. We entered the western tract of this
region, and saw dragons and leopards, such as are described in
the Apocalypse, chap. xii. 3, and chap. xiii. 2.

Then the angel said to me, "All those wild beasts which you
have seen, are not wild beasts, but correspondences, and thus
representative forms, of the cupidities in which are the inhabitants
which we shall visit. The cupidities themselves are represented by
those horrible dogs; their deceits and cunning by the crocodiles;
their falsities and depraved inclinations to the things which
are of worship, by the dragons and leopards. But the in-
habitants represented do not live just behind the forest, but
behind a great wilderness which is intermediate, in order that
they may be fully withheld and separated from the inhabitants
of the antecedent ages; for they are utterly alien or diverse from
them. They have indeed heads above their breasts, and breasts
above their loins, and loins above their feet, like the primeval
men; but in their heads there is not anything of gold, nor in their
breasts anything of silver, nor in their loins anything of brass,
nor in their feet anything of pure iron ; but in their heads is iron
mixed with clay ; in their breasts, both mixed with brass ; in their
loins also, both mixed with silver; and in their feet they are
mixed with gold. Through this inversion they have been changed
from men into graven images of men, in which inwardly nothing
coheres; for that which had been the highest has been made the
lowest; thus that which had been the head has become the heel,
and contrariwise. They appear to us from heaven like acrobats,
who lie upon their elbows with the body inverted, and thus
advance; or like beasts which lie on their backs, and lift the feet
upwards, and out of the head, which they bury in the earth, look
towards heaven."

We passed through the forest and entered the wilderness, which
was not less terrible: it consisted of heaps of stones, and ditches
between them, out of which hydras and vipers crept, and fire-
serpents flew out. This whole wilderness sloped down gradually:
we descended by a long slope, and at length came into the valley
inhabited by the inhabitants of that region and age.

There were here and there huts, which at last appeared to
meet, and to be joined together into the form of a city. We entered
this city, and lo! the houses were built of scorched branches of
trees, cemented together with mud, and roofed with black slates.
The streets were irregular; all of them at the entrance were nar-
row, but they widened out as they extended, and at the end were
spacious, where the places of public resort were : hence there were
as many places of public resort as there were streets.

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79] CONJUGIAL LOVE

As we entered the city it became dark, because the sky did not
appear; we therefore looked up, and light was given us, and we
saw; and then I asked those we met, "Are you able to see, because
the sky above you does not appear?"

They replied, "What a question is this! we see clearly; we
walk in full light."

On hearing this, the angel said to me, "Darkness to them is
light and light darkness, as is the case with birds of night; for
they look downwards and not upwards."

We entered into some of the cottages, and saw in each a man
with his woman, and we asked them, "Do all here live in their
own houses with one wife only?"

To this they replied with a hissing, "What do you mean by one
wife only? Why do you not ask whether we live with one harlot?
What is a wife but a harlot? By our laws it is not allowable to
commit fornication with more than one woman; but still we do
not hold it dishonourable or unbecoming to do so with several,
but away from home; we boast of this among ourselves; thus
we rejoice in licentiousness, and the pleasure of it, more than
polygamists. Why is a plurality of wives denied us, when vet it
has been granted, and at the present dav is granted in all the
countries round about us? What is life with one woman only, but
captivity and imprisonment? But we in this place have broken
down the bolts of this prison, and rescued ourselves from slavery,
and made ourselves free: who is angry with a prisoner for assert-
ing his freedom when he can?"

To this we replied, "You speak, friend, as if you were devoid
of religion. Who that is imbued with any reason does not know
that scortations are profane and infernal, and that marriages are
holy and heavenly? Do not adulteries exist with the devils in
hell, and marriages with the angels in heaven? Did vou never
read the sixth commandment of the Decalogue? and in Paul, that
adulterers can by no means come into heaven (1 Cor. vi. 9) ?"

Hereupon our host laughed most heartily and regarded me as
as a simpleton, and almost as a madman.

But just then there came in haste a messenger from the ruler
of the city, and said, "Bring the two strangers into court; and if
they will not come, drag them here: we have seen them in a shade
of light; they have entered in secret; they are spies."

Hereupon the angel said to me, "The reason why we were seen
in a shade is that the light of heaven in which we have been, is
shade to them, and the shade of hell is light to them; and this is
because they consider nothing as sin, not even adultery ; hence
they see falsity altogether as truth; and falsity shines in hell
before satans, and truth darkens their eves like the shade of night."

We said to the messenger, "We will not be pressed, still less
will we be dragged into court; but we will go with you of our own
accord."

So we went: and lo! there was there a great crowd, out of

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TRULY CONJUGIAL LOVE [79

which came some lawyers and whispered into our ears, "Take
heed to yourselves lest you speak anything against religion, the
form of our government, and good morals."

And we replied, "We will not speak against them, but for them
and from them."

Then we asked, "What is your religion concerning marriages?"

At this the crowd murmured, and said, "What have you to do
here with marriages? Marriages are marriages."

Again we asked, "What is your religion concerning scorta-
tions?" _

At this also the crowd murmured, saying, "What have you to
do here with scortations? Scortations are scortations: let him
that is guiltless cast the first stone."

And we asked thirdly, "Does your religion teach that mar-
riages are holy and heavenly, and that adulteries are profane and
infernal?"

Hereupon several in the crowd laughed aloud, jested, and
jeered, saying, "Inquire of our priests, and not of us, as to what
concerns religion. We acquiesce entirely in what they say, because
nothing of religion is referred to the judgments of the under-
standing. Have you never heard that the understanding is without
any discernment in the mysteries of which the whole of religion
consists? And what have deeds to do with religion? Is not the soul
made blessed by the muttering of words from a devout heart con-
cerning expiation, satisfaction, and imputation, and not by works ?"

But just then some of the wise ones of the city, so called,
approached us, and said, "Retire hence; the crowd grows angry;
a tumult will soon burst out: let us talk in private on this subject;
there is a walk behind the court; let us withdraw thither; come
with us."

So we followed them; and then they asked us whence we
came, and what our business there was.

And we said, "To be instructed about marriages, whether they
are holy with you, as they were with the Ancients who lived in
the golden, silver, and copper ages; or whether they are not holy."

And they replied, "What do you mean by holy things? Are
not marriages works of the flesh and of the night?"

And we answered, "Are they not also works of the spirit?
and what the flesh does from the spirit, is not that spiritual ; and
all that the spirit does, it does from the marriage of good and
truth. Is not this marriage spiritual, which enters the natural
marriage which is that of husband and wife?"

To this the wise one, so called, made answer, "You refine and
sublimate this subject too much; you ascend far above rational
principles to spiritual ones; and who can begin there, descend
thence, and thus form a judgment of anything?" To this they
added with a smile of ridicule, "Perhaps you have the wings of
an eagle, and can fly in the highest region of heaven, and have a
clear sight of these things: we cannot."

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79] CONJUGIAL LOVE

We then asked them to tell us, from the height or region in
which the winged ideas of their minds fly, whether they knew, or
were able to know, that there exists such a thing as the conjugial
love of one man with one wife, into which are collected all
the blessednesses, blissfulnesses, delights, pleasantnesses, and
pleasures of heaven; and that this love is from the Lord according
to the reception of good and truth from Him, and thus according
to the state of the church?"

On hearing this they turned away and said, "These men are
out of their senses; they enter the ether with their judgment, and
scatter about vain conjectures like nuts." After this they turned
to us, saying, "We will give a direct answer to your windy con-
jectures and dreams;" and they said, "What has conjugial love
in common with religion and inspiration from God? Is not this
love with every one according to the state of his potency? Is it
not the same with those who are outside of the church as with
those who are within it, the same with Gentiles as with Christians,
yea, the same with the impious as with the pious? Has not every
one. the strength of his love either hereditarily, or 'from health,
or from temperance of life, or from the heat of the climate? By
medicines also it can be strengthened and stimulated. Is not the
case similar with the beasts, and especially with the birds which
love in pairs? Is not this love carnal? and what has that which
is carnal in common with the spiritual state of the church ? Does
this love, as to its ultimate effect with a wife, differ at all from
love as to that effect with a fornicator? Is not the lust similar,
and the delight similar? Wherefore it is wrong to deduce the
origin of conjugial love from the holy things of the church."

On hearing this we said to them, "You reason from the burn-
ing heat of lasciviousness, and not from conjugial love; you are
utterly ignorant what conjugial love is, because it is cold with
you. From what you have said we are convinced that you are of
the age which has its name from, and consists of, iron and clay,
which do not cohere, according to the prophecy in Daniel ii. 43 ;
for you make conjugial love and scortatory love one thing. Do
these two cohere .any more than iron and clay? You are believed
to be wise, and you are called wise, and yet you are as far as
possible from being wise."

On hearing this they were kindled with anger, and cried out,
and called the crowd together to cast us out; but at that instant,
by virtue of power given us by the Lord, we stretched out our
hands, and lo! the fire-serpents, vipers, and hydras, and also the
dragons from the wilderness, approached, and invaled and filled
the city; at which the inhabitants being terrified fled away.

And the angel said to me, "Into this region new comers from
the natural world daily enter, and the former inhabitants are by
turns banished and cast down into the gulfs of the west, which
appear at a distance like pools of fire and brimstone. All these
are spiritual and natural adulterers."

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TRULY CONJUGIAL LOVE [80, 81

80. The sixth Memorable Relation:

When the angel had said this, I looked to the end of the west,
and lo! there appeared as it were pools of fire and brimstone; and
I asked the angel, "Why do the hells there appear so?"

He replied, "They appear as pools on account of the falsifica-
tions of truth, because water in the spiritual sense denotes truth ;
and there appears as it were fire around them, and in them, on
account of the love of evil, and as it were brimstone, on account
of the love of falsity, those three things, the pool, the fire, and
the brimstone, are appearances, because they are correspondences
of the evil loves in which they are. All there are shut up in
eternal workhouses, where they labour for food, clothing, and a
bed; and when they do evil, they are grievously and miserably
punished."

I further asked the angel, "Why didst thou say that in that
quarter are spiritual and natural adulterers, and not, rather, evil
doers and impious?"

He replied, "Because all those who account adulteries as noth-
ing, that is, who believe and commit them from confirmation, and
thus from set purpose, that they are not sins, are at heart evil
doers and impious; for the human conjugial state and religion
proceed together at the same pace; and every step and every
advance from religion, and into religion is also a step and advance
from the conjugial state, and into the conjugial state which is
peculiar and proper to the Christian man."

To the question what that conjugial state or principle was,
he said, "It is the desire to live with one wife only, and a Christian
man has this desire according to his religion."

I was afterwards grieved in spirit to think that marriages,
which in the Ancient eras had been most holy, were so helplessly
changed into adulteries.

The angel said, "It is the same at the present day with
religion ; for the Lord says, 'In the consummation of the age there
will be the abomination of desolation foretold by Daniel. And
there will be great affliction, such as there has not been from the
beginning of the world 9 (Matt. xxiv. 15, 21). The. abomination
of desolation signifies the falsification and deprivation of all
truth ; affliction signifies the state of the church infested by evils
"and falsities ; and the consummation of the age, concerning which
those things are said, signifies the last time or end of the church.
The end is now, because there does not remain a truth which has
not been falsified ; and the falsification of truth is spiritual forni-
cation, which acts in unity with natural fornication, because they
cohere."

81. As we were conserving and grieving together about these
things, there suddenly appeared a beam of light, which affected
my eyes strongly; wherefore I looked up: and lo! the whole
heaven above us appeared luminous; and from the east to the

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81] CONJUGIAL LOVE

west in a long series there was heard a GLORIFICATION.

And the angel said to me, "That is a glorification of the Lord
on account of His coming, and it is made by the angels of the
eastern and western heavens."

From the southern and northern heavens nothing was heard
but a gentle murmur.

As the angel understood everything, he told me first, that
glorifications and celebrations of the Lord are made from the
Word, because then they are made from the Lord ; for the Lord is
the Word, that is, the Divine truth itself therein; and he said,
"Now in particular they are glorifying and celebrating the Lord
by these words which were said through Daniel the prophet, 'Thou
sawest iron mixed with clay of mire; they shall mingle themselves
together by the seed of man; but they shall not cohere. But in
those days the God of heavens shall cause a kingdom to arise,
which shall not perish for ages. It shall bruise and consume all
those kingdoms; but itself shall stand for ages 9 (Dan. ii. 43, 44) ."

After this I heard as it were the voice of singing, and further
in the east I saw a flashing of light more resplendent than the
former; and I asked the angel what they were glorifying there.

He said that "they were glorifying by these words in Daniel:
7 was seeing in the visions of the night., and lo! with the clouds
of heaven there was coming as it were the SON OF MAN: and to
Him was dominion and a kingdom; and all peoples and nations
shall worship Him. His dominion is the dominion of an age,
which shall not pass away; and His kingdom that which shall not
perish 9 (Dan. vii. 13, 14) .

"Besides that, they were celebrating the Lord from these
words in the Apocalypse: To JESUS CHRIST be glory and strength:
behold He cometh with the clouds. He is the alpha and the omega,
the beginning and the end, the first and the last; Who is, Who
was, and Who is to come 9 the Almighty. I, John, heard this from
the SON OF MAN, out of the midst of the seven candlesticks 9 (Apoc.
i. 5-8, 10-13; xxii. 13; and also from Matt. xxiv. 30, 31)."

I looked again into the eastern heaven; it was enlightened on
the right side, and the luminosity entered the southern expanse,
and I heard a sweet sound; and I asked the angel what attribute
of the Lord they were glorifying there.

He said, "These words in the Apocalypse: 7 saw a new heaven
and a new earth; and I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming
down from God out of heaven, prepared as a BRIDE for her
HUSBAND: and the angel spoke with me, and said, Come, I will
show thee the BRIDE, THE LAMB'S WIFE: and he carried me away in
the spirit upon a great and high mountain, and showed me the
city, the holy Jerusalem 7 (Apoc. xxi. 1, 2, 9, 10) : also these words,
7 JESUS am the bright and morning star; and the spirit and the
bride say, COME; AND HE SAID, YEA, I COME QUICKLY; Amen:
even so COME, LORD JESUS' (Apoc. xxii. 16, 17, 20)."

After these and several others, there was heard a general

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TRULY CONJUGIAL LOVE [82

glorification from the east to the west of heaven, and also from
the south to the north; and I asked the angel, "What now is the
subject?"

He said, "These words from the prophets; 'Let all flesh know
that /, JEHOVAH, AM THY SAVIOUR AND THY REDEEMER' (Isaiah
xlix. 26). 'Thus saith JEHOVAH, the King of Israel and His
REDEEMER, JEHOVAH ZEBAOTH, / am the first and the last, and
BESIDES ME THERE is NO GOD' (Isaiah xliv. 6) . 'It shall be said
in that day, Lo! THIS is OUR GOD, whom we have expected to
deliver us; THIS is JEHOVAH WHOM WE HAVE EXPECTED' (Isaiah
xxv. 9). 'The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare
a way for JEHOVAH. Behold THE LORD JEHOVAH cometh in
strength. He shall feed His flock like a SHEPHERD" (Isaiah ,xl. 3,5,, T
10, 11). 'Unto us a Child is born; unto us a Son is given; Whose
name is Wonderful, Counsellor, GOD, Hero, FATHER OF ETERNITY,
Prince of Peace' (Isaiah ix. 5, 6). Behold the days will come, and
I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, Who shall reign a
king; and this is His name, JEHOVAH OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS' (Jere-
miah xxiii. 5, 6; xxxiii. 15, 16) . 'JEHOVAH ZEBAOTH is His name,
and THY REDEEMER, the Holy one of Israel; THE GOD OF THE

WHOLE EARTH SHALL HE BE CALLED' (Isaiah liv. 5). IN THAT DAY

SHALL JEHOVAH BE FOR A KING OVER THE WHOLE EARTH; IN THAT

DAY SHALL THERE BE ONE JEHOVAH, AND HlS NAME ONE' (Zech.

xiv.9)."

On hearing ,and understanding these words, my heart exulted,
and I went home with joy; and there I returned out of the state
of the spirit into the state of the body; in which latter state I
committed to writing what I had seen and heard; to which I now
adjoin the following particular: That conjugial love, such as it
was among the Ancients, will be raised up again ty the Lord
after His coming; because that love is from the Lord alone, and
it is with those who by Him, through the Word, are made spiritual.

82. After this, a man (vir) came running in great haste from
the northern quarter, and looked at me with a threatening coun-
tenance, and addressing me in a passionate tone of voice, said,
"Art thou he that would seduce the world by establishing a New
church, which thou understandest by the New Jerusalem coming
down out of heaven from God; and by teaching that the Lord
will gift with truly conjugial love those who embrace the doc-
trinals of that church; the delights and felicity of which love
thou exaltest even to heaven? Is this not a mere fiction ? ti and
dost thou not hold it forth as a bait and enticement for others to
accede to thy new doctrinals? , But tell me briefly, what are those
doctrinals of the New Church, and I will see whether they agree
or disagree."

I replied, "The doctrinals of the church which is meant by
the New Jerusalem, are these: I. That there is one God, in Whom
is a Divine Trinity, and that He is the LORD JESUS CHRIST.

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II. That saving faith consists in believing on Him. III. Thai
evils ought to be shunned, because they are of the devil, and from
the devil. IV. That goods ought to be done, because they are of
God and from God. V. That these things ought to be done by a
man as from himself; but that it ought to be believed that they
are done by the Lord with him and through him."

Or* hearing these things, his fury abated for some moments;
but after some deliberation he again looked at me with a stern
countenance, and said, "Are these five precepts the doctrinals of
faith and charity of the New Church?"

I replied, "They are."

He then asked sharply, "How can you demonstrate the FIRST,
"That there is one God in Whom there is a Divine Trinity; and
that He is the Lord Jesus Christ'?"

I said, "I demonstrate it thus: Is not God one and indivisible?
Is there not a trinity? If God is one and indivisible, is not He one
person. If He is one person, is not the trinity in that person?
That He is the LORD JESUS CHRIST, is evident from these con-
siderations, that He was conceived from God the Father (Luke
i. 34, 35) ; and thus that as to His soul He is God; and hence, as
He Himself says, that the Father and He are one (John x. 30) ;
that He is in the Father, and the Father in Him (John xiv. 10, 11) ;
that he who seeth Him and knoweth Him, seeth and knoweth the
Father (John xiv. 7, 9) ; that no one seeth and knoweth the
Father except He Who is in the bosom of the Father (John i. 18) ;
that all things of the Father are His (John iii. 35; xvi. 15) ; that
He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life; that one one cometh to
the Father but through Him (John xiv. 6) , thus from Him, because
He is in Him; and according to Paul, that all the fullness of the
Godhead dwelleth bodily in Him. (Coloss. ii. 9) ; and moreover,
that He hath Power over all flesh (John xvii. 2) ; and that He
hath all power in heaven and in earth (Matt, xxviii. 18) : from
which declarations it follows, that He is the God of heaven and
earth."

He afterwards asked how I proved the SECOND, "That saving
faith consists in believing on Him?"

I said, "I prove it by these words of the Lord Himself: This
is the will of the Father, that every one who BELIEVETH ON THE
SON should have eternal life 9 (John vi. 40). 'God so loved the
world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that every one who
BELIEVETH ON HIM should not perish, but have eternal life' (John
iii. 15, 16). fi HE WHO BELIEVETH ON THE SON hath eternal life;
but he who believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath
of God abideth on him' (John iii. 36) ."

He afterwards said, "Demonstrate also the THIRD, and the
following ones."

I replied, "What need is there to demonstrate 'that evils ought
to be shunned, because they are of the devil and from the devil ;
and that goods ought to be done, because they are of God and

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TRULY CONJUGIAL LOVE [82

from God;' also, 'that these things ought to be done by man as
from himself; but that it ought to be believed that they are done
by the Lord with him and through him?' That these three doc-
trinals are true, is confirmed by the whole Sacred Scripture from
beginning to end; for what else is therein insisted upon in gen-
eral, than the shunning of evils and the doing of goods, and a
believing on the Lord God? And besides, without these three
doctrinals there is no religion; for does not religion belong to
life? and what is life but shunning evils and doing goods? And
how can a man do the latter and believe the former but as from
himself? Wherefore if you remove these doctrinals from the
church, you remove from it the Sacred Scripture, and you also
remove religion; and when these are removed, the church is not
a church."

The man on hearing these things retired, and mused, but still
he departed in indignation.

89

THE ORIGIN OF CONJUGIAL LOVE FROM THE
MARRIAGE OF GOOD AND TRUTH

83. THERE are both internal and external origins of conjugial
love, and the internal ones are many, and likewise the external ;
nevertheless there is but one inmost or universal origin of all.
That this origin is the marriage of good and truth, shall be
demonstrated in what now follows. The reason why no one here-
tofore has deduced the origin of that love thence, is, that it has
been unknown that there is an union between good and truth; and
it has been unknown, because good does not appear in the light
of the understanding, as truth does, and hence the knowledge of
it has concealed itself and evaded investigation: and as from this
circumstance good is among the unknown things, it was impossible
for any one to conjecture that there was any marriage between it
and truth: yea, before the natural rational sight, good appears so
distant from truth, that no conjunction between them can be sup-
posed. That this is the case may be seen from the forms of speech
used whenever they are mentioned; as when it is said, "This is
good/' truth is not at all thought of; and when it is said, "This is
true," neither is good at all thought of; wherefore at the present
day it is believed by many that truth is quite a different thing
from good; and by many also, that a man is intelligent and wise,
and thus a man, according to the truths which he thinks, speaks,
writes, and believes, and not at the same time according to goods.
That nevertheless there does not exist any good without truth, nor
any truth without good, consequently that there exists an eternal
marriage between them; also that this marriage is the origin of
conjugial love, shall now be explained, and in the following
order :

I. Good and truth are the universals of creation, and hence
are in all created things; but in the created subjects they are
according to the form of each.

II. There does not exist solitary good, nor solitary truth, but
they are everywhere conjoined.

III. There is the truth of good, and from this the good of
truth; or, the truth from good, and the good from that truth; and
in those two there has been implanted from creation an inclination
to become conjoined into a one.

IV. In the subjects of the animal kingdom, the truth of good.,
or the truth from good, is masculine; and from that the good of
truth, or the good from that truth, is feminine.

V. From the influx of the marriage of good and truth from
the Lord, there is sexual love, and there is conjugial love

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THE ORIGIN OF CONJUGIAL LOVE [84, 85

VI. Sexual love belongs to the external or natural man, and
hence it is common to every animal.

VII. But conjugial love belongs to the internal or spiritual
man; and hence this love is peculiar to man.

VIII. With man conjugial love is in sexual love, as a gem in
its matrix.

IX. Sexual love with man is not the origin of conjugial love,
but its first manifestation; thus it is like the natural external into
which the spiritual internal is implanted.

X. When conjugial love has been implanted, sexual love in-
verts itself, and becomes the chaste love of the sex.

XI. The male and the female were created to be the very form
of the marriage of good and truth.

XII. They are that form in their inmosts 9 and hence in the
things that are derived from those inmosts, in proportion as the
interiors of their mind are opened.

Now follows the explanation of these articles.

84. I. GOOD AND TRUTH ARE THE UNIVERSALS OF CREATION, AND
HENCE ARE IN ALL CREATED THINGS; BUT IN THE CREATED SUB-
JECTS THEY ARE ACCORDING TO THE FORM OF EACH. The reason

why good and truth are the universals of creation, is that they
two are in the Lord God the Creator; yea, they are Himself; for
He is Divine good itself and the Divine truth itself. But this falls
more clearly into the perception of the understanding, and thus
into the idea of thought, if instead of good one says love, and
instead of truth one says wisdom; consequently that in the Lord
God the Creator there are Divine love and Divine wisdom, and
that they are Himself, that is, that He is love itself and wisdom
itself; for these two are the same as good and truth. The reason
is that good is of love, and truth is of wisdom ; for love consists
of goods, and wisdom of truths. Since the two latter and the two
former are one and the same thing, therefore in the following
pages sometimes the latter and sometimes the former set of terms
shall be used, and by both the same is understood. This pre-
liminary observation is here made, lest different meanings should
be attached to the expressions when they occur in the following
pages.

85. Since therefore the Lord God the Creator is love itself and
wisdom itself, and since the universe was created by Him, which
thus is as a work proceeding from Him, it cannot but be, that in
each and all created things there is something of good and truth
from Him; for whatever is done and proceeds from any one,
derives a similar quality from Him. That this is the case, reason
also may see from the order in which each and all things in the
universe were created ; which order is, that one exists for the sake
of another, and that consequently one depends upon another, like
the links of a chain. For all things are for the sake of the human

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86, 87] CONJUGIAL LOVE

race, that from it there may be an angelic heaven through which
creation returns to the Creator Himself, from Whom it was. Hence
there is a conjunction of the created universe with its Creator,
and by means of the conjunction everlasting preservation. Hence
it is that good and truth .are called the universals of creation.
That this is the case, is evident to every one who considers the
matter from reason: he sees in every created thing something
which relates to good, and something which relates to truth.

86. The reason why good and truth in the created subjects are
according to the form of each, is, that every subject receives influx
according to its form. The preservation of the whole consists in
nothing else than the perpetual influx of Divine good and Divine
truth into forms created by them ; for thus subsistence or preserva-
tion is perpetual existence or creation. That every subject receives
influx according to its form, may be illustrated by various things,
as, by the influx of heat and light from the sun into plants of
every kind: each of these receives influx according to its form;
thus every tree and shrub according to its form: the influx is alike
into" all, but the reception, because it is according to the form,
causes every species to continue the same species. The same thing
may also be illustrated by the influx into animals of every kind
according to the form of each. That the influx is according to the
form of each thing, may also be seen by the most unlettered
person, if he attends to the various instruments of sound, as pipes,
flutes, trumpets, horns, and organs, which give forth sound from
the same blowing or influx of air, according to their forms.

87. II. THERE DOES NOT EXIST SOLITARY GOOD, NOR SOLITARY

TRUTH, BUT THEY ARE EVERYWHERE CONJOINED. Whoever Wants

Jxoif^-axLy of the senses to acquire an idea abour good, cannot
possibly find it without some attribute which exhibits and mani*
fests it r&opd without this is an entity of no name; that by which
it is exhibited and manifested, has relation to truth. Pronounce the
word good only, and say nothing at the same time of this or that
thing with which it is connected ; or define it abstractedly, or with-
out any characteristic attribute, and you will see that it is not
anything, and that it becomes something with its attribute: and
if you bring the acuteness of your reason to bear upon the sub-
ject, you will perceive that good, without some attribute, is a
term of no predication, and thus of no relation, of no affection,
and of no state; in a word, of no quality. The case is similar
with truth, if it be pronounced and heard without something in-
wardly joined with it; that that which is inwardly joined with it,
has relation to good, may be seen by cultivated, reason. But since
goods are innumerable, and each ascends 'to its greatest, and
descends to its least, as by the steps of a ladder, and also varies
its name according to its progression, and according to its quality,
it is difficult for any but the wise to see the relation of good and

THE ORIGIN OF CONJUGIAL LOVE [88

truth to their objects, and their conjunction in them. That never-
theless there does not exist good without truth, nor truth without
good, is evident from common perception, when it is first acknowl-
edged that each and all things in the universe have relation to
good and truth ; as was shown in the foregoing article (nos. 84, 85) .
That there does not exist solitary good, nor solitary truth, may be
illustrated, and at the same time confirmed by various considera-
tions; a# by the following: that there does not exist an essence
without a form, nor a form without an essence; and good is an
essence or esse, and truth is that by means of which the essence
is formed and the esse comes into outward existence. Again, in a
man there are the will .and understanding. Good is of the will,
and truth is of the understanding; and the will alone does noth-
ing except through the understanding; nor does the understand-
ing alone do anything except from the will. Again, in a man
there are two fountains of the life of the body, the heart and the
lungs. The heart cannot produce any sensitive and motory life
without the respiration of the lungs ; neither can the lungs without
the heart. The heart has relation to good, and the respiration of
the lungs to truth: there is also a correspondence. The case is
similar in each and all things of the mind, and in each and all
things of the body, with man; but we have not leisure to produce
further confirmations in this place These subjects may however
be seen confirmed more fully in Angelic Wisdom concerning the
Divine Providence (nos. 3-16), where they are explained in the
following order: I. The universe, with all its created things, is
from Divine love through Divine wisdom, or, what is the same
thing, from Divine good through Divine truth. II. Divine good
and Divine truth proceed as a one from the Lord. III. This one
is, in a. certain image, in every created thing. IV. Good is not
good except in proportion as it is united with truth; and truth
is not truth except in proportion as it is united with good. V. The
Lord does not suffer that anything should be divided; wherefore
a man must either be in good, and at the same time in truth, or
in evil and at the same time in falsity. Besides many other things.

88. III. THERE is THE TRUTH OF GOOD, AND FROM THIS THE

GOOD OF TRUTH ; OR, THE TRUTH FROM GOOD, AND THE GOOD FROM
THAT TRUTH; AND IN THOSE TWO THERE HAS BEEN IMPLANTED
FROM CREATION AN INCLINATION TO BECOME CONJOINED INTO A
ONE. It is necessary that some distinct idea be procured concern-
ing these things; because on this depends the knowledge about
the essential origin of conjugial love: for, as is stated below, the
truth of good, or truth from good, is masculine, and the good of
truth, or good from that truth, is feminine. But this may be com-
prehended more distinctly, if instead of good one says love, and
instead of truth wisdom; which are one and the same, as may be
seen above, no. 84. Wisdom cannot exist with man, except by
means of the love becoming wise; if this love be taken away, man

93

89, 90] CONJUGIAL LOVE

is utterly unable to become wise. Wisdom from this love is meant
by the truth of good, or by truth from good; but when a man
from that love has procured to himself wisdom, and loves that
wisdom in himself, or himself on account of that wisdom, he then
forms a love, which is the love of wisdom, and is meant by the
good of truth, or the good from that truth. There are, therefore,
two loves with a man (vir) whereof one, which is prior, is the
love of becoming wise; and the other, which is posterior, is the
love of wisdom; but this latter love, if it remains with the man
(vir), is an evil love, and is called conceit, or the love of one's
self -intelligence. That it was provided from the creation, that this
love should be taken out of the man (vir), lest it should destroy
him, and that it should be transcribed into woman, in order that
it might become conjugial love, which restores the man to in-
tegrity, will be confirmed in the following pages. Something
about these two loves, and the transcription of the posterior love
into the woman, may be seen above, nos. 32, 33, and in the "Pre-
liminaries", no. 20. If therefore instead of love is understood
good, and instead of wisdom truth, it is manifest from what has
been already said, that there exists the truth of good, or the truth
from good, and from this the good of truth, or the good from
that truth.

89. The reason why in these two there has been implanted
from creation an inclination to become conjoined into a one, is,
that the one was formed from the other; wisdom being formed
from the love of becoming wise, or, truth from good; and the
love of wisdom being formed from that wisdom, or, the good of
truth from that truth; from which formation it may be seen, that
there is a mutual inclination to become reunited, and conjoined
into a one. But this takes place with men (viri) who are in
genuine wisdom, and with women who are in the love of that
wisdom in the husband; thus with those who are in truly con-
jugial love. But concerning the wisdom which ought to exist with
the man, and which should be loved by the wife, more will be
said in what follows:

90. IV. IN THE SUBJECTS OF THE ANIMAL KINGDOM, THE
TRUTH OF GOOD, OR THE TJJJJT1& FROM GOOD, J M&SCUWNE; AND
THE GOOD OF TRUTH FROM THAT "TRUTH OF GOOD, OR, T|!JE .GOOD

F&p$ THAT TRUTH, is FEA4JNTOE, That from the Lord, the Creator"
and Supporter of the universe, there flows in a perpetual union
of love and wisdom, or marriage of good and truth, and that
created subjects receive it, each one according to its form, was
shown above, nos. 84-86: but, that the male from this marriage,
or from that union, receives the truth of wisdom, and that the
good of love is conjoined to it by the Lord according to the
reception, and that this reception takes place in the intellect or
understanding, and that hence the male is born to become intel-
94

THE ORIGIN OF CONJUGIAL LOVE [91,92

lectual, reason, by virtue of its own lumen, can see from various
things in him, especially from his affection, application, manners,
and form. From the AFFECTION of the male, which is the affection
of knowing, understanding, and becoming wise; the affection of
knowing in childhood, the affection of understanding in adoles-
cence and early manhood, and the affection of becoming wise
from this early manhood even to old age: from which it is evident
that his nature, or inborn disposition inclines to form the in-
tellect; consequently, that he is born to become intellectual; but
as this cannot be effected except through love, therefore the Lord
adjoins love to him according to his reception, that is, according
to his disposition and willingness to become wise. From his
APPLICATION, which is to such things as belong to the intellect, or
in which the intellect predominates, many of which are public
matters, and regard uses in public. From his MANNERS, which all
partake of the predominance of the intellect; in consequence
whereof the acts of his life, which are meant by manners, are
rational; and if they are not, he still wants them to appear so;
masculine rationality is also discernible in every one of his
virtues. From his FORM, which is different and altogether distinct
from the female form; on which subject see .also what was said
above, no. 33. Add to this, that the prolific principle is in him,
which is from no other source than the intellect ; for it is from the
truth from good in the intellect; that the prolific principle is from
this source will be seen in the following pages.

91. But that the female is born to be voluntary, but voluntary
from the intellectual of the man (vir), or, what is the same, to be
the love of the man's wisdom, because she was formed through his
wisdom, on which subject see above nos. 88, 89, may also be
manifest from the female's affection, application, manners, and
form. From her AFFECTION, which is the affection of loving
knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom, nevertheless not in herself,
but in the man, and thus of loving the man: for the man (vir)
cannot be loved merely on account of his form, in that he appears
as a man (homo)^ but on account of the quality which is in him.
which causes him to be a man. From her APPLICATION, which is to
such things as are works of the hands, and are called knitting,
needlework, and the like, serving for adornment, both to decorate
herself, and to exalt her beauty; and moreover to various duties
which are called domestic, which adjoin themselves to the duties
of men, which, as was said, are called public They are led to
these duties by an inclination to marriage, in order that they may
become wives, and thus one with their husbands. That the same
appears also from their MANNERS and FORM, is evident without
explanation.

92, V. FROM THE INFLUX OF THE MARRIAGE OF GOOD AND

TRUTH FROM THE LORD, THERE IS SEXUAL LOVE, AND THERE IS

95

93,94] CONJUGIAL LOVE

CONJUGIAL LOVE. That good and truth are the universals of
creation, and thus are in all created subjects; and that they are in
created subjects according to the form of each; and that good
and truth proceed from the Lord not as two but as one, was shown
above, nos. 84 to 87. From these considerations it follows, that
the UNIVERSAL CONJUGIAL SPHERE proceeds from the Lord, and
pervades the universe from its primes to its ultimates, thus from
angels even to worms. The reason why such a sphere of the mar-
riage of good and truth proceeds from the Lord, is, that it is also
the sphere of propagation, that is, of prolification and fructifica-
tion; and this sphere is the same with the Divine providence for
the preservation of the universe by means of successive genera-
tions. Now, since this universal sphere, which is that of the
marriage of good and truth, flows in into subjects according to the
form of each (see no. 86), it follows that the male receives it
according to his form, thus in the intellect, because he is an in-
tellectual form; and that the female receives it according to her
form, thus in the will, because she is a voluntary form from the
intellectual of the man; and since that sphere is also the sphere
of prolification, it follows that sexual love is thence.

93. The reason why conjugial love also is thence, is, that that
sphere flows in into the form of wisdom with men, and also with
angels; for man is able to grow in wisdom to the end of his life in
the world, and afterwards to eternity in heaven ; and in proportion
as he grows in wisdom, in the same proportion his form is per-
fected; and this form receives not sexual love, but the love of one
of the sex ; for with one of the sex it can be united to the inmosts
in which heaven is with its felicities: and this union is conjugial
love.

94. VI. SEXUAL LOVE BELONGS TO THE EXTERNAL OR NATURAL

MAN, AND HENCE IT IS COMMON TO EVERY ANIMAL. Every man is

born corporeal, and becomes more and more interiorly natural,
and in proportion as he loves intelligence he becomes rational,
and afterwards, if he loves wisdom, he becomes spiritual. What
the wisdom is through which man becomes spiritual, will be stated
in the following pages, at no. 130. Now, as a man progresses
from knowledge into intelligence, and from intelligence into
wisdom, so also his mind changes its form ; for it is opened more
and more, .and conjoins itself more closely with heaven, and
through heaven with the Lord; hence it becomes more enamoured
of truth, and more studious of the good of life. If therefore he
halts at the threshold in the progression to wisdom, the form of
his mind remains natural; and this receives the influx of the
universal sphere, which is that of the marriage of good and truth,
in no other way than it is received by the lower subjects of the
animal kingdom, which are called beasts and birds; and as these
are merely natural, that man becomes like them, and thus loves
96

THE ORIGIN OF CONJUGIAL LOVE [95-98

the sex just as they do. This is what is meant by the statement that
sexual love belongs to the external or natural man, and that hence
it is common to every animal.

95. VII. BUT CONJUGIAL LOVE BELONGS TO THE INTERNAL OR
SPIRITUAL MAN; AND THIS LOVE IS PECULIAR TO MAN. The reason

why conjugial love belongs to the internal or spiritual man is.
that the more intelligent and wise man becomes, the more internal
or spiritual he becomes, and in the same proportion the form of
his mind is perfected; and this form receives conjugial love; for
he perceives and feels in this love a spiritual delight, which is full
of blessedness within, and from this a natural delight, which
derives its soul, life, and essence from the former.

96. The reason why conjugial love is peculiar to man, is, that
man only can become spiritual, for he can elevate his understand-
ing above his natural loves, and from that state of elevation see
them beneath him, and judge of their quality, and also amend,
chastise, and remove them. No animal can do this; for the lives
of animals are entirely united with their connate knowledge;
wherefore this knowledge cannot be elevated into intelligence,
and still less into wisdom ; in consequence of which circumstance
an animal is led along by the love implanted in its knowledge,
as a blind man is led through the streets by a dog. This is the
reason why conjugial love is peculiar to man. It may also be
called native and germane to man, because in man there is the
faculty of becoming wise, which faculty this love makes a one.

97. VIII. WITH MAN CONJUGIAL LOVE is IN SEXUAL LOVE AS A
GEM IN ITS MATRIX. As this however is merely a comparison, it
shall be explained in the article which immediately follows; this
comparison also illustrates what was shown just above, nos. 94,
95, that sexual love belongs to the external or natural man, and
conjugial love to the internal or spiritual man.

98. IX. SEXUAL LOVE WITH MAN is NOT THE ORIGIN OF CONJUGIAL

LOVE, BUT ITS FIRST MANIFESTATION : THUS IT IS LIKE THE NATURAL

EXTERNAL, IN WHICH THE SPIRITUAL INTERNAL is IMPLANTED. The
subject here treated of its truly conjugial love, and not the common
love which also is called conjugial, and which with some is nothing
but the limited love of the sex. Truly conjugial love exists only
with those who earnestly desire wisdom, and who therefore pro-
gress more .and more into wisdom. These the Lord foresees, and
for them He provides conjugial love. This love indeed commences
with them from sexual love, or rather by means of it, but still it
does not originate in it; for it originates in the proportion in
which wisdom advances and progresses into the light with it; for
wisdom and that love are inseparable companions. The reason
why conjugial love commences by means of sexual love, is that,

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99, 100] CONJUGIAL LOVE

before a consort is found, the sex is loved in a general way, and
regarded with a loving eye, and it is treated with courteous moral-
ity; for the young man has to make his choice; and at that time
from an innate inclination to marriage with one woman, which
lies concealed in the inmost recesses of his mind, his external
receives a gentle warmth. A further reason is, that the determina-
tions to marriage are delayed from various causes even to the
middle of the age of manhood, and in the meantime the beginning
of that love is as lust, which with some passes off into sexual love
actually; yet even with them its bridle is relaxed no further than
is conducive to health. This, however, is said of the male sex,
because it has allurements which actually inflame ; but not of the
female sex. From these considerations it is evident that sexual
love is not the origin of truly conjugial love; but that it is its
first manifestation as to time, yet not as to end; for what is first
as to end, is first in the mind and its intention, because it is
primary; but to this first there is no approach except succes-
sively through media, and these are not primes or first things in
themselves, 'but only conducive to what is first in itself.

99. X. WHEN CONJUGIAL LOVE HAS BEEN IMPLANTED, SEXUAL

LOVE INVERTS ITSELF, AND BECOMES THE CHASTE LOVE OF THE SEX.

It is said that sexual love then inverts itself, because when con-
jugial love has arrived at its origin, which is in the interiors of the
mind, it sees sexual love not before itself but behind, or not above
itself but beneath, and thus as something which it has passed by
and left. The case herein is similar to that of a person who climbs
from one office to another until he reaches one which exceeds the
rest in dignity, and afterwards looks back behind or beneath him-
self upon the offices through which he had passed ; or as when a
person intends a journey to the palace of some king, after his
arrival he inverts his view in regard to what he had seen in the
way. That in this case sexual love remains, and becomes chaste,
and yet, to those who are in truly conjugial love, sweeter than it
was before, may be seen from the description given of it by those
wtiL,aje in the spiritual world, in the two Memorable Relations,
nos. 44 and .45^

100. XL THE MALE AND THE FEMALE WERE CREATED TO BE THE

VERY FORM OF THE MARRIAGE OF GOOD AND TRUTH. The reason IS,

that the male was created to be the understanding of truth, thus
truth in form; and the female was created to be the will of good,
thus good in form; and there has been implanted in each from
their inmosts, an inclination towards conjunction into a one (see
above, no. 88) ; thus the two make one form, which emulates the
conjugial form of good and truth. It is said to emulate it, because
it is not the same, but is like it; for the good which conjoins itself
with the truth in the man (vir) is from the Lord immediately; and
the good of the wife, which conjoins itself with the truth in the
98

THE ORIGIN OF CONJUGIAL LOVE [101-103

man, is from the Lord mediately through the wife; wherefore
there are two goods, one which is internal, and another which is
external, which conjoin themselves with the truth in the husband,
and cause him to be constantly in the understanding of truth, and
hence in wisdom through truly conjugial love; but on this subject
more will be said in the following pages.

101. XII. THE TWO MARRIED PARTNERS ARE THAT FORM IN

THEIR INMOSTS, AND THENCE IN THOSE THINGS THAT ARE DERIVED
FROM THOSE INMOSTS, IN PROPORTION AS THE INTERIORS OF THEIR
MIND ARE OPENED. There are three things of which every man con-
sists, and which follow in order with him, the soul, the mind, and
the body; his inmost is the soul; his mediate is the mind, and his
ultimate is the body. Everything which flows in from the Lord
into man, flows in into his inmost, which is the soul, and descends
thence into his mediate, which is the mind, and through this into
his ultimate, which is the body. In this manner does the marriage
of good and truth flow in from the Lord with man; it flows in
immediately into his soul, and thence proceeds to the succeeding
parts, and through these to the extremes; and thus conjointly
these things constitute conjugial love. From the idea of this influx
it is evident that the two married partners are that form in their
inmosts, and thence in those things that are derived from the
inmosts.

102. But the reason why married partners become that form
in proportion as the interiors of their minds are opened, is, that
the mind is successively opened from infancy even to extreme old
age. For man is born corporeal ; and in proportion as the mind
is opened proximately above the body, he becomes rational; and
in proportion as this rational is purified, and as it were decanted
of the fallacies which flow in from the senses of the body, and of
the conscupiscenses, which flows in from the allurments of the
flesh, in the same proportion it is opened; and this is effected
solely by wisdom ; and when the interiors of the rational mind are
opened, the man becomes a form of wisdom ; and this form is the
receptacle of truly conjugial love. The wisdom which constitutes
this form, and receives this love, is rational, and at the same time
moral, wisdom. Rational wisdom looks upon the truths and goods
which appear inwardly in man, not as his own, but as flowing in
from the Lord; and moral wisdom shuns evils and falsities as
leprosies, especially lasciviousness, which contaminates its con-
jugial love.

103. To the above I shall add two Memorable Relations; the
first is this:

One morning before sunrise I was looking towards the east
in the spiritual world, and I saw four horsemen as it were flying
out of a cloud refulgent with the flame of the dawn. On their

99

103] CONJUGIAL LOVE

heads there appeared crested helmets, on their arms as it were
wings, and around their bodies light orange-coloured tunics ; thus
clad as for expedition, they rose in their seats, and gave their
horses the rein, which thus ran as if they had wings to their feet.
I followed their course or flight with my eye, desiring to know
whither they were going; and lo! three of the horsemen spread
themselves abroad towards three different quarters, the south, the
west, and the north; and the fourth in a short space of time halted
in the east.

Wondering at all this, I looked up into heaven, and asked
where these horsemen were going. I received for answer, "To the
wise men in the kingdoms of Europe, who discriminate matters
with penertating reason, and with sharp-sighted discernment, and
were celebrated in their own countries as men of genius, that they
may come and solve the secret concerning THE ORIGIN OF CON-
JUGIAL LOVE, AND CONCERNING ITS VIRTUE OR POTENCY."

And they said from heaven, "Wait a little, and you will see
twenty-seven chariots; three, in which are Spaniards; three, in
which are Frenchmen ; three, in which are Italians ; three, in which
are Germans; three, in which are Batavians or Dutchmen; three,
in which are Englishmen; three, in which are Swedes; three, in
which are Danes; and three, in which are Poles." And after two
hours I saw these chariots, drawn by cobs of a light bay colour,
with remarkable trappings: they passed rapidly along towards a
spacious house on the confines of the east and south, around which
all alighted from their several chariots, and entered in with much
confidence. Then it was said to me, "Go, and do thou also enter,
and thou wilt heart."

I went and entered. On examining the house within, I saw
that it was square, the sides looking to the four quarters : in each
side there were three high windows of crystalline glass, the frames
of which were of olive-wood; on each side of the frames were
projections from the walls, like chambers vaulted above, in which
were tables. The walls of these chambers were of cedar, the roof
of the noble thyme wood, and the floor of poplar beams. At the
eastern wall, where no windows were seen, there was set a table
overlaid with gold, on which was placed a TIARA set about with
precious stones, which was to be given as a prize or reward to
him who should trace out the secret about to be propounded.

While my attention was directed to the chamber projections,
which were like closets near the windows, I saw five men in each
chamber from each kingdom of Europe, who were ready and
waiting to know the object for the exercise of their judgments.

At that instant an angel stood in the midst of the palace, and
said, "The object for the exercise of your judgments shall be

CONCERNING THE ORIGIN OF CONJUGIAL LOVE, AND CONCERNING ITS

VIRTUE OR POTENCY. Investigate this and come to a decision about
it ; and write your decision on a piece of paper, and put this paper
into the silver urn which you see placed near the golden table, and
100

THE ORIGIN OF CONJUGIAL LOVE [104, 105

subscribe the initial letter of the kingdom from which you come;
as F for Frenchmen, B for Batavians or Dutchmen, I for Italians,
A for English (Angli), P for Poles, G for Germans; H for
Spaniards (Hispani), D for Danes, and S for Swedes." As he
said this, the angel departed, saying, "I will return."

Then the five fellow-countrymen in each closet by the windows,
took into consideration the proposed subject, examined it atten-
tively, and came to a decision according to the excellence of the
qualities of their judgments, wrote it on a piece of paper, .and put
it in the silver urn, having first subscribed the initial letter of their
kingdom. This business being accomplished in about three hours,
the angel returned, and drew the papers in order from the urn,
and read them before the assembly.

104. From the FIRST PAPER which he happened to lay hold of,
he read as follows: "We five natives of the same country, in our
closet have come to the decision that the origin of conjugial love
is from the Most Ancient people in the golden age, and with them,
from the creation of Adam and his wife; hence is the origin of
marriages, and with marriages the origin of conjugial love. As
regards the virtue or potency of conjugial love, we derive it from
no other source than the climate, or the direction of the sun, and
the consequent heat of the country. We have come to this con-
clusion, not by vain conjectures of reason, but by evident proofs
of experience, as by the case of the people who live under the line,
or the equinoctial, where the heat of the day is intense, and by the
case of those who live nearer to the line, or more distant from it;
and also from the co-operation of the sun's heat with the vital heat
in the animals of the earth and the birds of heaven, in the time of
spring when they are prolific. Morover, what is conjugial love
but heat, which becomes virtue or potency if suplementary heat
from the sun is added to it?" To this decision was subscribed the
letter H, the initial of the kingdom from which they were.

105. After this he put his hand into the urn a SECOND TIME,
and took thence a paper from which he read as follows: "We,
natives of the same country, in our lodge have agreed that the
origin of conjugial love is the same with the origin of marriages,
which have been sanctioned by the laws in order to restrain man's
connate concupiscences towards scortations, which ruin the soul,
pollute the reason of the mind, defile the morals, and infect the
body with disease. For adulteries are not human but bestial, not
rational but brutish, and thus not in any respect Christian but
barbarous; for the sake of the condemnation of such adulteries,
marriages originated, and at the same time a conjugial love. The
case is similar with the virtue or potency of this love; for it
depends on chastity, which consists in abstinence from roving
fornications: the reason is, that the virtue or potency, with him
who loves his married partner alone, is reserved for one, and is

101

106, 107] CONJUGIAL LOVE

thus collected and as it were concentrated; and then it becomes
refined like a quintessence from which all defilements have been
removed, which would otherwise be dispersed and cast away in
every direction. One of us five, who is a priest, has also added
predestination as a cause of that virtue or potency, saying, 'Are
not marriages predestinated? and if they are, are not the pro-
lifications thence, and the efficacy thereto, predestinated also?' He
insisted on this cause because he had sworn to it." To this decision
was subscribed the letter B.

On hearing this a certain one said in. a derisive tone, "How
beautiful an apology for defect or impotence is predestination!"

106. Next, he took out of the urn, the THIRD TIME, a paper
from which he read as follows: "We, natives of the same country,
in our cell have thought over the causes of the origin of con-
jugial love, and have seen this to be the principal one, that it is
the same with the origin of marriage, because conjugial love had
no existence before marriage, and it comes into existence because,
when any one desperately loves a maiden, he desires in heart and
soul to own her as a possession lovable above all things; and as
soon as she promises herself to him he regards her as if his own
self were looking at another self. That this is the origin of con-
jugial love, is clearly evident from the fury of every man against
his rivals, and from his jealousy against violators. We afterwards
thought over the origin of the virtue or potency of that love; and
the opinion of three prevailed against that of the other two, that
virtue or potency with a married partner is from some licentious-
ness with the sex. They said that they knew from experience that
the potency of sexual love is greater than the potency of conjugial
love." To this decision was subscribed the letter I.

On hearing this they cried from the tables, "Remove this paper
and draw another out of the urn."

107. And instantly he drew out a FOURTH, from which he read
as follows: "We, natives of the same country, under our window
have come to the decision, that the origin of conjugial love, and of
sexual love, is the same, because the former is from the latter;
only that sexual love is unlimited, indeterminate, loose> promis-
cuous, and roving, whereas conjugial love is limited, determinate,
restricted, settled, and constant; and that this love therefore has
been sanctioned and established by the prudence of human wis-
dom, because otherwise no empire, kingdom, commonwealth, nor
even society, would exist; for without it men would wander about
like droves of cattle in fields and forests, with fornicators and
ravished females, and would fly from one habitation to another to
avoid the bloody murders, violations, and robberies, whereby the
whole human race would be in danger of being extirpated. This
is our judgment concerning the origin of conjugial love. But the
virtue or potency of conjugial love we deduce from the continual

102

THE ORIGIN OF CONJUGIAL LOVE [108, 109

lasting of the health of the body from birth to old age; for the
man who is always well and possessed of sound health does not
fail in vigour; his fibres, nerves, muscle, and cremasters (muscles
peculiar to the male) do not become stiff, relaxed, nor feeble, but
retain the full strength of their powers: farewell." To this decision
was subscribed the letter A.

108. FIFTHLY, he drew out of the urn a paper, from which he
read as follows: "We, natives of the same country, at our table,
according to the rationality of our minds, have examined into the
origin of conjugial love, and into the origin of its virtue, or
potency, and from all the reasons which we have considered, we
have seen and confirmed no other origin of conjugial love than
this that every man, from incentatives and consequent incite-
ments which are concealed in the adytum of his mind and body,
after indulging in various lusts of his eyes, at length fixes his
mind and inclination on one woman of the sex, until his passion
is determined entirely to her; from this time his heat goes from
flame to flame, until at length it becomes a conflagration; in this
state sexual love is banished, and conjugial love takes its place.
A youthful bridegroom under the influence of this conflagration,
knows no otherwise than that the virtue or potency of that love
will never cease; for he lacks experience and consequently knowl-
edge of the state of the failure of his powers, .and of the chilling
of love which then succeeds the delights. The origin of conjugial
love therefore is from this first ardour before the wedding; and
from the same also comes its virtue or potency; but this virtue or
potency changes its aspect after the wedding, and decreases and
increases; yet still it lasts with regular changes, or with decrease
and increase, even to old age, by means of moderations from
prudence, and by bridling the lusts which burst forth from the
recesses of the mind not yet thoroughly purified ; for lust precedes
wisdom. This is our judgment concerning the origin and con-
tinuance of conjugial virtue or potency." To this decision was
subscribed the letter P.

109, SIXTHLY, he drew out a paper, from which he read as
follows: "We, natives of the same country, from our fellowship
have attentively considered the causes of the origin of conjugial
love, and have agreed on two ; one of which is the right education
of children, and the other the distinct possession of inheritances.
We have chosen these two, because they aim at and regard the
same goal, which is the public good; and this is obtained, because
infants conceived and born from conjugial love become one's very
own and true children; and these, in consequence of the love of
children (storge) being heightened by the consideration that they
are legitimate, are educated to be heirs of all their parents'
possessions, both spiritual and natural. That the public good is
founded on the right education of children, and on the distinct

103

110] CONJUGIAL LOVE

possession of inheritances, is seen by reason. There is sexual love,
and there is conjugial love; the latter love appears as if it were
one with the former, but it is distinctly different; neither is the
one love near to the other, but within it; and what is within is
more excellent than what is without; and we have seen that con-
jugial love from creation is within, and lies hidden in sexual love,
just as an almond does in its shell; wherefore when conjugial
love is set free from its shell, which is sexual love, it glitters
before the angels like a gem, a beryl, and an astroites. This takes
place because on conjugial love is inscribed the well-being of the
whole human race, which is what we mean by the public good.
This is our judgment concerning the origin of this love. With
respect to the origin of its virtue or potency, from a consideration
of its causes, we have come to the conclusion that it is the setting
free and separation of conjugial love from sexual love, which is
effected by the husband (vir] by means of wisdom, and by the
wife by means of the love of the husband's wisdom; for sexual
love is common to men, with beasts, and conjugial love is peculiar
to men (homines). Wherefore in the proportion in which con-
jugial love is set free and separated from sexual love, a man is
a man and not a beast; and a man acquires virtue or potency
from his love, as a beast does from his." To this decision was
subscribed the letter G.

110. SEVENTHLY, he drew out a paper from which he read as
follows: "We, natives of the same country, in the chamber under
the light of our window, have exhilarated our thoughts, and thence
our judgments, by meditating on conjugial love. Who is not
exhilarated by that love, for while it is in the mind, it is at the
same time in the whole body? We judge of the origin of that love
from its delights: who ever knows or has known the footsteps of
any love except from its delights and pleasurableness? The
del ightsomen esses of conjugial love in their origins are felt as
blessednesses, blissfulnesses, .and happinesses, in their derivation
as pleasantnesses and pleasures, and in their ultimates as the
delights of delights. Sexual love therefore originates when the
interiors of the mind, and thence the interiors of the body, are
opened for the influx of those delightsomenesses ; but conjugial
love originated at the time when, through betrothals which had
taken place, the primitive sphere of that love ideally promoted
those delights. As regards the virtue or potency of that love, it
arises from the capacity of that love of passing, with its current,
from the mind into the body; for the mind, from the head, is in
the body when it feels and acts, especially when it is being
delighted from this love: hence we judge of the degrees of its
potency and the constancies of its alterations. Morover we also
deduce the virtue of potency from the stock; if this be noble on
the father's side, it becomes also by transmission noble with his
offspring. That that nobility is engendered, inherited, and descends
104

THE ORIGIN OF CON/UGIAL LOVE [111, 112

by transmission, is assented to by reason with experience." To
this decision was subscribed the letter F.

111. The EIGHTH time he drew out a paper, from which he
read as follows: "We, natives of the same country, in our place
of assembly have not discovered the real origin of conjugial love,
because it lies deeply concealed in the sanctuaries of the mind.
The most commendable wisdom cannot, by any stretch of the
understanding, reach that love in its origin. We have made many
conjectures; but after pondering in vain over subtleties, we have
been in doubt whether our conjectures might not be called rather
trifling than judicious; wherefore whoever wants to extract the
origin of that love from the sanctuaries of the mind, and to exhibit
it clearly before his eyes, let him go to Delphi. We have con-
templated that love beneath its origin, and have seen that in the
minds it is spiritual, and as the fountain of a sweet dream, whence
it flows down into the bosom, where it becomes delightful, and is
called bosom love, which, regarded in itself is full of friendship
and full of confidence by reason of its full inclination to
mutuality; and that when it has passed the bosom, it becomes
genial love. When a young man is revolving these and similar
considerations in his thoughts, as he does when he chooses for
himself one of the sex, they kindle in his heart the fire of con-
jugial love; which fire, because it is the primitive fire of that love,
is its origin. We acknowledge no other origin of its virtue or
potency than that love itself, for they are inseparable companions ;
yet still they are such that sometimes the one precedes and some-
times the other. When the love precedes and the virtue or potency
follows it, both are noble, because in this case the potency is
the virtue of conjugial love; imt if the.pptency precedes and the
love follows, then both are ignoble, because in this case the love
belongs to the potency of the flesh. We therefore judge of the
quality of each from the order in which the love descends or
ascends, and thus proceeds from its origin to its goal." To this
decision was subscribed the letter D.

112. Lastly, or NINTHLY, he took up a paper, from which he
read as follows: "We, natives of the same country, from our place
of meeting have exercised our judgment on the two points pro-
posed, namely, the origin of conjugial love, and the origin of its
virtue or potency. When weighing the subtleties respecting the
origin of conjugial love, in order to avoid obscurity in our
reasonings, we have distinguished between the spiritual, the nat-
ural, and carnal sexual love,^.nd by spiritual sexual love we have
understood truly conjugial love, because this is spiritual ; and by
^atural .sexual lovewe have understood polygamous love, because
this is natural ; aniGKby merely carnal sexual love we have under-
stood scortatory love, because this is merely carnal. When we had
carefully examined truly conjugial love with our judgments, we

105

113] CONJUGIAL LOVE

clearly saw that this love exists only between one male and one
female, and that from creation it is heavenly and inmost, and the
soul and father of all good loves, being inspired into the first
parents, and capable of being inspired into Christians; it is also
of such a conjunctive nature that through it two minds may become
one mind, and two human beings (homines) (i.e., one man and
one woman) as it were one man (homo), which is meant by
becoming one flesh. That this love was inspired at the creation, is
evident from these words in the Book of the Creation, 'And a man
(vir) shall leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife;
and they shall become one flesh 9 (Gen. ii. 24) . That it can be
inspired into Christians, is evident from these words, 'Jesus said.
Have not ye read, that He who made them from the beginning,
made them male and female, and said, For this cause shall a man
leave father and mother, and cleave to his wife; and they two
shall become one flesh? Wherefore they are no longer two but
one flesh 9 (Matt. xix. 4-6). So far in regard to the origin of con-
jugial love. But as to the origin of the virtue or potency of truly
conjugial love, we surmise that it proceeds from likeness of minds,
and unanimity; for when two minds are conjugially conjoined,
their thoughts spiritually kiss each other, and inspire into the
body their virtue or potency." To this decision was subscribed
the letter S.

113. There were standing behind an oblong gallery in the
palace, erected before the doors, some strangers from Africa, who
cried out to the natives of Europe, "Permit one of us also to give
his opinion on the origin of conjugial love, and on its virtue or
potency."

And all the tables gave signs of assent with their hands that it
should be allowed.

Then one of them entered, and stood at the table on which the
tiara was placed. He said, "You Christians deduce the origin of
conjugial love from love itself; but we Africans deduce it from
the God of heaven and earth. Is not conjugial love a chaste, pure,
and holy love? Are not the angels of heaven in that love? Is not
the whole human race, and thus the whole angelic heaven, the seed
of that love? And can such a supereminent thing derive its
existence from any other source than from God Himself, the
Creator and Supporter of the universe? You Christians deduce
conjugial virtue or potency from various rational and natural
causes; but we Africans deduce it from the state of man's con-
junction with the God of the universe. This state we call the state
of religion, but you call it the state of the church ; for when the
love is from that state, and is stable and perpetual, it must needs
produce its own virtue, which is like it, and thus also is stable and
perpetual. Truly conjugial love is known only to those few who
are near to God; consequently the potency also of that love is
known to no others. T^xis potency with that love is described by
106 ' "

THE ORIGIN OF CONJUGIAL LOVE [114, 115

the angels in the heavens as the delights of a perpetual spring."

114. As he said these words, they all arose, and lo! behind
the golden table on which lay the tiera, there appeared a window
that had not been seen before; and through it was heard a voice,
saying, "THE AFRICAN SHALL HAVE THE TIARA." The angel then
placed it into his hand, but not upon his head; and he went home
with it.

The inhabitants of the kingdoms of Europe then went out and
entered their chariots, in which they returned to their own homes.

115. The second Memorable Relation:

Awaking from sleep at midnight, I saw at some height toward
the east an angel holding in his right hand a paper, which
appeared in a bright whiteness by reason of the light flowing from
the sun. In the middle of the paper there was a writing in golden
letters, and I saw that there was written thereon, "THE MARRIAGE
OF GOOD AND TRUTH." From the writing there darted forth a
splendor which formed a wide circle around the paper: this circle
or encompassing splendor appeared like the dawn in spring-time.

After this I saw the angel descending with the paper in his
hand; and as he descended the paper became less and less lucid,
and the writing, which was "THE MARRIAGE OF GOOD AND TRUTH,"
changed from a golden into a silver colour, afterwards into a
copper colour, next into an iron colour, and at length into the
colour of iron and copper rust: and finally, the angel was seen
to enter a dark mist, and pass through the mist to the earth ; and
there the paper was not seen although the angel still held it in his
hand. This happened in the state of spirits, in which all human
beings first assemble after death.

The angel then spoke to me, saying, "Ask those who come
hither whether they see me, or anything in my hand."

There came a great number; one company from the east,
another from the south, another from the west, and another from
the north; and I asked those who came from the east and from
the south, who were those who in the natural world had applied
themselves to learning, "Do you see any one here with me, and
anything in his hand?" They all said that they saw nothing
at all.

I then put the same question to those who came from the west
and from the north, who were those who in the natural world had
believed in the words of the learned. These also said that they
did not see anything: nevertheless the last of them, who in the
natural state had been in simple faith from charity, or in some
truth from good, when the rest were gone away, said that they saw
a man (vir) with a paper, the man in a beautiful dress, and the
paper with letters written upon it; and when they applied their
eyes nearer to it, they said they read these words, ''The marriage
of good and truth"; and they addressed the angel, entreating him
to tell them what this meant.

107

115] CONJUGIAL LOVE

He said, "All things which exist in the whole heaven, and all
things which exist in the whole world, are nothing else than a
^marriage of good and truth; for all things whatsoever, both those
' which live and possess a soul, and those who do not live, and do
not possess a soul, were created from the marriage of good and
truth, and into that marriage. There does not exist anything that
has been created into truth alone, nor anything that has been
created into good alone: solitary good or solitary truth is not
anything; but by the means of marriage they come into existence
and become such a thing as the marriage itself is. In the Lord
the Creator there is Divine good and Divine truth in its very sub-
stance; the Esse of His substance is Divine good, and its Existere
is Divine truth ; in Him also they are in their very union ; for in
Him they infinitely constitute a one. Since these two in the Creator
Himself are a one, therefore also they are a one in each and all
things that have been created by Him ; thereby also the Creator is
conjoined in an eternal covenant as of marriage with all things
created by Himself." The angel further said, that the Sacred
Scripture, which has proceeded immediately from the Lord, is in
general and in particular the marriage of good and truth; and
since the church, which is formed by means of the truth of doc-
trine, and religion, which is formed by means of the good of life
according to the truth of doctrine, are, among Christians derived
solely from the Sacred Scripture, therefore it may be manifest
that the church in general and in particular is the marriage of
good and truth (that this is the case may be seen in the Apocalypse
Revealed, nos. 373, 483). What has just been said concerning
the marriage of good and truth, is also said of the MARRIAGE OF
CHARITY AND FAITH; for good belongs to charity, and truth to
faith.

Some of those above-mentioned, who did not see the angel
and the writing, being still near, and hearing these things, said in
undertone, "That is so; we apprehend that."

But the angel then said to them, "Turn aside a little from me,
and speak in like manner."

They turned aside and said aloud, "It is not so."

After this the angel spoke of the MARRIAGE OF GOOD AND TRUTH
with married partners, saying, that "if their minds were in that
marriage, the husband being truth and the wife the good thereof,
they would both be in the delights of the blessedness of innocence,
and thence in the happiness in which the angels of heaven are;
state., the prolific principle., of the husband would be

4n a continual spring, and thus in the endeavor and power of
propagating its truth, and the wife would be in a continual recep-
tion thereof from love. The wisdom which is with men (viri)
from the Lord, is sensible of nothing more delightful than to
propagate its truths; and the love of wisdom which is with wives
from the Lord is sensible of nothing more pleasant than to receive
those truths as it were in the womb, and thus to conceive them,
108

THE ORIGIN OF CONJUGIAL LOVE [115

carry them in the womb, and bring them forth. Spiritual pro-
lifications with the angels of heaven are of this sort; and if you
are willing to believe it, natural prolifications also are from the
same origin."

The angel, after a salutation of peace, raised himself up from
the earth, and passing through the mist ascended into heaven ; and
then the paper shone as before according to the degrees of ascent ;
and behold! the circle, which had before appeared as the dawn,
descended, and dispelled the mist which had caused darkness on
the earth, and a bright sunshine succeeded.

109

THE MARRIAGE OF THE LORD AND THE CHURCH,
AND ITS CORRESPONDENCE

116. THE reason why the marriage of the Lord and the church,
together with its correspondence, is here also treated of, is, that
without knowledge and intelligence on this subject, scarcely any
one can know that conjugial love in its origin is holy, spiritual,
and celestial, and that it is from the Lord. It is indeed said by some
in the church, that marriages have relation to the marriage of the
Lord with the church; but the quality of this relation is not
known. In order therefore that this relationship may be exhibited
in some light of the understanding so as to be seen, it necessary to
treat particularly of that holy marriage which exists with and in
those who are the Lord's church : these also, and no others, possess
truly conjugial love. But for the elucidation of this arcanum, this
chapter must be divided into the following articles:

I. The Lord in the Word is called the Bridegroom and Hus-
band, and the church the bride and wife; and the conjunction of
the Lord with the church, and the reciprocal conjunction of the
church with the Lord, is called Marriage.

II. The Lord is also called the Father, and the church the
mother.

III. The offspring from the Lord as the husband and father,
and from the church as the wife and mother, are all spiritual ; and
in the spiritual sense of the Word are meant by sons and daugh-
ters, brothers and sisters, sons-in-law and daughters-in-law, and
by the other names of relationship.

IV. The spiritual offspring, which are born from the marriage
of the Lord with the church, are truths, from which there are
understanding, perception, and all thought; and goods, from
i$dch there are love, charity, and all affection.

V. From the marriage of good and truth, which proceeds from
the Lord, and flows in, man receives truth, and to this the Lord
conjoins good; and thus the church is formed by the Lord with
man.

VI. The husband does not represent the Lord, and the wife
the church; because both together, the husband and the wife,
constitute the church.

VII. Therefore there is no correspondence of the husband
with the Lord, and of the wife with the church, in the marriages
of the angels in the heavens, and of human beings on earth.

VIII. But there is a correspondence with conjugial love,
fecundation, prolification, the love of children, and similar things
which are in marriages and from marriages.

110

MARRIAGE OF THE LORD AND THE CHURCH [117,118

IX. The Word is the medium of conjunction, because it is
from the Lord, and thus is the Lord.

X. The church is from the Lord, and is with those who come
to Him, and live according to His precepts.

XL Conjugial love is according to the state of the church.,
because it is according to the state of wisdom, with man.

XII. And, since the church is from the Lord, conjugial love
also is from Him.

Now follows the explanation of these articles.

117. I. THE LORD IN THE WORD is CALLED THE BRIDEGROOM

AND HUSBAND, AND THE CHURCH THE BRIDE AND WIFE; AND THE
CONJUNCTION OF THE LORD WITH THE CHURCH, AND THE RECIP-
ROCAL CONJUNCTION OF THE CHURCH WITH THE LORD, IS CALLED

MARRIAGE. That the Lord in the Word is called the Bridegroom
and Husband, and the church the bride and wife, may be manifest
from the following passages: "He who hath the BRIDE is the bride-
groom; but the friend of the BRIDEGROOM, who stand eth and
heareth Him, rejoiceth with joy because of the BRIDEGROOM'S
voice" (John iii. 29) ; this was said of the Lord by John the
Baptist. "Jesus said, So long as the BRIDEGROOM is with them,
the SONS OF THE WEDDING cannot fast: the days will come when
the BRIDEGROOM will be taken away from them, and then they will
fast" (Matt. ix. 15; Mark ii. 19, 19; Luke v. 34, 35). "I saw the
holy city, New Jerusalem, prepared as a BRIDE adorned for HER
HUSBAND" (Apoc. xxi. 2) : that by the New Jerusalem is meant the
Lord's New Church, may be seen in the Apocalypse Revealed,
nos. 880, 881 "The angel said to John, Come, and I will show thee
the BRIDE, THE LAMB'S WIFE: and he showed him the Holy City,
(New) Jerusalem", Apoc. xxi. 9, 10). "The time of the WEDDING
OF THE LAMB is come, and His WIFE hath made herself ready.
Blessed are those who are called to the supper or the WEDDING OF
THE LAMB" (Apoc. xix. 7, 9). By the BRIDEGROOM, whom the
five virgins that were ready went forth to meet, and with whom
they entered in to the WEDDING (Matt xxv. 1-10) is meant the Lord,
as is evident from verse 13, where it is said, "Watch, therefore;
because ye know neither the day nor the hour in which the SON
OF MAN will come." Besides many passages from the Prophets.

118. II. THE LORD is ALSO CALLED THE FATHER, AND THE
CHURCH THE MOTHER. That the Lord is called the Father, is
manifest from the following passages: "Unto us a Child is born;
unto us a Son is given; and His name shall be called Wonderful,
Counsellor, GOD, THE FATHER OF ETERNITY, our REDEEMER; Thy
name is from eternity" (Isaiah Ixiii. 16). "Jesus saith, he that
seeth ME, seeth the FATHER Who sent ME" (John xii. 45). "//
ye had known ME ? ye had known My FATHER also; and hence-
forth ye have known Him, and have seen Him" (John xiv. 7) .
"Philip said, Show us the FATHER: Jesus said unto him, He that

111

119, 120] CONJUGIAL LOVE

seeth Me, seeth the FATHER; how sayest thou then. Show us the
FATHER?" (John xiv. 8, 9). "Jesus said, The FATHER and I are
one" (John x. 30) . "All things that the FATHER hath are MINE"
(John xvi. 15; chap. xvii. 10). "The FATHER is in ME, and I IN
TTHE FATHER" (John x. 38; chap. xiv. 10, 11, 20). That the Lord
and His Father are one, as the soul and the body are one, and
that God the Father descended from heaven and assumed the
Human, to redeem and save human beings, and that His Human
is what is called the Son, who was sent into the world, has been
fully shown in the Apocalypse Revealed.

119. That the church is called the mother, is manifest from the
following passages: "Jehovah said, contend with YOUR MOTHER:
she is not MY WIFE, and I am not her HUSBAND" (Hosea ii. 2, 5).
"Thou art thy MOTHER'S daughter, that loatheth her HUSBAND"
(EzeL xvi. 45). "Where is the bill of thy MOTHER'S divorcement,
whom I have put away?" (Isaiah I. 1). "Thy MOTHER was like a
vine planted by the waters, bearing fruit" (Ezek. xix. 10) : these
things are said of the Jewish church. "Jesus stretching out His
hand to the disciples, said, MY MOTHER and My brethren are those
who hear the Word of God, and do it" (Luke viii. 21 ; Matt. xii.
48, 49; Mark iii. 33-35) : by the Lord's disciples is meant the
church. "There was standing at the cross of Jesus, His mother:
and Jesus, seeing His mother and the disciple whom He loved,
standing by, saith unto His mother,, Woman, behold thy son: and
He saith to the disciple, Behold thy mother: wherefore from that
hour the disciple took her unto his own' (John xix. 25-27) : by
this is meant that the Lord did not acknowledge Mary as a mother,
but the church; wherefore He calls her not Woman, but the dis-
ciple's mother. The reason why the Lord called her the mother
of this disciple, or of John, was, that John represented the church
as to the goods of charity, which are the church in very effect;
therefore it is said that he took her unto his own. That Peter
represented Truth and faith, James charity, and John the works
of charity, see the Apocalypse Revealed, nos. 5, 6, 790, 798, 879 ;
and that the twelve disciples together represented the church as to
all its constituents, see nos. 233, 790, 903, 915.

120. III. THE OFFSPRING FROM THE LORD AS THE HUSBAND

AND FATHER, AND FROM THE CHURCH AS THE WIFE AND MOTHER,
ARE ALL SPIRITUAL; AND IN THE SPIRITUAL SENSE OF THE WORD
ARE MEANT BY SONS AND DAUGHTERS, BROTHERS AND SISTERS, SONS-
IN-LAW AND DAUGHTERS-IN-LAW, AND BY THE OTHER NAMES OF

RELATIONSHIP. That no other than spiritual offspring are born of
the church from the Lord, needs no demonstration, because reason
sees it without ; for it is die Lord from Whom all good and truth
proceeds, and it is the church which receives them and puts them
into effect; and all the spiritual things of heaven and the church
relate to good and truth. Hence it is that by sons and daughters
112

MARRIAGE OF THE LORD AND THE CHURCH [121, 122

in the Word, in its spiritual sense, are meant truths and goods; by
sons, truths conceived in the spiritual man and born in the
natural; and by daughters, goods in like manner: wherefore those
who are regenerated by the Lord, are called in the Word sons of
God, sons of the kingdom, born of Him: and the Lord called the
disciples sons: by the male child that the woman brought forth,
and that was caught up to God (Apoc. xii. 5) nothing else is
signified; see the Apocalypse Revealed, no. 543. Since by daugh-
ters are signified the goods of the church, therefore in the Word
mention is so frequently made of the daughter of Zion, the
daughter of Jerusalem, the daughter of Israel, and the daughter
of Judah ; by whom is signified not any daughter, but the affection
of good, which is an affection of the Church; see also the
Apocalypse Revealed, no. 612. The Lord also calls those who are
of His church, brethren and sisters (Matt. xii. 49; xxv. 40; xxviii.
10; Mark iii. 35; Luke viii. 21).

121. IV. THE SPIRITUAL OFFSPRING, WHICH ARE BORN FROM
THE MARRIAGE OF THE LORD WITH THE CHURCH, ARE TRUTHS,
FROM WHICH THERE ARE UNDERSTANDING, PERCEPTION, AND ALL
THOUGHT; AND GOODS, FROM WHICH THERE ARE LOVE, CHARITY,
AND ALL AFFECTION. The reason why truths and goods are the
spiritual offspring, which are born from the Lord by the church,
is, that the Lord is good itself and truth itself, and these in Him
are not two but one; also, that nothing can proceed from the
Lord but what is in Him, and is Himself. That the marriage of
good and truth proceeds from the Lord, and flows in with men,
and is received according to the state of the mind and life of those
who are of the church, was shown in the foregoing section on the
"Marriage of Good and Truth." The reason why by means of
truths man has understanding, perception, and all thought, and,
by means of goods, love, charity, and all affection, is, that all
things of man relate to truth and good; and there are two things
in man which constitute him/tb^mll and the 'undemanding; the
will is the receptacle of good, and the understanding is the recep-
tacle of truth.' That love, charity, and affection belong to the will,
and that perception and thought belong to the understanding, has
no need of light from demonstration; for there is a light from the
understanding itself by which this proposition is seen as soon as it
is stated.

122. V, FROM THE MARRIAGE OF GOOD AND TRUTH, WHICH

PROCEEDS FROM THE LORD, AND FLOWS IN, MAN RECEIVES TRUTH,
AND TO THIS THE LORD CONJOINS GOOD ; AND THUS THE CHURCH IS

FORMED BY THE LORD WITH MAN. The reason why man receives
truth from the good and truth which proceed as a one from the
Lord, is, that he receives this as his own, and appropriates it to
himself as his own ; for he thinks truth as from himself, and like-
wise speaks from it; and this takes place because truth is in the

113

123-125] CONJUGIAL LOVE

light of the understanding, and therefore he sees it; and whatever
he sees in himself, or in his mind, he knows not whence it is ; for
he does not see the influx, as he sees those things which come
within the range of the sight of the eye; hence he supposes that
it (the truth) is in himself. That it should appear thus, is given to
man by the Lord, in order that he may be a man, and that he
may have a reciprocal principle of conjunction. Add to this, that
man is born a faculty of knowing, understanding, and becoming
wise ; and this faculty receives truths, by means of which he has
knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom: and since the female was
created by means of the truth of the male, and is formed into the
love thereof more and more after marriage, it follows, that she
also receives her husband's truth in herself, and conjoins it with
her own good.

123. The reason why the Lord adjoins and conjoins good to
the truths which man receives, is, that man cannot take good as
of himself, for it is invisible to him, because it is not a matter of
light, but of heat, and heat is felt and not seen. Wherefore, when
a man sees truth in his thoughts, he seldom reflects upon the good
which flows in from the love of the will into the truth, and gives
it life. Neither does a wife reflect upon the good with her, but
upon the inclination of her husband towards her, which is accord-
ing to the .ascent of his understanding towards wisdom ; the good
which is with her from the Lord, she applies, without the hus-
band's knowing anything about that application. From these con-
siderations, the Truth is now manifest, that man receives truth
from the Lord, and that the Lord adjoins good to that truth,
according to the application of the truth to use, consequently as
the man is willing to think wisely, and hence to live wisely.

124. The reason why the church is thus formed with man by
the Lord, is, that he is then in conjunction with the Lord, in good
from Him, and in truth as from himself. Thus man is in the Lord,
and the Lord in him, according to the Lord's words in John
xv. 4, 5. The case is similar if instead of good you say charity,
and instead of truth, faith; because good belongs to charity, and
truth belongs to faith.

125. VI. THE HUSBAND DOES NOT REPRESENT THE LORD, AND

THE WIFE THE CHURCH ; BECAUSE BOTH TOGETHER, THE HUSBAND

AND THE WIFE, CONSTITUTE THE CHURCH. It is a common saying
within the church, that as the Lord is the Head of the church, so
the husband is the head of the wife: whence it would follow, that
the husband represents the Lord, and the wife the church. But the
Lord is the Head of the church; and man (homo), a man (vir)
and a woman, are a church; and still more a husband and wife
together. With these the church is first implanted in the man
(vir) , and through the man in the wife, because the man receives
114

MARRIAGE OF THE LORD AND THE CHURCH [126, 127

the truth of the church with his understanding, and the wife
receives it from the man. But if it happens contrariwise, it is not
according to order; although it does sometimes happen so, but
then it is with men (vir) who either are not lovers of wisdom,
and consequently are not of the church, or else depend like slaves
on the will of their wives. Something on this subject may be seen
in the "Preliminaries", no. 21.

% ,i i

'126. VII. THEREFORE THERE is NO CORRESPONDENCE OF THE

HUSBAND WITH THE L.ORD AND OF THE WIFE WITH THE CHURCH,
IN THE MARRIAGES OF ANGELS IN THE HEAVENS, AND OF MEN ON

EARTH. This follows from what has just been said. To this never-
theless it must be added, that it appears as if truth was the pri-
mary of the church, because it is its first in time. It is in con-
sequence of this appearance that the prelates of the church have
given the palm to faith, which belongs to truth, in preference to
charity, which belongs to good. The learned have likewise given
the palm to thought, which belongs to the understanding, in
preference to affection, which belongs to the will. Wherefore the
knowledge of what the good of charity and the affection of the
will are, lies deeply buried as in a tomb, and some even cast earth,
upon them, as upon the dead, to prevent their rising again. That
the good of charity nevertheless is the primary of the church, may
be plainly seen by those who have not closed the way from heaven
to their understandings, by confirmations in favour of faith, as the
sole constituent of the church, and in favour of thought, as the
sole constituent of man. Now, since the good of charity is from
the Lord, and the truth of faith is with a man as from himself, and
these two cause such a conjunction of the Lord with man, and of
man with the Lord, as is understood by the Lord's words, that
"He is in them and they in Him" (John xv. 4, 5), it is evident
that this conjunction constitutes the church.

127. VIII. BUT THERE IS A CORRESPONDENCE WITH CONJUGIAL
LOVE, FECUNDATION, PROLIFICATION, THE LOVE OF CHILDREN, AND
SIMILAR THINGS WHICH ARE IN MARRIAGES AND FROM MARRIAGES.
These, however, are arcana of too deep a nature to enter the
understanding with any degree of light, unless preceded by
Knowledge about correspondence; nor is it possible to so explain
them as to make them comprehensible, unless this knowledge be
disclosed to the understanding. But what correspondence is, and
that it is of natural things with spiritual things, has been abun-
dantly shown in the A^calypse Revealed, also in the Axmna
Celestia, and specifically in "the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem
concerning the Sacred Scripture, and particularly in a Memorable
Relation about it in the following pages (no. 532). Before some
knowledge about it has been imbibed, only these few things shall
be stated before the understanding, in a shade :-^$njugial love
corresponds to the affection of genuine truth; its chastity, purity,

128, 129] CONJUGIAL LOVE

and holiness; fecundation corresponds to the potency of truth;
pxolification corresponds to the propagation of truth; and the love
of children corresponds to the protection of truth and good. Now
since truth with man appears as his own, and good is adjoined
thereto by the Lord, it is evident that those correspondences are
of the natural or external man with the spiritual or internal man.
But some light shall be shed on these subjects in the Memorable
Relations which follow.

128. IX. THE WORD is THE MEDIUM OF CONJUNCTION, BECAUSE
IT is FROM THE LORD, AND THUS is THE LORD. The reason why
the Word is the medium of conjunction of the Lord with man, and
of man with the Lord, is, that in its essence it is Divine truth
united with Divine good, and Divine good united with Divine
truth : that this union exists in each and all things of the Word in
its celestial and spiritual sense, may be seen in the Apocalypse
Revealed, nos. 373, 483, 689, 881; whence it follows, that the
Word is the perfect marriage of good and truth ; and as it is from
the Lord, and what is from Him is also Himself, it follows, that
while a man reads the Word; and takes truths out of it, the Lord
adjoins good. For man does not see the goods which affect him,
because he reads the Word from the understanding, and the un-
derstanding imbibes thence only such things as are its own, that is,
truths. That good is adjoined to the truths by the Lord, the under-
standing feels from the delight which flows in when it is enlight-
ened. But this does not take place interiorly with any others ex-
cept those who read the Word with the object of becoming wise;
and they have the object of becoming wise who are willing to
learn the genuine truths in the Word, and to form the church
with themselves by means of these truths Whereas those who read
the Word only with a view to gain the reputation of learning, and
also those who read it from the opinion that the more reading or
hearing of it inspires faith and conduces to salvation, do not re-
ceive any good from the Lord: because the object of these latter is
to save themselves by the mere expressions in the Word, in which
there is nothing of truth; and the object of the former is to be
distinguished for their learning; with which object there is not
conjoined any spiritual good, but only the natural delight arising
from worldly glory. As the Word is the medium of conjunction,
it is therefore called the Old and New Covenant: and a covenant
signifies conjunction.

129. X. THE CHURCH is FROM THE LORD, AND is WITH THOSE

WHO APPROACH HlM, AND LIVE ACCORDING TO HlS PRECEPTS. It is

not denied at the present day that the church is the Lord's, and
that, because it is the Lord's, it is from the Lord. The reason why
it exists with those who approach Him is, that His church in the
Christian world is from the Word: and the Word is from Him,
and in such a manner from Him, that it is Himself: the Divine
116

MARRIAGE OF THE LORD AND THE CHURCH [130

truth therein is united with the Divine good, and this also is the
Lord. Nothing else is meant by the Word, "which was with
God, and which was God; from which men have lift and light,
and which was made flesh" (John i. 1-14) . Morover, the reason
why the church exists with those who approach Him, is that it
exists with those who believe on Him; and to believe that He
is God the Saviour and Redeemer, Jehovah our Righteousness,
that He is the Door through which we are to enter into the
sheepfold, that is, into the church, that He is the way, the Truth,
and the Life, and that no one comes to the Father but through
Him, that the Father and He are one, besides many other things
which He Himself teaches ; to believe these things, I say, no
one is able except from Him ; and the reason why this is impos-
sible unless He be approached, is, He is the God of heaven and
earth, as He also teaches. Who else is to be approached, and who else,
can be approached? The reason why the church exists with those-
who live according to His precepts, is, that there is no conjunction
with any others, for He says, "He who hath My precepts, and
doeth them, he it is who loveth Me; and I will love him, and will
make My abode with him, but he who doth not love Me, doth not
keep My precepts" (John xiv. 21-24). Love is conjunction; and
conjunction with the Lord is the church.

130. XI. CONJUGIAL LOVE IS ACCORDING TO THE STATE OF THE
CHUKCH, BECAUSE IT IS ACCORDING TO THE STATE OF WISDOM WITH

MAN. That conjugial love is according to the state of wisdom with
man, has been often said above, and will not often be repeated in
the following pages: here therefore it shall be illustrated what
wisdom is, and that it makes one with the church.

With man there are knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom:
knowledge (scientia) belong to Knowledges (cognitiones) , intelli-
gence belongs to reason, and wisdom belongs to life. Wisdom, con-
sidered in its fullness, belongs at the same time to Knowledges,
reason, and life ; Knowledges precede, reason is formed by means
of them, and wisdom by means of both ; as is the case when a man
lives rationally according to the Truths which are Knowledges.
Wisdom therefore belongs at the same time both to reason and to
life, and it becomes wisdom when it belongs to reason and, hence
to life ; but it is wisdom when it has become a matter of life and
hence of reason. The Most Ancient people in this world acknowl-
edged no other wisdom than the wisdom of life; this was the
wisdom of those who were formerly called SOPHI: but the Ancient
people, who succeeded the Most Ancient, acknowledged the wis-
dom of reason as wisdom; and these were called PHILOSOPHERS.
At the present day, however, many call even knowledge wisdom;
for the learned, the erudite, and the merely knowing, are called
wisej thus wisdom has fallen from its mountain top to its valley.
But it shall be briefly stated what wisdom is in its rise, in its
progress, and thence in its full state. The things which belong to

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130] CONJUGIAL LOVE

the church, and are called spiritual things, reside in the inmosts
with man; those which belong to the commonwealth, and are
called civil things, hold a place below these; and those which be-
long to science, experience, and art, and are called natural things,
constitute their resting place. The reason why the things which
belong to the church, and are called spiritual tilings, reside in the
inmosts with man, is, that they conjoin themselves with heaven,
and through heaven with the Lord ; for no other things enter with
man from the Lord through heaven. The reason why the things
which belong to the commonwealth, and are called civil things,
occupy a place underneath spiritual things, is, that they are con-
joined with the world, for they belong to the world; for they are
statutes, laws, and rules, which bind men together, so that from
them there may be formed a settled and well-organized society
and state. The reason why the things which belong to science, ex-
perience, and art, and are called natural things, constitute their
basis or resting place, is, that they are closely conjoined with the
five senses of the body; and these senses are the ultimates on
which the interior things which belong to the mind, and the in-
most things which belong to the soul, as it were sit or rest. Now,
since the things which belong to the church, and are called spirit-
ual things, reside in the inmosts, and the things which reside in
the inmosts constitute the head, .and the succeeding things beneath
them, which are called civil things, constitute the body, and the
ultimate things, which are called natural things, constitute the feet,
it is manifest, that when these three kinds of things follow in
their order, the man is a perfect man ; for they then flow in the
same manner as the things which belong to the head flow in into
the body, and through the body into the feet; thus spiritual things
flow in into civil things, and through civil things into natural
things. Now, since spiritual things are in the light of heaven, it is
evident that by their light they enlighten the things which follow
in order, and by their heat, which is love, animate them; and
when this is the case the man has wisdom. As wisdom belongs to
life, and hence to reason, as was said above, it may be asked,
What is wisdom of life? In a summary statement, it consists in
shunning evils, because they are injurious to the soul, injurious to
the commonwealth, and injurious to the body ; and in doing goods,
because they are profitable to the soul, to the commonwealth, and
to the body. This is the wisdom which is meant by the wisdom
with which conjugial love binds itself; for it binds itself therewith
by shunning the evil of adultery as the pestilence of the soul, of
the commonwealth, and of the body; and since this wisdom
springs from the spiritual things which belong to the church, it
follows, that conjugial love is according to the state of the church,
because it is according to the state of wisdom with man. By this
is also meant, what has been repeatedly stated above, that in pro-
portion as a man becomes spiritual, in the same proportion he is
in truly conjugial love; for a man becomes spiritual by means of
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MARRIAGE OF THE LORD AND THE CHURCH [131, 132

the spiritual things of the church. More about the wisdom with
which conjugial love conjoins itself, may be seen below, nos. 163-
165.

131. XII. AND SINCE THE CHURCH is FROM THE LORD, CON-
JUGIAL LOVE ALSO is FROM HIM. As this follows as a consequence
from what has been said above, I dispense with further confirma-
tion of it. Moreover, that truly conjugial love is from the Lord, all
the angels of heaven testify, and also that that love is according
to the state of wisdom, and that the state of wisdom is according
to the state of the church with them. That the angels of heaven
testify those things is evident from the Memorable Relations an-
nexed to the chapters, which are things that have been seen and
heard in the spiritual world.

132. To the above I shall add two Memorable Relations. The
first is this :

I was once speaking with two angels: one was from the eastern
heaven, and the other from the southern heaven; who when they
perceived that I was meditating on the arcana of wisdom relating
to conjugial love, said, "Dost thou know anything about the
SCHOOLS OF WISDOM in our worlds?"

I replied, "Not as yet."

And they said, "There are many; and those who love truths
from spiritual affection, or because they are truths, and because
they are the means of attaining wisdom, meet together on a given
signal, and discuss and draw conclusions about such things as are
matters of deeper understanding."

They then took me by the hand, saying, "Follow us: and thou
shalt see and hear: to-day the signal for meeting is given."

I was led across a plain to a hill; and lo! at the foot of the
hill was an avenue of palm trees continued even to its head; this
avenue we entered, and ascended: on the head or top of the hill
was seen a grove, the trees of which on an elevated piece of
ground, formed as it were a lecture hall, within which was a level
space paved with variously coloured stones; around it in a square
form were placed seats, on which the lovers of wisdom were
seated; and in the middle of the hall was a table on which was
laid a sealed paper.

Those who sat on the seats invited us to sit down where there
was room: and I replied, "I was led here by the two angels to see
and hear, and not to sit down."

The two angels then went into the middle of the level space to
the table, and broke the seal of the paper, and read, in the pres-
ence of those who were seated, the arcana of wisdom written on
the paper, which they were now to discuss and unfold. They had
been written by angels of the third heaven, and let down upon the
table. There were three arcana, FIRST, What is the image of
God, and what the likeness of God, into which man was created?

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132] CONJUGIAL LOVE

SECOND, Why is man not born into the knowledge of any love,
when yet beasts and birds, both noble and ignoble, are born into
the knowledges of all their loves? THIRD, What is signified by the
tree of life, and what by the tree of the knowledge of good and
evil, and what by eating of them? Under these was written, "Col-
lect these three into one sentence, write it on a fresh sheet of
paper, and place it on this table, and we shall see it: if the opin-
ion on being weighed appear fairly balanced and just, a prize of
wisdom shall be given to each of you." Having read out these two
things, the two angels withdrew, and were taken up into their own
heavens.

Then those who sat on the seats began to discuss and unfold
the arcana proposed to them; and they spoke in order, first those
who sat towards the north, next those towards the west, afterwards
those towards the south, and lastly those towards the east. They
took up the first subject of discussion, which was, WHAT is THE

IMAGE OF GOD, AND WHAT THE LIKENESS OF GOD, INTO WHICH MAN

WAS CREATED? But first, the following words from the Book of
Creation were read out in the presence of them all : "God said, Let
us make man into OUR IMAGE, according to OUR LIKENESS ; and God
created man into His IMAGE; into the IMAGE OF GOD created He
him" (Gen. 1. 26, 27). "In the day that God created man, into
the LIKENESS OF GOD made He him" (Gen. v. 1).

Those who sat towards the north spoke first, saying, "The
image of God, and the likeness of God are the two lives breathed
into man by God, which are the life of the will and the life of
the understanding; for it is written, 'Jehovah God breathed into
Adam's nostrils -the soul of LIVES; and man became a living soul 9
((Jen. ii. 7) : into the nostrils denotes into the perception, that the
will of good and the understanding of truth, and thus the soul of
lives, was in him ; and since life from God was breathed into him,
the image and likeness of God signify integrity from wisdom and
love, and from justice and judgment in him."

These sentiments were favoured by those who sat towards the
west; only they added, that the state of integrity breathed in by
God is continually breathed into every man since the first man;
but that it is in man as in a receptacle; and man, as he is a re-
ceptacle, is an image and likeness of God.

After this, the third in order, who were those that were seated
towards the south, said: "The image of God and the likeness of
God are two distinct things; but in man they are united from
creation; and we see, as from an interior light, that the image of
God may be destroyed by man, but not the likeness of God. This
appears as through a lattice from the fact that Adam retained the
likeness of God after he had lost the image of God; for it is writ-
ten after the curse, 'Behold the man is as one of us, knowing good
and evil 9 (Gen. iii. 22) ; and afterwards he is called a likeness of
God, and not an image of God (Gen. v. 1). But we will leave to
our associates who sit towards the east, and are consequently in a
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MARRIAGE OF THE LORD AND THE CHURCH [133

higher light, to say what is properly meant by the image of God,
and what by the likeness of God."

And then, after silence had been obtained, those who sat to-
wards the east arose up from their seats, and looked to the Lord,
and afterwards sat down again, and said: "The image of God is
the receptacle of God; and since God is love itself and wisdom it-
self, the image of God is the receptacle of love and wisdom from
God in man; but the likeness of God is the perfect likeness and
full appearance, as if love and wisdom were in man, and therefore
altogether as his own; for man feels no otherwise than that he
loves from himself, and is wise from himself, or that he wills good
and understands truth from himself; when nevertheless he does
not in the least do so from himself, but from God. God alone
loves from Himself and is wise from Himself, because God is love
itself and wisdom itself. The likeness or appearance that love and
wisdom, or good and truth, are in man as his own, causes man to
be man, and makes him capable of being conjoined with God, and
thereby of living to eternity: from which consideration it follows,
that man is man from this circumstance, that he is able to will
good and understand truth altogether as from himself, and yet
know and believe that it is from God; for as he knows and be-
lieves this, God places His image in him, which He could not do
if the man believed that he did thus from himself and not from
God."

When they had said this, being overpowered with zeal from
the love of Truth, they spoke as follows: "How can man receive
anything of love and wisdom, and retain it, and reproduce it, un-
less he feel it as his own? And how can there be conjunction with
God through love and wisdom, unless there be given to man some
reciprocality of conjunction? For without reciprocality no con-
junction is possible; and the reciprocality of conjunction is, that
man should love God, and be wise in the things which are of God,
as from himself, .and yet believe that it is from God. Again, how
can man live to eternity, unless he be conjoined with the eternal
God? Consequently, how can man be man without that likeness of
God in him?

These words met with the approbation of all, and they said,
Let the following conclusion be made from what has been said,
"Man is a receptacle of God, and a receptacle of God is an image
of God; and since God is love itself and wisdom itself, man is a
receptacle of love and wisdom; and a receptacle becomes an
image of God in proportion to reception. And man is a likeness
of God from this, that he feels in himself that the things which
are of God are in him as his own; but still from that likeness he
is only so far an image of God as he acknowledges that love and
wisdom, or good and truth, are not his own in him, and thus are
not from him, but that they are only in God, and thus from God."

133. After this, they took up the second subject of discussion,

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134] CONJUGIAL LOVE

WHY rs NOT MAN BORN INTO THE KNOWLEDGE OF ANY LOVE, WHEN

YET BEASTS AND BIRDS, BOTH NOBLE AND IGNOBLE, ARE BORN INTO

THE KNOWLEDGES OF ALL THEIR LOVES? They first confirmed the
truth of the proposition by various considerations; as in regard
to man, that he is born into no knowledge, not even into the
knowledge of conjugial love; and they inquired, and were in-
formed by those who had investigated the subject, that an infant
from connate knowledge cannot even move itself to the mother's
breast, but has to be moved thereto by the mother or nurse ; and
that it knows only how to suck, and that it has acquired this in
consequence of continual suction in the womb; and that after-
wards it does not know how to walk, or to articulate sound into
any human voice ; no, nor even to express by tone the eff ection of
its love, as the beasts do ; and further, that it does not know what
is salutary for it in the way of food, as all beasts do, but catches
at whatever comes in its way, whether it be clean or unclean, and
puts it into its mouth. Those who had investigated the matter said,
that man without instruction does not even know the distinction of
sex, and knows absoluely nothing of the ways of loving it; and
that neither maidens nor young men have any knowledge thereof
without instruction from others, notwithstanding their being edu-
cated into various sciences. In a word, man is born corporeal like
a worm ; and he remains corporeal, unless he learns to know, un-
derstand, and be wise, from others. After this, they gave proof
that beasts, both noble and ignoble, as the animals of the earth,
the birds of the heaven, reptiles, fishes, the small creatures called
insects, are born into all the knowledges of the loves of their life,
as into the knowledge of all things relating to nourishment, to
habitation, to sexual love and prolification, .and to the rearing of
their young. This they confirmed by wonderful things which re-
called to remembrance from things seen, heard, and read, in the
natural world, (so they called our world in which they had form-
erly lived) , in which there exist not representative but real beasts.
When the truth of the proposition was thus fully proved, they
exerted their minds to investigate and find out the ends and causes
by which they might unfold and disclose this arcanum; and they
said, that only from the Divine wisdom could these things exist,
to the end that a man may be a man, and a beast a beast; and
thus, that the imperfection of man at his birth becomes his per-
fection, and the perfection of a beast at its birth is its imperfec-
tion.

134. Those on the NORTH then began to declare their mind,
and said, "A man is born without knowledges, in order that he
may receive all knowledges; whereas if he were born into knowl-
edges, he could not receive any but those into which he was born,
and in this case neither could he appropriate .any to himself."
This they illustrated by the following comparison: "A man when
first born is like ground in which no seeds are implanted, but
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MARRIAGE OF THE LORD AND THE CHURCH [134

which nevertheless is capable of receiving all seeds, and of bring-
ing them forth and fructifying them; whereas a beast is like
ground already sown, and filled with grasses and herbs, which
receives no other seeds than those which have been sown in it, or
if it received any others it would choke them. Hence it is, that a
man requires many years to grow to maturity ; during which time
he can be cultivated like ground, and bring forth as it were grain,
flowers, and trees of every kind ; whereas a beast arrives at matur-
ity in a few years, during which it cannot be cultivated into any
other faculties than those which are connate with it."

Afterwards, those on the WEST spoke, and said, "Man is not
born knowledge, as a beast is ; but he is born faculty and inclina-
tion; faculty to know, and inclination to love; and he is born
faculty not only to know but also to understand, and be wise: he
is likewise born the most perfect inclination to love not only the
things which are self and the world, but also those which are of
God and heaven ; consequently man, by birth from his parents, is
an organ which lives merely in the external senses, and at first not
in any internal senses, to the end that he may successively become
man, first natural, afterwards rational, and lastly spiritual ; which
could not be the case if he was born into knowledges and loves, as
the beasts are: for connate knowledges and affections limit that
progression, but connate faculty .and inclination limit nothing;
wherefore man is capable of being perfected in knowledge, intelli-
gence, and wisdom, to eternity.'

Those on the SOUTH next took up the discussion, and expressed
their opinion, saying, "It is impossible for a man to take any
knowledge from himself, since he has no connate knowledge ; but
he may take it from others; and as he cannot take any knowledge
from himself, so neither can he take any love, for where there is
no knowledge there is no love; knowledge and love are insepar-
able companions, and no more capable of separation than the will
and understanding, or affection and thought, yea, no more than
essence and form: wherefore, as a man takes knowledge from
others, so love adjoins itself thereto as its companion. The uni-
versal love which adjoins itself is the love of knowing, under-
standing, and being wise ; this love belongs to man alone, and not
to any beast, and it flows in from God. We agree with our com-
panions from the west, that a man is not born into any love, and
consequently not into any knowledge; but that he is only born
into an inclination to love, and thence into a faculty to receive
knowledges, not from himself, but from others, that is, through
others : we say, through others, because neither have these received
anything of knowledge from themselves, but from God. We agree
also with our companions to the north, that a man when first born
is like ground in which no seeds are sown, but in which .all seeds,
both noble and ignoble, can be sown. To these considerations we
add, that beasts are born into natural loves, and consequently into
knowledges corresponding to them; and that yet they do not at all

123

135] CONJUGIAL LOVE

know, think, understand, and possess wisdom from knowledges,
but are led by means of them by their loves, almost as blind men
are led through the streets by dogs, for as to understanding they
are blind; or rather like sleep-walkers, who do what they do from
blind knowledge, while the understanding is asleep."

Lastly, those on the EAST spoke, and said, "We agree with what
our brethren have said, that man knows nothing from himself, but
from others and through others, to the end that he may know and
acknowledge that everything which he knows and understands, and
as to which he is wise, is from God ; and that a man cannot other-
wise be conceived, born, and generated of the Lord, and become
an image and likeness of Him. For he becomes an image of the
Lord by acknowledging and believing that he has received and
does receive from the Lord, all >the good of love and charity, and
all the truth of wisdom and faith, and not the least portion thereof
from himself; and he becomes a likeness of the Lord by his feel-
ing those things in himself, as from himself. This he feels, because
he is not born into knowledges, but receives them; and what he
receives, appears to him as if it were from himself. To feel thus
is also given to man by the Lord, to the end that he may be a man
and not a beast, since by willing, thinking, loving, knowing, un-
derstanding, and being wise, as from himself, he receives knowl-
edges, and exalts them into intelligence, and, through the uses .of
them, into wisdom. Thus the Lord conjoins man with Himself,
and a man conjoins himself with the Lord. This could not have
been the case, unless it had been provided by the Lord, that man
should be born in total ignorance."

When they had said this, it was- the desire of all present, that
a conclusion should be formed from what had been discussed;
and the following was made: "That a man is born into no knowl-
edge, in order that he may come into all knowledge, and advance
into intelligence, and through this into wisdom; and that he is
born into no love, in order that he may come into all love, by
applications of the knowledges from intelligence, and into love to
the Lord through love towards the neighbor, and may thereby be
conjoined with the Lord, and. thereby become a man and live to
eternity."

1 35. After this they took the paper, and read the third subject
of discussion, which was, WHAT is SIGNIFIED BY THE TREE OF LIFE,

WHAT BY THE TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL, AND

WHAT BY EATING THEREOF? and all requested that those who were
from the east would unfold this arcanum, because it was a matter
of a deeper understanding; and because those who are from the
east are in flaming light, that is, in the wisdom of love; and this
wisdom is meant by the garden of Eden, in which those two trees
were placed.

They replied, "We will state the matter; but, as man does not
take anything from himself but from the Lord, therefore we will
124

MARRIAGE OF THE LORD AND THE CHURCH [136

state it from Him; but yet from ourselves as of ourselves." And
then they said, "A tree signifies a man, and the fruit thereof the
good of life; hence by the tree of life is signified a man living
from God, or God living in man; and since love and wisdom, and
charity and faith, or good and truth, constitute the life of God in
man, therefore these are signified by the tree of life, and hence
man has eternal life: the like is signified by the tree of life, of
which it will be given to eat (Apoc. ii. 7; chap. xxii. 2, 14). By
the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is signified a man who
believes that he lives from himself and not from God; thus that
in man love and wisdom, charity and faith, that is, good and
truth, are his own and not God's ; believing this, because he thinks
and wills, and speaks and acts, to all likeness and appearance as
from himself: and as a man from this faith persuades himself,
that God has imparted Himself, or infused His Divine into him,
therefore the serpent said, 'God doth know, in the day that ye eat
of the fruit of that tree your eyes will be opened, and ye shall be
as God, knowing good and evil 9 (Gen. iii. 5). By eating of those
trees is signified reception and appropriation; by eating of the
tree of life, the reception of eternal life, and by eating of the tree
of the knowledge of good and evil, the reception of damnation;
therefore also both Adam and his wife, together with the serpent,
were cursed. By the serpent is meant the devil as to the love of
.self and the conceit, of self -intelligence. This love is the possessor
of that tree; and the men who are in conceit from that love, are
those trees. They, therefore, are in enormous error who believe
that Adam was wise and did good from himself, and that this was
his state of integrity; when yet Adam himself was cursed on ac-
count of that belief; for this is signified by eating of the tree of
the knowledge of good and evil ; wherefore he then fell from the
state of integrity in which he had been in consequence of believ-
ing that he was wise and did good from God, and not at all from
himself; for this is meant by eating of the tree of life. The Lord
alone, when He was in the world, was wise from Himself and did
good from Himself; because the Divine Itself from birth was in
Him and was His own; wherefore also from His own proper
power He became the Redeemer and Saviour."

From all these considerations they came to this conclusion,
"That by the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil, and by eating thereof, is signified that life for man i&-
God in him, and that then he has heaven and eternal life ; but that
death for man is the persuasion and belief that life for him is not
God but himself; whence he has hell and eternal death, which is

damnation."

'

136. After this they looked at the paper left by the angels
upon the table, and saw written underneath, COLLECT THESE
THREE INTO ONE SENTENCE. Then they collected them, and
saw that those three cohered in one series, and that the series or

125

137] CONJVGIAL LOVE

sentence was this, '"That man was created to receive love and wis-
dom from God, and yet to all likeness as from himself; and this
for the sake of reception and conjunction: and that therefore a
man is not born into any love, or into any knowledge, and also
not into any power of loving and becoming wise from himself;
wherefore if he ascribes all the good of love and truth of wisdom
to God, he becomes a living man ; but if he ascribes them to him-
self, he becomes a dead man."

These words they wrote on a fresh piece of paper, and placed
it on the table: and lo! on a sudden the angels were present in
bright light, and carried the paper away into heaven.

And after it had been read there, those who sat on the seats
heard from thence voices saying: "Well, well, well;" and in-
stantly there appeared one angel as it were flying from heaven,
with two wings about his feet, and two about his temples, having
in his hand prizes, consisting of robes, caps, and wreaths of
laurel; and he let himself down, and gave to those who sat to-
wards the north robes of an opaline colour, to those who sat
towards the west robes of a scarlet colour; to those who sat to-
wards the south caps whose borders were adorned with fillets of
gold and pearls, and the upper part of the left side with diamonds
cut in the form of flowers; but to those who sat towards the east
he gave wreaths of laurel in which there were rubies and
sapphires. Then all of them, adorned with these prizes, went home
from the school of wisdom ; and when they showed themselves to
their wives, their wives came to meet them, being adorned also
with the ornaments given to them from heaven, at which circum-
stance their husbands wondered.

137. The second Memorable Relation:

When I was meditating on conjugial love, lo! there appeared
at a distance two naked little children with baskets in their hands,
and turtle doves flying around them, and when they were nearer,
they seemed as if they were naked, and becomingly adorned with
garlands ; chaplets of flowers adorned their heads, and festoons of
lilies and roses of a hyacinthine colour, hanging obliquely from
the shoulders to the loins, adorned their bosoms; and round about
both of them there was as it were a comman band woven of small
leaves interspersed with olives. But when they came nearer, they
did not appear as little children, nor naked, but as two human
beings in the first flower of age, wearing robes and vests of shin-
ing silk, in which there were woven flowers most beautiful to be-
hold; and when they were near me, there breathed forth from
heaven through them a vernal heat, with a fragrant odour, like
that which arises from the earliest spring flowers in gardens and
fields. They were two married partners from heaven. They then
accosted me; and because I was thinking about what I had just
seen, they inquired, "What didst thou see?"

And when I told them that at first they appeared to me as

126

MARRIAGE OF THE LORD AND THE CHURCH [137

naked little children, afterwards as little children adorned with
garlands, and lastly as grown-up persons arrayed in garments in-
terwoven with flowers, and that instantly there breathed on me a
vernal influence with its delights, they smiled pleasantly, and
said, "In the way we did not seem to ourselves as little children,
nor naked, nor adorned with garlands, but constantly in the same
appearance as now: thus at a distance was represented our con-
jugial love; its state of innocence by our appearing like naked
little children, its delights by the garlands, and the same delights
now by the flowers woven in our robes and vests; and as thou
saidst that, as we approached, a vernal heat, with its pleasant
fragrance as from a garden, breathed on thee, we will explain the
reason of all this."

So they said, "We have now been married partners for ages,
and constantly in the flower of age in which thou now seest us.
Our first state was like the first state of a virgin and a bachelor,
when they become consociated in marriage ; and we then believed,
that this state was the very blessedness of our life; but we were
informed by others in our heaven, and have since perceived our-
selves, that it was a state of heat not tempered with light; and
that it is successively tempered in proportion as the husband is
perfected in wisdom, and the wife loves that wisdom in the hus-
band; and that this is effected by means of, and according to, the
uses which both, by mutual aid, perform in the society; also that
delights succeed according to the due proportion of heat and
light, or of wisdom and its love The reason why, when we ap-
proached, there breathed on thee as it were a vernal heat, is, that
conjugial love and that heat act as one in our heaven; for heat
with us is love, and the light, with which the heat is united, is
wisdom ; and use is as it were the atmosphere which contains both
in its bosom. What are heat and light without that which contains
them? And so" what are love and wisdom without their use?
There is no conjugial principle in them, because the subject in
which they might be does not exist. In heaven, where there is
vernal heat, there is truly conjugial love; because the vernal heat
exists only where heat is equally united with light, or where heat
and light are in equal proportion; and it is our opinion, that as
heat is delighted with light, and light in return with heat, so love
is delighted with wisdom, and wisdom, in return, with love."

He further said, "With us in heaven there is perpetual light,
and never the shades of evening, still less is there darkness, be-
cause our sun does not set and rise like yours, but remains con-
stantly in a middle altitude between the zenith and the horizon,
which, as you express it, is at an elevation of 45 degrees. Hence
it is, that the heat and light proceeding from our sun cause per-
petual spring, and that a perpetual vernal influence breathes into
those with whom love is united with wisdom in equal proportion ;
and our Lord, through the eternal union of heat and light, breathes
forth nothing but uses. Hence also come the germinations of your

127

137] CONJUGIAL LOVE

Earth, and the pairing of your birds and animals in time of
spring; for the vernal heat opens their interiors even to the in-
mosts, which are called their souls, and affects them, and imparts
to them its conjugial principal, and causes their (principle of)
prolification to come into its delights, in consequence of a con-
tinual endeavor to produce fruits of use, which use is the propa-
gation of their kind. But with men there is a perpetual influx of
vernal heat from the Lord; wherefore they are capable of enjoy-
ing marriage delights at all times, even in the midst of winter;
for men (viri) were created receptions of light, that is, of wisdom
from the Lord, and women were created receptions of heat, that
is, of the love of the wisdom of the man (vir) from the Lord.
Hence then it is, that, as we approached, there breathed on thee a
vernal heat with a sweet fragrance, like that from the earliest
spring flowers in gardens and fields."

As he said this, the man (vir) gave me his right hand, and
conducted me to houses where there were married partners in a
like flower of age as himself and his partner; and he said, "These
wives, who now seem like virgins, were in the world infirm old
women; and their husbands, who now seem like youths, were in
the natural world decrepit old men; and all of them have been
restored by the Lord to this flower of age, because they mutually
loved each other, and from religion shunned scortations as enor-
mous sins:" and he said, "No one knows the blessed delights of
conjugial love, except he who rejects the horrid delights of scorta-
tion ; and no one is able to reject these delights, except he who is
wise from the Lord; and no one is wise from the Lord unless he
does uses from the love of uses."

I also saw on this occasion their household utensils, which
were all in celestial forms, and glittered with gold, which had a
flaming appearance by reason of the rubies with which they were
studded.

128

THE CHASTE AND THE NON-CHASTE

138. As I am, as yet, only just beginning to treat of conjugial
love in detail, and as conjugial love cannot be cognized in detail,
except indistinctly, and thus obscurely, unless its opposite, which
is the unchaste, also in some manner appear ; and as this unchaste
appears in some measure, or in shade, when the chaste is described
together with the non-chaste, non-chastity being only the removal
of what is unchaste from what is chaste; (therefore I will now
proceed to treat of the chaste and the non-chaste). But the un-
chaste which is altogether opposite to the chaste, is treated of
in the latter part of this Work, where it is described in its full-
ness, and with its varieties, under the title "The Pleasures of
Insanity relating to Scortatory Love." But what the chaste is, and
what the non-chaste, and with what persons each of these exists,
shall be illustrated in the following order:

I. The chaste and the non-chaste are predicated only of mar-
riages, and of such things as belong to marriage.

II. The chaste is predicated only of monogamous marriages,
or of the marriage of one man with one wife.

III. The Christian conjugial (principle) alone is chaste.
X-. Truly conjugial love is chastity itself.

, AIL ^, delights of truly conjugal . love, ,&Hft, the ultimate

VI. With those who are made spiritual by the Lord, conjugal
love is more and more purified and made chaste.

VII. The chastity of marriage comes into existence by means
of a total renunciation of scortations on account of religion.

VIII. Chastity cannot be predicated of little children, nor of
boys and girls, nor of youths and maidens before they feel in
themselves sexual love.

IX. Chastity cannot be predicated of eunuchs so born, nor of
eunuchs so made.

X. Chastity cannot be predicated of those who do not believe
scortations to be evils of religion; and still less of those who do
not believe scortatory love to be hurtful to society.

XL Chastity cannot be predicated of those who abstain from
scortations only for various external reasons.

XII. Chastity cannot be predicated o,f those who believe, mar-
riages to be unchaste.

XIII. Chastity cannot be predicated of those who have re-
nounced marriages by vowing perpetual celibacy, unless there
be and remain in them the love of a truly conjugial life.

XIV. The state of marriage is to be preferred to the state of
celibacy.

129

139, 140] CONJUGIAL LOVE

Now follows an explanation of these articles.

139. I. THE CHASTE AND THE NON-CHASTE ARE PREDICATED
(ONLY) OF MARRIAGES, AND OF SUCH THINGS AS BELONG TO MAR-
RIAGE. The reason is, that truly conjugial love is chastity itself,
as now follows, and the love opposite to it, which is called scor-
tatory, is unchastity itself; so far therefore as any one is purified
from the latter love, so far he is chaste, for so far the opposite,
which is destructive of chastity, is taken away; whence it is
evident that the purity of conjugial love is what is called chastity.
There exists, however, a conjugial love which is not chaste, and
yet it is not unchastity, as, for example, that between married
partners who for various external reasons, abstain from the
effects of lasciviousness so far as not to think about them; yet if
that love is not purified in their spirits, it is still not chaste; its
form is chaste, but it has not a chaste essence in it.

140. The reason why the chaste and the non-chaste are predi-
cated of such things as belong to marriage, is, that the conjugial
principle is inscribed on both sexes from the inmosts to the
ultimates; and a man as to his thoughts and affections, and con-
sequently inwardly as to his bodily actions and behavior, is
according thereto. That this is the case appears more evidently
from such as are unchaste. The unchaste element that is seated in
their minds is heard from the tone of their voice in conversation,
and from their applying whatever is said, even though it be
chaste, to wanton things; (the tone of the voice is from the affec-
tion of the will, and the voice or speech itself is from the thought
of the understanding;) which is a proof that the will, with every-
thing belonging to it, and the understanding, with everything
belonging to it, consequently the whole mind, and hence every-
thing of the body, from the inmosts to the ultimates, abound with
unchaste elements. I have heard from the angels that, with the
greatest hypocrites, the unchaste is perceivable from hearing their
conversation, however chastely they may talk, and is also felt
from the sphere that issues from them; which circumstance also
is a proof that unchastity resides in the inmosts of their minds,
and hence in the inmosts of their bodies, and that these inmosts
are exteriorly covered over like a shell painted with figures of
various colours. That a sphere of lasciviousness issues forth from
those who are unchaste, is evident from the statutes among the
sons of Israel, that everything should be unclean that was merely
touched with the hand of those who were defiled by such im-
purities. From these considerations it may be concluded that the
case is similar with those who are chaste, namely, that with them
each and all things are chaste from the inmosts to the ultimates,
and that this is effected by the chastity of conjugial love. Hence
it is, that in the natural world it is said that to the clean all things
, and to the unclean all things are unclean.

130

THE CHASTE AND THE NON-CHASTE [141443

141. II. THE CHASTE is PREDICATED ONLY OF MONOGAMOUS

MARRIAGES, OR OF THE MARRIAGE OF ONE MAN WITH ONE WIFE.

The reason why what is chaste is predicated of these only is, that
with them conjugial love does not reside in the natural man,
but enters into the spiritual man, and successively opens to itself
a way to the spiritual marriage itself, which is the marriage of
good and truth, which is its origin, and conjoins itself therewith;
for that love enters according to the increase of wisdom, and this
increase is according to the implantation of the church by the
Lord, .as has been shown above in many places. This cannot be
effected with polygamists, for they divide conjugial love, and this
love, when divided, is not unlike sexual love, which in itself is
natural. But on this subject something worthy of attention will
be seen in the section on "Polygamy".

142. HI. THE CHRISTIAN CONJUGIAL (PRINCIPLE) ALONE is
CHASTE. The reasons are, that truly conjugial love keeps pace
with the state of the church in man, and, that the state of the
church is from the Lord, as has been shown in the foregoing
section (nos. 130, 131), and elsewhere; also, that the church in
its genuine truths is in the Word, and the Lord is present there
in those truths. From these considerations it follows, that the
chaste conjugial principle exists nowhere but in the Christian
world, and that, if it does not exist, still there is a possibility of
its existing. B^the Christian conjugial principle is meant the
,marriage of one wan with.ojoeLwJfe. This conjugial principle can
become implanted in Christians, and transmitted hereditarily into
the offspring from parents who are in truly conjugial love, and
that, from it, both the faculty and inclination to become wise in
the things which belong to the church and heaven may become
connate, will be seen in its proper place. That Christians, if they
marry more wives than one, commit not only natural scortation,
but also spiritual scortation, will be shown in the section on
"Polygamy".

143. IV. TRULY CONJUGIAL LOVE is CHASTITY ITSELF. The
reasons are, 1. That it is from the Lord, and corresponds to the
marriage of the Lord and the church. 2. That it descends from
the marriage of good and truth. 3. That it is spiritual, in pro-
portion as the church is with man. 4. That it is the fundamental
love, and the head of all celestial and spiritual loves. 5. That it
is the legitimate seminary of the human race, and thence of the
angelic heaven. 6. That on this account it also exists with the
angels of heaven, and from it with them there are born spiritual
offspring, which are love and wisdom. 7. And that thus its use is
more excellent than the other uses of creation. From these con-
siderations it follows, that truly conjugial love, considered from
its origin and in its essence, is so pure and holy, that it may be
called purity and holiness, consequently chastity itself; but that

131

144, 145] CONJUGIAL LOVE

nevertheless it is not altogether pure, either with man or angels,
may be seen below in article VL, No. 146.

144. V. ALL THE DELIGHTS OF TRULY CONJUGIAL LOVE, EVEN
THE ULTIMATE ONES, ARE CHASTE. This follows from what was
explained above, that truly conjugial love is chastity itself; more-
over, delights constitute the life of that love. That the delights of
this love ascend and enter heaven, and in the way pass through
the delights of the heavenly loves in which the angels of heaven
are; as also that they conjoin themselves with the delights of the
conjugial love of the angels, has been mentioned above. Moreover,
I have heard from the angels, that they perceive those delights
with themselves to be exalted and fulfilled, when they ascend from
chaste married partners in the natural world; and for the sake
of some bystanders who were unchaste, on the question being put
whether (this is the case as to) the ultimate delights also, they
signified assent by nodding, and said silently, "How should it be
otherwise? Are not these the delights of truly conjugial love in
their fullness?" The origin and quality of the delights of this
love, may be seen above, no. 69; and also in the Memorable
Relations, especially in those which follow.

145. WITH THOSE WHO ARE MADE SPIRITUAL BY THE LORD
CONJUGIAL LOVE IS MORE AND MORE PURIFIED AND MADE CHASTE.
The reasons are, 1. That the first love, by which i& meant the love
previous to the wedding, and immediately after the wedding, par-
takes somewhat of sexual love, and thus of the ardour belonging
to the body not as yet moderated by the love of the spirit. 2. That
man from natural successively becomes spiritual ; for he becomes
spiritual in the proportion in which his Rational, which is the
medium between heaven and the natural world, begins to derive
a soul from the influx out of heaven, which is the case in the
proportion in which it is affected and gladdened by wisdom (con-
cerning which wisdom see above, no. 130) ; and in proportion as
this is done, in the same proportion his mind is elevated into a
higher aura, which is the continent of the heavenly light and
heat, or, what is the same, of the wisdom and love, in which the
angels are; for heavenly light acts in unity with wisdom, and
heavenly heat with love; and in proportion as wisdom and the
love of it increase with married pairs, in the same proportion the
conjugial love with them is purified; and as this is effected suc-
cessively, it follows that conjugial love is made more and more
chaste. This spiritual purification may be compared with the
purification of natural spirits, which is effected by the chemists,
and is called defecation, rectification, castigation, cohabitation, in-
tensification, decantation, and sublimation: and wisdom purified
may be compared with alcohol, which is spirit most highly
rectified. 3. Now, as spiritual wisdom in itself is such that it
grows warmer with the love of becoming wise, and by virtue of

132

THE CHASTE AND. THE NON-CHASTE [146, 147

this love grows to eternity; and as this is effected in proportion
as it is perfected, as it were by defecations, castigations, rectifica-
tions, intensifications, decantations, and sublimations, and as these
latter processes are effected by the freeing and withdrawing of the
understanding from the fallacies of the senses, and of the will
from the allurements of the body, it is evident that conjugial love,
whose parent is wisdom, is in like manner made successively more
and more pure, and thus chaste. That the first state of love
between married partners is a state of heat not yet tempered by
light, but that it is successively tempered in proportion as the
^ husband is perfected in wisdom, and the wife loves the wisdom
in her husband, may be seen in the Memorable Relation, no. 137.

146. It should, however be known, that altogether chaste or
pure conjugial love does not exist either with men or with angels;
there is still something not chaste or not pure which adjoins or
subjoins itself to it; but this is of a different nature from that
which gives rise to what is unchaste: for with them the chaste is
above and the non-chaste beneath, and there is as it were a door
with a hinge interposed by the Lord, which is opened by deter-
mination, and is carefully prevented from standing open, lest the
one principle should pass into the other, and they should mix
together. For the natural of man from birth is contaminated
and surcharged with evils ; whereas his spiritual is not so, because

.its birth is from the Lord, for this is regeneration: and regenera-
tion is a successive separation from the evils which are ingrained
in the inclinations from birth. That no love with either men or
angels is altogether pure, or can become so, but that the end,
purpose, or intention of the will, is primarily regarded by the
Lord, and that thereby so far as a man is in the end, purpose, or
intention, and perseveres therein, so far he is initiated into purity,
and so far he progressively approaches towards purity, see above
at no. 71.

147. VI. THE CHASTITY OF MARRIAGE COMES INTO EXISTENCE

BY MEANS OF A TOTAL RENUNCIATION OF SCORTATIONS ON ACCOUNT

OF RELIGION. The reason is, that chastity is the removal of un-
chastity; for it is a universal rule that in proportion as any one
removes evil, so far an opportunity is given for good to succeed
in its place; and further, in proportion as evil is hated, good is
loved; and also contrariwise; consequently, in proportion as scor-
tatory love is renounced, the chastity of marriage enters in. That
conjugial love is purified and rectified according to the renuncia-
tion of scortations, every one sees from common perception as
soon as it is stated and heard, thus before confirmations; but as
all have not common perception, it is of importance that the sub-
ject should also be illustrated by means of confirmations. These
confirmations are, that conjugial love becomes cold as soon as it
is divided, and this coldness causes it to perish; for the heat of

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148] CONJUGIAL LOVE

unchaste love extinguishes it; for two opposite heats cannot exist
together, for one must needs reject the other and deprive it of its
power. When therefore the heat of conjugial love removes and
cases away the heat of scortatory love, conjugial love begins to
grow pleasantly warm, and from a sense of its delights to bud
and flourish, like an orchard and rose-garden in spring time; the
latter from the vernal temperateness of the light and heat from
the sun of the natural world, but the former from the vernal
temperateness of the light and heat from the sun of the spiritual
world.

148. There is implanted in every man from creation, and con-
sequently from birth, an internal conjugial, and an external con-
jugial (principle). The internal is spiritual, and the external
natural. Man comes first into the latter, and as he becomes spir-
itual, he comes into the former. If, therefore, he remains in the
external or natural conjugial, the internal or spiritual conjugial is
veiled or covered over until he knows nothing about it, yea, until
he calls it an empty idea. But if a man becomes spiritual, he then
begins to know something about it, and afterwards to perceive
something of its quality, and successively to feel its pleasant-
nesses, delights, and deliciousnesses ; and in proportion as this is
the case, the veil or covering between the external and internal,
spoken of above, begins to be attenuated, and afterwards as it
were to melt, and lastly to be dissolved and dissipated. When this,
effect has taken place, the external conjugial remains; but it is
continually purged and purified from its dregs by the internal;
and this until the external becomes as it were the face of the
internal, and derives its delight from the blessedness which is in
the internal, and at the same time its life, and the delights of its
potency. Such is the renunciation of scortations, by means of
which the chastity of marriage comes into existence. It may be
imagined, that the external conjugial, which remains after the
internal has separated itself from it, or it from itself, is like the
external not separated: but I have heard from the angels that
they are utterly unlike; for that the external from the internal,
which they called the external of the internal, was devoid of all
lasciviousness, because the internal cannot be lascivious, but can
only be chastely delighted, and that it imparts the same disposi-
tion to its external, wherein it feels its own delights. The case is
altogether otherwise with the external separated from the internal ;
this, they said, was lascivious in the whole and in every part. They
compared the external conjugial from the internal to excellent
fruit, whose pleasant taste and flavour insinuate themselves into
its rind or skin, and form this into correspondence with them-
selves. They also compared the external conjugial from the in-
ternal to a granary, whose store is never diminished, but is
constantly being renewed in proportion as it is drawn upon ; and
they compared the external, separate from the internal, to wheat
134

THE CHASTE AND THE N ON -CHASTE [149-152

in a winnowing shovel, for when it is cast forth all around, the
chaff only remains, which is dispersed by the wind. Thus it is
with conjugial love, unless the scortatory principle be renounced.

149. The reason why the chastity of marriage does not come
into existence through the renunciation of scortations, unless this
renunciation be made on account of religion, is, that without
religion man does not become spiritual, but remains natural, and
if the natural man renounces scortations, still his spirit does not
renounce them ; and thus, although it seems to himself that he is
chaste through that renunciation, still unchastity lies hidden with-
in like corrupt matter in a wound which is only outwardly healed.
That conjugial love is according to the state of the church with
man, see above, no. 130. More on this subject may be seen in the
exposition of article XL, below.

150. VIII. CHASTITY CANNOT BE PREDICATED OF LITTLE

CHILDREN, NOR OF BOYS AND GIRLS, NOR OF YOUTHS AND MAIDENS
BEFORE THEY FEEL IN THEMSELVES SEXUAL LOVE. The reason is

that the chaste and the unchaste are predicated only of marriages,
and of such things as belong to marriage (see above, no. 139) ;
and with those who know nothing of the things belonging to
marriage, there is no predication of chastity, for it is as nothing
with them, and of nothing there can be no affection of thought;
but after that nothing there arises something, when the first of
marriage is felt, which is sexual love. That maidens and youths,
before they feel in themselves sexual love, are commonly called
chaste, is owing to ignorance of what chastity is.

151. IX. CHASTITY CANNOT BE PREDICATED OF EUNUCHS so
BORN, NOR OF EUNUCHS SO MADE. By eunuchs so bora are meant
those especially with whom the ultimate of love is wanting from
birth ; and as in such a case the first and the mediate are without
a foundation on which they may subsist, they have therefore no
existence; and if they exist, the persons in whom they exist have
no concern to distinguish between the chaste and the unchaste, for
both principles are indifferent to them; but of these persons there
are several kinds. The case is nearly the same with eunuchs so
made as with eunuchs so born ; but with eunuchs so made, because
they are both men and women, cannot possibly regard conjugial
love any otherwise than as a phantasy, and the delights of it as
fables. If they have any inclination, it is rendered of neuter
quality, which is neither chaste nor unchaste; and what is neither
chaste nor unchaste, derives no denomination from either the one
or the other.

152. X. CHASTITY CANNOT BE PREDICATED OF THOSE WHO -DO

NOT BELIEVE SCORTATIONS TO BE EVILS OF RELIGION, AND STILL
LESS OF THOSE WHO DO NOT BELIEVE SCORTATIONS TO BE HURTFITL

135

153] CONJUGIAL LOVE

TO SOCIETY. The reason why chastity cannot be predicated of
these is, that they do not know what chastity is, nor even that it
exists ; for chastity belongs to marriage, as was shown in the first
article of this chapter Those who do not believe scortations to be
evils of religion, make even marriages unchaste, when yet the
religion with married partners constitutes their chastity; thus such
persons have nothing chaste in them, wherefore it is in vain to
talk to them of chastity; these are scortators from confirmation.
But those who do not believe scortations to be hurtful to society,
know still less than the others, either what chastity is, or even that
it exists: for they are scortators from set purpose. If they say that
marriages are less unchaste than scortatory loves, they say so
merely with the mouth, but not with the heart, because marriages
with them are cold, and those who speak from this cold concern-
ing chaste heat, cannot have an idea of chaste heat with reference
to conjugial love. The quality of these persons, and the quality
of the ideas of their thought, and hence the quality of the interiors
of their speech, will be seen in the Second Part of this Work,
which treats of the Insanities of Scortators.

153. XL CHASTITY CANNOT BE PREDICATED OF THOSE WHO

ABSTAIN FROM SCORTATORY LOVES ONLY FOR VARIOUS EXTERNAL
REASONS. Many believe that the mere abstinence from adulteries
in the body is chastity, when yet this is not chastity, unless at the
same time there is abstinence in the spirit. The spirit of man, by
which is here meant his mind as to the affections and thoughts,
makes what is chaste and what is unchaste, for it is from the mind
that what is chaste and what is unchaste is in the body; for the
body is altogether such as the mind or spirit is. Hence it follows,
that neither they who obstain from scortations in the body and not
from the spirit, nor they who abstain from them in spirit from
the sensuous mind, are chaste. There are many causes which make
a man desist from the adulterous loves of the lower mind, and
also in the spirit from the body; but still, he who does not desist
from them in the natural mind from the spirit, is unchaste ; for the
Lord says, "That whosoever looketh upon another man's woman,
so as to lust after her, hath already committed adultery with her
in his heart" (Matt. v. 28). It is impossible to enumerate all the
causes of abstinence from scortatory loves originating in the
sensuous mind only, for they are various according to states of the
marriage, and also according to states of the body; for there are
some persons who abstain from them from fear of the civil law
and its penalties ; some from fear of the loss of reputation and of
honour thence; some from fear of diseases which may be thereby
contracted; some from fear of domestic quarrels on the part of
the wife, whereby the quiet of their lives may be disturbed ; some
from fear of revenge on the part of the husband or relations;
some from fear of being beaten or whipped by the servants of the
familv: some also abstain from poverty, avarice, or weakness
136

THE CHASTE AND THE NON-CHASTE [154, 155

arising either from disease, abuse, age, or impotence. Among these
there are also some who, because they are not able, or do not dare
to commit scortations of the sensuous mind, condemn them also in
the spiritual mind, and thus speak morally against scortations, and
in favour of marriages; but these persons, if they do not in spirit,
and the spirit does not from religion, hold adulterous loves as
accursed, they are still scortators, for although they do not com-
mit them in the body, yet they do in spirit; wherefore after the
death of the natural b9dy, when they become spirits, they speak
openly in favor of them. Hence it is evident, that even a wicked
person may shun scortatory loves as hurtful, but that none but a
Christian can shun them as sins. Hence then the truth of the
proposition is manifest, that chastity cannot be predicated of those
who abstain from scortations merely for various external reasons.

154. XII. CHASTITY CANNOT BE PREDICATED OF THOSE WHO

BELIEVE MARRIAGES TO BE UNCHASTE. These persons do not know

either what chastity is, or even that it exists; and in this respect
they are like those who were spoken of just above, no. 152 (a),
and like those who make chastity to consist merely in celibacy,
who now come to be treated of.

155. XIII. CHASTITY CANNOT BE PREDICATED OF THOSE WHO

HAVE RENOUNCED MARRIAGE BY VOWING PERPETUAL CELIBACY,
UNLESS THERE BE AND REMAIN IN THEM THE LOVE OF A TRULY

CONJUGIAL LIFE. The reason why chastity cannot be predicated of
these is, that after a vow of perpetual celibacy, conjugial love is
cast forth; and yet it is of this love alone that chastity is predi-
cated. A further reason is, that there still remains within, from
creation, and consequently from birth, an inclination towards the
sex; and when this inclination is restrained and subdued, it must
needs pass away into heat, and with some into a burning heat
which, in rising from the bodv into the spirit, infests it, and with
some defiles it; and it is possible that the spirit thus defiled may
defile also the principles of religion, and cast them down from
their internal abode, where they are in holiness, into the externals,
where they become mere matters of talk and gesture ; wherefore it
has been provided by the Lord, that that kind of celibacy should
exist only with those who are in external worship, in which wor-
ship they are because they do not approach the Lord, or read the
Word. With such, eternal life is not so much endangered by vows
of celibacy, together with a solemn promise of chastity, as it is
with those who are in internal worship. Moreover, in many in-
stances that state of life is not entered upon from any freedom of
the will, many entering upon it before they are in freedom from
reason, and some in consequence of alluring causes from the
world. Of those who adopt that state for the sake of the with-
drawal of their minds from the world, that they may be free to
devote themselves to Divine worship, those only are chaste with

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156] CONJUGIAL LOVE

whom the love of a truly conjugial life either preceded that state,
or follows it, and remains; for the love of a truly conjugial life
is that of which chastity is predicated. Wherefore also, after
death, all who have lived in monasteries are at length freed from
their vows, and set at liberty, in order that, according to the
interior vows and desires of their love^ they may be led to choose
a life either conjugial or extra-con jugial: if they then enter into
conjugial life, those who have loved also the spiritual things of
worship are given in marriage in heaven ; but those who enter into
extra-conjugial life are sent to their like, who dwell at the sides of
heaven. I have asked the angels, whether those who have devoted
themselves to piety, and given themselves up entirely to Divine
worship, and thus withdrawn themselves from the snares of the
world, and the concupiscences of the flesh, and for that reason
have vowed perpetual virginity, are received into heaven, and there
become especially happy among the blessed, according to their
faith. But the angels have replied, that such are indeed received
into heaven; but when they feel the sphere of conjugial love there,
they become sad and anxious, and then, some of their own accord,
some by asking leave, and some by command, depart and are sent
away ; and when they are outside of that heaven, a way is opened
to them to their consociates, who had been in a similar state of
life in the natural world; and then, from being anxious, they
become cheerful, and become glad together.

156. XIV. THE STATE OF MARRIAGE is TO BE PREFERRED TO
THE STATE OF CELIBACY. This is manifest from what has thus far
been said about marriage and celibacy. The state of marriage is
to be preferred because it is the state ordained from creation;
because its origin is the marriage of good and truth 1 ; because its
correspondence is with the marriage of the Lord and the church ;
because the church and conjugial love are constant companions;
because its use is more excellent than the uses of all the other
things of creation, for thence according to order is the propaga-
tion of the human race, and also of the angelic heaven, for this is
from the human race: add to this, that marriage is the fullness of
man; for by means of it man becomes a full man, as will be
proved in the following chapter. All these things are wanting in
celibacy. But if the proposition be granted, that the state of
celibacy is more excellent than the state of marriage, and if this
proposition be subjected to a strict examination, to be assented to
and established by confirmations, then the conclusion must be,
that marriages are not holy, neither can they be chaste; yea, that
chastity in the female sex belongs only to those who abstain from
marriage and vow perpetual virginity; and moreover, that those
who have vowed perpetual celibacy are meant by the eunuchs who
make themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of God
(Matt. xix. 12) ; besides many other such conclusions, which, being
deduced from a proposition that is not true, are also not true.

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THE CHASTE AND THE NON -CHASTE [151 [a]

By the eunuchs. who make themselves eunuchs for the sake of the
kingdom of God, are meant spiritual eunuchs, who are those who
in marriages abstain from the evils of adulterous loves. That
Italian eunuchs are not meant, is evident.

151 (a) To the above I shall add two Memorable Relations.
The first is this :

As I was going home from the school of wisdom spoken of
above, no. 132, I saw in the way an angel in a hyacin thine gar-
ment. He joined me and walked by my side, and said, "I see that
you are come from the school of wisdom, and that you have been
gladdened by what you heard there; and as I perceive that you are
not a full inhabitant of this world, because you are at the same
time in the natural world, and therefore know nothing of our
Olympic Gymnasia, where the ancient Sophi meet together, and
by the information they collect from every new comer from thy
world, learn what changes and successions wisdom has undergone,
and is still undergoing; if you are willing I will conduct you to
the place where several of those ancient Sophi and their sons,
that is, their disciples, dwell."

So he led me to the confines between the north and east; and
while I was looking that way from an eminence, lo! there
appeared a city, and on one side of it two small hills; that which
was nearer to the city was lower than the other. And he said to
me, "That city is called Athens, the lower hill, Parnassus, and the
higher, Helicon. They are so called, because in the city and
around it dwell the ancient wise men who lived in Greece, as
Pythagoras, Socrates, Aristippus, Xenophon, with their disciples
and scholars."

On my asking about Plato and Aristotle, he said, "They and
their followers dwell in another region, because they taught
rational things which belong to the understanding; whereas the
former taught morals which belong to the life."

He further said', that from the city of Athens there were fre-
quently deputed some of the students to learn from the literati of
the Christians what they think at the present day about God, the
creation of the universe, the immortality of the soul, the state of
man relatively to the state of beasts, and 'other subjects which
belong to interior wisdom: and he added, that a herald had that
day announced an assembly which was a token that the emissaries
had met with some new-comers from the natural world, from
whom they had heard some curious things.

We then saw many persons going out of the city and its
suburbs, some having wreaths of laurel on their heads, some hold-
ing palms in their hands, some with books under their arms, and
some with pens under the hair of the left temple. We mixed with
them, and ascended the hill with them : and lo ! on the top was an
octagonal palace, which they called the Palladium, into which we
entered: and lo! within there were eight hexangular recesses, in
. 139

151 [a] CONJUGIAL LOVE

each of which was a bookcase and a table: at these recesses were
seated the laureates, and in the Palladium itself there were seen
seats cut out of the rock, on which the rest sat down.

A door on the left was then opened, through which the two
new-comers from the earth were introduced; and after they had
been greeted, one of the laureates asked them, "WHAT OF REGEN-
ERATION FROM THE NATURAL STATE?"

They said, w This is new, that natural men, like beasts, have
been found in the woods ('in natural knowledges and truths, in
scientifics), or beasts like men: from their face (the internal
natural mind) and body (the lowest natural mind) they were
known to have been born natural men, and to have been lost or
neglected in the forests when they were two or three years old
(completely lost both as to will and understanding, or as to good
and truth) ; it was reported that they were not able to give utter-
ance to any thought, nor to learn to articulate the voice into any
expression; neither did they know the food suitable for them as
the beasts do, but put greedily into their mouths whatever they
found in the forest, whether it was clean or unclean (accepted
falsity as truth) ; besides many other particulars of a like nature;
from which some of the learned among us have formed several
conjectures and conclusions, concerning the state of men relatively
to that of beasts"

On hearing this, some of the ancient Sophi asked, "What were
the conjectures and conclusions formed from those facts?"

The two strangers replied, "There were many; but they may
all be comprised under the following: 1. That a man in conse-
quence of his nature, and also by birth, is more stupid and con-
sequently viler than any beast; and that he remains so unless he
bv instructed. 2. That he is capable of being instructed, because
he learned to make articulate sounds, and so to speak, and thereby
began to express his thoughts, and this successively more and more
perfectly, until he could express the laws of society; many of
which, however, are impressed on beasts from their birth. 3. That
beasts have rationality equally with men. 4. Therefore, that if
beasts could speak, they would reason on every subject as cleverly
as men; a proof of which is. that they think from reason and
sagacity just as men do. 5. That the understanding is only a
modification of the light from the sun, the heat cooperating by
means of the ether, so that it is only an activity of interior nature:
and that this activity may be exalted to such an extent .as to appear
like wisdom. 6. That therefore it is ridiculous to believe that a
man lives after death any more than a beast; unless perchance,
for some days after his decease, in consequence of an exhalation
of the life of the body, he may appear as a mist under the form
of a spectre, before he is dissipated into nature; hardly otherwise
than as a burnt twig, when taken out of the ashes, appears in the
likeness of its own form. 7. Consequently, that religion, which
leaches a life after death, is a mere invention to keep the simple
140

THE CHASTE AND THE NON-CHASTE [152,1531>]

inwardly in bonds by its laws, as they are kept outwardly in bonds
by the laws of the state."

To this they added, that "people of mere ingenuity reason in
this manner, but not so the intelligent."

They asked what the intelligent thought on the subject.

They said that they had not heard, but that they only thought so.

152 (a). On hearing this relation, all those who were sitting
at the tables said, "Alas! what times are come in the natural
world! What changes has wisdom undergone! How is she changed
into a fatuous ingenuity! The sun is set, and is beneath the earth
in direct opposition to the meridian. From the case of such as
have been left and found in woods, who cannot know that an
uninstructed man is such? Is he not just as he is instructed? Is
he not born in greater ignorance than the beasts? Must he not
learn to walk and speak? Supposing he never learnt to walk,
would he ever stand upright on his feet? And if he never learnt
to speak, would he be able to express anything of thought? Is not
every man such as instruction makes him, insane from falsities,
or wise from truths? and is not he that is insane from falsities,
entirely possessed with the phantasy that he is wiser than he who
is wise from truths? Do there not exist foolish and insane men,
who are no more men than those who have been found in the
woods? Are not such as have been deprived of memory like unto
these? From all these considerations we conclude, that a man
without instruction is neither a man nor a beast; but that he is a
form, which is capable of receiving in itself that which constitutes
a man ; and thus that he is not born a man, but that he becomes a
man; and that a man is born such a form as to be an organ
receptive of life from God, to the end that he may be a subject
into which God can introduce all good, and, by union with Him-
self, make him blessed to eternity. We have perceived from your
conversation, that wisdom at the present day is extinguished or
infatuated to such an extent, that nothing at all is known about the
life of beasts ; and hence it is that the state of the life of man after
death is not known ; but those who are capable of knowing this,
and yet are not willing to know it, and consequently deny it, as
many of your Christians do, we may liken to such as are found in
the woods: not that they have become so stupid from a want of
instruction, but that they have made themselves so by the fallacies
of the senses, which are the darkness of Truths."

153 (a). At that moment a certain person standing in the
middle of the Palladium, and holding in his hand a palm, said,
"Pray unfold this arcanum, 'How could man, created the form of
God, he changed into a form of the devil?' I know that the angels
of heaven are forms of God, and that the angels of hell are forms
of the devil, and that the two forms are opposite to each other, the
latter being insanities, the former wisdoms. Tell me, therefore,

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154[>] CONJUGIAL LOVE

how man who was created a form of God, could pass from the
day into such a night, as to be capable of denying God and eternal
life."

To this the teachers replied in order; first the Pythagoreans,
next the Socratists, and afterwards the rest.

But among them there was a certain Platonist, who spoke last;
and his opinion prevailed, which was to this effect: That the men
of the Saturnian or golden era knew and acknowledged that they
were forms receptive of life from God; and that on this account
wisdom was inscribed on their souls and hearts, and hence they
saw truth from the light of truth, and through truths perceived
good from the delight of the love of it. But as the human race in
the following ages receded from the acknowledgment that all truth
of wisdom, and the consequent good of love with them, continually
flowed in from God, they ceased to be dwellings of God; and
then also discourse with God and consociation with the angels
ceased: for the interiors of their minds were bent from their
direction, which had been elevated upwards to God from God,
into a direction more and more oblige, outwards into the world,
and thus to God from God through the world, and at length in-
verted into an opposite direction, which is downwards to self; and
as God cannot be beheld by a man interiorly inverted, and thus
averted, men separated themselves from God, and were made
forms of hell or of the devil. From these considerations it follows,
that in the first eras they acknowledged in heart and soul, that all
the good of love and the consequent truth of wisdom were derived
to them from God, and also that they were God's in them; and
thus that they were made receptacles of life from God, and hence
were called images of God, sons of God, and born of God; but
that in the succeeding eras they did not acknowledge this in heart
and soul, but by a certain persuasive faith, afterwards by a his-
torical faith, and lastly only with the mouth; and this kind of
acknowledgment is no acknowledgment at all ; yea, it is a denial
at heart. From these considerations it may be seen what is the
quality of the wisdom on the earth among Christians at the present
day, when they do not know the difference between a man and .a
beast, notwithstanding their being in possession of a written
revelation, whereby they may be inspired by God: and hence
many believe, that if a man lives after death, a beast must live
also; or that, because a beast does not live after death, neither will
a man. Is not our spiritual light, which enlightens the sight of the
mind, become thick darkness with them? and is not their natural
light, which only enlightens the sight of the body, become bright-
ness to them?"

154 (a) . After this they all turned towards the two strangers,

and thanked them for their visit, and for the relation they had

given, and begged them to report to their brethren what they had

heard. The strangers replied that they would endeavor to confirm

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THE CHASTE AND THE NON-CHASTE [155 [a]

their brethren in this Truth, that in proportion as they attribute
all the good of charity and the truth of faith to the Lord, and not
to themselves, in the same proportion they are men, and in the
same proportion become angels of heaven.

155 (a). The second Memorable Relation:

One morning very sweet singing, which was heard from some
height above me, awoke me; and in consequence, during the first
wakefulness, which is more internal, peaceful, and sweet than the
rest of the day, I was able to be kept for some time in the spirit
as it were out of the body, and to attend carefully to the affection
which was being sung. The singing of heaven is nothing else than
an affection of the mind, sent forth through the mouth as melody;
for it is the tone of the voice, separate from the discourse of the
speaker, and flowing from the affection of love, that gives life to
the speech. In that state I perceived that it was the affection of
the delights of conjugial love which was made musical by wives in
heaven: that this was the case I observed from the tone of the
song, in which those delights were varied in a wonderful manner.

After this I arose, and looked out into the spiritual world;
and lo! in the east, beneath the sun, there appeared as it were a
GOLDEN SHOWER. It was the early morning dew descending in
great abundance, which, catching the sun's rays, exhibited before
my sight the appearance of a golden shower. Becoming still more
fully awake in consequence of this appearance, I went forth in the
spirit, and asked an angel whom I then happened to meet whether
he saw a golden shower descending from the sun.

He replied, that he saw one as often as he meditated on con-
jugial love; and at the same time turning his eyes thither, he said,
"That shower falls over a palace, in which are three husbands
with their wives, who dwell in the midst of an eastern paradise.
Such a shower is seen falling from the sun over that palace,
because with those husbands and wives there resides wisdom con-
cerning conjugial love and its delights; with the husbands con-
cerning conjugial love, and with the wives concerning its delights.
But I perceive that you are in meditation concerning the delights
of conjugial love: wherefore I will lead you to that palace, and
introduce you."

He led me through paradisiacal scenes to houses which were
built of olive wood, having two pillars of cedars before the gate,
and introduced me to the husbands, and asked that I might be
allowed to speak with their wives in their presence.

They consented, and called their wives.

These looked into my eyes searchingly; and I asked why they
did so.

They said, "We are able exquisitely to see what is your in-
clination and consequent affection, and your thought from affec-
tion, concerning sexual love: and we see that you are meditating

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155 [a] CONJUGIAL LOVE

intensely, but still chastely, concerning that love." And they
added, "What do you wish us to tell you on the subject?"

I replied, "Pray tell me something about the delights of con-
jugial love."

The husbands assented, saying, "If you are so disposed, give
them some information about those delights : their ears are chaste."

They asked, "Who taught you to question us about the delights
of that love? Why did you not question our husbands?"

I replied, "This angel, who is with me, told me aside, that
wives are the receptacles and sensories of those delights, because
they are born loves; and all delights belong to love."

To this they replied with a smile, "Be prudent, and declare
nothing of the sort except in an ambiguous sense, because it is a
wisdom deeply reserved in the hearts of our sex, and is not dis-
closed to any husband unless he be in truly conjugial love. There
are many reasons for this, which we keep entirely to ourselves."

Then the husbands said, "Our wives know all the states of our
minds, neither is anything hidden from them; they see, perceive,
and feel whatever proceeds from our will. We, on the other hand,
know nothing of what passes with our wives. This is given to
wives, because they are most tender loves, and as it were burning
zeals for the preservation of friendship and conjugial confidence,
and thus of the happiness of life both of their husbands and them-
selves, which they carefully watch over both for their husbands
and themselves, by virtue of a wisdom implanted in their love,
which wisdom is so full of prudence, that they are unwilling to
say, and consequently cannot say, that they love, but that they are
loved."

I asked why they were unwilling, and consequently unable, to
say so?

They replied, "If the least hint of the kind were to escape
from the mouth of the wives, cold would invade their husbands,
and would separate them from bed, bed-chamber, and sight: but
this takes place only with those who do not hold marriages to be
holy, and therefore do not love their wives from spiritual love.
It is otherwise with those who do. In the minds of die latter that
love is spiritual, and by derivation thence in the body is natural.
We in this palace are in the latter love by derivation from the
former; wherefore we trust our husbands with the secrets about
our delights of conjugial love."

I then courteously asked them to disclose to me some of those
secrets.

Hereupon they looked towards a window in the southern
quarter, and lo! there appeared a bright white dove, whose wings
glistened as if they were of silver, and its head was adorned with
a crown as of gold: it was standing upon a branch out of which
there went forth an olive; and while it was in the attempt to
spread out its wings, the wives said, "We will disclose something:
while that dove appears it is a sign to us that it is allowed."
144

THE CHASTE AND THE NON-CHASTE [155[a]

"Every man (wr)," they continued, "has five senses, sight, hear-
ing, smell, taste, and touch ; but we have likewise a sixth, which is
the sense of all the delights of the conjugial love of the husband ;
and this sense we have in the palms of our hands, when we touch
the breasts, arms, hands, or cheeks of our husbands,, especially
their breasts; and also when we are touched by them. All the
gladnesses and pleasantnesses of the thoughts of their minds
(mens), and all the joys and delights of their lower mind
(animus), and all the festive and cheerful states of their bosoms,
pass from them into us, and put on form, and become perceptible,
sensible, and tangible; and we discern them as exquisitely and
distinctly as the ear does a melody of a song, and the tongue the
tastes of delicacies: in a word, the spiritual delightsomenesses of
our husbands put on with us a kind of natural embodiment;
wherefore we are called by our husbands the sensory organs of
chaste conjugial love, and hence its delights. But this sense of our
sex exists, subsists, persists, and is exalted in the degree in which
our husbands love us from wisdom and judgment, and in which
we in return love them from the same qualities in them. This
sense of our sex is called in the heavens the sport of wisdom with
its love, and of love with its wisdom."

This information excited in me the desire of asking further
questions, as, concerning the variety of delights.

They said, "It is infinite ; but we are unwilling, and therefore
unable to say more; for the dove at our window, with the olive
branch under his feet, has flown away."

I waited for its return, but in vain. In the meantime I asked
the husbands, "Have you a like sense of conjugial love?"

They replied, "We have a like sense in general, but not in
particular. We enjoy a general blessedness, a general delight, and
a general pleasantness, arising from the particulars of our wives;
and this general, which we derive from them, is as the eternity of
peace."

As they said this, lo! through the window there appeared a
swan standing on a branch of a fig tree, and it spread out its
wings and flew away. On seeing this, the husbands said, "This is
a sign for us to be silent about conjugial love: come again some
other time, and perhaps more things may be disclosed."

They then withdrew, and we departed.

145

THE CONJUNCTION OF THE SOULS AND MINDS BY

MEANS OF MARRIAGE, WHICH IS MEANT BY

THE LORD'S WORDS, THAT THEY ARE

NO LONGER TWO, BUT ONE FLESH

156 (a). That at creation there was implanted in man and
woman an inclination, and also a faculty of conjunction as into
a one, and that this inclination and faculty are still in man and
woman, is manifest from the Book of Creation, and at the same
time from the Lord's words. In the Book of the Creation, which
is called GENESIS, it is read, "Jehovah God built the rib which He
had taken from the man (homo), into a woman, and brought her
to the man. And the man said, This is now bone of my bones, and
flesh of my flesh. Her name shall be called Woman (Ishshah)
because she was taken out of man (Ish, vir) : therefore shall a
man (vir) leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;
and they shall become one flesh" (chap. ii. 22-24) . The Lord also
said something in Matthew, "Have ye not read, that He Who made
them from the beginning, made them male and female, and said,
Therefore shall a man (homo) leave father and mother, and
cleave to his wife; and THEY TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH?

WHEREFORE THEY ARE NO LONGER TWO, BUT ONE FLESH" (chap.

xix. 4-6) . From this it is evident that the woman was created out
of the man (vir), and that both have an inclination and faculty
to become reunited into a one. That such reunion means into one
man (homo), is also evident from the Book of the Creation,
where both together are called man (homo) ; for it is read, "/TI
the day that God created man (homo), male and female created
He them, and called their name Man (homo)" (chap. v. 1, 2).
It is there read, He called their name Adam; but Adam and man
are one expression in the Hebrew language ; moreover both together
are called man in the same Book (chap. i. 27; chap. ii. 22-24).
By one flesh is also signified one man; as is evident from the
passages in the Word where mention is made of all flesh, by
which is meant every man, as Gen. vi. 12, 13, 17, 19; Isaiah xl.
5, 6; xlix. 26; Ixvi. 16, 23, 24; Jer. xxv. 31; xxxii. 27; xli. 5;
Ezek. xx. 48; xxi. 4, 5; and other passages. But what is meant
by the rib of the man (vir), which was built into a woman; what
by the flesh, which was closed up in the place thereof, and thus
what by bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh ; and what by the
father and mother, whom a man (vir) shall leave after marriage;
and what by cleaving to his wife, has been shown in the Arcana
Celestia; in which work the two books, Genesis and Exodus, are
explained as to the spiritual sense. It is there proved that a rib
146

CONJUNCTION OF SOULS AND MINDS [156 [a]

does not mean a rib, nor flesh, flesh, nor a bone, a bone, nor
cleaving to, cleaving to; but that they mean spiritual things,
which correspond to them, and consequently are signified by them.
That spiritual things are meant, which from two make one man
(homo), is evident from this, that conjugial love conjoins them,
and this love is spiritual. That the love of the wisdom of the man
(vir) is transcribed into the wife, has been occasionally stated
above, and will be more fully confirmed in the following sections:
at present we may not digress from the subject proposed, which
is, the conjunction of the two married partners into one flesh
through the union of their souls and minds. This union shall be
elucidated in the following order:

I. From creation there has been implanted in both sexes a
faculty and inclination, whereby they are able and willing to be
conjoined -as into a one.

II. Conjugial love conjoins two souls, and hence two minds*
into a one.

III. The will of the wife conjoins itself with the understand-
ing of the man, and hence the understanding of the man conjoins
itself with the will of the wife.

IV. The inclination to unite the man to herself is constant and
perpetual with the wife, but inconstant and fluctuating with the
man.

V. Conjunction is inspired into the man by the wife according
to her love, and is received by the man according to his wisdom.

VI. This conjunction is effected successively from the first
days of marriage ; and, with those who are in truly conjugial love,
it is effected more and more thoroughly to eternity.

VII. The conjunction of the wife with the rational wisdom of
the husband is effected from within, but with his moral wisdom
from without.

VIII. For the sake of this conjunction as an end, there has
been given to the wife a perception of the affections of the hus-
band, and also the utmost prudence in governing them.

IX. The wives conceal this perception with themselves, and
hide it from their husbands, on account of causes which are neces-
sities, in order that conjugial love, friendship, and confidence, and
thus the blessedness of dwelling together, and the happiness of
life, may be secured.

X. This perception is the wisdom of the wife; and this wisdom
is not possible with the man; neither is the rational wisdom of the
man possible with the wife.

XL The wife, from love, is continually thinking about the
man's inclination towards her, with the purpose of conjoining him
with herself; it is otherwise with the man.

XII. The wife conjoins herself with the man, by means of
applications to the desires of his will.

XIII. The wife is conjoined with her husband by means of the
sphere of her life, which goes out from her love.

147

157, 158] CONJUGIAL LOVE

XIV. The wife is conjoined with the husband by means of t/ie
appropriation of the forces of his virtue or manhood; but this is
effected according to their mutual spiritual love.

XV. Thus the wife receives into herself the image of her hus-
band, and hence perceives., sees., and feels his affections.

XVI. There are duties proper to the man, and duties proper
to the wife; and the wife cannot enter into the duties proper to the
man 9 nor the man into the duties proper to the wife, and perform
them rightly.

XVII. These duties, according to mutual aid, also conjoin the
two into a one, and at the same time constitute one house.

XVIII. Married partners, according to the above named con-
junctions become one man (homo) more and more.

XIX. Those who are in truly conjugial love, feel that they are
a united man, and as it were one flesh.

XX. Truly conjugial love, considered in itself, is a union of
the souls, a conjunction of the minds, and an effort for con-
junction in the bosoms, and hence in the body.

XXL The states of this love are innocence, peace, tranquility,
inmost friendship, full confidence, and a desire of the disposition
and of the heart to make all good mutual to each other; and the
states arising from all these are blessedness, blissfulness, delight-
someness, and pleasure; and from the eternal enjoyment of these
is heavenly felicity.

XXII. These things can by no means exist except in the mar-
riage of one man with one ivife.

Now follows the explanation of these articles.

157. I. FROM CREATION THERE HAS BEEN IMPLANTED IN BOTH

SEXES A FACULTY AND INCLINATION, WHEREBY THEY ARE ABLE AND

WILLING TO BE CONJOINED AS INTO ONE. That the woman was taken
out of man, was shown just above from the Book of the Creation ;
hence it follows, that there is in both sexes a faculty and inclina-
tion to become conjoined into one. For that which is taken out of
anything, derives and retains of its peculiarity, which it makes its
own ; and as this derivation is of a similar nature with that from
which it was derived, it breathes after reunion; and when it has
been reunited, it is as in itself when it is in that from whence it
came, and contrariwise. That there is a faculty of conjunction of
the one sex with the other, or that they are capable of being
united, admits of no doubt; and also that there is an inclination
to become conjoined; for personal experience teaches both.

158. II. CONJUGIAL LOVE CONJOINS TWO SOULS, AND HENCE
TWO MINDS, INTO A ONE. Every man consists of a soul, a mind,
and a body. The soul is his inmost, the mind his mediate, and the
body his ultimate. Since the soul is a man's inmost, it is, from
its origin, celestial; as the mind is his mediate, it is, from its
origin, spiritual ; and as the body is his ultimate, it is, from its

148

CONJUNCTION OF SOULS AND MINDS [159, 160

origin, natural. Those things which, from their origin, are celestial
and spiritual, are not in space, but in the appearance of space.
This also is known in the world, wherefore it is said, that neither
extension or space can be precticated of spiritual things. Since
therefore spaces are appearances, distances also and presences are
appearances. That the appearances of distances and presences in
the spiritual world are according to proximities, propinquities,
and affinities of love, has been frequently pointed out and con-
firmed in small treatises concerning that world. These things are
said in order that it may be known that the souls and minds of
men are not in space like their bodies; because the former, as was
said above, are from their origin celestial and spiritual; and as
they are not in space, they can be conjoined as into a one, although
their bodies may not be so conjoined at the same time. This is the
case especially with married partners, who love each other in-
mostly: but as the woman is from the man (uir),and that conjunc-
tion is a kind of reunition, it may be seen from reason that it is not
a conjunction into a one, but an adjunction, close and near accord-
ing to the love, and amounting to contact with those who are in
truly conjugial love. This adjunction may be called spiritual
dwelling together, and this takes place with married partners who
love each other tenderly, however distant they may be from each
other in the body. Many proofs of experience exist, even in the
natural world, which confirm these statements. Hence it is evident,
that conjugial love conjoins two souls and minds into one.

159. III. THE WILL OF THE WIFE CONJOINS ITSELF WITH THE

UNDERSTANDING OF THE MAN, AND HENCE THE UNDERSTANDING OF
THE MAN CONJOINS ITSELF WITH THE WILL OF THE WIFE. The
reason is, that the male is born to become understanding, and the
female to become will, loving the understanding of the male ; from
which it follows, that conjugial conjunction is that of the will of
the wife with the understanding of the man, and the reciprocal
conjunction of the understanding of the man with the will of the
wife. Every one sees that there is a very close conjunction of the
understanding and the will ; and that it is such, that the one faculty
can enter into the other, and be delighted from the conjunction,
and in it.

160. IV. THE INCLINATION TO UNITE THE MAN TO HERSELF is

CONSTANT AND PERPETUAL WITH THE WIFE, BUT INCONSTANT AND

FLUCTUATING WITH THE MAN. The reason is, that love cannot do
otherwise than love, and unite itself in order that it may be loved
in return; its essence and life is nothing else; and \vomen are born
loves, whereas man, with whom they unite themselves in order
that they may be loved in return, are receptions. Besides, love is
continually efficient; it is like heat flame, and fire, which perish
if their efficiency is checked. Hence it is that the inclination to
unite the man to herself is constant and perpetual with the wife.

149

161] CONJUGIAL LOVE

But the reason why there is not a similar inclination with the man
towards the wife is, that the man is not love, but only a recipient
of love; and as a state of reception is absent or present according
to intruding cares, and according to the changes of heat and want
of heat in the mind from various causes, and according to the in-
crease and decrease of the powers in the body, which do not return
regularly and at stated periods, it follows that the inclination to
that conjunction is inconstant and fluctuating with the men.

161. V. CONJUNCTION is INSPIRED INTO THE MAN BY THE WIFE

ACCORDING TO HER LOVE, AND IS RECEIVED BY THE MAN ACCORDING

TO HIS WISDOM. That love and consequently conjunction is inspired
into the man by the wife, is at this day concealed from the men ;
yea, it is universally denied by them. The reason is, that wives
persuade that the men alone love, and they themselves receive ; or,
that the men are loves, and themselves obediences; they rejoice
also at heart when the men believe it to be so. There are many
reasons why they persuade the men of this, which reasons all relate
to the prudence and circumspection of wives; respecting which,
something shall be said in what follows, and particularly in the
chapter on "The Causes of Colds, Separations, and Divorces
between Married Partners." The reason why men receive the in-
spiration or insinuation of love from their wives is, that nothing
of conjugial love, or even of sexual love, is with men, but only
with wives and women. That this is the case, has been shown me
to the life in the spiritual world.

The conversation there once turned on this subject; and the
men, in consequence of a persuasion received from their wives,
insisted that they, and not the wives, loved, but that the wives
received love from them. In order to settle the dispute about this
arcanum, all the women, together with the wives, were withdrawn
from the men, and at the same time the very sphere of sexual love
was removed with them. On the removal of this sphere, the men
came into a very strange state, such as they had never before per-
ceived, at which they greatly complained. Then, while they were
in this state, the women were brought to them, and the wives to
the husbands, and both the latter and the former addressed them
in a caressing manner; but they had become cold to their caresses,
and turned away, and said one to another, "What is this? and
what is a woman?" And when some of the women said that they
were their wives, they replied, "What is a wife? we do not know
you." But when the wives began to be grieved at this absolutely
cold indifference of the men, and some of them to cry, the sphere
of sexual love, and the conjugial sphere, which had for the time
been withdrawn from the men, was restored; and then the men
instantly returned into their former state, the lovers of marriage
into their state, and the lovers of the sex into theirs. Thus the men-
were convinced that nothing of conjugial love, nor even of sexual
love, resided with them, but only with the wives and women.
150

CONJUNCTION OF SOULS AND MINDS [162, 163

Nevertheless, the wives afterwards from their prudence induced
the men to believe, that love resides with the men, and that some
small spark of it may pass from them into the wives.

This experience is here adduced, in order that it may he known
that wives are loves and men receptions. That men are receptions
according to the wisdom with them, especially according to this
wisdom from religion, that the wife only ought to be loved, is
evident from this consideration, that when the wife only is loved,
the love is concentrated; and because it is also ennobled, it re-
mains in its strength, and is steadfast and permanent; and that
otherwise it would be as when wheat from the granary is cast to
the dogs, whereby there is want at home.

162. VI. THIS CONJUNCTION IS EFFECTED SUCCESSIVELY FROM
THE FIRST DAYS OF MARRIAGE ; AND, WITH THOSE WHO ARE IN TRULY
CONJUGIAL LOVE, IT IS EFFECTED MORE AND MORE THOROUGHLY TO
ETERNITY. The first heat of marriage does not conjoin; for it par-
takes of sexual love, which belongs to the body and thence to the
spirit; and what is from the body in the spirit does not l^st long;
but the love which is from the spirit in the body does last. The
love of the spirit, and of the body from the spirit, is insinuated
into the souls and minds of married partners together with friend-
ship and confidence. When these two things, (namely, friendship,
and confidence,) conjoin themselves with the first love of marriage,
the love becomes conjugial, which love opens the bosoms and in-
spires into them the sweetnesses of love, and this more and more
inwardly, in proportion as those two things adjoin themselves to
the primitive love; and that love enters into them and they into it.

163. VII. THE CONJUNCTION OF THE WIFE WITH THE RATIONAL

WISDOM OF THE HUSBAND IS EFFECTED FROM WITHIN, BUT WITH

HIS MORAL WISDOM FROM WITHOUT. That this wisdom with men
(viri) is twofold, rational, and moral, and that their rational
wisdom belongs to the understanding alone, and their moral
wisdom belongs to the understanding and at the same time to the
life, may be concluded and seen from mere intuition and examina-
tion. But in order that it may be known what is meant by the
rational wisdom of men, and what by their moral wisdom, some
of their constituents shall be enumerated in detail. Those things
which belong to their rational wisdom are designated by various
names. In general, they are called knowledge, intelligence, and
wisdom; but in particular they are called rationality, judgment,
cleverness, learning, sagacity. But since every one has sciences
peculiar to his calling, therefore they are manifold; for clergymen
have their peculiar sciences, those in authority have theirs; their
subordinates in office again have theirs; judges theirs, doctors and
chemists theirs; soldiers and sailors theirs; artificers and workmen
theirs; husbandmen theirs, and so on. To rational wisdom pertain
also all the sciences into which youths are initiated in the schools,

151

164-166] CONJUGIAL LOVE

and by means of which they are afterwards initiated into intelli-
gence; which sciences also are called by various names, as philos-
ophy, physics, geometry, mechanics, chemistry, astronomy, juris-
prudence, politics, ethics, history, and many others, through which,
as through doors, an entrance is made into rational things, out of
which there is formed rational wisdom.

164. But the things which belong to moral wisdom with men
are all the moral virtues, which look to the life, and enter it, and
also the spiritual virtues which flow out from love to God and to-
wards the neighbor, and flow again into those loves. The virtues
which pertain to the moral wisdom of men are also of various
names, and are called temperance, sobriety, probity, benevolence,
friendship, modesty, sincerity, obligingness, civility, also assid-
uity, industry, expertness, alacrity; munificence, liberality, gener-
osity, activity, intrepidity, prudence; besides many others. The
spiritual virtues with men are the love of religion, charity, Truth,
faith, conscience, innocence, besides many others. The latter and
the former virtues may in general be referred to love and zeal for
religion, for the public good, for one's country, for one's fellow-
citizens, for one's parents, for one's married partner, and for one's
children. In all these, justice and judgment bear rule; justice be-
longs to moral wisdom, and judgment belongs to rational wisdom.

165. The reason why the conjunction of the wife with the
man's rational wisdom is from within, is, that this wisdom is
peculiar to the understanding of the men, and climbs into a light
in which women are not; which is the reason why women do not
speak from that wisdom, but in the society of men, when such
things are being discussed, they remain silent, and only listen.
That nevertheless such things are with the wives from within, is
evident from their listening, and from their inwardly recognizing
what had been said, and favouring those things which they hear
and have heard from their husbands. But the reason why the con-
junction of the wife with the moral wisdom of men is from with-
out, is, that the virtues of that wisdom, for the most part, are akin
to similar virtues with women, and partake of the man's intellec-
tual will, with which the will of the wife unites itself and makes
a marriage; and since the wife knows those virtues with the man
more than he knows them with himself, it is said that the conjunc-
tion of the wife with those virtues is from without.

166. VIII. FOR THE SAKE OF THIS CONJUNCTION AS AN END,
THERE HAS BEEN GIVEN TO THE WIFE A PERCEPTION OF THE AFFEC-
TIONS OF THE HUSBAND, AND ALSO THE UTMOST PRUDENCE IN

GOVERNING THEM. That wives are cognizant of the affections of
their husbands and govern them prudently, is also among the
arcana of conjugial love which lies concealed with wives. They
become cognizant of those affections by means of three senses,
152

CONJUNCTION OF SOULS AND MINDS [167, 168

the sight, hearing, and touch, and govern them without their hus-
bands knowing anything about it. Now as these are among the
arcana of wives, it does not become me to disclose them circum-
stantially; but as it is becoming for the wives themselves to do so,
therefore four Memorable Relations are added to several of the
chapters, in which these arcana are disclosed by them : two of the
Relations (nos. 155 and 208) are from the three wives who dwelt
in the palace, over which was seen falling as it were a golden
shower; and two (nos. 293 and 294) from the seven wives that
were sitting in the garden of roses. A perusal of these Relations
will unfold this arcanum.

167. IX. THE WIVES CONCEAL THIS PERCEPTION WITH THEM-
SELVES AND HIDE IT FROM THEIR HUSBANDS, ON ACCOUNT OF CAUSES
WHICH AMOUNT TO NECESSITIES, IN ORDER THAT CONJUGIAL LOVE,
FRIENDSHIP, AND CONFIDENCE, AND THUS THE BLESSEDNESS OF
DWELLING TOGETHER, AND THE HAPPINESS OF LIFE, MAY BE SECURED.

The concealing and hiding of the perception of the affections of
the husband by the wives, are said to be necessities, because if
they were to reveal them, they would estrange their husbands from
bed, bed-chamber, and house. The reason is that conjugial cold is
deeply seated in most men, from many causes which will be dis-
closed in the chapter on "The Causes of Colds, Separations, and
Divorces between Married Partners." This cold, in case the wives
should disclose the affections and inclinations of their husbands,
would burst forth from its hiding places, and would first chill the
interiors of the mind, afterwards the breast, and thence the ulti-
mates of love which are allotted to generation; and these being
chilled, conjugial, love would be banished to such a degree, that
there would not remain any hope of friendship, confidence, the
blessedness of dwelling together, and thence the happiness of life;
when nevertheless wives are continually nourished by this hope.
To openly reveal that they know the affections and inclinations of
love in their husbands, carries with it a declaration and publi-
cation of their own love: and it is known that in proportion as
wives open their mouth on the subject of their love, the men grow
cold and desire separation. From these considerations the Truth
of this article is evident, that the causes for which wives conceal
their perception with themselves, and hide it from their husbands,
are necessities.

168. X. THIS PERCEPTION IS THE WISDOM OF THE WIFE; AND
THIS WISDOM IS NOT POSSIBLE WITH THE MAN: NEITHER IS THE
RATIONAL WISDOM OF THE MAN POSSIBLE WITH THE WIFE. This fol-

lows from the difference which exists between the masculine princi-
ple and the feminine principle. The masculine consists in perceiv-
ing from the understanding, and the feminine in perceiving from
love; and the understanding perceives also those things which are
above the body and outside of the world; for the rational and

153

169-171] CONJUGIAL LOVE

spiritual sight reaches thither; whereas love does not go beyond
what it feels: when it goes beyond, it does so in consequence of a
conjunction, which has been established from creation, with the
understanding of the man. For the understanding belongs to light,
and love belongs to heat; and those things which belong to light,
are seen, and those which belong to heat, are felt. From these
facts it is evident, that on account of the universal difference which
exists between the masculine and the feminine, the wisdom of the
wife is not possible with the man, neither is the wisdom of the
man possible with the wife: nor, further, is the moral wisdom of
the man possible with women, in so far as it partakes of his
rational wisdom.

169. XL THE WIFE (FROM LOVE) is CONTINUALLY THINKING

ABOUT THE MAN'S INCLINATION TOWARDS HER, WITH THE PURPOSE
OF CONJOINING HIM WITH HERSELF; (iT IS OTHERWISE WITH THE

MAN) . This agrees with what was explained above, namely, that
the inclination to unite the man with herself is constant and per-
petual with the wife, but inconstant and fluctuating with the man
(see no. 160) : hence it follows, that the wife's thought is contin-
ually employed about her husband's inclination to her, with the
purpose of conjoining him with herself. A wife's thought about
her husband is indeed interrupted by the domestic concerns which
are under her care; but still it remains in the affection of her love;
and this affection does not separate itself from the thoughts with
women, as it does with men. These things, however, I relate from
hearsay; see the two Memorable Relations (nos. 293, 294) from
the seven wives sitting in the garden of roses, which are annexed
to some of the chapters.

170. XII. THE WIFE CONJOINS HERSELF WITH THE MAN BY

MEANS OF APPLICATIONS TO THE DESIRES OF HIS WILL. This being

generally known and admitted, it is needless to explain it.

171. XIII. THE WIFE is CONJOINED WITH THE HUSBAND BY

MEANS OF THE SPHERE OF HER LIFE, WHICH GOES OUT FROM HER

LOVE. There goes out, yea, pours forth from every human being
a spiritual sphere from the affections of his love, which encom-
passes him, and infuses itself into the natural sphere which is
from the body, and the two spheres become conjoined. That a
natural sphere is continual Iv flowing forth from the body, not
only from man, but also from beasts, vea, from trees, fruits,
flowers, and also from metals, is generally known. The case is
similar in the spiritual world; but the spheres flowing forth from
subjects in that world are spiritual, and those which emanate from
spirits and angels are altogether spiritual; because thev have af-
fections of love, and thence interior perceptions and thoughts.
Everything 'sympathetic and antipathetic takes its rise thence, and
so does all conjunction and disjunction, and, according thereto,
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CONJUNCTION OF SOULS AND MINDS [172

presence and absence in that world: for what is homogeneous or
concordant causes conjunction and presence, and what is homo-
geneous and discordant causes disjunction and absence; where-
fore those spheres cause distances in that world. What those
spiritual spheres operate in the natural world, is also known to
some. The inclinations of married partners towards each other,
are from no other origin. They are united by unanimous and con-
cordant spheres, and disunited by adverse and discordant spheres ;
for concordant spheres are delightful and agreeable, and discor-
dant spheres are undelightful and disagreeable. I have been in-
formed by the angels, who are in a clear perception of those
spheres, that there is no part within a man, nor any part without,
which does not renew itself; this is effected by dissolutions and
reparations, and that hence is the sphere which continually pours
forth. They also said that this sphere encompasses man on the
back and on the breast, slightly on the back, but more densely on
the breast, and that the sphere from the breast conjoins itself with
the respiration ; and that this is the reason why two married part-
ners who differ in dispositions and disagree in affections, lie in
bed back to back, and, on the other hand, why those who agree in
dispositions and affections, lie mutually turned towards each other.
They also said that these spheres, because they go out from every
part of man, and are abundantly continued around him, conjoin
and disjoin the two married partners not only from without, but
also from within; and that hence come all the differences and
varieties of conjugial love. Lastly they said, that the sphere of love
going out from a wife who is tenderly loved, is perceived in heaven
as sweetly fragrant, very much more pleasantly (fragrant) than it
is perceived in the world by a new married husband during the
first days after the wedding. From these facts is evident the Truth
of the .assertion that the wife is conjoined to her husband by the
sphere of her life which goes out from her love.

172. XIV. THE WIFE is CONJOINED WITH THE HUSBAND BY

MEANS OF THE APPROPRIATION OF THE FORCES OF HIS VIRTUE; BUT
THIS IS EFFECTED ACCORDING TO THEIR MUTUAL SPIRITUAL LOVE.

That this is the case, I have also gathered from the mouth of the
angels. They have said that the prolific contributions from the
husbands are universally received by the wives, and add them-
selves to their life; and that thus the wives lead an unanimous,
and successively more unanimous life with their husbands; and
that hence is effectively produced a union of the souls and a con-
junction of the minds. They declared the reason of this was, that
in the prolific (element) of the husband is his soul, and also his
mind as to its interiors, which are conjoined with the soul. They
added, that this was -provided from creation, in order that the wis-
dom of the man, which constitutes his soul, may be appropriated
to the wife, and that thus they may become, according to the Lord's
words, one flesh; and further, that this was provided, lest the hus-

155

173, 174] CONJUGIAL LOVE

band (homo vir) should, from some caprice, leave the wife after
conception. But they added, that the applications and appropria-
tions of the life of the husbands with the wives, take place accord-
ing to conjugial love, because "love, which is spiritual union, con-
joins; and that this also has been provided for many reasons.

173. XV. THUS THE WIFE RECEIVES INTO HERSELF THE IMAGE
OF HER HUSBAND, AND HENCE PERCEIVES, SEES, AND FEELS HIS AF-
FECTIONS. From the reasons above adduced it follows as an estab-
lished fact, that wives receive in themselves those things which
belong to the wisdom of their husbands, thus which are character-
istic of the souls and minds of their husbands, and thus from vir-
gins make themselves wives. The reasons from which this follows
are, 1. That the woman was created out of the man (vir) . 2. That
hence she has an inclination to unite, and as it were to reunite her-
self with the man. 3. That by virtue of, and for the sake of this
union with her consort, the woman is born the love of the man,
and becomes more and more the love of him by marriage; because
then the love is continually employing its thoughts to conjoin the
man to itself. 4. That the woman is conjoined to her only one
by means of applications to the desires of his life. 5. That they
are conjoined by the spheres which encompass them, and which
unite themselves universally and particularly according to the
quality of the conjugial love with the wives, and at the same time
according to the quality of the wisdom recipient thereof with the
husbands. 6. That they also are conjoined by means of appropria-
tions of the powers (vires) of the husbands by the wives. 7. From
which reasons it is evident that there is continually something of
the husband being transcribed into the wife, and inscribed on her
as her own. From all these considerations it follows, that the
image of the husband is formed in the wife; by virtue of which
image the wife perceives, sees, and feels the things which are in
her husband, in herself, and thus as it were herself in him. She
perceives from communication, sees from aspect, and feels from
the touch. That she feels the reception of her love by the husband
from the touch in the palms of her hands on the cheeks, the shoul-
ders, the hands, and the breasts, were revealed to me by the three
wives in the palace, and the seven wives in the garden of roses,
spoken of in the Memorable Relations (nos. 155, 208, 293 and
294).

174. XVI. THERE ARE DUTIES PROPER TO THE MAN, AND

DUTIES PROPER TO THE WIFE; AND THE WIFE CANNOT ENTER INTO
THE DUTIES PROPER TO THE MAN, NOR THE MAN INTO THE DUTIES
PROPER TO THE WIFE, AND PERFORM THEM RIGHTLY. That there

are duties proper to the man, and duties proper to the wife, has
no need of being illustrated by an enumeration of them, for they
are many and various: and any one can arrange them numerically
according to their genera .and species, if only he sets his mind to
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CONJUNCTION OF SOULS AND MINDS [175, 176

the task. The duties by means of which wives chiefly conjoin
themselves with their husbands, are, the education of the little
children of both sexes, and the girls till they are marriageable.

175. The reason why the wife cannot enter into the duties
proper to the man, and that, on the other hand, neither can the
man enter into the duties proper to the wife, is, that they differ
like wisdom and the love thereof, or like thoughts and the affec-
tion thereof, or like understanding and the will thereof. In the
duties proper to men, the understanding, thought, and wisdom
play the leading part; whereas in the duties proper to wives, the
will, affection, and love play the leading part; and the wife from
the latter performs her duties, and the man from the former per-
forms his; wherefore their duties are diverse from their very-
nature, but still conjunctive in a successive series. It is believed
by man that women can perform the duties of men, if only they
are initiated into them from the earliest age, as boys are. They
may indeed be initiated into the exercise of those duties, but not
into the judgment on which the right performance of the duties
inwardly depends. Wherefore, such women as have been initiated
into the duties of men, are obliged in matters of judgment to
consult men, and then, if they are left to their own disposal, they
select from the counsels of men that which suits their own love.
It is also supposed by some that women are equally capable of
elevating the sight of their understanding into the same sphere
of light as men, and of viewing things in the same height; and
they have been led into this opinion by the writings of certain
learned authoresses: but those writings when examined in the
spiritual world in the presence of the authoresses, were found to
be works not of judgment and wisdom, but of cleverness and elo-
quence; and works that proceed from these two qualities, on ac-
count of the elegance and neatness of the composition of style,
appear as if they were sublime and erudite, but only before those
who call all ingenuity wisdom. The reason why neither can men
enter into the duties proper to women, and perform them aright,
is, that they are not in die affections of women, which are quite
distinct from the affections of men. As the affections and percep-
tions of the masculine sex are thus discriminated by creation, and
consequently by nature, (from those of the feminine sex,) there-
fore among the statutes given to the sons of Israel there was also
this one : "There shall not be the garment of a man on a woman,
nor the garment of a woman on a man; because this is an abom-
ination" (Deut. xxii. 5) . The reason was, that all in the spiritual
world are clothed according to their affections; and the two affec-
tions, of the woman and of the man, cannot be united except be-
tween two, and in no case in one.

176. XVII. THESE DUTIES, ACCORDING TO MUTUAL AID, ALSO

CONJOIN THE TWO INTO ONE, AND AT THE SAME TIME CONSTITUTE

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177, 178] CONJUGIAL LOVE

ONE HOUSE. It is known in the natural world that the duties of
the husband conjoin themselves in some way with the duties of
the wife, and that the duties of the wife adjoin themselves to the
duties of the husband, and that these conjunctions and adjunctions
are a mutual aid, and that they are according to it. But the pri-
mary duties which confederate, consociate, and gather together
into one the souls and lives of two married partners, relate to the
common care of educating their children: in relation to which
care, the duties of the husband, and the duties of the wife are dis-
tinct, and at the same time conjoin themselves. They are distinct
because the care of the suckling, and the education of the little
children of both sexes, and also the care of the instruction of the
girls till they become marriageable, belongs to the special duty
of the wife ; whereas the care of the instruction of the boys, after
childhood to puberty, and after that till they become their own
masters, belongs to the special duty of the husband: nevertheless
the duties of the husband and the wife conjoin themselves by
means of counsel and support, and many other mutual aids. It
is known that those duties, both conjoined and distinct, or both
common and special, combine the lower minds (animi) of the
married partners into a one, and that this is effected by the love
called storge. It is also known that those duties, regarded in their
distinction and conjunction, constitute one house.

177. XVIII. MARRIED PARTNERS, ACCORDING TO THE ABOVE

MENTIONED CONJUNCTIONS, BECOME MORE AND MORE ONE MAN.

This coincides with what is contained in article VI., where it was
explained that conjunction is effected successively from the first
days of marriage, and that with those who are in truly conjugial
love, it is effected more and more inwardly to eternity; see above.
They become one man according to the increase of conjugial
love; and as that love in the heavens is genuine in consequence of
the celestial and spiritual life of the angels, therefore two married
partners are there called two, when they .are named husband and
wife, but one, when they are named angels.

178. XIX. THOSE WHO ARE IN TRULY CONJUGIAL LOVE, FEEL

THEMSELVES TO BE A UNITED MAN, AND AS IT WERE ONE FLESH.

That this is the case, must be confirmed not from the testimony
of any inhabitant of the earth, but from the testimony of the in-
habitants of heaven. For truly conjugial love does not exist with
men on earth at the present day: and moreover, men on earth are
encompassed with a gross body, which blunts and absorbs the
sensation that the two married partners are a united man, and as
it were one flesh: and besides, those in the world who love their
married partners only outwardly, and not inwardly, do not wish
to hear of such a thing: they also think on the subject lasciviously
from the flesh. It is otherwise with the angels of heaven, because
they are in spiritual and celestial conjugial love, and are not en-
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CONJUNCTION OF SOULS AND MINDS [179

compassed with so gross a body as the men of the earth. From
those among them who have lived for ages with their married
partners in heaven, I have heard it attested, that they feel them-
selves to be united thus, the husband with the wife, and the wife
with the husband, and each in the other mutually and in return,
as also in the flesh, although they are separate. The reason why
this phenomenon is so rare on earth, they said was this, that the
unition of the souls and minds of married partners on earth is
felt in their flesh, because the soul constitutes the inmosts not only
of the head, but also of the body; the mind likewise, which is in-
termediate between the soul and the body, and which, although it
appears to be in the head, is yet actually in the whole body also;
and they said that hence it is that the acts, which the soul and
mind intend, flow instantly from the body; and that hence also it
is, that they themselves, after the casting away of the body in the
former world, are perfect men. Now, since the soul and mind
adjoin themselves closely to the flesh of the body, in order that
they may operate and produce their effects, it follows that the
union of soul and mind with a married partner is felt also in the
body as one flesh. When these things had been said by the angels,
I heard it asserted by the spirits who were present, that such sub-
jects belong to angelic wisdom, and that they were transcenden-
tal; but those spirits were natural-rational, and not spiritual-
rational.

179. XX. TRULY CONJUGIAL LOVE CONSIDERED IN ITSELF, is A

UNION OF THE SOULS, A CONJUNCTION OF THE MINDS, AND AN EF-
FORT FOR CONJUNCTION IN THE BOSOMS, AND HENCE IN THE BODY.

That it is a union of the souls and a conjunction of the minds, see
above, no. 158. The reason why it is an effort for conjunction in
the bosoms is, that the bosom is as it were the forum of assembly,
and a royal council-chamber, and the body is as a populous city
around it. The reason why the bosom is as it were the forum of
assembly, is, that all things which are determined in the body
from the soul and mind, flow in first into the bosom; and the
reason why it is as it were a royal council-chamber, is, that in the
bosom there is dominion over all things of the body; for in the
bosom are the heart and lungs; and the heart reigns everywhere
by means of the blood, and the lungs by means of the respiration.
That the body is as a populous city around it, is evident. When
therefore the souls and minds of married partners are united, and
truly conjugial love unites them, it follows that this loving union
flows in into their bosoms, and through their bosoms into their
bodies, and causes an effort for conjunction; and so much the
more, because conjugial love determines the effort to its ultimates,
in order to complete its blissful pleasantnesses ; and as the bosom
is midway (between the body and the mind), it is evident whence
it is that conjugial love has fixed therein the seat of its delicate
sense.

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180-182] CONJUGIAL LOVE

180. XXI. THE STATES OF THIS LOVE ARE INNOCENCE, PEACE,

TRANQUILITY, INMOST FRIENDSHIP, FULL CONFIDENCE, AND A DESIRE
OF THE DISPOSITION AND OF THE HEART TO MAKE ALL GOOD
MUTUAL TO EACH OTHER; AND THE STATES ARISING FROM ALL
THESE ARE BLESSEDNESS, BLISSFULNESS, DEUGHTSOMENESS, AND

PLEASURE; AND FROM THE ETERNAL ENJOYMENT OF THESE is
HEAVENLY FELICITY. The reasons why all these things are in con-
jugial love, and hence are from it, are, that its origin is from the
marriage of good and truth, and this marriage is from the Lord;
and, that love is such that it desires to communicate with another
whom it loves from the heart, yea, to confer joys upon him, and
thence to derive its own joys. This therefore is the case infinitely
with the Divine love which is in the Lord in regard to man, whom
He created a receptacle of both love and wisdom proceeding from
Himself; and as He has created man (homo) for the reception of
those principles, the man (vir) for the reception of wisdom, and
the woman for the reception of the love of the man's wisdom,
therefore from the inmosts He has infused into human beings con-
jugial love, into which love He might bring together all things
blessed, blissful, delightful, and pleasurable, which proceed 'and
flow in, solely from His Divine love through His Divine wisdom
together with life; consequently, into those who are in truly con-
jugial love, for these alone are recipients. Mention is made of the
innocence, peace, tranquility, inmost friendship, full confidence,
and the desire of the disposition and of the heart to make all good
mutual to the other; for innocence and peace belong to the soul,
tranquility to the mind, inmost friendship to the breast, full con-
fidence to the heart, and the desire of the disposition and of the
heart to make all good mutual to the other, belongs to the body
from them.

181. XXII. THESE THINGS CAN BY NO MEANS EXIST EXCEPT IN

THE MARRIAGE OF ONE MAN WITH ONE WIFE. This is a Conclusion

from all that has been heretofore said, and also from all that re-
mains to be said hereafter; wherefore there is no need of any
particular comment for its confirmation.

182. To the above shall be added two Memorable Relations.
The first is this:

After some weeks, I heard a voice from heaven, saying, "Lo !
there is again an assembly on Parnassus: come hither and we will
show you the way."

I accordingly went ; and when I was near, I saw a certain per-
son on Helicon with a trumpet, with which he announced and pro-
claimed the assembly. And I saw the inhabitants of Athens and its
suburbs ascending as before; and in the midst of them three nov-
itiates from the natural world. They were all three from among
the Christians; one w,as a priest, another a politician, and the third
a philosopher. They amused these three novitiates on the way by
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CONJUNCTION OF SOULS AND MINDS [182

talking on various subjects, especially about the ancient wise men,
\\tiom they named. They asked whether they should see them, and
were told that they should see them, and that if they liked, they
might pay their respects to them, as they were affable.

They inquired about Demosthenes, Diogenes, and Epicurus;
and were answered, "Demosthenes is not here, but with Plato;
Diogenes, with his scholars, dwells beneath Helicon, because he
considers worldly things as nothing, and ponders only on heav-
enly things; Epicurus dwells in the border to the West, and- has
no intercourse with us, because we distinguish between good af-
fections and evil affections, and say, that good affections are to-
gether with wisdom, and evil affections are contrary to it."

When they had ascended the hill Parnassus, some guards
there brought water in crystal cups from a fountain in the mount,
and said, "This is water from a fountain in the mount," and said,
"This is water from the fountain of which the ancients fabled
that it was broken open by the hoof of the horse Pegasus, and
afterwards consecrated to the nine Virgins: but by the winged
horse Pegasus they meant the understanding of truth, by means of
which wisdom is procured; by the hoofs of his feet they meant
experiences, by means of which natural intelligence is procured;
and by the nine Virgins they meant Knowledges and sciences of
every kind. These things are now-a-days called fables: but they
were correspondences, according to which the primeval people
spoke."

Then those who accompanied the three strangers said, "Be not
surprised; the guards are instructed to speak thus; but we, by
drinking water from the fountain, mean being instructed concern-
ing truths, concerning goods, and thus becoming wise."

After this they entered the Palladium, and with them the
three novitiates from the world, the priest, the politician, and the
philosopher; and then the laureates, who were seated at the
tables, asked, "WHAT OF REGENERATION FROM THE NATURAL
STATE?"

They replied, "This is new ; that a certain person asserts TEaT
he converses with angels, and has his sight opened into the spirit-
ual world, equally as into the natural world; and he brings thence
many new facts, among which are the following: that a man
lives a man after death, as he lived before in the world; that he
sees, hears, speaks, as before in the world; that he is clothed and
adorned, as before in the world ; that he hungers and thirsts, eats
and drinks, as before in the world; that he enjoys the conjugial
delight, as before in the world; that he sleeps and wakes, as be-
fore in the world; that in the spiritual world there are lands and
lakes, mountains and hills, plains and valleys, fountains and
rivers, paradises and groves; also that there are palaces and
houses, cities and villages, as in the natural world; and further,
that there are writings and books, employments and trades; also'
precious stones, gold and silver: in a word, that there are all such

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182] CONJUGIAL LOVE

things there as there are on earth, and that those things in the
heavens are infinitely more perfect, -with this difference only, that
all the things which are in the spiritual world are from a spirit-
ual origin, and thus are spiritual, because they are from the sun
S$ . that .world, which is pure love: whereas all things which are
in the natural world are from a natural origin, and thus are nat-
ural and material, because they are from the sun of that world,
which is pure fire; in a word, that a man after death is perfectly
a man, yea more perfectly a man than before in the world; for
before in the world he was in a material body, but in the spiritual
world he is in a spiritual body."

Hereupon the ancient wise men asked, "What do they on the
earth think of those things?"

The three strangers replied, "We know that they are true, be-
cause we are here, and have examined and explored them all;
wherefore we will tell you what has been said and reasoned about
them on earth."

Then the PRIEST said, "'Those of our order, when they first
heard those things, called them visions, then inventions; after-
wards they said that the man had seen spectres, and lastly they
hesitated, and said, 'Believe them if you will; we have hitherto
taught that a man will not be in a body after death until the day
of die last judgment'."

Then they asked, "Are there no intelligent persons among
them, who are able to show and convince them of the Truth, that
a man lives a man after death?"

The priest said, "There are indeed some who prove it, but they
do not convince others. Those who prove it, say, 'that it is con-
trary to sound reason to believe, that a man does not live a man
till the day of the last judgment, and that in the meantime he is
a soul without a body. What is the soul, and where is it in the
meantime? Is it a breath, or some wind floating in the air, or
something hidden in the midst of the earth? Where is its habitat?
Have the souls of Adam and Eve, and of all their posterity, for
now six thousand years, or sixty ages, been floating about in the
universe, or kept shut up in the midst of the earth, waiting for
the last judgment? What can be more anxious and miserable than
such a waiting? May not their lot be compared with that of pris-
oners bound hand and foot, in prisons ? If such be a man's lot
after death, would it not be better to be born an ass than a man?
Is it not also contrary to reason to believe that the soul can be
re-clothed with its body? Is not the body eaten up by worms,
mice, and fish? And can a bony skeleton that has been parched
up by the sun, or that has mouldered into dust, be introduced into
a new body? And how could the cadaverous and putrid materials
be collected, and reunited to the souls?' When they hear such
questions as these, they do not offer any answers from reason, but
adhere to their creed, saying, 6 We hold reason captive under
obedience to faith.' With respect to the collecting of all the parts

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CONJUNCTION OF SOULS AND MINDS [182

of the human body from the grave at the day of the last judgment,
they say, This is the work of omnipotence; 7 and when they name
omnipotence and faith, reason is banished; and I can say, that
sound reason is then as nothing, and by some is regarded as a
spectre; yea, they can say to sound reason, "Thou art unsound,
or insane'."

On hearing these things, the Grecian wise men said, "Are not
such paradoxes dispersed of themselves, as being contradictory?
And yet now-a-days in the world they cannot be dispersed by
sound reason. What can be believed more paradoxical than what
is told respecting the last judgment: that the universe will then
be destroyed, and that the stars of heaven will then fall down
upon the earth, which is less than the stars; and that then the
bodies of men, whether they be carcasses, or mummies eaten by
men, or reduced to mere dust, will be united again with their
souls? When we were in the world, we believed in the immortal-
ity of the souls of men, on account of the inductions with which
reason furnished us ; and we also assigned regions for the blessed,
which we called the Elysian Fields; and we believed that souls
were human effigies or appearances, but of a fine and delicate
nature, because spiritual."

After this, the assembly turned to the other stranger, who in
the world had been a POLITICIAN. He confessed that he had not
believed in a life after death; and that "with regard to the new
facts which he had heard about it, he had thought they were fig-
ments and inventions. "When meditating on the subject," said he,
"I used to say to myself, 'How can souls be bodies? does not
the whole of man lie dead in the grave? is not the eye there;
how can he see? is not the ear there; how can he hear? whence
can he have a mouth wherewith to speak? If anything of a man
were to live after death, must it not resemble a spectre? and how
can a spectre eat and drink, or how can it enjoy the conjugial
delight? whence can it have clothes, houses, foods, and so on?
Besides, spectres, which are aerial effigies, appear as if they really
existed; and yet they do not.' These and similar thoughts I used
to entertain in the world about the life of men after death ; but
now, since I have seen all things, and touched them with my
hands, I have been convinced by my very senses that I am a man
as I was in the world; so that I know no other than that I live
now as I lived before; with this difference, that my reason now
is sounder. At times I have been ashamed of my former thoughts."

The PHILOSOPHER gave much the same account of himself;
only differing in this respect, that he had considered the new facts
which he had heard about a life after death, as being of the same
class as the opinions and hypotheses which he had collected from
the ancients and moderns.

The Sophi, on hearing these things, were amazed; and those
who were of the Socratic school, said, that from these new
things from the earth, they perceived that the interiors of human

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183] CONJUGIAL LOVE

minds had been successively closed; and that in the world at the
present time the faith of falsity shines as Truth, and a fatuous
ingenuity as wisdom; and that the light of wisdom, since their
times, has descended from the interiors of the brain into the
mouth beneath the nose, where it appears to the eyes as a shining
of the lip, while the speech of the mouth proceeding thence ap-
pears as wisdom.

Hereupon one of the young scholars said, "How stupid are
the minds of the inhabitants of the earth at the present day! I
wish we had here the disciples of Heraclitus, who weep at every-
thing, and of Democritus, who laugh at everything; for then we
should hear much weeping and much laughter."

When the assembly broke up, they gave the three novitiates
from the earth some insignia of their authority, which were thin
copper plates, on which were engraved some hieroglyphics; with
which they departed.

183. The second Memorable Relation:

There appeared to me in the eastern quarter a grove of palm
trees and laurels, set in spiral gyres. I approached and entered,
and walked in the paths which described several spiral windings,
and at the end of the ways I saw a garden, which formed the
center of the grove. There was a little bridge dividing the grove
from the garden, and at the bridge was a gate on the side next
the grove, and a gate on the side next the garden. I drew near,
and the gates were opened by the keeper. I asked him the name
of the garden, and he said, "ADRAMANDONI, that is, the delight of
conjugial love."

I entered, and lo! there were olive trees; and between olive
tree and olive tree there were running and pensile vines, and under-
neath and among them were little trees in flower. In the midst of
the garden was a grassy circus, on which were seated husbands
and wives, and young men and maidens, in pairs ; and in the midst
of the circus was an elevated piece of ground, where there was a
little fountain, which, from the strength of its spring, leapt high.
When I was near the circus I saw two angels in crimson and scar-
Jet, speaking with those who were seated on the grass. They were
i speaking about the origin of conjugial love, and .about its delights;
and as they were speaking about that love, the attention was eager,
and the reception full ; and hence there was an exaltation as from
the fire of love in the conversation of the angels.

I collected the following summary of what was said. They
spoke first about the difficult investigation and the difficult percep-
tion of the origin of conjugial love; bepause its origin is Divine
celestial, for it is th#<Divine love, the? JDivine wisdom, and the
Divine use; which three pr-Qrefid ft s ft " nft f thp T^nr^ and hp>np.ft
flow in as a one intojjbe^spuls of , human being$,..and through their
JmSTsfrnto their jmnds, and there into the interior affections arid
thoughts, and'tKrbugh these into the desires next to the body, and
1 164

CONJUNCTION OF SOULS AND MINDS [183

from these through the breast into the genital region, where all the
things derived from the origin are together, and, together with
their successive things, constitute conjugial love.

After this the angels said, '"Let us communicate together by
questions and answers ; since the perception of a thing, imbibed by
hearing only, does indeed flow in, but does not remain, unless the
hearer also thinks of it from himself, and asks questions about it."

Then some of that conjugial company said to the angels, "We
have heard that the origin of conjugial love is Divine celestial,
because it is by virtue of influx from the Lord into the souls of
men ; and as it is from the Lord, that it is love, wisdom, and use,
which are the three essentials which together make one Divine es-
sence, and that nothing but what is of the Divine essence can pro-
ceed from Him and flow in into the inmost of man, which is called
his soul ; and that these three essentials are turned into analogous
and corresponding things in their descent into the body. We there-
fore now ask, first, What is meant by the third proceeding Divine
essential, which is called use?"

The angels replied, "Lorve-and^wtsdcim, without use* are merely
.abstract ideas of thought, which also after some continuance in the
mind pass away like the winds: but in use they are collected to-
gether, and therein become a one, which is called a real thing.
Love cannot rest unless it is doing something ; for love is the very
activity of life ; neither can wisdom exist and subsist, except when
it is doing something from love and with love, and doing is use:
wherefore we define use to be the doing good from love by means
of wisdom; use is good itself. As these three, love, wisdom, and
use, flow in into the souls of men, it may be manifest whence it is
that it is said, that all good is from God; for everything done
from love by means of wisdom is called good; and use also is
something done. What is love without wisdom but a mere infatua-
tion? and what is love with wisdom without use, but a state of
mind? Whereas love and wisdom with use not only constitute
man, but also are man; yea, what possibly you will be surprised
at, they propagate man; for in the seed of man (vir) is his soul
in a perfect human form, covered with substances from the purest
things of nature, out of which the body (corpus) is formed in the
womb of the mother. This use is the supreme and ultimate use of
Divine love by Divine wisdom."

Finally the angels said, "This must be the conclusion, that all
fructification, all propagation, and all prolification come originally
of the immediate influx of love, wisdom, and use from the Lord
into the souls of men, of mediate influx into the souls of animals,
and still more mediate into the inmosts of vegetables; and all
these effects are wrought in ultimates by the primes. JiJsj^lain
^tfructifications, propagations, and prolifications are continuaj;
Uftns of creafthw; for creation cannot be from any other source
"than from Divine love through Divine wisdom in Divine use;
wherefore all things in the universe are procreated and formed

165

183] CON/UGIAL LOVE

from use, in use, and for use."

Afterwards those that were sitting on the grassy banks asked
the angels, "Whence are the delights of conjugial love, which are
innumerable and ineffable?" The angels answered, "They are
from the uses of love and wisdom, and this may be seen from the
fact that in so far as one loves to be wise for the sake of genuine
use he is in the vein and potency of conjugial love, and in so far
as he is in these two he is in delights. Use effects this, because
love and wisdom delight each in the other, and they play as it
were like little children (innocences), and as they grow up, they
enter into genial conjunction. This is as if by betrothals, nuptials,
marriages, and propagations; and these continue with variety to
eternity. These things take place between love and wisdom in-
wardly in use; but these delights in their beginnings are imper-
ceptible, but become perceptible more and more as they descend
thence by degrees and enter the body. They enter through degrees,
from the soul into the interiors of man's mind, from these into its
exteriors, thence into the inmost bosom, and from this into the
regionem genitalem. Yet these heavenly nuptial sports in the soul
are not in the least perceived by man (homo) ; but they insinuate
themselves thence into the interiors of the mind, under the form
of peace and innocence; and into the exteriors of the mind in the
form of blessedness, pleasantness, and joy; but into the inmost
bosom under the form of the delights of inmost friendship; and
into the regione genitali by influx continuous even from the soul,
with the very sense of conjugial love, as the delight of delights.
These nuptial sports of love and wisdom in use in the soul, in pro-
ceeding towards the inmost bosom become enduring, and in that
bosom present themselves sensibly under an infinite variety of
delights; and by virtue of the wonderful communication of the
inmost bosom with the regione genitali, these delights become there
delights of conjugial love, which are exalted above all delights
that are in heaven and in the world, for the reason that the use of
conjugial love is the most excellent of all uses, because therefrom
comes the procreation of the human race, and from the human
race the angelic heaven. 5 '

To this the angels added, "That they who are not in the love
of becoming wise from the Lord for the sake of use, know nothing
of the variety of delights innumerable, which come of love truly
conjugial. For with those that do not love to become wise from
genuine truths, but love to be in insanity from falsities, and
through this insanity do evil uses from some love, with such the
way to the soul is closed; whence it results that the heavenly
nuptial sports of love and wisdom in the soul intercepted more
and more, cease, and together with them conjugial love, with its
vein, its potency, and its delights."

To this the hearers responded, "That they perceived that con-
jugial love is according to the love of becoming wise for the sake
of use, from the Lord." The angels replied, "So it is." And then
166

CONJUNCTION OF SOULS AND MINDS [183

upon the heads of some of them appeared there chaplets of flowers;
and on their asking, "Why is this?" the angels said, "Because they
have understood more profoundly." Then they departed from the
garden, and the latter in the midst of them.

167

THE CHANGE OF THE STATE OF LIFE

(WHICH TAKES PLACE) WITH MEN AND WOMEN

BY MEANS OF MARRIAGE.

184. What is meant by states of life, and their changes, is very
well known to the learned and wise, but unknown to the unlearned
and the simple ; wherefore something shall be prefaced on the sub-
ject The state of a man's life is its quality; and as there are in
every man two faculties which constitute his life, and which are
called the understanding and the will, the state of a man's life is
its quality as to the understanding and the will. Hence it is evident,
that by the changes of the state of life are meant changes of quality
as to the things which belong to the understanding, and as to the
things which belong to the will. That every man is continually
changing as to those two, but with a difference of the varieties be-
fore marriage and after it, is the point undertaken to be proved in
this section; which shall be done in the following order:

I. The state of a man's life from infancy even to the end of his
life., and afterwards to eternity, is continually changing.

II. A man's internal form, which is that of his spirit, is like-
wise continually changing.

III. These changes are different with men (viri) from what
they are with women; since men from creation are forms of knowl-
edge^ intelligence, and wisdom., and women are forms of the love
of those things with men.

IV. With men there is an elevation of the mind into a higher
light, and with women an elevation of the mind into a higher heat;
and the woman feels the delights of her heat in the man's light.

V. With both men and women, the states of life before mar-
riage are different from what they are after marriage.

VI. With married partners the states of life after marriage are
changed and succeed each other according to the conjunctions of
their minds by means of conjugial love.

VII. Marriage also induces other forms on the souls and minds
of married partners.

VIII. The woman is actually formed into the wife of the man
according to the description in the Book of the Creation.

IX. This 'formation is effected by the wife by secret means;
and this is meant by the woman being created while the man slept.

X. This formation by the wife is effected by means of the con-
junction of her own will with the internal will of the man. *

XL This is for the sake of the end that, the will of both of
them may become one* and that thus they both may become one
man (homo).
168

THE CHANGE OF THE STATE OF LIFE [185

XII. This formation by the wife is effected by means of the
appropriation of the affections of the husband.

XIIL This formation by the wife is effected by means of the
reception of the propagations of the soul of the husband, with the
delight originating from the circumstance that she wills to be the
love by her husband's wisdom.

XIV. Thus a maiden is formed into a wife, and a bachelor into
a husband.

XV. In the marriage of one man (vir) with one wife., between
whom there exists truly conjugial love, the wife becomes more and
more a wife, and the husband more and more a husband.

XVI. Thus also their forms are successively being perfected
and ennobled from the Interior.

XVII. The offspring born of two who are in truly conju-
gial love, derive from their parents the conjugial principle of good
and truth; whence they have the inclination and faculty, if a son,
for perceiving the things which belong to wisdom., and if a
daughter, for loving the things which wisdom teaches.

XVIII. This happens because the soul of the offspring is from
the father, (the Lord), and its clothing from the mother.

Now follows the explanation of these articles.

185. I. THE STATE OF A MAN'S LIFE FROM INFANCY EVEN TO

THE END OF HIS LIFE, AND AFTERWARDS TO ETERNITY, IS CONTIN-
UALLY BEING CHANGED. The general states of man's life are called
infancy, childhood, youth, manhood, and old age. That every
man whose life is continued in the world, successively passes from
one state into another, thus from the first to .the last, is known.
The transitions into those ages only hecome apparent by the inter-
vening spaces of time: that nevertheless they are progressive from
one moment to another, thus continual, is seen by reason ; for the
case is similar with a man as with a tree, which grows and in-
creases every instant of time, even the most minute, from the
casting of the seed into the earth. These momentary progressions
are also changes of state; for the subsequent adds something to
the antecedent, which perfects the state. The changes which take
place in a man's internals, are more perfectly continuous than
those which take place in his externals ; because a man's internals,
by which are meant the things which belong to his mind or spirit,
are elevated in a higher degree above his externals; and in those
things which are in a higher degree, a thousand things take place
in the same instant in which one thing takes place in the exter-
nals. The changes which take place in the internals are changes
of the state of the will as to the affections, and the state of the
understanding as to the thoughts. The successive changes of state
of the latter and of the former are specifically meant in the prop-
osition. The reason why the changes of state of these two lives
or faculties are perpetual with every man from infancy even to
the end of his life, and afterwards to eternity, is, that there is no

169

186, 187] CONJUGIAL LOVE

end to knowledge, still less to intelligence, and least of all to
wisdom; for there are infinity and eternity in the extent of them
by virtue of the Infinite and Eternal, from Whom they are. Hence
comes the philosophical axiom of the ancients, that everything is
divisible to infinity; to which must be added that it is likewise so
multiplicable. The angels assert, that they are being perfected in
wisdom by the Lord to eternity, which also means to infinity, be-
cause eternity is the infinity of time.

186. II. A MAN'S INTERNAL FORM, WHICH is THAT OF HIS
SPIRIT, is LIKEWISE CONTINUALLY CHANGING. The reason why this
form is continually changing as the state of the man's life is
changed, is, that nothing exists except in form; and state induces
that form ; wherefore it is the same thing whether it be said that
the state of a man's life is changed, or that his form is changed.
All a man's affections and thoughts are in forms, and therefore
are according to forms ; for forms are their subjects. If affections
and thoughts were not in subjects which were formed, they might
exist also in skulls empty of the brain; which would be the same
thing as to suppose sight without the eye, hearing without the ear,
and taste without the tongue. It is known that these organs are
the subjects of these senses, and that these subjects are forms.
The reason why the state of life, and thus the form, with a man,
is continually changing is, that it is a Truth which the wise have
taught and still teach, that there does not exist a sameness, or ab-
solute identity of two things, still less of several ; as there are not
two human faces the same, and still less than several. The case is
similar in successive things, in that no subsequent state of life is
the same as a preceding one; whence it follows, that there is a per-
petual change of the state of life with man, consequently also a
perpetual change of form, especially of his internals. But since
these considerations do not teach anything about marriages, but
only prepare the way for Knowledges concerning them, and since
also they are mere philosophical inquiries of the understanding,
which, with some persons, are difficult of perception, therefore,
after these few remarks, they shall be passed by,

187. III. THESE CHANGES ARE DIFFERENT WITH MEN (viri)

FROM WHAT THEY ARE WITH WOMEN; SINCE MEN FROM CREATION
ARE FORMS OF KNOWLEDGE, INTELLIGENCE, AND WISDOM; AND
WOMEN ARE THE FORMS OF THE LOVE OF THOSE THINGS WITH

MEN. That men have been created forms of the understanding,
and that women have been created forms of the love of the un-
derstanding of men, may be seen explained above, no. 90. That
the changes of state, which succeed both with men and women
from infancy to mature age, are for rendering the forms com-
plete or perfect, the intellectual form with men, and the voluntary
form with women, follows as a consequence: hence it is clear,
that the changes with men are different from those with women;
170

THE CHANGE OF THE STATE OF LIFE [188

nevertheless with both, the external form which is that of the
body, is completed or perfected according to the completion or
perfection of the internal form which is that of the mind; for the
mind acts upon the body, and not contrariwise. This is the reason
why infants in heaven become men of stature and comeliness ac-
cording to the increase of intelligence with them; it is otherwise
with infants on earth, because they are encompassed with a
material body like the animals: nevertheless they agree in this,
that they first grow in inclination to such things as allure their
bodily senses, and afterwards by little and little to such things as
affect the internal thinking sense, and by degrees to such things as
imbue the will with affection; and when they arrive at an age
which is midway between mature and immature age, the conjugial
inclination is added, which is that of a maiden for a bachelor, and
of a bachelor for a maiden; and, since maidens in the heavens,
equally as those on earth, from an innate prudence conceal their
inclinations to marriage, the bachelors there know no otherwise
than that they affect the maidens with love; and this also appears
to them in consequence of their masculine eagerness; but this
also they derive from an influx of love from the beautiful sex,
which influx will be specially treated of elsewhere. From these
considerations is manifest the Truth of the proposition that the
changes of state with men are different from those with women;
since men from creation are forms of knowledge, intelligence, and
wisdom, and women are forms of the love of those things with
men.

188. IV. WITH MEN THERE is AN ELEVATION OF THE MIND

INTO A HIGHER LIGHT, AND WITH WOMEN AN ELEVATION OF THE
MIND INTO A HIGHER HEAT; AND THE WOMAN FEELS THE DELIGHTS

OF HER HEAT IN THE MAN'S LIGHT. By the light into which men
are elevated, is meant intelligence and wisdom, because spiritual
light, which proceeds from the sun of the spiritual world, which
in its essence is love, acts in equality or unity with those two ; and
by the heat into which women are elevated, is meant conjugial
love, because spiritual heat, which proceeds from the sun of that
world, in its essence is love, and with women it is love conjoining
itself with the intelligence and wisdom in men; which love in its
complex is called conjugial love, and by determination becomes
that love. It is said, elevation into a higher light and heat, be-
cause it is an elevation into the light and heat in which the angels
of the higher heavens are. There is also an actual elevation, as
from a mist into the air, and from a lower region of the air into
a higher one, and from this into the ether; wherefore the eleva-
tion into a higher light with men is elevation into a higher intelli-
gence, and from this into wisdom; into which also there is a
higher and a still higher elevation. But the elevation into a higher
heat with women is an elevation into a chaster and purer conju-
gial love, and continually towards the conjugial principle, which

189-191] CON1UGIAL LOVE

from creation is latent in their inmosts. These elevations, consid-
ered in themselves, are openings of the mind; for the human
mind is distinguished into regions, just as the world is distin-
guished into regions as to the atmospheres, of which the lowest is
watery, the higher is aerial, and still higher one is ethereal, above
which there is also the highest; into similar regions the mind of
man (homo] is elevated as it is opened, with men (viri) by
means of wisdom, and with women by means of truly conjugial
love.

189. It is said that the woman feels the delights of her heat in
the light of man (vir] ; but this means that the woman feels the
delights of her love in the wisdom of the man, because this wis-
dom is the receptacle; and wherever love finds a receptacle cor-
responding to itself, it is in its own delightsomenesses and de-
lights: but it is not meant that heat with its light is delighted
outside of forms, but within them; and spiritual heat is delighted
with spiritual light in forms in a greater degree, because those
forms by virtue of wisdom and love are vital, and thus susceptible.
This may be illustrated to some extent by what are called the
sports of heat with light in the subjects of the vegetable kingdom:
outside of the subjects of the vegetable kingdom there is only a
simple conjunction of heat and light, but within them there is as
it were a sporting of the one with the other, because there they are
in forms or receptacles; for they pass through them through won-
derful windings, and in the inmosts therein they aspire towards
the use of bearing fruit, and also breathe forth their pleasant-
nesses far and wide into the air, which they fill with fragrance.
The deliciation of spiritual heat with spiritual light is still more
vividly experienced in human forms, in which spiritual heat is
conjugial love, and spiritual light is wisdom.

190. V. WITH BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, THE STATES OF LIFE

BEFORE MARRIAGE ARE DIFFERENT FROM WHAT THEY ARE AFTER

MARRIAGE. Before marriage, there are two states with both sexes,
one previous to the inclination towards marriage, and the other
subsequent to it. The changes of both these states, and the conse-
quent formations of the minds, proceed in succedaneous order
according to their continual increase; but there is not room here
to describe these changes, for they are various and diverse in their
several subjects. The inclinations to marriage, previous to mar-
riage, are merely imaginative in the mind, and they become more
and more sensible in the body; but the states of those inclinations
after marriage are states of conjunction and also of prolification,
which, it is evident, differ from the former states as the carrying
out into effect differs from the intention.

191. VI. WlTH MARRIED PARTNERS THE STATES OF LIFE AFTER
MARRIAGE ARE CHANGED AND SUCCEED EACH OTHER ACCORDING TO

172

THE CHANGE OF THE STATE OF LIFE [192

THE CONJUNCTIONS OF THEIR MINDS BY MEANS OF CONJUGIAL LOVE.

The reason why changes of the state and the successions thereof
after marriage, with both the man and the wife, are according to
conjugial love with them, and thus are either conjunctive or dis-
junctive of their minds, is. that conjugial love is not only various,
but also diverse with married partners. It is various with those
who love each other inwardly; for with these it has its intermis-
sions, although inwardly in its heat it is regular and permanent.
But that love is diverse with those married partners who love each
other only outwardly; with these its intermissions do not arise
from similar causes, but from alternate cold and heat. The reason
of these differences is, that with the latter the body plays the
leading part, and its ardour spreads itself around, and forces into
communion with itself the lower parts of the mind; but with the
former who love each other inwardly, the mind plays the leading
part, and draws the body into communion with it. It appears as
though love ascends from the body into the soul, because as soon
as the body catches the allurement, it enters through the eyes, as
through doors, into the mind, and thus through the sight, as
through an outer court, into the thoughts, and instantly into the
love: but still it descends from the mind, and acts into the lower
parts according to their arrangement or disposition; wherefore a
lascivious mind acts lasciviously, and a chaste mind chastely ; and
the latter disposes oftha b&dy., butjhe former is disposed by the body^

192. VII. MARRIAGE ALSO INDUCES OTHER FORMS ON THE
SOULS AND MINDS OF THE MARRIED PARTNERS. That marriage in-
duces other forms on the souls and minds, cannot be observed in
the natural world, because in that world souls and minds are en-
compassed with a material body, through which the mind rarely
shines. The men also of this age, more than the Ancients, learn
from their infancy to induce expressions of their faces, whereby
they deeply conceal the effections of the mind; and this is the
reason why the forms of the minds as to their quality before
marriage, and as to their quality after it, are not known and dis-
tinguished. Nevertheless, that the forms of the souls and the
minds differ after marriage from what they were before it, ap-
pears manifestly from the same in the spiritual world; for they
are then spirits and angels, who are nothing else than minds and
souls in a human form, stripped of their outward coverings, which
were composed of watery and earthly elements, and of aerial
exhalations thence arising; and when these are cast off, the forms
of the minds are plainly seen, such as they had been inwardly in
their bodies ; and then it is clearly seen that those forms are dif-
ferent with those who live in marriage, from the forms with those
who do not. In general, married partners have an interior come-
liness of face, for the man derives from the wife the lovely red-
ness of her love, and the wife from the man the bright lustre of
his wisdom; for two married partners in the spiritual world are

173

193] CONJUGIAL LOVE

united as to their souls; and moreover there appears in both a
human fullness. This is the case in heaven, because there are no
marriages anywhere else; beneath heaven there are only connu-
bial connections, which are alternately made and broken off.

193. VIII. THE WOMAN is ACTUALLY FORMED INTO A WIFE,

ACCORDING TO THE DESCRIPTION IN THE BOOK OF THE CREATION.
In this Book it is said, that the woman was created out of the rib
of the man (vir), and that the man said, when she was brought to
him, "This is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; and she
shall be called woman (Hebrew Ishshah), because she was taken
out of man (Ish)" (chapter ii. 21-23). By a rib of the breast, in
the Word, nothing else is signified, in the spiritual sense, than
natural truth. This is signified by the ribs which the bear carried
between his teeth (Dan. vii. 5) ; for bears signify those who read
the Word in the natural sense, and see truths therein without un-
derstanding. By the breast of the man (vir) is signified that es-
sential and peculiar quality which is distinguished from the
breast of the woman; that it is wisdom, see above, no 187; for
truth supports wisdom as the ribs support the breast. These things
are signified because the breast is that part in which all things of
man (homo) are as in their centre. From these considerations it
is manifest that the woman was created out of the man (vir) by
the transcription of his own peculiar wisdom, that is, (she was
created) out of natural truth; and that the love of this was trans-
ferred from the man into the woman, in order that it might be-
come conjugial love; and that this was done in order that in the
man there might not be the love of self but the love of his wife.
For the wife, by reason of her innate disposition, cannot do other-
wise than convert the love of self with the man into his love for
herself; and I have been informed, that this is effected by virtue
of the wife's love itself, neither the man nor his wife being con-
scious of it. Hence it is that no one can ever love his married
partner conjugially who is in the conceit of his own intelligence
from the love of self. When this arcanum of the creation of the
woman from the man is understood, it can then be seen,' that the
woman is likewise as it were created or formed from the man in
marriage; and that this is done by the wife, or rather through the
wife by the Lord, who has infused into women the inclinations to
do so. For the wife receives into herself the image of the man,
by appropriating his affections to herself (see above no. 173),
and by conjoining the man's internal will with her own, of which
something shall be said below; and also by appropriating to her-
self the propagations of his soul, of which also something shall be
said below. From these considerations it is evident, that, accord-
ing to the description in the Book of Creation, inwardly under-
stood, a woman is formed into a wife by means of such things as
she takes out of her husband and his breast, and inscribes on
herself.
174

THE CHANGE OF THE STATE OF LIFE [194, 195

194. IX. THIS FORMATION IS EFFECTED BY THE WIFE BY
SECRET MEANS: AND THIS IS MEANT BY THE WOMAN BEING CREATED

WHILE THE MAN SLEPT. It is read in the Book of the Creation
that Jehovah God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, so that
he fell asleep ; and that He then took on of his ribs, and built it
into a woman (chap. ii. 21, 22). That by the Man's sleep, and
falling asleep is signified his entire ignorance that his wife is
formed and as it were created from him, is evident, from what
was shown in the preceding chapter, and also from the innate
prudence and circumspection of wives not to divulge anything
about their love or about their assumption of the affections of the
man's life, and thus about the transcription of his wisdom into
themselves. That this is effected by the wife without the husband's
knowledge, and while he is as it were sleeping, thus by secret
means, is evident from what was explained above, nos. 166-168;
where also it is clearly shown, that the prudence for doing this
was implanted in women from creation, and consequently from
birth, for reasons which are necessities, in order that conjugial
love, friendship, and confidence, and thus the blessedness of
dwelling together, and the happiness of life, may be secured;
wherefore, in order that this might be properly effected, it was
enjoined on the man that he should leave his father and mother
and cleave to his wife (Gen. ii, 24; Matt. xix. 4, 5). By the
father and mother whom the man (vir) is to leave, in the spirit-
ual sense is meant his proprium of will and proprium of under-
standing; and the proprium of a man's (homo) will consists in
loving himself, and the proprium of his understanding consists in
loving his own wisdom; and by cleaving (to his wife) is signified
devoting himself to the love of his wife. That those two propria
are deadly evils to the man (vir) if they remain with him; and
that the love of those two propria is changed into conjugial love,
in proportion as the man cleaves to his wife, that is, receives her
love, see above, no. 193, and elsewhere. That by sleeping is signi-
fied being in ignorance and unconcern; that by the father and
the mother are signified the two propria of a man (homo), the
one of the will, and the other of the understanding: and that by
cleaving is signified devoting oneself to the love of any one, can
be abundantly confirmed from other passages in the Word; but
this is not the place for that purpose.

195. X. THIS FORMATION BY THE WIFE IS EFFECTED BY MEANS
OF THE CONJUNCTION OF HER OWN WILL WITH THE INTERNAL WILL

OF THE MAN. That with the man (vir) there are rational wisdom
and moral wisdom, and that the wife conjoins herself with those
things which belong to the moral wisdom with the man, see above,
nos. 163-165. Those things w^idauJbelQn^ to Jthe_ rational wisdom
^opatitn te T T tjh ft manji^ understanding, and tEose ^13TTeTohg"tb
r aafc*^W^^ The wife conjoins herself with

those things "which conslitulfc fhe ' man's will. Whether it be said

175

196-198] CO\JL"CIAL LOVE

that the wife conjoins herself, or that she conjoins her will with
the man's will, it is the same thing, because the wife is born
voluntary, or of the uill, and consequently, what she does she
does from the will. The reason why it is said that she conjoins
herself with the internal will of the man, is that the will of the
man resides in his understanding or intellect: and the Intellectual
of the man is the inmost of the woman, according to what was
stated above concerning the formation of the woman from the
man, no. 32, and in many other subsequent numbers. Men (viri)
have also an external will; but this frequently derives its quality
from simulation and dissimulation. This will the wife sees through;
but she does not conjoin herself with it, except feignedly or in
sport.

196. XL THIS is FOR THE SAKE OF THE END, THAT THE WILL

OF BOTH OF THEM MAY BECOME ONE, AND THAT THUS THEY BOTH

MAY BECOME ONE MAN (homo) : for he who conjoins to himself
the will of another, also conjoins to himself his understanding;
for the understanding considered in itself is nothing else than the
minister and servant of the will. That this is the case, appears
evidently from the affection of love, which moves the understand-
ing to think as it directs. Every affection of love belongs to the
will; for what a man loves that he also wills. From these con-
siderations it follows, that he w r ho conjoins to himself the will of
a man conjoins to himself the whole man. Hence it is, that it is
implanted in the wife's love to unite the will of her husband to
her own will; for thus the wife becomes the husband's, and the
husband the wife's; thus they both become one man.

197. XII. THIS FORMATION (BY THE WIFE) is EFFECTED BY

MEANS OF THE APPROPRIATION OF THE AFFECTIONS OF THE

HUSBAND. This article agrees with the two preceding, because
affections belong to the will; for affections, which are nothing
else than derivations of the love, form the will, and make and
compose it; ^uiJliese-aSejcJions,. with, men .(uzri). are in the-uftder-
^tarwiing, wfagreas with women they .are in the will.

198. XIII. THIS FORMATION (BY THE WIFE) is EFFECTED BY

MEANS OF THE RECEPTION OF THE PROPAGATIONS OF THE SOUL OF
THE HUSBAND, WITH THE DELIGHT ORIGINATING FROM THE CIRCUM-
STANCE THAT SHE WILLS TO BE THE LOVE OF HER HUSBAND'S

WISDOM. This coincides with what was explained above, nos. 172,
173, wherefore further explanation is dispensed with. The con-
jugial delights with wives derive their origin from no other source
than the circumstance that they are willing to be one with their
husbands, as good is one with truth in the spiritual marriage.
That conjugial love descends from this spiritual marriage, has
been proved in detail in the chapter on that subject. Hence it may
be seen, as in effigy, that the wife conjoins the man with herself,
176

THE CHANGE OF THE STATE OF LIFE [199, 200

as good conjoins truth with itself; and that the man conjoins him-
self reciprocally with the uife. according to the reception of her
love in himself, even as truth conjoins itself reciprocally with
good, according to the reception of good in itself; and that thus
the love of the wife forms itself by means of the wisdom of the
husband, even as good forms itself by means of truth; for truth
is the form of good. From these considerations it is also evident
that conjugial delights exist with the wife, principally on account
of her being willing to be one with her husband, consequently on
account of her being willing to be the love of her husband's
wisdom ; for then she is sensible to the delights of her own heat in
the man's light according to what was explained in Article IV.
no. 188.

199. XIV. THUS A MAIDEN IS FORMED INTO A WIFE, AND A

BACHELOR INTO A HUSBAND. This flows as a consequence from
what has been said above in this and the foregoing chapter about
the conjunction of married partners into one flesh. A maiden
becomes or is made a wife, because in a wife there are elements
taken out of the husband, and thus additional, which were not
previously in her as a maiden. A bachelor also becomes, or is
made a husband, because in a husband there are elements taken
out of the wife which exalt his capacity for receiving love and
wisdom, and which were not previously in him as a bachelor.
But this is the case with those who are in truly conjugial love.
That tjiese are among those who feel themselves a united man,
and as it were one flesh, may be seen in the preceding chapter,
no. 178. From these considerations it is evident, that with females
maidenhood is changed into wifehood, and with men (viri) the
bachelor state is changed into the marital state. That this is the
case, was confirmed to me in the spiritual world by the following
experience: Some men (viri) asserted, that conjunction with a
female before marriage is like conjunction with a wife after
marriage. On hearing this, the wives were very indignant, and
said, "There is no likeness at all between the two cases. The
difference between them is like that between what is fancied and
what is* real." Hereupon the men retorted, "Are you not females
as before?" To this the wives replied with a louder voice, "We
are not females, but wives; you are in fancied and not in real
love; wherefore you talk fancifully." Then the men said, "If you
are not females, still you are married women": and they replied,
"In the first states of marriage we were married women; but now
we 'are wives."

200. XV. IN THE MARRIAGE OF ONE MAN (VIR) WITH ONE WIFE,
BETWEEN WHOM THERE EXISTS TRULY CONJUGIAL LOVE, THE WIFE
BECOMES MORE AND MORE A WIFE, AND THE HUSBAND MORE AND

MORE A HUSBAND. That truly conjugial love conjoins two more
and more into one man (homo), see above, nos. 178, 179; and as

177

201.202] COMUGIAL LOVE

a wife becomes a wife from and according to conjunction with the
husband, and in like manner the husband with the wife; and as
truly conjugial love lasts to eternity, it follows, that the wife
becomes more and more a wife, and the husband more and more
a husband. The true reason of this is, that in a marriage of truly
conjugial love each married partner becomes continually a more
interior man (homo). For that love opens the interiors of their
minds; and in the proportion in which these are opened the man
becomes more and more a man; and becoming more a man
(homo) in the case of the wife means becoming more a wife, and
in the case of the husband it means becoming more a husband.
I have heard from the angels, that the wife becomes more and
more a wife in proportion as the husband becomes more and more
a husband, but not contrariwise; because it rarely, if ever, happens
that a chaste wife is wanting in love to her husband, but that the
husband is wanting in a return of love to his wife; and that this
return of love is wanting on account of his having no elevation of
wisdom, which alone receives the love of the wife; concerning this
wisdom see above, nos. 130, 163-165. These things however they
said in relation to marriages on earth.

201. XVI. THUS ALSO THEIR FORMS ARE SUCCESSIVELY BEING

PERFECTED AND ENNOBLED FROM THE INTERIOR. The most perfect

and noble human form exists when two forms become one form
by means of marriage; thus when two fleshes become one flesh,
according to the creation. That the mind of the man (vir) is then
elevated into a higher light and the mind of the wife into a higher
heat, and that then they bud, and bear flowers and fruits, like trees
in springtime, see above, nos. 188, 189. That from the ennobling
of this form are born noble fruits, which in the heavens are
spiritual, and on earth natural, will be seen in the following
article.

202. XVIL THE OFFSPRING BORN OF TWO WHO ARE IN TRULY

CONJUGIAL LOVE, DERIVE FROM THEIR PARENTS THE CONJUGIAL
PRINCIPLE OF GOOD AND TRUTH; WHENCE THEY HAVE THE IN-
CLINATION AND FACULTY, IF A SON, FOR PERCEIVING THE THINGS
WHICH BELONG TO WISDOM, AND IF A DAUGHTER, FOR LOVING THE

THINGS WHICH WISDOM TEACHES. That the offspring derive from
their parents inclinations for such things as had been objects of
the love and life of the parents, is a truth perfectly well known
from history in general, and experience in particular. But that
they do not derive or inherit from their parents the affections
themselves, and thus the lives of their parents, but only inclina-
tions, and also faculties for those affections, has been demon-
strated by the wise in the spiritual world; concerning whom, see
the two Memorable Relations adduced above. That the posterity,
in consequence of innate inclinations, if they are not broken, are
led into affections, thoughts, speech, and lives, similar to those of
178

THE CHANGE OF THE STATE OF LIFE [203,204

in the land of Canaan, and at the time of the Lord; and this
the present day are like their fathers in Egypt, in the wilderness,
their parents, is clearly evident from the Jewish nation, who at
likeness is not confined to their minds only, but extends to their
faces; for who does not know a Jew by his look? The case is the
same with the offspring of others: from which facts it may be
concluded, not fallaciously, that the offspring are born with in-
clinations for such things as their parents were inclined to. But
lest the thoughts and the acts should follow the inclinations, it is
ordained by the Divine Providence that depraved inclinations
should be capable of being corrected; and also that a faculty has
been implanted for this purpose, by virtue whereof the morals of
children can be efficaciously amended by the parents and masters,
and afterwards by the children themselves, when they have arrived
at years of discretion.

203. It is said that the offspring derive from their parents the
conjugial principle of good and truth, because this is implanted
from creation into the soul of every one, for it is that which flows
in into man from the Lord, and constitutes his human life. But
this conjugial principle passes from the soul into the succeeding
parts, even to the ultimates of the body. Yet in both the latter
and the former, on the way, it is changed by the man himself in
many ways, and sometimes into the opposite, which is called the
conjugial, or connubial principle of evil and falsity. When this
is die case, the mind is closed from below, and is sometimes
twisted like a spire into the contrary direction; but with some it
is not closed, but remains half open above, and with some it
remains quite open. It is from the latter and the former conjugial
principle that the offspring derive inclinations from their parents,
a son in one way, and a daughter in another. The reason why this
is from the conjugial principle, is that (as was proved above, in
no. 65) conjugial love is the fundamental love of all loves.

204. The reason why the offspring born of those who are in
truly conjugial love, derive inclinations and faculties, if a son, for
perceiving the things which belong to wisdom, and if a daughter,
for loving the things which wisdom teaches, is, that the conjugial
principle of good and truth is implanted by creation in the soul
of everyone, and also in the parts which are derived from the
soul. For it was shown above, that that conjugial principle fills
the universe from primes to ultimates, and from a human being
even to a worm; and it was also shown that the faculty to open
the lower parts of the mind even to conjunction with its highest
parts, which are in the light and heat of heaven, is also implanted
in every human being from creation. Hence it is evident, that a
greater aptitude and facility for conjoining good with truth, and
truth with good, and thus for becoming wise, is inherited at birth
by those who are born from such a marriage, than by others;

/ 179

205-207] COMUGIAL LOVE

consequently, they have also a greater aptitude and facility than
others for imbibing the things which belong to the church and
heaven; that conjugial love is conjoined "with these things, has
been frequently shown above. From these considerations, reason
may clearly see the end for the sake of which the Lord and Creator
has provided, and still provides, marriages of truly conjugial love.

205. I have heard from the angels, that they who lived in the
Most Ancient eras live at this day in the heavens, in distinct house-
holds, families, and nations, as they had lived on earth, and that
scarcely any one of a household is wanting: and that the reason
of this is. that truly conjugial love was among them; and that
hence their offspring inherited inclinations for the conjugial prin-
ciple of good and truth, and were easily initiated into it more and
more inwardly by their parents by means of education, and that
afterwards as of themselves, when they became capable of judging
for themselves, they were introduced into it by the Lord.

206. XVIII. THIS HAPPENS BECAUSE THE SOUL OF THE OFF-
SPRING IS FROM THE FATHER (THE LORD), AND ITS CLOTHING
FROM THE MOTHER, No wise man raises a doubt that the soul is
from the father: it is also manifestly perceived from the disposi-
tions, and likewise from the faces, which are the types of the dis-
positions, in posterities which descend from fathers of families in
a regular series; for the father returns as in an effigy, if not in
his sons, yet in his grandsons and great-grandsons, and this takes
place because the soul constitutes a man's inmost, which may be
covered over by the offspring nearest in descent, but nevertheless
it comes forth and manifests itself in more remote issue. That the
soul is from the father, and its clothing from the mother, may be
illustrated by analogous things in the vegetable kingdom. In this
kingdom the earth, or ground, is the common mother, which in
itself, as in a womb, receives and clothes seeds, yea, as it were,
conceives, bears, brings forth, and educates them, as a mother does
her offspring from the father.

207. To the above I shall add two Memorable Relations. The
First is as follows:

After some time I was looking towards the city Athens, of
which something was said in a former memorable relation, and I
heard thence an unwonted cry. There was in it something of
laughter, and in the laughter something of indignation, and in
the indignation something of sorrow; still however that cry was
not therefore dissonant, but consonant, because one tone was not
together with another, but one was within another. In the spiritual
world a variety and commixture of affections is distinctly per-
ceived in sound.

I inquired from afar what the matter was, and they said, "A
messenger has arrived from the place where the new comers from
180

THE CHANGE OF THE STATE OF LIFE [207

the Christian world first appear, saying, that he has heard from
three persons there, that in the world whence they came they had
believed, with the rest there, that the blessed and happy after death
enjoy absolute rest from labours ; and that, since administrations,
offices, and handicrafts are labours, they enjoy rest from these:
and as those three persons have now been conducted hither by our
emissary, and stand at the gate waiting, a cry was made, and it
was deliberately resolved that they should not be introduced into
the Palladium on Parnassus, as the former were, but into the great
auditory there, to communicate their news from the Christian
world: and some deputies have been sent to introduce them In
form."

As I was in the spirit, and as distances with spirits are accord-
ing to the states of their affections, and as at that time I had an
affection to see and hear them, I seemed to myself to be present
there; and I saw them introduced, and heard them speak. The
elders, or wiser ones of the audience sat at the sides of the
auditory, and the rest in the midst; and before these was an
elevated piece of ground. Hither the three strangers, with the
messenger, were formally conducted by the younger members,
through the middle of the auditory. After silence had been
obtained, they were addressed by a certain one of the elders
there, and asked, "WHAT OF REGENERATION FROM THE NATURAL
STATE?"

They said, "There is a great deal that is new: but pray tell us
on what subject you want information."

The elder answered, "WHAT OF REGENERATION CONCERNING

THOSE IN THE NATURAL STATE, AND THOSE IN THE HEAVENLY
STATE?"

They replied, "When we first came into this state, we heard
that here and in heaven there are governments, offices, functions,
businesses, studies in all branches of learning, and wonderful
handicrafts, and yet we had believed that after our removal, or
translation from the natural state into this spiritual one, we
should come into an eternal rest from labours, and what are
employments but labours?"

At this the elder said, u By eternal rest from labours did you
understand eternal idleness, in which you would be continually
sitting and lying down, inhaling delights with the bosom, and
sucking in joys with the mouth?"

To this the three strangers said, smiling, that they had thought
something of the sort.

They were then answered, "What have joys and delights, and
the happiness thence resulting, in common with idleness? By
idleness the mind collapses and is not expanded; or, the man is
deadened instead of being quickened into life. Suppose a person
to be sitting in complete idleness, with his hands hanging down,
his eyes cast down, or withdrawn from all objects, and suppose
him at the same time to be encompassed by an aura of gladness,

181

2(17 J COXJL'GIAL LOVE

\\ould not a lethargy seize both his head and body, and would not
the vital expansion of his face shrivel up, and would he not, at
length, his fibres being relaxed, totter to and fro, till he fell to
the earth? What keeps the system of the whole body in expansion
and tension, but the tension of the animus? and whence comes
the tension of the animus but from administrations and works,
when they are done from delight? Wherefore I will tell you some-
thing of the new state in heaven: there are therein governments,
offices, higher and lower courts of justice, also arts and handi-
crafts."

The three strangers, on hearing that there were higher and
lower courts of justice in heaven, said, "To what purpose are
such proceedings? are not all in heaven inspired and led by God,
and do not they know in consequence what is just and right?
what need then is there of judges?"

The elder replied, u ln this world we are instructed and learn
what is good and true, also what is just and fair, just as in the
natural world; and these things we learn, not immediately from
God, but mediately through others; and every angel, like every
man. thinks what is true, and does what is good, as from himself;
and this, according to the state of the angel, is mixed, and not
pure. Moreover, among the angels, also there are those who are
simple and those who are wise; and it is the part of the wise to
judge, when the simple, from simplicity and ignorance, are doubt-
ful about what is just or depart from it. But as you are as yet
strangers in this world, if it be your good pleasure, follow me
into our city, and we will show you everything there."

Then they quitted the auditory, and some of the elders also
accompanied them. They w r ere first taken into a large library,
which was divided into smaller libraries according to the sciences.
The three strangers, on seeing so many books, were astonished,
and said, "There are books also in this world! whence do you
procure parchment and paper, pens and ink?

To this the elders replied, "We perceive that in the former
world you believed that this world is empty, because it is spir-
itual; and you believed so because you had cherished an idea of
what is spiritual abstracted from what is material ; and that which
is abstracted from what is material appeared to you as nothing,
thus as empty; when nevertheless in this world there is a fullness
of all things. Here all things are SUBSTANTIAL and not material;
and material things derive their origin from substantial things.
We who live here are spiritual men, because we are substantial
gay! *"** atP rifll : ignce it is, that jnj:his world all things that jan
in the natural world existTn 'their "perfection, even books an

~ ..... ...... ~

The three strangers, when they heard them talk of
things, thought that it must be so, both because t
books, and because they heard it said that matters originate in
substances. For their further confirmation about these things.
182

THE CHANGE OF THE STATE OF LIFE [208

they were taken to the house of the scribes, who were writing out
copies of the writing of the wise ones of the city; and they in-
spected the writings, and wondered to see them so neat and elegant.

After this they were conducted to the museums, high schools,
and colleges, and to the places where they had their literary
sports. Some of these were called the sports of the Heliconides,
some of the sports of the Parnassides, some the sports of the
Athenaeides, and some the sports of the Virgins of the fountain.
They said that the latter were so called, because virgins signify
affections of sciences, and every one has intelligence according to
his affections of sciences. The sports so called were spiritual
exercises and trials of skill. Afterwards they were led about the
city to see the governors, executive officers, and their subordinates ;
by whom they were taken to see the wonderful works that are
done in a spiritual manner by the artificers.

After these things had been seen, the president again spoke
with them about the eternal rest from labour, into which the
blessed and happy come after death, and said, "Eternal rest is not
idleness ; for idleness occasions a languor, listlessness, stupor, and
drowsiness of the mind, and thence of the whole body; and these
things are death and not life, still less eternal life in which the
angels of heaven are; wherefore eternal rest is a rest which
dispels those mischiefs and causes a man to live; this also is
nothing else than such a thing as elevates the mind; consequently
it is some employment and work by which the mind is excited,
vivified, and delighted; and this is effected according to the use
from which, in which, and for the sake of which, the mind is
actively employed. Hence it is, that the universal heaven is
regarded by the Lord as containing uses; and every angel is an
angel according to use; the delights of use carries him along, as a
favorable current does a ship, and causes him to be in eternal
peace, and in the rest of peace. This is the meaning of eternal
rest from labour. That an angel is alive according to the applica-
tion of his mind from use is manifestly evident from the fact,
that every one has conjugial love with its virtue, potency, and
delights, according to the appication of the genuine use in which
he is."

When the three strangers had been convinced that eternal rest
is not idleness, but the delight of some work that is of use, there
came some maidens with pieces of embroidery and knitting, the
works of their own hands, which they gave to them. When the
novitiate spirits were gone, the maidens sang an ode, wherein they
expressed with angelic melody the affection of works of use with
its pleasantnesses.

208. The Second Memorable Relation:

When I was meditating on the arcana of conjugial love hidden
away with wives, there again appeared THE GOLDEN SHOWER
described above; and I recollected that it fell over a palace in the

183

208] COXJVGIAL LOVE

east where there lived three conjugial loves, that is, three married
pairs, who loved each other tenderly. On seeing it, I, as if invited
by the sweetness of the meditation on that love, hastened towards
it, and as I approached, the shower from golden became crimson,
afterwards scarlet, and when I was near, it was opalescent like
dew. I knocked, and the door was opened; and I said to the
attendant, "Tell the husbands that he who came before with an
angel is come again, and begs that he may be allowed to enter
and converse with them." The attendant returned with the assent
of the husbands, and I entered.

The three husbands with their wives were together in an open
courtyard, and returned my greeting with good-will.

I then asked the wives, whether the white dove in the window
had afterwards appeared?

They said, "Yes; and to-day also, and it likewise spread out
its wings; from which we surmised that you were near at hand,
and were going to beg us to disclose yet one more arcanum of
conjugial love."

I asked, "Why do you say one more arcanum; when yet I
came here to learn several?"

They replied, "'They are arcana, and some of them transcend
your wisdom to such a degree, that the understanding of your
thought cannot apprehend them. You glory over us on account of
your wisdom; but we do not glory over you on account of ours;
and yet ours is eminently above yours, because it enters your
inclinations and affections, and sees, perceives, and feels them.
You know nothing at all about the inclinations and affections of
your own love; and yet these are the things from which, and
according to which, your understanding thinks, consequently from
which, and according to which, you are wise; and yet wives know
them so well in their husbands, that they see them in their faces,
and hear them from the tone of the speech of their mouth, yea,
they feel them on their breasts, arms, and cheeks. But we, from
the zeal of love for your happiness, and at the same time for our
own, pretend not to know them; and yet we govern them so
prudently, that wherever the fancy, good pleasure, and will of our
husbands lead, we follow by permitting and suffering it; only
bending its direction when it is possible, but never forcing it."

I asked, "Whence have you this wisdom?"

They replied, "It is implanted in us from creation and con-
sequently from birth. Our husbands liken it to instinct; but we
say that it is the Divine Providence, in order that men (viri)
may be rendered happy by their wives. We have heard from our
husbands, that the Lord wills that the male human being should
act from freedom according to reason; and that therefore the
Lord Himself from within governs his freedom, which has respect
to the inclinations and affections; and that He governs it from
without by means of his wife; and that thus the Lord forms the
man (t;zr) with his wife into an angel of heaven: and moreover
184

THE CHANGE OF THE STATE OF LIFE [208

love changes its essence, and does not become that love, if it be
forced. But we will speak more openly on this subject: we are
moved thereto, that it, to the prudence of governing the inclina-
tions and affections of our husbands, so that they may seem to
themselves to act from freedom according to their reason, from
this cause, that we are delighted by their loves; and we love noth-
ing more than that they should be delighted by our delights,
which, if they are lightly esteemed by our husbands, become
insipid to us."

Having said this, one of the wives entered her bridal -chamber,
and on her return said, "My dove still flutters its wings, which is
a sign that we may make further disclosures." They then said,
"We have observed various changes of the inclinations and affec-
tions of the men; as, that they become cold towards their wives,
when the husbands think vain things against the Lord and the
church; that they become cold when they are in conceit from
their self-intelligence; that they become cold when they look at
other women with concupiscence ; that they become cold when the
subjct of love is adverted to by their wives; besides many other
occasions; and that they become cold with different kinds of cold;
this we have noticed from a withdrawal of the sense from their
eyes, ears, and bodies, at the presence of our senses. From these
few observations you may see, that we know better than the men
whether it will be well or ill with them; if they are cold towards
their wives, it is ill with them, but if they are warm towards their
wives, it is well with them; wherefore wives are continually
devising means in their minds whereby the men may become
warm and not cold towards them; and these means they devise
with a sagacity inserutible to their husbands/'

As they said this, the dove was heard -as it were moaning; and
then the wives said, "This is a sign to us that we have a wish to
divulge deeper arcana, but that it is not allowable : probably you
will reveal to the men what you have heard."

I replied, "I intended to do so: what harm can come from it?"

The wives, after they had spoken together on the subject, said,
"Reveal it if you like. We are not unaware of the power of per-
suasion which wives possess; for they will say to their husbands,
'That man is mocking; he tells idle tales; he is but joking from
appearances, and from idle fancies usual with men. Do not
believe him, but believe us; we know that you are loves, and we
obediences.' Wherefore reveal it if you like; but still the husbands
will place no dependence on your lips, but on the lips of their
wives which they kiss."

185

UNIVERSALS RELATING TO MARRIAGES

209. There are so many things relating to marriages that, if
they were particularly treated of. they would swell this little book
into a large volume: for there might be particularly treated of,
the likeness and unlikeness between married partners; the eleva-
tion of natural conjugial love into spiritual conjugial love, and
the conjunction of those loves: the increase of the one and the
decrease of the other; the varieties and diversities of each; the
intelligence of wives; the universal conjugial sphere from heaven,
and its opposite sphere from hell, and the influx and reception of
those sphere; besides many other things, which, if individually
enlarged upon, would render this work so bulky as to tire out the
reader. For this reason, and to avoid empty prolixity, these things
shall be condensed into UNIVERSALS RELATING TO MARRIAGES. But
these, like the foregoing subjects, must be distinctly considered
under the following articles:

I. The especial sense of conjugial love is the sense of touch.

II. With those who are in truly conjugial love, the faculty of
becoming wise increases; but with those who are not in conjugial
love, it decreases.

III. With those who are in truly conjugial love, the happiness
of dwelling together increases; but with those who are not in con-
jugial love, it decreases.

IV. With those who are in truly conjugial love^ the conjunc-
tion of minds increases, and therewith friendship; but with those
who are not in conjugial love, it decreases,

V. Those who are in truly conjugial love, continually desire
to be one man; but those who are not in conjugial love, desire
to be two.

VI. Those who are in truly conjugial love y in marriage look
to what is eternal; but with those who are not in conjugial love,
the case is reversed.

VII. Conjugial love resides with chaste wives; but still their
love depends on their husbands.

VIII. Wives love the bonds of marriage, provided only that
the men also love them.

IX. The intelligence of women is in itself modest, elegant,
pacific, yielding, soft, tender; but the intelligence of men is in
itself grave, harsh, hard, daring, fond of licentiousness.

X. Wives are in no excitement as men are; but they have a
state of preparation for reception.

XL The men have abundance (copia) according to the love
of propagating the truths of their wisdom, and according to the
love of doing uses.
186

UMFERSALS RELATING TO MARRIAGE [210,211

XII. The determinations are at the good pleasure of the
husband.

XIII. There is a conjugial sphere which flows in from the
Lord through heaven into each and all things of the universe, even
to its ultimates.

XIV. This sphere is received by the feminine sex* and through
it is transferred into the masculine sex; and not contrariwise.

XV. Where there is truly conjugial love, this sphere is received
by the wife, and solely through the wife by the husband.

XVI. Where the love is not conjugial, this sphere is indeed
received by the wife, but not by the husband through her.

XVII. Truly conjugial love may exist with one of the married
partners, and not at the same time with the other.

XVIII. There are various likenesses and unlikenesses, both
internal and external, with married partners.

XIX. Various likenesses can be conjoined, but not with unlike-
nesses.

XX. The Lord provides a likeness for those who desire truly
conjugial love, and if it does not exist on earth. He provides it in
the heavens.

XXI. According to the defect and loss of conjugial love, man
approaches to the nature of the beast.

Now follows the explanation of these articles.

210. I. THE ESPECIAL SENSE OF CONJUGIAL LOVE is THE SENSE
OF TOUCH, Every love has its own sense. The love of seeing,
from the love of understanding, has the sense of sight; and the
pleasantnesses of this sense are symmetries and beauties. The love
of hearing, from the love of hearkening to any obeying, has the
sense of hearing; and the pleasantnesses of this sense are har-
monies. The love of cognizing the things which float about in the
air, from the love of perceiving, has the sense of smell; and the
pleasantnesses of this sense are fragrances. The love of nourishing
oneself from the love of imbuing oneself with goods and truths,
has the sense of taste ; and the delightsomenesses of this sense are
delicacies. The love of cognizing objects, from the love of exer-
cising circumspection and protecting oneself, is the sense of touch ;
and the pleasantnesses of this sense are titillations. The reason
why the love of conjunction with a consort, from the love of
uniting good and truth, has the sense of touch, is, that this sense
is common to all the senses, and hence levies contributions from
them. That this love brings all the above mentioned senses into
communion with it, and appropriates their pleasantnesses to itself,
is known. That the sense of touch is dedicated to conjugial love,
and is its especial sense, is evident from all its sports, and from
the exaltation of its subtilties to the utmost exquisiteness. But the
further consideration of this subject is left to lovers.

211. II. WITH THOSE WHO ARE IN TRULY CONJUGIAL LOVE,

187

JI12. 213] CONJVGIAL LOVE

THE FACULTY OF BECOMING WISE INCREASES; BUT WITH THOSE
WHO ARE NOT IN CONJUGIAL LOVE, IT DECREASES. The reason why

the faculty of becoming wise increases with those who are in truly
conjugial love. is. that this love is with married partners from
wisdom, and according to it, as has been fully proved in the pre-
ceding sections: also that the sense of that love is the touch, and
this is common to all the senses, and also is full of delights; con-
sequently it opens the interiors of the minds, as it opens the
interiors of the senses, and therewith the organical parts of the
whole body. Hence it follows, that they w T ho are in that love, love
nothing more than to become wise; for a man becomes wise in
proportion as the interiors of his mind are opened; for by means
of the opening, the thoughts of the understanding are elevated
into a higher light, and the affections of the will into a higher
heat; a&d the ..higher light is wisdom, and the higher heat is the
Jove of wisdom. The spiritual delights conjoined with natural
delights, which are the portion of those who are in truly con-
jugial love, constitute the faculty of loving and being loved, and
hence the faculty of becoming wise. Hence it is that the angels
have conjugial love according to wisdom, and the increase of that
love and at the same time of its delights is according to the in-
crease of wisdom; and hence also it is that the spiritual offspring
which are born from their marriages, are such things as belong to
wisdom from the father, and such things as belong to love from
the mother, which they love from a spiritual storge; which love
adds itself to their conjugial love, and continually elevates it, and
conjoins them.

212. The contrary happens with those who are not in any con-
jugial love, in consequence of not having any love of wisdom.
These enter upon marriage with no other end than that of in-
dulgence in lasciviousness, and in this end there is also the love
of becoming insane; for every end considered in itself is a love,
and lasciviousness in its spiritual origin is insanity. By insanity
is meant a delirium of the mind arising from falsities ; and a pre-
eminent delirium is the delirium of the mind arising from truths
which are falsified to such a degree that these (falsifications) are
believed to be wisdom. That such persons are opposed to con-
jugial love, is confirmed or evinced by manifest proof in the
spiritual world: in that world, on perceiving the first fragrance
of conjugial love, they flee into caverns, and shut the doors; and
if these are opened, they rave like madmen in the world.

213. III. WITH THOSE WHO ARE IN TRULY CONJUGIAL LOVE,

THE HAPPINESS OF DWELLING TOGETHER INCREASES; BUT WITH
THOSE WHO ARE NOT IN CONJUGIAL LOVE, IT DECREASES. The

reason why the happiness of dwelling together increases with
those who are in truly conjugial love, is that they mutually love
each other with every sense. The wife sees nothing more lovely
188

UMFERSALS RELATING TO MARRIAGE [214, 215

than the husband, and the husband nothing more lovely than the
wife, yea, neither do they hear, smell, or touch anything more
lovely; hence the happiness they enjoy of living together in the
same house, bed-chamber, and bed. That this is the case, you that
are husbands can convince yourselves from the first delights of
marriage, which are in their fullness, because at that time the wife
only of all the sex is loved. That the reverse is the case with those
who are not in any conjugial love, is known.

214. IV. WITH THOSE WHO ARE IN TRULY CONJUGIAL LOVE,

THE CONJUNCTION OF MINDS INCREASES, AND THEREWITH FRIEND-
SHIP ; BUT WITH THOSE WHO ARE NOT IN CONJUGIAL LOVE, IT

DECREASES. That the conjunction of minds increases with those
who are in truly conjugial love, was proved in the chapter on
"The Conjunction of the Souls and Minds by means of Marriage,
which is meant by the Lord's words, that they are no longer two
but one flesh," see no. 156 (a) - 181. But the reason why that con-
junction increases as friendship becomes conjoined with love, is,
that friendship is as it were the face, and is also as it were the
garment of that love; for it not only conjoins itself to the love as
a garment, but also conjoins itself with it as a face. The love
which precedes friendship is similar to sexual love, a love which,
after the marriage vow, passes away; but the love conjoined with
friendship remains after the vow, and is also strengthened : it like-
wise enters more interiorly into the bosom, friendship introducing
it, and making it truly conjugial; and then the love makes this its
friendship also conjugial, which differs greatly from the friend-
ship of every other love, for it is full. That the contrary takes
place with those who are not in conjugial love, is known. With
these the first friendship, which has been insinuated at the time
of betrothal, and afterwards during the first days after the wed-
ding, recedes more and more from the interiors of the mind, and
from these it successively departs at last to the cuticles; and, with
those who think of separations, it goes away entirely; but with
those who do not think of separation, love remains in the externals,
but it is cold in the internals.

215. V. THOSE WHO ARE IN TRULY CONJUGIAL LOVE, CON-
TINUALLY DESIRE TO BE ONE MAN; BUT THOSE WHO ARE NOT IN

CONJUGIAL LOVE, DESIRE TO BE TWO. Conjugial love in its essence
consists in nothing else than the willing of two to be one ; that is,
in their willing that two lives shall become one life. This will is
the perpetual endeavor of that love, from which flow all its effects.
That endeavor is the very essence of motion, and that will is a
living endeavor with man, is confirmed by the researches of
philosophers, and is also evident to such as take a view of the sub-
ject from cultivated reason. Hence it follows, that those who are
in truly conjugial love, continually endeavor, that is, will to be
one man. That the contrary takes place with those who are not in

189

216] COMUG1AL LOJ'E

conjugial love, they themselves know very well; for as they con-
tinually think themselves two in consequence of the disunion of
their souls and minds, so they do not comprehend what is meant
by the Lord's words, that they are no longer two. but one flesh
I Matt. xix. 6) .

216. VI. THOSE WHO ARE IN TRULY CONJUGIAL LOVE, IN MAR-
RIAGE LOOK TO WHAT IS ETERNAL. BUT WITH THOSE WHO ARE NOT

IN CONJUGIAL LOVE. THE CASE is REVERSED. The reason why those
who are in truly conjugial love look to what is eternal, is, that in
that love there is eternity; and its eternity is in consequence of
that love with the wife, and wisdom with the husband, increasing
to eternity; and in the increase or progression the married part-
ners enter more and more interiorly into the blessednesses of
heaven, which their wisdom and its love together have stored up
in themselves : wherefore if the idea of what is eternal were to be
plucked away, or by any chance to escape from their minds, it
would be as if they were cast down from heaven. What is the state
of married partners in heaven, when the idea of what is eternal
falls out of their minds, and the idea of what is temporary takes
its place, was made clear to me from the following experience:
Two married partners were once, by permission, present with
me from heaven; and at that instant the idea of what is eternal
in relation to marriage w r as taken away from them by a mis-
chievous juggler, who talked cunningly. Hereupon they began to
bewail themselves, saying, that they could not live any longer,
and that they felt such misery as they had never felt before. When
this was perceived by their fellow angels in heaven, the juggler
was removed and cast down; whereupon the idea of what is
eternal instantly returned to them, at which they were gladdened
in heart, and most tenderly embraced each other.

Besides this, I have heard two married partners, who at one
moment entertained the idea of what is eternal in relation to their
marriage, and the next moment the idea of what is temporary.
The reason was, that there was an internal unlikeness between
them. When they were in the idea of what is eternal, they were
mutually glad; but when in the idea of what is temporary, they
said, "There is no longer any marriage between us ;" and the wife
said, "I am no longer a wife, but a concubine;" and the man,
"I am no longer a husband, but a scortator;" wherefore while
their internal unlikeness was open to them, the man left the
woman, and the woman the man: afterwards, however, since they
both had an idea of what is eternal in relation to marriage, they
were consociated with suitable consorts.

From these instances it may be clearly seen, that they who are
in truly conjugial love look to what is eternal; and that, if this
idea from their inmosts drops out of their thought, they are dis-
united as to conjugial love, although they may not at the same
190

UWERSALS RELATING TO MARRIAGE [216-218

time be disunited as to friendship; for friendship dwells in ex-
ternals: but conjugial love in internals. The case is similar with
marriages on earth, where married partners who tenderly love
each other, think of what is eternal in relation to the covenant,
and not at all of its end by death; and if this should enter their
thoughts, they are grieved; nevertheless they are revived by hope
from the thought of its continuation after their decease.

216 fa). VII. CONJUGIAL LOVE RESIDES WITH CHASTE WIVES;

BUT STILL THEIR LOVE DEPENDS ON THEIR HUSBANDS. The reason

is. that wives are born loves; and hence it is innate to them to
will to be one with their husbands ; and from this thought of their
will they continually suckle their love; wherefore to recede from
the endeavor of uniting themselves with their husbands, would be
to recede from themselves. It is otherwise with husbands who are
not born loves, but recipients of that love from their wives; and
therefore, in proportion as they receive it, in the same proportion
the wives enter with their love; but in proportion as they do not
receive it, in the same proportion the wives stand outside with
their love, and wait. This is the case with chaste wives; but it is
otherwise with unchaste ones. From these considerations it is
manifest that conjugial love resides with the wives, but that their
love depends on their husbands.

217. VIII. WIVES LOVE THE BONDS OF MARRIAGE, PROVIDED

ONLY THAT THE MEN ALSO LOVE THEM. This follows from what

was said in the foregoing article: add to this, that wives, naturally
wish to be, and to be called, wives; this is to them a name of
beauty and honour; wherefore they love the bonds of marriage.
And as chaste wives wish to be wives, not in name only, but in
reality, and this is effected by a closer and closer binding with
their husbands, therefore they love the bonds of marriage for the
sake of rendering its covenant firm; and this so much the more
as they are loved again by their husbands, or, what is the same
thing, as the men love those bonds.

218. IX. THE INTELLIGENCE OF WOMEN is IN ITSELF MODEST,

ELEGANT, PACIFIC, YIELDING, SOFT, TENDER; BUT THE INTELLIGENCE
OF MEN IS IN ITSELF GRAVE, HARSH, HARD, DARING, FOND OF

LICENTIOUSNESS. That such are the characteristics of women and
men, is manifestly evident from the body, the face, the tone of
voice, the conversation, the gesture, and the manners of each:
from the BODY, in that the skin and flesh of men are hard, and the
skin and flesh of women are soft; from the FACE, in that it is
harder, stiffer, more rugged, of darker complexion, and also
bearded, thus less beautiful in men ; whereas in women it is softer,
more yielding, more tender, of fairer complexion, and thus more
beautiful ; from the TONE OF VOICE, in that it is deep with men,
and tender with women; from their CONVERSATION, in that with

191

219, 220J COMUGIAL LOVE

men it is fond of licentiousness, and daring, but with women it is
modest and pacific; from the GESTURE, in that with men it is
stronger and firmer* whereas with women it is weaker and feebler ;
from the MANNERS, in that with men they are more unrestrained,
but with women more elegant. How far from the very birth the
genius of men differs from that of women, was clearly manifested
to me from seeing a number of boys and girls met together.
I saw them at times through a window in the street of a great city,
where more than twenty assembled every day. The boys, agree-
ably to the disposition born with them, in their pastimes w^ere
tumultous, vociferous, apt to fight, to strike, and to throw stones
at each other; whereas the girls sat peaceably at the doors of the
houses, some playing with little children, some dressing dolls,
some working on bits of linen, some kissing each other; and what
I was surprised at, they still looked with pleased eyes at the boys
who w r ere of such a character. Hence I could see plainly that a
man is born understanding, and a woman, love; and also the
quality of understanding and of love in their beginnings; and
thus what would be the quality of a man's understanding in its
progress, without conjunction with female love, and afterwards
with conjugial love.

219. X. WIVES ARE IN NO EXCITEMENT AS MEN ARE; BUT THEY

HAVE A STATE OF PREPARATION FOR RECEPTION. That men have
fecundation, and consequently excitement, and that women have
not the latter because they have not the former, is evident; but
that women have a state of preparation for reception, and thus for
conception, I relate from what I have heard. But what the quality
of this state with women is, I am not allowed to describe; and
indeed, it is known to them alone: but w r hether their love, while
they are in that state, is in its delight, or in what is undelightful,
as some of them say, they have not made known. This only is
generally known, that it is not allowed the husband to say to the
wife, that he is able and not willing; for thereby the state of
reception is grievously hurt, which is prepared according to the
state of the husband's potency.

220. XL THE MEN HAVE ABUNDANCE (copia) ACCORDING TO

THE LOVE OF PROPAGATING THE TRUTHS OF WISDOM, AND ACCORD-
ING TO THE LOVE OF DOING USES. That this is so, is one of the
arcana which were known to the Ancients, and which are now lost.
The Ancients knew that each and all things that are done in the
body are done from a spiritual origin: as that from the will, which
in itself is spiritual, actions flow; and from the thought, which is
also spiritual, speech flows; also that natural sight is from spir-
itual sight, which is that of the understanding; natural hearing
from spiritual hearing, which is attention of the understanding
and at the same time accommodation of the will; and natural
smell from spiritual smell, which is perception ; and so forth. The
192

UMFERSALS RELATING TO MARRIAGE [221

Ancients saw that the virile faculty of secretion of the seed is like-
\v ise from a spiritual origin. That it is from the truths of which
the understanding consists, they concluded from many proofs both
of reason and experience; and they said that nothing is received
by males from the spiritual marriage, which is that of good and
truth, and which flows in into each and all things in the universe,
except truth, and that which has relation to truth ; and that this in
its progress into the body is formed into seed; and that hence it is
that seeds spiritually understood are truths. As to the formation,
they said, that the masculine soul, because it is intellectual, is thus
truth; for the Intellectual is nothing else; wherefore when the
soul descends, truth also descends; that this is effected by this
circumstance, that the soul, which is the inmost of man and of
every animal, and which in its essence is spiritual, by reason of an
implanted effort for self-propagation, follows in the descent, and
wishes to procreate itself; and that when this takes place, the
entire soul forms itself, and clothes itself, and becomes seed: and
that this, can be done thousands of times, because the soul is a
spiritual substance, which has not extension but impletion, and
from which no part can be taken away, but the whole may be
produced, without any loss thereof: hence it is, that it is as fully
present in the smallest receptacles, which are seeds, as in its
greatest receptacle, which is the body. Since therefore the truth
in the soul is the origin of the seed, it follows, that men have
abundance according to the love of propagating the truths of their
wisdom; it is also according to the love of doing uses, because
uses are the goods which truths produce. In the world also it is
known to some, that the industrious have abundance, but not the
idle. I asked, "How is the feminine element propagated from a
male soul?" and I received for answer, that it was from intel-
lectual good, because this in its essence is truth: for the intellect
can think that this is good, thus that it is true that it is good.
It is otherwise with the will : this does not think good and truth,
but loves and does them; that therefore by sons in the Word are
signified truths, and by daughters goods, see above no. 120; and
that by seed in the Word is signified truth, may be seen in the
Apocalypse Revealed, no. 565.

221. XII. THE DETERMINATIONS ARE AT THE GOOD PLEASURE
OF THE HUSBAND. The reason is, that with men there is the abun-
dance above mentioned ; and this varies with them both according
to the states of their minds, and according to the states of their
bodies. For the understanding is not so constant in its thoughts as
the will is in its affections, since it is sometimes carried upwards,
sometimes downwards; at one time it is in a serene and clear
state, at another in a turbulent and obscure one; sometimes it is
among pleasant objects, and then again among unpleasant objects;
and as the mind, while it acts, is also in the boty, it follows, that
the body has similar states. Hence it is, that the husband at times

193

222.22SJ CONJUGIAL LOI'E

recedes from conjugial love, and at times accedes to it, and that
the abundance is removed in the one state, and restored in the
other. These are the reasons why the determinations ought to be left
to the good pleasure of the husband. Hence also it is that wives,
from the wisdom implanted in them, never offer any admonition
on such subjects.

222. XIII. THERE is A CONJUGIAL SPHERE WHICH FLOWS IN

FROM THE LORD THROUGH HEAVEN INTO EACH AND ALL THINGS OF

THE UNIVERSE. EVEN TO ITS INTIMATES. That from the Lord pro-
ceed love and wisdom, or. what is the same, good and truth, was
shown above in the chapter on that subject. These two in mar-
riage proceed continually from the Lord, because they are Him-
self, and from Him are all things; and the things which proceed
from Him fill the universe: for without Him nothing that exists
would subsist. There are several spheres which proceed from
Him. as. the sphere of the preservation of the created universe,
the sphere of the protection of good and truth against evil and
falsity, the sphere of reformation and regeneration, the sphere of
innocence and peace, the sphere of mercy and grace, besides many
others; but the universal sphere of all is the conjugial sphere,
because this is also the sphere of propagation, and thus in a
supereminent degree the sphere of the preservation of the created
universe through successive generations. That this conjugial sphere
fills the universe, and pervades all things from primes to ulti-
mates, is evident from what has been shown above, that there are
marriages in the heavens, and most perfect marriages in the third,
or highest heaven; and that besides existing with men, there is a
sort of marriage in all the subjects of the animal kingdom in the
earth, even down to worms; and also in all the subjects of the
vegetable kingdom, from olive and palm trees even to the smallest
grasses. That this sphere is more universal than the sphere of heat
and light, which proceeds from the sun of our world, may be
clearly proved to the reason from this consideration, that it oper-
ates also in the absence of the sun's heat, as in winter, and in the
absence of its light, as at night, especially with human beings.
The reason why it so operates is, that it is from the sun of the
angelic heaven, and thence there is a constant equalization of heat
and light, that is, a conjunction of good and truth ; for it is in a
continual spring. The changes of good and truth, or of its heat
and light, are not variations thereof, like the variations on earth
arising from changes of the heat and light from the sun there;
but they arise from the recipient objects.

223. XIV. THIS SPHERE is RECEIVED BY THE FEMININE SEX,

AND THROUGH THIS IT IS TRANSFERRED INTO THE MASCULINE SEX.

That there is not any conjugial love with the masculine sex, but
only with the feminine sex, and that from this sex it is transferred
into the masculine sex, I have seen evidenced by experience con-
194

U\l( ERSALS RELATING TO MARRIAGE [224,225

cerning which see above, no. 161. A further proof of it is fur-
nished by this argument, that the masculine form is the intellectual
form, and the feminine the voluntary form; and the intellectual
form cannot of itself become heated with conjugial heat, but it
can be heated by the conjunctive heat of some one into whom this
has been implanted by creation; consequently it cannot receive
that love except through the voluntary form of woman being
adjoined to it, because this also is the form of love. This same
position might be further confirmed from the marriage of good
and truth ; and, before the natural man, from the marriage of the
heart and lungs, because the heart corresponds to love, and the
lungs to the understanding. But as the generality of mankind are
deficient in the knowledge of these subjects, confirmation thereby
would obscure rather than enlighten. It is in consequence of the
transfer of this sphere from the feminine sex into the masculine
sex, that the mind is also inflamed by the mere thought about the
sex; than hence also results propagative formation and thus
excitement, follows as a consequence ; for unless heat is added to
light on earth, nothing flourishes there, nor is anything excited to
produce fruit.

224. XV. WHERE THERE is TRULY CONJUGIAL LOVE, THIS

SPHERE IS RECEIVED BY THE WIFE, AND SOLELY THROUGH THE WIFE

BY THE HUSBAND. That this sphere, with those who are in truly
conjugial love, is received by the husband solely through the wife,
is an arcanum at the present day; and yet in itself it is not an
arcanum, because the bridegroom and the newly married husband
may know this; is he not affected conjugially by whatever pro-
ceeds from his bride and newly married wife, but not at that time
by what proceeds from others of the sex? The case is similar with
those who live together in truly conjugial love. And since every
one, both man and woman, is encompassed by his own sphere of
life, densely on the breast, and thinly on the back, it is evident
whence it is, that husbands who are very fond of their wives, turn
to them, and in the daytime look at them with kindly looks; and
why, on the other hand, those who do not love their wives, turn
away from them, and in the daytime regard them with a turned-
away countenance. By the reception of the conjugial sphere by
the husband solely through the wife, truly conjugial love is recog-
nized and distinguished from spurious, false, and cold conjugial
love.

225. XVI. WHERE THE LOVE is NOT CONJUGIAL, THIS SPHERE

IS INDEED RECEIVED BY THE WIFE, BUT NOT BY THE HUSBAND

THROUGH HER. This conjugial sphere flowing in into the universe
is, in its origin, Divine; in its progress in heaven with the angels
it is celestial and spiritual ; with men it is natural ; with beasts
and birds animal; with worms merely corporeal; with plants it is
devoid of life; and moreover, in all its subjects it is varied accord-

195

226-228] COMUGIAL LOVE

ing to their forms. Now, since this sphere is received immediately
by the feminine sex, and mediately hy the masculine sex, and
since it is received according to form, it follows, that this sphere,
which is holy in its origin, may in the subjects be turned into
what is not holy, yea, may be even inverted into the opposite
sphere. This sphere opposite to it is called, with such women, the
meretricious sphere, and with such men, the scortatory sphere;
and as such men and women are in helL this sphere is from
thence: but this sphere is also of much variety, and hence there
are many kinds of it; and such a kind is attracted and inhaled by
a man (vir) as is agreeable to him, and comformable to, and
correspondent with, his own genius. From these considerations it
may be manifest, that the man who does not love his wife, receives
that sphere from some other source than his wife; nevertheless it
is the fact, that even then, that sphere is inspired by the wife, but
without the man's knowing it. and when he becomes heated,

226. XVII. TRULY CONJCGIAL LOVE MAY EXIST WITH ONE OF

THE MARRIED PARTNERS, AND NOT AT THE SAME TIME WITH THE
OTHER. For one may from the heart long for chaste marriage,
while the other knows not what chastity is; one may love the
things which belong to the church, but the other those which
belong to the world alone; one may be in heaven as to his or her
mind, the other in hell; hence there may be conjugial love with
the one, and not with the other. The minds of such, since they are
turned in contrary directions, are inwardly in collision with each
other; and if not outwardly, still the one that is not in conjugial
love regards his. or her, covenanted consort as a full some old
creature, and so in other cases.

227. XVIII. THERE ARE VARIOUS LIKENESSES AND UNLIKE-

NESSES, BOTH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL, WITH MARRIED PARTNERS.

It is known, that between married partners there are likenesses
and unlikenesses, and that the external ones appear, but not the
internal ones, except after some time of dwelling together, to the
married partners themselves, and by indications to others; but it
would be useless to enumerate each so that they might be known,
since ^several pages might be filled with an enumeration and
description of their varieties. Likenesses may in part be deduced
and concluded from the unlikenesses on account of which con-
jugial love passes away into cold; of which we shall speak in the
following chapter. Likenesses and unlikenesses originate in gen-
eral from connate inclinations, varied by education, the company
that is kept, and persuasions that have been imbibed.

228. XIX. VARIOUS LIKENESSES CAN BE CONJOINED, BUT NOT
WITH UNLIKENESSES. The varieties of likenesses are very numerous,
and differ more or less from each other; but still those which
differ may in time be conjoined by various things, especially by

UMJ'ERSALS RELATING TO MARRIAGE [229,230

accommodations to desires, by mutual offices, by civilities, by
abstinence from unchastities, by the common love of infants and
the care of children, but especially by conformity in the things of
the church; for by means of the things of the church there is
effected a conjunction of likenesses differing interiorly, but by the
other means there is effected a conjunction of those likenesses only
that differ exteriorly. But with unlikenesses no conjunction can be
effected, because they are antipathetic.

229. XX. THE LORD PROVIDES LIKENESSES FOR THOSE WHO

DESIRE TRULY CONJUGIAL LOVE. AND IF THEY DO NOT EXIST ON

EARTH. HE PROVIDES THEM IN THE HEAVENS. The reason is, that
all marriages of truly conjugial love are provided by the Lord.
That they are from Him. see above, nos. 130, 131 ; but in what
manner they are provided in the heavens. I have heard described
by the angels thus: "That the Divine Providence of the Lord
concerning marriages, and in marriages, is most particular and
most universal; because all the delights of heaven gush forth
from the delights of conjugial love as sweet waters from the vein
of a fountain; and on this account it is provided that conjugial
pairs be born; and that they be continually educated for their
marriages under the Lord's auspices, neither the boy nor the girl
knowing anything of the matter; and after a stated time, when she
has become a marriageable maiden, and he a young man fitted for
marriage, they should meet somewhere as by fate, and see each
other, and they then instantly know, as by a kind of instinct, that
they are consorts, and by a kind of dictate they think inwardly in
themselves, the young man, that she is mine, and the maiden, that
he is mine; and when this thought has been seated some time in
the minds of both, they deliberately accost each other, and betroth
themselves. It is said, as by fate, by instinct, and by dictate; and
the meaning is, by Divine Providence, because, while the Divine
Providence is unknown, it has such an appearance; for the Lord
opens internal likenesses, so that they may see themselves.

230. XXI. ACCORDING TO THE DEFECT AND LOSS OF CONJUGIAL

LOVE, MAN APPROACHES TO THE NATURE OF THE BEAST. The reason

is, that so far as a man is in conjugial love, so far he is spiritual,
and so far as he is spiritual, so far he is a man. For man is born
for the life after death, and attains to that life because he has in
him a spiritual soul, and is capable of being elevated thereto by
means of the faculty of his understanding; if in this case his will,
from the faculty granted to it also, is elevated at the same time, he
lives after death the life of heaven. The contrary comes to pass,
if he is in a love opposite to conjugial love; for so far as he is in
this opposite love, so far he is natural; and a merely natural man
is like a beast as to lusts, appetites, and their delights; with this
difference only, that he has the faculty of elevating his under-
standing into the light of wisdom, and also the faculty of elevating

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231] COXJL'GIAL LOVE

his will into the heat of heavenly love. These faculties are never
taken away from any man; wherefore the merely natural man
although as to concupiscences, appetites, and their delights, he is
like a heast nevertheless lives after death, but in a state cor-
responding to his past life. From these considerations it may be
manifest, that a man, according to the defect of conjugial love,
approaches to the nature of a beast. This may seem to be con-
tradicted by the fact, that there is a defect and loss of conjugial
love with some who yet are men: but the statement is meant to be
confined to those who make light of conjugial love on account of
their being in scortatory love, and who are thereby in the defect
and loss of that love.

231. To the above shall be added three Memorable Relations.
The first is as follows:

I once heard loud exclamations, which, as it w r ere, bubbled up
through water out of the hells; one to the left hand, "0 HOW
JUST!" a second to the right. "0 HOW LEARNED!" and a third from
behind, "0 HOW WISE!" and as it occurred to my thought whether
there were, even in hell, just learned, and wise men, I was
affected with a desire of seeing whether there w r ere such men
there; and it was told me from heaven, "You shall see and hear."

So I went out of the house in the spirit and saw before me an
opening: I approached this, and looked down, and lo! there was a
ladder: by this I descended; and when I was down below 7 , I saw a
level country set thick with trees, intermixed with thorns and
nettles; and I asked w'hether this was hell, and they said, "It is
the lower earth which is just above hell/' I then w T ent on accord-
ing to the exclamations in order; to the first. "0 HOW JUST!" and
I saw a company consisting of such as in the world had been
judges influenced by friendships and gifts; then to the second
exclamation, "0 HOW LEARNED!" and I saw a company of such as
in the world had been reasoners; and lastly to the third exclama-
tion, "0 HOW WISE!" and I saw a company of such as in the world
had been confirmers.

But from these I returned to the first, where there were many
judges influenced by friendship and gifts, and who were pro-
claimed "Just". On one side I saw as it were an amphitheatre
built of bricks, and covered with black tiles; and I w r as told that
they called it a tribunal. There were three entrances to it on the
northern side, and three on the western side, but none on the
southern and eastern sides; a sign that their judgments were not
judgments of justice, but arbitrary judgments. In the middle of
the amphitheatre there appeared a fire-place, into which the serv-
ants who attended to it threw torches impregnated with brimstone
and bitumen; the light whereof, by its flickering on the plastered
\valls, presented pictured images of birds of evening and night;
but both that fire-place, and the flickerings of the light thence into
the forms of those images, were representations of their iudg-

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UMFERSALS RELATING TO MARRIAGE [231

ments. in that they were able to tinge the matter of any trial with
coloured dyes, and give it a form according to their own interest.
In about half an hour I saw some old and young men in robes
and cloaks enter, who, laying aside their caps, took their seats at
the tables to sit in judgment. I heard and perceived with what
skill and ingenuity, according as they noticed friendship, they
warped and inverted judgments into appearances of justice, and
this to such a degree, that they themselves saw what was unjust no
otherwise than what was just, and on the other hand what was
just as what was unjust. Such persuasions respecting those things
appeared from their faces, and were heard from their manner of
speaking. There was then given me enlightment from heaven,
from which I perceived whether or not each point was grounded
in right; and I saw how industriously they concealed what was
unjust, and gave it the semblance of what was just; and how they
selected from the laws one which favoured their own side of the
question, and by skillful reasonings drew over the rest to the same
side. After judgment had been pronounced, the decrees were con-
veyed to their clients, friends, and patrons, who, to recompense
them for their services, kept shouting during the whole long way.
"0 HOW JUST, HOW JUST"

After this I spoke about them with the angels of heaven, and
related to them some of the things I had seen and heard. The
angels said to me. "Such judges appear to others to be endowed
with a most extraordinary acuteness of intellect; when yet they do
not see the least of what is just and fair. If you remove the friend-
ship in favor of particular persons, they sit mute in judgment like
statutes, and only say, Tea, I agree to this or to that.' The reason
is, that all their judgments are prejudgments: and prejudgment
with partiality influences the case from beginning to end. Hence
they see nothing but what belongs to their friend's interest; what-
ever is contrary thereto, they set aside; and when they take it up
again, they involve it in reasonings, as a spider does its prey in
a web, and make an end of it. Hence it is that unless they follow
the thread of their prejudice, they see nothing of what is right.
They have been examined whether they were able to see it, and it
was discovered that they were not. That this is the case, will seem
wonderful to the inhabitants of your world; but tell them it is a
Truth that has been investigated by the angels of heaven. As they
see nothing of what is just, we in heaven regard them not as men
but as monsters, whose heads are constituted of the things which
belong to friendship, their breasts of those which belong to in-
justice, their feet of those which belong to confirmation, and the
soles of their feet of those things which belong to justice, which
they overturn and trample under foot, if they do not favour their
friend. But of what quality they appear to us from heaven, you
shall see, for their end is at hand."

And lo! at that instant the ground yawned open, and the tables
fell one upon another, and the judges were swallowed up, to-

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gether with the whole amphitheatre, and were cast into caverns,
and imprisoned.

It was then said to me. '"Do you wish to see them where they
now are?" And lo! they appeared as to their faces as of polished
steel, as to their bodies, from the neck to the loins, as graven
images of stone clothed \vith leopards' skins, and as to their feet
like snakes: and I saw the law books, which they had arranged
on the tables, changed into packs of cards: and now instead of
sitting in judgment, the office appointed to them is to prepare red
lead into rouge, to bedaub the faces of harlots, and thus turn them
into beauties.

After seeing these things, I wanted to visit the two other com-
panies, one of which consisted of mere reasoners, and the other
of mere confirmers: and it was said to me, "Wait awhile, and there
shall be given you attendant angels from the society next above
them: through these there will be given to you light from the
Lord, and you will see wonderful things."

232. The Second Memorable Relation.

After some time I again heard from the lower earth the voices
which I had heard before, "0 HOW LEARNED! and HOW WISE!"
I looked around to see what angels were then present; and lo!
there were present those w T ho were in the heaven immediately
above those who cried. "0 HOW LEARNED!*'

And I spoke with them about the cry, and they said, "Those
learned ones are such as only reason whether a thing be so, or
whether it be not so, and seldom think that it is so; wherefore
they are like winds which blow and pass away, and like the bark
around trees which are without pith, or like shells around almonds
\vithout a kernel, or like the rind about fruit without pulp; for
their minds are devoid of interior judgment, and are united only
with the senses of the body, wherefore unless the senses them-
selves judge, they can conclude nothing; in a word, they are
merely sensual, and by us they are called REASONERS. They are
called reasoners because they never conclude anything, but take
up whatever they hear, and dispute whether it be so, with perpet-
ual contradiction. They love nothing better than attacking Truths
themselves, and thus tearing them to pieces by making them sub-
jects of controversy. These are they who believe themselves
learned above all in the world."

On hearing this account, I begged the angels to conduct me to
them: so they led me to a cave, from which a flight of steps led
to the lower earth. We descended and followed the shout, HOW
LEARNED!" and lo! there were some hundreds standing in one
place, beating the ground with their feet. Being at first surprised
at this, I asked why they stood in that manner and beat the ground
with the soles of their feet, and said, "They may thus by their
feet make holes in the ground."

At this the angels smiled and said, "They appear to stand in

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UMJ'ERSALS RELATING TO MARRIAGE [232

this manner, because they never think on any subject that it is so,
but only whether it be so, and dispute about it; and when the
thought proceeds no further than this, they appear only to tread
and trample on a single clod, and not to advance."

I then approached the assembly, and lo! they appeared to me
to be men with a face not unbecoming, and in handsome garments;
but the angels said, "They appear such in their own light ; but if
the light from heaven flows in, their faces are changed, and so are
their garments"; and so it came to pass: they then appeared with
dusky faces, and dressed in black sackcloth: but when this light
was withdrawn, they appeared as before.

I presently spoke with some of them, and said, C "I heard the
shout of the crowd about you, '0 how learned /' may I be allowed
therefore to have a little discussion with you on subjects of the
highest learning?"

They replied. "Mention whatever you please, and we will give
you satisfaction."

I then asked, "What must be the quality of the religion by
which man is saved?"

They said, "We will divide this question into several; and we
cannot give an answer to it until we have formed conclusions on
its subdivisions. The first inquiry shall be. Whether religion be
anything; the second. Whether there be such a thing as salvation
or not; the third, Whether one religion be more efficacious than
another; the fourth, Whether there be a heaven and a hell; the
fifth, Whether there be eternal life after death; besides many
more inquiries.

Then I asked about the first article, Whether religion be
anything. They began to discuss with abundance of arguments,
whether there be any such thing as religion, and whether what is
called religion be anything. I requested them to refer it to the
assembly, and they did so; and the general answer was, that the
proposition required so much investigation that it could not be
finished within the evening.

I then asked, "Can you finish it within a year?"

And one of them said, "Not within a hundred years."

So I said, "In the meanwhile you are without religion."

He replied, "Shall it not be first demonstrated whether there
be such a thing as religion, and whether what is called religion
be anything? If there be such a thing, it must be also for the
wise ; if there be no such thing, it must be only for the common
people. It is known that religion is called a bond: but it is asked,
for whom? If it be only for the common people, it is not any-
thing in itself; if it be for the wise also, it is something."

On hearing these arguments, I said to them, "There is no
character you deserve less than that of being learned ; because you
can only think whether a thing be, and twist it towards both sides.
Who can become learned, unless he know something for certain,
and progresses into it, as a man progresses from step to step, and

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233] CO.VJUCIAL LOVE

thereby successively progresses into wisdom? Otherwise, you do
not so much as touch Truths with your finger nail, but remove
them more and more out of sight. Merely reasoning whether a
thing be, as is it not like arguing about a cap or a shoe, whether
they fit or not, and omitting all the while to try them on? What
must be the consequence of such reasoning, except that you will
not know whether anything exist, yea. whether there be any such
thing as salvation: \vhether there be any eternal life after death;
whether one religion be more efficacious than another, and whether
there be a heaven and a hell ? On these subjects you cannot
possibly think at all. so long as you halt at the first step, and beat
the sand there, instead of setting one foot before another and
going forward. Take heed to yourselves, lest your minds, thus
standing outside the sphere of judgment, should harden inwardly,
and become statues of salt, and yourselves friends of Lot's wife."

Saying thus I took my leave, and they in their indignation
threw stones after me; and then they appeared to me like graven
images of stone, with nothing of human reason in them.

I asked the angels about their lot, and they said, "Their lot is,
that they are let down into the deep, into a wilderness, where they
are forced to carry burdens ; and then, because they are no longer
capable of uttering anything from reason, they give themselves
up to idle chatter and talk, and appear at a distance like asses
carrying burdens."

233. The Third Memorable Relation.

After this, one of the angels said, "Follow me to the place
where they vociferate, fit O HOW WISE!' and he said, you shall see
prodigies of men (homines] : and you shall see faces and bodies,
which are the faces and bodies of a man. and yet they are not
men.'* 1

I said, "Are they beasts then?"

He replied, "They are not beasts, but beast-men; for they are
such as are utterly unable to see whether truth be truth or not,
and yet are able to make whatever they will to be the truth. Such
persons among us are called CONFIRMERS."

We followed the vocifieration, and came to the place; and lo!
there was a company of men (i>z>), and around them a crowd,
and in the crowd some of noble descent, who, on hearing that they
confirmed whatever they said, and favored themselves with such
manifest consent, turned about, and said, "0 HOW WISE!"

But the angel said to me, "Let us not go to them, but call one
out of the company." We called one out, and went aside with him,
and spoke on various subjects; and he confirmed every one of
them, so that they appeared altogether as true.

And we asked him whether he could also confirm the contrary.
He said, "As well as the former." Then he said openly, and from
the heart, "What is truth ? Is there anything true in the nature of

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UMFERSALS RELATING TO MARRIAGE [233

things, except what a man makes true? Make any statement }ou
please, and I will make it to be true."

So I said, "Make this true. That faith is the all of the church/'

This he did so dexterously and skillfully, that the learned who
were standing by admired and applauded him. I afterwards re-
quested him to make it true. That charity is the all of the church;
and he did so: and afterwards. That chanty is nothing of the
church : and he dressed up each side of the question, and adorned
it so with appearances, that the bystanders looked at each other,
and said, "Is this not a wise man?"

But I said, "Do not you know that living well is charity, and
that believing well is faith? Does not he who lives well also
believe well? and consequently, does not faith belong to charity,
and charity to faith? Do you not see that this is true?"

He replied, "I will make it true and see." He did so, and said,
"Now I see it;" but presently he made the contrary to be true, and
then said, "I also see that this is true."

At this we smiled, and said, "Are they not contraries? how
can two contraries appear true?"

To this he replied with indignation, "You err; each is true;
since truth is nothing but what a man makes true*". . - . - -

There was standing near a certain person who in the world
had been an ambassador of the first rank. He was surprised at
this assertion, and said, "I acknowledge that in the world some-
thing like this method of reasoning prevails; but still you are out
of your senses. Try if you can make it to be true, that light is
darkness, and darkness light."

He replied, "I will easily do this. What are light and darkness
but states of the eye? Is not light changed into shade when the
eye comes out of sunshine, and also when it is kept intently fixed
on the sun? Who does not know, that the state of the eye is then
changed, and that in consequence light appears as shade; and on
the other hand, when the state of the eye is restored, that shade
appears as light? Does not an owl see the darkness of night as the
light of day, and the light of day as the darkness of night, and
also the sun itself as an opaque and dusky globe? If any man
had the eyes of an owl, which would he call light, and which
darkness? What then is light but a state of the eye? and if it be a
state of the eye, is not light darkness, and darkness light? Where-
fore each of the propositions is true."

Afterwards the ambassador asked him to make this true, That
a raven is white and not black.

He replied, "I will do this also with ease;" and he said, "Take
a needle or a razor, and lay open the feathers or quills of a
'raven; are they not white within? Also remove the feathers and
quills, and look at the raven's skin; is it not white? What is the
blackness then which envelopes it but a shade, which ought not to
be made the basis of judgment respecting the raven's color? That
blackness is merely a shade, appeal to those who are skilled in the

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233] CONJUGIAL LOVE

science of optics, and they will tell you; or do you pound a black
stone or glass into a fine powder, and you will see that the
powder is white."

But the ambassador replied. fi *Does not the raven appear black
to the sight?"

The confirmer answered, ""Will you. who are a man, think at
all from appearance? You may indeed say from appearance, that
a raven is black, but you cannot think so ; as for example, you
may speak from the appearance and say that the sun rises,
advances and sets: but as you are a man, you cannot think so.
because the sun stands unmoved and the Earth changes its posi-
tion. The case is the same with the raven; the appearance is an
appearance; say what you will, a raven is altogether white: it also
grows white as it grows old; this I have seen."

We next requested him to tell us from his heart whether he
was joking, or whether he really Relieved that nothing is true but
what a man makes true? and he replied, "I swear that I believe it."

Afterwards the ambassador asked him whether he could make
it true that he was out of his senses.

And he said, **I can, but I will not: who is not out of his
senses?"

After this, this universal confirmer was sent to the angels to
be examined as to his quality; and after the examination they
said that he did not possess even a grain of understanding;
because all that is above the Rational was closed to him, and that
alone which is below the Rational was open. Above the Rational
is heavenly light, and below it is natural light; and this light is
such that it can confirm whatever it pleases; but if heavenly light
does not flow in into natural light, a man does not see whether
anything is true, and consequently neither does he see that any-
thing false is false. Seeing in either case is by virtue of heavenly
light in natural light; and heavenly light is from the God of
heaven. Who is the Lord; wherefore this universal confirmed is
neither a man nor a beast, but a beast-man.

I asked the angel about the lot of such persons, and whether
they can be together with the living, since every man has life from
heavenly light, and from this light has understanding. He said,
"That such persons, when they are alone, can neither think any-
thing, and thence speak, but stand mute like machines, and as in
a deep sleep; but that they awake as soon as any sound strikes
their ears:" and he added, "that those become such who are in-
mostly evil ; into these heavenly light from above cannot flow in,
but only something spiritual through the world, whence they have
the faculty of confirming."

As he said this, I heard a voice from the angels who had exam-
ined the confirmer, saying to me, "From what you have now heard
make a general conclusion."

I made the following: "That being able to confirm whatever
one pleases is not the characteristic of an intelligent man but
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UMVERSALS RELATING TO MARRIAGE [233

being able to see that what is true is true, and what is false is
false, and to confirm the same, that is the characteristic of an

intelligent man." ^

After this I looked towards the company where the confifmers
stood, and where the crowd about them shouted, "0 how wise!"
and lo! a dusky cloud covered them, and in the cloud screech
owls and bats were flying about; and it was told me, "The screech
owls and bats flying about in the dusky cloud are correspondences
and consequently appearances of their thoughts; I^eca^se .con-
fijaaationjs of .falsities so complete as to make them appear like
Truths, are represented in this world under-ihe- forms of birds of
night, -wnose eyes are inwardly enlightened by a false light, by
-virtue of which they see objects in the -dark as if in the light.
There is such a false spiritual light with those who confirm
falsities until they seem as truths, and afterwards are said and
believed to be truths: all such are in a vision from below, and not
in vision from above.

205

THE CAUSES OF COLDS, SEPARATIONS, AND
DIVORCES IN MARRIAGES

2r34. Here, where the causes of colds in marriages are treated
of, the causes of separations, and also of divorces, are also treated
of at the same time. The reason is that they cohere; for separa-
tions are from no other source than from colds which successively
arise after marriage, or from causes discovered after marriage,
from which also cold results; but divorces result from scortations,
because these are directly opposite to marriages, and opposites
induce cold^ if not in both, at least in one. This is the reason why
the causes of colds, separations, and divorces are brought together
into one chapter. But the coherence of the causes will be more
clearly discerned from their being seen in a series. Their series is
as follows:

I. There is spiritual heat and there is spiritual cold; and
spiritual heat is love, and spiritual cold the deprivation thereof.

II. Spiritual cold in marriages is a disunion of the souls, and
a disjunction of the minds, whence comes indifference, discord,
contempt, loathing., and aversion; from which, with many, there
at length ensues separation as to bed, bed-chamber, and house.

III. There are many causes of cold in their successions, some
internal, some external, and some accidental.

>( IV. The internal causes of cold are from religion.

V. The first of these causes is, the rejection of religion by both
of the married partners.

f VI. The second is, that one of the married partners has re-
ligion, and the other has not.

"-VIL The third is, that one of the married partners has a
different religion Jrom the other.

; ^ VIII. The fourth is, imbibed falsity of religion.

IX, These are the causes of internal cold, but, with many, not
at the same time of external cold. *

X. There are also many external causes of cold; and the first
of them is, an unlikeness of disposition and manners.

'XIjfThe second is, that conjugial love is believed to be one
with scortatory love, except that the latter is not allowed by law.
but the former is.

XII The third is, a striving for preeminence between the mar-
ried partners.

XIII^'TAe fourth is, a want of determination to some employ-
ment or occupa&ipn, whence comes wandering cupidity.

XIVThe -ftefris, inequality of state and condition in externals.

XV. There are also some causes of separation.
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THE CAUSES OF COLD IN MARRIAGES [235

XVI. The first of them is, a vitiated state of mind.

XVII. The second is, a vitiated state of the body.
X\ 7 Ill.^The third is, impotence before marriage.

XIX. Scortatory love is the cause of divorce.

XX. There are also many accidental causes of cold; and the
first of these is the commonness (of delight) which results from
(its) being continually allowed.

XXI. The second is, that living with a married partner from
covenant and lau\ seems to be compulsory and not free.

XXII. The third is, affirmation by the wife, and a talking
about love by her.

XXIII. The fourth s, the mans thought by day and night,
that the wife is willing; and on the other hand, the wife's thought
that the man is not willing.

XXIV. In proportion as cold is in the mind 9 it is in the body,
also; and according to the increase of that cold, the externals of
the body also are closed.

Now follows the explanation of these articles.

235. I. THERE is SPIRITUAL HEAT, AND THERE is SPIRITUAL

COLD; AND SPIRITUAL HEAT IS LOVE, AND SPIRITUAL COLD IS THE

DEPRIVATION THEREOF. Spiritual heat is from no other source
than the sun of the spiritual world; for there is in that world a
sun proceeding from the Lord, Who is in the midst of it; and as
that sun is from the Lord, it is in its essence pure love. This sun
appears fiery before the angels, just as the sun of our world
appears before men. The reason why it appears fiery is, that love
is spiritual fire. From that sun proceed both heat and light; but
as that sun is pure love, the heat thence issuing in its essence is
love, and the light thence issuing in its essence is wisdom. Hence
it is evident what is the source of spiritual heat, and that spiritual
heat is love. But the source of spiritual cold shall also be briefly
explained. It is from the sun of the natural world, and its heat
and light. The sun of the natural world was created in order that
its heat and light might receive into themselves spiritual heat and
light, and by means of the atmospheres, carry them down even to
ultimates in the Earth, in order to produce the effects of the ends,
which belong to the Lord in His own sun, and also to clothe
spiritual things with suitable garments, that is, with materials, to
operate ultimate ends in nature. These effects are produced when
spiritual heat is joined to natural heat; but the contrary comes to
pass -when natural heat is separated from spiritual heat, as is the
case with those who love natural things, and reject spiritual things:
with these spiritual heat becomes cold. The reason why these two
loves, which from creation are in agreement, becomes thus oppo-
site, is, that in such a case the dominant heat becomes the servant,
and contrariwise; and to prevent this happening, spiritual heat,
which from its lineage is the Lord, recedes ; and in those subjects,
spiritual heat then grows cold, because it becomes opposite. From

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236-238] CONJVGIAL LOVE

these considerations it is evidence that spiritual cold is the depri-
vation of spiritual heat. In what has here been said, by heat is
meant love, because that heat living in subjects is felt as love.
I have heard in the spiritual world, that merely natural spirits are
chilled with intense cold when they apply themselves to the side
of some angel who is in a state of love; and that it is the same
with the spirits of hell, when heat flows in unto them out of
heaven; and that nevertheless, among themselves, when the heat
pf heaven is removed from them, they burn with a great heat.

236. II. SPIRITUAL COLD IN MARRIAGES is A DISUNION OF THE

SOULS AND A DISTINCTION OF THE MINDS; WHENCE COME INDIFFER-
ENCE, DISCORD, CONTEMPT, LOATHING, AVERSION; FROM WHICH,
WITH MANY THERE AT LENGTH ENSUES SEPARATION AS TO BED,

BED-CHAMBER AND HOUSE. That these effects take place with mar-
ried partners, while their primitive love is on the decline, and
becoming cold, is too well known to need any comment. The
reason is that conjugial cold in human minds resides above all
other colds; for the conjugial principle itself is inscribed on the
soul, to the end that a soul may be propagated from a soul, and
the soul of the father into the offspring. Hence it is that this cold
begins there, and successively passes thence into the following
(parts), and infects them, and thus changes the gladnesses and
delights of the primitive love into what is sad and undelightful.

237. III. THERE ARE MANY CAUSES OF COLD IN THEIR SUCCES-
SIONS, SOME INTERNAL, SOME EXTERNAL, AND SOME ACCIDENTAL.
That there are many causes of colds in marriages, is known in
the world; also that they arise from many external causes. But it
is not known that the origins of the causes lie concealed in the
inmosts, and that from these they are derived into the parts that
follow in order, until they appear in externals. In order there-
fore that it may be known that external causes are not causes in
themselves, but derivate from causes in themselves, which, as was
said, are in the inmosts, therefore the causes shall first be gen-
erally distributed into internal and external causes, and after-
wards shall be particularly examined.

238. IV. THE INTERNAL CAUSES OF COLD ARE FROM RELIGION.
That the very origin of conjugial love resides with man in the
inmosts, that is, in his soul, every one is convinced from the fol-
lowing considerations alone: that the soul of the offspring is
from the father, and that this is known from the likeness of the
inclinations and affections, and also from the general character of
the countenance derived from the father, and remaining even in
very remote posterity; also from the propagative faculty im-
planted in souls by creation; and moreover by what is analogous
thereto in the subjects of the vegetable kingdom, in that there lies
hidden in the inmost things of germinations the propagation of

208

THE CAUSES OF COLD I\ MARRIAGES [239, 240

the seed itself, and thence of the whole, \vhether it be a tree, a
shrub, or a plant. This propagative or plastic force in seeds in
the vegetable kingdom, and in souls in the animal kingdom, is
from no other source thajijthe conjugial sphere, which is the
sphere of good and truth, and which' perpetually emanates and
flows in from the Lord the Creator and Supporter of the universe
(concerning which sphere, see above, nos. 222-225); and from
the effort of those two, good and truth, therein (namely, in the
seeds and in the souls 1, to become conjoined into a one. It is
from this conjugial effort, which is inherent in souls, that con-
jugial love originally comes into existence. That that same mar-
riage, from which the above universal sphere is derived, consti-
tutes the church with man, has been abundantly shown above, in
the chapter on "The Marriage of Good and Truth," and frequently
elsewhere. Hence it appears with every evidence before the reason,
that the origin of the church, and the origin of conjugial love, are
in the same seat, and that they are in a continual embrace. But
on this subject see further particulars above, in no. 130, where it
was proved, that conjugial love is according to the state of the
church with man; thus that it is from religion, because religion
constitutes this state. Man also has been created with a capacity
of becoming more and more interior, and thus of being introduced
or elevated more and more towards that marriage, and thus into
truly conjugial love, and this even to the extent of perceiving the
state of its blessedness. That religion is the only means of intro^l
duction and elevation, appears clearly from what was said above, j
namely, that the origin of the church and the origin of conjugial ,
love are in the same seat, and in a mutual embrace there, and that^
therefore they cannot but be conjoined.

239. From what has now T been said it follows, that where
religion is not, there conjugial love does not exist; and that where
conjugial love is not, there is cold. That conjugial cold is the
deprivation of that love, see above, no. 235; consequently that
conjugial cold is also the deprivation of the state of the church,
or of religion. Sufficiently evident confirmation of the truth of
this may be deduced from the general ignorance that prevails at
the present day concerning truly conjugial love. Who at the
present day knows, and who is willing to acknowledge, and who
will not be surprised to hear, that the origin of conjugial love is
deduced thence? But the only cause and source of this ignorance
is, that, notwithstanding there is religion, still there are not the
truths of religion; and what is religion without truths? That there
are no truths, has been fully shown in the Apocalypse Revealed;
see also the Memorable Relations in no. 566 of that Work.

240. V. THE FIRST OF THE INTERNAL CAUSES OF COLD is THE

REJECTION OF RELIGION BY BOTH OF THE MARRIED PARTNERS. With

those who reject the holy things of the church from the face to

209

241] COMUGIAL LOVE

the back of the head, or from the breast to the back, there does
not exist any good love; if any proceeds apparently from the
body, still there does not exist any in the spirit. With such persons
goods place themselves outside of evils, and cover them over as
clothing glittering with gold covers a corrupt body. The evils
which reside within and are covered over, are in general hatreds,
and hence intestine combats against everything spiritual ; for all
the things of the church, which they reject, are in themselves
spiritual ; and since truly conjugial love is the fundamental love
of all spiritual loves, as was shown above, it is evident that there
is (with such persons) an intrinsic hatred against it, and that there
is with them an intrinsic or personal love in favor of the opposite
love, which is the love of scortations. Wherefore they, more than
others, will ridicule this Truth, that every one has conjugial love,
according to the state of the church ; yea, they will possibly laugh
outright at the very mention of truly conjugial love. But be it so ;
nevertheless they must be excused, because it is impossible for
them to think otherwise of the embraces in marriage than as of
those in scortations, as it is for a camel to thrust itself through the
eye of a sewing needle. Such persons, as to conjugial love, are
chilled with cold more than others. If they cleave to their mar-
ried partners, it is only on account of some of the external causes
enumerated above, no. 153, which check and bind them. With
these, the interiors of the souL and thence of the mind, are more
closed up, and in the body are stopped up; and then even sexual
love becomes cheap, or is insanely lascivious in the interiors of
the body, and thence in the lowest things of their thought. It is
these also who are meant in the Memorable Relation, no. 79,
which they may read if they please.

241. VL THE SECOND OF THE INTERNAL CAUSES OF COLD is,

THAT ONE OF THE MARRIED PARTNERS HAS RELIGION, AND THE

OTHER HAS NOT. *The reason is, that their souls cannot help being
in discord, for the soul of one is open to the reception of con-
jugial love, while the soul of the other is closed against the recep-
tion of that love. It is closed with the one that has not religion,
and it is open with the one that has. Hence it is not possible for
two such married partners to dwell together ; and when once con-
jugial love is banished, there ensues cold; but this is with the
married partner that has no religion. This cold is not dissipated
except through the reception of a religion agreeing with that of
the other, if the latter is a true one. Otherwise, with the married
partner who has no religion, there ensues cold, which descends
from the soul into the body, even to the cuticles, in consequence
of which, he (or she) finally cannot bear to look his (or her)
married partner directly in the face, or accost her (or him) in a
communion of respirations, or speak to her (or him) except in a
distant tone of voice, or touch her (or him) with the hand, and
scarcely with the back; not to mention the insanities which, pro-
210

THE CAUSES OF COLD I\ MARRIAGES [242-24*1

t tvding from that cold, creep into the thought?. v\hich they do not
make known; and this is the reason wh\ such marriages are dis-
solved of themselves. Moreover, it is known, that an impious
persons thinks meanly of his married partner: and all who are
without religion are impious.

242. VII. THE THIRD OF THE INTERNAL CAUSES OF COLD is.

THAT ONE OF THE MARRIED PARTNERS HAS A DIFFERENT RELIGION

FROM THE OTHER. The reason is that with such persons good can-
not be conjoined with its own corresponding truth; for, as was
shown above, the wife is the good of the husband's truth, and he
is the truth of the wife's good. Hence out of two souls there can-
not be made one soul; and hence the fountain of that love is
closed, and when this is closed, a conjugial state is entered upon
which has a lower place of abode, and which is that of good with
another truth, or of truth with another good than its own, between
which there does not exist any concordant love; hence with the
married partner who is in falsities of religion, there commences a
cold, which is intensified in proportion as he for she) differs
from the other. Once in a great city I was wandering through the
streets seeking a place of abode, and I entered a house where there
dwelled married partners of different religions. As I was ignorant
of this fact, the angels spoke to me, and said, "We cannot remain
with you in that house, because the married partners there are in
discordant religions." This they perceived from the internal dis-
union of their souls.

243. VIII. THE FOURTH OF THE INTERNAL CAUSES (OF COLD)
is, IMBIBED FALSITY OF RELIGION. The reason is that falsity in
spiritual things either takes away religion, or defiles it. It takes
it away with those with whom genuine Truths are falsified. It
defiles it with those whom there are indeed falsities, but not
genuine Truths, which therefore could not be falsified. With these
latter there may possibly exist goods with which those falsities
may be conjoined by the Lord by means of applications; for
these falsities are like various discordant tones, which by skillful
arrangements and combinations are brought into harmony, whence
also comes the pleasantness of harmony. With these some con-
jugial love is possible. But with those -who have falsified with
themselves the genuine truths of the church, conjugial love is not
possible. The prevailing ignorance concerning truly conjugial
love, or the negative doubt whether it can possibly exist, is from
these falsified truths; and from the same source also^ comes the
i&sanity which^jiwells m-the. ,*pinds of many, that scortations are
not evils ofTelieion.

afiY 1 '* 'i ' ' ' ' ' 'i- --* i" "**-*

244. IX. THE ABOVE-NAMED CAUSES ARE CAUSES OF INTERNAL

COLD, BUT, WITH MANY, NOT AT THE SAME TIME OF EXTERNAL COLD.

If the causes thus far pointed out and confirmed, which are the
causes of cold in the internals, were to produce a similar cold in

211

245,246] CO\JUGIAL LOVE

the externals, as many separations would ensue as there are in-
ternal colds; and there are as many colds as there are marriages
of those who are in falsities of religion, in different religions, and
in no religion, which have already been treated of above. And yet
it is known, that many such dwell together as if they were loves
and mutual friendships; but whence this originates, with those
who are in internal cold, will be stated in the following chapter
on 'The Causes of apparent Love, Friendship, and Favour,
between Married Partners/' There are several causes which con-
join the dispositions, but still do not conjoin the souls, among
these are some of those mentioned above, no. 183 ; but still cold
lies hidden inwardly, and makes itself noticed and felt every now
and then. With such married partners the affections depart from
each other; but the thoughts, when they go forth into speech and
behaviour, approach each other for the sake of apparent friend-
ship and favour; wherefore such persons know nothing of the
pleasantness and delightsomeness, and still less of the blissfulness
and blessedness of truly conjugial love, accounting them to be
little else than fables. These are among those who deduce the
origins of conjugial love from the same causes as did the nine
companies of -wise ones assembled from the several kingdoms of
Europe; concerning whom see above in the Memorable Relation,
nos. 103-114.

245. To what has been confirmed -above, it may be objected,
that the soul is nevertheless propagated from the father, although
it is not conjoined with the soul of the mother, yea, although cold
residing therein causes separations. But the reason why souls or
offspring are nevertheless propagated is., that the understanding of
the man (vir) is not closed, but is capable of being elevated into
the light in which the soul is; but the love of his will is not
elevated into the heat corresponding to the light there, except by
the life, which from natural makes him spiritual. Hence it is, that
the soul is nevertheless procreated, but in the descent, when it
becomes seed, it is veiled over by such things as belong to his
natural love; from this springs hereditary evil. To these state-
ments I will add an arcanum, which is from heaven, namely, that
between the disjoined souls of two persons, especially of married
partners, there is effectefl conjunction in a mediate love, and that
otherwise no conceptions would be effected among human beings.
Besides, what is here said of conjugial cold, and of its place of
abode as being in the highest region of the mind, see the last
Memorable Relation of this chapter, no. 270.

246. X. THERE ARE ALSO MANY EXTERNAL CAUSES OF COLD;

AND THE FIRST OF THEM IS AN UNLIKENESS OF DISPOSITIONS AND

MANNERS. There are both internal and external likenesses and
unlikenesses. The internal ones derive their origin from no other
source than religion; for religion is implanted in souls, and is
212

THE CAUSES OF C&LD /.V MARRIAGES [247

handed down by the parent?, through their souls, to the offspring,
as the supreme inclination. For the soul of every human being
derives life from the marriage of good and truth, and from this
marriage is the church ; and as the church is various and diverse
in the several parts of the world, therefore also the souls of all
human beings are various and diverse; therefore internal like-
nesses and unlikenesses are from this source, and according to
them are the conjugial conjunctions which have been treated of.
But external likenesses and unlikenesses are not of the souls, but
of the dispositions. By the dispositions are meant the external
affections and the consequent external inclinations, which are in-
sinuated after birth chiefly by means of the educations, associa-
tions, and the consequent habits: for it is usual to say. "I have a
mind or disposition to do this or that." by which is meant an
affection and inclination to it. Persuasions conceived respecting
this or that kind of life are also wont to form those dispositions ;
thence come inclinations to enter into marriage even with un-
equals, and likewise to refuse marriage with equals: but still these
marriages, after a certain time of living together, vary according
to the likenesses and unlikenesses contracted by heredity, and at
the same time by education; and unlikenesses give rise to cold.
So likewise unlikenesses of manners; as for example, an unculti-
vated man or woman with a refined woman or man ; a clean man
or woman with an unclean woman or man; a quarrelsome man
or woman with a peaceable woman or man; in a word, an ill-bred
man or woman with a well-bred woman or man. Marriages of
such unlikenesses are not unlike the conjunctions of diverse species
of animals with each other, as of sheep and goats, of stags and
mules, of fowls and geese, of sparrows and the nobler birds, yea,
as of dogs and cats, which on account of their unlikenesses do not
consociate with each other; but in the human kind these unlike-
nesses are indicated not by faces, but by habits of life ; wherefore
external colds are from this source.

247. XL THE SECOND OF THE EXTERNAL CAUSES OF COLD is,

THAT CONJUGIAL LOVE IS BELIEVED TO BE ONE WITH SCORTATORY
LOVE, EXCEPT THAT THE LATTER IS NOT ALLOWED BY LAW, BUT THE

FORMER IS. That this is the source of cold, is clearly seen by
reason, when it considers that scortatory love is diametrically
opposite to conjugial love; wherefore when it is believed that con-
jugial love is one with scortatory love, both loves become alike in
idea; and then the wife is looked upon as a scortator, and mar-
riage as uncleanness; the man ivir] Ijimself also is a scortator,
i,not j& bady,^stittria' spirit 'That hence ensue contempt, disdain
and aversion, between the man and his woman, and thereby in-
tense cold inevitably follows; for nothing stores up in itself con-
jugial cold more than scortatory love; and as scortatory love also
passes into that cold, it may not undeservedly be called conjugial
cold itself,

213

248.249] COMUGIAL LOVE

248. XII. THE THIRD OF THE EXTERNAL CAUSES OF COLD is, A

STRIVING FOR PRE-EMINENCE BETWEEN THE MARRIED PARTNERS. The

reason is, that conjugial love has chiefly respect to an union ^ of
the wills, and a freedom of action resulting thence; both which
are cast out from the marriage by a striving for pre-eminence or
<?ommand; for this divides and tears the wills into pieces, and
changes the freedom of action into servitude. Wliile that striving
lasts, the spirit of the one meditates violence against the other; if
their minds were then to be laid open and viewed by spiritual
sight, they would appear like antagonists fighting with daggers,
and regarding each other with hatred and favour alternately ; with
hatred while in the vehemence of rivalry, and with favour while
in the hope of dominion, and while in lust. After one has obtained
the victory over the other, this contest departs from the externals,
and betakes itself into the internals of the mind, and abides there
with its restlessness concealed. Hence cold ensues both to the sub-
dued party or servant and to the victress or mistress. The reason
why the latter also suffers cold is, that conjugial love no longer
exists, and the deprivation of this love is cold; see no. 235. In
the place of conjugial love she has heat from pre-eminence; but
this heat is utterly discordant with conjugial heat, yet it can agree
with it exteriorly by means of lust. After a tacit agreement between
the parties, it appears as if conjugial love had become friendship;
but the difference between conjugial love and servile friendship
in marriages, is like that between light and shade, between a living
fire and an ignis fatuus, yea. like that between a well-conditioned
man and one consisting only of bone and skin.

249. XIII. THE FOURTH OF THE EXTERNAL CAUSES OF COLD is,

A WANT OF DETERMINATION TO SOME EMPLOYMENT OR OCCUPATION,

WHENCE COMES WANDERING CUPIDITY. Man was created for use,
because use is the continent of good and truth, from the marriage
of which proceeds creation, and also conjugial love, as has been
shown in its own chapter. By employment and occupation is
meant every application to uses. While therefore a man is in any
employment and occupation, or in any use, his mind is then
limited and circumscribed as in a circle, within which it is suc-
cessively coordinated into a truly human form, from which as
from a house he sees various concupiscences outside of himself,
and by soundness of reason within exterminates them; conse-
quently he also exterminates the wild insanities of scortatory lust.
Hence it is that conjugial heat remains better and longer with such
than with others. The reverse happens with those who give them-
selves up to sloth and idleness. The minds of these persons is
unlimited and unbounded, and hence the man admits into the
whole of it everything vain and nonsensical that flows in from
the world and the l#>dy, and leads to the love thereof. That then
also conjugial love is driven into exile, is evident; for in con-
sequence of sloth and idleness the mind becomes stupid and the
214

THE CAUSES OF COLD IX .MARRIAGES [250, 251

body torpid, and the \vhole man becomes insensible to every vital
love, especially to conjugial lo\e. from which as from a fountain
issue the activities and alacrities of life. But conjugial cold with
such is different from that cold with others; it is indeed the
deprivation of conjugial love, but from defect.

250. XIV. THE FIFTH OF THE EXTERNAL CAUSES OF COLD is.

INEQUALITY OF STATE AND CONDITION IN EXTERNALS. There are

many inequalities of state and condition, which during the time of
dwelling together put an end to the conjugial love which had com-
menced before the wedding: but they may all be referred to in-
equalities as to age. dignities, and -wealth. That unequal ages
induce cold in marriage, as in the case of a lad with an old
woman, and of a young maiden \vitli a decrepit old man, needs no
proof. That inequality as to dignities has a similar effect, as in
the marriage of a prince with a maidservant, or of an illustrious
matron with a manservant, is also acknowledged without proof.
That the case is similar in regard to -wealth, unless a likeness of
dispositions and manners, and an application of the one to the
inclinations and native desires of the other, consociate them, is
evident. But in all such cases, the compliance of the one on
account of the pre-eminence of the state and condition of the other,
effects only a servile conjunction; and this conjunction is a cold
conjunction; for with such persons the conjugial state is not of
the spirit and heart, but only nominal and of the mouth; in con-
sequence of which the inferior party boasts, and the superior
blushes with shame. But in the heavens there is no inequality of
age, dignities, or wealth. As to age, all there are in the flower of
their youth, and in that flower they continue to eternity: as to
dignitaries, all there regard others according to the uses which
they perform. The more eminent in condition regard the lower as
brethren, neither do they set dignity before the performance of
use, but the performance of use before dignity; also when maidens
are given in marriage, they do not know from what ancestors they
are descended: for no one in heaven knows his earthly father, but
the Lord is the Father of all. The case is the same as to wealth,
which in heaven consists in the faculty of becoming wise, accord-
ing to w 7 hich a sufficiency of wealth is given. How marriages are
entered into in heaven, see above, no. 229.

251. XV THERE ARE ALSO SOME CAUSES OF SEPARATIONS. There
are separations from the bed, and separations from the house.
There are several causes of separations from the bed, and like-
wise of separations from the house; but the legitimate causes are
here being treated of. As the causes of separation coincide with
the causes of concubinatus^ which are treated of in the latter part
of this Work in their own chapter, before the reader is referred
thereto, in order that he may see the causes in their order. The
legitimate causes of separation are the following.

215

252.253] COMUGIAL LOVE

252. XVI. THE FIRST CAUSE OF LEGITIMATE SEPARATION is A
VITIATED STATE OF THE MIND. The reason is. that conjugial love
Is a conjunction of minds; wherefore if the mind of one goes
away from that of the other into what is diverse, that conjunction
is dissolved, and with this the love vanishes. What vitiated states
separate may be manifest from the enumeration of them ; they are
therefore as to the greater part these: unsoundness of mind,
frenzy, insanity, idiocy, and imbecility, loss of memory,, severe
hysteria ; extreme simplicity, so that there is no perception of what
is good and true: a high degree of waywardness, w r hich refuses to
obey what is just and fair: an extraordinary pleasure in gossip-
ing, and talking only about insignificant and trivial matters; an
unbridled desire to divulge the private matters of the house, also
to wrangle, to strike, to revenge, to act wickedly, to steal, to tell
lies, to deceive, to blaspheme; neglect of the children, intemper-
ance, luxuriousness. excessive wastefulness, drunkenness, unclean-
ness, immodesty, engaging in magical practices and sorceries, god-
lessness, besides many more. By legitimate causes are not here
meant judicial causes, but such as are legitimate in regard to the
other married partner: separations from the house are also seldom
decreed by a judge.

253. XVII. THE SECOND CAUSE OF LEGITIMATE SEPARATION is
A VITIATED STATE OF THE BODY. By vitiated states of the body are
not meant accidental diseases, which happen to either of the mar-
ried partners during their married life, and pass away again ; but
there are meant permanent or incurable diseases which do not
pass away. Pathology teaches what these are. They are manifold,
such as, diseases by which the whole body becomes infected to
such a degree that a fatal result ensues from contact with it;
of this nature are malignant and pestilential fevers, leprosies,
syphilis, gangrenes, cancers, and other similar diseases. Further,
diseases by w T hich the body is rendered so loathsome that there is
no possibility of consociation, and in consequence of which hurt-
ful effluvia and noxious exhalations are generated, either from the
surface of the body, or from its inward parts, especially from the
stomach and lungs. From the surface of the body there are
malignant smallpox, warty growths, pustules, scurvy, virulent
itch; especially if the face has been rendered loathsome by them.
From the stomach, risings of foul, stinking, rank and undigested
matters. From the lungs, fetid and putrid breath exhaled from
tubercles, ulcers, abscesses, either from vitiated blood, or from
vitiated lymph, therein. Besides these, there are also other dis-
eases of various names, as lipothymy (fainting), which is an uttei
debility of the body and failing of strength; paralysis, which is
a loosening and relaxation of the membranes and ligaments which
serve for motion : certain chronic diseases, arising from a loss of
the tensibility and elasticity of the nerves, or from too great a
density, toughness, and acridity of the humours ; epilepsy; per-

THE CAUSES OF COLD IN MARRIAGES [254-256

manent debility from attacks of apoplexy; various wasting dis-
eases whereby the body is consumed: the ileac passion, the caeliac
affection, hernia, and other similar diseases. iSee no. 470.1

254. XVIII. THE THIRD CAUSE OF LEGITIMATE SEPARATION is
IMPOTENCE BEFORE MARRIAGE. The reason why this is a cause of
separation is, that the end of marriage is the procreation of off-
spring, and this cannot be effected by those who are impotent;
and as they know this beforehand, they deliberately deprive their
wives of the hope of it, which hope, nevertheless, suckles and
strengthens their conjugial love.

255. XIX. ADULTERY is THE CAUSE OF DIVORCE. There are
several reasons for this, which are discernible in rational light
and yet are hidden at the present day. From rational light it may
be seen that marriages are holy and adulteries (adulterous loves)
profane; and thus that marriages and scortations are diametrically
opposed to each other, and that w r hen opposite meets opposite, one
destroys the other, to the very last spark of life. It is so with con-
jugial love when the uxoratus (the will and understanding united
in an adulterous love), with determination and thus with set pur-
pose commits adultery (adulterates good). With those who know
something of heaven and hell the considerations come into a
clearer light of reason ; for they know that marriages are in heaven
and from heaven, and that adulteries are in hell and from hell;
and that these two cannot be conjoined, just as heaven cannot be
conjoined with hell, and that if they are brought together in a
man (homo^ heaven instantly departs, and hell enters in. This
then is the reason why adultery is the cause of divorce. Therefore
the Lord says: Whosoever shall put away his wife except for
fornication (scortatio), and shall marry another, committeth
adultery (is adjoined to an adulterous love) ("Matt. xix. 9). He
says, if he shall put away and marry another except for scortation
he committeth adultery, because the sending or putting away
(dismissio) for this cause is the complete separation of minds
which is called divorce; but all other puttings away, for their
other causes, are the separations just treated of above. If after
these another wife (uxor) is married, adultery (every violation of
the Commandment) is committed; but not after divorce.

256. XX. THERE ARE ALSO MANY ACCIDENTAL CAUSES OF COLD ;

AND THE FIRST OF THEM IS THE COMMONNESS (OF ENJOYMENT) IN
CONSEQUENCE OF ITS BEING CONSTANTLY ALLOWED. The reason why

the commonness (of enjoyment) in consequence of its being con-
stantly allowed is an accidental cause of cold is, that it exists
with those who think lasciviously about marriage and on the sub-
ject of wives, but not with those who think holily about marriage,
and tranquilly on the subject of wives. That by reason of die
commonness which results from their being continually allowed,

217

257] COMUGIAL LOVE

even joys become indifferent, and also tiresome, is evident from
, games and public shows, musical entertainments, dancing, feast-
ing, and the like, which in themselves are agreeable, because they
are vivifications. The case is the same with the intimacy and the
consociation between married partners, especially between those
who have not removed unchaste sexual love from the love they
bear to each other, and when they think idly, in the absence of
the faculty (for enjoyment I, of the commonness ('of that enjoy-
ment) arising from its being continually allowed. That that com-
monness is to such persons a cause of cold, is self-evident. It is
called accidental, because it is added to inward cold as a cause,
and agrees with it as a reason. To remove the cold arising from
this (commonness ", wives, from the prudence implanted in them,
maTce what is allowable not allowable, by means of various resist-
ances. But the case is altogether otherwise with those who judge
chastely of wives: wherefore with the angels the commonness
(of delight') which results from its being continually allowed, is
the very delight of the soul, and is the container of their conjugial
love, for they are continually in the delight of that love, and in its
ultimates according to the presence of their minds fin that love)
uninterrupted by cares, thus according to the decisions of the
judgment with the husbands.

257. XXI. THE SECOND OF THE ACCIDENTAL CAUSES OF COLD is,

THAT LIVING WITH A MARRIED PARTNER, FROM COVENANT AND LAW,
SEEM TO BE COMPULSORY AND NOT FREE. This cause exists Only

with those with whom conjugial love is cold in the inmosts, and
since it adds itself to internal cold, it becomes an accessory or
accidental cause. With these persons, extra- conjugial love by
reason of its consent and favour, is inwardly in heat; for the cold
of the one is the heat of the other, which (heat), if it is not felt,
is nevertheless within, yea, in the midst of the cold; and unless it
was then also within, there would be no recuperation. This heat
is what constitutes the compulsion, which is increased in propor-
tion as, by one of the parties, the covenant resulting from agree-
ment and the law by virtue of its justice, are looked upon as bonds
not to be violated; it is otherwise if those bonds are loosened by
both. The case is reversed with those who hold extra- conjugial
love accursed, and think of conjugial love as of what is heavenly
and as heaven, and the more so if they perceive it to be so. With
these, that covenant with its articles of agreement, and that law
with its obligations, are inscribed on their hearts, and are con-
tinually being inscribed thereon more and more. With these, the
bond of that love is neither woven by a covenant that has been
agreed upon, nor by a law that has been enacted; but both the
covenant and the law are by virtue of creation implanted in the
love itself in which they are; from the latter (namely, the cov-
enant and the law implanted from creation in the love itself) are
derived the former (namely, the covenant and law) in the world,
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THE CAUSES OF COLD I\ MARRIAGES [258-260

but not contrariwise. Hence it is that everything that belongs to
that love is felt as freedom: neither is there any freedom but what
belongs to the love: and I have heard from the angels, that the
freedom of truly conjugial love is the utmost freedom, because
conjugial love is the love of loves.

258. XXII. THE THIRD OF THE ACCIDENTAL CAUSES OF COLD

IS AFFIRMATION BY THE WIFE, AND A TALKING ABOUT LOVE BY HER.

With the angels in heaven there is no refusal and resistance on the
part of the wives, as there is with some wives on earth: with the
angels in heaven also there is a talking by the wives about love,
and not such a silence as there is with some wives on earth. But
the causes of these diversities I am not allowed to make known,
because it is not becoming for me to do so : nevertheless they may
be seen in four Memorable Relations at the close of the chapters
as made known by the angels' wives, who freely indulge them to
their husbands. by the three in the palace over which there was
seen a golden shower ('nos. 155, 208), and by the seven who were
sitting in a garden of roses (nos. 293, 294). These Memorable
Relations were adduced, to the end that everything may be dis-
closed that belongs to conjugial love, which is the subject here
treated of in general and in particular.

259. XXIII. THE FOURTH OF THE ACCIDENTAL CAUSES OF COLD

IS, THE MAN'S THOUGHT BY DAY AND NIGHT THAT HIS WIFE IS WILL-
ING, AND ON THE OTHER HAND, THE WIFE'S THOUGHT THAT THE

MAN is NOT WILLING. That the latter circumstance is a cause of the
cessation of love with wives, and the former a cause of cold with
men, is passed by without comment. For that the man, if he thinks
that his wife, when she is in his sight by day. and when at his
side by night, desires or is willing, should grow cold to the
extremities; and on the other hand that the wife, if she thinks that
the man is able and not willing, should lose her love, are among
the facts which are well known to husbands who have studied the
arcana relating to conjugial love. These circumstances are adduced
also, to the end that this Work may be perfected, and that the
delights of wisdom relating to conjugial love may be completed.

260. XXIV. IN PROPORTION AS COLD is IN THE MIND, IT is IN

THE BODY ALSO ; AND ACCORDING TO THE INCREASE OF THAT COLD,
THE EXTERNALS OF THE BODY ALSO ARE CLOSED. It IS believed at

the present day that the mind of man is in the head, and nothing
of it in the body, when yet both the soul and the mind are both in
the head and in the body; for the soul and the mind are the man,
since both constitute the spirit which lives after death; and that
this spirit is in a perfect human form, has been fully shown in our
treatises. Hence it is that, as soon as a man thinks anything he
can in an instant utter it by means of the mouth of his body, and
at the same time effigy it in gesture; and that, as soon as he wills

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261] CONJUGIAL LOVE

anything, he can in an instant bring it into act and effect by means
of the members of the body; which could not be the case unless
the soul and the mind were together in the body, and constituted
his spiritual man. Since this is so, it may be seen that while con-
jugial love is in the mind, it is similar to itself in the body: and
since love is heat, that it opens the externals of the body from the
interiors: but that, on the other hand, the privation thereof, which
is cold, closes up the externals of the body from the interiors.
From this appears manifestly the cause why the faculty with the
angels continues to eternity, and the cause why it fails w T ith men
who are in a state of cold.

261. To the above I shall add three Memorable Relations. The
first is this:

In the higher northern quarter near the east in the spiritual
world, there are places of instruction for boys, for youths, for
men, and also for old men. Into these places are sent all who die
infants, and they are educated in heaven: so also are all who are
newly come from this world, and desire Knowledges about heaven
and hell. This tract is near the east, in order that all may be
instructed through influx from the Lord: for the Lord is the east,
because He is in the sun there, which from Him is pure love;
hence the heat from that sun in its essence is love, and the light
from it in its essence is wisdom. These are inspired into them by
the Lord out of that sun; and they are inspired according to
reception, and reception is according to the love of becoming wise.
After the times of instruction, those who have become intelligent
are sent forth thence, and are called disciples of the Lord. They
are sent forth thence first into the west, and those who do not
remain there, into the south ; and some through the south into the
east; and they are introduced into the societies where their abodes
are to be.

Once when I was meditating about heaven and hell, I began
to desire a universal Knowledge of the state of both ; being aware,
that whoever knows universals, can afterwards comprehend par-
ticulars, because the latter are in the former, as parts in a whole.
In this desire I looked to that tract in the northern quarter near
the east, where the places of instruction were, and I went there'
by a way then open to me. I entered one of the colleges, where
there were some young men, and addressed the head masters there
who gave instruction, and asked them, whether they knew the
universals about heaven and hell.

They replied that they knew some little; "but if we look," said
they, "towards the east to the Lord, we shall be enlightened and
we shall know." They did so, and said, "There are three uni-
versals of hell, but they are diametrically opposite to the uni-
versals of heaven. The universals of hell are these three loves,
the love of dominion from the love of self, the love of possessing
the goods of others from the love of the world, and scortatory

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THE CAUSES OF COLD IN MARRIAGES [262

love. The universals of heaven opposite to these are these three
loves. the love of dominion from the love of use, the love of
possessing the goods of the world from the love of doing uses by
means of them, and truly conjugial love.

When they had said this, after wishing (me) peace, I took my
leave, and returned home. When I was at home, it was said to me
from heaven, "Examine those three universals above and beneath,
and afterwards we shall see them in thy hand." It was said, "in
the hand," because everything which a man examines with the
understanding, appears to the angels as if inscribed on his hands.

262. After this I examined the first universal love of hell,
which was the love of exercising dominion, or of ruling, from the
love of self, and afterwards the universal love of heaven corre-
sponding to it, which was the love of exercising dominion from
the love of uses; for I was not allowed to examine the one love
without the other, because the understanding does not perceive the
one love without the other, for they are opposites; wherefore in
order that each may be perceived, they must be set in opposition,
the one against the other; for a beautiful and handsome face is
made apparent as such by contrasting with it an ugly and deformed
one. When I was considering the love of exercising dominion
from the love of self, it was given me to perceive that this love
was in the highest degree infernal, and consequently prevailed
with those who are in the deepest hell; and that the love of exer-
cising dominion from the love of uses was in the highest degree
heavenly, and consequently prevailed with those who are in the
highest heaven. The reason why the love of exercising dominion
from the love of self is in the highest degree infernal, is, that
exercising dominion from the love of self is exercising it from the
proprium, and the proprium of man from birth is evil itself, and
evil itself is diametrically opposed to the Lord; wherefore the
more those who are in evil advance into that evil, the more they
deny God and the holy things of the church, and worship them-
selves and nature. Let those who are in that evil, I entreat them,
examine that evil in themselves, and they will see. This love also
is such that, in proportion as it is left unchecked, which is the case
so long as it is not hindered by impossibilities, in the same pro-
portion it rushes impetuously from step to step, even to the highest,
and even there finds no bounds, but sorrows and sighs because
there is no higher step for it to ascend. This love with statesmen
ascends so high that they want to be kings and emperors, and, if it
were possible, to have dominion over all things of the world, and
to be called kings of kings and emperors of emperors; and the
same love with the clergy ascends so high that they want to be
gods, and, as far as is possible, to have dominion over all things
of heaven, and to be called gods of gods. That neither of these in
heart acknowledge any God, will be seen in what follows. On the
other hand, those who desire to exercise dominion from the love

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263] CONJVG1AL LOVE

of uses, do not desire to exercise dominion from themselves, but
from the Lord ; since the love of uses is from the Lord, and is the
Lord Himself. These regard dignities no otherwise than as means
to perform uses: the latter they set far above dignities; but the
former set dignities far above uses.

263. While I was meditating on these things, it was said to
me through an angel by the Lord, "You shall presently see, and
be convinced by ocular demonstration, what is the quality of that
infernal love."

Then suddenly the earth opened on the left, and I saw a devil
ascending from hell, having on his head a square cap pulled down
over the forehead even to the eyes: his face was full of pustules as
of a burning fever, his eyes fierce, his breast swollen immensely;
from his mouth he belched smoke like a furnace, his loins were
all ablaze, instead of feet he had bony ankles without flesh, and
from his body there exhaled a stinking and unclean heat.

On seeing him I was terrified, and cried out to him, "Approach
no nearer; tell me, whence are you?"

He replied in a hoarse voice, "I am from hell where I am
with two hundred in a society which is the most super-eminent of
all societies. We in that society are all emperors, kings of kings,
dukes of dukes, and princes of princes; no one in our society is
barely a king, duke, or prince. We sit there on thrones of thrones,
and dispatch thence mandates into the whole world, and beyond it."

I then said to him, "Do you not see that you are insane from
the phantasy of super-eminence?"

He replied, "How can you say so, when we absolutely seem
to ourselves., and also are acknowledged by our companions, to
have such super-eminence?"

On hearing this, I was unwilling to repeat the charge of in-
sanity, because he was insane from phantasy; and it was given me
to know that this devil, during his life in the world, had been
only a house steward, and that at that time he was so lifted up in
spirit, that he despised all mankind in comparison with himself,
and indulged in the phantasy that he was more worthy than a
king, and even than an emperor ; in consequence of which conceit,
he had denied God, and had considered all the holy things of the
church as of no concern to himself, but of some to the stupid
multitude.

At last I asked him, "How long do you two hundred thus glory
among yourselves?"

He said, "To eternity; but such of us as torture others for
denying our super-eminence, sink down; for we are allowed to
glory, but not to do evil to any one"

I asked him again, "Do you know what is the lot of those who
sink down?"

He said, "They sink down into a certain prison, where they are
called viler than the vile, or the vilest; and they work."
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THE CAUSES OF COLD IN MARRIAGES [264

I then said to that devil, "Take heed therefore, lest you also
sink down/'

264. After this the earth again opened, but on the right; and I
saw another devil rising up thence, who had on his head a kind
of turban, which was wound round spirally like a snake, the head
of which stood out from the crown ; his face was leprous from the
forehead to the chin, and so were both his hands; his loins were
naked and black as soot, through which fire as of a furnace shone
duskily; and the ankles of his feet were like two vipers.

The former devil, on seeing him, cast himself on his knees,
and adored him.

I asked why he did so, and he said, "He is the God of heaven
and earth, and is omnipotent/'

I then asked the other, "What do you say to this?"

He replied, "What shall I say? I have all Pow T er over heaven
and hell; the lot of all souls is in my hands."

Again I enquired, 'How can he, w r ho is emperor of emperors,
so submit himself, and how can you receive his adoration?"

He answered, "He is nevertheless my servant; what is an
emperor before God? the thunder of excommunication is in my
right hand."

I then said to him, "How can you be so insane? In the world
you were simply a clergyman; and because you laboured under
the phantasy that you also had the keys (of heaven), and thus the
power of binding and loosening, you have exalted your spirit to
such a degree of madness, that you now believe that you are God
Himself."

Being indignant at this, he swore that it was so, and said, "The
Lord has not any power in heaven, because He has transferred it
all to us. We have only to give the word of command, and heaven
and hell reverently obey us. If we send any one to hell, the devils
immediately receive him ; and so do the angels receive those whom
we send to heaven."

I asked further, "How many are you in your society."

He said, "Three hundred; and we are all gods there; but I
am the god of gods."

At this the earth opened under the feet of each, and they sank
down deeply into their respective hells; and it was given me to
see that under their hells were penitentiaries, into which those
who do harm to others would fall; for every one in hell is left to
his own phantasy, and is also permitted to glory in it; but he is
not allowed to do harm to another. The reason why such are
there is, that man is then in his spirit ; and the spirit, after it has
been separated from the body, comes into the full liberty of acting
according to its own affections and consequent thoughts.

It was afterwards given me to look into their hells. The hell
where the emperors of emperors and kings of kings were, as was
full of all uncleanness; and they appeared like various kinds of

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265,266] CONJUGIAL LOVE

wild beasts, with fierce eyes. So also it was in the other hell,
where the gods and the god of gods were. In this latter hell there
appeared the direful birds of night, which are called ochim and
ijim. flying about them. The images of their phantasies appeared
thus to me. From these circumstances it was evidenced, what is
that they cherish such desires, and also strive to gratify them, in
the quality of the political love of self, and what is the quality
of the ecclesiastical love of self; that the quality of the latter
is, that they who are in it want to be gods, while the quality of
the former is, that they who are in it want to be emperors ; and
that they cherish such desires, and also strive to gratify them, in
proportion as full scope is allowed to those loves.

265. Afterwards a hell was opened, where I saw two men, one
sitting on a bench, holding his feet in a basket full of serpents,
which seemed to be creeping upwards by his breast even to his
neck; and the other sitting on a glowing or red hot ass, at whose
sides red serpents were creeping, raising their head and necks, and
pursuing the rider. I was told that they had been popes who had
deprived emperors of their dominion, and had ill-treated them
both in word and deed at Rome, whither they went to supplicate
and adore them ; that the basket in which serpents were seen, and
the glowing ass with snakes at his sides, were representations of
their love of exercising dominion from the love of self, and that
such appearances are seen only by those who look at them from
a distance. There were some of the ecclesiastical order present,
whom I asked whether those had really been popes? They said,
that they were acquainted with them, and knew that they had
been such.

266. After beholding these sad and frightful sights, I looked
around, and saw two angels standing in conversation not far from
me. One wore a woolen robe that shone with flaming crimson,
and under it a vest of bright fine linen; the other wore similar
garments of scarlet, with a tiara studded on the right side with a
few fiery stones. I approached them, and greeted them with a
salutation of peace, and respectfully asked them, "For what pur-
pose are you here below?"

They replied, "We have come down from heaven by the Lord's
command, to speak with you about the blessed lot of those who
desire to have dominion from the love of uses. We are wor-
shippers of the Lord; I am the prince of a society; the other is
the high priest there."

The prince said, that he was the servant of his society, because
he served it by doing uses: and the other said, that he was the
minister of the church there, because in serving them he minis-
tered holy things to the uses of their souls; and that they were
both in perpetual joys resulting from the eternal happiness which
is in them from the Lord; and that all things in that society were
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THE CAUSES OF COLD !\ MARRIAGES [266

splendid and magnificent: splendid by reason of gold and precious
stones, and magnificent by reason of palaces and paradises. "The
reason is, that our love of exercising dominion is not from the
love of self, but from the love of uses: and as the love of uses is
from the Lord, therefore all good uses in the heavens are splendid
and refulgent; and as all of us in our society are in this love,
therefore the atmosphere there appears golden, by reason of the
light there which partakes of the sun's flaming quality, and the
flaming quality of the sun corresponds to that love."

As they said this, there appeared to me to be such a sphere
around them, from which an aromatic odour issued that was per-
ceivable by the senses. I mentioned this to them, and intreated
them to add something more to what they said about the love of
use; and they proceeded thus; "The dignities in which we are, we
indeed sought after and solicited, but for no other end than that
we might be able to perform uses more fully, and to extend them
more widely. We are also encompassed with honour, and we accept
it, not for our own sake, but for the sake of the good of the society.
For our brethren and associates, who form the commonality of
the society, scarcely know but that the honours of our dignities
are in ourselves, and consequently that the uses which we perform
are from ourselves. But we ourselves feel otherwise, being sensible
that the honours of the dignities are outside of ourselves, and that
they are as the garments with which we are clothed; but that the
uses which we perform, are, by virtue of the love of them, within
us from the Lord: and this love receives its blessedness from com-
munication by means of uses with others; and we know from
experience, that so far as we do uses from the love thereof, so far
that love increases, and with it wisdom, whereby communication
is effected: but that, so far as we retain uses in ourselves, and do
not communicate them, so far the blessedness perishes ; and in that
case use becomes like food stored up in the stomach, which affords
no nourishment to the body and its parts, as it would if it were
distributed through them, but remains undigested, and thereby
causes nausea. In a word, the whole heaven is nothing but a con-
tainer of use, from primes to ultimates. What is use but the actual
love of the neighbor? and what holds the heavens together but
this love?

On hearing this I asked, "How can any one know whether he
does uses from the love of self, or from the love of uses? Every
man, both good and evil, does uses, and he does uses from some
love. Suppose that in the world there were a society composed of
mere devils, and another composed of mere angels; I am of
opinion that the devils in their society, from the fire of the love
of self, and the splendor of their own glory, would do as many
uses as the angels in their society. Who then can know from what
love, and from what origin the uses are?"

To this the two angels replied, "Devils do uses for the sake
of themselves, and for the sake of reputation, that they may be

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267] COMUGIAL LOVE

raised to honours, or may gain wealth : but angels do not do uses
from such motives, but for the sake of uses from the love thereof.
Man cannot distinguish those uses; but the Lord distinguishes
them. Every one who believes in the Lord, and shuns evils as sins,
does uses from the Lord; but every one who neither believes in
the Lord, nor shuns evils as sins, does uses from himself and for
the sake of himself. This is the difference between the uses done
by devils and those done by angels.

Having said this the two angels departed; and were seen from
afar carried in a fiery chariot like Elijah, and taken up into their
own heaven.

267. The Second Memorable Relation:

After a little space of time I entered a certain grove, and
walked there meditating on those who are in the concupiscence
and thence in the phantasy of possessing the things of the world;
and then at some distance from me I saw two angels in con-
servation, and by turns looking at me; wherefore I went nearer
to them, and as I approached they accosted me, and said, "We
have perceived in ourselves that you are meditating on what we
are conversing about, or that we are conversing about what you
are meditating on, which is a consequence of the reciprocal com-
munication of affections."

I asked therefore what they were conversing about? They said,
"About phantasy, concupiscence, and intelligence; and just now
about those who delight themselves with the vision and imagina-
tion of possessing everything in the world."

I then asked them to state their opinions on those three sub-
jects concupiscence, phantasy, and intelligence.

They began by saying, "Every one is inwardly in concupis-
cence by birth, but outwardly in intelligence by education; and
that no one is inwardly, and thus as to the spirit, in intelligence,
still less in wisdom, except from the Lord: for every one is with-
held from the concupiscence of evil, and kept in intelligence,
according to his looking towards the Lord, and at the same time
according to his conjunction with Him. Without this, man is noth-
ing but concupiscence; yet nevertheless in externals, or as to the
body, he is in intelligence from education. For man lusts after
honours and wealth, or eminence and riches, and he cannot attain
them, unless he appears to be moral and spiritual, thus intelligent
and wise; and he learns so to appear from infancy. This is the
reason why, as soon as he comes among men, or into company, he
inverts his spirit, and removes it from concupiscence, and speaks
and acts from the becoming and honourable maxims which he has
learnt from infancy, and retains in the memory of the body; and
he is particularly cautious lest anything of the madness of the
concupiscence in which his spirit is, should come forth. Hence
every man who is not inwardly led by the Lord, is a pretender, a
sycophant, a hypocrite, and thus an apparent man, and yet not a

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THE CAUSES OF COLD AY MARRIAGES [268

man: of whom it may be said that his shell or body is wise, and
his kernel or spirit insane ; also that his external is human and his
internal like a wild beast. Such persons, with the back part of the
head look upwards, and with the forehead downwards; thus they
walk as if oppressed with heaviness, with the head hanging down,
and the countenance prone to the earth; and when they put off the
body, and become spirits, and thus are set at liberty, they become
the madnesses of their own concupiscences. For they who are in
the love of self desire to domineer over the universe, yea, to
extend its limits in order to enlarge their dominion, of which they
see no end. Those who are in the love of the w r orld desire to
possess everything therein, and are full of grief and envy if any
of its treasures are hidden and concealed with others; wherefore,
to prevent such persons from becoming mere concupiscences, and
thus not men, it is given them in the spiritual world to think from
the fear of the loss of reputation, and thereby of honour and gain,
and also from a fear of the law and its penalties, and it is also
given them to apply their mind to some employment or work,
whereby they are kept in externals, and thus in a state of intelli-
gence, however raving and insane they may be inwardly."

After this I asked., whether all who are in concupiscence, are
also in the phantasy thereof.

They replied, that "those are in the phantasy of their own
concupiscence, who think inwardly in themselves, and indulge
their imagination too much, by talking to themselves; for these
almost separate their spirit from connection with the body, and
inundate their understanding with visions, and take a foolish
delight as if they were possessed of the universe; into this delirium
every man is let after death who has abstracted his spirit from
the body, and has not been willing to recede from the light of the
delirium by thinking something from religion about evils and
falsities, and least of all something about the unbridled love of
self, as being destructive of love to the Lord, and about the un-
bridled love of the world, as being destructive of love towards the
neighbor."

268. After this the two angels and myself also were seized with
a desire to see those who from love of the world are in the vision-
ary concupiscence or phantasy of possessing all wealth; and we
perceived that that desire was inspired to the end that such vision-
aries might be known. Their dwellings were under the earth of
our feet, but above hell; wherefore we looked at each other and
said, "Let us go." There was seen an opening and in it a ladder,
By which we descended; and we were told that we must approach
them from the east, lest we should enter into the midst of their
phantasy, and be obscured as to the understanding, and at the same
time as to the sight.

And lo! there appeared a house built of reeds, and conse-
quently full of chinks, standing in a mist, which continually issued

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269] CONUGIAL LOVE

like smoke through the chinks of three of the walls. We entered,
and saw fifty here and fifty there sitting on benches; they were
turned away from the east and south, and were looking towards
the west and north. Before each person there was a table, on
which were purses filled full, and by the purses a great quantity
of gold coin.

We asked them, "Is that the wealth of all the persons in the
world?"

They said, "Not of all in the \s orld, but of all in the kingdom."
The sound of their speech was hissing; and they appeared to have
round faces, which glistened like the shell of a snail, and the
pupils of their eyes shot forth lightning as it were, from a green
ground, which was an effect of the light of phantasy.

We stood in the midst of them, and said, 6i You believe that you
possess all the wealth of the kingdom."

They replied, ui We do possess it."

We then asked, "Which of you?"

They said, "Every one."

So we asked, "How every one? You are many."

They said. ''Every one of us knows that all that is his, is also
mine. No one is allowed to think, and still less to say, "Mine are
not thine*; but every one may think and say, 'Thine are mine/ *"

The coins on the tables appeared even to us, to be pure gold;
but when we let in light from the east, they were little grains of
gold, which they had magnified to such a degree by their common
united phantasy. They said, that every one that enters ought to
bring with him some gold, which they cut into small pieces, and
these into little grains, and by the unanimous force of their phan-
tasy they increase them into coins of a larger form.

We then said, "Were you not born men of reason ? when have
you that visionary infatuation?"

They said, "We know that it is an imaginary vanity ; but as it
delights the interiors of our minds, we enter here and are delighted
as with the possession of all things: we continue in this place,
however, only a few hours, at the end of which we depart; and as
often as we do so we again become of sound mind; yet still our
visionary delight alternately supervenes and occasions our alter-
nate re-entrance and departure: thus w r e are alternately wise and
insane. We also know that a hard lot awaits those who by cun-
ning rob others of their goods."

We inquired, "What lot?"

They said, "They are swallowed up, and are thrust naked into
some infernal prison, where they are obliged to labour for cloth-
ing and food, and afterwards for some pieces of coin of trifling
value, which they collect, and in which they place the joy of their
hearts; but if they do evil to their companions, they are fined a
part of their coin."

269. Afterwards we ascended from these hells to the south
228

THE CAUSES OF COLD L\ MARRIAGES [269

where we had been before, and the angels related there many
things worthy of mention concerning the concupiscence which is
not visionary or fantastic, in which every man is from his birth;
namely, that while they are in it, they are like fools, and yet seem
to themselves to be wise in the highest degree ; and that from this
folly they are by turns restored into the Rational, which, with
them, is in externals; in which state they see, acknowledge, and
confess their insanity, but nevertheless they are very desirous to
get out of their rational state into their insane state; and they also
do let themselves into it as from a forced and undelightful state
into a free and delightful one; thus it is concupiscence and not
intelligence that inwardly please them. There are three universal
loves, of which every man has been constituted since the creation;
the love of the neighbor, which is also the love of doing uses; the
love of the world, which is also the love of possessing wealth:
and the love of self, which is also the love of bearing rule over
others. The love of the neighbor, or the love of doing uses, is a
spiritual love; but the love of the world, or the love of possessing
wealth, is a material love; whereas the love of self, or the love of
bearing rule over others, is a corporeal love. A man is a man
when the love of the neighbor, or the love of doing uses, con-
stitutes the head, the love of the world the body, and the love of
self the feet; whereas if the love of the world constitutes the head,
the man is but as a hunch-back; but when the love of self con-
stitutes the head, he is like a man standing, not on his feet, but
on the palms of his hands with his head downwards and his
haunches upwards. When the love of the neighbor constitutes the
head, and the two other loves in order constitute the body and
feet, the man appears from heaven of an angelic countenance, with
a beautiful rainbow r around his head ; but if the love of the world
constitutes the head, he appears from heaven of a pale countenance
like that of a dead man, with a yellow circle around his head; but
if the love of self constitutes the head, he appears from heaven of
a dusky countenance, with a white circle around his head."

Hereupon I asked, "What do the circles around the head
represent?"

They replied, "They represent intelligence; the white circle
around the head of the dusky countenance represents that his in-
telligence is in externals, or around him, and that insanity is in his
internals, or in him. A man also who is such, is wise while in the
body, but insane while in the spirit; but no man is wise in the
spirit but from the Lord, as is the case when he is regenerated and
created again or anew by Him."

As they said this, the earth opened to the left, and through the
opening I saw a devil rising up with a lucid white circle around
his head, and I asked him, "Who art thou?"

He said, "I am Lucifer, the son of the morning: and because
I made myself like the Most High, I was cast down." Nevertheless,
he was not Lucifer, but believed himself to be him.

229

269] COXJUCIAL LOVE

I then said, "Since you were east down, how can you rise up
again out of hell?"

He replied, "There I am a devil, but here I am an angel of
light; do you not see that my head is surrounded by a lucid
sphere? You shall also see, if you wish, that I am superlatively
moral among the moral, superlatively rational among the rational,
yea, superlatively spiritual among the spiritual: I am also able to
preach, and I have also preached/'

I asked him, u *What have you preached?"
He said, "Against defrauders, against scortators, and against
all infernals loves; yea, I have then called myself, even Lucifer, a
devil, and foresworn against myself in that capacity; and there-
fore I was extolled to heaven with praises. Hence it is that I am
called the son of the morning; and, what I myself was surprised
at, while I was in die pulpit, I thought no otherwise than that I
w r as speaking rightly and properly; but I discovered that the
reason was, that I was in externals, which at that time were
separated from my internals, but although I discovered this, still
I could not change myself, because on account of my conceit I did
not look to God."

I next asked him, "How could you so speak, when you are
yourself a defrauder, a scortator, and a devil?"

He answered. tw l am one character when I am in externals, or
in the body, and another when in internals, or in the spirit; in the
body I am an angel, but in the spirit a devil ; for in the body I
am in the understanding, but in the spirit I am in the will ; and
the understanding carries me upwards, whereas the will carries me
downwards. When I am in the understanding, my head is sur-
rounded by a white belt, but when the understanding surrenders
itself entirely to the will, and becomes its slave, which is our last
lot the belt grows black and perishes; and when this happens, we
cannot any longer ascend into this light" Afterwards he spoke
about his twofold state, the external and the internal, more ration-
ally than any other person; but suddenly, when he saw the angels
with me, his face and voice were inflamed, and he became black,
even as to the belt around his head, and he sunk down into hell
through the opening through which he had arisen.

The bystanders, from seeing these things, came to this con-
clusion, that a man is such as his love is, and not such as his
understanding is; since the love easily draws over the understand-
ing to its side, and enslaves it

I then asked the angels, "Whence have devils such rationality?"

They said, "It is from the glory of the love of self; for the

love of self is surrounded by glory, and by glory elevates the

understanding even into the light of heaven. For with every man

the understanding is capable of being elevated according to

Knowledges, but the will can be thus elevated only by a life

according to the truths of the church and of reason. Hence it is

that even atheists, who are in the glory of reputation from the

230

THE CAUSES OF COLD 7.V MARRIAGES [270

love of self, and thence in the conceit of self -intelligence, enjoy
a more lofty rationality than many others. This, however, is only
when they are in the thought of the understanding, but not when
they are in the affection of the will. The affection of the will
possesses a man's internal, whereas the thought of the understand-
ing possesses his external."' The angel further told the reason why
every man is constituted of the three loves above mentioned,
namely, the love of use, the love of the world, and the love of
self; which reason is, in order that he may think from God,
although as from himself. He also said, that the highest things in
man are turned upwards to God the middle outwards to the world,
and the lowest downwards to self; and because the latter are
turned downwards, man thinks as from himself, when nevertheless
he thinks from God.

270. The Third Memorable Relation:

One morning on awaking from sleep my thought was deeply
engaged on some arcana of conjugial love, and at length on this.
"In what region of the human mind does truly conjugial love
reside, and consequently in what region does conjugial cold
reside?" I knew that there are three regions of the human mind,
one above the other, and that in the lowest region dwells natural
love; in the higher, the spiritual love; and in the highest, celestial
love; and that in each region there is a marriage of good and
truth; and since good belongs to love, and truth belongs to wis-
dom, that in each region there is a marriage of love and wisdom,
and that this marriage is the same as the marriage of the will and
understanding, since the will is the receptable of love, and the
understanding the receptacle of wisdom.

While I was thus deeply engaged in thought, lo! I saw two
swans flying towards the north, and then two birds of paradise
flying towards the south, and also two turtledoves flying in the
east: as I followed their flight with my eyes. I saw that the two
swans bent their course from the north to the east, and so did the
two birds of paradise from the south, and that they gathered
together with the two turtledoves in the east, and flew together to
a certain lofty place there, about which there were olive trees,
palm trees, and beeches. The palace had three rows of windows,
on above the other; and as I was looking on, I saw the swans fly
into the palace through open windows in the lowest row, the birds
of paradise through open windows in the middle row, and the
turtledoves through open windows in the highest row.

When I had observed this, an angel stood by me, and said.
"Do you understand what you have seen?"

I replied, "In a small degree."

He said, "That palace represents the habitations of conjugial
love, such as they are in human minds. Its highest part, into
which the turtledoves betook themselves, represents the highest
region of the mind, where conjugial love dwells in the love of

231

270] COXJUGIAL LOVE

good with its wisdom; the middle part, into which the birds of
paradise betook themselves, represents the middle region, where
conjugial love dwells in the love of truth with its intelligence;
and the lowest part, into which the swans betook themselves,
represents the lowest region of the mind, where conjugial love
dwells in the love of what is just and right with its knowledge.
The three pairs of birds also signify these things; the pair of
turtledoves signifies the conjugial love of the highest region, the
pair of birds of paradise the conjugial love of the middle region,
and the pair of swans the conjugial love of the lowest region.
Similar things are signified by the three kinds of trees round
about the palace, the olive trees, the palm trees, and the beeches.
We in heaven call the highest region of the mind celestial, the
middle spiritual, and the lowest natural ; and we perceive them as
habitations in a house, one above another, and the ascent from one
to another by degrees, as by stairs, and in each part as it were two
apartments, one for love, the other for wisdom; and in front as it
were a bed-chamber, where love with its wisdom, or good with its
truth, or what is the same, where the will with its understanding,
consociate in bed. In that palace all the secrets of conjugial love
stand forth as in effigy."

On hearing this, being inflamed with a desire of seeing it, I
asked whether any one was permitted to enter and see it, as it
was a representative palace.

He replied, tJ To none but those in the third heaven, because to
them every representative of love and wisdom becomes real : from
them I have heard what I have related to you, and this also, that
love truly conjugial dwells in the highest region in the midst of
mutual love, in the marriage chamber or apartment of the will,
and also in the midst of the perceptions of wisdom, in the mar-
riage chamber or apartment of the understanding, and that they
consociate in bed in the bed-chamber which is at the front and in
the east."

I also asked, "Why are there two marriage chambers?"

The angel answered, "The husband is in the marriage chamber
of the understanding, and the wife in the marriage chamber of
the will."

I then asked, "Since conjugial love dwells there, where then is
conjugial cold?'*

The angel answered, "That also is in the highest region, but
only in the marriage chamber of the understanding, the marriage
chamber of the will there being closed. For the understanding
with its truths can as often as it pleases ascend by a spiral stair-
wav into the highest region, into its marriage chamber, but if the
will with the good of its love does not at the same time ascend
into the consociate marriage chamber, this is shut, and there comes
cold into the other, and this is conjugial cold. The understanding,
when there is such cold toward the wife, looks down from this
highest region to the lowest, and descends also if not restrained by

232

THE CAUSES OF COLD AV MARRIAGES [270

fear, that it may be warmed there by illicit fire/* Having said
this, he would have told still more about conjugial love from its
effigies in that palace, but he said, "Enough for the present. First
inquire whether these things are above the common understanding.
If they are, why say more? But if they are not, more will be
disclosed."

233

THE CAUSES OF APPARENT LOVE, FRIENDSHIP
AND FAVOUR IN MARRIAGES

271. Since the causes of colds and separations have been treated
of, it follows in order that the causes of apparent love, friendship
and favour in marriages, should also be treated of, for it is known,
that although colds separate the dispositions of married partners
at the present day, they nevertheless dwell together, and procreate
children; which would not be the case, unless there were also
apparent loves, alternately similar to, or emulous of the heat of
the genuine love. That these appearances are necessary and use-
ful, and that without them households could not exist, and con-
sequently neither could families, will be seen in what follows.
Moreover, some conscientious persons may be distressed with the
idea, that the disagreements of minds between them and their
married partners, and the internal alienations thence arising, may
be their own fault, and may be imputed to them, and on this
account may be grieved at heart; but as it is not in their power
to help internal disagreements, it is enough for them, by means
of apparent loves and favours, to allay, in accordance with con-
science, the disagreeables which may arise : hence, also, friendship
is able to return, in which conjugial love lies concealed on the
part of such a one, although not on the part of the other. But
this section, like the foregoing, by reason of the number of the
varieties of its subject, shall be distinguished into articles. These
articles are the following:

I. In the natural world almost all are capable of being con-
joined as to the external affections, but not as to the internal
affections., if they disagree and appear.

II. In the spiritual world all are conjoined according to the
internal affections, but not according to the external affections,
unless these act as a one with the internal affections.

III. It is the external affections according to which matri-
monies are generally contracted in the world.

IV. But if the internal affections, which conjoin the minds, are
not within, the bonds of matrimony are loosened at home.

V. Nevertheless matrimonies in the world ought to continue
till the end of life.

VI. In those matrimonies in which the internal affections do
not conjoin, there are external affections which simulate the in-
ternal ones, and consociate.

VII. Hence there are apparent love, or apparent friendship,
and favour between married partners.

234

CAUSES OF APPARENT LOVE I.\ MARRIAGES [272

VIII. These appearances are conjugial simulations, and they
are praiseworthy^ because useful and necessary.

IX. These conjugial simulations* icith a spiritual man (homo)
conjoined with a consort who is natural, derive their quality from
justice and judgment.

X. These conjugial simulations with natural men derive their
quality from prudence for the sake of various reasons.

XI. They are for the sake of amendments, and for the sake of
accommodations.

XII. They are for the sake of preserving order in domestic
affairs, and Jor the sake of mutual help.

XIII. They are for the sake of unanimity in the care of the
younger and older children.

XIV. They are for the sake of peace at home.

XV. They are for the sake of reputation outside of the home.
XVL They are for the sake of various favours expected from

the married partner, or from his or her relations, and thus for
fear of losing such favours.

XVII. They are for the sake of excusing blemishes, and con-
sequently for the sake of avoiding disgrace.

XVIII. They are for the sake of reconciliations.

XIX. // favour does not cease with the wife, when faculty
ceases with the man, there may be formed a friendship emulating
conjugial friendship., when the consorts grow old.

XX. There exist various kinds of apparent love and friendship
between married partners, of whom one has been brought under
the yoke, and consequently is subject to the other.

XXI. In the world there exist infernal marriages between mar-
ried partners who inwardly are the most inveterate enemies, and
outwardly are as the most attached friends.

Now follows the explanation of these articles,

272. I. IN THE NATURAL WORLD ALMOST ALL ARE CAPABLE OF
BEING CONJOINED AS TO THE EXTERNAL AFFECTIONS, BUT NOT AS TO
THE INTERNAL AFFECTIONS, IF THESE DISAGREE AND APPEAR. The

reason is, that in the world man is possessed of a material body,
and this is surcharged with lusts, which are in it as dregs that are
precipitated to the bottom, when the must of the wine is clarified.
Of such things consists the matters of which the bodies of men in
the world are composed. Hence it is that the internal affections,
which are of the mind, do not appear; and with many hardly a
grain of them shows through, for the body either absorbs them,
and involves them in its dregs, or by dissimulation learnt from
childhood conceals them deeply from the sight of others; and by
this means the man puts himself into the state of every affection
that he observes in another, and allures his affection to himself,
and thus they conjoin themselves. The reason why they conjoin
themselves is, that every affection has its own delight, and delights
tie minds together. But it would be otherwise if the internal

235

273] CONJVGIAL LOVE

affections were to appear before the sight in the face and gesture,
and before the hearing in the tone of the speech, as the external
affections do; or if their delights were to be made sensible to the
nostrils, or to be smelt, as is the case in the spiritual world. In
that case, if they disagreed so much as to be discordant, they
would separate minds from each other, and according to the per-
ception of antipathy, they would remove to a distance. From these
considerations it is evident, that in the natural \vorld, almost all
are capable of being conjoined as to the external affections, but
not as to the internal affections, if these disagree and appear.

273. II. IN THE SPIRITUAL WORLD ALL ARE CONJOINED ACCORD-
ING TO THE INTERNAL AFFECTIONS, BUT NOT ACCORDING TO THE
EXTERNAL AFFECTIONS, UNLESS THESE ACT AS A ONE WITH THE
INTERNAL AFFECTIONS. The reason is, that then the material body,
which was able to receive and give expression to the forms of all
affections, as has been said just above, is cast away, and when
man is stripped of that body, he is in his internal affections, which
his body had before concealed. Hence it is, that in the .spiritual
world similarities and dissimilarities, or sympathies and antip-
athies, are not only felt, but also appear in the face, speech, and
gestures; wherefore, in that w r orld likenesses are conjoined, and
unlikenesses separated. This is the reason why the universal heaven
is arranged by the Lord according to all the varieties of the
affections of the love of good and truth, and conversely, hell is
arranged according to all the varieties of the affections of the love
of evil and falsity. Since angels and spirits have internal and
external affections, just like men in the world, and since the in-
ternal affections cannot, in the spiritual world, be concealed by
the external ones, they show through and manifest themselves;
hence with angels and spirits both the internal and the external
affections are reduced into likeness and correspondence; after
which their internal affections are effigied in their faces through
their external ones, are perceived in the tone of their voice, and
also appear in their behavior and manners. Angels and spirits
have internal and external affections, because they have minds and
bodies; and affections with the thoughts thence derived belong to
the mind, and sensations with the pleasures thence derived belong
to the body. It frequently happens in the state of spirits that
friends meet after death, and recollect their friendships in the
former world, and they then believe that they will consociate in a
life of friendship as before: but when that consociation, which is
of the external affections only, is perceived in heaven, a separation
lakes place according to the internal affections; and then some
are removed from the place of their meeting into the north, some
into the west, and each to such a distance from the other, that they
neither see nor know each other any more ; for in the sphere where
they tarry, their faces are changed so as to become the effigies of
their internal affections. From these considerations it is evident,
236

CAUSES OF APPARENT LOVE IN MARRIAGES [274-276

that in the spiritual world all are conjoined according to the in-
ternal affections, and not according to the external ones, unless
these act in unity with the internal affections.

274. III. IT IS THE EXTERNAL AFFECTIONS ACCORDING TO WHICH
MATRIMONIES ARE GENERALLY CONTRACTED IN THE WORLD. The

reason is, that the internal affections are rarely consulted, and
even if they are consulted, still the likeness of them is not seen in
the woman; for she, by virtue of a native gift withdraws the in-
ternal affections into the inner recesses of her mind. There are
many external affections that lead men < riri ] to contract matri-
mony. The first affection of this age is the increase of the per-
sonal estate by wealth, both for the sake of becoming rich, and
that there may be a sufficient supply (of necessaries) ; the second
is a thirst for honours, either for the sake of being held in high
estimation, or for the sake of an increase of fortune: besides these,
there are various allurements and concupiscences. These leave no
room to explore the agreements of the internal affections. FroiBL
these few considerations it is evident, that matrimonies are geff^
erally contracted in the world according to the external affections.

275. IV. BUT THAT IF THERE ARE NOT INTERNAL AFFECTIONS
WITHIN, WHICH CONJOIN THE MINDS, MATRIMONY IS LOOSENED IN

THE HOUSE. It is said in the house, because it is done privately
between the tw r o consorts; as is the case when the first heats,
kindled at the time of betrothal, and blazing up as the wedding
approaches, successively cools down afterwards on account of the
disagreement of the internal affections, and at least pass off into
colds. It is known that the external affections, which had led on
and allured the parties to matrimony, then disappear, so that they
no longer conjoin. Thnt rolfl nrnf^r^frnm van map rnnn^fij internal,
external, and accidental, which all derive their source from an
unlikeness of the internal inclinations, w r as proved in the foregoing
cEapter. From these considerations the Truth is evident, that unless
the internal affections, which conjoin minds, are in the external
ones, the bonds of matrimony are loosened in the house (home).

276. V. NEVERTHELESS MATRIMONIES IN THE WORLD OUGHT TO
CONTINUE TILL THE END OF LIFE. This is adduced in order that
there may be more evidently presented before the reason the
necessity, usefulness, and Truth, that conjugial love, where it is
not genuine, ought still to be assumed, so that it may appear as
if it were. The case would be otherwise if marriages entered into
were not contracted for the term of life, but were dissolvable at
will, as they were among the Israelitish nation, which arrogated to
itself the liberty of putting away wives for any cause whatsoever,
as is evident from these words in Matthew: "The Pharisees came.,
and said unto Jesus, Is it lawful for a man (homo) to put away
his wife for every cause? And when Jesus answered, that it is not

237

277] COMUGIAL LOVE

lawful to put away a icife and marry another, except on account
of scortation^ they replied that nevertheless Moses commanded to
give her a bill of repudiation* and to put her away; and the dis-
ciples said, If the case of a man (homo) with his wife be so, it is
not expedient to contract matrimony** (xix. 3-10 J. Since, there-
fore, the covenant of marriage is a covenant for life, it follows
that the appearances of love and friendship between married part-
ners are necessities. That matrimony, once contracted, must con-
tinue even till the end of life in the world, is in accordance with
the Divine law, and because it is in accordance with this, it is also
in accordance with rational law, and therefore with civil law. It
is in accordance with the Divine law, in that, as above, it is not
allowable to put away a wife and marry another, except on account
of scortation; with rational law, because this is founded upon
spiritual law, for Divine law and rational law are one law; from
both these together, or through the latter from the former, may
be seen what a great number of enormities and destructions of
families would result from the dissolution of marriages, or the
putting away of wives at the good pleasure of the husbands, before
death. These enormities and destructions of families may be seen
in some abundance in the Memorable Relation about the origin
of conjugial love discussed by those who were assembled from the
nine kingdoms (nos. 103-115) ; to which there is no need to add
further false pretexts. But these pretexts do not stand in the way
of separations, being permitted on account of their own causes,
respecting which see above, nos. 252-254; nor in the way of con-
cubinatus also being permitted, respecting which see the Second
Part of this Work.

277. VI. THAT IN CASES OF MATRIMONY IN WHICH INTERNAL

AFFECTIONS DO NOT CONJOIN, THERE ARE EXTERNAL AFFECTIONS

WHICH SIMULATE INTERNAL AND CONSOCIATE. By the internal affec-
tions are meant the mutual inclinations which are in the mind of
each from heaven; and by the external affections are meant the
inclinations which are in the mind of each from the world. The
latter affections or inclinations do indeed equally belong to the
mind, but they occupy its lower region, while the former occupy
its higher one; but since both have their allotted seat in the mind,
it may possibly be believed that they are alike, and that they agree
together; yet although they are not alike, still they can appear as
if they were alike: with some persons they exist as agreements,
and with some as courteous simulations. There is a certain com-
munion (between married partners) which is implanted in both
from the first covenant of marriage, which, notwithstanding their
disagreement in dispositions, still remains implanted; as, a com-
munion of possessions, and in many cases a communion of uses,
and of the various necessities of the house, and thence also a
communion of thoughts and of certain secrets; there is also a
communion of bed, and a communion of the love of children;
238

CAUSES OF APPARENT LOVE IN MARRIAGES [278-280

besides many others, which, because they are inscribed on the
conjugial covenant, are also inscribed on their minds. From these
(communions) originate especially those external affections which
resemble the internal : whereas those which only simulate them are
partly from the same origin and partly from another; but both
are treated of in w r hat follows:

278. VII. HENCE THERE ARE APPARENT LOVE. APPARENT FRIEND-
SHIP, AND FAVOUR BETWEEN MARRIED PARTNERS. Apparent loves,
friendships, and favours between married partners, are a conse-
quence of the conjugial covenant being made for the term of life,
and of the conjugial communion thence inscribed on the coven-
anters, which communion gives birth to external affections resem-
bling the internal ones, as was just now pointed out. They are
moreover a consequence of causes which are usefulnesses and
necessities: from which in part exist conjunctive external affections,
or counterfeit affections, whereby external love appears like in-
ternal love, and external friendship appears as internal friendship.

279. VIII. THESE APPEARANCES ARE CONJUGIAL SIMULATIONS;

AND THEY ARE PRAISEWORTHY, BECAUSE USEFUL AND NECESSARY.

They are called simulations, because they exist between those who
disagree in minds, and who by reason of those disagreements are
interiorly in cold: when they nevertheless live harmoniously in
externals, as duty and decency require, their mutual kindnesses of
married life may be called simulations, but conjugial ones, which,
because they are praiseworthy for the sake of uses, are altogether
distinguished from hypocritical simulations, for by means of them
all good things are provided for, which are enumerated in order
below, from Article XI to XX. They are praiseworthy for the sake
of necessities, because otherwise those good things would be ban-
ished; and yet the parties are enjoined by covenant and law to live
together, and therefore the fact that they have to live together
abides in each of them as a duty.

280. IX. THESE CONJUGIAL SIMULATIONS, WITH A SPIRITUAL

MAN (homo) CONJOINED WITH A CONSORT WHO IS NATURAL, DERIVE
THEIR QUALITY FROM JUSTICE AND JUDGMENT. The reason is, that

the spiritual man, in all he does, acts from justice and judgment:
wherefore he does not regard these simulations as alienated from
their internal affections, but as coupled with them; for he acts
seriously, and regards amendment as the end; and if he does not
obtain this, he regards accommodation, for the sake of domestic
order, mutual aid, the care of the children, and peace and tran-
quility. To these things he is led by justice; and from judgment
he gives them effect. The reason why a spiritual man so lives with
one who is natural is, that a spiritual man acts spiritually, even
with one who is natural.

239

281,282] COMUGIAL LOVl

281. X, THESE CONJUGIAL SIMULATIONS WITH NATURAL MEN

DERIVE THEIR QUALITY FROM PRUDENCE. FOR THE SAKE OF VARIOUS

REASONS. Between two married partners, of whom one is spiritual
and the other natural : ( by the spiritual is meant the one who loves
spiritual things, and thus is wise from the Lord, and by the natural
is meant the one who loves only natural things, and thus is wise
from himself) when they are consociated in marriage, conjugial
love with the spiritual married partner is heat, and with the natural
one is cold. It is evident that heat and cold cannot be together,
and that heat cannot kindle the one who is in cold, unless the cold
be first dispelled, and that cold cannot flow in into the one who is
in heat, unless the heat be first removed. Hence it is that internal
love cannot exist between married partners, one of whom is spir-
itual and the other natural; but that a love emulating internal
love may exist on the part of the spiritual married partner, as was
said in the foregoing article. But between two natural married
partners no internal love can exist, because both are cold; and if
they have any heat, it is from what is unchaste ; nevertheless such
persons may still dwell together in the same house, with separated
dispositions, and also assume looks as of love and friendship
towards each other, notwithstanding the disagreement of their
minds. With these persons, the external affections, which are for
the most part of wealth and possessions, or of honour and dig-
nities, may as it were burn ; and as that burning or ardour induces
fear for their loss, therefore conjugial simulations are for them
necessities, which are chiefly those which are adduced below in
Articles XV to XVIL The rest of the causes enumerated w r ith
these may have something in common with the causes with the
spiritual man (concerning which see above, no. 280) ; but only in
case the prudence with the natural man derives its quality from
intelligence.

282. XL THEY ARE FOR THE SAKE OF AMENDMENTS, AND FOR
THE SAKE OF ACCOMMODATIONS. The reasons why conjugial simula-
tions, which are appearances of love and friendship between
married partners who disagree in minds are for the sake of amend-
ment, is, that a spiritual man, connected by the matrimonial cov-
enant with one who is natural, intends nothing else than amendment
of life; which on his (or her part) is brought about by wise and
judicious conversations, and by favours shown to the other, which
soothe and please his or her genius; but in case these things prove
ineffectual, he or she intends accommodations, for the preservation
of order in domestic affairs, for the sake of mutual aid, and for
the sake of the younger and older children, and other similar
things; for, as was shown above, no. 280, whatever is said and
done by a spiritual man derives its quality from justice and judg-
ment. But with married partners, neither of whom is spiritual, but
both natural, similar conduct may exist, but for other ends ; if for
the sake of amendment and accommodation, the end is, either that

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CAUSES OF APPARENT LOVE L\ MARRIAGES [283,284

the other party may be reduced to a likeness with his i or her.i
own manners, and be subordinated to his (or her! desires, or in
order that some things done by the other may be made of use in
the production of those done by himself or herself, or for the sake
of peace within the house, or reputation out of it, or for the sake
of favours hoped for from the other married partner, or his or her
relations ; not to mention other ends : but with some these ends are
from the prudence of their reason, with some from native civility,
with some from the delights of cupidities which have been familiar
from birth, of which the loss is dreaded ; besides many ends, which
render the assumed favours as of conjugial love more or less
counterfeit. There may also be favours as of conjugial love out-
side of the house, and none within; these however respect as an
end the reputation of both parties; and if they do not respect
this, they are empty.

283. XII. THEY ARE FOR THE SAKE OF PRESERVING ORDER IN

DOMESTIC AFFAIRS, AND FOR THE SAKE OF MUTUAL HELP. Every

household in which there are children, their instructors, and other
domestics, is a small society resembling a large one. The latter
also consists of the former, as a whole consists of its parts; and
further, as the safety of a large society depends on order, so does
the safety of this small society; wherefore as it is of importance
that those in authority should see and provide that order exist and
be preserved in a compound society, so it is of importance that
married partners should do likewise in their single society. But
this order is not possible if the husband and wife disagree in
dispositions; for thereby mutual counsels and helps are drawn
different ways, and are divided like their dispositions, and thus the
form of the small society is rent asunder. Wherefore, to preserve
order, and thereby to take care of themselves, and at the same time
of the household, or of the household, and at the same time of
themselves, lest they should come to hurt and fall to ruin, neces-
sity requires that the master and mistress should agree and make
a one; and if, on account of the difference of their minds, this
cannot be done so well as it might, both duty and propriety require
that it be done by means of representative conjugial friendship.
That thereby concord is established in households for the sake of
necessities and consequent usefulnesses, is a known thing. ^

284. XIII. THEY ARE FOR THE SAKE OF UNANIMITY IN THE

CARE OF THE YOUNGER AND OLDER CHILDREN. It is very well known

that conjugial simulations, which are appearances of love and
friendship resembling truly conjugial love and friendship, exist
among married partners for the sake of the infants and children.
The common love of infants (innocences) and children causes each
married partner to regard the other with kindness and favour. The
love of infants and children with the mother and father become
conjoined as the heart and lungs in the breast. The love of them

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285,286] COXJUGIAL LOVE

with the mother is as the heart there, and the love towards them
with the father is as the lungs there. The reason of this com-
parison is, that the heart corresponds to love, and the lungs to the
understanding; and love from the will is with the mother, and love
from the understanding is with the father. With spiritual men
there is conjugial conjunction by means of that love from justice
and judgment; from justice, because the mother had carried them
in her womb, had brought them forth with pain, and afterwards
with unwearied care suckles, nourishes, washes, dresses, and
educates them.

285. XIV. THEY ARE FOR THE SAKE OF PEACE AT HOME. Con-
jugial simulations, or external friendships for the sake of peace
and tranguility at home, relate, principally to the men, on account
of their natural characteristic, which is, to act from the under-
standing in whatever they do; and the understanding, being the
thinking faculty, ponders over a variety of things which disquiet,
distract, and disturb the lower mind; wherefore if there were not
tranquility at home, it would come to pass that the vital spirits of
the men would grow faint, and their interior life would as it were
expire, and thereby their health of both mind and body would be
destroyed. The fear of these and several other dangers would
possess the minds of the men frfr) unless they had an asylum
with their wives at home for appeasing the disturbances of their
understandings. Moreover, peace and tranquility give serenity to
their minds, and dispose them to receive gratefully the kindnesses
offered them by their wives, who spare no pains to disperse the
mental clouds which they are very quick-sighted to observe in
their husbands; and the same peace and tranquility make the
presence of their wives agreeable. Hence it is evident, that a
simulation as of truly conjugial love, for the sake of peace and
tranquility at home, is both a necessity and useful. Add to this,
that with the wives simulations are not as with the men; but if
they appear to resemble them, they are the effect of real love,
because wives are born loves of the understanding of men; where-
fore they accept kindly the favours of their husbands, and if not
in words, at least with the heart.

286. XV. THEY ARE FOR THE SAKE OF REPUTATION OUTSIDE
OF THE HOME. The fortunes of men in general depend on their
reputation for justice, sincerity, and uprightness; and this reputa-
tion also depends on the wife, who is acquainted with her hus-
band's private life; wherefore if the disagreements of their minds
should break out into open enmities, quarrels, and threats of
hatred, and these should be noised abroad by the wife and her
friends, and by the domestics, they would easily be turned into
tales of scandal, which would bring disgrace and infamy upon the
husband's name. To avoid such mischiefs, he has no other alter-
native than either to simulate affection for his wife, or that they
be separated as to the house.

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CAUSES OF APPARENT LOVE AY MARRIAGES [287-290

287. XVI. THEY ARE FOR THE SAKE OF VARIOUS FAVOURS

EXPECTED FROM THE MARRIED PARTNER. OR FROM HIS OR HER
RELATIONS, AND THUS FOR FEAR OF LOSING SUCH FAVOURS. This IS

the case more especially in marriages of dissimilar state and con-
dition, concerning which see above, no. 250; as when a man
marries a wealthy wife who stores up her money in purses, or her
treasures in coffers; and the more so if she boldly insists that the
husband is bound in duty to support the household out of his own
property and income: that hence come forced likenesses as of con-
jugial love, is generally known. The case is similar where a man
marries a wife, whose parents, relations, and friends are in offices
of dignity, in lucrative business concerns and manufactures, which
have it in their power to better her condition: that simulations of
love, as it were conjugial, are also for the sake of these things, is
generally known. It is evident that in both cases it is the fear of
the loss of those things that is operative.

288. XVII. THEY ARE FOR THE SAKE OF EXCUSING BLEMISHES,

AND CONSEQUENTLY FOR THE SAKE OF AVOIDING DISGRACE. There

are many blemishes or faults on account of which conjugial part-
ners fear disgrace; some are serious, and some not. There are
blemishes of the mind, and blemishes of the body, slighter than
those enumerated in the foregoing chapter, nos. 252 and 253,
which are causes of separation ; wherefore those blemishes are here
meant, which, to avoid disgrace, are buried in silence by the other
married partner. Besides these, with some there are incriminatory
actions, which, if made public, are subjects to penalties of the law;
not to mention a defect of that abundance of which the men are
accustomed to boast. That excuses of such blemishes, in order to
avoid disgrace, are causes of the simulation of love and friendship
with a married partner, is evident without further confirmation.

289. XVIII. THEY ARE FOR THE SAKE OF RECONCILIATIONS.
That between married partners who disagree in minds from various
causes, there are alternate disagreements and confidences, estrange-
ments and conjunctions, yea, quarrels and adjustments of differ-
ences, thus reconciliations; and also that apparent friendships
promote reconciliation, is known in the world. There are also
reconciliations which take place after separations, which are not
so alternate and transitory.

290. XIX. IF FAVOUR DOES NOT CEASE WITH THE WIFE, WHEN

FACULTY CEASES WITH THE MAN, THERE MAY BE FORMED A FRIEND-
SHIP EMULATING CONJUGIAL FRIENDSHIP WHEN THE CONSORTS

GROW OLD. The primary cause of the separation of dispositions
between married partners is a failing of favour on the wife's part
in consequence of the cessation of faculty with the husband, and
hence a failing of love; for just as heats communicate with each
other, so also do colds. That in consequence of a failing of love

243

293] COMUGJAL LOVE

with both, friendship ceases, and also favour, if not prevented by
the fear of domestic ruin, is manifest from reason and experience.
If, therefore, the man tacitly imputes the causes to himself, and the
wife nevertheless perseveres in chaste favour towards him, there
may result thence a friendship which, since it is between married
partners, appears like love emulating conjugial love. That a friend-
ship resembling the friendship of that love may exist between
aged married partners, is proved by experience, which shows how
quietly, harmlessly, lovingly, and courteously they live together,
and commune and associate with one another.

291. XX. THERE EXISTS VARIOUS KINDS OF APPARENT LOVE AND

FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN MARRIED PARTNERS, OF WHOM ONE HAS BEEN
BROUGHT UNDER THE YOKE, AND CONSEQUENTLY IS SUBJECT TO

THE OTHER. It is well known in the world at the present day, that
after the first times of marriage have passed away, there arises
rivalry between the married partners respecting right and Power;
respecting right, in that according to the statutes of the covenant
entered into, there is equality, and each has dignity in the offices
of his or her function ; and respecting Power, in that it is insisted
on by the men, that in all things at home superiority belongs to
them, because they are men, and inferiority to the women, because
they are women. Such rivalries which are so common at the
present day, flow from no other source than a want of conscience
respecting truly conjugial love, and a want of sensible perception
respecting the blessednesses of that love: in consequence of the
absence of this conscience and perception, lust takes the place of
that love, and counterfeits it. From this lust, when genuine love is
removed, there flows a striving for Power, which is in some from
the delight of domineering; in some it has been implanted by art-
ful women before marriage; and to some it is unknown. The men
who are in this striving, and after the alternations of the strife
obtain the command, reduce their wives either to become their
rightful possession, or to comply with their arbitrary will, or into
slavery, each one according to the degree and qualified state of
that striving implanted and concealed in himself. But if the wives
are in 'this striving, and after the alternations of the strife obtain
the command, they reduce their husbands either to an equality of
right with themselves, or into compliance with their arbitrary will,
or into slavery; but since, when the wives have obtained the
sceptre of sway, there remains with them a desire which counter-
feits conjugial love, and is restrained by the law and by the fear
of legitimate separation, in case they extend their power beyond
what is lawful into what is unlawful, therefore they lead a life in
consociation with their husbands. But what is the quality of the
love and friendship between a ruling wife and an enslaved hus-
band, and also what is its quality between a ruling husband and
an enslaved wife, cannot be briefly described; yea, if their differ-
ences were to be specifically pointed out and enumerated they
244

CAUSES OF APPARENT LOVE L\ MARRIAGES [292

would fill many pages; for they are various and diverse; various
according to the nature of the striving for power with the men,
and in like manner with the wives ; and diverse with the men from
what they are with the women ; for such men are in no friendship
of love except an infatuated friendship, and such wives are in the
friendship of spurious love, from lust. But by what arts wives
procure to themselves Power over the men, will be stated in the
article now following.

292. XXI. IN THE WORLD THERE EXIST INFERNAL MARRIAGES
BETWEEN MARRIED PARTNERS WHO INWARDLY ARE THE MOST IN-
VETERATE ENEMIES, AND OUTWARDLY ARE AS THE MOST ATTACHED

FRIENDS. I am indeed forbidden by the wives of such a sort, who
are in the spiritual world, to present such marriages to public
view; for they are afraid lest their art of obtaining Power over
their husbands should at the same time be divulged, which yet
they are exceedingly desirous should be concealed. But, as I am
urged by the men in that world to expose the causes of the in-
testine hatred, and as it were fury excited in their hearts against
their wives, in consequence of their clandestine arts, I shall at
least adduce the following particulars. The men said, that un-
wittingly they contracted a terrible fear of their wives, in con-
sequence of which they could not do otherwise than obey their
decisions most submissively, and be at their beck more than the
lowest menials, so that they became like men of nought; and that
this was the case not only with men of low estate, but also with
men who .were high in office and dignity, yea, with brave and
famous generals. They also said, that after they had contracted
this dread, they did not dare to speak otherwise to their wives than
in a friendly manner, nor to do otherwise than was agreeable to
them, although they cherished in their hearts a deadly hatred
against them; and further, that their wives still behaved cour-
teously to them both in word and deed, and willingly hearkened
to some of their requests. Now, as the men themselves greatly
wondered whence such an antipathy could arise in their internals,
and such an apparent sympathy in their externals, they examined
into the causes thereof from some women, to %vhom that secret art
was known; and they said that from the mouth of these women
they learned that women store up deeply in themselves a knowl-
edge by which they have the skill, if they are disposed, to subject
the men to the yoke of their authority; and that this is effected, in
the case of uncultured wives, by alternate quarrels and kindnesses,
with others by constantly harsh and unpleasant looks, and some-
times by other means ; but in the case of educated wives, by urgent
and unceasing petitions, and by obstinate resistance to their hus-
bands in case they suffer hardships from them, insisting on their
right of equality by law, in consequence of which they boldly
persist in their obstinacy; yea, insisting that if they were to be
turned out of the house, they would return at their pleasure, and

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2931 COXJUGIAL LOVE

harass them as before: for they know that the men, from their
nature, are unable to resist the obstinacy of their wives, and that
after giving way they submit themselves to their bidding; and that
then the wives make a show of kindnesses and caresses to their
husbands subjected to their sway. The genuine cause of the domi-
nation of wives by means of this cunning is, that a man acts from
the understanding, and a woman from the will, and that the will
can make itself obstinate, but not so the understanding. I have
been told, that the worst of this sort of women, who are wholly
consumed by the desire for dominion, can stick tenaciously to
their obstinacies even to the death agony. I have also heard the
justifications pleaded by such women for entering upon the exer-
cise of this art. They said, that they would not have entered upon
it unless they had foreseen supreme contempt and further rejec-
tion, and consequent ruin on their part, if they should be subdued
by their husbands: and that thus they had taken up these their
arms from necessity. To this they added this admonition for the
men, to leave their wives their own rights, and while they are in
alternate colds, not to consider them as vile beneath their maid-
servants. They said also that many of their sex are not in the
state for exercising that art by reason of their connate timidity;
but I added, by reason of their connate modesty. From these con-
siderations it may now be known what marriages are meant by
infernal marriages in the world between married persons who in-
wardly are the most inveterate enemies, and outwardly are like the
most attached friends.

293. To the above shall be added two Memorable Relations.
The first is as follows:

I was once looking through a window to the east, and I saw
seven women sitting on a bed of roses by a certain fountain, and
drinking the water. I strained my eyesight greatly to see what they
were doing, and this straining of my eyesight affected them ; where-
fore one of them beckoned me, and I quitted the house and quickly
went up to them. When I reached them, I courteously inquired
whence they were.

They said, "We are wives, and are conversing here about the
delights of conjugial love, and from much confirmation we con-
clude, that those delights are also the delights of wisdom."

This answer so delighted my mind that I seemed to be in the
spirit, and hence in a more interior and brighter perception than
ever before; wherefore I said to them, "Permit me to ask a few
questions about those pleasantnesses": and they consented.

So I asked, "How do you wives know that the delights of con-
jugial love are the same as the delights of wisdom?"

They replied, "We know this from the correspondence of the
wisdom in our husbands with the delights of conjugial love in us;
for the delights of this love in us are exalted and diminished, and
altogether qualified, according to the wisdom in our husbands."

246

CAUSES OF APPARENT LOVE AY MARRIAGES [293

On hearing this, I asked them, saying. "I know that you are
affected by the soft words of your husbands, and by their cheer-
fulness of mind, and that you are delighted \vith these with the
whole bosom ; but I am surprised to hear you say, that their wis-
dom produces this effect; but tell me. what is wisdom, and what
wisdom (produces this effect) ?"

To this the wives indignantly replied. "Do you suppose that
we do not know what wisdom is, and what wisdom (produces that
effect), when yet we are continually reflecting upon the wisdom in
our husbands, and learn it daily from their mouths? For we wives
think of the state of our husbands from morning till evening;
scarcely an intercalary hour passes during the day, in which our
intuitive thought is altogether withdrawn from them, or is absent;
on the other hand, our husbands think very little in the day about
our state; hence we know what wisdom of theirs is being delighted
in us. Our husbands call that wisdom rational spiritual wisdom,
and moral spiritual wisdom. Rational spiritual wisdom, they say,
belongs to the understanding and to Knowledges, and moral spir-
itual- wisdom to the will and to the life; but these two they con-
join and make a one, and declare that the pleasantnesses of this
wisdom are transcribed from their minds into the delights in our
bosoms into theirs, and thus return to wisdom their origin."

I then asked, "Do you know anything more about the wisdom
of your husbands which delights in you?"

They said, "We do. There is spiritual wisdom, and thence
rational and moral wisdom. Spiritual wisdom consists in acknowl-
edging the Lord the Saviour for the God of heaven and, earth, and
in procuring for oneself from Him the truths of the church, which
is done by means of the Word, and of preachings thence, whence
comes spiritual* rationality ; and in living from Him according to
those truths, whence comes spiritual morality. These two our
husbands call the wisdom which in general operates (to produce)
truly conjugial love. We have heard from them also that the
reason of this is, that by means of that wisdom, the interiors of
their minds, and thence of their bodies, are opened, whence there
exists a free passage from primes even to ultimates for the current
of love; on the flow, sufficiency, and strength of which current
conjugial love depends and lives. The rational and moral spiritual
wisdom of our husbands, in particular as to marriage, has for its
end and object to love the wife alone, and to put away all con-
cupiscence for other women; and so far as this is effected, so far
that love is exalted as to degree, and perfected as to quality; and
so far also we feel more distinctly and exquisitely the delights in
ourselves corresponding to the delights of the affections and the
pleasantnesses of the thoughts of our husbands."

I asked afterwards, whether they knew how the communication
is effected.

They said, "In all con junction by love there must be action,
reception, and reaction. The delicious state of our love is the

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2941 COWGIAL LOVE

agent or the action, the state of the wisdom of our husbands is the
recipient or the reception, and is also the reagent or the reaction
according to the reception: and this reaction is perceived by us
with delights in the bosom according to the state continually
expanded and prepared to receive those things which in any
manner cohere with and proceed from the virtue in our husbands,
thus also which cohere with and proceed from the extreme state of
love in ourselves." They said further, "Take heed lest by the
delights which we have mentioned, you understand the ultimate
delights of that love: of these we never speak, but of our bosoms
delights, of which there is a perpetual correspondence with the
state of the wisdom of our husbands."

After this there appeared at a distance as it were a dove flying
with the leaf of a tree in its mouth: but as it approached, instead
of a dove there was seen a little boy with a paper in his hand:
on coming up to us he held it out to me. and said, "Read that
before these Maidens of the fountain." I read these words, "Tell
the inhabitants of your earth, that there exists a truly conjugial
love, the delights of which are myriads, scarcely any of which are
yet known to the world: but they will be known when the church
betroths herself to the Lord, and is married."

I then asked. "Why did that boy call you Maidens of the
fountain?"

They replied. ic We are called maidens when we sit by this
fountain, because we are affections of the Truths of the wisdom of
our husbands, and the affection of truth is called a maiden; more-
over, a fountain signifies the truth of wisdom, and the bed of
roses, on which we sit, signifies the delights thereof."

Then one of the seven wove a garland of roses, and sprinkled
it with water of the fountain, and placed it on the cap of the boy,
round his little head, and said, "Receive the delights of intel-
ligence: know that a cap signifies intelligence, and a garland
from this rosebed, the delights." The boy thus decorated departed,
and then appeared at a distance like a flying dove, but with a
coronet on the head.

294. The Second Memorable Relation:

After some days I saw again the seven wives in a garden of
roses, but not in the same one as before. It was a magnificent
garden of roses, the like of which I had never seen before ; it was
round, and the roses in it formed as it were a rainbow. The roses
or flowers of a crimson colour formed its outermost circle, others
'*of a golden yellow colour formed the next inner circle, and within
this were others of a bright blue, and the inmost circle was of a
prasinous or bright green colour; and within this rainbow of roses
was a little lake of limpid water. Those seven wives, who were
before called the Maidens of the fountain, were sitting there, and,
on seeing me at the window, again called me to them; and when
248

CAUSES OF APPARENT LOVE I.\ MARRIAGES [291

I \\as come thev said. "Did you ever see anything more beautiful
upon the earth?"

I replied. "Never."*

Then they. said. "Such scenery is created in a moment bv the
Lord, and represents something new on the earth ; for everything
created bv the Lord represents something: but what does this
represent? Divine, if vou can: we divine that it represents the
delights of conjugial love.' 1

On hearing this, I said. "What! the delights of conjugial love,
about which you spoke before with so much wisdom and eloquence?
After I had left you. I related vour conversation to some wives
dwelling in our country, and said. "I know now from instruction
that vou have bosom delights arising from vour conjugial love,
which you can communicate to your husbands according to their
wisdom, and that on this account you are continually looking at
your husbands with the eves of vour spirit from morning to eve-
ning, and studying to bend and lead their dispositions to become
wise, to the end that you may secure those delights.' I mentioned
also that by wisdom you mean rational and moral spiritual wis-
dom, and in regard to marriage, the wisdom to love the wife alone,
and to put away all concupiscence for other women. But to these
things the wives of our country answered with laughter, saying,
'What is all this, but mere idle talk? We do not know what con-
jugial love is. If our husbands possess any portion of it, still we
do not; whence then come its delights with us? Yea, as to the
delights which you call the ultimate delights, we sometimes vio-
lently refuse them; for they are unpleasant to us, almost like
violations; and you will -see, if you attend to it, no sign of such
love in our faces: wherefore you are trifling or jesting, if you also
say, with those seven wives, that we think of our husbands from
morning to evening, and continually attend to their will and
pleasure in order to obtain such delights from them.* I have re-
tained thus much of what they said, that I might relate it to you ;
since it is opposed, and almost in manifest contradiction, to what
I heard from you near the fountain, and which I so eagerly im-
bibed, and also believed."

To this the wives sitting in the garden of roses replied, "Friend,
vou know not the wisdom and prudence of wives; for they totally
hide it from the men, and for no other end than that they may be
loved: for in every man, who is not spiritually but only naturally
rational and moral, there is cold towards his wife; and the cold
lies concealed in his inmosts. This a wise and prudent wife
observes exquisitely and acutely, and in the same degree she con-
ceals her conjugial love, and withdraws it into her bosom, and *
hides it there so deeply that it does not at all appear in her face,
in the tone of her voice, or in her behavior. The reason is, that
so far as it appears, so far the conjugial cold of the man pours
forth from the inmosts of his mind, where it resides, into its ulti-
mates, and induces a total coldness on the body, and a consequent

249

294] CONJVGIAL LOVE

endeavor to separate from the bed and the bed chamber."

I then asked, "Whence arises such cold as you call conjugial
cold?"

They replied, "It is from the insanity of the men in spiritual
things: and every one who is insane in spiritual things, is in-
mostly cold towards his wife, and inmostly warm toward forni-
cators; and since conjugial love and scortatory love are opposite
to each other, it follows that conjugial love becomes cold when
scortatory love is heat; and when cold reigns with a man, he can-
not enure any sense of love, and thus not any breath of it. from
his wife; wherefore the wife so wisely and prudently conceals that
love; and in proportion as she conceals it by denying and refusing,
the man is revived and recuperated in the inflowing mertricious
sphere. Hence it is. that the wife of such a man has no bosom
delights such as we have, but only pleasures which, on the part
of the man, ought to be called the pleasures of insanity, because
they are the pleasures of scortatory love. Every chaste wife loves
her husband, even if he be unchaste; but since wisdom alone is
the recipient of her love, therefore she exerts all her endeavors to
turn his insanity into wisdom, that is, to prevent his lusting after
other women besides herself. This she does by a thousand methods,
taking the greatest care lest any of them should be discovered by
the man; for she know r s very well that love cannot be forced, but
that it is insinuated in freedom ; wherefore it is given to women to
know from the sight, hearing, and touch, every state of the dis-
position of their husbands; but on the other hand it is not given
to man to know any state of the disposition of their wives. A
chaste wife can look at her husband with an austere countenance,
accost him with a harsh voice, and also be angry, and quarrel, and
vet in her heart cherish a soft and tender love towards him; but
that anger and dissimulation have for their end w r isdom, and thus
the reception of love with the husband, appears manifestly from
the fact that she can be reconciled in an instant. Besides wives
possess such means of concealing the love implanted in their heart
and marrows, for the sake of preventing conjugial cold bursting
forth with the man, and extinguishing also the fire of his scorta-
tory heat, and thus converting him from green wood into a dry
stick."

When the seven wives had spoken these and many more similar
things, their husbands came with clusters of grapes in their hands,
some of which were of a delicate flavour, and some of a disagree-
able flavour ; and the w r ives said, "Why have you also brought bad
or wild grapes?"

The husbands replied. "Because we perceived in our souls,
with which yours are united, that you were conversing with that
man about truly conjugial love, that its delights are the delights
of wisdom, and also about scortatory love, that its delights are the
pleasures of insanity. The latter are wild grapes, or those of a
disagreeable flavour; the former are grapes of a delicate flavour."
250

CAUSES OF APPARENT LOVE L\ MARRIAGES [294

They confirmed what their wives had said, and added that, "in
externals, the pleasures of insanity appear like the delights of
wisdom, but not in internals; just like the good grapes and the
bad grapes which we have brought; for both the chaste and the
unchaste have similar wisdom in externals, but altogether dis-
similar in internals."

After this the little boy again came with a paper in his hand,
and held it out to me, saying, "Read these words;" and I read,
'"Know that the delights of conjugial love ascend to the highest
heaven, and both on the way thither and also there, conjoin them-
selves with the delights of all heavenly loves, and thus enter into
their happiness, which endures to eternity: the reason is, that the
delights of that love are also the delights of wisdom. And know
also, that the pleasures of scortatory love descend even to the
lowest hell, and both on the way thither and also there, conjoin
themselves with the pleasures of all infernal loves, and thus enter
into their unhappiness, which consists in the wretchedness of all
the delightsomenesses of the heart: the reason is, that the pleasures
of that love are also the pleasures of Insanity."

After this the husbands departed with their wives, and accom-
panied the little boy as far as the way of his ascent into heaven;
and they knew that the society from which he had been sent was
a society of the new heaven, with which the new church in the
earth will be conjoined."

251

BETROTHALS AND WEDDINGS

295. The subject of betrothals and weddings, and also of the
rites and ceremonies attending them, is here treated of principally
from the reason of the understanding; for the things which are
written in this book have for their end that the reader may see
Truths from his own Rational and thereby give his consent for
thus his spirit is convinced; and those things in which the spirit
is convinced, are allotted a place above those which, without con-
sulting reason, enter from authority and the faith of authority;
for the latter enter the head no further than the memory, and there
mix themselves with fallacies and falsities; thus they are beneath
the rational things which belong to the understanding. From these
things any man can speak as it were rationally, but in reality
absurdly, for he then thinks as a crab walks, the sight following
the tail. It is otherwise if he thinks from the understanding; for
when the rational sight selects from the memory suitable things
whereby it confirms Truth viewed in itself. This is the reason, why
in this chapter many things are adduced which are established
customs, as that the choice belongs to the men, that parents ought
to be consulted, that pledges ought to be given, that the conjugial
covenant ought to be contracted before the wedding, that it (the
conjugial covenant) ought to be consecrated by a priest, also that
the wedding ought to be celebrated; besides many other things,
which are adduced in order that man may see from his Rational
that such things are inscribed on conjugial love, as requisite to
promote and complete it. The articles into which this section is
divided are in their order the following:

I. The choice always belongs to the man and not to the woman.

II. The man ought to court and entreat the woman respecting
marriage with him, and not the woman the man.

III. The woman ought to consult her parents, or those who are
in the place of parents, and then deliberate with herself, before
she consents.

IV. After the declaration of consent^ pledges ought to be given.

V. The consent ought to be confirmed and corroborated by
means of solemn betrothal.

VI. By betrothal both are prepared for conjugial love.

VII. By means of. betrothal* the mind of the one is conjoined
with the mind of the other y so that a marriage of the spirit may be
effected before the marriage of the body.

VIII. This is the case with those who think chastely of mar-
riages; but it is otherwise with those who think unchastely of them

252

BETROTHALS A\D WEDDINGS [290

IX. Within the time of betrothal* it is not alloicable to be con-
joined corporeally:

X. When the time of betrothal is completed ', the wedding ought
to take place.

XL Previous to the celebration of the wedding, the conjugial
covenant ought to be ratified in the presence of witnesses.

XII. The marriage ought to be consecrated by a priest.

XIII. The wedding ought to be celebrated with festivity.

XIV. After the icedding, the marriage of the spirit is made
also a marriage of the body* and thereby a full marriage.

XV. Such is the order of conjugial love with its successive
stages from its first heat to its first torch.

XVI. That conjugial love precipitated, without order and its
modes, burns out the marrows and comes to an end.

XVII. The states of the minds of both parties proceeding in
successive order, flow in into the state of marriage; nevertheless
in one manner with the spiritual and in another with the natural.

XVIII . Because there exist successive order, and simultaneous
order, and the latter is from the former and according to it.

Now follows the explanation of these articles.

296. I. THE CHOICE BELONGS TO THE MAN, AND NOT TO THE
WOMAN. This is because the man is born to be the understanding,
but the woman to be love; also because with men there is gen-
erally sexual love, but with women the love of one of the sex ; and
likewise because it is not unbecoming for men to speak about love,
and to make it manifest, but it is unbecoming for women. Never-
theless women have the right of choosing one of their suitors. In
regard to the first reason, that the choice belongs to the men,
because they are born for the understanding, it is because the
understanding can clearly see agreements and disagreements, and
distinguish them, and from judgment choose what is suitable ; it is
otherwise with women, because they are born for love, and do not
possess the clear-sightedness of that light; and consequently their
determination to marriage would proceed only from the inclina-
tions of their love; if they have the knowledge of how to distin-
guish between men and men, still their love is carried to appear-
ances. In regard to the second reason, that the choice belongs to
the men, and not to the women, because with men there is gen-
erally sexual love, and with women the love of one of the sex, it
is because those who have sexual love have the freedom of con-
sideration and also of determination: it is otherwise with women,
in whom there is implanted the love for one of the sex. If you
wish for a proof of this, ask, if you please, the men you meet
what their sentiments are respecting monogamous marriage, and
respecting polygamous marriage; and you will seldom meet one
who will not reply in favor of polygamous marriage, and this also
is sexual love; but ask the women their sentiments respecting
those marriages, and almost all, except fornicators, will reject

253

297-299J CONJl'GIAL LOVE

polygamous marriages; from which it follows, that with women
there is love of one of the sex. thus conjugial love. In regard to
the third reason,, that it is not unbecoming for men to speak about
love, and to make it manifest, whereas it is for women, it is self-
evident; hence also it follows, that the declaration (of love)
belongs to the men, and if the declaration does, so also does the
choice. That women have the right of choosing from among their
suitors, is known ; but this kind of choice is confined and limited,
whereas that of the men is extended and unlimited.

297. II. THE MAN OUGHT TO COURT AND ENTREAT THE WOMAN

RESPECTING MARRIAGE WITH HIM, AND NOT THE WOMAN THE MAN.

This naturally follows the choice; and besides, courting and en-
treating women respecting marriage is in itself honourable and
becoming for men, but not for women. If women were to court
and entreat men, they would not only be blamed, but, after en-
treaty, they would be reputed as vile, or after marriage, as
libidinous,, with whom there could be no intercourse but what was
cold and fastidious; wherefore marriages would thereby be con-
verted into tragic scenes. Wives also make a merit of the fact that,
being conquered as it were, they yielded only to the importunate
entreaty of the men. Who does not foresee, that if women courted
men, they would seldom be accepted, but that they would either
be indignantly rejected, or enticed to lasciviousness, and would
also prostitute their modesty? Moreover, as was shown above,
men have not any innate sexual love; and without that love there
is no interior pleasantness of life; wherefore to exalt their life by
that love, it is incumbent on the men to flatter the women, court-
ing and entreating them with politeness, courtesy, and humility,
respecting this sweet addition to their life. The superiority of the
female sex over the male in loveliness of countenance, person, and
manners, is also an additional motive for this duty.

298. III. THE WOMAN OUGHT TO CONSULT HER PARENTS, OR

THOSE WHO ARE IN THE PLACE OF PARENTS, AND THEN DELIBERATE
WITH HERSELF, BEFORE SHE CONSENTS. The reason why parents
ought to be consulted is, that they deliberate and give advice from
judgment, knowledge, and love: from judgment, because they are
in advanced age, which excels in judgment, and clearly discerns
what is suitable and unsuitable: from knowledge, both in respect
to the suitor and to their daughter; in respect to the suitor they
procure to themselves Knowledges, and in respect to their daugh-
ter they already know; wherefore they conclude respecting both
together with united discernment : from love, because to consult the
good of their daughter, and to provide for her household, is also
to consult and provide for their own and for themselves.

299. The case would be altogether different if the daughter
were to consent of herself to her urgent suitor, without consulting
her parents, or those who are in the place of parents ; for she can-

254

BETROTHALS A\D WEDDIXGS [300, 301

not from judgment, knowledge, and love, make a right estimate
which concerns her future welfare: she cannot from judgment,
because her judgment is as yet in ignorance as to conjugial life,
and not in a state of comparing reasons, and of clearly discerning
the characters of men from their tastes: nor from knowledge or
cognition, because she knows few things beyond the domestic
affairs of her parents and of some of her companions, and is
unqualified to ferret out such things as belong to the habits and
peculiarities of her suitor: nor from love, because with daughters
in their first marriageable age, and also in their second, it obeys
the concupiscences originating in the senses, and not as yet the
desires originating in a refined mind. The reason why the daughter
ought nevertheless to deliberate on the matter with herself before
she consents, is, lest she should be led against her will into a con-
nection with an unloved man; for thus consent on her part would
be wanting; and yet it is consent that constitutes marriage, and
initiates her spirit into that love; and unwilling or extorted con-
sent does not initiate the spirit, although it may the body: and
thus it converts chastity, which resides in the spirit, into lust,
whereby conjugial love in its first heat is vitiated.

300. IV. THAT AFTER DECLARATION OF CONSENT PLEDGES
OUGHT TO BE GIVEN. By pledges are meant gifts, which are con-
firmations, testimonials, first favours, and gladnesses after the
consent. These gifts are confirmations because they are the tokens
of consent; wherefore, when two covenant to anything it is said,
"Give me a token," and of two who are espoused in marriage, and
have confirmed their promises by gifts, it is said that they are
plighted, that is confirmed. They are testimonials, because these
pledges are like abiding visible witnesses of mutual love, and
thence are also memorials of it, especially if they are rings, scent-
bottles, and lockets, which are suspended in sight, there is in them
a certain representative image of the minds of the bridegroom and
bride. These pledges are first favours* because conjugial love
promises to itself everlasting favour, of which the first fruits are
those gifts. That they are the gladness of love is known, for the
mind is exhilarated at the sight of them, and because the love is
in them, these favours are dearer and more precious than any
other gifts whatever. It is as if their hearts were in them. Because
these pledges are supports of conjugial love, gifts after consent
were also an established custom among the Ancients, and after
acceptance of them the two were declared to be bridegroom and
bride. But it should be known, that it is of their free choice
whether to present the gifts before the act of betrothal or after it.
If before, they are confirmations and testimonials of consent to
the betrothment; if after it to the nuptials also.

301. V. THE CONSENT OUGHT TO BE CONFIRMED AND CORROBO-
RATED BY SOLEMN BETROTHAL. The reasons for betrothals are

255

302,303] CONJUGIAL LOVE

these: 1. That after betrothal the souls of the two parties may
mutually incline toward each other. 2. That universal sexual love
may be determined to one man or one woman of the sex. 3. That
the interior affections may be mutually known, and by applica-
tions in the internal cheerfulness of love, may be conjoined.
4. That the spirits of both parties may enter into marriage, and be
more and more consociated. 5. That thereby conjugial love may
progress regularly from its first heat even to the nuptial flame.
Consequently, 6. That conjugial love may advance and grow up
in just order from its spiritual origin. The state of betrothal may
be likened to the state of spring before summer; and the internal
pleasantnesses of that state to the flowering of trees before fructifi-
cation. As the initiations and progressions of conjugial love pro-
ceed in order for the sake of their influx into the effective love,
which commences from the wedding, therefore there are betrothals
in the heavens also.

302. VI. BY MEANS OF BETROTHAL, BOTH ARE PREPARED FOR

CONJUGIAL LOVE. That the mind or the spirit of the one is pre-
pared by betrothing for union with the mind or spirit of the other,
or, what is the same thing, that the love of the one is prepared for
union with the love of the other, is manifest from the arguments
advanced in the foregoing article. Besides which it must be noted,
that on truly conjugial love is inscribed this order, that it ascends
and descends ; it ascends from its first heat progressively upwards
towards the souls, with an effort to effect conjunctions there, and
this by continually more interior openings of the minds; and there
is no love which strives more intensely to effect those openings,
or which is more powerful and skillful in opening the interiors of
minds, than conjugial love; for the soul of each one intends this:
but at the same moments in which that love ascends towards the
souls, it also descends towards the body, and thereby clothes
itself. It must, however, be known that conjugial love in its
descent is such as it is in the height to which it ascends; if it
ascends on high, it descends chaste; but if it does not ascend on
high, it descends unchaste; the reason is, that the lower parts of
the mind are unchaste, but its higher parts are chaste; for the
lower parts of the mind cleave to the body, but the higher separate
themselves from them: but on this subject see more below, no. 305.
From these few considerations it may be manifest, that by means
of betrothal the mind of each one is prepared for conjugial love,
although in a different manner according to the affections.

303. VII. BY MEANS OF BETROTHAL, THE MIND OF THE ONE IS
CONJOINED WITH THE MIND OF THE OTHER, SO THAT A MARRIAGE
OF THE SPIRIT MAY BE EFFECTED BEFORE THE MARRIAGE OF THE

BODY. As this follows logically from what was said above, nos.
301, 302, it is passed by without any further confirmations from
reason being adduced.
256

BETROTHALS A.\D TTEDDL\GS [304, 305

304. VIII. THIS IS THE CASE WITH THOSE WHO THINK CHASTELY
ABOUT MARRIAGES; BUT IT IS OTHERWISE WITH THOSE WHO THINK

UNCHASTELY ABOUT THEM. With the chaste, that is, with those \vho
think about marriages in accordance with religion, the marriage
of the spirit precedes, and that of the body follows; and these
are they with whom love ascends towards the soul, and from its
height descends thence; concerning whom, see above, no. 302.
The souls of these separate themselves from unlimited sexual love,
and devote themselves to one man or woman, with whom they look
for an everlasting and eternal union and its increasing blessed-
ness, as the cherishers of the hope which continually recreates
their mind. But it is quite otherwise with the unchaste, who are
they who do not think from religion about marriages and their
holiness. With these there is a marriage of the body, but none of
the spirit: if, during the state of betrothal, anything of the mar-
riage of the spirit appears, yet, if it ascends by an elevation of the
thoughts concerning it, it nevertheless falls back again to the con-
cupiscences which are from the flesh in the will; and thus from
the unchaste (elements) there it casts itself down headlong into
the body, and defiles the ultimates of its love with an alluring
ardour ; and as, in consequence of this ardour, it was in the begin-
ning all on fire, so its fire suddenly goes out, and passes away
into the cold of winter; whence the failing (of potency) is accele-
rated. The state of betrothal with these answers hardly any other
purpose than that they may fill their concupiscences with lascivi-
ousness, and thereby contaminate the conjugial principle of love.

305. IX. WITHIN THE TIME OF BETROTHAL, IT is NOT ALLOW-
ABLE TO BE CONJOINED CORPOREALLY; for this the order which is
inscribed on conjugial love, perishes. For in human minds there
are three regions, of which the highest is called the celestial
region, the middle the spiritual, and the lowest the natural. In
this lowest region man is born: but he ascends into his higher
region, which is called the spiritual region, by a life according to
the truths of religion, and into the highest region by the marriage
of love and wisdom. In the lowest region, which is called the
natural region, reside all the concupiscences of evil, and lascivi-
ousness. But in the higher region, which is called the spiritual
region, there are not any concupiscences of evil and lascivious-
ness; for man is brought into this region by the Lord, when he is
re-born. But in the supreme region, which is called the celestial
region, there is conjugial chastity in its own love : into this region
a man is elevated by the love of uses; and as the most excellent
uses are from marriages, he is elevated into it by truly conjugial
love. From these considerations, it may be seen, as in a com-
pendium, that conjugial love, from the first beginnings of its heat,
must be elevated out of the lowest region into the higher region,
in order that it may become chaste, and that thereby from what is
chaste it may be let down through the middle and lowest regions

257

306, 307] COMUGIAL LOVE

into the body; and when this is the case, this lowest region is
purified of its unchaste elements by the descent of what is chaste:
hence the ultimate of that love also becomes chaste. Now. if the
successive order of this love is hurried on by conjunctions of the
body before their time, it follows, that the man acts from the
lowest region, which by birth is unchaste; and it is known, that
thence commences and arises cold for marriage, and neglect with
loathing for one's married partner. Nevertheless there are various
dangers of events resulting in consequence of premature conjunc-
tions ; also in consequence of too great a protraction, and also of
too great a hastening, of the time of betrothals; but these, by
reason of their number and variety, can hardly be adduced.

306. X. WHEN THE TIME OF BETROTHAL is COMPLETED, THE
WEDDING OUGHT TO TAKE PLACE. There are some customary rites
which are merely formal, and others which at the same time are
also essential : among the latter are weddings. That weddings are
among the essentials, w r hich ought to be manifested in the cus-
tomary way, and formally celebrated, is confirmed by the follow-
ing reasons: 1. That the wedding constitutes the end of the fore-
going state, which had been inaugurated by the betrothal, which
was principally a state of the spirit, and the beginning of the
following state, which is to be inaugurated by the marriage, widen
is a state of the spirit and body together: for the spirit then enters
into the body, and acts there: wherefore on that day the parties
put off the state and also the name of bridegroom and bride, and
put on the state and name of married partners and bed-consorts.
2. That the wedding is an introduction and entrance into a new
state, which is that a maiden becomes a w T ife, and a bachelor a
husband, and both one flesh; and this is effected w r hen love by
ultimates unites them. That marriage actually changes a maiden
into a wife, and a bachelor into a husband, was proved in a
former part of this Work; also that marriage unites two into one
human form, so that they are no longer two but one flesh. 3. That
the wedding is the commencement of a plenary separation of
sexual love from conjugial love, which is effected when, by means
of the full measure of conjunction, the love of the one devotes
itself closely and intimately to the love of the other. 4. It appears
as if the wedding were merely an interval between those two
states, and thus as if it were a mere formality which may be
omitted; but nevertheless there is in it this essential also, that the
new state above mentioned ought then to be entered upon from
covenant; and that the consent of the parties ought to be declared
in the presence of witnesses, and also to be consecrated by a
priest; besides other particulars which establish it. As weddings
contain in them essentials, and as marriage is not legitimate till
after the wedding, therefore also weddings are celebrated in the
heavens; see above, no. 21, and also nos. 27 to 41.

307. XL PREVIOUS TO THE CELEBRATION OF THE WEDDING THE
258

BETROTHALS AXD W*EDDL\GS [308-310

CONJUGIAL COVENANT OUGHT TO BE RATIFIED IN* THE PRESENCE OF

WITNESSES. It Is necessary that the conjugial covenant he ratified
before the wedding is celebrated, in order that the statutes and
laws of truly conjugial love may be known, and that they may be
remembered after the wedding; also that it may be a bond bind-
ing the minds of the parties closely together to a just marriage.
For after the actual marriage has been entered into in various
ways, the state which preceded the betrothal returns at times, in
which state remembrance perishes, and forgetfulness of the ratified
covenant ensues; yea, it is obliterated by allurements of unchaste
(persons) to unchaste (deeds) : and if it is then recalled to the
memory, it becomes a subject of reproach: but to avert these trans-
gressions, the family has taken upon itself the guardianship of
this covenant, and has enacted penalties against those who break it.
In a word, the ante-nuptial covenant makes public the sacred
obligations of love truly conjugial, establishes them, and binds
libertines to obedience to them. Add to this, that by this covenant
the right of propagating children to inherit the goods of their
parents, become legitimate.

308. XII. THE MARRIAGE OUGHT TO BE CONSECRATED BY A
PRIEST, The reason is, that marriages, viewed in themselves, are
spiritual, and therefore holy; for they descend from the heavenly
marriage of good and truth, and conjugial things correspond to
the Divine marriage of the Lord and the church ; and hence they
are from the Lord Himself, and according to the state of the
church with the contracting parties. Now, since the ecclesiastical
order on earth administer the things which belong to the priest-
hood with the Lord, that is, which belong to His love, and thus
also the things which belong to blessing, it is needful that mar-
riages should be consecrated by His ministers; and as they are
then the chief witnesses, it is needful that the consent to the
covenant should also be heard, accepted, confirmed, and thus
established by them.

309. XIII. THE WEDDING OUGHT TO BE CELEBRATED WITH
FESTIVITY. The reasons are, that the ante-nuptial love, which was
the love of the bridegroom and the bride, then descends into their
hearts, and by its spreading itself thence in every direction into
all parts of the body, the delights of marriage are made sensible,
whereby the minds of the parties are led to festive thoughts, and
also indulge in the festivities so far as is allowable and becoming;
in order to promote this, it is important that the festive feelings of
their minds should find expression in the company of others, and
that they themselves should be thereby introduced into the joys of
conjugial love.

310. XIV. AFTER THE WEDDING, THE MARRIAGE OF THE SPIRIT

BECOMES ALSO A MARRIAGE OF THE BODY, AND THEREBY A FULL

MARRIAGE. All things which a man does in the body, flow in from

259

311] COMUGIAL LOVE

his spirit; for it is known that the mouth does not speak of itself,
but that it is the thought of the mind which speaks by means of
it; also that the hands do not act, and the feet walk, of themselves,
but that it is the will of the mind which does so by means of
them ; consequently, that the mind speaks through its organ, and
also that it acts through its organs in the body. Hence it is evident,
that such as the mind is, such are the speech of the mouth and the
deeds of the body. From these premises it follows as a conclusion,
that the mind, through a continual influx, forms the body for con-
cordant and simultaneous actions with itself; wherefore the bodies
of men, considered interiorly, are nothing else than forms of their
minds organized exteriorly to effect the purposes of the soul. These
things are premised in order that it may be perceived whence it is
that the minds or spirits ought first to be united as in marriage,
before they are united in the body also; namely, that when the
marriages become of the body, they may be marriages of the
spirit; consequently, that the married partners may mutually love
each other from the spirit, and hence in the body. From these
premises let us now take a view of marriage. When conjugial love
conjoins the minds of two persons, and forms them into a mar-
riage, it then also conjoins and forms their bodies for that mar-
riage; for, as has been said, the form of the mind is also interiorly
the form of the body, with the sole difference, that the latter form
is outwardly organized to give effect to that to which the interior
form of the body is determined by the mind. But the mind formed
from conjugial love is not only interiorly in the whole body, round
about in every part, but moreover is interiorly in the organs
allotted to generation, which in their region are situated beneath
the other regions of the body, and in which are terminated the
forms of the mind with those who are united in conjugial love:
consequently the affections and thoughts of their minds are deter-
mined thither. The activities of minds arising from other loves
differ in this respect, that the latter loves do not reach thither. The
conclusion resulting from these considerations is, that such as con-
jugial love is in the minds or spirits of two persons, such it is
interiorly in those its organs. But it is self-evident that the mar-
riage of the spirit after the wedding becomes also a marriage of
the body, thus a full marriage; consequently if the marriage in
the spirit is chaste, and partakes of the holiness thereof, it is the
same when it is in its fullness in the body; and* the reverse is the
case if the marriage in the spirit is unchaste.

311. XV. THIS IS THE ORDER OF CONJUGIAL LOVE WITH ITS
SUCCESSIVE STAGES FROM ITS FIRST HEAT TO ITS FIRST TORCH. It is

said from its first heat to its first torch, because vital heat is love,
and conjugial heat or love successively grows, and at length as it
were into a flame or torch. It is said, to its first torch, because
there is meant the first state after the wedding, when that love
burns. But what its quality becomes after this torch in the mar-
260

BETROTHALS A\D WEDDIXGS [312, 313

riage itself, has been described in the preceding chapters; but in
this part of the Work is explained its order from the beginning of
its career to this its first goal. That all order proceeds from primes
to ultimates, and that the ultimates become the primes of some
following order; moreover, that all things of the middle order are
the ultimates of the prior and the primes of the following order,
and that thus ends proceed continually through causes into effects,
may be sufficiently confirmed and illustrated to the reason from
what is known and visible in the world. But as the only subject at
present being treated of is the order in which love proceeds from
its first starting place to its goal, those confirmations and illus-
trations shall be passed by, and it shall only be stated on this sub-
ject, that such as the order of this love is from its first heat to its
first torch, such for the most part it is. and remains, in its pro-
gression afterwards; for in this progression it unfolds itself,
according to the quality of its first heat: if this heat was chaste,
its chasteness is strengthened in its progressions; but if it was
unchaste, its unchasteness increases as it progresses, until it is
deprived of all that chasteness in which, from the time of betrothal,
it had been from without, but not from within.

312. XVI. THAT CONJUGIAL LOVE PRECIPITATED, WITHOUT

ORDER AND ITS MODES, BURNS OUT THE MARROWS AND COMES TO AN

END. So it is said by some in heaven; and by the marrows they
mean the interiors of the mind and body. The reason why these
are burnt up, that is, consumed, by conjugial love being hurried
on is, that that love in such a case begins from a flame which eats
up and corrupts those inmost recesses, in which as in its begin-
nings conjugial love should reside, and from which it should
commence. This comes to pass if the man and woman hurry on
the marriage without order, by not looking to the Lord, by not
consulting reason, by rejecting betrothal, and by obeying the flesh
only. If that love commences from the ardour of the flesh, it
becomes external and not internal, thus not conjugial; and such
love may be said to partake of the* shell, not of the kernel ; or it
may be called fleshly, lean, and dry, because emptied of its
genuine essence. See more on this subject above, no. 305.

313. XVII. THE STATES OF THE MINDS OF EACH OF THE PARTIES

PROCEEDING IN SUCCESSIVE ORDER, FLOW IN INTO THE STATE OF
MARRIAGE; NEVERTHELESS IN ONE MANNER WITH THOSE WHO ARE
SPIRITUAL, AND IN ANOTHER WITH THOSE WHO ARE NATURAL. That

the last state is such as the successive order from which it is
formed and exists, is a canon, which from its Truth must be
acknowledged in the learned world; for thereby it is discovered
what influx is, and what its effects. By influx is meant all that
which precedes, and composes that which is subsequent, and by
means of things subsequent in order composes what is last; as all
that which precedes with a man (homo}* and composes his wis-

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314] CONJUGIAL LOVE

dom; or all that which precedes with a statesman, and composes
his sagacity; or all that which precedes with a theologian, and
composes his erudition; in like manner all that which proceeds
from infancy, and composes a man f nr) ; also what proceeds in
order from a seed and a twig, and makes a tree, and afterwards
what proceeds from a blossom, and makes its fruit; in like manner
all that which precedes and proceeds with a bridegroom and bride,
and makes their marriage. This is the meaning of influx. That all
those things which precede in minds form series, and that series
are collected together, one beside another, and one after another,
and that these together compose what is last or ultimate, is as yet
unknown in the world; but as it is a Truth from heaven, it is here
adduced: for it explains what influx effects, and what is the quality
of the last or ultimate, in which the above-mentioned series suc-
cessively formed co-exist. From these considerations it may be
seen, that the states of the minds of each of the parties proceeding
in successive order flow in into the state of marriage. But married
partners after marriage are utterly in ignorance of the successive
things which are insinuated into, and exist in their minds from
things antecedent; nevertheless it is those things which give form
to conjugial love, and constitute the state of their minds, from
which state they act with each other. The reason why a different
state is formed from a different order with those who are spiritual,
from what it is with those who are natural, is, that those who are
spiritual proceed in just order, and those who are natural proceed
in unjust order; for those who are spiritual look to the Lord, and
the Lord provides and leads the order; whereas those who are
natural look to themselves, and consequently proceed in inverted
order; wherefore with the latter the state of marriage is inwardly
full of unchaste elements; and there are as many colds as there
are unchaste elements, and there are as many obstructions of the
inmost life, whereby its current is closed and its fountains dried
up, as there are colds.

314 XVIII. BECAUSE THERE EXIST SUCCESSIVE ORDER, AND

SIMULTANEOUS ORDER, AND THE LATTER IS FROM THE FORMER AND

ACCORDING TO IT. This is adduced as a reason tending to confirm
the preceding statements. It is known that there exist what is suc-
cessive and what is simultaneous; but it is unknown that simul-
taneous order is from successive order, and according to it; yet
how things successive enter into things simultaneous, and what
order they form therein, is very difficult to present to the percep-
tion, since the learned are not in possssion of any idea that serves
to elucidate the subject; and as the first idea respecting this
arcanum cannot be given in a few words, and to treat it at length
would withdraw the mind from a more open view of conjugial
love, it may suffice for illustration to quote what has been adduced
in a compendium respecting those two orders, the successive and
the simultaneous, and respecting the influx of the former into the
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BETROTHALS A\D WEDDINGS [315

latter, in the Doctrine of the .Yew Jerusalem concerning the Sacred
Scripture, where these words occur:

"There exist in heaven and in the world successive order and
simultaneous order. In successive order one thing follows after
another from the highest things to the lowest: but in simultaneous
order one thing is next to another from the inmosts to the outer -
mosts. Successive order is like a column with steps from the top
to the bottom; but simultaneous order is like a work cohering
from the center to the surface. Successive order becomes simul-
taneous in the ultimate, in the following manner: The highest
things of successive order become the inmost things of simultane-
ous order, and the lowest things of successive order become the
outermost things of simultaneous order; it is comparatively as
when the column of steps subsides, it becomes a body cohering in
a plane. Thus what is simultaneous is formed from what is suc-
cessive; and this in each and all things of the spiritual world, and
in each and all things of the natural world." See nos. 38 and 65
of that Work; and many more observations on this subject in
Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and the Divine
Wisdom, nos. 205 to 229.

The case is similar with successive order progressing towards
marriage, and with simultaneous order in marriage; namely, that
the latter is from the former, and according to it. He who is
acquainted with the influx of successive order into simultaneous
order, can comprehend the reason why the angels are able to see
in a man's hand all the thoughts and intentions of his mind, and
also why wives, from their husband's hands on their bosoms, are
sensible of their affections; of which circumstance mention has
occasionally been made in the Memorable Relations. The reason
is, that the hands are the ultimate of man, into which the delibera-
tions and conclusions of his mind are determined, and there con-
stitute what is "inscribed on the hands."

315. To the above I shall add two Memorable Relations. The
first is as follows:

I once saw r not far away from me a meteor; I saw a cloud
divided into little clouds, some of which were of a blue colour,
and some opaque ; and I saw them as it were in collision together.
They were made translucent in streaks by rays, which at one time
appeared sharp like the points of swords, at another, blunt like
broken sw^ords. The streaks at times darted forward, and at times
retreated, exactly like combatants: thus those differently coloured
little clouds appeared to be fighting together; but they were only
sporting. And as this meteor appeared at no great distance from
me, I lifted up my eyes, and looked attentively, and I saw boys,
young men, and old men, entering a house which was built of
marble, on a foundation of porphyry; it was over this house that
that phenomenon appeared. Then, addressing one of those who
were entering, I asked, "What is going on there?"

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315] COyjUGIAL LOVE

He answered, "It is a public school, where young persons are
initiated into various things relating to \\isdom/'

On hearing this I went in with them, being then in the spirit,
that is, in a state similar to that in which the men of the spiritual
world, who are called spirits and angels, are. And behold, in that
public school there was seen in the front a chair; in the middle,
benches; and at the sides round about seats, and over the entrance,
an orchestra. The chair was for the young men that were to give
answers to the problem at that time to be proposed, the benches
were for the audience, the seats at the sides w r ere for those who on
former occasions had answered wisely, and the orchestra was for
the elders, who were umpires and judges; in the middle of the
orchestra was a tribune, where there sat a wise man., whom they
called the head master, who proposed the problems, to which the
young men were to give their answers from the chair.

When they were assembled, this man arose from the tribune
and said, "Pray give me an answer to this problem, and solve it if
you can, 'WHAT is THE SOUL, AND WHAT is ITS QUALITY?' "

On hearing this problem all were amazed, and murmured, and
some of the company on the benches exclaimed, "What man from
the Saturnian era to the present time, has been able by any thought
of reason to see and understand what the soul is, still less what its
quality is? Is not this subject above the sphere of all men's
understanding?"

But to this they replied from the orchestra, "It is not above the
understanding, but within it and before it; only answer."

Then the young men, who had been chosen that day to ascend
the chair, and give an answer to the problem, arose. They were
five in number, who had been examined by the elders, and found to
excel in sagacity, and they were then sitting on couches at the sides
of the chair. They afterwards ascended in the order in which they
had been seated; and each one when he ascended put on a silken
tunic of an opaline colour, and over it a robe of soft wool inter-
woven with flowers, together with a cap, on the crown of which
was a rosette beset with small sapphires.

I saw the first one thus clad ascend the desk, and he said,
"What the soul is, and what its quality is, has never been revealed
to any one since the day of creation: it is an arcanum in the
treasuries of the Only God. But this has been disclosed, that the
soul resides in man as a queen ; yet where her palace is, has been
a matter of conjecture among learned authorities. Some have sup-
posed it to be in the small tubercle between the cerebrum and the
cerebellum, which is called the pineal gland: in this they have
fixed the seat of the soul, because the whole man is ruled from
these two brains, and they are regulated by that tubercle; where-
fore, whatever regulates the brains at will, regulates also the whole
man from the head to the heel." He also said, "Hence this con-
jecture appeared as true or probable to many in the world; but
after this age it was rejected as a figment,"

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BETROTHALS AND WEDDIXGS [315

When he had said this, he put off his rohe, the tunic, and the
cap, which the second of the chosen ones put on, and entered the
chair. The opinion he expressed in regard to the soul was as
follows: "In the whole heaven and the whole world it is unknown
what the soul is, and what its quality is ; it is however known that
it exists, and that it is in man ; but in what part of him is a matter
of conjecture. This is certain, that it is in the head, since the
understanding thinks there, and the will intends there; and in
front in the face of the head are man's five sensories: both the
latter and the former receive life from no other source than the
soul which resides within the head. But in what particular part of
the head the soul has its seat, I dare not take upon me to say; yet
I incline (sometimes) to the opinion of those who fix its abode in
the three ventricles of the cerebrum, sometimes to the opinion of
those who fix it in the corpora striata therein, sometimes to the
opinion of those who fix it in the medullary substance of both
brains, sometimes to the opinion of those who fix it in the cortical
substance, and sometimes to the opinion of those who fix it in the
dura mater; for there have not been wanting confirmatory argu-
ments (literally, white voting stones) in favor of each of those
seats of the soul. The arguments in favor of the three ventricles
of the cerebrum have been, that those ventricles are the receptacles
of the animal spirits, and of all the lymphs of the brain. The
arguments in favor of the corpora striata have been, that these
bodies constitute the marrow, through which the nerves go out,
and through which both brains are continued into the spine; and
from the spine and the marrow there emanate fibres of which the.
whole body is interwoven. The arguments in favor of the medul-
lary substance of both brains have been, that the substance is a
collection and congeries of all the fibres, which are the initia-
ments of the whole man. The arguments in favor of the cortical
substance have been, that in that substance are contained the prime
and ultimate ends, and consequently the beginnings of all the
fibres, and thus the beginnings of all the senses and motions. The
arguments in favor of the dura mater have been, that it is the
common covering of both brains, and hence by a certain continuity
extends itself over the heart and over the viscera of the body. As
for myself, I do not declare in favor of any one of these opinions
more than of another; I pray you decide for yourselves, and
choose which is preferable."

Having said this he descended from the chair, and delivered
the tunic, the robe, and the cap to the third, who mounting the
chair spoke as follows: "What shall a young man like myself do
with so sublime a problem? I appeal to the learned who are here
seated at the sides; I appeal to you wise ones in the orchestra;
yea, I appeal to the angels of the highest heaven, whether any one,
from his own rational light, is able to form to himself any idea
about the soul. Nevertheless I, like others, can conjecture about
the place of its abode in man; and my conjecture is, that it is in

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315] CONJUGIAL LOVE

the heart and hence in the blood; and this is my conjecture,
because the heart by its blood rules both the body and the head;
for it sends forth a large vessel called the aorta into the whole
body, and vessels called the carotids into the whole head ; hence
it is universally agreed, that the soul from the heart by means of
the blood sustains, nourishes, and vivifies the universal organical
system both of the body and the head. As a proof of this position,
it may be added, that in the Sacred Scripture frequent mention is
made of the 'soul and the heart' ; as where it is said, Thou, shalt
love God 'from the whole soul and the whole heart': and that God
creates in man : a new soul and a new heart' ('Deut. vi. 5; chap.
x. 12; chap. xi. 13; chap. xxvi. 16; Jerem. xxxii. 41; Matt. xxii.
35 (37) ; Mark xii. 30, 33; Luke x. 27; and in other places: it is
also plainly said, that the 'blood is the soul of the flesh' (Levit.
xvii. 11, 14)."

On hearing this, some of the assembly lifted up the voice, say-
ing, "Learned ! learned ! " these were clergymen.

After this the fourth put on the garments of the former speaker,
and entered the chair, and said : "I also suspect, that there is not
a single person of so subtle and refined a genius as to be able to
discover what the soul is, and what its quality is; wherefore I am
of opinion, that he who attempts to investigate the subject, will
exert his subtlety to no purpose. Nevertheless from my childhood
I have continued to believe firmly in the opinion of the Ancients,
that the soul of man is in the whole of him, and in every part of
the whole, and thus that it is in the head and in each of its parts,
as well as in the body and in each of its parts ; and that it is an
idle conceit of the moderns to fix its habitation in any particular
part, and not in the body throughout. Besides the soul is a spiritual
substance, of which there cannot be predicated either extension or
place, but habitation and impletion. Moreover, when mention is
made of the soul, who does not understand life to be meant? and
is not life in the whole and in every part?"

These sentiments were favourably received by many of the
audience.

After him the fifth rose, and, being adorned with the same
insignia, thus delivered himself from the chair: "I will not stop to
determine where the soul is, whether it be in some particular part
of the body, or in the whole throughout; but out of the storehouse
of my thoughts I will declare my ideas on the subject of the soul
and its quality. No one thinks of the soul but as of a pure some-
thing, which may be likened to ether, or air, or wind, in which
there is vitality from the rationality which man enjoys above the
beasts. This opinion I have founded on the circumstance, that
when a man expires, he is said to breathe forth or emit his soul or
spirit; hence also the soul which lives after death is believed to be
such a breath, in which is the thinking life which is called the
soul; what else can the soul be? But as I heard it declared from
the orchestra, that this problem concerning the soul, what it is
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BETHROTHALS AXD JTEDDL\CS [315

and what its quality is. is not above the understanding, but is
within it and before it, I entreat and beseech you to disclose this
eternal arcanum yourselves."

Then the elders in the orchestra turned their eyes towards the
head master, who had proposed the problem, and who understood
by their signs that thev wished him to descend and teach: so he
instantly decended from the tribune, passed through the auditory,
p^d entered the chair, and there, stretching out his hand, he said:
"Let me bespeak vour attention. Who does not believe the soul to
be the inmost and most subtle essence of man? and what is an
essence without a form, but an imaginary entity? Wherefore the
soul is a form: but the qualitv of the form shall be stated. It is a
form of all things of love, and of all things of wisdom. All things
of love are called affections, and all things of wisdom are called
perceptions. The latter are derived from the former, and there-
fore, together with them they constitute one form, in which there
are innumerable thinsrs in such an order, series, and coherence,
that they may be called a one ; and that they mav be called a one
because nothing can be taken away from it or added to it, without
changing it. What is the human soul but such a form? are not all
things of love and all things of wisdom essentials of that form?
and are not these things with man in his soul, and from the soul
in his head and body? You are called spirits and angels; and in
the world vou believed that spirits and angels are like winds or
ethers, and thus minds and dispositions, and now you see clearly
that you are truly, really, and actually men. who in the world had
lived and thought in a material body, and knew that the material
body does not live and think, but the spiritual substance in that
body; and this substance vou called the soul, whose form you
were then ignorant of; and nevertheless you have now seen and
continue to see it. You are all souls, of whose immortality you
have heard, thought, said, and written so much ; and because you
are forms of love and wisdom from God, you cannot die to
eternity. The soul therefore is a human form, from which the
least thing cannot be taken away, and to which the least thing can-
not be added; and it is the inmost form of all the forms of the
whole body; and since the forms which are without receive from
the inmost form both essence and form, therefore you are. as you
appear to yourselves and to us. souls. In a word, the soul is the
man himself, because it is the inmost man; wherefore its form is
fully and perfectly the human form : nevertheless it is not life, but
it is the proximate receptacle of life from God, and thus the dwell-
ing place of God."

When he had said this, many applauded him; but some said,
'"We will weigh the matter."

I then went home, and lo! over that public school, instead of
the former meteor, there appeared a bright white cloud, without
streaks or ravs that seemed to combat with each other; this cloud,
penetrating through the roof, entered, and illuminated the walls;

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316] CON/UGIAL LOVE

and I heard, that they saw pieces of writing, and among others
this, "Jehovah God breathed into the mans nostrils the SOUL OF
LIVES, and the man became a LIVING SOUL" (Gen. ii. 7).

316. The Second Memorable Relation :

Once as I was walking with my mind at rest, and in a state of
delightful peace of mind, I saw at a distance a grove, in the midst
of which was an avenue leading to a small palace; and I saw
maidens and young men, and husbands and wives, entering. I also
went thither in spirit, and asked a certain keeper who was stand-
ing at the entrance, whether I also might enter.

He looked at me; and I said, "Why do you look at me?"

He replied, "I look at you in order that I may see whether the
delight of peace, which is in your face, partakes at all of the
delight of conjugial love. Beyond this avenue there is a little
garden, and in the midst of it a house, where there are two newl}
married consorts, who to-day are visited by their friends of boll
sexes, coming to wish them happiness. I do not know those whorr.
I admit; but I was told that I should know them by their faces:
those in whom I saw the delight of conjugial love, I was to admit,
and none else." All the angels can see from the faces of others
the delights of their hearts; and he saw the delight of that love in
my face, because I was then meditating on conjugial love. This
meditation shone forth from my eyes, and thence entered into the
interiors of my face; wherefore he told me that I might enter.

The avenue through which I entered was formed of fruit trees
connected together by their branches, which made on each side a
continuous wall of trees. Through the avenue I entered the little
garden, which breathed a pleasant fragrance from its shrubs and
flowers. The shrubs and flowers were in pairs; and I heard that
such little gardens appear about the houses where there have been
weddings, and that therefore they are called wedding gardens.

I afterwards entered the house, where I saw the two married
consorts holding each other by the hands, and conversing together
from truly conjugial love; and it was then given me to see from
their faces the effigy of conjugial love, and from their conversation
the vitality of it.

After I, among others, had offered them my congratulations,
and wished them every happiness, I went out into the lovely wed-
ding garden, and saw on the right side of it a company of young
men, to whom all who came out of the house hastened. The reason
of their hastening to them was, that they were conversing about
conjugial love, and conversation on this subject attracts to it the
minds of all by a certain occult power. I then listened to a wise
one who was speaking on the subject; and the sum of what I he^rd
is as follows:

That the Divine Providence of the Lord is most particular and
consequently most universal in relation to marriages and in mar-
riages in the heavens, because all the facilities of heaven issue

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BETHROTHALS AND WEDDLVGS [316

from the delights of conjugial love, like sweet waters from the
sweet source of a fountain; and that on this account it is provided
by the Lord that conjugial pairs be born, and that these pairs be
continually educated for marriage, neither the girl nor the lad
knowing this : and that after a stated time, when she has become a
marriageable maiden, and he a man fit for marriage, they meet
somewhere as by chance, and see each other; and that then they
instantly know, as by a kind of instinct, that they are consorts,
and by a certain inward dictate think within themselves, the young
man, that she is mine, and the maiden, that he is mine: and that
when this thought has dwelt for some time in the minds of both,
they deliberately accost each other, and betroth themselves. It is
said, "as by chance," and ""'as by instinct," and the meaning is, by
the Divine Providence; because, when the Divine Providence is
unknown, it has such an appearance. That conjugial pairs are
born and educated for marriage, while both are ignorant of it, he
proved by the conjugial likeness visible in the faces of both ; also
by the intimate and eternal union of the dispositions and minds,
which union could not possibly exist, as it does in heaven, without
being foreseen and provided fay the Lord.

When the wise one had said this, and had received the applause
of the company, he further added, that in the veriest singulars
with men, both male and female, there is the conjugial principle
or element, but still a different conjugial principle with the male
from what there is in the female ; also that in the masculine con-
jugial principle there is conjunctiveness with the feminine con-
jugial principle, and contrariwise, even in the veriest singulars.
This he confirmed by the marriage of the will and the understand-
ing in every individual, which two act together upon the veriest
singulars of the mind and of the body ; from which considerations
it may be seen, that in every substance, even the smallest, there is
the conjugial element ; and that this is evident from the compound
substances which are made up of simple substances ; as that there
are two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, two cheeks, two lips, two arms
with hands, two loins, two feet and within in man two hemispheres
of the brain, two ventricles of the heart, two lobes of the lungs,
two kidneys, two testicles; and where there are not two, still they
are divided into two. The reason why there are two is, that the one
belongs to the will and the other to the understanding, which act
wonderfully into them so as to constitute them a one; wherefore
the two eyes constitute one sight, the two ears one hearing, the
two nostrils one smell, the two lips one speech, the two hands one
labor, the two feet one pace, the two hemispheres of the brain one
dwelling place of the mind, the two chambers of the heart one life
of the body through the blood, the two lobes of the lungs one
respiration, and so forth. And the masculine and the feminine,
united by means of truly conjugial love, constitute one fully
human life.

While he was saying these things, there appeared red lightning

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316] CONJUGL4L LOVE

on the right, and bright white lightning on the left; both kinds
were mild, and they entered through the eyes into the minds and
also enlightened them. After the lightning it also thundered;
which was a gentle murmur from the angelic heaven flowing down
and increasing. On hearing and seeing these things, the wise one
said, "These are to remind and admonish me to add to my dis-
course the following observations: that of the above pairs, the
right one signifies their good, and the left their truth; and that
this is from the marriage of good and truth, which is inscribed on
every man in general and in every particular; and good has refer-
ence to the will, and truth to the understanding, and both together
to a one. Hence it is that in heaven the right eye is the good of
sight, and the left the truth thereof; also that the right ear is the
good of hearing, and the left the truth thereof; and likewise that
the right hand is the good of a man's power, and the left the truth
thereof; and so likewise with the rest of the above pairs: and
since the right and left have such significations, therefore the Lord
said, 'If thy right eye cause thee to stumble, pluck it out; and if
thy right hand cause thee to stumble, cut it off' (Matt. v. 29, 30 ) ;
whereby He meant that, if good becomes evil, the evil must be
cast out. This is the reason also why He said to His disciples that
they should cast the net on the right side of the ship; and that
when they did so, they took a great multitude of fishes (John
xxi. 6, 7) ; whereby He meant that they should teach the good of
charity, and that thus they would gather men."

When he had said these things, the tw T o lightnings again
appeared, milder than before; and then it was seen, that the light-
ning on the left derived its bright whiteness from the ruddy fire
of die lightning on the right; on seeing which he said, "This is a
sign from heaven confirmative of what I have said, because what
is fiery in heaven denotes good, and what is white in heaven
denotes truth; and its being seen that the lightning on the left
derived its bright whiteness from the ruddy fire of the lightning on
the right, is a demonstrative sign that the bright whiteness of light.
or light, is nothing else than the brightness of fire."

On hearing this we all went home, inflamed by those light
nings, and by the conservation about them, with the good and truth
of gladness.

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REPEATED MARRIAGES

317. It may come to be a matter of question, whether con-
jugial love, which is that of one man with one wife, can, after the
death of one of the consorts, be separated, or transferred, or
superinduced; also whether repeated marriages have anything in
common with polygamy, and thus whether they may be called
successive polygamies ; with several other inquiries which are wont
to add scruples on scruples with reasoners. In order therefore that
those masters in researches, who reason in the shade about these
marriages, may see some light. I have thought it would be worth
while to present for their judgment the following articles about
those marriages:

L After the death of a married partner, again to contract
matrimony depends on the preceding con jugial love.

II. It depends also on the state of marriage in which they had
lived.

III. With those who have not been in truly con jugial love^ there
is no obstacle or hindrance to their again contracting matrimony.

IV. Those who had lived together in truly con jugial love are
unwilling to marry again, except for reasons separate from con-
jugial love.

V. The state of the marriage of a bachelor with a maiden is
different from that of a bachelor with a widow.

VI. The state of the marriage of a widower with a maiden, is
also different from that of a widower with a widow.

VII. The varieties and diversities of these marriages as to love
and its attributes exceed all number.

VIII. The state of a widow is more grievous than the state of a
widower.

Now follows the explanation of these articles,

318. I. AFTER THE DEATH OF A MARRIED PARTNER, AGAIN TO

CONTRACT MATRIMONY DEPENDS ON THE PRECEDING CONJUGIAL

LOVE. Truly conjugial love is like a balance, in which the in-
clinations for repeated marriages are weighed; so far as the pre-
ceding conjugial love had approached to truly conjugial love, in
the same proportion the inclination for repeated marriage is weak;
but so far as the preceding love had departed from truly conjugial
love, in the same proportion the inclination to another marriage
usually arises. The reason is obvious, that conjugial love is in a
similar degree a conjunction of the minds, which remains in the
life of the body of the one party after the decease of the other ;
and this holds the inclination as a scale in the balance, and causes

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319] CONJUGIAL LOVE

a preponderance according to the appropriation of true love. But
since the approach to this love is seldom made at the present day,
except for a few paces,, therefore the scale of a preponderance of
the inclination generally rises to a state of equilibrium, and from
thence inclines and tends to the other side, that is, to marriage.
The contrary is the case with those whose preceding love in the
former marriage has receded from truly conjugial love; the reason
is, that recession from that love is in a like degree a disjunction
of the minds, which also remains in the life of the body of the one
party after the decease of the other; and this enters the will that
has been disjoined from that of the other, and causes an inclination
for a new conjunction; in favor of which the thought arising
from the inclination of the will induces the hope of a more united,
and thus a more delightful dwelling together. That inclinations to
repeated marriages arise from the state of the preceding love, is
known, and is also obvious to reason: for in truly conjugial love
there is a fear of loss, and loss is followed by grief; and this grief
and fear are in the very inmosts of the minds. Hence it is that, in
proportion as that love is present, in the same proportion the soul
inclines both in will and in thought, that is, in intention, to be in
the subject with which and in which it has been. From these con-
siderations it follows, that the mind is kept balancing towards a
second marriage, according to the degree of love in which it was
in the former marriage. Hence it is that after death the same
parties are reunited, and mutually love each other as they did in
the world. But, as was said above, that love at the present day is
rare, and there are few who come within finger touch of it; and
those who do not do so, and still more those who recede far from
it, as they were desirous of separation in the preceding married
life, which was cold, so after death they are desirous of conjunc-
tion with another woman or another man. But respecting both
these sorts of persons more will be said in what follows.

319. II. AFTER THE DEATH OF A MARRIED PARTNER, AGAIN TO

CONTRACT MATRIMONY DEPENDS ALSO ON THE STATE OF MARRIAGE

IN WHICH THE PARTIES HAD LIVED. By the state of marriage is not
here meant the state of love treated of in the foregoing article,
because the latter causes an internal inclination towards marriage
or away from it; but there is meant the state of marriage which
causes an external inclination towards it or away from it ; and this
state with its inclinations is manifold; as, 1. If there are little
children in the house, and a new mother ought to be provided for
them. 2. If there is a desire for a greater number of children.
3. If the house is large, and full of servants of both sexes. 4. If
the continual calls of business abroad divert the mind from
domestic affairs, and without a new mistress there is danger of the
household going to rack and ruin. 5. If mutual helps and services
are required, as is the case in many kinds of employments and
handicrafts. 6. Moreover it depends on the genius or disposition

REPEATED MARRIAGES [320

of the separated partner, \\hether after the fir^t marriage he or she
can or cannot live alone, or without a consort. 7. The preceding
marriage also either gives a fear of married life, or a favor for it.
8. I have been informed that polygamous love, and sexual love,
also the lust of defloration, and the lust of variety, have led the
dispositions of some into a desire for repeated marriages: and
that the dispositions of some have also been led thereto by a fear
of the law, and of the loss of reputation, in case thev indulge in
fornications; besides many other circumstance? which impel the
external inclinations towards matrimony.

320. HI. WITH THOSE WHO HAVE NOT BEEN IN TRULY CON-

JUGIAL LOVE, THERE IS NO OBSTACLE OR HINDRANCE TO THEIR

AGAIN CONTRACTING MATRIMONY. With those who have not been
in conjugial love, there is no spiritual or internal bond, but only
a natural or external bond: and if an internal bond does not keep
the external in its order and tenor, the external does not hold
together any better than does a bundle when the bandage is
removed, which is dispersed according as it is scattered or blown
about by the wind. The reason is," that what is natural derives its
origin from what is spiritual, and in its existence is nothing else
than a mass of spiritual things united together; wherefore if the
natural be separated from the spiritual which produced and as it
were begot it, it is no longer kept together interiorly, but only
exteriorly by the spiritual, which encompasses and binds it in
general, and does not tie it together and keep it tied together in
particular. Hence it is, that the natural separated from the spiritual,
in the case of two married partners, does not cause any conjunction
of minds and thus of the wills, but only a conjunction of some of
the external affections, which cohere with the senses of the body.
The reason nothing opposes and hinders such persons from again
being able to contract matrimony, is, that they have not possessed
the essentials of marriage; and consequently no such essentials
are present in them after separation by death: therefore they are
then at full liberty, whether they be widowers or widows, to bind
their sensual affections with whomsoever they please, provided
there be no legal impediment. Neither do they themselves think
of marriages otherwise than naturally, and from a regard to con-
venience for the sake of various necessities and external advan-
tages, which after the death of one of the parties may again be
supplied by another person; and possibly, if their interior thoughts
were examined, as in the spiritual world, there would not be found
in them any distinction between conjugial conjunctions and extra-
conjugial conjunctions. The reason it is allowable for these to
contract marriages again and again, is, as above mentioned, that
merely natural conjunctions are after death dissolved of them-
selves, and put an end to; for bv death the external affections
follow the body, and are entombed with it; those only remaining
which cohere with the internal affections. But it ought to be known,

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321] CONJUGIAL LOVE

that marriages interiorly conjunctive can scarcely be entered into
on earth, because the choice of internal likenesses cannot be pro-
vided by the Lord there as in the heavens; for the choice is limited
in many ways, as to equals in state and condition, within the
country, city, and village where they live; and there, again, the
future consorts are bound together for the most part by externals,
and thus not by internals; which internals do not come forth till
some time after marriage, and are only known when they put
themselves forth in the externals.

321. IV. THOSE WHO HAD LIVED TOGETHER IN TRULY CON-
JUGIAL LOVE ARE UNWILLING TO MARRY AGAIN, EXCEPT FOR REASONS

SEPARATE FROM CONJUGIAL LOVE. The reasons why those who had
lived in truly conjugial love are unwilling to marry again, after
the death of their married partners, are as follows: 1. That they
are united as to their souls, and hence as to their minds; and this
union, because it is spiritual, is an actual adjunction of the soul
and mind of the one to those of the other, which cannot possibly
be dissolved: that such is the nature of spiritual conjunction, has
been frequently shown above. 2. That they were also united as to
their bodies by the reception of the propagations of the soul of
the husband by the wife, and thus by the insertion of his life into
hers, whereby a maiden becomes a wife; and on the other hand by
the reception of the conjugial love of the wife by the husband,
which disposes the interiors of his mind, and at the same time the
interiors and exteriors of his body, into a state receptible of love
and perceptible of wisdom, which state makes him from a bachelor
become a husband; concerning these particulars see above, no.
198. 3. That the sphere of love from the wife, and the sphere of
the understanding from the husband, is continually flowing forth,
and that it perfects conjunctions, and encompasses them with its
pleasant influence, and unites them; see also above, no. 223.
4, That married partners thus united think of and desire what is
eternal in marriage, and that on this idea their eternal happiness
is founded; see no. 216. 5. From these several considerations it
is, that they are no longer two, but one man, that is, one flesh.
6. That such a one cannot be destroyed by the death of one of the
parties, is manifest to the ocular sight of the spirit. 7. To these
reasons shall be added this new information, that two such mar-
ried partners are nevertheless not separated by the death of one of
them, since the spirit of the deceased continually dwells together
with the spirit of the survivor, and this even to the death of the
latter, when they again meet and are reunited, and love each other
more tenderly than before, because they are then in the spiritual
world. Hence flows this indisputable consequence, that those who
had lived in truly conjugial love are unwilling to marry again.
But if they afterwards contract something like marriage, it is for
reasons separate from conjugial love; and these reasons are all
external ones; as in case there are little children in the house and
274

REPEATED MARRIAGES [322-324

the care of them requires to be provided for: if the house is large
and full of servants of both sexes: if the calls of business abroad
divert the mind from domestic concerns; if mutual helps and
services are necessary; with other similar causes.

322. V. THE STATE OF THE MARRIAGE OF A BACHELOR WITH A

MAIDEN IS DIFFERENT FROM THAT OF A BACHELOR WITH A WIDOW.

By states of marriage are meant the states of the life of both the
husband and the wife, after the wedding, thus in the marriage, as
to the quality of the consociation at that time, whether it be in-
ternal conjunction of the souls and minds, which is consociation
in the principle idea, or whether it be only external union of the
dispositions, the senses, and the body. The state of marriage of a
bachelor with a maiden is the very initial state to genuine mar-
riage; for between these conjugial love is able to proceed in its
just order, which is from its first heat to its first torch, and after-
wards from its first seed with the bachelor husband, and from its
first flower with the maiden wife, and thus to germinate, grow,
and fructify, and introduce itself into those (states with both
parties) mutually; but if otherwise, the bachelor was not a bache-
lor, nor the maiden a maiden, except in external form. But between
a bachelor and a widow there is not such an initiation to marriage
from first beginnings, nor a like progression in marriage, since a
widow is more independent and at her own disposal than a maiden
is; wherefore a bachelor addresses himself differently to his wife,
if she has been a widow, from what he would if she were a
maiden. But herein there is much variety and diversity; wherefore
the subject is here mentioned only in a general way.

323. VL THE STATE OF THE MARRIAGE OF A WIDOWER WITH A

MAIDEN IS ALSO DIFFERENT FROM THAT OF A WIDOWER WITH A

WIDOW. For a widower has already been initiated into conjugial
life, and a maiden has yet to be; and yet conjugial love perceives
and feels its pleasantness and delight in mutual initiation; a
bachelor husband and a maiden wife perceive and feel things ever
new in what occurs, whereby they are in a kind of continual
initiation and consequent loving progression. The case is other-
wise in the state of the marriage of a widower with a maiden : the
maiden. But herein there is much variety and diversity; wherefore
that inclination has passed away. But in this there is much variety
and diversity. The case is similar in a marriage between a widower
and a widow; wherefore except his general notion, we may not
add anything specifically.

324. VII. THE VARIETIES AND DIVERSITIES OF THESE MARRIAGES

AS TO LOVE AND ITS ATTRIBUTES EXCEED ALL NUMBER. There IS an

infinite variety of all things, and also an infinite diversity. By
varieties are here meant the varieties between those things which
are of one genus or of one species, also between genera and

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325] CQNUGIAL LOVE

between species; but by diversities are here meant the diversities
between those things which are opposite. Our idea of the distinction
of varieties and diversities may be illustrated as follows: The
angelic heaven, which coheres together as a one, is in an infinite
variety, no one there being absolutely like another, either as to
souls and minds, or as to affections, perceptions, and consequent
thoughts, or as to inclinations and consequent intentions, or as to
tone of voice, face, body, gesture, and gait, and many other char-
acteristics; and yet, notwithstanding there are myriads of myriads,
they have been arranged, and are still being arranged by the Lord
into one form, in which there is full unanimity and concord; and
this would not be possible unless they were all, with their innumer-
able varieties, universally and individually under the guidance of
One : these are what we mean here by varieties. But by diversities
we mean the opposite of those varieties, which exist in hell; for
each and all there are diametrically opposite to those who are in
heaven; and hell, which consists of those, is held together as a
one by means of varieties which, in their relation to each other,
are absolutely contrary to the varieties in heaven ; thus by means
of perpetual diversities. From these considerations it is manifest
what is perceived by infinite variety and what is infinite diversity.
The case is similar in marriages, namely, that there are infinite
varieties with those who are in conjugial love, and infinite varieties
among those who are in scortatory love; and hence, that there are
infinite diversities between the latter and the former. From these
premises it follows in conclusion, that the varieties and diversities
in marriages of every kind and species, whether of a bachelor
and a maiden, or of a bachelor with a widow, or of a widower
with a maiden, or of a widower with a widow, exceed all number.
Who can divide infinity into numbers?

325. VIII. THE STATE OF A WIDOW is MORE GRIEVOUS THAN
THAT OF A WIDOWER. The reasons are both external and internal.
The external reasons are such as all can see, as 1. That a widow
cannot provide for herself and her household the necessities of
life, nor dispose of them when acquired, as a man can, and as she
previously could through a man and with a man. 2. That neither
can she protect herself and her household as is needful ; for, while
she was a wife, her husband was her protection, and as it were
her arm; and while she herself was her own protection and arm,
she still trusted to her husband. 3. That of herself she is devoid
of judgment in such things as belong to interior wisdom and the
prudence thence. That a widow is without the reception of love,
in which she is as a woman; thus she is in a state alien to that
which was innate and induced by marriage. These external reasons,
which are natural, derive their origin from internal reasons also,
which are spiritual, just as do all other things in the world and in
the body; respecting which see above, no. 220. Those natural
external reasons are perceived from the spiritual internal reasons
276

REPEATED MARRIAGES [326

which proceed from the marriage of good and truth, and prin-
cipally from the following: that good cannot provide or arrange
anything but by means of truth; that neither can good protect
itself but by means of truth, consequently that truth is the pro-
tection and as it were the arm of good; that good without truth is
devoid of judgment, because it has judgment, wisdom, and pru-
dence by means of truth. Now since by creation the husband is
truth, and the wife the good thereof; or. what is the same thing,
since by creation the husband is understanding, and the wife the
love thereof, it is evident that the external or natural reasons
which aggravate the widowhood of a woman, derive their origin
from internal or spiritual reasons. These spiritual reasons are
those which, conjoined with natural reasons* are meant by what is
said of widows in many passages in the Word: and as may be
seen in the Apocalypse Revealed, no. 764.

326. To the above I shall add two Memorable Relations. The
First is as follows:

After the problem concerning the soul had been discussed and
solved in the public school, I saw them coming out in order: first
came the head master, then the elders, in the midst of w y hom were
the five young men who had given the answers, and after these the
rest. When they were come out they went apart to the environs
of the house, where there were walks enclosed with shrubs; and
being assembled, they divided into small crowds, forming so many
groups of young men conversing together on subjects of wisdom ;
in each group there was one of the wise men from the orchestra.

As I saw these from my lodging, I became in the spirit, and
in the spirit I went out to them, and approached the head master,
w y ho had lately proposed the problem about the soul.

On seeing me, he said, "Who are you? I was surprised as I
saw you approaching in the way, that at one instant you came into
my sight, and the next instant went out of it; or that at one time
I saw you, and suddenly I did not see you: assuredly you are not
in the same state of life that we are."

To this I replied, smiling, "I am neither a player nor a
Vertumnus; but I am alternate, at one time in your light, and at
another in your shade; thus both a foreigner and a native."

Hereupon the head master looked at me, and said, tfc You speak
strange and wonderful things: tell me who you are."

I said, "I am in the world in which you have been, and from
which you have departed, which is called the natural world; and
I am also in the world into which you have come, and in which
you are, which is called the spiritual world. Hence it is, that I
am in the natural state, and at the same time in the spiritual state ;
in the natural state with the men of the Earth, and in the spiritual
state with you : and when I am in the natural state, you do not see
me, but when I am in the spiritual state, you do. That I should be
such, has been given me by the Lord. It is known to you, enlight-

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326] COMVGIAL LOVE

ened man. that a man of the natural world does not see a man of
the spiritual world, nor contrariwise; wherefore when I let my
spirit into the body, you did not see me; but when I let it out of
the body, you did see me. You have been teaching in the public
school exercises, that you are souls, and that souls see souls,
because they are human forms: and you know, that when you were
in the natural world, you did not see yourselves or your souls in
your bodies; and this is a consequence of the difference between
what is spiritual and what is natural."

When he heard of the difference between what is spiritual and
what is natural, he said. "What is that difference? is it not like
the difference between what is more and less pure? consequently,
what is the spiritual but a purer natural?"

I replied, "The difference is not such: but it is like that
between what is spiritual and what is natural., he said, "What is
that difference? is it not like the difference between w r hat is more
and less pure? consequently, what is the spiritual but a purer
natural?"

I replied, "The difference is not such; but it is like that
between what is prior and posterior, between which there is no
determinate ratio ; for the prior is in the posterior as the cause is
in its effect; and the posterior is from the prior as the effect from
its cause: hence it is that the one does not appear to the other"

To this the head master said, "I have meditated and ruminated
on this difference, but heretofore in vain; I wish I could per-
ceive it."

I said, "You shall not only perceive the difference between
what is spiritual and what is natural, but shall also see it." I then
proceeded as follows: "You yourself are in the spiritual state
when with your associates, but in the natural state with me; for
you speak with your associates in the spiritual language, which is
common to every spirit and angel, but with me you speak in my
mother tongue; for every spirit and angel, when speaking with a
man, speaks the man's own language; thus French with a French-
man, English with an Englishman, Greek with a Greek, Arabic
with an Arab, and so forth. In order, therefore, that you may
know the difference between what is spiritual and what is natural
in respect to languages, make this experiment: withdraw to your
associates, and say something there; then retain the expressions,
and return with them in your memory, and utter them before me."

He did so, and returned to me with those expressions in his
mouth, and uttered them; and he did not understand one of them:
they were altogether strange and foreign, such as do not occur in
any language of the natural world. By this experiment, several
times repeated, it was made very evident that all in the spiritual
world have the spiritual language, which has nothing in common
with any language of the natural world, and that every man comes
of himself into that language after death. At the same time also
he experienced, that the very sound of the spiritual language

27B

REPEATED MARRIAGES f327

differs to such a degree from the sound of natural language, that
a spiritual sound, although loud, could not be heard at all by a
natural man, nor a natural sound by a spiritual man.

Afterwards I requested the head master and the bystanders to
withdraw to their associates, and write some sentence on a piece of
paper, and then return with it to me, and read it. They did so,
and returned with the paper in their hand ; but when they read it,
they could not understand any part of it. because the writing con-
sisted only of some letters of the alphabet, with strokes over them,
each of which was significative of some particular meaning:
because each letter of the alphabet is significative of some par-
ticular meaning there, it is evident whence it is that the Lord is
called the Alpha and the Omega. On their repeatedly withdraw-
ing, writing, and returning to me. they found that the writing in-
volved and comprehended innumerable things which no natural
writing could possibly express: and they were told that this was
because the spiritual man thinks of things which are incompre-
hensible and ineffable to the natural man. and that these things
cannot flow in and be brought into any other writing nor into
any other language.

Then as the bystanders were unwilling to comprehend that
spiritual thought so far exceeds natural thought as to be respec-
tively ineffable, I said to them^ "Make the experiment; withdraw
into your spiritual society, and think something and retain it in
your memory, and return, and express it before me."

They did so; they withdrew, thought something, retained their
thoughts, and again came forth ; but when they wanted to express
the thing they had thought, they were unable; for they did not
find any idea of natural thought adequate to any idea of spiritual
thought, consequently no words expressive of it; for ideas of
thought become the expressions of speech.

Then again they withdrew and returned, and they were con-
vinced that spiritual ideas are supernatural, inexpressible, in-
effable, and incomprehensible to the natural man; and on account
of this their super-eminence, they said, that spiritual ideas or
thoughts respectively to natural ones were ideas of ideas, and
thoughts of thoughts, and that therefore they were expressive of
qualities of qualities, and affections of affections; consequently
that spiritual thoughts were the beginnings and origins of natural
thoughts. Hence also it was made evident that spiritual wisdom is
the wisdom of wisdom, and consequently imperceptible to any-
wise man in the natural world. It was then told them from the
third heaven, that there is a wisdom still more interior and higher,
which is called celestial, bearing a proportion to spiritual wisdom
like that which spiritual wisdom bears to natural: and that these
flow in in order according to the heavens from the Divine Wisdom
of the Lord, which is infinite,

327. After this I said to the bystanders. "You have seen from

279

328] COMUGIAL LOVE

these three experimental proofs what is the difference between
what is spiritual and what is natural, and also the reason why a
natural man does not appear to a spiritual man, nor a spiritual
man to a natural one, although they are consociated as to affections
and thoughts, and therefore as to presence. Hence it is that, as I
was approaching, you the head master at one time saw me, and
at another you did not."

After this a voice w T as heard from a higher heaven, saying to
the head master, "Come up hither;" and he went up: and on his
return he said that the angels, like himself, had not previously
known the differences between what is spiritual and what is nat-
ural, because there had not before been given an opportunity of
comparing them together, by any man's being in both worlds at
the same time; and without comparison those differences are not
known.

328. After this we retired, and speaking again on this subject,
I said. "Those differences exist from no other source than the fact
that you, who are in the spiritual world, and who consequently
are spiritual, are in substantial things, and not in material things ;
and substantial things are the beginnings of material things. You
are in principals, and thus in singulars; but we are in principals
and composites; you are in particulars, but we are in generals;
and as generals cannot enter into particulars, so neither can nat-
ural things, which are material, enter into spiritual things which
are substantial, any more than a ship's cable can enter into, or be
drawn through, the eye of a sewing needle; or than a nerve can
enter or be let into one of the fibres of which it is composed, or a
fibre into one of the fibrils of which it is composed. This also is
known in the world: wherefore the learned are agreed, that there
is no influx of what is natural into what is spiritual, but of what is
spiritual into what is natural. This now is the reason why a nat-
ural man cannot think that which a spiritual man thinks, nor con-
sequently express them; wherefore Paul calls what he heard from
the third heaven, unspeakable (2 Cor. xii. 14). Add to this, that
thinking spiritually is thinking apart from space and time, and
that thinking naturally is thinking with space and time; for to
every idea of natural thought there adheres something from time
and space, which is not the case with any spiritual idea ; the reason
is that the spiritual world is not in space and time, like the nat-
ural world, but in the appearance of space and time. In this
respect also spiritual thoughts and perceptions differ from natural
ones. Wherefore you are able to think of the essence and omni-
presence of God from eternity, that is. of God before the creation
of the world, since you think of the essence of God from eternity
apart from time, and of His omnipresence apart from space, and
'thus comprehend such things as transcend the ideas of the natural
man."

I then related that I had once thought of the essence and
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REPEATED MARRIAGES [329

omnipresence of God from eternity, that is, of God before the
creation of the world; and that because I was not as yet able to
remove spaces and times from the ideas of my thought, I became
anxious: for there entered the idea of nature instead of God: but
it was said to me. "Remove the ideas of space and time, and you
will see/' It was given me to remove them, and I saw; and from
that time I was able to think of God from eternity, and not at all
of the nature from eternity: because God is in all time apart from
time, and in all space apart from space, whereas nature is in all
time in time, and in all space in space: and nature, with its time
and space, must of necessity have a beginning and an origin, but
not God, Who is apart from time and space; wherefore nature is
from God, not from eternity, but in time, that is, together with its
own time and space.

329. After the head master and the rest had left me, some
boys, who also had been in the public school exercises, followed
me home, and stood near me for a little while as I was writing:
and lo, they then saw a cockroach running upon my paper, and
asked in surprise what the name of that nimble creature was. I
said, "It is called a cockroach; and I will tell you some wonderful
things about it. This little living thing contains in itself as many
members and viscera as there are in a camel, such as brains,
hearts, pulmonary pipes, organs of sense, motion, and generation,
a stomach, intestines, and many others ; and each of these organs
is woven of fibres, nerves, blood vessels, muscles, tendons, mem-
branes; and each of these of still purer parts, which escape the
observation of the keenest eye/'

They then said, that this little living thing nevertheless appeared
to them as but a simple substance.

To this I said, ""'There are nevertheless innumerable things
within it. I say these things in order that you may know, that the
case is similar in regard to every object which appears before you
as one, simple, and least, both in your actions and in your affec-
tions and thoughts. I can assure you that every grain of thought,
and every drop of your affection, is divisible an infinitum: and
that in proportion as your ideas are divisible, so you are wise.
Know then, that everything divided is more and more manifold,
and not more and more simple ; because what is divided again and
again approaches nearer and nearer to the infinite, in which all
things are infinitely. What I am now telling you is new and
heretofore unheard of.

When I had said this, the boys took their leave of me, and
went to the chief teacher, and entreated him to propose some time
or other in the public school something new and unheard of as a
problem.

He inquired, "What?"

They said, "That everything divided is more and more mani-
fold, and not more and more simple; because it approaches nearer

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330] CONJVGIAL LOVE

and nearer to the infinite, in which all things are infinitely.""

So he promised to propose it. and said, "I see this, because I
have perceived that one natural idea is the continent of innumer-
able spiritual ideas; yea, that one spiritual idea is the continent of
innumerable celestial ideas. Hence comes the difference between
the celestial wisdom in which the angels of the third heaven are,
and the spiritual wisdom in which the angels of the second heaven
are, and also the natural wisdom in which the angels of the
ultimate heaven, and likewise men, are."

330. The Second Memorable Relation :
I once heard a pleasant discussion between some men about
the feminine sex, as to whether any woman who is constantly
loving her own beauty, that is, who loves herself on account of
her own form, can love her husband. They first agreed among
themselves that w r omen have a twofold beauty; one natural, which
is that of the face and body, and the other spiritual, which is that
of the love and manners. They agreed also, that these two kinds
of beauty are very often divided in the natural world, and that
they are always united in the spiritual world; for in that world
beauty is the form of the love and manners; wherefore after death
it very frequently happens that ugly women become beauties, and
beautiful women become deformities.

While the men were discussing this point, there came some
wives and said, "Admit of our presence; because what you are
discussing, you have been taught by knowledge, but we are taught
it by experience; and you likewise know so little of the love of
wives that it scarcely amounts to anything. Do you know that the
prudence of the wisdom of wives consists in hiding their love for
their husbands in the inmost of their bosoms, or in the midst of
their hearts?"

The discussion then began; and the FIRST CONCLUSION drawn
by the men was, That every woman wants to appear beautiful in
face and in manners, because she is born an affection of love, and
the form of this affection is beauty ; wherefore a woman who does
not want to be beautiful, is not a woman who wants to love and
be loved, and consequently is not truly a woman.

To this the wives said, "The beauty of a woman dwells in soft
tenderness, and consequently in exquisite sensation; hence comes
the love of woman for man, and the love of man for woman. This
possibly you do not understand."

The SECOND CONCLUSION of the men was, That a woman before
marriage wants to be beautiful for the men, but after marriage if
she be chaste, for one man only, and not for the men.

To this the wives said, "After a husband has sipped the natural
beauty of his wife, he no longer sees it, but he sees her spiritual
beauty; and from this he loves back again, and recalls her natural
beauty, but under a different appearance."

The THIRD CONCLUSION of their discussion was, That if a
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REPEATED MARRIAGES [331

woman after marriage wants to appear beautiful in the same way
as before marriage, she loves the men. and not the man : because
a woman who loves herself on account of her beauty is continually
wanting to have her beauty sipped; and as this no longer appears
to her husband, as you said, she wants it to be sipped by the men
to whom it does appear. It is evident that such a one lias sexual
love, and not love of one of the sex.

At this the wives were silent; yet they murmured. "What
woman is so devoid of vanity as not to want to seem beautiful to
the men also, and at the same time that she seems beautiful to her
only one?"

Some wives from heaven, who were beautiful, because they
were heavenly affections, heard this discussion, and thev con-
firmed the three conclusions of the men; but they added. "Let
women only love their beauty, and its adornment for the sake of
their husbands, and from them."

33L Those three wives, being indignant at the three conclu-
sions of the men being confirmed by their wives from heaven, said
to the men, "You have inquired whether a woman that loves her-
self on account of her own beauty, loves her husband ; we in our
turn will therefore discuss whether a man who loves himself on
account of his own intelligence, can love his wife. Be present
and hear."

The FIRST CONCLUSION they made was: No wife loves her hus-
band on account of his face, but on account of his intelligence in
his occupation and in his general conduct: know therefore, that a
wife unites herself with the man's intelligence and thus with the
man: wherefore if a man loves himself on account of his own
intelligence, he withdraws it from the wife into himself, whence
comes disunion and not union: moreover, loving his own intel-
ligence is being wise from himself, and this is being insane;
wherefore it is loving his own insanity.

To this the men said, "Possibly the wife unites herself with
the man's virtue (or virile potency)*"

At this the wives smiled, saying, "Virtue does not fail when
the man loves the wife from intelligence; but it does fail if he
loves her from insanity. Intelligence consists in loving the wife
only; and virtue does not fail this love; but insanity consists in
not loving the wife, but the sex, and virtue does fail this love.
Do you comprehend this?"

The SECOND CONCLUSION was: We women are born into the
love of the men's intelligence; wherefore if the men love their
own self-intelligence, it cannot be united with its genuine love,
which is with the wife; and if the man's intelligence is not united
with its genuine love, which is with the wife, it becomes insanity
from conceit, and conjugial love becomes cold. What woman
therefore can unite her love to cold; and what man can unite the
insanity of self-conceit to the love of intelligence?

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331] CONJUGIAL LOVE

But the men said, " Whence has a man honour from his wife
unless he magnifies his intelligence?" The wives replied, "From
love, because love honours; and honour cannot be separated from
love, but love may be from honour."

Afterwards they came to this THIRD CONCLUSION; tk You seem
to yourselves as if you loved your wives; and you do not see that
you are loved by your wives, and thus that you love them in
return; and that your intelligence is a receptacle; if therefore you
love your intelligence in yourselves, it becomes the receptacle of
your love; and the love of the proprium, since it cannot endure an
equal, never becomes conjugial love; but so long as it prevails,
so long it remains scortatory."

Hereupon the men were silent; nevertheless they murmured.
"What is conjugial love?"

Some husbands in heaven heard this discussion, and they con-
firmed thence the three conclusions of the wives.

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POLYGAMY

332. If the cause be sought why polygamic marriages ha\e
been utterly condemned by the Christian World (the Christian
Heaven), no one, endowed with whatever gift of acutely penetrat-
ing a subject by his genius can see that disclosed, unless he is
first instructed THAT THERE is LOVE TRULY CONJUGIAL: THAT THIS

CANNOT EXIST OTHERWISE THAN BETWEEN TWO: NOR BETWEEN TWO
EXCEPT FROM THE LORD ALONE: AND THAT ON THIS LOVE HEAVEN

IS INSCRIBED WITH ALL ITS FELICITIES. Unless these Knowledges
precede, and lay as it were the first stone, to no effect does the
mind busy itself to draw out from the understanding any reasons,
in which it may rest, and on which it may stand, as a house upon
its stone, or foundation, why polygamy is condemned by the
Christian World. It is known that the institution of monogamous
marriage is founded on the Word of the Lord, "'That whosoever
putteth away his wije> except on account oj fornication, and mar-
rieth another \ committeth scortation; and that front the beginning.
or from the first establishment of marriages, it was (ordained,)
that two should become one flesh: and that man should not
separate what God hath joined together' 9 (Matt. xix. 3-9). But
although the Lord spoke these words from the Divine Law in-
scribed on marriages, yet if the understanding cannot support that
Divine Law by some reason of its own, it may nevertheless by
turnings and windings to which it is accustomed, and by sinister
interpretations, warp it, and render it obscure and ambiguous, and
at length affirmative-negative; affirmative, because it is also in
accordance with the civil law; and negative, because it is not in
accordance with their rational sight. Into this the human mind
will fall, unless it be previously instructed concerning the above
mentioned Knowledges, which may be serviceable to the under-
standing as introductory to its reasons. These Knowledges are,
that there exists a truly conjugial love; that this love cannot pos-
sibly exist except between two; that neither can it between two,
except from the Lord alone: and that on this love is inscribed
heaven with all its felicities. But these, and several other par-
ticulars concerning the condemnation of polygamy by the Christian
Heaven, must be demonstrated in order, according to the follow-
ing articles:

I. Truly conjugial love cannot exist except with one wife,
consequently neither can truly conjugial friendship, confidence,
potency* and such a conjunction of the mind<s that two may be
one flesh.

II. Thus the celestial blessednesses, spiritual blissfulnesses,

285

333] CONJUGIAL LOVE

and natural delightsomenesses* which from the beginning were
provided for those who are in truly conjugial love, can only be
given with one wife.

III. All those things cannot possibly exist except from the
Lord Alone; and they do not exist with any others than those who
approach Him alone, and at the same time lire according to His
Commandments.

IV. Consequently, truly conjugial love^ with its felicities, can
exist only with those who are of the Christian Church.

V. Hence it is that it is not allowable for a Christian to marry-
more than one wife.

VI. // a Christian marries several wives (has several wives at
the same time), he commits not only natural adultery, but also
spiritual adultery.

VII. The Israelitish nation was permitted to marry several
wives, because the Christian Church was not with that nation., and
consequently truly conjugial love could not exist with them.

VIII. At the present day, the Mohammedans are permitted to
marry several wives, because they do n-ot acknowledge the Lord
Jesus Christ to be one with Jehovah the Father, and thus to be the
God of heaven and earth; and therefore they cannot receive truly
conjugial love.

IX. The Mohammedan heaven is outside of the Christian
heaven, and is divided into two heavens, a lower and a higher; and
no others are elevated into their higher heaven but those who
renounce concubines, and live with one wife, and acknowledge our
Lord as equal to God the Father, to Whom has been given
dominion over heaven and earth.

X. Polygamy is lasciviousness.

XI. Conjugial chastity, purity, and holiness, cannot possibly
exist with polygamists.

XII. Polygamists, so long as they remain polygamists, cannot
become spiritual.

XIII. Polygamy is not sin with those with whom it is in accord-
ance with religion.

XIV. Polygamy is not sin with those who are in ignorance
about the Lord.

XV. Of these, such, although polygamists^ are saved as
acknowledge a God, and from religion live according to the civil
laws of justice.

XVL But none either of the latter or of the 'former can be
consociated with the angels in the Christian heavens.
Now follows the explanations of these articles.

333. I. TRULY CONJUGIAL LOVE CANNOT EXIST EXCEPT WITH

ONE WIFE, CONSEQUENTLY NEITHER CAN TRULY CONJUGIAL FRIEND-
SHIP, CONFIDENCE, POTENCY, AND SUCH A CONJUNCTION OF THE

MINDS THAT TWO MAY BE ONE FLESH. That truly conjugial love is
at the present day so rare as to be generally unknown, has been
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POLYGAMY [333

occasionally pointed out above: that nevertheless it actually exists,
was demonstrated in its own chapter, and occasionally in follow-
ing chapters. But, apart from such demonstration, who does not
know that there exists such a love, which, in excellence and
pleasantness, surpasses all other loves, so that all other loves in
respect to it are of little account? That it exceeds the love of self,
the love of the world, and even the love of life, experiences
testifies. Have there not been, and are there not still, men who,
for the sake of a woman, whom they long for, and court as a
bride, prostrate themselves on their knees, adore her as a goddess,
and submit themselves as the vilest slaves to her will and pleasure?
a proof that this love exceeds the love of self. Have there not
been, and are there not still, men who, for the sake of a woman,
whom they long for and court as a bride, make light of wealth,
yea, of treasures, if they happen to possess them, and also lavish
them prodigally? a proof that this love exceeds the love of the
world. Have there not been, and are there not still, men who, for
a woman whom they long for and court as a bride, account their
life itself as worthless, and desire to die if she does not agree to
their wishes? this also is evidenced by the many fatal combats
between rival lovers; a proof that this love exceeds the love of
life. Have there not been 3 and are there not still, men who, for a
woman whom they have longed for and courted as a bride, have
gone mad in consequence of being rejected? From such a com-
mencement of this love with many, who cannot rationally con-
clude, that that love, by virtue of its essence, holds supreme
dominion over every other love; and that man's (homo) soul in
such case is in it, and promises itself eternal blessednesses with the
woman whom he longs for and courts? Who can discover, let him
make what inquiry he pleases, any other cause of this, than that
he has devoted his soul and heart to one woman? for if the lover,
while he is in that state, were given the option of choosing out of
the whole sex the worthiest, the richest, and the most beautiful,
would be not despise the offer, and adhere to her whom he had
already chosen, his heart being riveted to her alone? These things
are said in order that you may acknowledge, that conjugial love
of such super-eminence does exist, and that it comes into existence
when one of the sex alone is loved. What understanding which
with cultivated acumen attends to a chain of reasons, cannot con-
clude thence, that if a lover from his soul, or from his inmosts,
constantly persisted in love to that one, he would attend those
eternal blessednesses which he promised himself before consent,
and promises in consent? That he also does attain them if he
approaches the Lord, and from Him lives a life of true religion,
as shown above. Who but the Lord enters the life of man from
above, and implants therein internal heavenly joys, and transfers
them to the things which follow in order; and the more so, when
at the same time He also bestows enduring potency (virtus) ? The
fact that such love does not exist in oneself, or in this or that

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334-336] CONJIGIAL LOVE

person, is no proof that it does not exist, or that it cannot possibly
exist.

334. Since truly conjugial love conjoins the souls and hearts
of two, therefore also it is united with friendship, and through
friendship with confidence, and makes Loth friendship and con-
fidence conjugial: and conjugial friendship and confidence are so
pre-eminent above other friendships and confidences, that as that
love is the love of loves, so also that friendship is the friendship
of friendships, and in like manner that confidence is the con-
fidence of confidences. That this is the case also with the potency,
is plain from many reasons, some of which are revealed in the
second Memorable Relation that follows this chapter; and from
this potency follows the endurance of that love. That by means of
truly conjugial love two consorts become one flesh, has been shown
in a special chapter, from nos. 156-183.

335. II. THAT THUS IT is ONLY WITH ONE WIFE THAT THERE

CAN BE THE CELESTIAL BEAUTITUDES, THE SPIRITUAL HAPPY CON-
DITIONS AND THE NATURAL DELIGHTS WHICH FROM THE BEGINNING
HAVE BEEN PROVIDED FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN LOVE TRULY CON-
JUGIAL. They are called celestial beautitudes, spiritual happy con-
ditions, and natural delights, because the human mind is distin-
guished into three regions, of which the highest is o&Iled celestial,
the second spiritual, and the third natural ; and those three regions,
with those who are in truly conjugial love, stand open, and influx
follows in order according to the openings. And as the pleasant
nesses of that love are the most eminent in the highest region,
they are perceived as blessednesses, and as in the middle region
they are less eminent, they are perceived as blissfulnesses n and
lastly, in the lowest region, as del ightsomen esses: that these
amenities are real, are perceived and felt, is established from the
Memorable Relations in which they are described. The reason
why all those happinesses have been from the beginning provided
for those who are in truly conjugial love, is, that there is an in-
finity of all blessednesses in the Lord, and He is Divine Love ; and
it is the essence of love to will to communicate all its goods to
another whom it loves; wherefore together with man He created
that love, and inscribed it on the faculty of receiving and per-
ceiving those blessednesses. Who is so dull and devoid of reason
as not to be able to see that there is some particular love into
which have been collected by the Lord all possible blessednesses,
blissf illnesses and delights?

336. III. ALL THOSE THINGS CANNOT POSSIBLY EXIST EXCEPT
FROM THE LORD ALONE; AND THEY DO NOT EXIST WITH ANY OTHERS
THAN THOSE WHO APPROACH HlM ALONE, AND (AT THE SAME TIME )
LIVE ACCORDING TO His COMMANDMENTS. This has been proved
above in many places; to which proofs it must be added, that all

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POLYGAMY [337. 330

those blessednesses, blissfulnesses. and delights can only be given
by the Lord, and that therefore no one else ought to be approached.
Who else can be approached, when through Him all things \ver*
made which were made (John i. 3 \ ; when He is the God of heaven
and earth (Matt, xxviii. 18); when no appearance of God the
Father was ever seen, or His voice heard, except through Him
I John i. 18; v. 37; xiv 6-11 1 ? From these and very many other
passages in the Word, it is manifest that the marriage of love and
wisdom, or of good and truth, from which alone marriages derive
their origin, proceeds from Him alone. Hence it follows, that that
love with its fecilities exists with none but those who approach
Him ; and the reason it exists with those who live according to His
commandments, is. that He is conjoined with them by means of
love (John xiv. 21-24).

337. IV. CONSEQUENTLY, TRULY CONJUGIAL LOVE (WITH ITS
FELICITIES) CAN EXIST ONLY WITH THOSE WHO ARE OF THE
CHRISTIAN CHURCH. The reasons why conjugial love, such as was
described in its special chapter, nos. 57-73, and in the following
chapters, thus such as it is in its essence, exists only with those
who are of the Christian church, are, that that love is from the
Lord alone, and the Lord is not elsewhere so known as that He '
can be approached as God; and, that that love is according to the
state of the church with every one (no. 130), and the genuine
state of the church is from no other source than from the Lord,
and thus is with none others than those who receive it from Him.
That these two (principles) are the first beginnings, the introduc-
tions, and the establishments of that love, has been already con-
firmed by such an abundance of evidence and conclusive reasons,
that it is altogether needless to say anything more on the subject.
The reason why truly conjugial love is nevertheless rare in the
Christian world (nos. 58, 59), is, that few in that world approach
the Lord, and among those there are some who indeed believe the
church, but do not live (according to) it; besides many other
circumstances which are unfolded in the Apocalypse Revealed*
where the state of the Christian church at the present day is fully
described. But nevertheless the Truth stands, that truly conjugial
love can exist only with those who are of the Christian church;
wherefore also from this ground polygamy is absolutely con-
demned in that church ; that this also is of the Divine Providence
of the Lord appears very manifest to those who think justly con-
cerning providence.

338. V. HENCE IT is THAT IT is NOT ALLOWABLE FOR A
CHRISTIAN TO MARRY MORE THAN ONE WIFE. This follows as con-
firmed from the confirmation of the preceding articles ; to which
this must be added, that the genuine conjugial principle is more
deeply inscribed on the minds of Christians than on the minds of
the nations who have embraced polygamy: and that therefore the

289

339] COXJUGIAL LOVE

minds of Christians are more susceptible of that love than the
minds of polygamists ; for that conjugial principle is inscribed on
the interiors of the minds of Christians, because they acknowledge
the Lord and His Divine, and on the exteriors of their minds by
civil laws.

339. VI. IF A CHRISTIAN MARRIES SEVERAL WIVES (HAS SEVERAL

WIVES AT THE SAME TIME I , HE COMMITS NOT ONLY NATURAL ADUL-
TERY, BUT ALSO SPIRITUAL ADULTERY. That a Christian who marries
several wives, commits natural adultery, is according to the Lord's
words, which are, "That it is not lawful to put away a wife, because
from the beginning they were created to be one flesh ; and he who
putteth away a wife without just cause, and marrieth another,
committeth adultery" (Matt. xix. 3-11), thus still more does he
commit adultery who does not put away his wife, but retains her,
and takes another in addition. This law enacted by the Lord
respecting marriages, derives its internal cause from the spiritual
marriage; for whatever the Lord spoke was in itself spiritual;
which is meant by this declaration, ;i The words that I speak unto
you are spirit, and they are life" (John vi. 63). The spiritual
(teaching) contained therein is this, that by polygamous marriage
in the Christian world, the marriage of the Lord and the church is
profaned; likewise the marriage of good and truth; and above all
the Word, and with the Word the church ; and the profanation of
those things is spiritual adultery. That the profanation of the
good and truth of the church corresponds to adultery, and there-
fore is spiritual adultery; and that the falsification of good and
truth likewise corresponds thereto, but in a less degree, may be
seen confirmed in the Apocalypse Revealed, no. 134. The reason
why the marriage of the Lord and the Church would be profaned
by polygamous marriages among Christians (inhabitants of the
new Christian heaven) is, that there is a correspondence between
that Divine marriage (the marriage of good and truth) and
between the marriages of Christians, concerning which see above
(nos. 83-102), which correspondence is altogether destroyed if
wife is added to wife, and when that perishes the (homo conjux]
man or woman consort is no longer a Christian. The reason why
the marriage of good and truth would be profaned by polygamic
marriages with Christians is, that marriages on earth are derived
from that spiritual marriage, and the marriages of Christians
differ from the marriages of other nations in this, that as good
loves truth and truth good, and they are one, so wife and hus-
band; wherefore if a Christian should adjoin wife to wife (uxorem
uxori) he (or she) would disrupt that spiritual marriage within
himself (or herself), and thus profane the origin of his (or her)
marriage, and so would commit spiritual adultery. That marriages
on earth are derived from the marriage of good and truth, see
nos. 116-131. That a Christian would profane the Word and the
Church by polygamic marriage, is because the Word viewed in
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POLYGAMY [340

itself is the marriage of good and truth, and likewise the Church
in the degree that this is from the Word: see above, nos. 128-131.
Now. since a Christian man \homo i, because he knows the Lord,
has the Word, and also has the church from the Lord by means
of the Word, it is evident that he, more than a man who is not a
Christian, possesses the faculty of being capable of being regen-
erated, and thus of becoming spiritual, and also of attaining to
truly conjugial love: for these things cohere together. Since those
Christians who marry several wives, commit not only natural
adultery, but also at the same time spiritual adultery, it follows
that the damnation of Christian polygamists after death is more
grievous than the damnation of those who commit only natural
adultery. Upon inquiring about their state after death, I received
for answer, that heaven is completely closed in respect to them:
that they appear in hell as if lying in warm water in a bath, and
that they appear thus at a distance, although they are standing on
their feet and walking: and that this lot befalls them in conse-
quence of their internal madness; and that some of them are cast
into the chasms which are at the boundaries of the I various I
worlds.

340. VII. THAT THE ISRAELITISH NATION WERE PERMITTED TO
MARRY MORE WIVES THAN ONE, BECAUSE WITH THEM THERE WAS
NOT A CHRISTIAN CHURCH. AND THEREFORE THEY COULD NOT HAVE
LOVE TRULY CONJUGIAL. There are at this day those who think
doubtfully respecting the institution of monogamic marriages, or
the marriage of one man with one wife, and debate with them-
selves in their reason about it, thinking that because polygamic
marriages were openly permitted to the Israelitish people and
their kings, as to David and Solomon, they should in themselves
be permissible also to Christians. But they have no distinct knowl-
edge of the Israelitish and of Christian nations; nor respecting
the externals and internals of the church, neither concerning the
change of the church by the Lord from external to internal ; con-
sequently they know nothing from interior judgment respecting
marriages. It must be kept in mind, in general, that man is born
natural that he may become spiritual ; and so long as he remains
natural he is in night, and as in sleep, respecting spiritual things;
and that then he does not even know the distinction between the
external natural and the internal spiritual man. That there was
not a Christian Church with the Israelitish nation is known from
the Word. For they were looking, as they are still looking, for a
Messiah who would exalt them above all nations and peoples in
the world; wherefore, if it had been said, and were now said to
them, that the Messiah's kingdom is over the heavens, and from
thence over all nations, they would have set it down among trifles.
Hence it was that when the Christ, or the Messiah, our Lord, came
into the world, they not only did not acknowledge Him, but even
atrociously put Him away out of the world. From these facts it is

291

341] COWGIAL LOVE

evident that there was not a Christian Church with that nation, as
there is not at this day ; and they with whom the Christian Church
is not are external and internal natural, and with them polygamy
is not prejudicial, for it is inscribed upon the natural man, and
he in fact perceives no other love in marriages than such as is of
lust. This is meant by these words of the Lord, "That Moses, for
the HARDNESS OF THEIR HEARTS, permitted them to put away their
wives; but from the beginning it was not so" ( Matt, xix. 8 1 . It is
said that Moses permitted it in order that it may be known that it
was not the Lord. And it is known from His precepts, and from
His abrogation of the rituals which served only for the use of the
natural man, that the Lord teaches the internal spiritual man:
From His precepts concerning washing, that is the purification of
the internal man (Matt. vx. 1, 17-20; xxiii. 25, 26; Mark vii.
14-23). Concerning adultery, that is the lust of the will (Matt.
v.*28) . Concerning the putting away of wives, that it is unlawful ;
and concerning polygamy, that it is not agreeable to the Divine
law (Matt. xix. 3-9"). These and many other things the Lord taught,
which are of the internal and spiritual man, because He alone
opens the internals of human minds and makes them spiritual ; and
He puts these within things natural in order that they also may'
derive a spiritual essence, as in fact they do if He is approached,
and if the life is according to His precepts; which are in brief,
that one should believe in Him and shun evils because they are of
the devil and from the devil : and do goods because they are of the
Lord and from the Lord; and do both as if of oneself, and at the
same time believe that they are done by the Lord through him.
The very reason why the Lord alone opens the internal spiritual
man, and brings this into the external natural man, is that every
man thinks naturally and acts naturally, and for that reason could
not perceive anything spiritual and receive it into his natural if
God had not put on the natural human, and made also that Divine.
From these considerations the truth is now evident, that the
Israelitish nation were permitted to take more than one wife
because there was not a Christian Church with them.

341. VIII. AT THE PRESENT DAY, THE MOHAMMEDANS ARE PER-
MITTED TO MARRY SEVERAL WIVES, BECAUSE THEY DO NOT ACKNOWL-
EDGE THE LORD JESUS CHRIST TO BE ONE WITH JEHOVAH THE
FATHER, AND THUS TO BE THE GOD OF HEAVEN AND EARTH, AND
THEREFORE THEY CANNOT RECEIVE TRULY CONJUGIAL LOVE. The
Mohammedans, in conformity with the religion which Mohammed
gave them, acknowledge Jesus Christ to be the Son of God and a
very great prophet, and that He was sent into the world by God
the Father to teach mankind; but they do not acknowledge that
God the Father and He are one, and that His Divine and His
Human are one person, united as the soul and the body, according
to the faith of all Christians in conformity with the Athanasian
Creed; therefore the followers of Mohammed could not acknowl-
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POLYGAMY 1342

edge our Lord to be any God from eternity, but only to be a per-
fect natural man; and as this was the opinion entertained by
Mohammed, and hence by hi^ disciples, and as they knew that
there is One God, and that that God is He Who created the uni-
verse, therefore they could do no other than pass by our Lord in
their worship; and the more so. because they declare Mohammed
also to be a very great prophet; neither do they know what the
Lord taught. It is owing to this cause, that the interiors of their
minds, which in themselves are spiritual, could not be opened:
that the interiors of the mind are opened by the Lord alone, see
just above, no. 340. The real reason why they I the interiors of the
mind) are opened by the Lord when He is acknowledged, and is
approached as God of heaven and earth, and with those who live
according to His precepts is. that otherwise there is no conjunc-
tion, and without conjunction there is no reception. There is the
presence of the Lord with man. and there is conjunction. To go
to Him brings presence, and to live according to His precepts
effects conjunction; His presence alone is without reception, but
presence, and at the same time conjunction, is with reception. On
this subject I will relate the following new thing from the spiritual
world. Every one in that world, when he is thought of. is brought
into view r as present; but no one is conjoined with another except
from the affection of love, and the affection of love is insinuated
by doing his sayings and what is pleasing to him. This circum-
stance, which is common in the spiritual world, derives its origin
from the Lord's being present and conjoined in this same manner.
These things are said in order that it may be known that the
reason the Mohammedans are permitted to marry more than one
wife, is, that truly conjugial love, which exists only between one
man and one wife, was not possible to them, because from their
religion they did not acknowledge the Lord to be equal to God the
Father, and thus to be the God of heaven and earth. That con-
jugial love with every one is according to the state of the church,
see above, at no. 130, and in many places in the foregoing pages.

342. IX. THE MOHAMMEDAN HEAVEN is OUTSIDE OF THE
CHRISTIAN HEAVEN, AND is DIVIDED INTO TWO HEAVENS, A LOWER
AND A HIGHER; AND NO OTHERS ARE ELEVATED INTO THEIR HIGHER
HEAVEN BUT THOSE WHO RENOUNCE CONCUBINES. AND LIVE WITH
ONE WIFE, AND ACKNOWLEDGE OUR LORD AS EQUAL TO GOD THE
FATHER, TO WHOM HAS BEEN GIVEN DOMINION OVER HEAVEN AND
EARTH. Before anything is said particularly about these points, it
is of importance that something should be premised concerning
the Divine Providence of the Lord in regard to the rise of the
Mdhammendan religion. That this religion is received by more
kingdoms than the Christian religion, may possibly be a stumbling
block to those who think of the Divine Providence, and at the
same time believe that no man can be saved that is not born a
Christian; but the Mohammedan religion is no stumbling block

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342] COMUGIAL LOVE

to those who believe that all things are of the Divine Providence.
These inquire in what respect ! the Divine Providence is manifested
in the Mohammedan religion i ; and they also discover it. It is in
this, that the Mohammedan religion acknowledges our Lord to be
the Son of God. the wisest of men. and a very great prophet, who
came into the world to teach mankind; but since the Moham-
medans have made the Alcoran only the book of their religion,
and consequently think much of Mohammed who wrote it, and pay
him some degree of worship, therefore they think little about our
Lord. In order that it may be fully known that the Mohammedan
religion was raised up by the Lord's Divine Providence to destroy
the idolatries of many nations, the matter shall be stated in some
order: wherefore, the religion of idolatries shall be first stated.
Previous to the Mohammedan religion, idolatrous worship
prevailed throughout the whole world; the reason was, that the
churches before the Lord's coming were all representative
churches; such also was the Israelitish church, in which the taber-
nacle, the garments of Aaron, the sacrifices, all things belonging
to the temple at Jerusalem, and also the statutes, were representa-
tive. With the Ancients, again, there was the science of corre-
spondences, which is also the science of representations. This was
the very science of the wise, and was cultivated especially by the
Egyptians, when arose their hieroglyphics. From that science they
knew what was signified by animals of every kind, and what by
trees of every kind, and likewise what by mountains, hills, rivers,
fountains, and also what by the sun, the moon, and the stars. By
means of this science also they had a knowledge of spiritual
things; because those things which were represented, which were
such things as belong to the spiritual wisdom among the angels,
were the origins (of the things which represent). Now, since all
their worship was representative, consisting of mere correspon-
dences, therefore they celebrated it on mountains and hills, and
also in groves and gardens. On this account, also, they conse-
crated fountains, and in adorations turned their faces to the rising
sun. Moreover they made graven horses, oxen, calves, and lambs;
yea, birds, fishes, and serpents ; and they set them in their houses
and in other places, in an order according to the spiritual things
of the church to which they corresponded, or which they repre-
sented. They also set similar things in their temples, as a means
of recalling to their remembrance the holy things of worship which
they signified. After a time, when the science of correspondences
had become obliterated, their posterity began to worship the very
graven images as holy in themselves, not knowing that their
Ancient forefathers did not see anything holy in them, but that,
according to their correspondences, they merely represented, and
hence signified holy things. Hence arose the idolatries which filled
the whole world, both Asia with its islands, and Africa and
Europe. In order that all those idolatries might be extirpated, it
came to pass of the Lord's Divine Providence, that a new religion,
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accommodated to the genius of the Orientals, should take its rise;
in which religion there should be something from both Testaments
of the Word, and which should teach that the Lord had come into
the world, and that He was a very great prophet, the wisest of all,
and the Son of God. This was effected by means of Mohammed,
from whom that religion took its name. From these considerations
it is evident that this religion was raised up of the Lord's Divine
Providence, and accommodated, as has been stated, to the genius
of the Orientals, to the end that it might destroy the idolatries of
so many nations, and give them some knowledge of the Lord
before they came into the spiritual \\ orld. as is the case with every
one after death. This religion would not have been received by so
many kingdoms, neither could it have extirpated their idolatries,
unless it had been made appropriate to their ideas; especially
unless polygamy had been permitted; and also, for the reason
that, without that permission, the Orientals would have blazed out
into filthy adulteries more than the Europeans, and would have
perished.

343. The reason why the Mohammedans also have a heaven is
that all in the universal globe of lands who acknowledge a God.
and from religion shun evils as sins against Him, are saved. That
the Mohammedan heaven is distinguished into two, a lower and a
higher, I have heard from themselves; and that in the lower
heaven they live with several wives and concubines as in the
world; but that those who renounce concubines and live with one
wife, are elevated into the higher heaven. I have heard also that
it is impossible for them to think of our Lord as one with the
Father; but that it is possible for them to think of Him as His
equal, and also that to Him has been given dominion over heaven
and earth, because He is His Son; wherefore this is the faith of
those to whom it is given by the Lord to ascend into the higher
heaven.

344. It was once given me to perceive the quality of the heat
of the conjugial love of polygamists. I was speaking with one who
personated Mohammed. Mohammed himself is never present, but
some one is substituted in his place, to the end that those who have
newly arrived from the world may as it were see him. This sub-
stitute, after I had been talking with him at a distance, sent me an
ebony spoon, and other things, which were proofs that they came
from him ; at the same time a communication was opened for the
heat of their conjugial love in that place, and it was perceived by
me like the foul heat of a bath; on feeling which, I turned away,
and the communicating passage was closed.

345. X. POLYGAMY is LASCIVIOUSNESS. The reason is, that its
love is divided among several, and is sexual love, and the love of
the external or natural man, and thus is not conjugial love, which

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alone exists chaste. It is known that polygamous love is love
divided among several, and divided love is not conjugial love, for
this cannot be divided from one of the sex; hence the former love
is lascivious, and polygamy is lasciviousness. Polygamous love is
sexual love because it differs from this only in these respects, that
it is limited to the number which a polygamist may take, and, that
it is bound to the observance of certain laws enacted for the public
good; also that it is allowed to take concubines in addition to
wives: and thus, as it is sexual love, it is the love of lascivious-
ness. The reason.why polygamous love is the love of the external
or natural man is, that it is inscribed on that man ; and whatever
the natural man does from himself is evil ; out of which he is not
withdrawn except by means of elevation into the internal spiritual
man, which is effected solely by the Lord; and evil in regard to
the sex, which is within in the natural man, is scortatory love; but
since this love is ruinous to society, instead thereof was induced its
likeness, which is called polygamy. All the evil into which man
is born from his parents, is implanted in his natural man, but not
any in his spiritual man; because into this he is born from the
Lord. From what has now been adduced, and also from several
other reasons, it may be manifestly seen, that polygamy is
lasciviousness.

346. XL CONJUGIAL CHASTITY, PURITY, AND HOLINESS CANNOT
POSSIBLY EXIST WITH POLYGAMiSTS. This follows from what has
just now been proved, and manifestly from what was demonstrated
in the chapter on "The Chaste and the Non-Chaste"; especially
from these articles of that chapter: that w T hat is chaste, pure, and
holy, is predicated only of monogamous marriages, or of the
marriage of one man with one wife (no. 141 ) ; also, that truly
conjugial love is chastity itself, and that hence all the delights of
that love, even the ultimate ones, are chaste (nos. 143, 144) ; and
moreover from what was adduced in the chapter on "Truly Con-
jugial Love," namely, that truly conjugial love, which is of one
man with one wife, on account of its origin, and on account of its
correspondence, is celestial, spiritual, holy, and clean above every
other love (no. 64). Now, since chastity, purity, and holiness exist
only in truly conjugial love, it follows, that it neither does exist,
nor can possibly exist, in polygamous love.

347. XII. A POLYGAMIST, SO LONG AS HE REMAINS A POLYGA-
MIST, CANNOT BECOME SPIRITUAL. Becoming spiritual means being
elevated out of the Natural, that is, out of the light and heat of
the world into the light and heat of heaven. No one knows any-
thing about this elevation except he who has been elevated : never-
theless the natural man who is not elevated, perceives no otherwise
than that he is elevated; the reason is that the natural man, equally
with the spiritual man, is able to elevate his understanding into
the light of heaven, and to think and speak spiritually; but if the

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POLYGAMY [348.319

will does not at the same time follow the understanding into that
height, he is nevertheless not elevated; for he does not stay in that
elevation, but in a short time lets himself down to his will, and
there fixes his abode. It is said the \\ill. but it is the love that is
meant at the same time ; because the will is the receptacle of the
love; for what a man loves, that he wills. From these few con-
siderations it may be manifest, that a polygamist, so long as he
remains a polygamist, or what is the same, a natural man. so long
as he remains natural, cannot become spiritual.

348. XIII. POLYGAMY is NOT SIN WITH THOSE WITH WHOM IT
is IN ACCORDANCE WITH RELIGION. All that which is contrary to
religion is believed to be a sin, because it is contrary to God : and
on the other hand, all that which agrees with religion, is believed
not to be a sin, because it agrees with God; and as polygamy
existed with the sons of Israel in accordance with religion, and
likewise so exists at the present day with the Mohammedans, it
could not, and cannot, be imputed to them as sin. Moreover, to
prevent its being sin to them, they remain natural, and do not
become spiritual ; and the natural man cannot see that there is any
sin in such things as belong to the received religion ; the spiritual
man alone sees this. It is on this account that, although the
Mohammedans are taught by the Koran to acknowledge our Lord
as the Son of God, they nevertheless do not approach Him, but
Mohammed; and so long they remain natural, and consequently
do not know that there is any evil, or indeed any lasciviousness,
in polygamy. The Lord also says, "// ye were blind, ye would not
have sin; but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth"
(John ix. 41). Since polygamy cannot convict them of sin, there-
fore after death they have their own heavens (see nos. 342, 343) ;
and they enjoy joys there according to their life.

349. XIV. POLYGAMY is NOT SIN WITH THOSE WHO ARE IN
IGNORANCE ABOUT THE LORD. The reason is, that truly conjugial
love is from the Lord alone, and cannot be given by the Lord to
any others than those who know Him, acknowledge Him, believe
on Him, and live the life which is from Him; and those to whom
that love cannot be given know no otherwise than that sexual love
and conjugial love are one thing; consequently also polygamy.
Add to this, that polygamists, who know nothing of the Lord,
remain natural : for a man is made spiritual by the Lord only ; and
that is not imputed to the natural man as sin, which is according
to the laws of religion, and at the same time of society: he also
acts according to his reason, and the reason of the natural man is
in mere darkness concerning truly conjugial love; and this love in
excellence is spiritual. Nevertheless their reason is taught by
experience, that both public and private peace require that promis-
cuous lust in general should be restrained, and be left to every one
within his own house: hence comes polygamy.

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350, 351] CONJUGIAL LOVE

350. It is known that man is born viler than a beast. All the
beasts are born into the knowledges corresponding to the love of
their life; for as soon as they drop from the womb, or are hatched
from the egg, they see, hear* walk, know their food, their mother,
their friends and foes; and not long afterwards they come to know
the sex, and know how to love, and also how to rear their off-
spring. Man alone, when he is born, knows nothing of this sort;
for no knowledge is connate with him: he has only the faculty and
inclination to receive those things which belong to knowledge and
love ; and if he does not receive these from others, he remains viler
than a beast. That man is born such, to the end that he may
attribute nothing to himself, but to others, and at length every-
thing of wisdom and of the love thereof to God alone, and may
hence become an image of God, see the Memorable Relation, nos.
132 to 136. From these considerations it follows, that a man who
does not learn from others that the Lord has come into the world
and that He is God, and has only imbibed some knowledges about
religion and the laws of his country, is not to blame if he thinks
no more of conjugial love than of sexual love, and if he believes
polygamous love to be the only conjugial love. The Lord leads
such persons in their ignorance; and by His Divine auspices He
providently withdraws from the imputation of guilt those who,
from religion, shun evils as sins, to the end that they may be
saved; for every man is born for heaven, and no one for hell; and
every one comes into heaven from the Lord, and into hell from
himself.

351. XV. OF THESE, SUCH, ALTHOUGH POLYGAMISTS, ARE SAVED
AS ACKNOWLEDGE A GOD, AND FROM RELIGION LIVE ACCORDING TO

THE CIVIL LAWS OF JUSTICE. All who in the universal globe x>f
lands who_ acknowledge a God and live according to the civil laws
of justice -from religion, are saved. By the civil laws of justice
are meant such precepts as are contained in the Decalogue, which
forbid murder, adultery, theft, and false witness. These precepts
are the civil laws of justice in all the kingdoms of the earth; for
without them no kingdom could subsist. But some live according
to them from fear of the penalties of the law, some from civil
obedience, and some also from religion: and those who live accord-
ing to them from religion, are saved; the reason is, that God is
then in them ; and a man in whom God is, is saved. Who does not
see that among the laws given to the sons of Israel, after they had
left Egypt, were those which forbid murder, adultery, theft, and
false witness, since without those laws their communion or society
could not subsist? And yet the same laws were promulgated by
Jehovah God upon Mount Sinai with a stupendous miracle: but
the cause of their being so promulgated was, that those same laws
might also become laws of religion, and thus that the people might
practice them, not only for the sake of the good of society, but
also for the sake of God, and that when they practised them from
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POLYGAMY [352,353

religion for the sake of God. they might be saved. From these
considerations it may be manifest that the pagans, who acknowl-
edge a God. and live according to the civil laws of justice, are
saved; for it is not their fault that they know nothing of the Lord,
consequently nothing of the chastity of marriage with one wife.
For it is contrary to the Divine justice to condemn those who
acknowledge a God, and from religion live according to the laws
of justice, which consist in shunning evils because they are con-
trary to God, and in doing goods, because they are agreeable
to God.

352. XVI. BUT NONE EITHER OF THE LATTER OR OF THE FORMER

CAN BE CONSOCIATED WITH THE ANGELS IX THE CHRISTIAN HEAVENS.
The reason is, that in the Christian heavens there is heavenly light
which is Divine Truth, and heavenly heat which is Divine Love;
and these two discover the quality of truths and goods, and also
of evils and falsities. Hence it is that all communication has been
taken away between the Christian heavens and the Mohammedan
heavens, and in like manner between the heavens of the Gentiles.
If there were a communication, none could have been saved but
those who were in heavenly light and at the same time in heavenly
heat from the Lord; yea, neither would these be saved if there
were a conjunction of the heavens: for in consequence of con-
junction all the heavens would fall to decay to such an extent that
the angels would not be able to subsist; for what is unchaste and
lascivious would flow in from the Mohammedans into the Christian
heaven, which could not be endured in that heaven; and what is
chaste and pure would flow in from the Christians into the
Mohammedan heaven, which, in its turn, could not be endured
there. In that case, in consequence of the communication and con-
sequent conjunction, the Christian angels would become natural
and thus adulterers; or if they remained spiritual, they would be
continually feeling what is lascivious about them, which would
intercept all the blessedness of their life. Something similar would
take place with the Mohammedan heaven: for the spiritual things
of the Christian heaven would continually encompass and torture
them, and would take away all the delight of their life, and would
moreover insinuate that polygamy is sin, and thus they would be
continually rebuked. This is the reason why all the heavens are
quite distinct, so that there is no conjunction between them except
through the influx of light and heat from the Lord out of the sun,
in tine midst of which He is: and this influx enlightens and vivifies
every one according to reception; and reception is according to
religion. This communication exists, but not a communication of
the heavens with each other.

353. To the above I shall add two Memorable Relations. The
first is this:

I was once in the midst of some angels and heard their con-

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354] CONJUGIAL LOVE

versation. It was about intelligence and wisdom, and was to the
effect that a man perceives no otherwise than that both intelligence
and wisdom are in him, and thus that whatever he thinks from the
understanding and intends from the will, is from himself; when
nevertheless not the least portion thereof is from man, but only
the faculty of receiving from God the things which belong to the
understanding and the will; and as every man (homo) by birth
inclines to love himself, therefore, to prevent man's perishing in
consequence of the love of self and the conceit of self-intelligence,
it has been provided from the creation, that the love of the man
(vir) should be transcribed into the wife, and that there should
be implanted in her from birth to love the intelligence and wisdom
of her man, and thus the man himself. Wherefore the wife con-
tinually draws to herself her husband's conceit of self-intelligence,
and extinguishes it with him, and vivifies it with herself, and thus
turns it into conjugial love, and fills it with pleasantness beyond
measure. This has been provided by the Lord, lest the conceit of
self-intelligence should so far infatuate the man (vir) as to lead
him to believe that he has understanding and wisdom from him-
self and not from the Lord, and thu.s to want to eat of the tree of
the knowledge of good and evil, and consequently to believe him-
self like unto God, and also God, as the serpent, which was the
love of self -intelligence, said and persuaded him; wherefore man
(homo) after eating w 7 as cast out of paradise, and the way to the
tree of life was guarded by a cherub. Paradise spiritually denotes
intelligence; eating of the tree of life spiritually denotes being
intelligent and wise from the Lord; and eating of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil spiritually denotes being intelligent
and wise from self.

354. The angels having finished this conversation departed;
and there came two priests together with a man, who in the world
had been an ambassador of a kingdom, and to them I related what
I had heard from the angels.

On hearing it, they began to debate with each other about in-
telligence and wisdom, and the prudence thence, whether they are
from God, or from man. The debate was warm. All three in
heart believed alike that they are from man because they are in
man, and that the perception and sensation of its being so, confirm
it. But the priests, who on this occasion were in theological zeal,
said, that there is nothing of intelligence and wisdom, and thus
nothing of prudence from man; and when the ambassador re-
torted, that thus there is nothing of thought from man, they said
that that was so.

But as it was perceived in heaven, that all the three were in a
similar belief, it was said to the ambassador of the kingdom, "Put
on the garments of a priest, and believe that you are a priest, and
then speak." He did so ; and then he declared aloud that nothing
of intelligence and wisdom, and consequently nothing of prudence,
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POLYGAMY [355

can possibly exist but from God: and he proved it with his usual
eloquence full of rational arguments. It is a peculiar circumstance
in the spiritual world, that a spirit thinks himself to be such as he
is denoted to be by the garment he wears; the reason is. that in
that world the understanding clothes every one.

Afterwards a voice from heaven said to the two priests, "Put
off your own garments, and put on those of political ministers,
and believe yourselves to be such." They did so ; and then they at
the same time thought from their interior self, and spoke from
arguments which they had inwardly cherished in favour of self-
intelligence. At that moment there appeared a tree near the path;
and it was said to them, ih lt is the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil ; take heed to yourselves lest ye eat of it." Nevertheless
all the three, infatuated by self -intelligence, burned with a desire
to eat of it, and said to each other, "Why not? Is not the fruit
good?" And they went to it and ate of it. Immediately all the
three, as they were in a like faith, became heart friends; and they
entered together into the way of self-intelligence, which extended
into hell: nevertheless I saw T them led back thence, because the\
were not yet prepared.

355. The Second Memorable Relation:

Once as I was looking into the spiritual world, I saw in a cer-
tain meadow some men (viri) clothed in garments like those worn
by men (homines) of this world; from which circumstance I
knew they had lately come from the world. I approached them
and stood beside them* in order that I might hear what they were
conversing about. They were conversing about heaven; and one
of them who knew something about heaven, said, "In heaven
there are wonderful things, such as no one can believe unless he
has seen them : there are paradisiacal gardens, magnificent palaces
constructed architecturally, because of the art itself, resplendent
as of gold; in front of them are columns of silver, and on the
columns heavenly forms of precious stones; also houses of jasper
and sapphire, in front of which are stately porticos through which
the angels enter; and within the houses, decorations which no art
or words can describe. As regards the angels themselves, they are
of both sexes; there are bachelors and husbands, and there are
virgins and wives; virgins so beautiful, that there does not exist
in the world any resemblance of such beauty; and wives still
more beautiful, who appear like genuine effigies of heavenly wis-
dom; and all these are in the full bloom of youth; and what is
more, it is not known that there is any other sexual love than con-
jugial love ; and, what you will be surprised at, the husbands have
a perpetual faculty of enjoying the delights of love."

When the novitiate spirits heard that there was no other sexual
love than conjugial love, and that they had the perpetual faculty
of enjoying the delights of love, they smiled at each other and
said "What you tell us is incredible; there cannot be such a

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355] CONJUGIAL LOVE

faculty: possibly you are telling idle tales,"

But at that instant a certain angel from heaven unexpectedly
stood in the midst of them and said. "Pray hear me: I am an
angel of heaven, and have now lived a thousand years \vith my
wife, and during all those years in a like flower of age in which
you here see me. I have this in consequence of my conjugial love
with my wife; and I can asservate, that I have had and do have
that perpetual faculty; and because I perceive that you believe
this to be impossible. I will speak with you on the subject from
reasons according to the light of your understanding. You do not
know anything of the primeval state of man, which you call the
state of integrity. In that state all the interiors of the mind were
open even to the Lord, and hence those interiors were in the mar-
riage of love and wisdom, or of good and truth ; and as the good
of love and the truth of wisdom perpetually love each other, they
also perpetually desire to be united; and when the interiors of the
mind are open, that spiritual conjugial love flows down freely
with its perpetual effort, and causes that faculty to exist. The very
soul of man, because it is in the marriage of good and truth, is
not only in the perpetual effort for that unition, but also in the
perpetual effort for the fructification and production of its own
likeness; and when the interiors of a man even from the soul are
open by virtue of that marriage, and the interiors continually
regard the effect in ultimates to the end that they may come into
outward existence, therefore that perpetual effort to fructify and
produce its like, which belongs to the soul, becomes also of the
body; and since the ultimate of the operation of the soul in the
body with two married partners is into the ultimates of love there,
and these depend on the state of the soul, it is evident whence they
derive this perpetuity. The reason why fructification also is per-
petual, is, that the universal sphere of generating and propagating
the celestial things which are of love, and the spiritual things
which are of wisdom, and thence the natural things which are of
offspring, proceeds from the Lord, and fills the whole heaven and
the whole world; and that heavenly sphere fills the souls of all
human beings, and descends through their minds into the body
even to its ultimates, and gives the power of generating. But this
cannot be the case with any but those with whom a passage is
open from the soul through the higher and lower parts of the
mind into the body to its ultimates, as is the case with those who
suffer themselves to be led back by the Lord into the primeval
state of creation. I can asservate, that now for a thousand years,
I have never wanted faculty, nor strength, nor virtue, and that I
have known nothing whatever of any diminution of powers, for
they are continually being renewed by the continual influx of the
above named universal sphere, and then also they gladden the
lower mind, and do not make it sad, as is the case with those who
suffer the loss of those powers. Moreover, truly conjugial love is
just like vernal heat, from the influx of which all things aspire

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POLYGAMY [356

to germinations and fructifications, nor is there any other heat in
our heaven: wherefore with conjugial partners in that heaven
there is spring in its perpetual endeavor from which that virtue
exists. But the fructifications with us in heaven are different from
those with men on earth. With us the fructifications are spiritual,
which are the fructifications of love and wisdom, or of good and
truth. The wife from the husband's wisdom receives into herself
the love thereof, and the husband from the love thereof in the
wife receives into himself wisdom; yea, the wife is actually formed
into the love of the husband's wisdom, which is effected by her
receiving the propagations of his soul with the delight arising
from the circumstance that she wills to be the love of her hus-
band's wisdom: thus from a maiden she becomes a wife and a
likeness. Hence also love together with its inmost friendship with
the wife, and wisdom together with its happiness w*ith the husband,
are perennially growing, and this to eternity. This is the state of
the angels of heaven."

When the angel had thus spoken, he looked at those who had
lately come from the world, and said to them, "You know that,
while you were in the virtue of love, you loved your consorts, and
that after the delight you turned away; but you do not know that
we in heaven do not love our consorts in consequence of that
virtue, but that we have virtue in consequence of love; and that
as we perpetually love our consorts, we have perpetual virtue;
wherefore if you can invert the state, you can comprehend this.
Does not he who perpetually loves his consort, love her with the
whole mind and with the whole body? for love turns all things
of the mind and all things of the body to that which it loves; and
as this is done reciprocally, it conjoins them so that they become
as a one/'

He further said, "I will not speak to you of the conjugial love
implanted from the creation in males and females, and of their
inclination for legitimate conjunction, nor of the faculty of pro-
lification in the males, which makes a one with the faculty of
multiplying wisdom from the love of truth; and that in propor-
tion as a man loves wisdom from the love thereof, or truth from
good, in the same proportion he is in truly conjugial love and in
its attendant virtue."

356. When he had said this, the angel was silent; and from
the spirit of the angel's speech the novitiate new-comers compre-
hended that a perpetual faculty of enjoying the delights of mar-
riage is possible ; and as this fact gladdened their minds, they said,
"0, how happy is the state of the angels! We perceive that you
in the heavens remain forever in a state of youth, and conse-
quently in the vigour of that age; but tell us how we also may
obtain that vigour."

The angel replied, "Shun adulteries as infernal, and approach
the Lord, and you will have it."

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356] CONJUGIAL LOVE

They said, i; We will shun them as such, and ue will approach
the Lord."

But the angel replied. "You cannot shun adulteries as infernal
evils, unless you likewise shun all other evils, because adulteries
are the complex of all; and unless you shun them, you cannot
approach the Lord; for the Lord receives no others."

After this the angel took his leave, and the new spirits departed
sorrowful.

304

JEALOUSY

357. Jealousy is here treated of, because it also has relation
to conjugial love. There is just jealousy, and unjust: just
jealousy with married partners who mutually love each other;
with these, it is a just and prudent zeal lest their conjugial love
be violated, and consequently a just grief if it is violated; and
unjust jealousy with those who are naturally suspicious, and whose
minds are sickly or distempered in consequence of thick and
bilious blood. Moreover, all jealousy is by some accounted a
vice, which is particularly the case with fornicators, who censure
even just jealousy. The term JEALOUSY (zelotypia) is derived
from ZELI TYPUS (the type of zeal) ; and there is a type or image
of just zeal, and also of unjust zeal; but these differences shall
be unfolded in the following series of articles:

L Zeal, considered in itself, is like the fire of love blazing up.

II. The blazing up, or flame of that love, which is zeal, is a
spiritual blazing up or flame, arising from the infestation of and
assault upon the love.

III. The quality of a mans zeal is according to the quality of
his love; thus it is different with him whose love is good from
what it is with him whose love is evil.

IV. The zeal of a good love and the zeal of an evil love are
alike in externals, but utterly unlike in internals.

V. The zeal of a good love in its internals contains a hidden
store of love and friendship; but the zeal of an evil love in its
internals contains a hidden store of hatred and revenge.

VI. The zeal of conjugial love is called jealousy.

VII. Jealousy is like a blazing fire against those who infest
the love with the married partner, and it is like a terrible fear for
the loss of that love.

VIII. There exists spiritual jealousy with monogamists, and
natural jealousy with polygamists.

IX. Jealousy with those married partners who tenderly love
each other, is a just grief arising from sound reason, lest con-
jugial love be divided, and thus perish.

X. Jealousy with married partners who do not love each other,
arises from many causes; arising with some from various dis-
tempers of the mind.

XI. With some there is not any jealousy; and this also is from
various causes.

XII. There is also a jealousy in regard to concubines* but not
such as in regard to wives.

XIII. Jealousy likewise exists among beasts and birds.

305

358, 359] CONJUGIAL LOVE

XIV. The jealousy with men and husbands is different from
that with women and wives.

Now follows the explanation of these articles.

358. I. ZEAL, CONSIDERED ix ITSELF, is LIKE THE FIRE OF LOVE
BLAZING UP. What jealousy is cannot be known unless it be known
what zeal is; for jealousy is the zeal of conjugial love. The reason
zeal is like the fire of love blazing up, is, that zeal belongs to love,
and love is spiritual heat, and this in its origin is like fire. In
regard to the first position, it is known that zeal belongs to love:
nothing else is meant by being zealous, and acting from zeal, than
acting from the force of love: but since, when it comes into out-
ward existence, it appears not as love, but as unfriendly and
hostile, enraged and fighting against him who hurts the love, there-
fore it may also be called the defender and protector of love; for
all love is such that it breaks forth into indignation and wrath,
yea, into fury, when it is thrust out of its delights ; wherefore, if a
love, especially the ruling love, be touched, there ensues an emo-
tion of the lower mind: and if that touch hurts, there ensues
wrath. From these considerations it may be seen, that zeal is not
the highest degree of love, but that it is love blazing up. The love
of one, and the corresponding love of another, are like two con-
federates; but when the love of one rises up against the love of
another, they become like enemies; the reason is, that love is the
esse of a man's life; wherefore he who assaults the love, assaults
the life itself; and then there ensues a state of wrath against the
assailant, like the state of every man whose life is attempted by
another. Such wrath is attendant on every love, even the most
pacific, as is manifestly seen from hens, geese, and birds of every
kind, which, without any fear, rise against and fly at those who
injure their young, or rob them of their food. That some beasts
are seized with anger, and wild beasts with fury, if their young
are molested, or their pray taken from them, is known. The reason
why love is said to blaze up like fire is, that love is nothing else
than spiritual heat, originating in the fire of the angelic sun, which
is pure love. That love is heat as it were from fire, is manifestly
evident from the heat of living bodies, which is from no other
source than from their love; also from the circumstance that
human beings grow warm and are inflamed according to the
exaltation of their love. From these considerations it is evident,
that zeal is like the fire of love blazing up.

359. II. THE BLAZING UP OR FLAME OF THAT LOVE, WHICH is

ZEAL, IS A SPIRITUAL BLAZING UP OR FLAME, ARISING FROM THE
INFESTATION OF AND ASSAULT UPON THAT LOVE. That zeal is a

spiritual blazing up or flame, is evident from what has been said
above. As love in the spiritual world is heat originating in the
sun of that world, therefore also love at a distance appears there
as flame: it is thus that heavenly love appears with the angels of
306

JEALOUSY [360.361

heaven, and thus also that infernal lo\e appears \vith the spirits
of hell: but it must he kno\vn. that that flame does not burn like
the Hame of the natural world. The reason why zeal arises from
an assault upon the love is, that love is the heat of even one's life;
wherefore when the life's love is assaulted, the life's heat kindles
itself, resists, and bursts forth against the assailant, and acts as an
enemy with its own strength and power, which is like flame burst-
ing from a fire upon him who stirs it: that it is like fire, appears
from the sparkling of the eyes, from the face being inflamed, also
from the tone of the voice, and from the gestures. This is done by
love, because it is the heat of life, to prevent its extinction, and
with it the extinction of all alacrity, vivacity, and perceptibility of
delight, which flow from its ow T n love.

360. It shall be stated how 7 the love is enkindled and set on
fire into zeal, by an assault upon it, as fire is into flame. Love
resides in man's will ; but it is not inflamed in the will itself, but
in the understanding: for in the will it is like fire, and in the
understanding like flame. Love in the will knows nothing about
itself, because there it does not feel anything belonging to itself,
neither does it act from itself there: but this is done in the under-
standing and its thought. Wherefore, when the love is assaulted,
it exasperates itself in the understanding, which is done by various
reasonings. These reasonings are like pieces of wood, which the
fire enkindles, and which consequently blaze up: they are there-
fore like so much fuel, or so many combustible matters, which
feed that spiritual flame, which is of great variety.

361. The very reason why a man is kindled by an assault upon
his love, shall be disclosed. The human form in its inmosts is
from creation a form of love and wisdom. In man there are all
the affections of love, and thence all the perceptions of wisdom,
compounded in the most perfect order, so as to make altogether
what is unanimous, and thereby a one. Those affections and per-
ceptions are substantiated; for substances are their subjects. Since
therefore the human form is compounded of these, it is evident
that, if the love is assaulted, that universal form also, with each
and all things therein, is assaulted at the same instant, or simulta-
neously. And as the wish to continue in its own form is implanted
from creation in all living things, therefore this wish operates in
every general compound from the singulars of which it is com-
pounded, and in the singulars from the general compound. Hence,
when the love is assaulted, it defends itself by means of its under-
standing, and the understanding defends itself by means of the
rational and imaginary considerations, by which it represents the
event to itself; especially by those who act as a one with the love
which is assaulted: and unless this was the case, that form would
wholly fall to pieces, in consequence of the deprivation of that
love. Hence then it is that love, in order to resist assaults, hardens

307

362-364] COXJUGIAL LOVE

the substances of its form, and erects them as it were into crests,
like so many sharp prickles, that is. ruffles itself. Such is the
exasperation of love which is called zeal: wherefore if there is
no power of resisting, there arises anxiety and grief, because it
foresees the extinction of the interior life with its delights. But
on the other hand, if the love is favoured and caressed, that form
unbends, softens, and dilates itself; and the substances of the form
become soft, caressing, gentle, and alluring.

362. III. THE QUALITY OF A MAN'S ZEAL is ACCORDING TO THE

QUALITY OF HIS LOVE; THUS IT IS DIFFERENT WITH HIM WHOSE
LOVE IS GOOD FROM WHAT IT IS WITH HIM WHOSE LOVE IS EVIL.

Since zeal belongs to love, it follows that its quality is such as the
quality of the love is ; and as there are in general two loves, the
love of good and thence of truth, and the love of evil and thence
of falsity, therefore in general there is a zeal for good and thence
for truth, and a zeal for evil and thence for falsity. But it must
be known that both loves are of infinite variety. This is manifestly
evident from the angels of heaven and the spirits of hell; both the
latter and the former in the spiritual world are forms of their own
love; and yet there is not one angel of heaven absolutely like
another as to face, speech, gait, gesture, and manners; nor any
spirit of hell: yea neither can there be to eternity, howsoever they
may be multiplied into myriads of myriads. Hence it is evident
that there is an infinite variety of loves, because there is an infinite
variety of their forms. The case is similar with zeal, because this
belongs to love; namely, that the zeal of one cannot be absolutely
like or the same with the zeal of another. In general there is the
zeal of a good love, and the zeal of an evil love.

363. IV. THE ZEAL OF A GOOD LOVE AND THE ZEAL OF AN EVIL

LOVE ARE ALIKE IN EXTERNALS, BUT UTTERLY UNLIKE IN INTERNALS.

Zeal in externals, with every one, appears like anger and wrath:
for it is love enkindled and inflamed to defend itself against a
violator, and to remove him. The reason why the zeal of a good
love and the zeal of an evil love appear alike in externals, is, that
in both cases the love, when it is in zeal, blazes up ; with a good
man only in externals, but with an evil man both in externals and
in internals; and when internals are not perceived, the zeals appear
alike in externals; but that they are utterly unlike in internals will
be seen in the next article. That zeal appears in externals like
anger and wrath, may be seen and heard from all who speak and
act from zeal ; as for example, from a priest while he is preaching
from zeal, in that the tone of his voice is high, vehement, sharp,
and harsh; his face is heated and perspires; he exerts himself,
beats the pulpit, and calls forth fire from hell against those who
do evils: and so in many other cases.

364. In order that a distinct idea may be acquired of zeal with
308

JEALOL'SY [365, 366

tfie good, and of zeal \vith the evil, and of their unlikeness, it is
necessary that some idea should he formed of the internals and
externals with human beings. For this purpose let there be taken
a common idea on the subject as being adapted to popular appre-
hension : let it be exhibited by the case of a nut. or an almond and
their kernels. With the good the internals are like the kernels
within in their soundness and goodness, encompassed with their
usual and natural husk. But the case is utterly unlike with the
evil; their internals are like kernels which are either not eatable
because of their bitterness, or rotten, or worm-eaten; and their
externals are like the shells or husks of those kernels, either like
the natural shells or husks, or shining like shell-fish, or variegated
like iris stones. Such is the appearance of their externals, within
which the above-named internals lie concealed. The case is similar
with their zeals.

365. V. THE ZEAL OF A GOOD LOVE IN ITS INTERNALS CONTAINS

A HIDDEN STORE OF LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP; BUT THE ZEAL OF AN
EVIL LOVE IN ITS INTERNALS CONTAINS A HIDDEN STORE OF HATRED

AND REVENGE. It was said, that zeal in externals appears like anger
and wrath, both with those who are in a good love, and with those
who are in an evil love: but as the internals are different, the
anger and wrath in each case differs from that of the other, and
the difference is as follows: 1. The zeal of a good love is like a
heavenly flame, \\hich in no case breaks forth against another, but
only defends itself, and it defends itself against an evil person,
just as when the latter rushes into the fire and is burnt: but the
zeal of an evil love is like an infernal flame, which of itself breaks
forth and rushes on, and wants to consume another. 2. The zeal
of a good love instantly burns away and is allayed when the
assailant ceases to assault ; but the zeal of an evil love lasts and is
not extinguished. 3. The reason is that the internal of him who is
in a good love is in itself mild, soft, friendly, and benevolent;
wherefore when his external, for the sake of defending itself,
assumes a rough exterior, ruffles and erects itself, and thus em-
ploys harsh measures, it is nevertheless tempered by the good in
which his internal is. It is otherwise with the evil ; with these the
internal is unfriendly, pitiless, harsh, breathing hatred and revenge,
and it suckles itself with their delights; and although it is recon-
ciled, those evils nevertheless lie concealed as fires in the embers
underneath the ashes; and those fires break forth after death, if
not in this world.

366. Since zeal in externals appears alike both with the good
and the evil, and since the ultimate sense of the Word consists of
correspondences and appearances, therefore in the Word, it is very
often said of Jehovah that He is angry and wroth, that He revenges,
punishes, casts into hell, besides many other things which are
appearances of zeal in externals: hence also it is that He is called

309

367, 368] COMUGIAL LOVE

zealous; when nevertheless there is not the least of anger, wrath,
and revenge in Him; for His mercy, grace, and clemency itself,
thus good itself, in which it is impossible such evil can exist. But
on this subject see more particulars in die Work on Heaven and
Hell, nos. 545-550 ; and in the Aposalypse Revealed, nos. 494, 493,
525, 714, 806.

367. VI. THE ZEAL OF CONJUGIAL LOVE is CALLED JEALOUSY.
Zeal for truly conjugial love is the zeal of zeals, because that love
is the love of loves, and its delights, for which also zeal is excited,
are the delights of delights; for, as was shown above, that love is
the head of all loves. The reason is, that that love induces on a
wife the form of love, and on a husband the form of wisdom;
and from these forms united into one form, nothing else can pro-
ceed than what savours of wisdom and at the same time of love.
As the zeal of conjugial love is the zeal of zeals, therefore it is
called by the new name. Jealousy f zelotypia) , which is the very
type of zeal.

368. VII. JEALOUSY is LIKE A BLAZING FIRE AGAINST THOSE

WHO INFEST THE LOVE WITH THE MARRIED PARTNER, AND IT IS LIKE
A TERRIBLE FEAR FOR THE LOSS OF THAT LOVE. The Subject here

treated of is the jealousy of those who are in spiritual love with
their consort; in the following article the subject treated of is the
jealousy of those who are in natural love; and afterwards the
jealousy of those who are in truly conjugial love. With those who
are in spiritual love the jealousy is various, because their love is
various; for one love, whether it be spiritual or natural, is never
altogether alike with two persons, still less with several. The
reason why spiritual jealousy, or jealousy with the spiritual, is
like a fire blazing out against those who molest their conjugial
love, is, that with them the beginning of love is in the internals
of each of them, and their love from its beginning follows its
principiates even to its ultimates, by virtue of which ultimates, and
at the same time of the primes, the intermediates, which are of the
mind and body, are kept in loving connection. These, because
they are spiritual, in their marriage regard union as an end, and
in the union spiritual rest and the pleasantnesses thereof. Now, as
they have rejected disunion from their minds, therefore their
jealousy is like a fire stirred up and darting forth against those
who molest. The reason why it is also like a terrible fear is, that
their spiritual love intends that they be a one; wherefore if a
chance exists, or an appearance of separation happens, a fear
ensues as terrible as when two united parts are torn asunder. This
description of jealousy was given me from heaven by those who
are in spiritual conjugial love; for there exist natural conjugial
love, spiritual conjugial love, and celestial conjugial love: con-
cerning the natural and the celestial conjugial love, and their
jealousy, we shall speak in the two following articles.
310

JEALOUSY [369-371

369. VIII. THERE EXISTS SPIRITUAL JEALOUSY WITH MONOGA-
MISTS, AND NATURAL JEALOUSY WITH POLYGAMISTS. The reason
why spiritual jealousy exists with monogamists is, that they alone
can receive spiritual conjugial love, as has been abundantly shown
above. It is said that is exists : but the meaning is that it is capable
of existing with them. That it exists with only a very few in the
Christian world, where there are monogamous marriages, but that
it is capable of existing there, has also been confirmed above.
That with polygamists conjugial love is natural, may be seen in
the chapter on '"Polygamy/ 3 at nos. 345, 347, jealousy likewise
with them is natural, because it follows the love. What the quality
of the jealousy of polygamists is, is taught by the relations of
those w r ho have been eye-witnesses of it among the Orientals:
these relations are, that wives and concubines are guarded as cap-
tives in prisons, and are withheld and restrained from all com-
munications with men; that into the women's apartments, or the
chambers of their prison, no man is allowed to enter unless
attended by an eunich; and that the strictest watch is set to observe
whether any of the women look with a lascivious eye or coun-
tenance at a passing man ; and that if this be observed, the woman
is punished with blows; and in case she indulges her lascivious-
ness with any man. whether introduced secretly into her apart-
ment, or away from home, she is punished with death.

370. By these relations it is clearly shown what is the quality
of the fire of jealousy into which polygamous conjugial love
breaks out, that it is into anger and revenge; into anger with the
meek, and into revenge with the fierce; and this is so, because
their love is natural, and does not partake of what is spiritual.
This follows as a consequence from what was demonstrated in the
chapter on "Polygamy," that polygamy is lasciviousness, no.
345; and that a polygamist, so long as he remains a polygamist,
is natural, and cannot become spiritual, no. 347. But the fire of
jealousy is different with natural monogamists: their love is in-
flamed not so much against the women as against the violators: it
becomes anger against the latter, and cold against the former. It
is otherwise with polygamists, whose fire of jealousy blazes also
with the frenzy of revenge: this likewise is one of the reasons why,
after the death of polygamists, their concubines and wives are for
the most part set free, and are sent to seraglios not guarded, to
occupy themselves in the various works proper to w T omen.

371. IX. JEALOUSY WITH THOSE MARRIED PARTNERS WHO TEN-
DERLY LOVE EACH OTHER, IS A JUST GRIEF ARISING FROM SOUND
REASON, LEST CONJUGIAL LOVE BE DIVIDED, AND THUS PERISH. In

all love there is fear and grief ; fear lest it perish, and grief if it
perishes. There is also fear and grief in conjugial love; but the
fear and grief of conjugial love is called zeal or jealousy. The
reasons why this zeal, with married partners who tenderly love

311

372, 373] CONJUGIAL LOVE

each other, is just and from sound reason, are, that it is at the
same time a fear for the loss of eternal happiness, not only of its
own but also of its married partner's, and. that it is also a pro-
tection against adultery. As regards the first consideration, that it
is a just fear for the loss of its own eternal happiness and that of
its consort, it follows from everything which has been heretofore
adduced about truly conjugial love; and also from this considera-
tion, that married partners derive from that love the blessedness
of their souls, the blissfulness of their minds, the delightsomeness
of their bosoms, and the pleasures of their bodies ; and since these
remain with them to eternity, they fear for the eternal happiness
of each other. That that zeal is a just protection against adulteries,
is evident; hence it is like a fire blazing out against violation, and
protecting itself against it. From these considerations it is mani-
fest, that whoever loves his consort tenderly, is also jealous, but
is just and sane according to the wisdom of the man (rzr) .

372. It was said that in conjugial love there is implanted a
fear Lest it be divided, and a grief lest it perish, and that its zeal
is like a fire against violation. Once, when meditating on this sub-
ject, I asked some zealous angels concerning the seat of jealousy.
They said, that it is in the understanding of the man (vir) who
receives the love of his consort and loves her in return; and that
its quality there is according to his wisdom. They said further,
that jealousy has in it something in common with honour, which
also resides in conjugial love; for he who loves his wife, also
honours her. In regard to zeal's residing with a man in his under-
standing, they said that the reason was that conjugial love protects
itself through the understanding, as good protects itself through
truth; so the wife protects those things which are common with the
man, through her husband; and that therefore zeal is implanted
in the men, and through them, and for their sake, in the women.
To the question as to the region of the mind in which jealousy
resides with the men, they replied, in their souls, because it is also
a protection against adulteries; and because adulteries principally
destroy conjugial love, that when there is danger of the violation
of that love, the man's understanding grows hard, and becomes
like a horn, with which he strikes the adulterer.

373. X. JEALOUSY WITH MARRIED PARTNERS WHO DO NOT LOVE

EACH OTHER, ARISES FROM MANY CAUSES ; ARISING WITH SOME FROM

VARIOUS DISTEMPERS OF THE MIND. The causes why married part-
ners who do not mutually love each other are jealous also, are
principally the honour of power, the fear of defamation both of
his own name and also of that of his wife, and the dread lest
domestic affairs should fall into confusion. It is known that the
men have the honour of power, that is, that they want to be
respected in consequence thereof; for so long as they have this
honour, they are as it were of an elevated mind, and not dejected
312 j

JEALOUSY [37-1. 375

when in the company of men and women: to this honour also is
attached the name of bravery: wherefore military officers have it
more than others. The fear of defamation, both of his own name
and that of his wife, is a cause of jealousy that coheres with the
foregoing: to which may he added, that consociation with a forni-
caton and debauchery in the house, are infamous. The reason why
some are jealous through a dread lest their domestic affairs should
fall into confusion, is that in proportion as this is the case, the
husband is made light of, and mutual services and helps are with-
drawn : but with some this jealousy in process of time ceases and
is annihiliated, and with some it is changed into the mere simula-
tion of love.

374. That jealousy with some arises from various sicknesses
or distempers of the mind, is not unknown in the \vorld; for there
are jealous persons who are continually thinking that their wives
are unfaithful, and believe them to be fornicators, if they merely
hear or see them talk in a friendly manner with or about men.
There are several vitiated states of the mind which induce this
sickness or distemper, the principal of which is a spurious fancy,
w T hich, if it be long cherished, introduces the mind into societies of
similar spirits, from whence it can be released only with difficulty;
it also strengthens itself in the body, by rendering the serum, and
consequently the blood, sticky, tenacious, thick, slow% and acrid; a
failing of the manly pow r ers also increases it; for the consequence
of such failing or defect is. that the mind cannot be elevated from
its suspicious fancies; for the presence of the manly powers
elevates, and their absence depresses, for this absence causes the
mind to sink, give way, and become feeble; in which case it
immerses itself more and more in that fancy, till it raves, and this
passes over into the delight of chiding and reproaching, and. so
far as is permitted, or reviling.

375. There are also certain countries which, more than others,
labour under the distemper of jealousy. In these countries the
wives are imprisoned, tyranically withheld from conversation with
men, prevented from even looking at them through the windows,
which are guarded by gratings projecting downwards, and are
terrified by threats of death if the cherished suspicion be found
well grounded; besides many other hardships which the wives in
those countries suffer from their jealous husbands. There are two
causes of this jealousy; one is, an imprisonment and suffocation
of the thoughts in the spiritual things of the church; the other is.
an inward cupidity of revenge. As regards the first cause, which
is, the imprisonment and suffocation of the thoughts in the spir-
itual things of the church, its effect may be concluded from what
has been proved above, that every one has conjugial love accord-
ing to the state of the church with him. and as the church is from
the Lord, that that love is solely from the Lord, nos. 130, 131.

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376, 377] CONJUG1AL LOVE

When therefore, instead of the Lord, living and deceased men are
approached and invoked, it follows, that the state of the church
is not such that conjugial love can act in unity with it; and the
less so when their minds are terrified into that worship by the
threats of a dreadful prison. Hence it comes to pass, that the
thoughts together with the expression of them, are violently im-
prisoned and suffocated ; and when they are suffocated, there is an
influx of such things as are either contrary to the church, or
imaginary in favour of it: in consequence of which there ensues
heat towards fornicators. and icy cold towards the married part-
ner; from which two things prevailing together in one subject,
such an unconquerable fire of jealousy flows forth. As regards
the second cause, which is the inward cupidity of revenge, this
altogether checks the influx of conjugial love, absorbs it, and
swallows it up, and changes the delight thereof, which is celestial
and the delight of revenge, which is infernal; and the nearest
determination of this latter is towards the wife. It seems also
as if the malignant character of the atmosphere, which in those
regions is impregnated with the poisonous exhalations of the sur-
rounding country, were an additional cause.

376. XL WITH SOME THERE is NOT ANY JEALOUSY; AND THIS
is FROM VARIOUS CAUSES. There are many causes of there being no
jealousy, and of the cessation of jealousy. The absence of jealousy
is principally with those who make no more account of conjugial
than of scortatory love, and at the same time are so devoid of
honourable feeling as to slight the reputation of their name: they
are not unlike married pimps. There is likewise no jealousy with
those who have rejected it from a confirmed belief that it infests
the mind (animus) and that it is useless to watch a wife, and that
to do so serves only to incite her, and that therefore it is better to
shut the eyes, and not even to look through the key-hole, lest any-
thing should be discovered. Some have rejected jealousy on
account of the reproach attached to the name, thinking that a man
who is a man, is afraid of nothing. Some have been driven to
reject it lest their domestic affairs should go to ruin, and also lest
it should become matter of public scandal if the wife were
accused of the disorderly passion of which she is guilty. More-
over, jealousy decreases to nothing with those who grant license
to their wives, on account of their own failure of potency, or for
the sake of procreation of children for the sake of inheritance, also
with some for the sake of gain, and so forth. There are also
scortatory marriages, in which, by mutual consent, the license of
sexual lust is given to both, and yet they are civil to each other
when they meet.

377. XII. THERE is ALSO A JEALOUSY IN REGARD TO CONCU-
BINES, BUT NOT SUCH AS IN REGARD TO WIVES. Jealousy in regard
to wives flows from the inmosts with man (homo) ; but jealousy

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JEALOUSY [378. 379

in regard to concubines flows from the externals; wherefore they
differ in kind. The reason why jealousy in regard to wives flows
from the inmosts is. that conjugial love resides there : the reason
why it resides there is, that marriage, by virtue of the eternity of
its compact established by covenant and also by virtue of the
equality of right in that what belongs to the one belongs also to
the other, unites their souls, and binds their minds together more
interiorly; this binding together and that union, once implanted,
remain inseparable, whatever be the quality of the love that ensues
afterwards, whether it be warm or cold. Hence it is that an in-
vitation to love by the \vife chills the whole man (vtri from the
inmosts to the ultimates; whereas an invitation to love by a con-
cubine has not the same effect upon her lover. To jealousy in
regard to a wife is added the earnest desire for reputation for the
sake of honour; and there is no such accessory to jealousy in
regard to a concubine. Nevertheless both kinds of jealousy vary
according to the seat of the love received by the wife and by the
concubine; and at the same time according to the state of the
judgment of the man receiving it.

378. XIII. JEALOUSY LIKEWISE EXISTS AMONG BEASTS AND BIRDS.
That it exists among wild beasts, as lions, tigers, bears, and several
others, when they have whelps, is known; and also among bulls,
although they have not calves. It is most conspicuous among cocks,
which on account of their hens fight with their rivals even to
death; the reason they have such jealousy is, that they are vain-
glorious lovers, and the glory of that love cannot endure an equal;
that they are vain-glorious lovers, above every other genus and
species of birds, appears from their gestures, nods, gait, and the
sounds they make. That the glory of honour with men (ufri),
whether lovers or not, excites, increases, and sharpens jealousy,
has been confirmed above.

379. XIV. THE JEALOUSY WITH MEN AND HUSBANDS is DIF-
FERENT FROM THAT WITH WOMEN AND WIVES. The differences can-
not, however, be distinctly pointed out, since the jealousy of
married partners who love each other spiritually, is different from
that of married partners who love each other only naturally, and
again it is different with those who disagree in dispositions, and
also with those who have subjected their consorts to the yoke of
obedience to themselves. The jealousies of men and of women,
considered in themselves, are diverse, because from different
origins. The origin of the jealousies of men is in the understand-
ing, whereas the origin of the jealousies of women is in the will
applied to the understanding of the husband: wherefore the
jealousy of a man is like a flame of wrath and anger; whereas
that of a woman is like a fire restrained, by various fears, by
looking upon her husband, and having respect to her own love, in
a variety of ways, and by a manifold prudence in not revealing

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380] CONJUG1AL LOVE

this love to the husbands by jealousy. They differ also because
wives are loves, and men recipients thereof; and it is prejudicial
to wives to lavish their love upon the men, but it is not prejudicial
for the recipients to lavish their love on their wives. With the
spiritual, however, it is otherwise: with these the jealousies of the
man is transferred into the wife, as the love of the wife is trans-
ferred into the husband: wherefore, with both it appears like
itself against the attempts of a violator; but the jealousy of the
wife is inspired into the husband against the attempts of the
violating fornicator. and is like grief weeping and moving the
conscience.

380. To the above I shall add two Memorable Relations. The
first is as follows:

I was once in much amazement at the great multitude of men
(homines) who ascribe creation, and consequently whatever is
under the sun and above it, to nature: saying from the acknowl-
edgment of their hearts, when they see anything, "Is this not the
work of nature?" And when they are asked why they say that it
is the work of nature, and not of God, when nevertheless they
occasionally join in the general confession, that God created
nature, and therefore they might just as well say that the things
which they see are works of God as that they are the works of
nature, they return for answer, in an internal tone of voice, which
is scarcely audible, "What is God but nature?" From this per-
suasion concerning the creation of the universe by nature, and
from this insanity, which has to them the semblance of wisdom,
all such persons appear so full of their own importance, that they
regard all those who acknowledge the creation of the universe to
be from God, as so many ants which creep on the ground and
tread a beaten path, and some as butterflies which fly in the air;
calling their opinions dreams, because they see what they do not
see; and saying, "Who has seen God, and who does not see nature? 1 '

While I was in amazement at the multitude of such persons
there stood at my side an angel, who asked me, "What are you
meditating about?"

I replied, "About the multitude of those who believe that
nature created the universe."

The angel said to me, "All hell consists of such persons, who
are there called satans and devils; satans, if they have confirmed
themselves in favour of nature and therefore have denied God;
and devils, if they have lived wickedly and thereby rejected all
acknowledgment of God from their hearts; but I will lead you to
the studies (gymnasia), which are in the south-western quarter,
where such persons dwell, having not yet departed to hell."

He took me by the hand and led me there. I saw some small
houses, in which were studies, and in the midst of them one which
served as a principal hall to the rest. It was constructed of pitch-
black stones, that were covered with a sort of glazed plates that
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JEALOUSY [380

seemed to sparkle with gold and silver, like those called mica;
and here and there were interspersed shells which glittered in a
like manner.

We approached and knocked at the door, and presently some-
one opened it and said, "Be welcome." He then hastened to the
table and fetched four books, and said. "These books are the wis-
dom which at this day is the admiration of a great many king-
doms: this book or w T isdom is the admiration of many in France,
this one of many in Germany, this one of some in Holland, and
this one of some in Britain." He further said. b !f you wish to see,
I will cause these four books to shine before your eyes:"*" he then
poured forth and spread around them the glory of his own reputa-
tion, and the books presently shone as with light; but this light
instantly vanished before our eyes.

We then asked him. "'What are you now writing?'"

He replied, that he was now bringing forth from his treasures
and publishing, the things which belong to inmost wisdom, and
which in a compendium are the following: I. Whether nature be
of life, or life of nature. II. Whether the centre be of the expanse,
or the expanse of the centre. III. On the centre and expanse of
nature and of life.

Having said this, he sat down again on a chair at the table;
but we walked about in his study, w T hich was spacious. He had a
candle on the table, because the daylight of the sun did not shine
in that room, but only the nocturnal light of the moon ; and what
surprised me, the candle seemed to be carried all around the room,
and to illuminate it; but, for the w r ant of being snuffed, it gave
but little light. While he was writing, we saw images in various
forms flying from the table towards the walls, which in that noc-
turnal moonlight appeared like beautiful Indian birds; but when
we opened the door, lo! in the solar daylight they appeared like
birds of evening, with wings like network; for they were sem-
blances of truth, which by means of confirmations had been made
fallacies which were ingeniously connected together into a series
by him.

After we had seen these things, we approached the table, and
asked him what he was then writing.

He replied, "On the first point, WHETHER NATURE BE OF LIFE,
OR LIFE OF NATURE;" and on this subject he said, that he could
confirm either side, and cause it to be true; but as something lay
concealed within which excited his fears, therefore he durst only
confirm this side, that nature is of life, that is, from life, but not
that life is of nature, that is, from nature.

We then civilly asked him, what is was that lay concealed
within which excited his fears?

He replied, he was afraid lest he should be called a naturalist,
and thus an atheist, by the clergy, and a man of unsound reason
by the laity; as both the clergy and the laity either believe, from a

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380] CONJUGIAL LOVE

blind faith, or see from the sight of those who confirm that blind
faith.

But then, being impelled by a kind of indignation of zeal for
the Truth, we addressed him, saying. "Friend, you are much
deceived; your wisdom, which is only an ingenious talent for
writing, has seduced you. and the glory of reputation has led you
to confirm what you do not believe. Do you not know that the
human mind is capable of being elevated above sensual things,
which are things which are derived into the thoughts from the
bodily senses, and that when it is so elevated, it sees the things
that are of life, above, and those that are of nature, beneath?
What is life but love and wisdom? and what is nature but their
receptacle, whereby they may produce their effects or uses? Can
these possibly be one in any other sense than as the principal and
the instrumental are one? Can light be one with the eye, or sound
with the ear? Whence are the senses of the organs but from life,
and their forms but from nature? What is the human body but
an organ of life? Are not each and all things therein formed
organically to produce the things which the love wills and the
understanding thinks? Are not the organs of the body from nature,
and love and thought from life? And are not those things quite
distinct from each other? If you elevate the acumen of your
genius a little higher, you will see that being affected and thinking
belong to life, and that being affected is from love, and thinking
is from wisdom, and both are from life; for, as has been said, love
and wisdom are life. If you elevate your faculty of understanding
yet a little* higher, you will see that no love and wisdom exists,
unless its origin be somewhere or other, and that its origin is (love
itself and) wisdom itself, and consequently life itself, and these
are God from Whom is nature."

Afterwards we spoke with him about the second point,
WHETHER THE CENTRE BE OF THE EXPANSE, OR THE EXPANSE OF
THE CENTRE; and asked him why he discussed this question. He
replied, "With a view to conclude concerning the centre and
expanse of nature and of life, thus concerning the origin of the
one and the other." And when we asked him what were his senti-
ments on the subject, he answered, as in the former case, that he
could confirm either side, but that for fear of losing his reputation
he would confirm that the expanse is of the centre, that is, from
the centre; "although I know," said he, "that something existed
before the sun, and this in the universe throughout, and that these
things flowed together of themselves into order, thus into centres."

But here again we addressed him from indignant zeal, and
said, "Friend, you are insane." On hearing these words, he drew
his chair aside from the table, and looked timidly at us, and then
gave ear to us, but with a smile upon his countenance. And he
went on to say: "What is more insane than to say that the centre
is from the expanse? By your centre we understand the sun, and
by your expanse, the universe; and thus, according to you, the
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JEALOUSY [380

universe existed \vithout the sun. But does not the sun make nature
and all its properties, which depend solely on the heat and light
proceeding from the sun through the atmospheres? Where were
these things previous to the sun's existence? But whence they
originated we will state in the following discussion. Are not the
atmospheres and all things which exist on the Earth, as surfaces,
and the sun their centre? What are they all without the sun?
Could they exist a single moment apart from the sun? Conse-
quently, what are they all before the sun? Could they subsist?
Is not subsistence perpetual existence? Since, therefore, the sub-
sistence of all things of nature is from the sun, it follows that the
existence of all things must be from the same origin: every one
sees and acknowledges this from personal experience. Does not
that which is posterior subsist from what is prior, as it exists from
what is prior? Supposing the surface to be prior, and the centre
posterior, would not the prior in such case subsist from the
posterior, which yet is contrary to the laws of order? How can
posterior things produce prior, or exterior things produce interior,
or grosser things produce purer? Consequently, how can surfaces,
which constitute the expanse, produce centres? Who does not see
that this is contrary to the laws of nature? We have adduced
these arguments from a rational analysis, to prove that the expanse
exists from the centre, and not the centre from the expanse ; never-
theless every one who thinks aright, sees it to be so without the
help of such arguments. You have asserted, that the expanse
flowed together of itself into a centre: did it thus flow by chance
into so wonderful and stupendous an order, that one thing exists
for the sake of another, and each and all things for the sake of
man, and his eternal life? Is it possible for nature, from any love,
through any wisdom, to provide such things? And can nature
make angels of men, and heaven of angels? Ponder these things,
and think, and your idea of the existence of nature from nature
will fall to the ground."

Afterwards we asked him what he used to think, and now
thought, about the third point, THE CENTRE AND EXPANSE OF
NATURE AND OF LIFE; whether he believed that the centre and
expanse of life are the same with the centre and expanse of nature.

He said that he was in doubt about it, and that he formerly
thought that the interior activity of nature is life, and that love
and wisdom, which essenially constitute the life of man, are
derived thence; and that the sun's fire, through heat and light, by
means of the atmospheres, produce them ; but that now, from what
he had heard about the eternal life of men, he was in doubt, and
that this doubt sometimes carried his mind upwards, sometimes
downward; and that when his mind was carried upwards, he
acknowledged a centre of which he had previously known nothing;
but when downwards, he saw a centre which he believed to be the
only one; and that life is from the centre of which he had pre-
viously known nothing, and that nature is from the centre which

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380] COMUGIAL LOVE

he previously believed to he the only one; and that each center
has an expanse around it.

To this we said. Good, if he would only look at the centre and
expanse of nature from the centre and expanse of life, and not
contrariwise; and we instructed him, that above the angelic heaven
there is a sun which is pure love, in appearance fiery like the sun
of the world; and that from the heat which proceeds from that
sun, angels and men derive will and love, and from its light they
derive understanding and wisdom; and that the things which
belong to life, are called spiritual things, and that those which
proceed from the sun of the world, are continents of life, and are
called natural things; also that the expanse of the centre of life
is called the SPIRITUAL WORLD, which subsists from its own sun.
and that the expanse of nature is called the NATURAL WORLD, which
subsists from its own sun. Now, since spaces and times cannot be
predicated of love and wisdom, but states instead of them, it
follows, that the expanse around the sun of the angelic heaven is
not an extense, but that nevertheless it is in the extense of the
natural sun; and is with the living subjects therein according to
their receptions ; and their receptions are according to their forms.

But he then asked, "Whence comes the fire of the sun of the
world, or of nature?"

We replied, that it is from the sun of the angelic heaven, which
is not fire, but the Divine Love proximately proceeding from God,
Who is love itself. As he was surprised at this, we proved it thus :
"Love in its essence is spiritual fire; hence it is, that fire in the
Word, in its spiritual sense, signifies love. It is on this account
that priests, when officiating in temples, pray that heavenly fire
may fill their hearts, by which they mean love. The fire of the
altar, and the fire of the candlestick in the tabernacle among the
Israelites, representing nothing else than the Divine Love. The heat
of the blood, or the vital heat of men, and of animals in general,
is from no other source than from the love which constitutes their
life: hence it is that a man is enkindled, grows warm, and is in-
flamed, when his love is exalted into zeal, anger, and wrath : where-
fore from the fact, that spiritual heat, which is love, produces
natural heat with men, even to the kindling and inflaming of their
faces and limbs, it may be manifest, that the fire of the natural
sun has come into existence from no other source than the fire of
the spiritual sun, which is the Divine Love. Now, since the expanse
originates from the centre, and not the centre from the expanse,
as we said above, and the centre of life, which is the sun of the
angelic heaven, is the Divine Love proximately proceeding from
God, Who is in the midst of that sun; and since the expanse of
that centre, which is called the spiritual world, is derived thence;
and since from that sun the sun of the world came into existence,
and from the latter its expanse, which is called the natural world;
it is evident, that the universe was created by the one God."

After this we took our leave; and he accompanied us outside
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JEALOL'SY [381.382

the court of his study, and conversed with u? ahout heaven and
hell, and the Divine government, with a ne\v .sagacity of genius.

381. The Second Memorable Relation:

Once as I was looking around into the state of spirits, I saw at
a distance a palace surrounded and as it were besieged by a crowd:
I also saw many running towards it. Wondering what this could
mean, I speedily left the house, and asked one of those who were
running, what w T as the matter at the palace?

He replied, that three new-comers from the world had been
taken up into a heaven, and had there seen magnificent things, also
maidens and wives of astonishing beauty; and that being let down
from that heaven they had entered into that palace, and related
what they had seen; especially that they had beheld such beauties
as their eyes had never before seen, nor can see, unless enlightened
by the light of the heavenly aura. Respecting themselves they
said, that in the world they had been orators from the kingdom of
France, and had applied themselves to the study of eloquence, and
that now they were seized with a desire of making an oration on
the origin of beauty. When this was made known in the neighbor-
hood, the multitude flocked together to hear them.

Upon hearing these particulars, I myself also hastened, and
entered the palace, and saw the three men standing in the midst,
dressed in long robes of a sapphire colour, which, having threads
of gold in their texture, at every movement shone as if they had
been golden. They stood behind a kind of pulpit, ready to speak;
and presently one of them rose on a step behind the pulpit to
deliver an oration on the origin of the beauty of the feminine sex,
in the following words:

382. "What is the origin of beauty but love, which, when it
flows in into the eyes of young men and sets them on fire, becomes
beauty? wherefore love and beauty are the same thing; for love,
from the inmost, suffuses the face of a marriageable maiden with
a certain flame, from the transparence of which is derived the
dawn and bloom of her life. Who does not know that that flame
sends rays into her eyes, and spreads from these as centres into
the whole of the face, and also descends into the breast, and sets
the heart on fire, and thus affects (a young man), just as a fire
with its heat and light affects a person standing near it? That
heat is love, and that light is the beauty of love. The whole world
agrees in affirming that every one is lovely and beautiful accord-
ing to his or her love; but nevertheless the love of the male sex is
different from the love of the female sex. Male love is the love of
becoming wise, and female love is the love of loving the love of
becoming wise in the male; in proportion therefore as a young
man is the love of becoming wise, in the same proportion he is
lovely and beautiful to a maiden; and in proportion as a maiden
is the love of a young man's wisdom, in the same proportion she

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383,384] CONJUGIAL LOVE

is lovely and beautiful to the young man; wherefore as love meets
and kisses the love of another, so also do beauties. I conclude
therefore that love forms beauty into a resemblance of itself."

383. After him arose a second, in order to reveal the origin of
beauty by an elegant speech. He said, "I have heard that love is
the origin of beauty; but I cannot agree with this opinion. What
human being knows what love is? Who has ever contemplated it
with any idea of thought? Who has ever seen it with the eye? Tell
me where it is. But I assert that wisdom is the origin of beauty ;
in women a wisdom which lies inmostly concealed and stored up,
in men a wisdom which manifests itself, and is apparent. When is
a man (homo) a man, but from wisdom? Were it not from thence,
a man would be a statue or a picture. What does a maiden attend
to in a young man, but the quality of his wisdom; and what does
a young man attend to in a maiden, but the quality of her affection
of his wisdom? By wisdom I mean genuine morality; because this
is the wisdom of life. Hence it is, that when the wisdom which
lies concealed, approaches and embraces the wisdom which is
manifest, which takes place interiorly in the spirit of both, they
mutually kiss and become conjoined, and this is called love; and
then they both appear beautiful to each other. In a word, wisdom
is like the light or brightness of fire, which delicately touches the
eyes, and in the act forms beauty."

384. After him the third arose, and spoke as follows:
''Neither love alone, nor wisdom alone, is the origin of beauty,
but the union of love and wisdom; the union of love with (its
own) wisdom in a young man, and the union of wisdom with its
own love in a maiden. For a maiden does not love wisdom in
herself but in the young man, and therefore sees him as beauty ;
and when the young man sees this in the maiden, he then sees her
as beauty; wherefore love forms the beauty through the wisdom,
and the wisdom receives it from the love. That this is the case,
appears manifestly in heaven. I have seen maidens and wives there,
and have attentively considered their beauties, and have seen, that
beauty in maidens is quite different from beauty in wives; in
maidens there is only the brightness, but in wives the resplendes-
cence of beauty. I saw the difference like that between a diamond
sparkling with light, and a ruby flashing at the same time with
fire. What is beauty but the delight of the sight? In what does
this delight originate but in the sporting of love and wisdom?
From this sporting the sight glows, and this glowing vibrates from
eye to eye, and presents beauty (to the sight). What constitutes
beauty of face, but redness and whiteness, and the lovely inter-
mingling of the one with the other? Is not the redness from love,
^nd the whiteness from wisdom? for love is red by reason of its
fire, and wisdom is white by reason of its light. Both these I have
clearly seen in the faces of two married partners in heaven; the

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JEALOUSY [384

redness of whiteness in the wife, and the whiteness of redness in
the husband; and I observed that they shone in consequence of
their mutually looking at each other."

When the third had thus spoken, the assembly applauded and
cried out, "'This is the winner." Then on a sudden, a flaming light,
which is also the light of conjugial love, filled the house with
splendor, and, at the same time, their hearts with pleasantness.

323

THE CONJUNCTION OF CONJUGIAL LOVE WITH
THE LOVE OF CHILDREN

385. There are evidences that clearly show that conjugial love
and the love of children, which is called storge, are conjoined:
and there are also evidences which may induce a belief that they
are not conjoined; for the love of children exists with married
partners who love each other from the heart, and it exists also
with married partners who disagree at heart, and likewise with
those who are separated from each other, and sometimes it is more
tender, and stronger with the latter than the former. But that
nevertheless the love of children is always conjoined with con-
jugial love, may be manifest from the origin from which it flows
in; for although this origin is varied with the recipients, those
loves nevertheless remain inseparable, just as the first end in the
last end, which is the effect. The first end of conjugial love is the
procreation of offspring, and the last end, which is the effect, is
the offspring that is procreated. That the first end enters into the
effect, and is therein as in its first origin, and does not withdraw
from it, may be seen from a rational view of the progression of
ends and causes in their order to effects. But, since the reasonings
of the generality commence merely from effects, and from them
proceed to some consequences thence resulting, and do not com-
mence from causes, and from them proceed analytically to effects,
and so forth; therefore the rational things of light cannot but
become the obscure things of cloud, whence come deviations from
truth, arising from appearances and fallacies. But in order that it
may be seen that conjugial love and the love of children are
interiorly conjoined, although exteriorly disjoined, it shall be
demonstrated in the following order:

L Two universal spheres proceed from the Lord to preserve
the universe in its created states; of which the one is the sphere
of procreating, and the other the sphere of protecting the things
procr-eated.

II. Those two universal spheres make a one with the sphere of
conjugial love and the sphere of the love of children.

III. Those two spheres universally and singularly flow in into
all things of heaven and all things of the world, from first to last.

IV. The sphere of the love of children is a sphere of protection
and support of those who are unable to protect and support them-
selves.

V. That sphere affects both the eml and the good, and disposes
every one to love, protect, and support his offspring out of setf-love.

ITS CONJUNCTION WITH LOVE OF CHILDREN [386

VI. This sphere principally affects the female sex, thus mothers,
and the male sex, or fathers, by derivation from them.

VII. This sphere is also a sphere of innocence and peace from
the Lord.

VIIL The sphere of innocence flows in into the children, and
through them into the parents, and affects (them).

IX. It also flows in into the souls of the parents, and conjoins
itself with the same sphere in the children; and it is chiefly in-
sinuated by means of the touch.

X. In the degree in which innocence departs from children,
affection and conjunction also abate, and this successively even to
separation.

XL The state of rational innocence and peace with the parents
towards the children is (grounded in the circumstance), that they
know nothing and can do nothing from themselves, but from
others, especially from the father and mother; and this state also
successively departs, in proportion as they know and have ability
from themselves and not from others.

XIL That sphere progresses in order from th-e end through the
causes into the effects, and makes periods, by means of which
creation is preserved in the state foreseen and provided for.

XIII. The love of children descends, and does not ascend.

XIV. Wives have one state of love before conception, and a
different state after conception even to the birth.

XV. With parents, conjugial love is conjoined with the love
of children by spiritual causes, and thence by natural ones.

XVI. The love of little children and older children is different
with spiritual married partners from what it is with natural ones.

XVII. With the spiritual that love is from what is interior or
prior, but with the natural from what is exterior or posterior.

XVIII. Hence it is, that that love exists with married partners
who mutually love each other, and also with married partners who
do not love each other at all.

XIX. The love of children remains after death, especially with
women.

XX. Children are educated under the Lord's auspices by such
women, and grow in stature and intelligence as in the world.

XXI. It is there provided by the Lord, that with those children
the innocence of childhood should become the innocence of
wisdom, and that thus the children should become angels.

Now follows the explanation of these articles.

386. I. TWO UNIVERSAL SPHERES PROCEED FROM THE LORD TO
PRESERVE THE UNIVERSE IN ITS CREATED STATE; OF WHICH THE
ONE IS THE SPHERE OF PROCREATING, AND THE OTHER THE SPHERE

OF PROTECTING THE THINGS PROCREATED. The Divine which pro-
ceeds from the Lord is called a sphere, because it goes forth from
Him, encompasses Him, fills both worlds, the spiritual and the
natural, and operates the effects of those ends which the Lord

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387, 388] CONJUGIAL LOVE

predestinated at the creation, and for which He provides ever since
the creation. All that which flows forth from a subject, and sur-
rounds and environs it, is called a sphere; as for example, the
sphere of light and heat from the sun around it, the sphere of life
from man around him, the sphere of odour from a plant around
it, the sphere of attraction from the magnet around it, and so forth.
But the universal spheres which are here being treated of, are
from the Lord around Him ; and they proceed from the sun of the
spiritual world, in the midst of which He is. From the Lord, by
means of that sun, proceeds a sphere of heat and light, or what is
the same, a sphere of love and wisdom, to operate ends, which are
uses; but that sphere, according to the uses, is distinguished by
various names. The Divine sphere which provides for the preser-
vation of the universe in its created state by means of successive
generations, is called the sphere of procreating; and the Divine
sphere which provides for the preservation of generations in their
beginnings, and afterwards in their progressions, is called the
sphere of protecting the things procreated. Besides these two
spheres, there are many other Divine spheres, which are named
according to their uses, consequently variously, see above, no. 222.
The operations of uses through those spheres are the Divine
Providence.

387. II. THOSE TWO UNIVERSAL SPHERES MAKE A ONE WITH

THE SPHERE OF CONJUGIAL LOVE AND THE SPHERE OF THE LOVE

OF CHILDREN. That the sphere of conjugial love makes a one with
the sphere of procreating, is evident; for procreation is the end,
and conjugial love the mediate cause by means of which (the end
is promoted), and the end and cause act in unity, because together,
in the things to be effected and in the effects. That the sphere of
the love of children makes a one with the sphere of protecting the
things procreated, is also evident, because it is the end proceeding
from the prior end, which was procreation, and the love of chil-
dren is its mediate cause by which (it is promoted) : for ends pro-
gress in a series, one after another, and in their progress the last
end becomes the first, and thus (progresses) further, even to the
boundary, in which they subsist or cease. But on this subject more
will be seen in the explanation of article XII.

388. III. THOSE TWO SPHERES UNIVERSALLY AND SINGULARLY

FLOW IN INTO ALL THINGS OF HEAVEN AND ALL THINGS OF THE

WORLD, FROM FIRST TO LAST. It is said universally and singularly,
because when mention is made of a universal, the singulars of
which it is composed are meant at the same time; for a universal
exists from and consists of singulars; thus it takes its name from
them, as a whole exists from, consists of, and takes its name from
its parts; wherefore, if you take away the singulars, the universal
is a mere name, and is like a mere surface within which there is
nothing; wherefore, to attribute tp Gpd universal government,
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ITS CONJUNCTION WITH LOVE OF CHILDREN [389-391

and to take away the singulars, is vain talk and empty preaching.
The comparison \vith the universal government of the kings of the
earth is not to the purpose. From this ground then it is said, that
those two spheres flow in universally and singularly.

389. The reasons why the spheres of procreating and of pro-
tecting the things procreated, or the spheres of conjugial love and
the love of children, flow in into all things of heaven and all things
of the world, from first to last, is. that all things which proceed
from the Lord, or from the sun which is from Him and in which
He is, pervade the created universe, even to the last things of all.
The reason is, that Divine things, which in progression are called
celestial and spiritual, have no relation to space and time. That
extension cannot be predicated of spiritual things, because space
and time cannot be predicated of them, is known : hence it is, that
whatever proceeds from the Lord, is in an instant from first things
in last things. That the sphere of conjugial love is thus universal,
see above, nos. 222-225. That the sphere of the love of children
likewise is universal, is evident from that love's existing in heaven,
where there are children from the earths; and from that love's
existing in the world with human beings, beasts and birds, serpents
and insects. Analogues of this love exist also in the vegetable and
mineral kingdoms; in the vegetable, in that seeds are guarded by
shells or husks as by swaddling clothes, and moreover are in the
fruit as in a house, and are nourished with juice as with milk;
that there is something similar in minerals, is plain from the
matrices and external coverings, in which noble gems and metals
are hidden and guarded.

390. The reason why the sphere of procreating, and the sphere
of protecting the things procreated, make a one in a continual
series, is, that the love of procreating is continued into the love of
what is procreated. The quality of the love of procreating is known
from its delight, which is supereminent and transcendent. In this
delight is the state of procreation with men, and in an eminent
degree the state of reception with women. The highest delight
with its love is continued even to the birth, and there attains its
fullness.

391. IV. THE SPHERE OF THE LOVE OF CHILDREN is A SPHERE

OF PROTECTION AND SUPPORT OF THOSE WHO ARE UNABLE TO PRO-
TECT AND SUPPORT THEMSELVES. That the operations of uses by
the Lord through spheres proceeding from Him, are the Divine
Providence, was stated above, no. 386; this (Divine Providence)
therefore is meant by the sphere of protection and support of
those who are unable to protect and support themselves: for it is
of creation, that the things created must be preserved, guarded,
protected, and supported: otherwise the universe would fall to
ruin. But since this cannot be done immediately by the Lord with
living creatures, who are left to their own. choice,, it is done

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329, 393] CONJUGIAL LOVE

mediately through His love implanted in fathers, mothers, and
nurses. That their love is love from the Lord with them, they them-
selves do not know, because they do not perceive the influx, and
still less the omnipresence, of the Lord. But who does not see,
that this is not of nature, but of the Divine Providence operating in
nature through nature; and that such a universal principle cannot
exist except from God, through a certain spiritual sun which is in
the centre of the universe, and whose operation, being apart from
space and time, is instant and present from first things in last
things? But in what manner that Divine operation, which is the
Lord's Divine Providence, is received by animate subjects, will be
stated in what follows. That mothers and fathers protect and sup-
port their children, because they are not able to protect and sup-
port themselves, is not the cause of that love, but it is a rational
cause derived from that love's falling into the understanding; for
man, from this cause alone, without love inspired and inspiring it,
or without law and punishment compelling him, would no more
provide for his children than a statue.

392. V. THAT SPHERE AFFECTS BOTH THE EVIL AND THE GOOD,

AND DISPOSES EVERY ONE TO LOVE, PROTECT, AND SUPPORT HIS OFF-
SPRING OUT OF SELF-LOVE. Experience testifies that the love of
children, or storge, exists equally with the evil and the good, and
likewise with tame and wild beasts; yea, that sometimes it is
stronger and more ardent with evil human beings, and also with
wild beasts. The reason is that all love proceeding from the Lord
and flowing in into subjects, is changed in the subject into the love
of its life; for every animate subject has no other sensation than
that it loves of itself, for it does not perceive the influx; and while
also it actually loves itself, it makes the love of children proper
to itself, or its own; for it sees as it were itself in them, and them
in itself, and itself thus united with them. Hence also it is that
that love is fiercer with wild beasts, as with lions and lionesses, he
and she bears, leopards and leopardesses, he and she wolves, and
others of a like nature, than with horses, deer, goats, and sheep;
the reason is, that those wild beasts have dominion over the tame
ones, and therefore the love of self is predominant, and this love
loves itself in its offspring; wherefore, as has been stated, the
influent love is turned into self-love. Such an inversion of the in-
fluent love into self-love, and the consequent protection and sup-
port of the offspring and progeny by evil parents, is of the Lord's
"Divine Providence; for otherwise there would remain but few of
the human race, and none of the savage beasts, which, neverthe-
less, are of use. From these considerations it is evident, that every
one is disposed to love, protect, and support his offspring, out of
self-love.

393. VI. THIS SPHERE PRINCIPALLY AFFECTS THE FEMALE SEX,

THUS MOTHERS, AND THE MALE SEX, OR FATHERS, BY DERIVATION
328

ITS CONJUNCTION WITH LOVE OF CHILDREN [394, 395

FROM THEM. This follows from the same origin that was treated
of above, namely, that the sphere of conjugial love is received by
the women, and through them is transferred to the men: because
women are born loves of the understanding of the men, and the
understanding is a recipient. The case is the same with the love of
children, because this is originally from conjugial love. It is
known that mothers have a most tender love of children, and
fathers a less tender love. That the love of children is inscribed
on conjugial love, into which women are born, is evident from
the amiable and endearing affection of girls towards little chil-
dren, and towards their dolls, which they carry, dress, kiss, and
press to their bosoms: boys do not possess any such affection. It
appears as if mothers derived the love of children from nourish-
ing them in the w r omb out of their ow r n blood, and consequently
from the appropriation of their life, and thus from sympathetic
union: but nevertheless this is not the origin of that love; for if
another child were to be substituted after birth, without the
mother's knowledge, in the place of the genuine child, the mother
would love it with equal tenderness as if it were her own: more-
over, children are sometimes loved by their nurses more than by
their mothers. From these considerations it follows, that that love
is from no other source than from the conjugial love implanted
in every woman, to which is adjoined the love of conceiving, by
the delight of which the wife is prepared for reception. This is
the first of the above love, which with its delight after the birth
passes fully to the offspring.

394. VII. THIS SPHERE is ALSO A SPHERE OF INNOCENCE AND
PEACE (FROM THE LORD). Innocence and peace are the two in-
most things of heaven: they are called inmost because they pro-
ceed immediately from the Lord; for the Lord is innocence itself
and peace itself. By reason of innocence the Lord is called a
Lamb, and by reason of peace He says, "Peace / leave with you:
My peace I give unto you" (John xiv. 27) ; and He is also meant
by the peace with which the disciples were to salute a city or a
house which they entered ; and of which it is said, that if it were
worthy, peace would come upon it, and if not worthy, peace would
return (Matt. x. 11-15). Hence also the Lord is called the Prince
of Peace (Isaiah ix. 5, (6). A further reason why innocence and
peace are the inmost things of heaven, is, that innocence is the
esse of all good, and peace is the blessedness of every delight
which is of good. See the Work on Heaven and Hell concerning
the state of innocence of the angels of heaven, nos. 276-283 ; and
concerning the state of peace in heaven, nos. 284-290.

395. VIII. THE SPHERE OF INNOCENCE FLOWS IN INTO THE

CHILDREN, AND THROUGH THEM INTO THE PARENTS. AND AFFECTS

(THEM). It is known that children are innocences; but it is not
known that their innocence flows in from the Lord. It flows in

. 329

396] CONJUGIAL LOVE

from the Lord, because, as was said just above. He is innocence
itself; neither can anything flow in, since it cannot exist, except
from its first beginning, which is Very Entity (Ipsum I Hud) . But
the quality of the innocences of childhood, which affects the
parents, shall be stated in a few words. It shines forth from their
face, from some of their gestures, and from their first speech, and
affects (them). They have innocence, because they do not think
from the Interior; for they do not as yet know what is good and
evil, and what is true and false, as a basis of thought; consequently
they do not possess prudence from the proprium ; nor any deliber-
ate purpose, and thus no end of evil. They have no proprium
acquired from the love of self and the love of the world; they do
not attribute anything to themselves; they refer to their parents
whatever they receive; they are content with the trifles which are
given them as presents; they have no solicitude about food and
raiment, nor about the future; they do not look to the world, nor
desire many things thence; they love their parents, their nurses,
and their child companions, with whom they play in innocence;
they suffer themselves to be guided, they hearken and obey. This
is the innocence of childhood, which is the cause of the love called
storge.

396. IX. IT ALSO FLOWS IN INTO THE SOULS OF THE PARENTS,

AND CONJOINS ITSELF WITH THE SAME SPHERE IN THE CHILDREN;
AND IT IS CHIEFLY INSINUATED BY MEANS OF THE TOUCH. The

Lord's innocence flows in into the angels of the third heaven,
where all are in the innocence of wisdom, and passes through the
lower heavens, but only through the innocences of the angels there-
in, and thus immediately and mediately into children. These are
hardly anything else than graven forms; but nevertheless they
are receptible of life from the Lord through the heavens. Yet,
unless the parents also received that influx in their souls, and in
the inmosts of their minds, they would in vain be affected by the
innocence of the children. There must be something adequate and
similar in another, whereby communication may be effected, and
which may cause reception, affection, and thence conjunction;
otherwise it would be like soft seed falling upon a flint, or a Iamb
exposed to a wolf. Hence then it is, that innocence flowing in into
the souls of the parents, conjoins itself with the innocence of the
children. Experience may teach that, with the parents, this con-
junction is effected by the mediation of the bodily senses, but
especially by means of the touch: as that the sight is inmostly
delighted by seeing them, the hearing by their speech, the smell
by their odour. That the communication and therefore the con-
junction of innocences is chiefly effected by means of the touch,
is evidently from the pleasantness of carrying them in their arms,
from embracing and kissing them, especially with mothers, who
are delighted by laying their mouth and face upon their bosoms,
and at die same time by their touching the same with the palms
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ITS CONJUNCTION WITH LOVE OF CHILDREN [397-399

of ^their hands, in general, by their sucking the breasts, and their
being fed by their milk, moreover, by stroking their naked body,
and by the unwearied pains they take in washing and dressing
them on their knees. That the communications of love and of
its delights between married partners are effected through the
sense of touch, has been proved above in several passages. The
reason why communications of the mind are also effected through
the same sense is, that the hands are a man's ultimates, and the
first things of man, or his primes, are at the same time in his last
things, or in his ultimates; by that (sense) also all the interme-
diate things of the body and mind are kept together in unbroken
connection. Hence it is that Jesus touched little children (Matt.
xix. 13-15; Mark x. 13-16) ; and that He healed the sick by the
touch : and that those who touched Him were healed. Hence* also
it is, that inaugurations into the priesthood are at the present day
effected by the laying on of hands. From these considerations it
is evident, that the innocence of parents and the innocence of chil-
dren meet through the touch, especially of the hands, and thereby
conjoin themselves as by kisses.

397. That innocence operates similar things with beasts and
birds as with human beings, by contact, is known: the reason is,
that all that proceeds from the Lord, is an instant pervades the
universe (see above, nos. 388-390) ; and as it proceeds by degrees,
and by continual mediations, therefore it passes not only to
animals, but also further, to plants and minerals (see no. 389) :
it also passes into the earth itself, which is the mother of all plants
and minerals ; for the earth, in spring time, is in a prepared state
for the reception of seeds, as it were in the womb; and when it
receives them, it, as it were, conceives, cherishes, carries in the
womb, brings forth, suckles, nourishes, clothes, educates, guards,
and, as it were, loves the offspring from them, and so forth. Since
the sphere of procreation proceeds thus far, how much more must
It not proceed to animals of every kind, even to worms? That as
the earth is the common mother of plants, so there is also a com-
mon mother of bees in every hive, is a well established fact.

398. X. IN THE DEGREE IN WHICH INNOCENCE DEPARTS FROM
CHILDREN, AFFECTION AND CONJUNCTION ALSO ABATE, AND THIS

SUCCESSIVELY EVEN TO SEPARATION. It is known that the love of
children, or storge, departs from parents according as innocence
departs from them; and that with human beings it departs even
to the separation of the older children from the home, and, with
beasts and birds, to a rejection from their presence, and a total
f orgetfulness that they are of their stock. From this circumstance,
as an established fact, it may be further manifest, that innocence
flowing in on both sides produces the love called storge.

399. XL THE STATE OF RATIONAL INNOCENCE AND PEACE WITH

331

400] CONJUGIAL LOVE

THE PARENTS TOWARDS THE CHILDREN, IS ('ON ACCOUNT OF THE
CIRCUMSTANCE), THAT THEY KNOW NOTHING AND CAN DO NOTHING
FROM THEMSELVES, BUT FROM OTHERS, ESPECIALLY FROM THE
FATHER AND MOTHER; AND THIS STATE (ALSO) SUCCESSIVELY
DEPARTS, IN PROPORTION AS THEY KNOW AND HAVE ABILITY FROM
THEMSELVES AND NOT FROM OTHERS. That the sphere of the love
of children is a sphere of protection and support of those who are
not able to protect and support themselves, was shown above in its
proper article, no. 391. That this is only a rational cause with
man, but not the very essential cause of that love with them, was
also mentioned in the same article. The real original cause of
that love is innocence from the Lord, which flows in while the man
is ignorant of it, and produces the above rational cause ; wherefore
as the first cause produces a departure from that love, so also
does this second cause at the same time; or, what is the same
thing, as the communication of innocence departs, so also the per-
suading reason accompanies it ; but this is the case only with man,
to the intent that he may do what he does from freedom according
to reason, and that from reason, as from a rational and at the
same time moral law, he may support his adult offspring accord-
ing to necessity and usefulness. This second cause does not influ-
ence animals who are devoid of reason, they being influenced only
by the prior cause, which to them is instinct.

400. XII. THE SPHERE OF THE LOVE OF PROCREATING PRO-
GRESSES IN ORDER FROM THE END THROUGH THE CAUSES INTO
EFFECTS, AND MAKES PERIODS, BY MEANS OF WHICH CREATION IS
PRESERVED IN THE STATE FORESEEN AND PROVIDED FOR. All the

operations in the universe progress from ends through causes into
effects. These three are in themselves indivisible, although in the
ideas they appear as if they were divided; but nevertheless the
end is not anything there unless the effect which is intended is seen
together with it; nor does either of them become anything, unless
the cause supports, provides for, and conjoins. Such a progression
is inscribed on every man in general, and in every particular, just
as the will, the understanding, and the action: every end there
belongs to the will, every cause belongs to the understanding, and
every effect belongs to the action; in like manner, every end be-
longs to the love, every instrumental cause belongs to wisdom,
and every effect thence belongs to use. The reason is, that the
receptacle of love is the will, the receptacle of wisdom is the under-
standing, and the receptacle of use is the action. Since therefore
operations in general and in particular with man progress, from
the will through the understanding into the act, so also do they
progress from love through wisdom into use. By wisdom is here
meant all that which belongs to judgment and thought. That these
three are a one in the effect, is evident. That they also make a one
in ideas before the effect, is perceived from the fact, that deter-
mination only intervenes; for in the mind an end goes forth from
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ITS COX JUNCTION WITH LOVE OF CHILDREN [401, 402

the will and produces for itself a cause in the understanding, and
presents to itself an intention; and an intention is an act before
determination: hence it is, that by a wise man, and also by the
Lord, an intention is accepted as an act. What rational person
cannot see, or, when he hears, acknowledge, that these three things
flow forth from some first cause, and that that cause is, that from
the Lord, the Creator and Preserver of the universe, there contin-
ually proceed love, wisdom, and use, and these three as a one?
Tell, if you can, in what other source they originate.

401. A like progression from the end through the cause into
the effect belongs also to the sphere of procreating and of protect-
ing the things procreated. In this case, the end is the will or love
of procreating; the mediate cause, through which and into which
the end introduces itself, is conjugial love: the progressive series
of efficient causes is the loving, conception, gestation of the embryo
or offspring to be procreated ; and the effect is the procreated off-
spring itself. But although the end, the cause, and the effect pro-
gress successively as three things, yet, nevertheless, in the love
of procreating, and inwardly in each of the causes, and in the
effect itself, they make a one. It is only the efficient causes that
progress through times, because in nature; while the end, or the
will, or the love, remains constantly the same: for the ends pro-
gress in nature through times without time; but they cannot come
forth and manifest themselves, until the effect or use comes into
existence and becomes a subject; before this, that love could love
only the progression, but could not secure and fix itself. That
there are periods of such progressions, and that by means of them
creation is preserved in the state foreseen and provided for, is
known. But the series of the love of children from its greatest to
its least, thus to the boundary in which it subsists or ceases, is
retrograde, since it is according to the decrease of innocence in the
subject, and also on account of the periods.

402. XIII. THE LOVE OF CHILDREN DESCENDS, AND DOES NOT
ASCEND. That it descends from generation to generation, or from
sons and daughters to grandsons and granddaughters, and does
not ascend from these to fathers and mothers of families, is known.
The cause of its increase in descent is the love of fructifying, or of
producing uses, and, in respect to the human race, it is the love
of multiplying it; but this derives its origin solely from the Lord,
Who, in the multiplication of the human race, regards the preser-
vation of creation, and, as the ultimate end thereof, the angelic
heaven, which is solely from the human race; and since the angelic
heaven is the end of ends, and thus the love of loves with the Lord,
therefore there is implanted in the souls of men, not only the love
of procreating, but also of loving the things procreated in their
successions: hence also it is, that this love exists only with man,
and not with any beast or bird. That this love with man descends

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403405] CONJVGIAL LOVE

increasing, is also consequence of the glory of honour, which in
like manner increases with him according to augmentations. That
the love of honour and glory receives into itself the love of chil-
dren that flows in from the Lord, and makes it as it were its own.
will be seen in article XVI.

403. XIV. WIVES HAVE ONE STATE OF LOVE BEFORE CONCEP-
TION, AND A DIFFERENT STATE AFTER CONCEPTION, EVEN TO THE
BIRTH. This is adduced to the end that it may be known, that the
love of procreating, and the consequent love of w r hat has been
procreated, is implanted in the conjugial love with women, and
that with them those two loves are divided, when the end, which is
the love of procreating, begins its progression. That the love called
storge is then transferred from the wife to the husband, and also
that the love of procreating, which, as has been said, with a woman
makes one with her conjugial love, is then not alike, is evident
from several indications.

404. XV. WITH PARENTS, CONJUGIAL LOVE is CONJOINED WITH

THE LOVE OF CHILDREN BY SPIRITUAL CAUSES, AND THENCE BY

NATURAL ONES. The spiritual causes are, that the human race may
be multiplied, and from this the angelic heaven enlarged, and that
thereby such may be born as will become angels, serving the Lord
to do uses in heaven, and by consociation with men also in the
earths ; for every man has angels associated with him by the Lord ;
and such is his conjunction with them, that if they were to be
taken away, he would instantly die. The natural causes of the con-
junction of those two loves are, to effect the birth of those who
may promote uses in human societies, and may be incorporated
therein as members. That the latter are the natural and the former
the spiritual causes of the love of children and of conjugial love,
even the married partners themselves think and sometimes declare,
saying that they have enriched heaven with as many angels as they
have had descendants, and have furnished society with as many
servants as they have had children.

405. XVI. THE LOVE OF LITTLE CHILDREN AND OLDER CHIL-
DREN IS DIFFERENT WITH SPIRITUAL MARRIED PARTNERS FROM WHAT
IT IS WITH NATURAL ONES. With spiritual married paftners the love
of children, as to appearance, is like the love of children with
natural married partners; but it is more inward, and therefore
more tender, because that love exists from innocence, and from a
nearer reception of innocence, and thereby a more present percep-
tion of it in oneself; for the spiritual are spiritual in proportion
as they partake of innocence. But (spiritual) fathers and mothers,
after they have sipped the sweetness of innocence in their children,
love their older children quite differently from what natural
fathers and mothers do. The spiritual love their children on
account of their spiritual intelligence and moral life; thus they

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ITS CONJUNCTION WITH LOVE OF CHILDREN [406

love them on account of their fear of God and actual piety, or
piety of life, and at the same time on account of their affection
for and application to uses which are of service to society, conse-
quently from the virtues and good morals in them. It is chiefly
from the love of these things that they provide for, and administer
to, their necessities; wherefore if they do not see such things in
them, they alienate their mind from them, and only do anything
for them from a sense of duty. With natural fathers and mothers
the love of children is indeed also from innocence: but when the
innocence is received by them, it is entwined around their own
self-love, and consequently they love their children from this love,
and at the same time from that innocence, kissing, embracing, and
dandling them, hugging them to their bosoms, and caressing them
beyond all bounds, and they regard them as one heart and soul
with themselves; and afterwards, after their state of childhood
even to puberty and beyond it, when innocence is no longer opera-
tive, they do not love them on account of any fear of God and
actual piety, or piety of life, nor on account of any rational and
moral intelligence in them; and they regard very slightly, if at
all, their internal affections, and thence their virtures and good
morals, but only their externals, which they favour. To these ex-
ternals their love is adjoined, attached, and cemented: hence also
they close their eyes to their faults, excusing and favouring them.
The reason is, that with such parents the love of their off spring is
also the love of self; and this love cleaves to the subject out-
wardly, and does not enter into it, as self does not enter into itself.

406. The quality of the love of children and the love of older
children with the spiritual, and its quality with the natural, is
clearly discerned from them after death; for most fathers, when
they come into the other life, remember their children who have
died before them; they are also presented to and recognize each
other. Spiritual fathers only look at them, and inquire as to their
present state, rejoice if it is well with them, and grieve if it is ill;
and after some conversation, instruction, and admonition about
heavenly moral life, they separate from them, and before separa-
tion they teach them that they are no longer to be remembered as
fathers, because the Lord is the only Father to all in heaven,
according to* His words in Matthew xxiii. 9: and that they never
remember them as their children. But natural fathers, as soon as
they become conscious that they are living after death, and recall
to memory their children who have died before them, and when,
according to their wish, they are presented to each other, instantly
become conjoined with them, and they cleave together, like sticks
tied up into bundles; and the father is then continually delighted
to look at them and talk to them. If the father is told that some
of his children are satans, and that they have done injuries to the
good, he nevertheless keeps them in a group around him, or in a
troop before him; if he himself sees that they inflict injuries and

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407409] CONJUGIAL LOVE

commit evils, yet he pays no attention to it, nor does he disasso-
ciate any of them from himself. Wherefore in order to prevent
the continuance of such a dangerous company, they are of neces-
sity committed all together to hell ; and there the father is shut up
in confinement before his children, and the children are separated,
and each one is sent away to the place of his own life.

407. To the above I will add this wonderful relation: in the
spiritual world I have seen fathers, who, from hatred, and as it
were rage, had looked at children who were presented before their
eyes, with a mind so savage, that if they could, they would have
killed them ; but on its being hinted to them, though without truth,
that they were their own children, their rage and savageness in-
stantly departed, and they loved them to excess. This love and that
hatred prevail together with those who in the world had been
inwardly deceitful, and had set their minds in enmity against
the Lord.

408. XVII. WITH THE SPIRITUAL THAT LOVE is FROM WHAT

IS INTERIOR OR PRIOR, BUT WITH THE NATURAL FROM WHAT IS

EXTERIOR OR POSTERIOR. Thinking and concluding from what is
interior and prior, is thinking and concluding from ends and
causes to effects; but thinking and concluding from what is ex-
terior or posterior, is thinking and concluding from effects to
causes and ends. The latter progression is contrary to order, but
the former is according to order; for thinking and concluding
from ends and causes, is thinking and concluding from goods and
truths that are clearly seen in the higher region of the mind, to
the effects in the lower region: human rationality itself is such
from creation. But thinking and concluding from effects, is
making conjectures about causes and effects from the lower region
of the mind, where the sensual things of the body, with their
appearances and fallacies, are, which in itself is nothing else than
confirming falsities and concupiscences, and after confirmation
seeing and believing them to be verities of wisdom and goodness
of the love of wisdom. The case is similar with the love of young
and grown-up children with the spiritual and the natural; the
spiritual love them from what is prior, thus according to order;
but the natural love them from what is posterior, thus contrary to
order. These things are adduced merely for the confirmation of
the proceeding article.

409. XVIII. HENCE IT is, THAT LOVE EXISTS WITH MARRIED

PARTNERS WHO MUTUALLY LOVE EACH OTHER, AND ALSO WITH
MARRIED PARTNERS WHO DO NOT LOVE EACH OTHER AT ALL; con-
sequently it exists with the natural equally as with the spiritual ;
but the latter possess conjugial love, whereas the former possess
no conjugial love but what is apparent and simulated. The reason
why the love of children and conjugial love nevertheless act in
336

ITS CONJUNCTION WITH LOVE OF CHILDREN [410,411

unity, is, that conjugial love is implanted in every woman from
creation, and together with it the love of procreating, which is
determined to and flows unto the procreated offspring, and from
the women is communicated to the men, as was said above. Hence
it is, that in households in which there is no conjugial love be-
tween the man and his wife, it nevertheless is with the wife, and
through it there is some external conjunction with the man. From
this same cause it is, that even fornicators love their offspring, for
that which from creation has been implanted in souls, and pertains
to propagation, is indelible, and cannot be extirpated.

410. XIX. THE LOVE OF CHILDREN REMAINS AFTER DEATH,
ESPECIALLY WITH WOMEN. Children, as soon as they are raised up,
which happens immediately after their decease, are elevated into
heaven, and delivered to angels who are of the female sex, who
in the life of the body in the w r orld had loved children with
maternal tenderness, receive them as their own; and the children
in this case, as from an innate feeling, love them as their own
mothers: as many infants are consigned to them, as they desire
from spiritual storge. The heaven in which children are, appears
in front in the region of the forehead, in the line or radius in
which the angels look directly at the Lord. That heaven is so
situated, because all children are educated under the immediate
auspices of the Lord. There also flows in with them the heaven
of innocence, which is the third heaven. When they have passed
through this first age, they are transferred to another heaven,
where they are instructed.

411. XX. CHILDREN ARE EDUCATED UNDER THE LORD'S AUS-
PICES BY SUCH WOMEN, AND GROW IN STATURE AND INTELLIGENCE

AS IN THE WORLD. Children in heaven are educated in the follow-
ing manner: They learn to speak from their governess: their
first speech is merely the sound of affection, in which however,
there is some beginning of thought, whereby what is human in the
sound is distinguished from the sound of an animal; this speech
gradually becomes more distinct, as ideas from affection enter the
thought: all their affections, which also grow, proceed from inno-
cence. At first, such things are insinuated into them as appear
before their eyes, and are delightful ; and as these things are from
a spiritual origin, there flows in into these things at the same time
things which are of heaven, whereby the interiors of the minds are
opened. Afterwards as the children are perfected in intelligence,
so they grow in stature, and in this respect also they appear more
adult: the reason is, that intelligence and wisdom are essential
spiritual nourishment; therefore those things which nourish their
minds, also nourish their bodies in heaven. But children in heaven
do not grow up beyond their first age, but stop in that age an<J
remain in it to eternity. And when they are that age they are given
in marriage, which is provided by the Lord, and is celebrated in

337

412,413] CONJUGIAL LOVE

the heaven of the young man, who presently follows his wife into
her heaven, or into her house, jf they are in the same society. In
order that I might know for certain that children grow and mature
in stature, as they do in intelligence, it has been given me to speak
with some while they were children, and afterwards when they
were grown up ; and when they were grown up they appeared in
a stature like that of grown up young men in the world.

412. Children are instructed especially by means of repre-
sentatives adapted and suited to their genius; and it can hardly be
believed in the world how beautiful, and at the same time how
full of interior wisdom these representatives are. It is allowed
to adduce here two representations, from which a conclusion may
be formed in regard to the rest. They once represented the Lord
ascending out of the sepulchre, and at the same time the unition
of His Human with the Divine. At first they presented the idea
of a sepulchre, but not at the same time the idea of the Lord,
except so remotely, that it was scarcely, except as it were at a
distance, perceived that it was the Lord; because in the idea of
a sepulchre there is something funereal, which they thereby re-
moved. Afterwards they discreetly admitted into the sepulchre a
sort of atmospheric element, appearing at last as a thin watery
element, by which they signified, and this also by a becoming
remoteness, spiritual life in baptism. Afterwards I saw repre-
sented by them the Lord's descent to those who were bound, and
His ascent with them into heaven; and what was really childlike,
they let down small cords that were almost invisible, and very
soft and delicate, to aid the Lord in the ascent, being always in a
holy fear lest anything in the representative should touch upon
something in which there was nothing heavenly. Not to mention
other representations, whereby children are introduced at the same
time into Knowledges of truth, and the affections of good, as by
games adapted to their infant minds. To these and similar things
children are led by the Lord by means of innocence passing
through the third heaven ; and thus spiritual things are insinuated
into their affections, and thence into their tender thoughts, in
order that they may know no otherwise than they do and think
such things from themselves: by means of this their understanding
begins to be formed.

413: XXI. IT is THERE PROVIDED BY THE LORD, THAT WITH

THOSE CHILDREN THE INNOCENCE OF CHILDHOOD SHOULD BECOME
THE INNOCENCE OF WISDOM (AND THAT THUS THE CHILDREN

SHOULD BECOME ANGELS). Many may fancy that children remain
children, and become angels immediately after death. But it is
intelligence and wisdom that make an angel ; wherefore so long
a children do not possess intelligence and wisdom, they are in-
deed among angels, but they are not angels; but they then first
become angels, when they have become intelligent and wise.
338

ITS CONJUNCTION WITH LOVE OF CHILDREN [414, 415

Children therefore are led from the innocence of childhood to the
innocence of wisdom, that is, from external innocence to internal
innocence; the latter innocence is the end of all their instruction
and progression; \vherefore when they attain to the innocence
of wisdom, the innocence of childhood is adjoined to them, which
in the meantime had served them for a plane. I saw the quality
of the innocence of childhood represented by a wooden something
almost devoid of life, which is vivified in proportion as they
imbibe the Knowledges of truth and the affections of good: and
afterwards there was represented the quality of the innocence of
wisdom, by a living and naked child. The angels of the third
heaven, who are in a state of innoncence from the Lord above
other angels, appear like naked children before the eyes of the
spirits who are beneath the heavens; and as they are wiser than
all others, they are also more alive: the reason is, that innocence
corresponds to chilhood, and also to nakedness; wherefore it is
said of Adam and his wife, when they were in the state of inno-
cence, that they were ashamed of their nakedness and hid them-
selves (Gen. ii. 25; iii. 7, 10, 11) . In a word, the wiser the angels
may in some measure be seen from the innocence of childhood
described above, no. 395, if only, instead of parents, the Lord be
assumed as the Father by Whom they are led, and to Whom they
ascribe whatever they have received.

414. On the subject of innocence I have spoken with the angels
on various occasions, and they have said that innocence is the esse
of every good, and that good is good in proportion as it has inno-
cence in it; and, since wisdom belongs to life and therefore to
good, that wisdom is wisdom in proportion as it partakes of inno-
cence: that the like is true of love, charity, and faith; and that
hence it is that no one can enter heaven unless he has innocence ;
and that this is meant by these words of the Lord, "Suffer the
little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not; for of such
is the kingdom of the heavens; verily I say unto you, Whosoever
will not receive the kingdom of the heavens as a little child, he
shall not enter therein" (Mark x. 14, 15; Luke xviii. 16, 17). In
this passage, as well as in other parts of the Word, by little
children are meant those who are in innocence. The reason why
good is good, in proportion as it has innocence in it, is, that all
good is from the Lord, and innocence consists in being led by the
Lord.

415. To the above I shall add this Memorable Relation:
One morning on awaking out of sleep, while I was meditating,

and not yet quite awake, in the early morning and serene light, I
saw through the window as it were a flash of lightning, and pres-
ently I heard as it were a clap of thunder; and while I was won-
dering whence this could be, I heard from heaven these words,
"There are some not far from you who are disputing violently

339

415] CONJUGIAL LOVE

about God and nature. The vibration of light like lightning and
the clapping of the air like thunder, are correspondences and con-
sequently appearances of the combat and collision of arguments,
on one side in favour of God, and on the other in favour of
nature."

The cause of this spiritual combat was as follows: There
were some satans in hell who said among each other: "Would
that we might be allowed to speak with the angels of heaven: we
will completely and fully demonstrate that what they call God,
from Whom are all things, is nothing but nature; and thus that
God is a mere empty expression, unless nature be meant by it."
And as those satans believed this with all their heart and soul, and
also were desirous to speak with the angels of heaven, it was given
them to ascend out of the mire and darkness of hell, and to speak
with two angels who were then descending from heaven. They
were in the state of spirits, which is intermediate between heaven
and hell. The satans, on seeing the angels there, ran swiftly up to
them, and cried out with a furious voice, "Are you the angels of
heaven with whom we are allowed to engage in reasoning on the
subject of God and nature? You are called wise because you
acknowledge a God; but, oh! how simple you are! Who sees
God? Who understands what God is? Who apprehends that God
governs, and can govern the universe, and each and all things
thereof ? Who, but the vulgar and common herd, acknowledges
what he does not see and understand ? What is more manifest than
that nature is all in all ? Who has seen with his eyes anything but
nature? Who has heard with his ears anything but nature? Who
has smelt with his nostrils anything but nature? Who has tasted
with his tongue anything but nature? Who has felt with the touch
of his hand and body anything but nature ? Are not the senses of
our body the only witnesses of Truths? Who cannot swear from
them that it is so? Are not your heads in nature? Whence comes
the influx into the thoughts of your heads but from nature? Take
away nature, and can you think at all?" Not to mention many
other arguments of a like kind.

On hearing these words, the angels replied, "You speak in this
manner because you are merely sensual. All in the hells have their
ideas immersed in the senses of the body, neither are they able to
elevate their minds above them; wherefore we excuse you. The
life of evil and the consequent belief of falsity have closed the
interiors of your minds, so that you are incapable of any elevation
above sensual things, except in a state removed from evils of life
and falsities of faith : for a satan, as well as an angel, can under-
stand truth when he hears it; but he does not retain it, because
evil obliterates truth and induces falsity. But we perceive that you
are now in a state removed (from evil), and that thus you can
understand the truth which we speak ; attend therefore to what we
shall say.

They proceeded thus: "You have been in the natural world,

340

775 CONJUNCTION WITH LOVE OF CHILDREN [415

and have departed thence, and are now in the spiritual world.
Did you know anything till now about the life after death? Did
you not till now deny that life, and make yourselves equal with
the beasts? Did you know anything heretofore about heaven and
hell, or anything about the light and heat of this world? or of the
fact that you are no longer within nature, but above it? for this
world and all things belonging to it are spiritual, and spiritual
things are above natural things, so that not the least of nature can
flow in into this world. But you, in consequence of believing nature
to be a god or a goddess, believe also the light and heat of this
world to be the light and heat of the natural world, when yet it
is not at all so ; for natural light here is thick darkness, and nat-
ural heat here is cold. Did you know anything about the sun of
this world, from which our light and heat proceed? Did you
know that this sun is pure love, and the sun of the natural world
pure fire; and that the sun of the world, which is pure fire, is that
from which nature exists and subsists ; and that the sun of heaven,
which is pure love, is that from which life itself, which is love
with wisdom, exists and subsists; and thus that nature, which you
make a god or goddess, is absolutely dead? You can, if a guard
be given, ascend with us into heaven; and we also, if a guard be
given, can descend with you into hell; and in heaven you will see
magnificent and splendid things, but in hell filthy and unclean
things. The ground of the difference is, that all in the heavens
worship God, and all in the hells worship nature; and the magnifi-
cent and splendid objects in the heavens are correspondences of
the affections of good and truth, and the filthy and unclean objects
in the hells are correspondences of the cupidities of evil and
falsity. Conclude now, from all these circumstances, whether God
or nature be all in all."

To this the satans replied, "In the state wherein we now are,
we can conclude, from what we have heard, that there is a God;
but when the delight of evil seizes our minds, we see nothing but
nature."

These two angels and the two satans were standing to the right,
at no great distance from me; wherefore I saw and heard them:
and lo! I saw about them many spirits who had been celebrated in
the natural world for their learning; and I was surprised that
those learned spirits at one time stood near the angels, and at
another near the satans, and that they favoured the sentiments of
those near whom they stood; and I was told that the changes of
their situation were changes of the state of their minds, which
sometimes favoured one side and sometimes the other; for they
were Vertumni.

(It was further said to me), "We will tell you a mystery: we
have looked down into the earth, to those who were celebrated for
learning, and who have thought about God and nature from their
own judgment, and we have found six hundred out of a thousand
in favour of nature, and the rest in favour of God ; and that these

341

416] COMUGIAL LOVE

were in favour of God, in consequence of having frequently said,
not from any understanding, but only from what they had heard,
that nature is from God: for frequent speech from the memory
and recollection, and not at the same time from thought and
intelligence, induces a species of faith."

After this the satans were given a guard, and they ascended
with the two angels into heaven, and saw the magnificent and
splendid things there : and being then in illustration from the light
of heaven, they acknowledged the being of a God, and that nature
was created to be serviceable to the life which is in God and from
God; and that nature in itself is dead, and consequently does noth-
ing of itself, but is acted upon by life. When they had seen and
perceived these things, they descended : and, as they descended, the
love of evil returned and closed their understanding above and
opened it beneath; and then there appeared above it as it were a
veil shining in consequence of infernal fire; and as soon as they
touched the earth with their feet, the ground yawned under them,
and they returned to their own.

416. After these things those two angels, seeing me near, said
of me to the bystanders, "We know that this man has written on
the subject of God and nature: let us hear what he has written."

They therefore drew near and requested that what had been
written on the subject of God and nature might be read to them:
I therefore read thence as follows:

"Those who believe in a Divine operation in each single thing
of nature, may confirm themselves in favor of the Divine, from
very many things which they see in nature, equally as, yea, more
than those who confirm themselves in favor of nature. For those
who confirm themselves in favor of the Divine, attend to the won-
derful things which are observed in the productions of both vege-
tables and animals : in the PRODUCTION OF VEGETABLES, that from
a little seed sown in the earth there is sent forth a root, by means
of the root a stem, and successively buds, leaves, flowers, fruits,
even to new seeds : just as if the seed knew the order of succession,
or the process by which it was to renew itself. What rational
person can think that the sun, which is pure fire, knows this, or
that it can impart to its heat and light the power to effect such
things ; and further, that it can form wonderful things therein, and
intend use? When a man who has an elevated Rational sees and
considers such things, he cannot think otherwise than that they are
from Him Who has infinite wisdom, consequently from God. Those
who acknowledge the Divine, also see and think so ; but those who
do not acknowledge it, do not see and think so, because they are
unwilling to; and thus they let down their Rational into the
Sensual, which derives all its ideas from the lumen in which the
senses of the body are, and confirms their fallacies, saying, 6 Do
not you see the sun effecting these things by means of its heat and
light? What is that which you do not see? Is it anything?' Those

342

ITS CONJUNCTION WITH LOVE OF CHILDREN [417

who confirm themselves in favor of the Divine, attend to the won-
derful things which are observed in the PRODUCTIONS OF ANIMALS;
to mention only what is observed in eggs, that there lies con-
cealed in them a chick in its seed or beginning, with everything
requisite even to the hatching, and likewise with everything
requisite to its progress after hatching, until it becomes a bird, or
winged thing, in the form of its parent. And if he attends to the
form, as being such, he cannot, if he thinks deeply, help being
astonished (to observe) that in the smallest as in the largest kinds,
yea, in the invisible as in the visible, that is, in small insects, as
in large birds or great beasts, there are organs of the senses, which
are sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch; and also organs of motion,
which are the muscles, for they fly and walk; and likewise viscera
about the heart and lungs, w T hich are actuated by the brains : that
the commonest insects enjoy all these things is known from their
anatomy, as described by some writers, especially by SWAMMERDAM
in his 'Book of Nature.' Those who ascribe all things to Nature
do indeed see such things ; but they think only that they exist, and
say that nature produces them: and this they say because they
have averted themselves from thinking about the Divine, when
they see the wonderful things in nature, cannot think rationally,
and still less spiritually, but they think sensually and materially,
and in this case they think in nature from nature, and not above
it, in like manner as those do who are in hell; differing from
beasts only in this respect, that they are possessed of rationality,
that is, they are capable of understanding, and thus of thinking
otherwise, if they are willing. Those who have averted themselves
from thinking about the Divine, when they see the wonderful
things in nature, and thereby become sensual, do not consider
that the sight of the eye is so gross that it sees several small in-
sects as one confused mass; and that nevertheless each of them
is organized to feel and to move, and consequently is endowed
with fibres and vessels, also with little hearts, pulmonary pipes,
little viscera, and brains; and that these parts are woven together
of the purest things in nature, and that their contextures corres-
pond to some life, by virtue of which their minutest parts are
distinctly acted upon. Since the sight of the eye is so gross that
several such insects, with the innumerable things in each, appear
to it as a small confused mass, and yet those who are sensual,
think and judge from that sight, it is evident how gross their
minds have become, and consequently in what thick darkness they
are concerning spiritual things.

417. "Every one is able to confirm himself in favor of the
Divine from the visible things in nature, if he is willing to do so ;
and he also who thinks of God from life, does so confirm himself;
for instance, when he observes the flying things of heaven, how
each species of them knows it proper food, and where it is to be
found; how they can distinguish those of their own kinds by the

343

418.419] CONJVGIAL LOVE

sounds they utter and by their appearance; how also, among other
kinds, they can tell which are their friends and which their foes;
how they pair together, know the intermingling of the sexes, build
their nests with art, lay their eggs therein, hatch them, know the
time of hatching, and at its accomplishment hatch their young out
of the shell, love them most tenderly, cherish them under their
wings, feed and nourish them, until they are able to act on their
own account and do the like, and procreate a family in order to
perpetuate their kind. Every one who is willing to think of a
Divine influx through the spiritual world into the natural, is able
to see it in these facts, and he is also able, if he is willing, to say
in his heart, 'Such knowledges cannot flow in into those animals
from the sun through the rays of its light;' for the sun, from
which nature derives its origin and its essence, is pure fire, and
consequently the rays of its light are utterly dead ; and thus they
may conclude, that such effects are derived from an influx of
Divine Wisdom into the ultimates of nature.

418. "Every one can confirm himself in favor of the Divine
from the visible things in nature, when he observes worms, which
from the delight of a certain desire, wish and long for a change
of their earthly state into a state analogous to a heavenly one; foi
this purpose they creep into corners, and cast themselves as it
were into a womb that they may be born again, and there become
chrysalises, aurelias, nymphs, and at length butterfles; and when
they have undergone this metamorphosis, and according to their
kind are furnished with beautiful wings, they fly into the air as
into their heaven, and there sport merrily together, celebrate mar-
riages, lay their eggs, and provide for themselves a posterity ; and
then they are nourished with sweet and pleasant food, which they
extract from flowers. Who that confirms himself in favor of the
Divine from the visible things of nature, does not see some image
of the earthly state of man in these animals while they are worms,
and of his heavenly state in the same when they become butter-
flies? Whereas those who confirm themselves in favor of nature,
do indeed see such things, but as they have rejected from their
mind man's heavenly state, they call them mere instincts of nature.

419. "Every one can confirm himself in favor of the Divine
from the visible things in nature, when he attends to the facts that
are known about bees that they know how to gather wax and
suck honey from herbs and flowers, and build cells like little
houses, and arrange them into the form of a city with streets,
through which they come in and go out; that they can smell
flowers and herbs at a distance, from which they may collect wax
for their home and honey for their food; and that, when laden
with these treasures, they can fly back in a straight line direction
to their hive: thus they provide for themselves food and habitation
against the approaching winter, as if they knew and foresaw it.

344

ITS CONJUNCTION WITH LOVE OF CHILDREN [420

They also set over themselves a mistress as a aueen, to be the
parent of their posterity, and for her thev build as it were a
palace above their own cells, and appoint guards about her; and
when the time for her to lay eggs is at hand, she goes, accom-
panied by her guards, from cell to cell, and lavs her eggs, which
the crowd of bees that follow smear over with a sort of ointment
to prevent their receiving injury from the air: hence arises a new
veneration, which, when old enough to provide in like manner for
itself, is driven out from home: and when driven out it first
p-athers into a swarm or compact bodv, to prevent the consociation
being dispersed, and then flies forth to seek out a new habitation
for itself. About autumn also the useless drones are brought out
and deprived of their wings, lest they should return and consume
the provisions which thev had taken no pains to collect; not to
mention many other circumstances; from which it mav be mani-
fest that on account of the use which they perform to the human
race, they have, by virtue of influx from the spiritual world, a
form of government, such as that among men in the world, yea.
among angels in the heavens. What man of sound reason does not
see that such instincts are not communicated to bees from the
natural world? What has the sun, in which nature originates,
in common with a form of government which emulates and is
analogous to the heavenlv government? From these and similar
circumstances respecting brute animals, and confessor and wor-
shipper of nature confirms himself in favor of nature, while the
confessor and worshipper of God, from the same circumstances,
confirms himself in favor of the Divine: for the spiritual man sees
.spiritual things therein, and the natural man natural; thus every
one according to his quality. With regard to myself, such circum-
stances have been to be testimonies of an influx of what is spiritual
into what is natural, or of an influx of the spiritual world into
the natural world; thus of an influx from the Divine Wisdom of
the Lord. Consider also, whether you can think analytically of any
form of government, any civil law, any moral virtue, or any spir-
itual verity, unless the Divine flows in by virtue of His wisdom
through the spiritual world: for mv own part, I never could, and
am still unable to do so: for I have perceptibly and sensibly
observed that influx now for twenty- five years continually: I there-
fore say this from experience.

420. "Can nature have use for an end, and dispose uses into
orders and forms? No one can do this but a Wise Being; and
none but God, Who possesses infinite wisdom, can so order and
form the universe. Who else can foresee and provide for human
beings all things necessary for their food and clothing, producing
them from the fruits of the earth and from animals? It is surely
a wonderful thing among many others, that those common worms
which are called silk-worms, should clothe with silk, and magnifi-
cently adorn both women and men, from queens and kinds even to

345

421,422] CONJVGIAL LOVE

maidservants and menservants : and that those common insects, the
bees, should supply wax for the candles which light up both
temples and palaces. These and many other things are standing
proofs that the Lord operates from Himself through the spiritual
world, all the things which are in nature.

421. "To this it ought to be added, that I have seen in the
spiritual world those who had confirmed themselves in favor of
nature from the visible things of this world so far as to become
atheists, and that their understanding in spiritual light appeared
open beneath, but closed above, because in thought they had
looked downwards to the earth, and not upwards to heaven. Above
the Sensual, which is the lowest of the understanding, there
appeared as a veil, shining with some, by reason of infernal fire,
with some black as soot, and with some livid as a corpse. Let
every one therefore beware of confirmations in favor of nature,
and let him confirm himself in favor of the Divine; there is no
lack of materials.

422. "Some indeed ought to be excused for ascribing certain
visible effects to nature, because they have not known anything
about the sun of the spiritual world, where the Lord is, and about
the influx thence; neither have they known anything about that
world and its state, nor yet of its presence with man; and con-
sequently they could think no otherwise than that what is spiritual
was a purer nature; and thus that angels were either in the ether
or in the stars ; also, that the devil was either man's evil, or, if he
actually existed, that he was either in the air or in the deeps; also,
that the souls of men after death were either in the inmost part of
the earth, or in some nondescript place, till the day of judgment;
not to mention other like conceits, which phantasy has brought
on in consequence of ignorance of the spiritual world and its sun.
This is the reason why those ought to be excused, who have
believed that nature has produced its visible effects by virtue of
what has been implanted from creation. Nevertheless those who
have made themselves atheists by confirmations in favor of nature,
ought not to be excused, because they might have confirmed them-
selves in favor of the Divine. Ignorance indeed excuses, but does
not take away confirmed falsity ; for this falsity coheres with evil,
and evil coheres with hell."

346

THE PLEASURES OF INSANITY

Relating to

SCORTATORY LOVE

THE OPPOSITION OF SCORTATORY LOVE
AND CONJUGIAL LOVE

423. At this threshold, it must be explained first of all, what
is meant by scortatory love in this chapter. The fornicatory love
that precedes the conjugial union, is not understood, nor that which
follows it after the death of the conjugial partner; nor the con-
cubinatus y which is entered into from legitimate, just, and weighty
causes; nor are the mild kinds of scortatory love understood, nor
the graver kinds, of which the man (homo) actually repents, for
these do not become opposite, and they are not opposite to con-
jugial loye; that they are not opposite, will be seen in the follow-
ing (chapters), where each one will be treated of. But by scorta-
tory love opposite to conjugial love is here meant any adulterous
love (whether of fornicatio, pellicatus, concubinatus, or adulte-
rium), when it is such that it is not regarded as a sin, nor an evil
and something dishonest (or dishonorable) in the presence of
reason, but as allowable with reason: this scortatory love not only
makes conjugial love the same with itself, but it even ruins,
destroys, and at length nauseates it. The opposition of this love
to^conjugial love is treated of in this present chapter; that no
other love is treated of (as being in such opposition), may be
manifest from the following chapters concerning Fornicatio, Con-
cubinatus, and the various kinds of adulterous love.

But in order that this opposition may be evident to the rational
sight, it must be demonstrated in the following series:

L That the quality of socrtatory love is not known unless the
quality of conjugial love is known.

II. That scortatory love is opposite to conjugial love.

III. That scortatory love is opposite to conjugial love, as the
natural man, viewed in himself, is opposite to the spiritual man.

IV. That. scortatory love is opposite to conjugial love, as the
connubial relation of evil and falsity is opposite to the marriage
of good and truth.

V. That scortatory love is therefore opposite conjugial love y
just as hell is opposite to heaven.

VI. That' the uncleanness of hell is from scortatory love, and
that the cleanness of heaven is from conjugial love.

VII. That it is similar in regard to the uncleanness in the
church, and the cleanness there.

VIII. That the union of evil and falsity more and more makes
good not good, and truth not truth, and that, on the other hand,
good and truth conjoined makes good more and more good and
truth.

349

424,425] SCORTATORY LOVE

IX. That there is a sphere of scortatory love, and a sphere of
conjugial love.

X. That the sphere of scortatory love comes up out of hell,
and the sphere of conjugial love comes down from heaven.

XI. That in each of those worlds those two spheres meet, but
do not conjoin.

XII. That between these two spheres is an equilibrium, and in
this is man.

XIII. That man is able to turn himself to whichever sphere
he will 9 but that in so far as he turns himself to one, he turns
himself from the other.

XIV. That each sphere brings with it delights.

XV. That the delights of scortatory love begin from the flesh
(the natural mind), and that they are of the flesh even in the
spirit; but that the delights of conjugial love begin in the spirit,
and that they are of the spirit even in the flesh.

XVI. That the delights of scortatory love are pleasures of in-
sanity, and that the delights of conjugial love are the delights of
wisdom.

Now follows the explanation of these articles.

424. I. THAT THE QUALITY OF SCORTATORY LOVE is NOT

KNOWN UNLESS THE QUALITY OF CONJUGIAL LOVE IS KNOWN. By

scortatory love is understood an adulterous love which destroys
conjugial love (as above, no. 423). That the quality of that
scortatory love is not known, unless the quality of conjugial love
be known, needs no demonstration, but only illustration by simili-
tudes; as, for instance, who can know what is evil and false, unless
he knows what is good and true? who knows what is unchaste,
dishonourable, unbecoming, and ugly, unless he knows what is
chaste, honourable, becoming, and beautiful ? who can discern the
various kinds of insanity, but one who is wise, or who knows what
wisdom is? furthermore, who can rightly perceive discordant and
grating sounds, but he who by instruction and study has become
acquainted with musical harmonies? In like manner, who can
clearly discern what the quality of scortatory love is, unless he
has first clearly discerned the quality of the heavenly marriage of
good and truth? And who can form a correct judgment of the
filthiness of the pleasures of scortatory love, but he who has first
formed a correct judgment of the cleanness of conjugial love?
Now because I have understood (by removing all false concep-
tions), the Delights of Wisdom pertaining to Conjugial Love, from
the wisdom thence acquired I am able to set forth, or ascribe, the
real character of The Sensuous Delights of Scortatory Love.

425. II. THAT SCORTATORY LOVE is OPPOSITE TO CONJUGIAL
LOVE. There does not exist anything in the universe which has not
its opposite, and oppo sites in respect to each other are not rela-
tives, but are contraries: relatives are between the greatest and

350

ITS OPPOSITION TO COMUGIAL LOVE [426

the least of the same thing, but contraries are, by reason of their
opposition, against them, and the latter are relatives in respect
to each other, just as the former are; wherefore also the relatives
themselves are opposites. That each and all things have their
opposites, is evident from light, heat, the times of the world, affec-
tions, perceptions, sensations, and many other things. The opposite
of light is darkness; the opposite of heat is cold; of the times of
the world the opposites are day and night summer and winter;
of affections the opposites are joys and sorrows, also states of
gladness and of sadness; of perceptions the opposites are goods
and evils, also truths and falsities ; and of sensations the opposites
are things delightful and undelightful. Hence by all evidence it
may be concluded, that conjugial love has its opposite. That this
opposite is scortatory love, every one may see, if he will, from
all the dictates of sound reason: tell, if you can, what else is its
opposite. It is an additional evidence, that as sound reason, by
virtue of its own light, has been able to see this truth clearly,
therefore, it has decreed laws, which are declared to be just and
reasonable, in favor of the celestial marriage of good and truth,
and against the unholy alliances between falsities and evils. In
order that it may yet appear more clearly that these are opposites,
it is allowed to relate what I have frequently seen in the state of
spirits. When those who, when in their natural states in the mate-
rial world, had been scortators, who believed their adulterous
loves not to be sins, by religious belief or otherwise, perceive the
sphere of conjugial love flowing down from heaven, they imme-
diately either flee away into caverns and hide themselves, or if
they set themselves obstinately against it, they grow mad with
rage, and become like furies. That this is so, is because all things
of the affections, whether agreeable or disagreeable, are there per-
ceived, and sometimes as clearly as an odor is perceived by the
smell, for they do not have a material body that can absorb such
things. But the reason why the opposition of scortatory love and
conjugial love is not known by many in the natural states, is from
the delights of the natural mind, which apparently emulate the
delights of conjugial love in the ultimates, and they who are in
these natural delights do not know anything about this opposition:
and I can venture to affirm, that if you should say that everything
has its opposite, and should conclude that conjugial love also has
its opposite, scortators would respond that that love does not have
an opposite, because scortatory love in no sense discriminates
itself from it. From which also it is evident, that one who does
not know what the quality of conjugial love is, does not know the
quality of scortatory love; and besides that, the quality of con-
jugial love is not known from scortatory love, but the latter from
the former; no one from evil knows good, but from good one
knows evil ; for evil is in thick darkness, but good is in light.

426. III. THAT SCORTATORY LOVE is OPPOSITE TO CONJUGIAL

351

427] SCORTATORY LOVE

LOVE, AS THE NATURAL MAN, VIEWED IN HIMSELF, IS OPPOSITE TO

THE SPIRITUAL MAN. That the natural man and the spiritual man
are opposite to each other, so that the one does not will what the
other wills, yea, that they combat each other, is known in the
church, but still not as yet explained; it shall therefore be stated
what it is that discriminates between the spiritual man and the
natural, and excites the latter against the former. The natural man
(homo) is that into which every one is first introduced, into the
period of ignorance and the growing understanding (adolescit),
and his progress is enhanced by means of scientifics and knowl-
edges, and by the rational things of the understanding; but the
spiritual man is that into which he is introduced by the love of
doing uses, which love is also called charity; wherefore in pro-
portion as any one is in charity, in the same proportion he is
spiritual; but in proportion as he is not in charity, in the same
proportion he is natural, even if he is sharp-sighted in genius,
and wise in judgment. That the latter man, which is called the
natural, separate from the spiritual, however much he may elevate
himself into the light of reason, nevertheless gives himself up to
the evils of his understanding, and ministers to them, is manifest
from his genius alone, in that he is devoid of charity; and who-
ever is without charity, is prone to all the spiritual insanities
of scortatory love: wherefore when it is told to him, that this
libidinous love is opposed to chaste conjugial love, and is asked
to consult his rational light, still he does not consult that light
except in conjunction with the delight of the evil implanted from
birth in the natural man, from which he comes to the conclusion,
that his reason does not see anything opposed to the agreeable,
sensitive enticements which come through his lower sensuous
mind; in which after he has confirmed himself in them, his reason
is closed to all the heavenly things, which are predicated of con-
jugial love; yea, as was said above, he fights against them, and
conquers, and like a conqueror after the enemy's overthrow, he
destroys from the outmosts to the inmosts, the stronghold of con-
jugial love in himself: these things the natural man does in con-
sequence of his love for falsifying truth. This is mentioned in
order that it may be known, whence is the opposite of these two
loves; for, as has been abundantly shown above, conjugial love
considered in itself is a spiritual love, and scortatory love con-
sidered in itself is a natural love.

427. IV. THAT SCORTATORY LOVE is OPPOSITE TO CONJUGIAL

LOVE, AS THE CONNUBIAL RELATION OF EVIL AND FALSITY IS OPPO-
SITE TO THE MARRIAGE OF GOOD AND TRUTH. That the Origin of

conjugial love is from the marriage of good and truth, was demon-
strated above in its own chapter (from nos. 83 to 102) ; thence it
follows that the origin of scortatory love is from the unholy mar-
riage of evil and falsity, and that therefore they are opposite, as
evil is opposite to good, and the falsity of evil to the truth of
352

ITS OPPOSITION TO COMUG1AL LOVE [423, 420

good; there are the delights of each love, which thus are opposite,
for love without its delights is not anything. That these two oppo-
site to each other, does not at all appear; that it does not appear,
is because the delight of evil love in externals counterfeits the
delight of the love of good; but in internals the delight of the love
of evil consists of mere concupiscences of evil; evil itself is a
round mass or ball of those concupiscences: but the delight of the
love of good consists of innumerable affections of good; good
itself is as a tied bundle of those affections ; this bundle, or that
ball, is not felt by man except as one delight, and because of the
delight of evil in externals counterfeits the delight of good, as
was said, so also the delight of falsifying the truth is as strong
as the desire for union between good and truth ; but after resusci-
tation, when every one lays aside externals, and internals are laid
bare, then it is made manifest to the spirit, that the evil of scorta-
tory love is a roll of the concupiscences of evil, and that the good
of holy marriage is a bundle of the affections of good; thus that
they are entirely opposed to each other.

428. As regards the connubial relationship itself of the evil
and the false, it is known that evil loves the false, and wills that
it shall be one with itself, and they also conjoin themselves; in
like manner as good loves truth, and wills that it may be one with
it, and they also conjoin themselves; from which it appears, that
as the spiritual origin of the heavenly marriage is for the perfect
union of good and truth, so the spiritual origin of scortatory love
is the unholy alliance of the evil and the false ; hence it is meant,
in the spiritual sense of the Word that these unholy alliances are
the adulterations of good and the falsifications of truth, and the
evils resulting from such scortations (see Apocalypse Revealed,
no. 134). It is from this principle, that he who is in evil and
becomes wed to falsity, and he who is in falsity and takes evil
into partnership with his own will, confirms scortatory love by
mutual agreement, and performs it as far as he dares and has the
strength; he confirms it from evil by means of falsity, and com-
mits it from falsity by means of evil: and on the other hand, he
who is in good, and weds truth, or he who is in truth, and invites
good as the consort of the inner places of his heart with himself,
sets himself against the love of scortations and in favor of the
holy union of good and truth, and thus attains the blissful state
of the conjugial life of heaven.

429. V. THAT SCORTATORY LOVE is THEREFORE OPPOSITE CON-
JUGIAL LOVE, JUST AS HELL IS OPPOSITE TO HEAVEN. All who are
in hell are in the profane wedlock of evil with falsity, and all who
are in heaven, are in the blessed union of good and truth; and
because the unholy conjunction of evil and falsity, is also scorta-
tory love, (as has just been shown above, 1 nos. 427, 428,) hell is
also such a state of perversions and insanities; hence it is, that

353

430, 431] SCORTATORY LOVE

all who are in hell are in the lust, lasciviousness, and shameless-
ness of scortatory love, and shun and exceedingly dread the chas-
tity and modesty of conjugial love (see above, no. 428). From
these things it may be seen, that these two loves, the scortatory
and the conjugial, are opposite to each other, as hell to heaven,
and heaven to hell.

430. VL THAT THE UNCLEANNESS OF HELL is FROM SCORTA-
TORY LOVE, AND THAT THE CLEANNESS OF HEAVEN IS FROM CON-
JUGIAL LOVE. All hell abounds in uncleanness, and the universal
origin of this is the shamelessness and obscenity of scortatory
love; the delights of that love are turned into such uncleanness.
Who can believe that in the state of spirits every delight of love
is presented to the sight under various appearances; to the smell
under various odors, and to the view under various forms of
beasts and birds? The appearances, under which in hell the las-
civious delights of scortatory love are seen, are dung and mire;
the odors, which are perceived, are stinks and stenches; and the
forms of beasts and birds, under which they are presented to view,
are swine, serpents, and birds called ochim and tziim. But it is
otherwise with the chaste delights of conjugial love in heaven:
the appearances, under which those delights are presented to the
sight there, are gardens and flower fields; the odors, which are
perceived there, are the sweet smells from fruits and the fra-
grances from flowers; and the forms of animals, which are con-
spicuously seen there, are lambs, kids, turtle-doves and birds of
paradise. That the delights of loves are changed into such and
similar things, is because all things which exist in the spiritual
world, are correspondences; into these correspondences the in-
ternals of their minds are transformed when they pass forth and
become external before the senses. But it should be known, that
there are innumerable varieties of uncleanness, into which wanton
scortations are changed, as they pass out into their correspon-
dences: and the varieties are according to the genera and species
of those falsities, which may be seen in the following pages, where
scortatory loves and their degrees are treated of; but such unclean
things do not go forth from the delights of the love of those who
have repented, and who have been elevated above the evils of the
natural mind,

431. VII. THAT IT is SIMILAR IN REGARD TO THE UNCLEANNESS
IN THE CHURCH, AND THE CLEANNESS THERE. The reason is, because
the church is the kingdom of the Lord with those in the natural,
and natural-rational states, and also with those in heavenly and
celestial states; and the Lord also conjoins them that they may
make one: He also distinguishes those who are there, as He dis-
tinguishes heaven and hell, and He distinguishes them according
to their loves; those who are in the shameless and obscene delights
of scortatory love, associate to themselves similar spirits from

354

ITS OPPOSITION TO COMUGIAL LOVE [432

hell: but those, who are in the pure and chaste delights of con-
jugial love, are associated by the Lord with like angels from
heaven: when these their angels, in their attendance on man stand
near those who are in scortatory love, from sins of the under-
standing and of the will, they become sensible of the horrible
stenches (spoken of above, no. 430), and recede a little. On
account of the correspondences of filthy loves with dung and mire,
it was commanded the sons of Israel. "That they should carry
with them a paddle, with which to cover their excrement, lest
Jehovah God, walking in the midst of their camp, should see the
nakedness of the thing, and should turn back*". (Deut. xxxiii. 14,
15) ; this was commanded, because the camp of the sons of Israel
represented the church, and those unclean things corresponded to
the impure loves of their scortations; and by Jehovah God walk-
ing in the midst of their camp was signified His presence with the
angels; that they should cover it was, because all those places in
hell, where troops of such spirits have their abode, are covered
and closed up, wherefore also it is said, "lest He see the naked-
ness of the thing." That all those places in hell are closed up, it
has been given me to see ; and also that when they are opened, as
was the case when a new demon entered, such a horrid stench
exhaled from them, that it infested my abdomen with heaviness;
and what is wonderful, these stenches are to them as delightful as
dung is to swine. From these considerations it is evident how it
is to be understood, that the uncleanness in the church is from
scortatory love, and that the cleanness there is from conjugial love.

432. VIII. THAT THE UNION OF EVIL AND FALSITY MORE AND

MORE MAKES GOOD NOT GOOD, AND TRUTH NOT TRUTH, AND THAT,
ON THE OTHER HAND, GOOD AND TRUTH CONJOINED MAKES GOOD

MORE AND MORE GOOD AND TRUTH. That conjugiai love makes men
(and women) heavenly and celestial has been illustrated and con-
firmed by each and all the propositions, which were demonstrated
in the light before the rational mind, in the First Part of this
Work concerning Pure Love, and the Delights of its Wisdom: as
(1.) That he who is in love truly conjugial, becomes more and
more spiritual ; and the more any one is spiritual, the more he is
a heavenly man, (2.) That he becomes more and more wise; and
the more any one is wise, the more he is a heavenly and celestial
man. (3.) That with such a one the interiors of the mind are more
and more opened, so that he sees, or intuitively acknowledges the
Lord; and the more any one is in that sight, or in that acknowl-
edgment, the more he is a celestial man. (4.) That he becomes
more and more moral and law-abiding, because a spiritual soul
has inherent in him a higher degree of morality and good citizen-
ship; and the more moral any one is in his duties as a heavenly
citizen, the more he is a man. (5.) That also after death he
becomes an angel of heaven; and an angel is in essence and form
a man, and also what is genuinely wise and intelligent in his

355

433] SCORTATORY LOVE

countenance also shines forth from his speech, and from his man-
ners and gestures. From these things it is evident that conjugial
love makes men and women to be more and more in the union of
good and truth. That the contrary is the case with scortators
follows as a consequence, from the very opposition of scortatory
love and the conjugial state, of which it has been treated, and is
treated in this chapter: as (1.) That they are not spiritual, but
extremely natural ; and the natural man separate from the spiritual
man, is human only as to his understanding, and not as to his
will ; for his will looks down only into the external mind, and into
the concupiscences of his exteriors, and at these times his under-
standing also confirms his acts; that such a one is as yet only in
the animal stage, and not a real man, he himself can see from
the reason of his understanding, if he elevates it. (2.) That scor-
tators are not wise, except in their speech and behaviour, when
they are in company with those who are high in station, or dis-
tinguished for their learning and morals, but that when alone with
themselves, they are insane, holding as of no account the Divine
and holy things of the church, and by defiling the holy things of
life with shamelessness and unchastity, will be shown in the chap-
ter on Adulterium. Who does not see that such gesticulators are
human only as to the external figure, and not men as regards their
internal form, or interiors? (3.) That scortators become more
and more not men, my own personal observation from seeing
them in hell, has clearly proved to me; for there they are demons,
who when they are seen in the light of heaven, appear with their
faces full of pustules, their bodies hunch-backed, their speech grat-
ing, and their gestures hysterical. But it should be known, that
such scortators from confirmed purpose of the will, and not those
of the reason, who believe their evil acts to be allowable. For
there are four kinds of adulterers (those who adulterate good and
profane the truth), which are treated of in the chapter on Adulteria
and their Degrees. Adulterers from set purpose are those who are
so from perversions of the will ; adulterers from confirmation are
such from persuasions of the understanding (from false beliefs,
religion, and who consider their acts to be without sin, and to be
honourable and permissible) ; adulterers from premeditation are
such from the allurements of the senses; and unpremeditated
adulterers are such as have not the faculty, or the freedom of con-
sulting the understanding The two former kinds of adulterers are
those that become more and more not, men; but the two latter
kinds become men just in the degree that they recede from those
errors, and afterwards become wise.

433. That conjugial love makes a man (homo) more of a man
(vir), is also illustrated by what was adduced in the preceding
Part concerning Conjugial Love and its Delights, which are:
(1.) That the faculty (for knowing and understanding) , and virtue
(the faculty of multiplying wisdom from the love of truth) , which
356

ITS OPPOSITION TO COXJUGIAL LOVE [334, 335

are called "virile," accompany wisdom just in proportion as this
is animated by the spiritual things of the church, and that thence
they inhere in conjugial love; and that the wisdom of this love
opens a vein from its fountain in the soul, and thus invigorates,
and also blesses with perpetuity the intellectual life, which is the
masculine life itself (wisdom and understanding). (2.) That
hence it is, that the angels of heaven are in this faculty to eternity,
according to their own declarations in the Memorable Relations
(nos. 355, 356) : that the Most Ancient Men, in the Golden and
Silver Ages, were in enduring efficacy, because they loved the
caresses of their conjugial consorts, and would not permit lustful
advances from one in an adulterous love. I have heard from their
own mouths. (See the Memorable Relations, nos. 75, 76.) That
this spiritual sufficiency, even in the natural, will not be wanting
at the present day to those who approach the Lord, and abominate
adulteries as infernal, has been told me from heaven. But the con-
trary happens to scortators who engage in their evil practices from
what is purposed by the will, and those who commit unlawful acts
from religion, doctrine, believing them to be not a sin, and allow-
able, (who were treated above, no. 432. at the end') ; that with
them the faculty and virtue, which is called the virile faculty, is
weakened, even until it is none, and that after this there commences
cold towards the sex, and that this cold is succeeded by a kind of
loathing that verges on nausea, is known, although but little talked
of; that those adulterers are such in hell, I have heard at a dis-
tance, from the sirens, who are obsolete venereal lusts, and also
from the brothel -keepers there. From these things it is clear that
scortatory love makes a human being (homo] more and more not
human (Ao/no), and not a man (vir) ; and that conjugial love
makes a human being more and more a man, and a heavenly
man (vir).

434. IX. THAT THERE is A SPHERE OF SCORTATORY LOVE, AND
A SPHERE OF CONJUGIAL LOVE. What is meant by spheres, and
they are manifold, and that those which are of love and wisdom
proceed from the Lord, and through the angelic heavens descend
into the natural mind, and pervade it even to its ultimates, was
shown above (nos. 222 to 225, and nos. 386 to 397) . That nothing
exists in the universe which has not its opposite, see above (no.
425) ; from this it follows, that because there is a sphere of con-
jugial love, there must also be a sphere opposite to it, which is
called the sphere of scortatory love, for these spheres are opposite
to each other, as adulterous love is opposite to conjugial love;
which opposition has been treated of in the preceding parts of
this chapter.

435. X. THAT THE SPHERE OF SCORTATORY LOVE COMES UP

OUT OF HELL, AND THE SPHERE OF CONJUGIAL LOVE COMES DOWN

FROM HEAVEN. That the sphere of conjugial love descends from

357

436, 437] SCORTATORY LOVE

heaven, was shown in the places cited just above, no. 434; but that
the sphere of scortatory love ascends from hell, is because this
love is from thence, no. 429; this sphere ascends thence from the
unclean things, into which are turned the delights of scortatory
love of those of both sexes there; concerning which see above,
nos. 430, 431.

436. XL THAT IN EACH OF THOSE WORLDS THOSE TWO SPHERES
MEET, BUT DO NOT JOIN. By each world is meant the spiritual
world (those in the spiritual state), and the natural world (in the
natural state). In the spiritual world those spheres meet in the
state of spirits (in freedom and equilibrium), because this is the
intermediate between heaven and hell ; but in the natural world
they meet each other in the rational plane with man, which also
is intermediate between heaven and hell ; for there flows into it
from above the marriage of good and truth, and there flows into it
from below the marriage of evil and falsity; the latter marriage
flows in through the natural, or exterior mind, but the former
through the spiritual and regenerated will and understanding.
Thence it is that the human rational can turn itself to which side
it pleases, and receive the influx; if it (the human rational) turns
to good it receives the influx from above, and then the rational of
the man is formed more and more to the reception of heaven ; but
if it turns to evil, it receives the influx from beneath, and his
rational is then formed more and more to the reception of hell.
That there two spheres do not conjoin themselves is because they
are opposites, and an opposite acts upon an opposite no otherwise
than as enemies, one of which, inflamed with a hatred that actually
desires the destruction of the other, furiously attacks that other,
although that other is in no hatred, but only in zeal for self-
protection. From these considerations it is evident that these two
spheres only meet each other, but do not become conjoined. The
intermediate state which is formed between them consists, on the
one side, of evil which is not of falsity, and of falsity which is not
of evil, and on the other side, of good which is not of truth, and
of truth which is not of good, which two may indeed touch each
other, but still cannot conjoin themselves.

437. XII. THAT BETWEEN THESE TWO SPHERES is AN EQUILIB-
RIUM, AND IN THIS is MAN. The f equilibrium between them is a
spiritual equilibrium, because it is between good and evil; by
virtue of this equilibrium man has free will ; in this, and by means
of this equilibrium, man thinks and wills, and thence speaks and
acts as of himself. His Rational is in the option and election
whether it will receive good, or whether it will receive evil ; con-
sequently, whether it will rationally from freedom dispose itself
to conjugial love, or whether it will rationally from freedom dis-
pose itself to scortatory love; if it disposes itself to the latter, the
man turns the back of his head and body to the Lord : if to the

358

ITS OPPOSITION' TO COMJUGIAL LOVE [448-440

former, he turns his face and hreast to the Lord; if to the Lord,
his rational mind and freedom are led by the Lord, but if he turns
away from the Lord, his rationality and liberty are led by hell.

438. XIII. THAT MAN is ABLE TO TURN HIMSELF TO WHICH-
EVER SPHERE HE WILL, BUT THAT IN SO FAR AS HE TURNS HIMSELF
TO ONE, HE TURNS HIMSELF FROM THE OTHER. Man was created, SO

that whatever he does may be done by him from freedom, accord-
ing to reason, and altogether as of himself; without these two he
would not be a man (homo] , but a beast, for he would not receive
anything inflowing from heaven to himself, and appropriate it to
himself as his own, and thence it would not be possible for any-
thing of eternal life to be inscribed on him ; for this must be in-
scribed on him as his own, in order that it may be his own;
and whereas there does not exist any freedom of turning in one
direction, unless there is also the freedom of turning in the other
direction as well, just as it would be impossible to weigh anything
unless the scales by virtue of the equilibrium were able to incline
to either side, so unless man has freedom from reason to accede
also to evil, thus from the right to the left, and from the left to
the right, in like manner to the infernal sphere, which is the
sphere of scortatory love, as well as to the heavenly sphere, which
is that of the marriage of good and truth.

439. XIV. THAT EACH SPHERE BRINGS WITH IT DELIGHTS. That
is to say, both the sphere of scortatory love, which ascends from
hell, and the sphere of conjugial love, which descends from
heaven, affects the recipient man with delights; the reason is, that
the ultimate plane, in which the delights of each love terminate,
and where they fill and complete themselves, and which presents
them in their own proper sense, is the same; hence it is that the
allurements of falsities and evils, and the heavenly things of con-
jugial relationships, in exteriors are perceived as alike, although
in internals they are entirely unlike; that hence they are also dis-
similar in ultimates, is not judged from any sense of the differ-
ence; for unlikenesses are not felt from their differences in the
ultimates bv any other than those who are in truly conjugial love:
for evil is known by good, but not good by evil, just as a sweet
scent is not perceived by the nostril when a foul odor is present
in it. I have heard from the angels that they distinguish in the
the lascivious from what is not lascivious, as any one distinguishes
the fire of dung, or of burnt horn, by its bad smell, from the fire
of burnt spices, or of cinnamon wood, by their sweet smell ; and
that this arises from the difference of the internal delights which
enter into the external ones and kindle them.

440. XV. THAT THE DELIGHTS OF SCORTATORY LOVE BEGIN

FROM THE FLESH (THE NATURAL MIND), AND THAT THEY ARE OF
THE FLESH EVEN IN THE S7IRIT ; BUT THAT THE DELIGHTS OF CON-

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441.4421 SCORTATORY LOVE

JUGIAL LOVE BEGIN IN THE SPIRIT, AND THAT THEY ARE OF THE

SPIRIT EVEN IN THE FLESH. That the delights of scortatory love
begin from the flesh is because the burning heats of the natural
mind are their beginning principle. That they infect the spirit,
and that they are of the flesh even in the spirit, is that the spirit,
and not the flesh, feels these things which happen in the flesh.
With this sense the case is similar as with the rest, as that the eye
does not see or discern the various details in objects, but the
spirit; and that the ear does not hear and discern the harmony of
melodies in singing, and the fitness of the articulation of sounds
in speech, but the spirit ; and the spirit feels everything according
to its elevation into wisdom ; a spirit that is not elevated above the
sensuals of the body, and so keeps clear of them, does not feel
other delights than those that flow in from the flesh, and from the
world through the bodily senses. These it seizes, is allured by
them, and makes them its own. Now, as the beginnings of scorta-
tory love are the burning heat and purient itchings of the flesh, it
is plain that in the spirit they are filthy enticements, which as they
go up and down, and back and forth, thus excite and inflame. In
general, the cupidities of the flesh, viewed in themselves, are noth-
ing else than the conglomerated concupiscences of evil and falsity.
Hence this truth in the church, that the flesh lusteth against the
spirit, that is, against the spiritual man. It therefore follows that
the delights of the flesh, like as the delights of scortatory love, are
nothing else than libidinous effervescences, which in the spirit
become the springs (or sources) of unchastities.

441. But the delights of conjugial love have nothing in com-
mon with the feculent delights of scortatory love. These do indeed
inhere in the external mind of every man (homo)^ but in propor-
tion as the spirit of a man is elevated above the sensuals of the
body, and looks down from a height upon their appearances and
fallacies below, these are separated and displaced; in like manner
he then perceives the fleshly delights, at first as apparent and
fallacious delights, and afterwards as libidinous and damnable and
hurtful to the soul, and at length he feels them as undelightful,
disagreeable, and nauseating; and in the degree that he thus per-
ceives and feels these delights, in the same degree also he per-
ceives the delights of conjugial love as innocent and chaste, and at
length as delicious and blessed. That the delights of conjugial
love become also delights of the spirit in the flesh, is because,
after the delights of scortatory love are displaced, as was said
just above, the spirit being released from them, enters chaste into
the body, and fills the breasts, and from the breasts even the ulti-
mates of that love in the body, with the exquisite delights of its
own blessedness; thence the spirit acts with these, and these with
the spirit, afterwards in full communion.

442. XVI. THAT THE DELIGHTS OF SCORTATORY LOVE ARE
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ITS OPPOSITION TO CONJUGIAL LOVE [443, 444

PLEASURES OF INSANITY. AND THAT THE DELIGHTS OF CONJUGIAL

LOVE ARE THE DELIGHTS OF WISDOM. That the delights of scorta-
tory love are pleasures of insanity, is because none others than
natural men are in that love, and the natural man is insane in
spiritual things, for he is against them, and therefore embraces
only natural, sensual, and corporeal delights. It is said that the
delights are natural, sensual, and corporeal, because the natural
is distinguished into three degrees. The natural in the highest
degree are those who from rational sight see the insanities, and
yet are carried away by the delights of them, as boats by the
current of a stream; in a lower degree are the natural who only
see and judge by the senses of the body, and spurn and reject
as trifles, things rational that are contrary to appearances and
fallacies; in the lowest degree are the natural, who without judg-
ment, are carried away by the alluring heats of their body; it is
those who are called corporeal-natural, the former sensual-natural,
but the first natural Scortatory love with them, its insanities and
pleasures, are of like degree.

443. That the delights of conjugial love are the delights of
wisdom, is because none other than spiritual men are in that love,
and the spiritual man is in wisdom, and therefore embraces no
delights but such as accord with spiritual wisdom. The quality
of the delights of scortatory love, and the quality of the delights
of conjugial love, may be elucidated by a comparison with houses ;
the delights of scortatory love, by comparison with a house whose
walls glitter outwardly like sea shells, or like the transparent
stones of a spurious golden color called selenites, but in the
chambers within the walls are filth and rubbish of all kinds; but
the delights of conjugial love may be likened to a house, the walls
of which shine as with the finest gold, and the rooms within are
resplendent as with cabinets full of various precious things.

444. To the above shall be added the following Memorable
Relation:

After I had brought to a conclusion the meditations on con-
jugial love, and had begun those on scortatory love, suddenly two
angels stood by me, and said, "We have perceived and understood
what you have heretofore meditated upon; but the things which
you are now meditating upon are beyond us, and we do not per-
ceive them. Leave them out, because they are nothing."

But I replied, "This love, on which I am now meditating, is
not nothing, because it does exist."

But they said, "How can there exist any love, which is not
from creation? Is not conjugial love from creation? Is it not a
love between two who are capable of becoming one? How can
there exist a love which divides and separates? What young man
can love any other maiden than the one who loves him in return ?
Must not the love of the one know and acknowledge the love of

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444] SCORTATORY LOVE

the other, so that when they meet they may become conjoined of
themselves? Who can love that which is not love? Is not con-
jugial love alone mutual and reciprocal? If it is not reciprocal,
does it not rebound and become nothing?"

On hearing this, I asked the two angels from which society of
the heaven they were.

They said, "We are from the heaven of innocence; we came
when infants into this heavenly world, and were educated under
the Lord's auspices; and when I had become a grown-up youth,
and my wife, who is here with me, a marriageable girl, we were
betrothed and affianced, and united together by wedding: and as
we did not know of any other love than truly wedded and con-
jugial love, therefore, when the ideas of your thought concerning
a strange love, directly opposed to our own love, were communi-
cated to us, we did not at all comprehend it; wherefore we have
descended in order to ask you the reason why you meditate on
things that cannot be perceived. Tell us, therefore, how a love
which not only is not from creation, but is also contrary to
creation, can possibly exist? We regard things that are opposite
to creation as objects of no reality."

As they said this, I was glad at heart that it had been given
me to speak with angels of such innocence as to be utterly ignorant
of what scortatory love is; wherefore I opened my mouth and
taught them, saying: "Do you not know that there exist both good
and evil, and that good is from creation, but not evil? and that
nevertheless evil, considered in itself, is not nothing, although it is
nothing of good? From creation there exists good, and also good
in the greatest degree and in the least degree ; and when this least
becomes nothing, there rises up on the other side evil ; wherefore
there does not exist any relation or progression of good to evil,
but a relation and progression of good to a greater and less good,
and of evil to a greater and less evil ; for there are opposites in
each and every particular. And since good and evil are opposites,
there exists an intermediate, and in the intermediate there is an
equilibrium, in which evil acts against good; but as it does not
prevail, it stops in the endeavor. Ev*ery man is educated in this
equilibrium, which, because it is an equilibrium between good and
evil, or, what is the same thing, between heaven and hell, is a
spiritual equilibrium, which, with those who are in it, produces
freedom. By virtue of this equilibrium the Lord draws all to Him-
self; and He leads out of evil into good, and thus to heaven, the
man who follows from freedom. The case is the same with love,
especially with conjugial love, and with scortatory love; the latter
love is evil, but the former good. Every man who hears the voice
of the Lord, and follows out of freedom, is introduced by the
Lord into conjugial love, and into all its delights and blissful-
nesses; but he who does not hear and follow, introduces himself
into scortatory love, first into its delights, but afterwards into its
undelights, and lastly into its joyfulnesses,"
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ITS OPPOSITION TO CONIVGIAL LOVE [444

When I had said this, the two angels asked me, ''How could
evil exist, when nothing but good had existed from creation? In
order that anything may come into existence, it must have an
origin. Good could not be the origin of evil, because evil is noth-
ing of good, for it is deprivative and destructive of good; yet,
since it exists and is felt, it is not nothing, but something: tell us
therefore whence this something came into existence after nothing."

To this I replied, "This arcanum cannot be opened unless it
be known that no one is good but God alone, and that there is not
anything good which is good in itself, but from God; wherefore
he who looks to God, and is willing to be led by God, is in good;
but he who turns away from God, and wants to be led by himself,
is not in good ; for the good which he does is either for the sake
of self or for the sake of the world; thus it is either meritorious,
or simulated, or hypocritical: from which considerations it is
evident, that man himself is the origin of evil ; not that the origin
was implanted in man from creation; but that he, by turning from
God to himself, implanted it in himself. That origin of evil was
not in Adam and his wife ; but when the serpent said, 'In the day
that ye shall eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, ye
shall be as God' (Gen. iii. 5) ; and then because they turned away
from God, and turned to themselves, as to a god, they made in
themselves the origin of evil. Eating of that tree, signified believing
that they knew good and evil, and were wise, from themselves, and
not from God."

But the two angels then asked, "How could man turn away
from God, and turn to himself, when yet man is not able to will,
think, and thence do anything except from God? Why did God
permit this?

But I replied, "Man was so created, that everything he wills,
thinks, and does, appears to him as in himself, and thus from him-
self: without this appearance, man would not be man; for he
would not be able to receive, retain, and as it were appropriate to
himself, anything of good and truth, or of love and wisdom:
whence it follows, that without that appearance, as a living appear-
ance, man would not have conjunction with God, and consequently
neither would he have eternal life. But if, in conformity with this
appearance, he induces in himself the belief that he wills, thinks,
and thence does good from himself, and not from the Lord,
although in all appearance as from himself, he turns good into
evil with himself, and thus makes in himself the origin of evil.
This was the sin of Adam.

"But I will open this matter somewhat more clearly. The Lord
looks at every man in his forehead, and this look passes through
into the back of his head. Under the forehead is the cerebrum,
and under the back of the head is the cerebellum; the latter is
dedicated to love and its goods, and the former to wisdom and its
truths; wherefore he who looks with his face towards the Lord,
receives from Him wisdom, and through wisdom love; but he who

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444] SCORTATORY LOVE

looks backwards from the Lord, receives love and not wisdom;
and love without wisdom is love from man and not from the
Lord; and this love, since it conjoins itself with falsities, does not
acknowledge God, but acknowledges self for a god, and confirms
this tacitly by the faculty of understanding and becoming wise
implanted in it from creation as from itself: wherefore this love
is the origin of evil. That this is the case, can be demonstrated to
the eye. I will call hither some evil spirit who turns away from
God, and will speak to him from behind, or into the back of the
head, and you will see that the things which are said are turned
into their contraries."

I called one such spirit, and he presented himself, and I spoke
to him from behind, saying, "Do you know anything about hell,
damnation, and the torment there?" And presently, when he was
turned to me, I asked him, "What did you hear?"

He replied, "I heard this: 'Do you know anything about heaven,
salvation, and the happiness there? " And afterwards when the
latter words were said to him from behind, he said that he had
heard the former.

It was next said to him from behind, "Do you know that thev
who are in hell are insane from falsities?" And when I asked
him about these words, what he had heard, he said, "I heard, 'Do
you know that they who are in heaven are wise from truths?'"
And when the latter words were said to him from behind, he said
that he heard, "Do you know that they who are in hell are insane
from falsities?" And so in other instances.

From these examples it evidently appears, that when the mind
turns away from the Lord, it turns to itself, and then it perceives
the contrary things.

"This is the reason why, as you are aware, in this spiritual
world no one is allowed to stand behind another, and to speak to
him; for thus there is inspired into him a love, which his self-
intelligence favours and obeys for the sake of its delight; but
since it is from man, and not from God, it is the love of evil, or
the love of falsity. Besides this, I will relate to you another similar
circumstance, namely: I have sometimes heard goods and truths
let down from heaven into hell ; and they were there progressively
turned into their opposites, good and evil, and truth into falsity:
the cause of this is the same as above, namely, that all who are in
hell turn away from the Lord."

On hearing these things, the two angels thanked me, and said,
"As you are now meditating and writing about a love opposite to
our conjugial love, and the opposite to that love makes our minds
sad, we will depart;" and when they said, "Peace be to you," I
begged them not to relate anything about this love to their breth-
ren and sisters in heaven, because it would hurt their innocence.

I can positively asservate that those who die when infants
grow up in heaven, and when they attain the stature which is
common in the world to young men of eighteen years, and to
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ITS OPPOSITION TO CONJUGIAL LOVE [444

maidens of fifteen years, they remain of that stature, and that then
marriages are provided for them by the Lord; and further, that
both before marriage and after it, they are utterly ignorant of
what scortatory love is, and that such a thing can possibly exist.

365

CONCERNING FORNICATIO

444. a. By fornicatio is understood the lust of the developing
(adolescentis) , or of the matured understanding (juvenis), for
any love or affection opposed to conjugial love (femina moecha),
before its heavenly marriage with a regenerated will (conjugium) ;
but lust for an affection absolutely pure of scortatory love (femina
non moecha), or for a good married to some other truth, is not
fornicatio, but with the former is profanation, and with the latter
is scortatory love (adulterium) . How these two differ from falsity
(fornicatione) , cannot be seen by any rational man, unless he is
able to look right through (or explore) the hidden things of
sexual love in its degrees and diversities, and from the one part its
chaste things, and from the other its unchaste things, and divide
each part into its degrees and diversities, and so distinguish them ;
otherwise the distinction between the more and less chaste, and
between the more and less unchaste, cannot possibly stand forth
clearly in the idea of such a man (or one) ; and without these
distinctions all relation perishes, and with that, perspicacity in
matters of judgment, and the understanding is involved in such
obscurity, that it does not know how to distinguish fornicatio from
adultery, and still less the mild from the grievous degrees of that
falsification of truth (fornicatio), and similarly of adulteries
(adulteration of good) ; it thus mixes evils, and diverse evils
makes one condiment (relish or sauce), and from diverse good
makes one delight. In order therefore that a clear (or distinct)
knowledge may be acquired of that part of sexual love by which
it inclines to scortatory love, the direct opposite to conjugial love,
it is necessary that the beginning (principle) of that, which is
fornicatio, should be fully examined by throwing light upon it
from all sides, and this shall be done in the following series:

I. That Fornicatio is of sexual love.

II. That sexual love, from which is Fornicatio, begins when
the growing understanding commences to think and act from its
own intelligence, and the affection of its thought begins to become
intellectual, i.e., has good from truth and truth from good.

III. That Fornicatio is of the natural man.

IV. That Fornicatio (falsity) is lust, but not the lust of scorta-
tory love.

V. That sexual love, if it does not pass off into Fornicatio,
cannot with certain ones be entirely restrained, without most evil
results.

VI. That, therefore, those in corporeal love, who think of mar-
riages as scortations, who attribute the origin of conjugial love

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FORNICATIO [445

and its potency to other than the Divine, inaugurate* maintain, and
populate the lupanaria of hell.

VII. That Fornicatio is light, so far as it looks to conjugal
love, and the understanding puts that foremost in thought.

VIII. That a corrupt affection for falsifying is grievous in the
degree that it looks to (or regards) a complete union with falsity.

IX. That the lust of fornicating is more grievous as it inclines
towards the lust of varieties, and towards the lust of defloration.

X. That the sphere of the lust of 'fornicating* such as it is in
principle, is the middle between the sphere of scortatory love and
the sphere of conjugial love, and makes the equilibrium.

XL That care is to be taken, lest conjugial love, by immoderate
and inordinate fornications, should be destroyed.

XII. Inasmuch as the holy marriage of one man (vir) with
one wife (uxor) is the j<ewel of human life, and the pearl of great
price of the Christian religion.

XIII. That this conjugial (principle) can possibly be kept in
existence with those who, because of manifold (or varying) false
pretexts (or excuses), cannot initiate (or intend) marriages, and
likewise, because of a condition in which they are constantly excit-
ing their salacity, they are unable to govern their lusts, if sexual
love is confined strictly (or briefly) to the understanding alone.

XIV. That Pellicatus is preferable to wandering lust, provided
that it is not implanted in many (i.e., in both the will and under-
standing), nor in a perfectly innocent heavenly love, nor in tlie
affection free from all falsity, nor with a good that is united to
truth, and is held separate (or distinct) from conjugial love.

Now follows "the explanation of these articles.

445. I. THAT FORNICATIO is OF SEXUAL LOVE. It is said that
fornicatio is of sexual love, because fornicatio is not sexual love,
but is from that. Sexual love is as a fountain, from which can be
derived (or flow) both conjugial love and scortatory love (every
form of extra-con jugial love) ; and it is possible that both may be
so derived through fornicatio, and also without that; for sexual
love is born into every human being (man or woman), and it
either manifests itself (or puts itself forth), or it does not. If
before marriage (the marriage of the vir to the uxor, of the under-
standing to conjugial love), it puts itself forth towards adultery
(the marriage of falsity and evil), it is called fornicatio (falsity) ;
if not before it manifests itself as conjugial love, it is called the
conjugium, or the heavenly marriage; if after holy marriage, with
another love, it is called scortatory love; wherefore, as it is said,
sexual love is as a fountain, from which can gush forth plentifully
as well chaste love as unchaste love; BUT YET, with what exceed-
ing caution guarding against every danger, and with what wise
provision or foresight, and habitual acting in accordance there-
with, chaste conjugial love can proceed through fornicatio; and,
on the other hand, with what utter lack of all foresight, and with

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446, 447] SCORTATORY LOVE

failure to do what requires, unchaste, or scortatory love, proceeds
through that (fornicatio ) , will be fully revealed in what follows.
Who could possibly reach the conclusion that one who has yielded
to the lust of fornicatio (or who has progressed as far as that
lust) could have been more chaste in marriage?

446. II. THAT SEXUAL LOVE, FROM WHICH is FORNICATIO,

BEGINS WHEN THE GROWING UNDERSTANDING COMMENCES TO THINK
AND ACT FROM ITS OWN INTELLIGENCE, AND THE AFFECTION OF ITS
THOUGHT BEGINS TO BECOME INTELLECTUAL, i.e., HAS GOOD FROM

TRUTH OR TRUTH FROM GOOD. This is adduced to the end that the
origin of sexual love may be known, and thence of fornicatio, that
it is when the understanding begins to become rational from itself,
and from its own self -intelligence, to look for, and provide what
will be for its advantage and use, and serve it at that time as a
plane for the disposition and inclination, including the inclination
to conjugial love derived from parents, and the external affections
derived from masters. A mental change is made at that time;
before, it thought only of things borne in the memory, meditating
upon diose things and obeying them; afterwards ( it thinks) from
reason upon them; and then, love leading, it disposes the things
lodged in the memory in a new order, and begins its own self life
in agreement with that, and successively thinks more and more
from its own reason, and wills from its own freedom. That sexual
love follows the first, or beginning of one's own understanding,
and progresses according to its strength, is known; (there is)
evidence that this love ascends as the understanding ascends, and
that it descends as that descends; by ascending is meant into
wisdom, and by descending is meant into insanity; and besides, it
is wisdom to restrain sexual love entirely, and it is insanity to let
it run loose; if (it goes forth) into fornicatio, which is the begin-
ning of its activity, that (fornicatio) from principles of honesty
and morality implanted in the memory, and thence in the reason,
and afterward must be implanted in the reason, and thence in the
memory, must be restrained. That together with the incomplete
beginning (literally rudiment) of one's own self -intelligence, the
affection likewise begins to be made intellectual, i.e., to have
truth of good, or truth from good, is because the understanding
thinks, and through, or by, thought, speaks; (this is) evidence that
the understanding constitutes the man (vir), and also (masculum
ejus) his wisdom of love; consequently, that as the understanding
is elevated, so man (homo) becomes more and more a man (vir).
(See above, nos. 433, 434.)

447. Ill, THAT FORNICATIO is OF THE NATURAL MAN, in like
manner as is sexual love, which, if it becomes active before the
conjugial marriage, is called fornicatio. Every human being is
born corporeal (natural), becomes sensual, then natural, and suc-
cessively rational, and if he does not then stand still, he becomes
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FORMCATIO [448, 449

spiritual. The reason why he thus advances step by step is, in
order that planes may be formed, on which the higher planes may
rest and find support, as a palace upon its foundations; the ulti-
mate plane, with the things that are formed upon it, may also be
likened to ground, in which, when prepared, noble seeds are sown,
As to what specifically concerns sexual love, it is first natural, for
it commences from the flesh ; next it becomes sensual, for the five
senses are delighted by its general nature; afterwards, it becomes
natural, similar to the same love with animals, because it is a
wandering sexual love; but as man was born that he may become
spiritual, it afterwards becomes natural-rational, and from natural-
rational, spiritual, and lastly spiritual -natural, and then that love,
having become spiritual, flows into and acts upon rational love,
and through this flows into and acts upon sensual love, and lastly
through this flows into, and acts upon that love in the body and
the flesh; and as this is its ultimate plane, it acts upon it spir-
itually, and at the same time rationally and sensually; and it
flows in and acts thus successively when the man is meditating
upon it, but simultaneously when he is in its ultimate. That
fornicatio is of the natural man is that it proceeds proximately
from natural sexual love; and it may exist natural-rational, but
not spiritual, because sexual love cannot become spiritual until it
becomes conjugial; and sexual love from natural becomes spir-
itual when HOMO (both man and woman), recedes from wander-
ing lust, and devotes himself (or herself) to one, to whose soul he
(or she) unites his (or her) soul.

448. IV. THAT FORNICATIO (FALSITY) is LUST, BUT NOT THE
LUST OF SCORTATORY LOVE. The reasons why fornicatio is lust are :
(1.) That it proceeds from the natural man; and in everything
which proceeds from the natural man there is concupiscence and
lust; for the natural man is nothing but an abode and receptacle
of concupiscences and lusts, for all the evil propensities inherited
from the parents reside therein. (2.) Because the fornicator looks
vagrantly and promiscuously towards the sex, and not yet to one
of the sex, and so long as he is in that state, lust incites him to the
doing of what he does ; but in proportion as he looks to one, and
loves to conjoin his life with her life, concupiscence becomes
chaste affection, and lust becomes human love.

449. That the lust of fornicatio is not the lust of scortatory
love, every one sees clearly from common perception. What law,
and what judge, imputes a like criminality to a fornicator that he
does to an adulterer? The reason why this is seen from common
perception is that fornicatio is not opposite to conjugial love as
scortatory love is; conjugial love may be inwardly stored up in
fornicatio, as what is spiritual may be stored up in what is nat-
ural; yea, the spiritual is in fact actually evolved out of the
natural; and when what is spiritual has been evolved, then the

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450] SCORTATORY LOVE

natural encompasses it as bark does wood, and the scabbard the
sword, and it also serves the spiritual as a protection against
violences. From these considerations it is evident that natural love,
which is towards the sex, precedes spiritual love, which is towards
one of the sex; but if fornicatio goes forth from natural sexual
love, it can also be removed (repented of) if only conjugial love
be regarded, wished for, and sought as the chief good. It is entirely
otherwise with libidinous and obscene scortatory love (adulterous
love when it is not regarded as a sin), which is opposite to con-
jugial love, and the destroyer of it, as has been shown in the
preceding chapter on the Opposition of Scortatory Love and Con-
jugial Love. If, therefore, an adulterer of purpose, or from con-
firmation for various reasons, enters the conjugial bed, the case is
inverted, concealed within lies the natural, with its lascivious and
obscene things, while without, a spiritual appearance veils it over ;
from which reason may see that the lust of limited fornicatio, in
comparison with the lust of scortatory love, is as the first warmth
to the cold of mid-winter in the northern regions.

450. V. THAT SEXUAL LOVE, IF THAT DOES NOT PASS OFF INTO

FORNICATIO, CANNOT WITH CERTAIN ONES BE ENTIRELY RESTRAINED,
WITHOUT MOST EVIL RESULTS. It is idle^ and only for the purpose
of deceiving, to enumerate the injurious effects (or evil results)
which very great restraint of sexual love can be falsely pleaded to
excuse, or occasion, by those who labor under a superabundance
and in controllable incitement of that lust; thence with those, are
the origins of certain evils of the external mind, and an evil dis-
position of the internal mind, that conceals evils which are not
acknowledged as one's own, and the real quality of which cannot
be perceived. It is otherwise with those by whom sexual love is
so controlled that they are able to resist the assaults of that lust;
equally with those, who, being in the heavenly state of innocence,
wisdom, and virile power, without waste of their most valuable
possessions (facultas, vis, and virtus), thus, at the first favorable
omens, in the freedom or equilibrium in which they are main-
tained by the Lord, are able to bring into practice, and to come
into that heavenly consociation and agreement in religion, which
will permit of the most interior union of will and understanding.
Whereas, it is thus in heaven, with those in innocence, who have
grown up to the conjugial age, therefore, there fornicatio is not
known; but in earthly, or external conditions, the matter is not
the same, where matrimonies cannot be contracted until the first
innocent state of youth, with its faculty and inclination to con-
jugial love, has been expelled, which is the case with many within,
or under the control, of merely external affections, when (or in
which case) uses must be a long time performed, and the youthful
faculty and inclination to conjugial love must be regained, in
order that there may be such an interior union of will and under-
standing as will sustain or maintain a state of united love,
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FORNICATIO [451.452

wisdom, and use, and then first can conjugial love be surely wooed
and won.

451. VI. THAT, THEREFORE, THOSE i.\ CORPOREAL LOVE, WHO

THINK OF MARRIAGES AS SCORTATIONS, WHO ATTRIBUTE THE ORIGIN
OF CONJUGIAL LOVE AND ITS POTENCY TO OTHER THAN THE DIVINE,
INAUGURATE, MAINTAIN, AND POPULATE THE LUPANARIA OF HELL.
This is adduced as confirmation of the preceding number: that
these lupanaria (those in adulterous loves) are inaugurated, main-
tained, and populated, by those under the dominion of the ruling
false principles, and hence of the corrupted rational principles,
and by falsities generally, denying the Divine origin of conjugial
love and its potency, and tracing both to a human origin, and
making conjugial love one with scortatory love, besides many
other falsities growing out of these, is known. Among other evil
reasons, because of which these conditions exist, are those recorded
in the foregoing Memorable Relation.

452. VII. THAT FORNICATIO is LIGHT, so FAR AS IT LOOKS TO

CONJUGIAL LOVE, AND THE UNDERSTANDING PUTS THAT FOREMOST

IN THOUGHT. There are degrees of the quality of evil, just as there
degrees of the quality of good; wherefore every evil is lighter,
and more grievous, just as every good is better and best. It is
similar with fornicatio, which, because it is a lust, and moreover
of the natural man not yet purified, is an evil, but because every
man can be purified, therefore, so far as it progresses to a purified
state, to that extent that evil becomes a lighter evil, for to that
extent it is removed; that is to say, so far as fornicatio progresses
towards conjugial love, which is the state of sexual love purified;
that the evil of fornicatio is more grievous, in so far as it pro-
gresses to an adulterous love, while it is such as not to be regarded
as a sin, nor as an evil, and something dishonourable (or dis-
honest) in the presence of reason, but as allowable with reason,
will be shown in the following number. That fornicatio is light,
in so far as one looks to conjugial love, is because then, from the
unchaste state in which that one is, that one looks to the chaste
state, and in so far as that one puts this foremost in the under-
standing, so far also that one is in that (conjugial love) as to the
understanding, and in so far as that one not only puts this (con-
jugial love) foremost in the understanding, but also loves it before
everything else, to that extent that one is in that (conjugial love)
as to the will, so as to the internal man; and then fornicatio, if
nevertheless one persists in that, is to that one an inevitable and
unavoidable consequence of evils that prevent normal action,
which, as a sure and ascertained fact, are with that one. There are
two reasons which effect, that fornicatio is light with those who
put the conjugial state foremost in their understanding, and love
it above everything else; the first is that with them the conjugial
life is the purpose, intention, or end; the other is, that they dis-

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453] SCORTATORY LOVE

tinguished evil from good in themselves. That the first holds good,
that with them the conjugial life is the purpose, intention, or end,
is because a man (homo) is such a man (homo) as is the quality
in his purpose, intention, or end, and he is also such in the sight
of the Lord, and in the sight of the angels. Yea, that one is so
judged in the sight of the wise in the world; _fpr the intention is
,the soul of all actions, and brings to pass inculpations and excul-
pations in the world, and imputations after death. As to the other,
those who put conjugial love in the understanding before, or above
the lust of fornicatio, distinguish good from evil, thus the chaste
from the unchaste ; and they who distinguish those two in percep-
tion, and also in intention, before they are in good or chastity, are
also disjoined and purified from the evil of that lust, while they
come (or during the process of coming) into the conjugial state.
That this does not come to pass with those who in fornicatio look
to adultery, now will be seen in the following number.

453. VIII. THAT A CORRUPT AFFECTION FOR FALSIFYING is

GRIEVOUS IN THE DEGREE THAT IT LOOKS TO (OR REGARDS) A COM-
PLETE UNION WITH FALSITY. All who are in the lust of fornicatio
look to scortatory love,4hose who do not believe that such scorta-
tions are to be regarded as a sin, and who look upon the marriage
of good and truth in a similar way as they do their profanations,
with the sole difference that the former are licit, and the latter
illicit. These also make one evil out of all evils, and mix them
together, as filth with edible food in one dish, and like off-
scourings with wine in one cup, and thus eat and drink; they do
in like manner with sexual love, with fornicatio, with pellicacy,
with the milder, grievous, and more grievous forms of scortatory
love, with defilements or defloration; add to this, that they not
only mix up all those things together, but also mix them in with
things concerning the heavenly marriage of good and truth, and
pollute these with similar notions; but those who do not even
discriminate the latter from the former, after their vague intrigues
with those of the sex, are overtaken with cold, loathing, and dis-
gust, first for the conjugial consort, then for others, and lastly for
the sex. That with them there is not the purpose, intention, or end,
of what is good or chaste to exculpate them, nor a separation of
evil from good, or of the unchaste from the chaste, that they may
be purified, as is the case with those who from fornicatio look to
conjugial love, and prefer it, (concerning whom see the preceding
article, no. 452). It is permitted to confirm these things by this
news from heaven. I have met with many, who in the world had
lived like others, in externals, wearing rich apparel, feasting
sumptuously, negotiating like others with capital, frequenting
theatrical performances, joking about love affairs as if from lust,
besides other similar things, and yet the angels charged those
things upon some as evils of sin, and upon others as not evils, and
declared the latter innocent, but the former guilty. To the question
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FORMCATIO [454 455

why they did so, when the deeds were alike, they replied that they
regard all from purpose, intention, or end. and distinguish accord-
ing to them, and that on this account they excuse or condemn
those whom the end excuses or condemns, since all in heaven are
Influenced by a good end, and all in hell by an evil end; and that
this, and nothing else, is meant by the Lord's words, "Judge not,
that ye be not condemned" (Matt. vii. 1).

454. IX. THAT THE LUST OF FORNICATING is MORE GRIEVOUS

AS IT INCLINES TOWARDS THE LUST OF VARIETIES. AND TOWARDS THE

LUST OF DEFLORATION. The reason is that these two are accessories
of scortatory love, and thus aggravate it. For there are mild,
grievous, and more grievous scortations, and they are adjudged in
each case according to their opposition to conjugial love, and
thence their destructiveness of it. That the lust of Varieties, and
the lust of Defloration, confirmed by acts, lay waste conjugial love,
and submerge it as in the depths of the sea, will be seen in the
chapters concerning them, which follow.

455. X. THAT THE SPHERE .OJEI.T-HE LUST, OE I'.QESICA.TING^SUCH

AS IT IS IN PRINCIPLE, IS IN THE MIDDLE BETWEEN THE.SPHEBJ5 OF
SCORTATORY LOVE AJNfP THE SPHERE OF CONJUGIAL LOVE, >ND

MAKES ,TH EQUILIBRIA. The two spheres of scortatory love, and
of conjugial love, have been treated of in the former chapter. And
besides, it was shown that the sphere of scortatory love comes up
from hell, and that the sphere of conjugial love descends from
heaven (no. 435) ; that in each world the two spheres meet, but
do not conjoin themselves (no. 436) ; that between these two
spheres there is an equilibrium, and man (homo) is in that (no.
437) ; that man (homo) can turn himself to which of these spheres
he pleases, but in so far as he turns himself to the one, he turns
from the other (no. 438) ; what is understood by spheres (no. 434,
and from places there cited) . That the sphere of the lust of forni-
cating is in the middle between these two spheres, and makes the
equilibrium, is because while any one is in that state, it is possible
for that one to turn to the sphere of conjugial love, that is, to that
love, and also to the sphere of an adulterous love (while it is such
as not to be regarded as a sin, nor as an evil, and something dis-
honourable or dishonest in the presence of reason, but as allow-
able with reason), that is, to the love of that; but if that one turns
to conjugial love, he turns to heaven; if to the adulterous love, he
turns to hell ; and both the one and the other in the free deter-
mination, good pleasure, or will of the man (/&oni7iis),_because
to do this in his mind freely, according to

reason, and not from instinct, hence, therefore, as he may be a
man, and may also appropriate influx to himself, and not a beast,
which appropriates nothing of it to itself. It is said that the lust
of forracatio is such in principle, because then it is in a middle
state. Who does not know, that whatever a man (homo) does, (or

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456,4571 SCORTATORY LOVE

thinks) in his mind, is of concupiscence, because from the natural
man? And who does not know that that concupiscence is not
imputed, while from natural one becomes spiritual? Similar it
is with the lust of fornicatio, while the love of man becomes
conjugial.

456. XL THAT CARE is TO BE TAKEN, LEST CONJUGIAL LOVE,

BY IMMODERATE AND INORDINATE FORNICATIONS, SHOULD BE DE-
STROYED. By immoderate and inordinate fornications, by which
conjugial love is destroyed, are meant the fornications by which
the virile faculties are enervated, but also the heavenly things of
conjugial love are taken away; for from the unbridled license of
fornications, there arises not only infirmities and consequent loss
of power, but also uncleannesses and obscenities, by reason of
which conjugial love cannot be perceived and felt in its cleanness
and chastity, and thus neither in its sweetness nor in the delights
of its flower; not to mention the detrimental consequences to the
external and internal mind, and also the forbidden allurements,
which not only deprive conjugial love of its blessed delights, but
even take it away, and turn it into cold, and thereby into loathing.
Such fornications are the violent excesses whereby conjugial
sports are turned into tragic scenes; for immoderate and inordinate
fornications are like burning fires, which arise from the ultimates,
and consume the natural mind, parch the fibres of the soul, pollute
the truth, and vitiate the rational powers of the mind; for the fires
of lust burst forth like a fire from the foundation into the house,
and consumes the whole. That this may not happen (at such
times, and under the stress of such evil states), we must consult,
and be governed by our Heavenly Parents (the Lord Who is in
heaven, our Father, and by the Church, our Spiritual Mother), as
the young and growing understanding, when actuated and im-
pelled by all the falsities of evils of hell, cannot, as yet, from
reason, impose restraint upon itself.

457. XII. INASMUCH AS THE HOLY MARRIAGE OF ONE MAN

(VIR) WITH ONE WIFE (UXOR) IS THE JEWEL OF HUMAN LIFE, AND
THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. These

two things have been demonstrated, universally and particularly,
in the whole of the preceding part on Conjugial Love and its
Delights of Wisdom. That it is the jewel of human life is because
the quality of a man's life is according to the quality of that love
with him, for that love constitutes the inmosts of his life; for it
is the life of wisdom dwelling together with its love, and of love
dwelling together with its wisdom, and thence it is the life of the
delights of both; in a word, man (homo] becomes a living soul
through that love; thence it is, that the conjugial of one man
(vir) with one wife (uxor] is called the jewel of human life. This
is confirmed from what has been said in previous articles: that
with one wife there is given truly conjugial friendship, confidence,
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FORNICATIO [458, 459

potency, because there Is a union of minds I'nos. 333, 334) : that in
and from that union there exist celestial blessedness, spiritual, and
happy conditions, and thence natural enjoyments, which from the
beginning have been provided for those who are in love truly con-
jugial (no. 335 ) : that it is the fundamental love of all celestial,
spiritual, and thence natural loves, and that into that love are
gathered up all joys and gladnesses from first to last fnos. 65-69) :
anl that, considered in its origin, it is the sporting of wisdom and
love, has been fully demonstrated in the Delights of Wisdom Con-
cerning Conjugial Love, which constitutes the First Part of this
Work.

458. That this love is the Pearl of Great Price of the Christian
Religion is because this religion makes a one with that love, and
dwells together with it; for it was shown that none others come
into that love, or can be in it, except those who approach the Lord,
and do the truths of His Church, and its goods fnos. 70, 71) : that
that love is from the Lord alone, and that thence it is with those
who are of the Christian Religion fnos. 131, 335, 336 j : that that
love is according to the state of the church, because it is accord-
ing to the state of wisdom with man (no. 130) : that these things
are so, was fully confirmed in the whole chapter on "The Cor-
respondence of that Love with the Marriage of the Lord and the
Church" (nos. 116-131) ; and in the chapter on "The Origin of
that Love from the Marriage of Good and Truth" (nos. 83-102).

459. XIII. THAT THIS CONJUGIAL (PRINCIPLE) CAN POSSIBLY
BE KEPT IN EXISTENCE WITH THOSE WHO, BECAUSE OF MANIFOLD
(OR VARYING) FALSE PRETEXTS (OR EXCUSES), CANNOT INITIATE
(OR INTEND) MARRIAGES, AND LIKEWISE, BECAUSE OF A CONDITION
IN WHICH THEY ARE CONSTANTLY EXCITING THEIR SALACITY, THEY
ARE UNABLE TO GOVERN THEIR LUSTS, IF SEXUAL LOVE IS CONFINED
STRICTLY (OR BRIEFLY) TO THE UNDERSTANDING ALONE. That by
those, who are in a state in which they constantly excite their
salacity, lust unrestrained, and entirely without rule or regulation,
cannot be turned from its course without a complete reversal and
return to purity, reason sees, and experience teaches; in order,
therefore, that this condition of unrestraint, and lacking all regula-
tion, should be held in check with those who labor under an un-
controllable incitement of lust, and that they should not be able
because of their false reasonings or pretexts utterly to destroy or
pervert true marriages, and should be brought back to a somewhat
restrained and regulated condition, there appears no other refuge,
and as it were asylum, than the commencement of a more orderly
way of living, that is the strict confinement of the evil love to the
understanding alone. It is known that in the kingdoms of this
world (those which have not yet become the kingdoms of our
Lord), there are regimina (ruling external affections), natural
marriage cannot, with many, be contracted until the first innocent

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459] SCORTATORY LOVE

state of youth, with its faculty and inclination to conjugial love,
has been expelled, because spiritual uses must first be performed,
and the youthful faculty and inclination to conjugial love must
be regained, in order that there may be such an interior union of
will and understanding as will sustain or maintain a state of
united love, wisdom, and use, and then first can conjugial love be
surely "wooed and won; and yet during the preceding state, the
gushing fountain of virility can with few be kept closed and
reserved for conjugial love (uxore] ; it is better, indeed, that it
should be reserved; but if on account of the violence of lust
utterly lacking all curb or restraint that ought to be had, or im-
posed upon it, it cannot be, it is to be questioned, (or considered)
whether there can not be some course for expedient) interposed,
by which it will be possible to be provided that conjugial love
should not perish in the meantime: that pellicacy (an evil sen-
suous love) is such an expedient, these, (the following six con-
siderations), advocate: (i.) That by this means, inordinate pro-
miscuous fornications (falsities) are restrained and limited, and
so induces a more restricted state, which is more nearly akin to
conjugial life, (ii.) That this intermediate means will quiet and
assuage (appease and mitigate) the ardor of the love of self, and
the lust for profanation of the truths of heaven (veneris] , boiling
violently, and, as it were, burning in the mind, and that thus the
lasciviousness of salacity, which is filthy, is tempered by some-
thing which is, as it were, outwardly analogous to the heavenly
marriage of good and truth (iii.) By that (modus intermedians)
the virile forces are not utterly thrown away (or destroyed), nor
impotencies produced, as by the wandering, loathsome practices,
and unlimited orgies, such as satyrs indulge in. (iv.) That by
this (modus intermedians] the fatal and incurable disorders of
the external mind, and the insanities of the internal mind, are
avoided, (v.) Equally by that all forms of most grievous scorta-
tions are prevented, such as the adulterations of goods and the
falsifications of truths, and stuprations, which are the violation
and spoliation of innocences ; that these conceal the most criminal
acts, the quality of which is not perceived ; for a boy who has only
reached the age of puberty (that is, one who 1 has not yet adjoined
the wisdom of life to his understanding) , doe not think that the
most grievous adulteries and stuprations are other than fornica-
tions, so that one is the same as the other; nor does he understand
from reason how to resist the promptings of his corrupted affec-
tions ; but it is possible in pellicatus, which is a more ordinate and
sane fornicatio, where the will is not yet involved, but only ONE,
the understanding), to learn and perceive the distinctions, (vi.)
By pellicatus access is not given (or approach is not made) to
the four kinds of lust which are in the highest degree destructive
of conjugial love; which are the lust of defloration, the lust of
varieties, the lust of violation, and the lust of seducing innocences;
concerning which in the following chapters. But these things are
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FORNICATIO [460

not said to those who can control the fire of lust, nor to those who
immediately after attaining the heavenly conjugial state of the
juvenis, are unable to initiate marriage, and to bring, and to have
constantly present, or imminent, confirmations and covenants of
true conjugial love.

460. XIV. THAT PELLICATUS is PREFERABLE TO WANDERING

LUST, PROVIDED THAT IT IS NOT IMPLANTED IN MANY (i.e.. IN BOTH
THE WILL AND UNDERSTANDING), NOR IN A PERFECTLY INNOCENT
HEAVENLY LOVE, NOR IN THE AFFECTION FREE FROM ALL FALSITY.
NOR WITH A GOOD THAT IS UNITED TO TRUTH, AND IS HELD SEPARATE

(OR DISTINCT) FROM CONJUGIAL LOVE. When, and with whom
pellicatus is preferable to vagrant lust, has been indicated imme-
diately above, (i.) That pellicatus must not be implanted with
more than one. is because with more something polygamous in-
heres, which induces in (homini\ man (and woman), a merely
natural state, and also thrusts this (the natural state) down into
the sensual, so far that it cannot be elevated into the spiriual state
in which conjugial love will be (see nos. 338, 339). (ii.) That it
must not be implanted in a virgin fa perfectly innocent love, or
an affection pure from all falsity, is because conjugial love with
women makes one with their virginity; thence is the chastity,
purity, and sanctity of that love; wherefore, to espouse or con-
firm that love to any truth is to give a pledge that that will be
loved to eternity; therefore, such a heavenly and innocent love,
cannot from rational consent, be conjoined to that truth, unless
with the obligation (or vow) of the conjugial covenant; that
covenant is indeed the crown of her honor, or married state;
wherefore, to precipitate conjugial love, and afterwards renounce
it, is to adulterate some good which could have been conjoined
to truth, and become conjugial love, or to falsify some truth, and
whichsoever is damnable: for this reason, an understanding that
is in evil can adjoin to itself a pure love and dwell with that, and
thus be initiated into the friendship of love, if all scortation is
renounced, and provided there is the constant intention to mar-
riage which will remove the evil love, (iii.) It is plain that
pellicatus must not be conjoined with a good conjoined to truth,
because that is adultery, (iv.) The reason that pellicate love must
be held separate (or distinct) from conjugial love, is that these
loves are distinct, and therefore must not be commingled; for
pellicate love is a love unchaste, natural, and external, and con-
jugial love is chaste, spiritual, and internal: pellicate love sepa-
rates the souls of two, and conjoins only the sensuals of the body;
but conjugial love unites the souls, and from the oneness (or
unity) of souls, even the sensuals of the body, just so far as from
two they become one, which is one flesh, (v.) Pellicate love only
enters into the understanding, and into those things which apper-
tain to it; but conjugial love enters into the will, and into those
things which appertain to the will (or proceed from it), and in

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461] SCORTATORY LOVE

like manner into all and singular the things of (hominis) man
(or woman) ; wherefore, if pellicate love becomes conjugial love,
the understanding cannot by any one law recede, without a viola-
tion of the conjugial oneness or unity; and if it recedes, and is
conjoined to another, conjugial love perishes in the breach of the
oneness, or unity. It must be known that pellicate love is held
(or kept) separate from conjugial love, by as much as permanent
union with that evil love is not confirmed, nor is such union in-
tended. Nevertheless it is of the utmost importance that the torch
of sexual love should first be lit by conjugial love.

461. To the above shall be added the following Memorable
Relation :

I once spoke with a novitiate spirit who, when he was in the
natural world, had meditated much above heaven and hell. By
novitate spirits are meant human beings newly deceased, who are
called spirits, because they are then spiritual men. As soon as he
entered into the spiritual world, he began to meditate in like
manner about heaven and hell, and seemed to himself, when medi-
tating about heaven, to be in joy, and when about hell, in sad-
ness. When he observed that he was in the spiritual world, he
immediately asked where heaven was, and where hell was, and
also what, and of what quality, the one and the other were.

And they answered, "Heaven is above your head, and hell
beneath your feet; for you are now in the state of spirits, which is
intermediate between heaven and hell; but what and of what
quality heaven and hell are we cannot describe in a few words."

And then, as he burned with the desire of knowing, he cast
himself upon his knees, and prayed devoutly to God that he might
be instructed.

And lo! an angel appeared at his right hand, and raised him,
and said, "You have supplicated to be instructed about heaven
and hell. INQUIRE AND LEARN WHAT DELIGHT is, AND YOU WILL
KNOW;" and having said this, the angel was taken up.

Then the novitiate spirit said within himself, "What does this
mean, 'Inquire and learn what delight is y and you will know what
and of what quality heaven and hell are'?" And leaving that
place he wandered about, and accosting those he met, said, "Tell
me, I pray you, what delight is."

Some said, "What a strange question! Who does not know
what delight is? Is it not joy and gladness? Wherefore delight
is delight; one delight is like another; we know no difference."

Others said, that delight was the laughter of the mind; for
when the mind laughs, the face is cheerful, the talk jocular, the
behavior sportive, and the whole man is in delight.

But some said, "Delight is nothing else than feasting and
eating delicacies, drinking and getting intoxicated with generous
wine, and then talking about different things, especially about the
sports of Venus and Cupid."
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FORNICATIO [461

On hearing all this, the novitiate spirit, being indignant, said to
himself; 'These answers are ill-bred and unbecoming: these delights
are neither heaven^ nor hell; would that I could meet the wise."

He then took his leave of them, and inquired where he might
find the wise.

Just then he was seen by a certain angelic spirit, who said,
""I perceive that you are inflamed with the desire of knowing what
is the universal of heaven and the universal of hell; and since
this is DELIGHT, I will conduct you to a hill, where there meet
daily those who examine effects, those who investigate causes, and
those who explore ends. There are three companies; those who
examine effects are called spirits of sciences, and abstractedly
sciences; those who investigate causes are called spirits of intelli-
gence, and abstractedly intelligences; and those who explore ends
are called spirits of wisdom, and abstractedly wisdoms. Directly
above them in heaven are angels, who from ends see causes, and
from causes effects : from these angels those three companies have
enlightenment."

The angelic spirit then taking the novitiate spirit by the hand,
led him up the hill to the company which consisted of those who
explore ends, and are called wisdoms. To these the novitiate spirit
said, "Pardon me for having ascended to you: the reason is, that
from my childhood I have meditated about heaven and hell, and
lately came into this world (state) , where I was told by some who
were then associated with me, that here heaven is above my head
and hell beneath my feet; but they did not tell me what and of
what quality the one and the other were; wherefore, becoming
anxious from my constant thought on these subjects, I prayed to
God ; and then an angel presented himself, and said, 'Inquire and
learn what delight is, and you will know! I have inquired, but
hitherto in vain: I beg therefore that you will kindly teach me
what delight is."

To this the wisdoms replied, "Delight is the all of life to all
in heaven, and the all of life to all in hell: tbey^wko--**'^ in
Jbeayen have the delight of good and truth, but tjxey .who are in
hjejl have the delight of evil and falsity; for all delight belongs to
love, and love is the es&e of man's life; wherefore as man is man
according to the quality of his love, so he is man according to the
quality of his delight. The activity of love makes the sense of
delight; its activity in heaven is with wisdom, and its activity in
hell is with insanity; each in its own subjects presents delight.
But the heavens and the hells are in opposite delights, because in
opposite loves; the heavens in the love and therefore in the
delight of doing good, but the hells in the love and therefore in
the delight of doing evil. If therefore you know what delight is,
you will know what and of what quality heaven and hell are. But
inquire and learn further what delight is from those who investi-
gate causes, and are called intelligences; they are to the right
from hence."

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461] SCORTATORY LOVE

He departed, and came to them, and told them the reason
of his coming, and begged that they would instruct him what
delight was.

And they, rejoicing at the question, said, "It is true that he
who knows what delight is, knows what and of what quality heaven
and hell are. The will, by virtue whereof man is man, cannot be
moved in the least except by delight; for the will, considered in
itself, is nothing but the affect and effect of some love, thus of
some delight; for it is something pleasing, agreeable, and pleasur-
able, which causes willing; and as the will actuates the under-
standing to think, there does not exist the least of an idea of
thought except from the influent delight of the will. The reason
of this being so is, that the Lord through influx from Himself
actuates all things of the soul and all things of the mind with
angels, spirits, and men; and actuates them through the influx of
love and wisdom; and this influx is the activity itself, from which
is all the delight, which in its origin is called blessed, blissful,
and happy, and in its derivation is called delightful, pleasant, and
pleasurable, and in the universal sense, GOOD. But the spirits of
hell invert all things with themselves; thus they turn good into
evil, and truth into falsity, the delight constantly remaining; for
without the performance of delight, they would have neither will
nor sensation, thus not life. From these considerations it is evident
what, of what quality, and whence, is the delight of hell; also
what, of what quality, and whence, is the delight of heaven."

Having heard this, he was conducted to the third company,
which consisted of those who examine effects, and are called
sciences. These said, "Descend to the lower earth, and ascend to
the higher earth: in the latter you will perceive and feel the
delightsomenesses of the angels of heaven, and in the former of the
delightsomenesses of the spirits of hell."

But lo! at that moment, at a distance from them, the ground
gaped open, and through the opening there ascended three devils,
who appeared on fire from the delight of their love; and as they
who were consociated with the novitiate spirit perceived that those
three had ascended out of hell providentially, they said to them,
"Do not come nearer; but from the place where you are, tell
something about your delights."

Whereupon they said, "Know that everyone, whether he be
good or evil, is in his own delight; a good person in the delight
of his own good, and an evil one in the delight of his own evil."

They then asked, "What is your delight?"

They said that it was the delight of committing scortations,
stealing, defrauding, and blaspheming.

Again they asked, "What is the quality of those delights?"

They said that they were smelt by others as stinks from ordure,
stenches from dead bodies, and bad smells from stale urine.

They asked, "Are those things delightful to you?"

They said that they were most delightful,
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FORNICATIO [461

And they said, ""Then you are like unclean beasts which wallow
in such things."

To which they answered, " v lf we are, we are; but such things
are the delights of our nostrils."

And they asked, "What more?"

They said, "Every one is allowed to be in his own delight,
even the most unclean, as they call it, provided he does not infest
good spirits and angels ; but as from our delight we could not do
otherwise than infest them, we have been cast into penitentiaries,
where we suffer direful things. T^e restraint and repression of
.our delights there is what is called the torture of hell; it is also
interior pain."

It was then asked them, "Why did you infest the good?"

They said that they could not do otherwise, that it was as if a
fury invaded them when they see any angel and perceive the
Divine sphere about him.

It was then said to them, "Herein also you are like wild beasts."

And presently, when they saw the novitiate spirit with the
angel, the devils were overcome with fury, which appeared like a
fire of hatred; wherefore, to prevent them from doing mischief,
they were cast back into hell.

After these things, appeared the angels who from ends see
causes, and through causes effects, and who were in the heaven
above those three companies. They were seen in a bright white
light, which, rolling itself spirally downwards, brought with it a
round garland of flowers, and placed it on the head of the novi-
tiate spirit; and at the same moment a voice came forth to him
thence, saying, "This wreath is given you because from childhood
you have meditated about heaven and hell."

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CONCERNING CONCUBINATUS

462. In the preceding chapter, where fornicatio was treated of,
pellicatus was also, and by this (pellicatus) is understood the^cpn-
Junction, of the understanding alone with an adulterous love; but
by Concubinatus is understood the conjunction of both will and
understanding, likewise with an adulterous love. Those who do
not distinguish kinds, indulge in, or are conversant with both of
these adulterous loves promiscuously, as if of the same meaning
or character ; but since there are two kinds, and the term pellicatus
fits the former, because that evil love is an adulterous love in-
volving only the understanding, and the term conbubinatus, the
latter, because that adulterous love has supplanted conjugial love
(and by so doing has entered the will), therefore, for the sake of
distinction, the conjunction of the understanding alone with an
adulterous love is signified by pellicatus, and the conjunction of
both will and understanding with an adulterous love, by concu-
binatus. Concubinatus is treated of here for the sake of successive
order; for, in orderly succession, it is revealed of what quality
marriage is, from the one part, and of what quality adultery is
from the other. That marriage and adultery are opposites, was
first treated of in the chapter concerning the opposition of these,
and how much, and in what manner, they are opposed, cannot be
fully learned, except from those intermediate loves which come
between, among which also is concubinatus. But because there
are two kinds, and these must be entirely distinguished, therefore,
this chapter, like the former ones, must be divided into its parts,
as follows:

I. There are two kinds of concubinatus, which greatly differ
from each other: one conjointly with conjugial love, and the other
separately from that love.

II. That concubinatus conjointly with conjugial love is not
permissible to Christians, and is detestable.

III. That it is polygamy, which by the Christian world is
damned, and ought to be damned.

IV. That it is scortatio (all forms of extra-conjugial love), by
which conjugial love, the most precious treasure of the Christian
life, is destroyed.

V. That concubinage disjointly from conjugial love, while
entered into from causes legitimate, just, and truly weighty, is not
for may not be) unpermissible.

VI. That the legitimate causes of this concubinatus are like-
wise the legitimate causes of divorce, when the adulterous will is
fully united to the adulterous understanding.

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CONCUBINATUS [463

VII. That the just causes of this concubinatus are the just
causes of separation from the bed-chamber (separation of minds).

VIII. That the weighty causes of this concubinatus are real
and not real.

IX. That the really weighty causes are such as are based upon
what is just.

X. That the weighty causes not real, are those which are not
from the just, although from an appearance of what is just.

XL That those, who from the spiritual causes explained above,
are in this external marriage, may, or can be, in internal marriage.

XII. That when concubinatus persists for becomes permanent),
active cooperation (or mixing together) with conjugial love is not
permitted.

Now follows the explanation of these articles.

463. I. THAT THERE ARE TWO KINDS OF CONCUBINATUS, WHICH

GREATLY DIFFER FROM EACH OTHER: ONE CONJOINTLY WITH CON-
JUGIAL LOVE, AND THE OTHER SEPARATELY FROM THAT LOVE. That

there are two kinds of concubinatus, which very greatly differ
from each other, and that one kind is to adjoin a supplanting
adulterous love in the place of conjugial love, and to he in the
actual life of both those loves conjointly, and at the same time;
and that the other is, after full and complete separation from con-
jugial love, to admit, or adopt, an adulterous love in the place of
that. That these two kinds of concubinatus are as alien from each
other as dirty linen from washed, can be seen by those who per-
fectly and distinctly regard matters; but cannot by those who
(regard matters) confusedly and indistinctly; yea, it can by those
who are in conjugial love, but not by those who are in an adul-
terous love, when it is such that it is not regarded as a sin, nor as
an evil, and something dishonourable (or dishonest) in the pres-
ence of reason, but as allowable with reason; those are in night
concerning all the derivations of sexual love, but they (those in
conjugial love) are in the day concerning them; but those who
are in adultery are always able to see the derivations and distinc-
tions of them, not indeed, in themselves from themselves, but when
they hear those things from others; for adulterers have the same
faculty of elevating the understanding as the chaste consort; but
the adulterer, after he has understood these distinctions heard from
others, always obliterates them when he immerses his understand-
ing in his filthy delight ultimated in act; for the chaste and the
unchaste, the sane and the insane, cannot exist together, but they
can be distinguished by the understanding separated. Once, in the
state of spirits, some that do not regard adulteries as sins, were
asked by me whether they knew any distinction between fornicatio,
pellicatus, and the two kinds of concubinatus, and the degrees of
adulterium. They said that one was as the other. And they were
asked whether marriage was so too. They looked about to see
whether any of the clergy were present, and as they were not, they

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464, 465] SCORTATORY LOVE

said that in themselves they are alike. It was otherwise with those,
who in the ideas of their thoughts, regarded adulteries as sins.
They said that, in their interior ideas, which are of perception,
they saw distinctions, but had not yet studied to discern and dis-
tinguish them. This I can affirm, that by the angels of heaven the
distinctions are perceived as to their least particulars. In order,
therefore, that it may be manifest, that the two kinds of con-
cubinatus, opposite to each other, are permitted, one of which
removes conjugial love, and the other does not remove it, there-
fore, the damnable kind shall first be described, and afterwards,
the other not damnable.

464. II. THAT CONCUBINATUS CONJOINTLY WITH CONJUGIAL

LOVE IS NOT PERMISSIBLE TO CHRISTIANS, AND IS DETESTABLE. That

it is unpermissible because it is against the conjugial covenant;
and it is detestable because it is contrary to the (Christian)
religion; and what is at the same time contrary to this, and to the
other, is contrary to the Lord. As soon, therefore, as any man,
without weighty, real causes, conjoins to conjugial love an adul-
terous love, heaven is closed to him, and he is no more numbered
by the angels among Christians ; and from that time also, that one
actually spurns the things of the church, and of religion, and
afterwards does not lift up the face above nature, but turns to it
as to a god that favors his lust, the inflowing of which then
animates his spirit. The interior cause of this apostasy will be
disclosed in what follows. The VIR himself (the understanding)
does not see that this concubinage is detestable, because after
heaven is closed to him, he is made (or becomes) spiritual in-
sanity; but the chaste wife sees this because she is conjugial love,
and this love nauseates it; wherefore, likewise, it (conjugial love)
being dead from those (conditions), cannot further consent to a
living, sympathetic cooperation with adulterated understandings,
as indeed, to that which would profane its chastity from actual con-
tact of the lust adhering to the understanding from adulterous
loves.

465. III. THAT IT is POLYGAMY, WHICH BY THE CHRISTIAN

WORLD IS DAMNED, AND OUGHT TO BE DAMNED. That COTlCubinatUS

(an adulterous love) at the same time, or conjointly, with con-
jugial love, is lasciviousness (spiritual insanity), although not
acknowledged to be such, because it is not so declared, and thus
not so called by any law, is seen by every person, even if he be
not clear-sighted; for such an evil (or affection) is like a heav-
enly love dissipated, and an adulterous love in a conjugial bed;
that polygamy has been condemned by the Christian world, and
ought to be condemned, has been shown in the chapter on
Polygamy, especially from these articles therein: That it is not
permitted to a Christian to be conjoined with more than one con-
jugial love (no. 338) ; and that a Christian, if he is conjoined to
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CONCUBINATUS [466

more than one, he is guilty, not only of a natural scortatory love,
hut also of a spiritual adulterous love (no. 339) : That polygamy
was permitted the Israelitish Nation, \vas because the Christian
Church was not with that nation (no. 340). From these considera-
tions it is evident that to adjoin an adulterous love to a heavenly
love, and to share the conjugial resting place with an evil love,
is the unholy profanation of good and truth.

466. IV. THAT IT is SCORTATIO (ALL FORMS OF EXTRA-CON-

JUGIAL LOVE), BY WHICH CONJUGIAL LOVE, THE MOST PRECIOUS
TREASURE OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE, IS DESTROYED. That SCOTtatW IS

more opposite to conjugial love than ordinary (or minor) scorta-
tions, which may be called simple (or ignorant) adulterations of
good, and that it (scortatio) is a deprivation of all perception and
inclination for conjugial life, which is innate in a Christian, may
be evinced by arguments which will have great weight with the
rational mind of a wise man. That in regard to the FIRST PROPOSI-
TION, that concubinatus (adultery of the will), simultaneously or
conjointly with conjugial love, is a scortatio more opposite to con-
jugial love than a less offensive scortatio, which minor evils may
be called adulterations of goods through ignorance, it may be
seen from these considerations; that in ordinary scortations, or
simple adulteries, there is not a true love analogous to conjugial
love, but only an uncontrollable incitement of lust in the natural
mind, which soon cools down, and at some time or other does not
leave behind it any vestige of love towards its object; wherefore,
this effervescing lasciviousness, if it is not from purpose or con-
firmation, and if the fornicator and adulterer repent of it, detracts
but very little from conjugial love; it is otherwise with lascivious
and multiple scortatio* which evil love outwardly appears to be
like conjugial love, for it does not defervesce, or dissipate itself,
and pass off into nothing after effervescence, like the foregoing,
but it remains, renews, and strengthens itself, and to that extent
takes away the desire for a conjugial union, and in place of it
induces a coldness and indifference for true love and affection;
for it then regards these adulterous loves delightful by a free act
of the will, in that it can recede from such an unholy alliance if
it chooses, which freedom is inborn in the natural man, and
because this freedom is, for that reason, agreeable, it supports that
love; and moreover, with an evil love the union with allurements
is more close than with conjugial love; but, on the other hand, it
does not regard the conjugial consort as amiable, by reason of the
compulsion of dwelling with her, as enjoined by the covenant of
life, which it then perceives as far more constrained, in con-
sequence of the freedom with the illicit love; it is manifest that
the love for the conjugial partner grows cold, and she herself is
reviled, in the same degree in which the attraction for the evil
love grows warm, and is held in estimation. In regard to the
SECOND PROPOSITION, that this evil love, and at the same time in

385

466] SCORTATORY LOVE

a semblance of conjugial love, deprives the understanding (i?zr),
of all potency and inclination for conjugial life, which is inborn
in Christians, it may be seen in the following considerations: that
in proportion as love for a heavenly alliance is transformed into
an affiliation with an evil love, in the same proportion love for the
conjugial consort is depleted, exhausted, and killed for the con-
jugial, as has-been shown above; that this is effected by a closing
up of the interiors of the natural mind, and the opening up of its
externals, may be manifest from the seat of the inclination with
Christians who live in a holy love that is not divided, as such is in
his inmosts, and that this seat may be shut up, but cannot be
extirpated: the reason why the inclination for an undivided love,
and also the capacity to sustain that love, which is implanted in
Christians by birth (the New Birth), is because that love is from
the Lord alone, and is a part of the Christian Religion, and in
Christendom, the Divinity of the Lord is acknowledged and wor-
shipped, and this religion is from His Word; hence, there is an
ingrafting, and also a transplanting thereof, from generation to
generation. It has been said that this Christian conjugial prin-
ciple perishes through many scortatory loves; but what is meant
is that among polygamous and lascivious Christians, it is shut up
and intercepted, but, nevertheless, is capable of being revived in
his later spiritual experiences, and to be resuscitated from the
memories of his knowledges acquired as an adolescens and juvenis,
and by the awakening of his ratioanl powers as a man (vir) ;
hence, it is that conjugial love is called the Most Precious Treasure
of the Christian life; and above (nos. 457, 458), the jewel of
human life, and the Pearl of Great Price of the Christian Religion.
That this conjugial principle is destroyed by manifold evil loves
among Christians who are in such love, is very manifest from
this consideration, that he cannot, like those who make many
adulterous loves a religion, and to be regarded as allowable,
honourable, and not a sin, that he is incapable of being in an
adulterous love and conjugial love equally at the same time; but
that, in proportion as he loves the one, he grows cold towards the
other; and what is yet more detestable, in the same proportion
that he believes in his heart that the Lord was only a natural man,
and the son of Mary, and not at the same time the Son of God,
and in the same proportion as he makes light of (the Christian)
Religion. But, it ought to be well noted that this takes place with
those who combine an evil adulterous love with a heavenly love,
and actually conjoin themselves with both; and the conjugial
principle is also destroyed with those in an evil love of an entirely
different condition, with those who are (or were), in the conjugial
state, and who separate themselves from this state (from the uxor),
and conjoin themselves with an adulterous love, from what they
believe to be legitimate, just, and truly weighty causes, and in-
dulge themselves in this unholy love. Concerning this kind of
concubinatus, it now follows.
386

CONCUBL\ATUS [467469

467. V. THAT CONCUBINAGE DISJOINTLY FROM CONJUGIAL LOVE,

WHILE ENTERED INTO FROM CAUSES LEGITIMATE. JUST, AND TRULY

WEIGHTY, is NOT (OR MAY NOT BE) UNPERMissiBLE. What causes are
understood by legitimate, \vhat by just, and what by truly weighty,
will be tcJld in their order; bare mention of these causes is here
sent before, that this concubinatus which is to be treated of in the
following, may be distinguished from the former concubinatus,

468. VI. THAT THE LEGITIMATE CAUSES OF THIS CONCUBINATUS

ARE LIKEWISE THE LEGITIMATE CAUSES OF DIVORCE. WHEN THE
ADULTEROUS WILL IS FULLY UNITED TO THE ADULTEROUS UNDER-
STANDING. By divorce is here meant the abrogation of the con-
jugial covenant between the understanding and the will, i.e., con-
jugial love, and thence a plenary separation, and after that un-
restrained license to conjunction with an adulterous love; the only
cause of this complete separation, or divorce, is scortation, accord-
ing to the precept of the Lord (Matt. xix. 9) . To the same cause
also belong evident unchastities, which destroy innocence, and
also impregnate and impair the united will and understanding
with the most wicked pimpish allurements, from which stands
forth a scortatory lust utterly profane, in which the united internal
mind is separated, (ie., the understanding is divorced from con-
jugial love). To these causes is added a most malevolent and
crafty slighting, or turning, against conjugial love, which involves
scortation, and makes the will adulterous, and so divorced (Matt.
v. 32). These three causes, because they are those causes which in
accordance with the operation of the laws governing in such con-
ditions, will always produce divorce, are, the first and third in
the public forum of both the will and understanding, and the other
in the forum of the understanding alone, also the legitimate causes
of concubinatus; but when the adulterous will is in agreement or
union, with the adulterous understanding. That scortation is the
one only cause for divorce is because it is diametrically opposed
to the life of conjugial love, and destroys this to utter exter-
mination (see above, no. 255).

469. The reasons why by many VIRI, a wife not perfectly
chaste is still retained in (domi), that is in full union and agree-
ment of minds, are, (1.) That die VIR fears to enter upon a con-
test with that wife by calling witnesses to charge adultery, and
thus openly to expose to public view (his own) defect; for if the
confirmations and testimonials of their mutual love, the tokens of
consent, or the other proofs of their conjunction the equivalents
of these do not contradict, he would be covered with secret
reproaches in the forum of the understanding, and with open
reproaches in the forum of the will. (2.) He fears also the prudent
justifications of his wife, and also the confirmations by the wise,
and so the full disclosure of his quality. (3.) Besides these, there
are furnished opportunities of domestic use, which oppose and

387

470] SCORTATORY LOVE

prevent the disunion of minds; as if there are innocent affections
towards which the love of his wife is from the heart; if mutual
uses or duties, which cannot be severed, come between and con-
join; if there is hope of receiving benefit from all the related
affections of good and truth pertaining to the wife; if he has fos-
tered (or cherished) in the beginning the lovable ways (or habits)
of that one; and if that one, when or because that she is deemed
unchaste, by alluring pleasantries, and by simulated courtesies,
which she may wisely perceive soothes the VIR, lest she should not
be held blameless; besides others, which because in themselves
they are legitimate causes of abrogation of the conjugial cov-
enant, and thence complete separation, are also legitimate causes
of the concubinatus ; for the causes of the retention at home, that
is, of dwelling together in perfect union and agreements of minds,
do not remove the cause of the abrogation of the conjugial cov-
enant, and thence of complete separation, while she is in fornicatio.
Who, unless vile, can preserve the laws of the marriage bed, and
also be associated (or one) in religion, with one in fornicatio?
If this is done here and there, nothing is to be inferred.

470. VII. THAT THE JUST CAUSES OF THIS CONCUBINATUS ARE

THE JUST CAUSES OF SEPARATION FROM THE BED-CHAMBER (SEPARA-
TION OF MINDS) . There are legitimate causes of the disunion of
minds, and there are just causes; legitimate causes are established
by the edicts of the wise, and just causes by the decisions which
are made with oneself. The causes, both legitimate and just, of
separation from the conjugial bed, and also from the full union
and agreement of minds, were briefly enumerated above (nos. 252,
253 (; evils of the natural mind are evils by which the whole man
(homo) is corrupted by contact (or touch) to such a degree, that
death is caused; evils of this nature are such as the malign and
infectious fires of lust, the disintegration of the mental powers,
leprosy of the soul, lascivious excitements, and the slow death of
the potencies and conjugial faculties: furthermore, the spiritual
and mental disorders by which the entire exterior mind is made
so heavy and dull that very little harmony is possible between the
will and understanding, and because of which, detrimental effluvia
and noxious vapors exhale, both from the exteriors and interiors
of the mind, similar in quality to those foul odors which exude
from a diseased stomach or lungs ; from the externals of the mind
there are foul concupiscences, the odors of which resemble the
putrid smells of the malignant scabs of smallpox, of warts, pus-
tules, phthisis, scurvy, virulent itch, especially if the face has been
rendered loathsome by them; from the stomach constant eructa-
tions of foul, stinking and rank gases; from the lungs, corrupt
and offensive breaths exhaled from imposthumes, ulcers, or
abscesses, or from vitiated blood or serum (all of which foul odors
resemble on the material plane those which emerge from the evil
spirits of hell when the hells are opened) . Besides these, there are
388

COXCUBINATUS [471473

also morbid mental states I evils t of various kinds, resembling
faintness. which is like total lassitude of the exteriors of the mind,
and a letting down of the virile faculties ; also a paralysis, which
is like the softening and relaxation of the membranes and liga-
ments, which enervate the activities of the soul ; like to an epilepsy,
with its state of coma; like to an apoplexy, causing collapse of
the mental faculties; certain chronic and morbid psychoses; and
resembling such other infirmities as ileac passion, hernia, besides
other diseases, of which pathology teaches. The vitiated states of
the mind, which are just causes of separation from the conjugial
consort, and a complete disjunction of minds, are such as mad-
ness, delirium, insanities, silliness, idiocy, loss of memory, and
similar ailments. That these are just causes 'of concubinatus
(scortatory love), because they are just causes of the separation
of minds, reason can see without a judge.

471. VIII. THAT THE WEIGHTY CAUSES OF THIS CONCUBINATUS
ARE REAL AND NOT REAL. Since, besides the just causes, which are
just causes of separation from the conjugial couch, and conse-
quently become just causes of concubinatus, there are also serious
causes, which depend upon the justice and judgment with the man
(VIR), therefore, these also must be mentioned; but, as the judg-
ments of justice may be perverted, and be turned by confirmations
into the appearances of what is just, therefore, these weighty
causes are distinguished into real and not real, and are described
separately.

472. IX. THAT THE REALLY WEIGHTY CAUSES ARE SUCH AS ARE
BASED UPON WHAT is JUST. To know these causes, it is sufficient to
mention some which are really weighty; such as a want of love of
children (storge), and a consequent rejection of innocences; un-
seasonableness; inebriety, uncleanness, shamelessness, an eager-
ness to divulge things which should be kept secret in conjugial
relationships, violation of the laws of conjugial marriage, chasten-
ing the conjugial consort, a spirit of revenge over real or imaginary
injustices one with the other, acting in a furious manner, stealing,
deceitf ulness ; internal dissimilitude, from which is antipathy; a
forward requirement of the conjugial debt, by which the under-
standing (VIR) becomes a cold stone; engaging in magical prac-
tices and feats of legerdemain ; extreme impiety, and other similar
things.

473. There are also milder causes which are really weighty,
which tend to destroy conjugial love, but yet not to be completely
separated from it; as the cessation of the propagation of truth,
and the decline of conjugial love and affection, tending to corrupt
the will (uxor), and thence intolerance, and refusal to live in the
actual and true conjugial state, while the zeal and ardor for the
complete union of good and truth still continued with the con-

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474,475] SCORTATORY LOVE

jugial partner (the rzr., the understanding) ; besides similar actions
and states of mind, concerning which the rational mind is able to
render a just judgment,

474. X. THAT THE WEIGHTY CAUSES NOT REAL, ARE THOSE

WHICH ARE NOT FROM THE JUST, ALTHOUGH FROM AN APPEARANCE
OF WHAT is JUST. These are known from the really weighty causes
mentioned above, and if not rightly examined, they may appear as
just, and yet they are unjust; the times of rest needed after giving
birth to new truths ; the fitting indispositions of the affections ; the
time necessary for the insemination and growth of a new good;
the adulterous loves that were permitted to the Israelites (who
were without a Christian church and conjugial love), and other
like causes of no weight, as based on justice. These are fabricated
by the understanding (vir] after indifference and coldness to the
conjugial ties have set in when adulterous loves have deprived
them of conjugial love, and have infatuated them with the idea of
its likeness to scortatory love. These men, when they enter into an
evil love, that they may not suffer in reputation, make illegitimate
and deceiving causes to appear as though they were real and
genuine causes; that on many occasions they also circulate false-
hoods about the conjugial consort (saying her wisdom is only
magic, juggler's tricks, and feats of legerdemain), which lies are
also in harmony with, and favored among their friends of similar
views and qualities, who assent to, and applaud them.

475. XL THAT THOSE, WHO FROM THE SPIRITUAL CAUSES

EXPLAINED ABOVE, ARE IN THIS EXTERNAL MARRIAGE, MAY, OR CAN

BE, IN INTERNAL MARRIAGE. It is said that they can be in internal
marriage i.e., internally in conjugial love), and it is also meant
that this love can be held concealed in themselves; for that love,
in the state of subjection in which it is, does not perish, but sleeps.
The reasons why conjugial love, with those who prefer it (put it
foremost in the mind) to concubinatus, and are in the latter from
the spiritual causes above mentioned, can be kept alive, are these :
that this concubinatus does not violently oppose conjugial love;
that it is not that entire separation from it which necessarily pro-
duces divorce; that it is only a veiling of it, and that this veil will
be removed after the death of the natural love. That (i.) this
concubinatus does not violently oppose conjugial love follows
from those spiritual causes demonstrated above, that this con-
cubinatus, when it is engaged in from legitimate, just, and really
weighty causes, is not unpermissible (nos. 467-473). (ii.) That
this concubinage is not a full and complete separation from con-
jugial love; for when legitimate, just, or really weighty causes
come between, persuade and compel (by driving away in the
meantime internal conjugial love), conjugial love with internal
marriage is not entirely separated, but only takes another form;
and also, love that takes another form, and is not entirely sepa-
390

COXCUBINATUS [476. 477

rated, remains in a state of subjection: this is like one, who being
in the love of use, and is kept back (from the performance of the
higher use) by partaking fin other), by failing to see the real
truth (by other appearances), or by being temporarily in other
states, does not altogether lose the love of real use; and. more-
over, he is like that one who loves the real truth, but while he is
only able to make use of a lower truth, does not altogether lose
the desire for the real truth, (in.) That that concubmatus is only
a veiling of conjugial love, is because concubinal love is natural,
and conjugial love is spiritual, and moreover the natural love
veils the spiritual, while this (the spiritual) is intercepted; that
this is so, the lover does not know, because spiritual love is not
perceived of itself, but through the natural, and, moreover, is per-
ceived as delight wherein is blessedness from heaven; but natural
love by itself is felt only as delight, (iv.) That this veil will be
removed after the death of the natural love, is because then man
(homo] from natural becomes spiritual, and for the natural mate-
rial affection rejoices in a substantial f spiritual I, in which the
natural delight from the spiritual is perceived in its excellence:
that this is so, I have heard from what has been imparted to me
by certain ones in the state of spirits, even by those who are there
in the performances of noblest uses, who in the natural mind were
only in this external marriage from the causes mentioned, or
explained above.

476. XII. THAT WHEN CONCUBINATUS PERSISTS (OR BECOMES
PERMANENT), ACTIVE CO-OPERATION (OR MIXING TOGETHER) WITH
CONJUGIAL LOVE is NOT PERMITTED. The reason is, because then
conjugial love, which in itself is spiritual, chaste, pure, and holy,
becomes natural, is so mixed up with concubinatus as to be pol-
luted, and loses its value more and more, and so is lost; where-
fore, that this love may be kept alive, it is set free, that concu-
binatus from the really serious causes (nos. 472, 473), may be
only with one (the understanding), and not with both (the will
and understanding) at the same time.

477. To the above shall be added the following Memorable
Relation :

I heard a certain spirit, a juvenis (young man), recently
arrived from the natural world, boasting concerning his scorta-
tions, and eager to obtain a reputation of being a person of supe-
rior understanding, and in the insolence of his boasting he thus
expressed himself: "What is more sad than for a person to incar-
cerate his love, and to be faithful only with a conjugial partner?
and what more delightful than to set the affections at liberty in
many evils? Who does not grow weary with doing one evil, while
being revived by engaging in many? What is sweeter than promis-
cuous liberty, variety, deflorations, making gools of the male con-
jugial partner, and engaging in scortatory hypocrisies? Do not

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477] SCORTATORY LOVE

those things which are obtained by cunning, deceit, and theft,
delight the inmosts of the mind?"

On hearing this, the by-standers said, "Speak not so ; you know
not where you are, and with whom you are; you are but lately
come hither. Hell is beneath your feet, and heaven over your
head; you are in the state which is intermediate between those
two, and is called the state of spirits. All who depart out of the
natural state come here, and are gathered hither, and examined
as to their quality; and here they are prepared, the evil for hell,
and the good for heaven. Possibly you still retain what you have
heard from false teachers in the natural world, that scortators and
falsifiers of truth are cast down into hell, and that chaste con-
jugial partners are raised into heaven."

At this the novitiate laughed, saying, "What is heaven and
what is hell? Is not is heaven where one is free; and is not he
free who is permitted to engage in as many evils as he pleases?
and is not it hell where one is a servant; and is not a servant one
who is obliged to cling to one evil?

But a certain angel, looking down from heaven, heard what
he said, and broke off the conversation, lest it should proceed
further to the profanation of good and truth; and he said to him,
"Come up hither, and I will show you to the life what heaven and
hell are, and what the quality of the latter is to confirmed scor-
tators. He then showed him the way, and he ascended.

And after reception he was led first into a paradisiacal garden,
where were fruit trees and flowers, which from their beauty,
pleasantness, and fragrance, filled the minds with the delights of
life. When he saw these things, he admired them with a great
admiration; but he was then in his externals, such as he had been
in his natural state, when he saw similar objects, and in this sight
he was what appeared to be rational ; but in his internal state, in
which scortation played the important part, and occupied every
point of thought, he was irrational ; wherefore, his external sight
was closed, and the internal sight opened; and when the latter
was opened, he said, "What do I see now? Is it not straw and
dry wood? and what do I smell now? is it not a stench? Where
are those paradisiacal objects?

The angel said, "They are near at hand and present ; but they
do not appear before your internal sight, which is scortatory, for
it turns heavenly things into infernal things, and sees only oppo-
sites. Every man has an internal mind and an external mind, thus
an internal sight and an external sight; with the evil the internal
mind is insane and the external mind is wise; but with the good
the internal mind is wise, and from this also the external mind;
and such as the mind is, so a man in the spiritual world sees
objects."

After this the angel, by virtue of power which had been given
him, closed his internal sight, and opened his external sight, and
led him away through gates towards the middle point of the habi-
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CONCUBINATUS [477

tations; and he saw magnificent palaces of alabaster, marble, and
various precious stones, and beside them arcades, and round about
pillars overlaid and encompassed with wonderful ornaments and
decorations. When he saw these things he was amazed and said.
"What do I see? I see magnificent objects in their own real mag-
nificence, and architectonic objects in their own real art." At this
instant the angel again closed his external sight, and opened his
internal sight, which was evil because filthily scortatory: where-
upon he exclaimed, saying. "What do I see now? Where am I?
Where now are those palaces and magnificent objects? I see only
ruins, rubbish, and places full of caverns."

But presently he was brought back again into his external
sight, and introduced into one of the palaces; and he saw the
decorations of the gates, windows, walls, and ceilings, and espe-
cially of the utensils, over and round about which were heavenly
forms of gold and precious stones, which cannot be described by
any words, nor delineated by any art, for they surpassed the ideas
of words and the notions of art. On seeing these things he again
exclaimed, saying, "These are wonders of wonders, such as no eye
had ever seen." But then his internal sight was opened, the external
being closed, as before, and he was asked what he then saw. He
replied, "Nothing but decayed piles of bulrushes in this place, of
straw in that, and of firebrands in that."

But once again he was brought into the external state of the
mind, and some maidens (innocences) were brought to him, who
were beauties, because images of heavenly affection; and they
addressed him in the sweet voice of their affection ; and instantly,
on seeing and hearing them, his countenance changed, and he
returned of himself into his internals, which were scortatory; and
since such internals cannot endure anything of heavenly love, and
neither on the other hand can they be endured by heavenly love,
therefore both parlies vanished, the maidens out of the sight of
the man, and the man out of the sight of the maidens.

After this, the angel instructed him concerning the origin of
the changes of the state of his sights, saying, "I perceive that in
the natural world from which you are come, you have been two-
fold, having been different in internals from what you were in
externals; in externals you were a civil, moral, and reasonable
man; whereas in internals you were neither civil, moral, nor
rational, because a scortator, and a profaner of good and truth:
and such men, when they are allowed to ascend into heaven, and
are there kept in their externals, are able to see the heavenly
things there; but when their internals are opened, instead of
heavenly things they see infernal things. Know, however, that
with every one in this world (state), the externals are successively
closed, and the internals are opened, and thereby they are pre-
pared either for heaven or for hell ; and as the evil of scortation
defiles the internals of the mind more than every other evil, you
must needs be conveyed down to the defiled states of your love,

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477] SCORTATORY LOVE

and these are In the hells where the caverns stink of ordure. Who
cannot know from reason that what is unchaste and lascivious in
the spiritual world is impure and unclean, and thus that nothing
more pollutes a man and defiles a man, and induces in him what
is infernal? Take heed therefore how you boast any more of your
scortations, that in it you have greater understanding than others.
I forewarn you that you will become very imbecilic, so that you
will scarcely know where your virile power is. Such is the lot
which awaits those who boast of their power of scortation.

On hearing these words he descended, and returned into the
intermediate state of spirits, and to his former companions, and
conversed with them modestly and chastely for a time, but never-
theless not for long.

394

ADULTERIA (ADULTERIES): THEIR KINDS
AND DEGREES

478. No one can know that there is any evil in an adulterous
love who judges of it only from externals; for in the externals
it is similar to the heavenly marriage of good and truth. Such
external judges, when internal things are named, and it he said to
them that externals derive their good or their evil from the in-
ternals, say with themselves, "What are internals? Who sees them?
Is not this climbing above the sphere of every one's intelligence?"
Such persons are like those who accept all simulated good as
genuine voluntary good, and who judge of a man's wisdom from
the elegance of his conversation ; or who respect the man himself
on account of the richness of his dress, and the magnificence of
his equipage, and not from his internal habit, which belongs to
judgment from the affection of good. This also is like judging of
the fruit of a tree, and of any other eatable thing, from the sight
and touch only, and not of its goodness from its flavour and from
science: such is the conduct of all those who are unwilling to per-
ceive anything relating to man's internals. Hence comes the in-
sanity of many at the present day, in that they see no evil in
adulterous loves (the adulteration of good), yea, conjoin the
Divine marriage of good and truth with adulterous loves, or
scortations, in the same bridal chamber, that is, consider them
altogether alike; and this only on account of their appearance of
likeness in the externals.

That this is the case, has been clearly proved by the following
conclusive teaching of experience: There were once assembled
together by the angels, from Europe, some hundreds of those who
were distinguished there for their genius, their learning, and their
wisdom, and they were questioned about the distinction between
the heavenly marriage of good and truth, and scortatory love, and
intreated to consult the reason of their understandings: and after
consultation, all, except ten, replied, that it is only the judicial
law that makes a distinction, for the sake of some useful purpose;
which distinction may indeed be known, but may nevertheless be
adapted to circumstances by civil prudence. They were next asked
whether they saw any good in the union of love and wisdom, or
good and truth, and any evil in scortations (the profanation of
good and truth). They returned for answer, that they did not see
$ny rational evil or any rational good in them. On being ques-
tioned whether they saw any sin in it, they said, "Where is the sin?
Is not the deed alike?" At these answers the angels were amazed,
and exclaimed, "Oh ! how gross and how great is the stupidity of

395

478] SCORTATORY LOVE

the age!" On hearing this exclamation, the hundreds of the wise
ones turned themselves, and said to each other with loud laughter,
"Is this gross stupidity? Can there be any wisdom that can bring
conviction that being unfaithful to truly conjugial love merits
eternal damnation?"

But that scortation is spiritual evil, and therefore moral evil,
and civil evil, and diametrically contrary to the wisdom of reason;
also that adulterous love is from hell and returns to hell, and that
conjugial love, or the union of good and truth, is from heaven
and returns to heaven, has been demonstrated in the first chapter
of this part, concerning "The Opposition of Scortatory Love and
Conjugial Love." But since all evils, like all goods, partake of
breadth and height, and according to breadth have their kinds, and
according to height their degrees, therefore, in order that scorta-
tions may be known as to each dimension, they shall be arranged
into their kinds, and afterwards into their degrees; and this shall
be done in the following series:

I. There are three kinds of adulteries (scortations), simple,
twofold, and threefold.

II. Simple adultery is a sin of the understanding alone (an
unmarried man viri caelibis, or pellicatus), in its opposition to
truly conjugial love, or of an unattached feminine affection (the
will an unmarried woman), in its loose attitude towards a con-
jugial partner (husband of another).

III. Twofold adultery (double adultery) is a sin of the under-
standing with one (a husband), with the will of another (wife of
another )^ yet without confirmation (concubinatus se junction); or
of the will of one (a wife) with the understanding (a husband) of
another.

IV. Threefold adultery (with blood relations) is a sin of the
will and understanding combined (concubinatus conjunctim),
which is confirmed adultery, and is profanation of good and truth,
the actual conjunction of conjugial love with a scortatory love.

V. There are four degrees of adulteries, according to which
their predications, their charges of blame, and after the death of
the physical* their imputations take place.

VI. Adulteries of their first degree are adulteries of ignorance
(of the adolescens), which are committeed by those who cannot as
yet, or cannot at all, consult the understanding, and thus check
them.

VII. Adulteries committed by these persons are mild.

VIII. Adulteries of the second degree are adulteries of lust
(adulteria libidinis of the juvenis), which are committed by those
who indeed are able to consult the understanding, but Jrom acci-
dental causes at the moment are not able to do so.

IX. Adulteries committed by these persons are imputatory,
according as the understanding afterwards favours them or does
not favour them.

X. Adulteries of the third degree are adulteries of the reason
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ADULTERIA: THEIR KINDS AND DEGREES [479

(adulteria rationis), which are committed by those who confirm
(adulteria ex confirmato) with the understanding that they are not
evils of sin.

XI. The adulteries committed by these persons are grievous,
and are imputed to them, according to confirmations.

XII. Adulteries of the fourth degree are adulteries of the will
(adulteria ex proposito adulteria voluntatis), which are com-
mitted by those who make them allowable and pleasing, and who
do not think them of such great importance as to make it worth
while to consult the understanding about them.

XIIL The adulteries committed by these persons are exceed-
ingly grievous, and are imputed to them as evils of set purpose,
and remain seated in them as guilt.

XIV. Adulteries of the third and fourth degrees are evils of
sin, according to the measure and the quality of the understanding
and the will in them, whether they are committed in act, or not
committed in act.

XV. Adulteries from set purpose of the will, and adulteries
from confirmation of the understanding, render human beings
natural, sensual, and corporeal.

XVI. And this to such a degree that at length they reject from
themselves all things of the church and of religion.

XVII. Nevertheless they possess human rationality like others.

XVIII. But they use that rationality when they are in externals,
but abuse it when in their internals.

Now follows the explanation of these articles.

479. I. THERE ARE THREE KINDS OF ADULTERIES (SCORTA-

TIONS), SIMPLE, TWOFOLD, AND THREEFOLD. The Creator of the

universe has distinguished each and all the things that He has
created, into kinds, and each kind into species ; and He has distin-
guished each species, and likewise each distinction, and so forth,
to the end that an image of the Infinite may exist in a perpetual
variety of qualities. Thus the Creator of the universe has dis-
tinguished goods and their truths, and likewise evils and their
falsities, after they had arisen. That He has distinguished each and
all things in the spiritual world into kinds, species, and differ-
ences, and has gathered together into heaven all goods and truths,
and into hell all evils and falsities, and has arranged the latter
in an order diametrically opposite to the former, may be manifest
from what has been disclosed in the Work on Heaven and Hell,
published in London in the year 1758. That in the natural world
He has also thus distinguished, and does still distinguish goods
and truths, and likewise evils and falsities with men, and thus the
men themselves, may be known from their lot after death, in that
the good possess heaven, and the evil, hell. Now, since all things
which belong to good, and all things which belong to evil, are
distinguished into kinds, species, and so forth, therefore marriages
(the conjunction of good and truth) are distinguished into the

397

480,481] SCORTATORY LOVE

same, and likewise their opposites (the union of evil with falsity),
which are adulteries (scortations the adulteration of good and
truth).

480. II. SIMPLE ADULTERY is A SIN OF THE UNDERSTANDING

ALONE (AN UNMARRIED MAN VIRI CAELIBUS, CORRESPONDING TO
PELLICATUS), IN ITS OPPOSITION TO TRULY CONJUGIAL LOVE; OR OF
AN UNATTACHED FEMININE AFFECTION (THE WILL AN UNMARRIED

WOMAN), IN ITS LOOSE ATTITUDE TOWARDS A CONJUGIAL PARTNER
(HUSBAND OF ANOTHER). By adultery here, and in the following
pages, is meant scortatory love opposite to marriage (conjugial
love). It is opposite because it violates the covenant of life con-
tracted between married partners, rends asunder their love, and
defiles it, and closes up the union which was begun at the time of
betrothal, and strengthened in the beginning of marriage; for the
conjugial love of one man with one wife, after the engagement and
the covenant, unites their souls. Adultery does not dissolve this
union, because it cannot be dissolved ; but it closes it up, like one
who blocks up a fountain at its source, and thence obstructs its
stream, and fills the cistern with filthy and stinking waters: in like
manner conjugial love, the origin of which is a union of souls,
is befouled and covered over by scortation, and when it is thus
befouled there rises up from below adulterous love, and as this
love increases, it becomes fleshly, and rises up against conjugial
love, and destroys it. Hence is the opposition of adultery and
marriage.

481. In order that it may be further known how gross is the
stupidity of this age, in that its wise ones do not see any sin in
scortatory love (as was disclosed by the angels, see just above,
no. 478), I will here add the following Memorable Relation:

There were certain spirits who, from a habit they had acquired
in the life of the body, infested me with peculiar adroitness, and
this they did by a very gentle and as it were undulating influx,
such as that of well-disposed spirits usually is; but it was per-
ceived that there were cunning, and other like elements, in them,
to the intent that they might entrap and deceive.

At length I spoke with one of them who, it was told me, had,
while he lived in the natural world, been the general of an army;
and as I perceived that in the ideas of his thought there was what
was lascivious, I conversed with him in spiritual speech with
representatives, which speech fully expresses the meanings, and
many things in a moment.

He said that in the life of the body in the former world, he
had accounted adulteries as nothing.

But it was given me to tell him that adulteries are wicked,

although on account of the delight which they have taken in them,

and from the persuasion thence resulting, they appear to those

who are adulterous to be not wicked, but even allowable; which

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ADULTERIA: THEIR KINDS AND DEGREES [482

also he might know from this consideration, that marriages are
the seminaries of the human race, and consequently also the sem-
inaries of the heavenly kingdom, and therefore that they ought not
to be violated, but to be accounted holy; also from this fact (which
he ought to know, being in the spiritual world, and in a state of
perception) , that conjugial love descends from the Lord through
heaven, and that from that love, as a parent, is derived mutual
love, which is the main support of heaven ; and further from this
consideration, that adulterers, whenever they but approach the
heavenly societies, are made sensible of their own stench, and cast
themselves headlong thence towards hell : at least he might know,
that violating marriages is contrary to the Divine laws, and to the
civil laws of all kingdoms, also to the genuine lumen of reason,
and thus to the right of nations, because contrary to order both
Divine and human; besides many other considerations.

But he replied, that he entertained no such thoughts in the
former life. He wanted to reason whether the case was so.

But he was told, that Truth does not admit of reasonings, for
reasonings favour the delights of the flesh against the delights of
the spirit, the quality of which latter delights he was ignorant of;
and that he ought first to think about the things which I had told
him, because they are true; or to think from the principle, which
is perfectly well known in the world, that no one should do to
another what he is unwilling another should do to him; and thus
that he ought to consider whether, if any one had in such a manner
deceived his wife, whom he had loved, as is the case in the begin-
ning of every marriage, and he had then been in a state of wrath
on that account, and had spoken from that state, he himself also
would not then have detested adulteries, and whether, being a man
of talent, he would not then have confirmed himself against them
more than other men, even so far as to damn them to hell: and
being the general of an army, and having brave companions,
whether he would not, in order to prevent disgrace, either have
put the adulterer to death, or have cast the adulteress out of his
house.

482. III. TWOFOLD ADULTERY (DOUBLE ADULTERY) is A SIN OF
THE UNDERSTANDING WITH ONE (A HUSBAND), WITH THE WILL OF
ANOTHER (WIFE OF ANOTHER), YET WITHOUT CONFIRMATION (CON-
CUBINATUS SEJUNCTIM) ; OR OF THE WILL OF ONE (A WIFE) WITH

THE UNDERSTANDING (A HUSBAND) OF ANOTHER. This adultery IS

called twofold, because it is committed by two, and on each side
the covenant of marriage is violated: wherefore also it is twofold
more grievous than the former. It was said above (no. 480) , that
the conjugial love of one man with one wife, after the engagement
and the covenant, unites their souls, and that that union is that
very love in its origin; and that this origin is closed up and
blocked up by adultery, as the source and stream of a fountain.
That the souls of two unite themselves, when sexual love is re-

399

483] SCORTATORY LOVE

stricted to one woman, or one man of the sex, which is the case
when a maiden engages herself wholly to a young man, and on
the other hand, a young man engages himself wholly to a maiden,
is clearly evident 'from this consideration, that the loves of both
unite themselves, consequently their souls, because the souls are
the beginnings of life. This union of souls cannot possibly exist
except in monogamous marriages, or those of -one man with one
wife, but not in polygamous marriages, or those of one man with
several wives; because in the latter marriages the love is divided,
in the former marriages it is united. The reason why conjugial
love in this supreme abode is spiritual, holy, and pure, is, that the
soul of every human being, by reason of its origin, is celestial,
wherefore it receives influx immediately from the Lord, for it
receives from Him the marriage of love and wisdom, or of good
and truth; and this influx makes him a human being, and distin-
guishes him from the beasts. From this union of souls, conjugial
love, which is there in its spiritual holiness and purity, flows down
into the life of the whole body, and fills it with blessed delights,
so long as its channel remains open; which is the case with those
who are made spiritual by the Lord. That nothing but adultery
closes up and blocks up this seat, origin, or fountain and its
channel, of conjugial love, is evident from the Lord's words, that
it is not lawful to put away a wife and marry another, except on
account of adultery (Matt. xix. 3-9) ; and also from what is said
in the same passage, that he who marries her that is put away
commits adultery (verse 9). When therefore, as was said above,
that pure and holy fountain is blocked up f it is clogged about with
filthiness, as a jewel with ordure, or bread with vomit; which
things are altogether opposite to the purity and holiness of that
fountain, or of conjugial love: from which opposition comes con-
jugial cold, and according to this cold is the voluptuous lewdness
of scortatory love, which consumes itself of its own accord. The
reason why this is an evil of sin is, that what is holy is covered
over, and thereby its channel into the body is obstructed, and in
the place thereof what is profane succeeds, and its channel into
the body is opened; hence a man from heavenly becomes infernal.

483. To the above I shall add some things from the spiritual
world, which are worthy of relation.

I have heard in that world that some married men have the lust
of committing fornications with undeflowered women or maidens ;
some with deflowered women, or scortators; some with married
women or wives; some with women who are of noble family; and
some with such as are not of noble family. That this is the case,
I have been confirmed by several instances from the various king-
doms in that world.

While I was meditating about the variety of such lusts, I asked
whether there are any who find all their delight with the wives of
others, and none with unmarried women ? Wherefore, in order that

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ADULTERIA: THEIR KLWS A\D DEGREES [484

I might know that there are such, several were brought to me from
a certain kingdom, who were compelled to speak according to their
lustfulness. These said that it was, and still is. their sole pleasure
and delight to commit adultery with the wives of others; and that
they look out for such as are beautiful, and hire them for them-
selves at a great price according to their wealth, and generally
make arrangements about the price with the wife alone.

I asked why they did not hire for themselves unmarried women.

They said, that this to them would be common, and thus in
itself cheap, in which there would be nothing delightful for them.

I asked also, w r h ether those wives afterwards return to their
husbands and live with them.

They replied, that they either do not return, or they live coldly
with them, because they have become scortators.

Afterwards I asked them seriously, whether they ever thought
or now think, that this is twofold adultery, because they commit
it while they are married men, and that such adultery ravages a
human being of all spiritual good.

But at this most of those present laughed, saying, "What is
spiritual good?"

But I persisted, saying, "What is more detestable than for a
man to mix his soul with the soul of the husband in his wife?
Do you not know that the soul of a man (vir) is in his seed?"

Hereupon they turned away, and muttered, "What harm can
this do there?"

At length I said, "Although you do not fear Divine laws, do
you not fear the civil laws?"

They replied, "No; we only fear certain of the ecclesiastical
order; but we conceal this in their presence; and if we cannot
conceal it, we keep on good terms with them."

I afterwards saw them divided into companies, and some of
these cast into hell."

484. IV. THREEFOLD ADULTERY, WITH CONSANGUINITIES, is A

SIN OF THE WILL AND UNDERSTANDING COMBINED (CONCUBINATUS

CONJUNCTIM) WHICH is CONFIRMED ADULTERY, AND is PROFANATION

OF GOOD AND TRUTH, THE ACTUAL CONJUNCTION OF CONJUGIAL

LOVE WITH A SCORTATORY LOVE. This adultery is called threefold,
because it is threefold more grievous than the two former.
The blood relations, or remains of the flesh, which may not he
approached unto, may be seen enumerated in Leviticus xviii. 6-18.
The reasons why these adulteries are threefold more grievous than
the two above-mentioned kinds, are internal and external ; the in-
ternal reasons are based on the correspondence of those adulteries
with the violation of spiritual marriage, which is the marriage of
the Lord and the church, and thus of good and truth; and the
external reasons are for the sake of guards, to prevent man becom-
ing a beast. There is not room, however, to proceed to the dis-
closure of these reasons.

401

485,486] SCORTATORY LOVE

485. V. THERE ARE FOUR DEGREES OF ADULTERIES, ACCORDING

TO WHICH THEIR PREDICATIONS, THEIR CHARGES OF BLAME, AND
AFTER THE DEATH OF THE PHYSICAL, THEIR IMPUTATIONS TAKE

PLACE. These degrees are not genera, but they enter into each
genus, and constitute its distinctions between more and less evil or
good; in the present case, deciding whether adultery of any given
kind, by reason of the circumstances and contingencies, is to be
considered milder or more grievous. That circumstances and con-
tingencies vary every thing, is known. Nevertheless things are con-
sidered in one way by a man from his rational lumen, in another
by a judge from the law, and in another by the Lord from the state
of the man's mind : wherefore they are called predications, charges
of blame, and after death imputations ; for predications are made
by a man according to his rational lumen, charges of blame are
made by a judge according to the law, and imputations are made
by the Lord according to the state of the man's mind. That these
three differ exceedingly from each other may be seen without
explanation : for a man, from rational conviction according to the
circumstances and contingencies, may acquit a person, whom a
judge, when he sits in judgment, cannot acquit in accordance with
the law; and again, a judge may acquit a person, who after death
is damned. The reason is, that a judge gives sentence according to
the deeds, whereas after death every one is judged according to the
intentions of the will, and thence of the understanding, and accord-
ing to the confirmations of the understanding, and thence of the
will; these intentions and confirmations a judge does not see.
Nevertheless both judgments are just; the one for the sake of the
good of civil society, the other for the sake of the good of heavenly
society.

486. VI. ADULTERIES OF THE FIRST DEGREE ARE ADULTERIES OF

IGNORANCE (OF THE ADOLESCENS) WHICH ARE COMMITTED BY THOSE
WHO CANNOT AS YET, OR CANNOT AT ALL, CONSULT THE UNDER-
STANDING, AND THUS CHECK THEM. All evils, and thus also all
adulteries, considered in themselves, belong at once to the internal
and the external man; the internal man intends them, and the
external man does them; such therefore as the internal man is in
the deeds done by the external, such are the deeds viewed in them-
selves. But since the internal man with his intention does not
appear before man, every one must be judged in court by his deeds
and words, according to the law in force and its provisions: the
interior sense of the law must also be discerned by the judge. But
let examples illustrate the case: if adultery happens to be com-
mitted by a youth, who does not as yet know that adultery is a
greater evil than fornication ; if the like be committed by a man of
extreme simplicity ; if it be committed by a person who is deprived
by disease of the full powers of judgment; or, as is sometimes the
case, by a person of the full powers of judgment; or, as is some-
times the case, by a person who is subject to attacks of delirium,
402

ADULTERIA: THEIR A7.VDS A\D DEGREES [487

and is at the same time in a state in which are they who are in
reality delirious: yet again, if it be committed in a fit of insane
drunkenness, and so forth; it is manifest that, in such cases, the
internal man, or mind, is not present in the external, scarcely any
otherwise than in an irrational person. Adulteries in these in-
stances are distinguished by a rational man according to the above
circumstances; nevertheless the perpetrator is charged with blame
by the same rational man as a judge, and is punished in accord-
ance with the law; but after death those adulteries are imputed
according to the presence, quality, and faculty of understanding
in the will of the perpetrators.

487. VII. ADULTERIES COMMITTED BY THESE PERSONS ARE MILD.
This is manifest from what was said just above, no. 486, without
further confirmation; for it is known that the quality of every
deed, and in general the quality of every thing, depends upon
circumstances, and that these mitigate or aggravate it; but adul-
teries of this degree are mild at the first times of their commis-
sion ; and they also remain mild in proportion as the offender of
either sex, in the future course of life, abstains from them for
these reasons, that they are evils against God, or against the
neighbor, or against the goods of the state, and that in consequence
of their being such evils, they are evils against reason ; but on the
other hand, if they are not abstained from for one of the above-
mentioned reasons, they are reckoned among grievous adulteries;
thus it is according to the Divine law in Ezek. xviii. 21, 22, 24,
and in other places; but they cannot, from the above circum-
stances, be pronounced either blameless or culpable, or be predi-
cated and judged as mild or grievous, by man, because they do
not appear before him ; neither is it the province of his judgment
to do so: wherefore it is meant that after death they are so
accounted or imputed.

488. VIII. ADULTERIES OF THE SECOND DEGREE ARE ADULTERIES
OF LUST (ADULTERIA LIBIDINIS OF THE JUVENIS), WHICH ARE
COMMITTED BY THOSE WHO INDEED ARE ABLE TO CONSULT THE
UNDERSTANDING, BUT FROM ACCIDENTAL CAUSES AT THE MOMENT
ARE NOT ABLE TO DO so. There are two things which in the begin-
ning with every man who from natural is made spiritual, are at
strife together, which are commonly called the spirit and the flesh;
and since the love of marriage is of the spirit, and adulterous love
is of the flesh, there takes place then also a combat between those
loves. If the love of marriage conquers, it masters and subjugates
adulterous love, and this is effected by its removal, but if it
happens that the lusts of the external mind are excited to a heat
greater than the spirit can control from reason, it follows that the
state is inverted, and the heat of lust overcomes the spirit with
allurements to such a degree that it is no longer master of its
reason, and thus of itself. This is meant by adulteries of the second

403

489, 490] SCORTATORY LOVE

degree, which are committed by those who indeed are able to con-
sult the understanding, but by reason of accidental causes at
the moment are not able. But the matter may be illustrated by
examples; as, if a meretricious wife by her cunning captivates a
man's mind, enticing him into her bed chamber, and inflaming
him till he loses control of his judgment; and especially if, at the
same time, she also threatens to expose him if he does not consent :
likewise, if any meretricious wife (a scortator) is skilled in sor-
ceries, or by drugged potions, inflames the man to such a degree
that the raging desire of the flesh deprives the understanding of
the free use of reason: likewise, if a man by seductive enticements
works upon another man's wife till her inflamed will is no longer
master of itself; besides other like cases. That these and similar
accidental circumstances lessen the grievousness of adultery, and
give a milder turn to the predications of the blame thereof in
favour of the party seduced, is agreeable to the dictates and con-
clusions of reason. The imputation of this degree of adultery
comes next to be treated of.

489. IX. ADULTERIES COMMITTED BY THESE PERSONS ARE IM-

PUTATORY, AC CORDING AS THE UNDERSTANDING AFTERWARDS FAVOURS

THEM OR DOES NOR FAVOUR THEM. In proportion as the under-
standing favors evils, in the same proportion the man appropriates
them to himself and makes them his own. Favor implies consent;
and consent induces in the mind a state of the love of evils. The
case is the same with adulteries, which in the beginning were com-
mitted without the consent of the understanding, and are favored :
the contrary conies to pass if afterwards they are not favored. The
reason is, that evils or adulteries which are committed in the blind-
ness of the understanding, are committed from the concupiscence
of the lower mind; which evils, or adulteries, have a near resem-
blance to such instincts as beasts have : with man indeed the under-
standing is present while they are being committed, but in a
passive or dead force, and not in an active or living force. From
these considerations it follows of itself, that such things are not
imputed, except in the proportion in which they are afterwards
favored or not favored. By imputation is here meant accusation
after death, and thence adjudication, which takes place according
to the state of the man's spirit: but there is not meant inculpation
by a man before -a judge; for this does not take place according
to the state of the man's spirit, but according to the state of the
body in the deed; and unless there was a difference herein, those
would be acquitted after death who are acquitted in the world,
and those would be condemned who are condemned in the world;
and thus the latter would have no hope of salvation.

490. X. ADULTERIES OF THE THIRD DEGREE ARE ADULTERIES OF

THE REASON (ADULTERIA RATIONIS), WHICH ARE COMMITTED BY
THOSE WHO CONFIRM (ADULTERIA EX CONFIRMATO) WITH THE
404

ADULTERIA: THEIR KINDS AND DEGREES [490

UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY ARE NOT EVILS OF SIN, nor an evil and

something dishonest or dishonourable in the presence of reason,
but as allowable with reason. Every man knows that there exist
the will and the understanding; for in common speech he says,
"This I will, and this I understand;" but still he does not distin-
guish them, but makes the one the same as the other. The reason
is that he only reflects upon the things which belong to the thought
from the understanding, and not upon those who belong to the
love from the will; for the latter do not appear in light as the
former do. Nevertheless, he who does not distinguish between the
will and the understanding, cannot distinguish between evils and
goods, and consequently he cannot know anything at all about the
blame of sin. But who does not know that good and truth are two
distinct things, like love and wisdom? and who cannot thence con-
clude, when he is in rational enlightenment that there are two
faculties in man, which distinctly receive and appropriate to them-
selves those principles, and that the one is the will and the other
the understanding, by reason that what the will receives and repro-
duces is called good, and what the understanding receives is called
truth? for what the will loves and does, is called good, and what
the understanding perceives and thinks, is called truth. Now, since
the marriage of good and truth was treated of in the first part of
this Work, and in the same place many propositions were adduced
concerning the will and the understanding, and the various attri-
butes and predicates of each, (which, as I imagine, are also per-
ceived by those who had not thought anything distinctly concern-
ing the understanding and the will, for human reason is such, that
it understands truths from the light thereof, although is has not
heretofore distinguished them;) therefore, in order that the dis-
tinctions of the understanding and the will may be more clearly
perceived, I will here mention some particulars on the subject, to
the end that it may be known what is the quality of adulteries of
the reason or the understanding, and afterwards what is the quality
of adulteries of the will. The following propositions may help to
distinguish them: 1. The will alone of itself does nothing; but
whatever it does, it does by means of the understanding. 2. On the
other hand also, the understanding alone of itself does nothing;
but whatever it does, it does from the will. 3. The will flows in
into the understanding, but not the understanding into the will; yet
the understanding teaches what is good and evil, and consults with
the will, that out of those two it may choose and do what is pleasing
to it. 4. After this there is effected a twofold conjunction; one, in
which the will acts from within and the understanding from with-
out; the other, in which the understanding acts from within, and
the will from without. Thus are distinguished adulteries of the
reason, which are here treated of, from adulteries of the will, which
are next to be treated of. They are distinguished because one is
more grievous than the other; for adultery of the reason is less
grievous than adultery of the will ; the reason is, that in adultery

405

491,492] SCORTATORY LOVE

of the reason, the understanding acts from within and the will from
without; whereas in adultery of the will, the will acts from within
and the understanding from without ; and the will is the man him-
self, and the understanding is the man, by virtue of the will in the
understanding; and that which acts Avithin has dominion over that
which acts without.

491. XL THE ADULTERIES COMMITTED BY THESE PERSONS ARE

GRIEVOUS. AND ARE IMPUTED TO THEM. ACCORDING TO CONFIRMA-
TIONS. The understanding alone confirms, and when it confirms, it
engages the will, and sets it about itself, and thus drives it to com-
pliance. Confirmations are effected by meanings of reasonings,
which the mind seizes either from its higher region or from its
lower region: if from the higher region, which communicates with
heaven, it confirms marriages, and damns adulteries; but if from
the lower region, which communicates with the world, it confirms
adulteries and makes light of marriages. Every one can confirm
evil just as well as good; likewise falsity and truth; and the con-
firmation of evil is perceived as more delectable than the con-
firmation of truth. The reason is, that the confirmation of evil and
falsity derives its reasonings from the delights, pleasures, appear-
ances, and fallacies of the senses of the body; whereas the con-
firmation of good and truth derives its reasons from the region
above the sensuals of the body. Now, since evils and falsities can
be confirmed just as well as goods and truths, and since the con-
firming understanding draws the will over to its own side, and the
will together with the understanding forms the mind, it follows,
that the form of the human mind is according to confirmations,
being turned towards heaven if its confirmations are in favor of
marriages, but towards hell if they are in favor of adulteries ; and
such as the form of a man's mind is, such is his spirit; conse-
quently such as the man. From these considerations then it is
manifest that adulteries of this degree are imputed after death
according to confirmations.

492. XII. ADULTERIES OF THE FOURTH DEGREE ARE ADULTERIES

OF THE WILL (ADULTERIA EX PROPOSITO ADULTERIA VOLUNTATIS),
WHICH ARE COMMITTED BY THOSE WHO MAKE THEM ALLOWABLE
AND PLEASING, AND WHO DO NOT THINK THEM OF SUCH GREAT
IMPORTANCE AS TO MAKE IT WORTH WHILE TO CONSULT THE UNDER-
STANDING ABOUT THEM. These adulteries are distinguished from
the foregoing by their origins. The origin of these adulteries is
from the depraved will connate to man, or from hereditary evil,
which a man blindly obeys after he has become capable of exer-
cising his own judgment, not at all judging about them whether
they are evils or not; wherefore it is said, that he does not con-
sider them of such great importance as to make it worth while to
consult the understanding about them. But the origin of the adul-
teries which are called adulteries of the reason, is from a perverted
406

ADULTERIA: THEIR KINDS AND DEGREES [493,494

understanding; and they are committed by those who confirm that
they are not evils of sin. With these adulterers, the understanding
plays the leading part; with the former, the will. These two dis-
tinctions do not appear to any man in the natural world; but they
appear plainly to the angels in the spiritual world. In the latter
world all are in general distinguished according to the evils which
originally flow from the will or from the understanding, and which
are accepted and appropriated. They are also separated in hell
according to those evils: in hell, those who are evil from the
understanding, dwell in front, and are called satans; but those who
are evil from the will, dwell behind, and are called devils. On
account of thrs universal distinction, mention is made in the Word
of satan and the devil.* Wj]ttLi]iflse..eyil.ones, and also with adul-
terers, who are called satans, the understanding plays the. leading
gart; hut /with those., who- are called devils, itu& will plays the lead-
ryr jg part. But it is not possible to explain these distinctions so that
the understanding may see them, unless the distinctions of the will
and the understanding be first known ; and unless a description be
given of the formation of the mind by the will through the under-
standing, and of its formation by the understanding through the
will. The Knowledge of these subjects must shed light before, in
order that the distinctions above-mentioned may be seen from
reason ; but this requires a volume to itself.

493. XIII. THE ADULTERIES COMMITTED BY THESE PERSONS ARE

EXCEEDINGLY GRIEVOUS, AND ARE IMPUTED TO THEM AS EVILS OF SET
PURPOSE, AND REMAIN SEATED IN THEM AS GUILT. The reason why
they are exceedingly grievous, and more grievous than the fore-
going, is, that in them the will plays the leading part, whereas in
the foregoing the understanding plays the leading part, and a
man's life essentially is of his will, and formally is of his under-
standing: the reason is, that the will acts in unity with the love,
and love is the essence of a man's life, and forms itself in the
understanding by means of such things as are in agreement with
it: wherefore the understanding, considered in itself, is nothing
else than the form of the will ; and since love is of the will, and
wisdom of the understanding, therefore wisdom is nothing else
than the form of love; likewise truth is nothing else than the form
of good. That which flows from the very essence of a man's life,
thus flows from his will or his love, is principally called purpose;
but that which flows from the form of his life, thus from the
understanding and its thought, is called intention. Guilt also
is principally predicated of the will: hence comes the common
observation, that every one has the guilt of evil from inheritance,
but that the evil is from the man. Hence it is, that these adulteries
of the fourth degree are imputed as evils of set purpose, and
remain seated in them as guilt.

494. XIV. ADULTERIES OF THE THIRD AND FOURTH DEGREES

407

495] SCORTATORY LOVE

ARE EVILS OF SIN, ACCORDING TO THE MEASURE AND THE QUALITY
OF THE UNDERSTANDING AND THE WILL IN THEM, WHETHER THEY
ARE COMMITTED IN ACT, OR NOT COMMITTED IN ACT. That adulteries

of the reason or the understanding, which are of the third degree,
and adulteries of the will, which are of the fourth degree, are
grievous, consequently evils of sin, according to the quality of the
understanding of the will in them, may be seen from the comment
above concerning them, nos. 490-493. The reason is, that man is
man by virtue of the will and the understanding; for from these
two faculties exist not only all the things which are done in the
mind, but also all those which are done in the body. Who does
not know that the body does not act of itself, but the will through
the body? also that the mouth does not speak of itself, but the
thought through the mouth? Wherefore if the will were to be
taken away, action would instantly come to a stop, and if thought
were to be taken away, the speech of the mouth would instantly
cease. Hence it is clearly manifest, that adulteries which are com-
mitted in act, are grievous according to the quantity and quality
of the understanding and will in them. That they are likewise
grievous, if the same are not committed in act, is manifest from
the Lord's words: "It was said by them of old time, Thou shall
not commit adultery; but I say unto you, that if any one hath
looked at another's woman, so as to lust after her^ he hath already
committed adultery with her in heart (Matt v. 27, 28 ) : committing
adultery in the heart means committing it in the will. There are
many reasons which prevent an adulterer's being an adulterer in
act, while he is nevertheless an adulterer in will and understand-
ing: for there are some who abstain from adulteries as to the act
through fear of the civil law and its penalties ; through fear of the
loss of reputation and thence of honour; through fear of diseases
thence arising; through fear of quarrels at home on the part of
the wife, and the consequent loss of tranquility of life; through
fear of revenge on the part of the husband or relations, and also
through fear of being whipped by the servants; through poverty
or avarice; through weakness arising from disease, from abuse,
from age, or from impotence, and consequent shame. If anyone
restrains himself from adulteries in act, for these and like reasons,
and yet favours them in his will and understanding, he is still an
adulterer; for he believes nevertheless that they are not sins, and
he does not make them unlawful before God in his spirit; and
thus he commits them in spirit, although not in the body before
the world; wherefore after death, when he becomes a spirit, he
speaks openly in favour of them.

495. XV. ADULTERIES FROM SET PURPOSE OF THE WILL, AND

ADULTERIES FROM CONFIRMATION OF THE UNDERSTANDING, RENDER
HUMAN BEINGS NATURAL, SENSUAL, AND CORPOREAL. Man is man,

and is distinguished from the beasts, by this circumstance, that his
mind is distinguished into three regions, as many as the heavens
408

ADULTERIA: THEIR KINDS AND DECREES [496

are; and that he is capable of being elevated out of the lowest
region into the higher, and also from this into the highest, and
thus of becoming an angel of one of the heavens, and even of the
third. For this end, there has been given to man the faculty of
elevating the understanding thereunto; but if the love of his will
is not elevated at the same time, he does not become spiritual, but
remains natural. Nevertheless he retains the faculty of elevating
the understanding. The reason why he retains this faculty is, in
order that he may be able to be reformed; for he is reformed by
means of the understanding: and this is effected by the Knowledges
of good and truth, and by means of rational intuition therefrom.
If he views those Knowledges rationally, and lives according to
them, then the love of the will is elevated at the same time, and
in the same degree what is human is perfected, and the man
becomes more and more a man. It is otherwise if he does not live
according to the Knowledges of good and truth: in this case the
love of his will remains natural, and his understanding by turns
becomes spiritual ; for it elevates itself alternately, like an eagle,
and looks down upon what belongs to its love beneath; and when
it sees this, it flies down to it and conjoins itself with it: if there-
fore the concupiscences of the flesh belong to its love, it lets itself
down to these from its height, and in conjunction with them derives
delight to itself from their delights; and again, for the sake of the
acquisition of reputation, that it may be believed wise, it lifts
itself on high, and thus rises and sinks by turns, as was just now
stated. The reason why adulterers of the third and fourth degree,
who are such as from set purpose of the will and confirmation of
the understanding have made themselves adulterers, are utterly
natural, and progressively become sensual and corporeal, is, that
they have immersed the love of their will, and together with it
their understanding, in the un cleannesses of scortatory love, and
are delighted therewith, as unclean birds and beasts are delighted
with decaying and stercoraceous things as with delicacies and
dainties ; for the effluvia rising up from their flesh fill the dwelling
of the mind with their grossnesses, and cause the will to perceive
nothing to be more delicate and dainty. It is these who after
death become corporeal spirits, and from whom the uncleannesses
of hell and of the church (spoken of above, nos. 430, 431) gush out.

496. There are three degrees of the natural man. In the first
degree are those who love only the world, placing their hearts on
wealth; these are properly meant by the natural. In the second
degree are those who love only the delights of the senses, placing
their heart on every kind of luxury and pleasure; these are prop-
erly meant by the sensual. In the third degree are those who love
only themselves, placing their heart on the quest of honour; these
are properly meant by the corporeal; the reason is, that they
immerse all things of the will, and consequently of the under-
standing, in the body, and look backwards from others at them-

409

497,498] SCORTATORY LOVE

selves, and love only what belongs to themselves. But the sensual
immerse all things of the will, and consequently of the understand-
ing, in the allurements and fallacies of the senses, indulging in
these alone. Whereas the natural pour forth into the world all
things of the will and of the understanding, covetously and fraud-
ulently acquiring wealth, and regarding no other use therein and
thence but that of possession. The above-mentioned adulteries turn
human beings into these degenerate degrees, one into this, and
another into that, each one according to the pleasurable feeling
charactristic of his peculiar genius.

497. XVI. AND THIS TO SUCH A DEGREE THAT AT LENGTH THEY

REJECT FROM THEMSELVES ALL THINGS OF THE CHURCH AND OF

RELIGION. The reason why adulterers from set purpose and adul-
terers from confirmation reject from themselves all things of the
church and religion, is, because conjugial love and adulterous
love are opposite (no. 425), and conjugial love acts in unity with
the church and religion (see no. 130, and throughout the First
Part) : hence adulterous love, because it is opposite, acts in unity
with those things which are contrary to the church. Another reason
why those adulterers reject from themselves all things of the
church and religion, is, that conjugial love and adulterous love are
opposite, as the marriage of good and truth is opposite to the con-
nubial connection of evil and falsity (see nos. 427, 428) : and the
marriage of good and truth is the church, and the connubial bond
of the evil and false is anti-church. Yet another reason why these
adulterers reject from themselves all things of the church and
religion, is, that conjugial love and adulterous love are opposite,
as heaven and hell are (no. 429) ; and in heaven there is the love
of all things of the church, whereas in hell there is hatred against
them. That these adulteries reject from them all things of the
church and of religion, is also because the delights of them begin
from the flesh and are of the flesh even in the spirit (nos. 440,
441), and the flesh is against the spirit, that is, contrary to the
spiritual things of the church ; and for that reason also the delights
of scortatory love are called pleasures of insanity. If you desire
proofs, pray go to those whom you know to be such adulterers,
and 'ask in secret what they think about God, about the church, and
about eternal life, and you will hear. The real reason is that as
conjugial love opens the interiors of the mind, and thus elevates
them above the sensuals of the body even into the light and warmth
of heaven, so, on the other hand adulterous love closes up the in-
teriors of the mind, and always thrusts the mind itself as to its
will down into the body, into all the concupiscences of its flesh,
and the deeper the depth, so much the more it draws away and
removes the mind from heaven.

498. XVII. NEVERTHELESS THEY POSSESS HUMAN RATIONALITY
LIKE OTHERS. That the natural, the sensual, and the corporeal man

410

ADULTERIA: THEIR KINDS AND DEGREES [499

is equally rational, as to the understanding, as the spiritual man,
has been proved to me from satans and devils arising up by leave
out of hell, and conversing with angelic spirits in the state of
spirits; concerning whom, see the Memorable Relations through-
out. But as the love of the will makes the man, and this love draws
the understanding into consent, therefore such are not rational
except in a state removed from the love of the will; when they
return again into this love, they are more dreadfully insane than
wild beasts. But man, without the faculty of elevating the under-
standing above the love of the will, would not be a man, but a
beast; for a beast does not enjoy that faculty ; consequently neither
would he be able to choose anything, and from choice do what is
good and expedient, and thus he would not be able to be reformed,
and to be led to heaven, and to live to eternity. Thence it is that
adulterers from purpose and from confirmation, although merely
natural, sensual, and corporeal, have yet like others the gift of
understanding and rationality. But when they are in the lust of
adultery, and think and speak from that and of that, they do not
enjoy that rationality. The reason is that then the flesh acts upon
the spirit and not the spirit upon the flesh. It ought, however, to
be known, that these at length after death become stupid; not that
he faculty of becoming wise is taken away from them, but that
they are unwilling to become wise, because wisdom is undelightful
to them.

499. XVIII. BUT THEY USE THAT RATIONALITY WHEN THEY ARE

IN EXTERNALS, BUT ABUSE IT WHEN THEY ARE IN THEIR INTERNALS.

They are in externals when they speak abroad and in company,
but in their internals when at home or by themselves. If you wish,
put the matter to the test. Bring some such person, -as, for example,
one of the order called Jesuits, and cause him to speak in company,
or to teach in a temple, concerning God, the holy things of the
church, and heaven and hell, and you will hear him a more
rational zealot than any others ; perhaps also he will move you to
sighs and tears for your salvation. But take him into your house,
extol him above the other orders, call him the father of wisdom,
and make yourself his friend, until he opens his heart, and you
will hear what he will then preach concerning God, the holy things
of the church, and heaven and hell; namely, that they are mere
fancies and delusions, and thus bonds invented for souls, whereby
great and small, rich and poor, may be caught and bound, and
kept under the yoke of their dominion. Let these observations
suffice for illustration of what is meant by the statement that nat-
ural men, even down to corporeal men, possess human rationality
like others, and that they use it when they are in externals, but
abuse it when in their internals. The conclusion to be hence
deduced is, that no one ought to be judged of from the wisdom of
his mouth, but from the wisdom of his life in union therewith.

411

500] SCORTATORY LOVE

500. To the above I will add the following Memorable
Relation :

Once in the spiritual world I heard a great tumult: there were
some thousands of people gathered together, who cried out, "Let
them be punished, let them be punished."

I went nearer, and asked, "What is the matter?"

One who was separate from this great congregation said to me,
"They are enraged with anger against three priests, who go about
and preach everywhere against adulterers, saying, that adulterers
have no acknowledgment of God, and that heaven is closed up to
them, and hell open; and that in hell they are unclean devils,
because they appear there from afar like swine wallowing in dung,
and that the angels of heaven abominate them."

I inquired, "Where are those priests? and why is there such a
vociferation on that account?"

He replied, "The three priests are in the midst of them, guarded
by attendants; and those who are gathered together are of those
who believe adulteries not to be sins, and who say, that adulterers
have an acknowledgment of God equally with those who cleave to
their wives. They are all of them from the Christian world; and
the angels have been to see how many there were there who believe
adulteries to be sins; and out of a thousand they did not find a
hundred." He then told me, that the nine hundred speak about
adulteries in the following manner: "Who does not know that the
delight of adultery is superior to the delight of marriage; that
adulterers are in perpetual heat, and thence in alacrity, industry,
and active life, superior to those who live with only one woman;
and that, on the other hand, love with a married partner grows
cold, and sometimes to such a degree, that at length scarce a single
expression of speech or act of endearment with her is alive ; that
it is otherwise with fornicators; that the deadness of life with a
wife, which arises from a defect of potency, is recruited and vivified
by scortations? Is not that which recruits and vivifies of more con-
sequence than that which deadens? What is marriage but lawful
fornication ? Who knows any distinction between them ? Can love
be forced? and yet love with a wife is forced by a covenant and
by the laws. Is not love with a married partner sexual love? and
this love is so universal that it exists even among birds and beasts.
What is conjugial love but sexual love? and sexual love is free
with every woman. The reason why the civil laws are against
adulteries is, that lawgivers have believed that it is required by the
public good; and yet lawgivers and judges themselves sometimes
commit adultery, and say among themselves, 'Let him that is with-
out sin cast the first stone.' It is only the simple and religious that
believe adulteries to be sins: the intelligent think otherwise, who
like us view them by the lumen of nature. Are not offspring born
of adulteries as well as of marriages? Are not illegitimate children
as clever and well qualified for the discharge of offices and em-
ployments as legitimate ones? Moreover families, otherwise barren,

412

ADULTERIA: THEIR KINDS AND DEGREES [500

are provided with offspring; and is not this an advantage and not
an injury? What harm does it do a wife if she admits several
rivals? And what harm does it do the husband? To say that it
brings disgrace upon the husband, is a frivilous opinion based on
mere phantasy. The fact that adultery is contrary to the laws and
statutes of the church, is owing to the ecclesiastical order for the
sake of Power; but what have theology, and spiritual matters, to
do with a merely corporeal and carnal delight? Are not there
presbyters and monks who are adulterers? and are they on that
account incapable of acknowledging and worshipping God? Why
therefore do those three priests preach that adulterers have no
acknowledgment of God? We cannot endure such blasphemies;
wherefore let them be judged and punished."

After this I saw that they called judges, whom they requested
to pass sentence of punishment upon them. But the judges said,
"This is no part of our duty ; for the point in question is concern-
ing the acknowledgment of God, and concerning sin, and thus con-
cerning salvation and damnation ; and judgment on these subjects
must be given from heaven : but we will give you counsel how you
may know whether these three priests have preached Truths. There
are three places known to us as judges, where such points are
examined and revealed in a singular manner: ONE place is where
a way into heaven is open to all ; but when they come into heaven,
they themselves perceive their own quality as to the acknowledg-
ment of God: the SECOND place is, where also a way is open into
heaven; but no one can enter into that way unless he has heaven
in himself: and the THIRD place is, where the^e is a way to hell;
and those who love infernal things enter that way of their own
accord, because from delight. We as judges charge you all who
require judgment from us concerning heaven and hell, to go to
those places."

On hearing this, those who were gathered together said, "Let
us go to those places."

And while they were going to the FIRST, where a way into
heaven is open to all, it suddenly became very dark; wherefore
some of them lighted torches and carried them before. The judges
who were with them said, "This happens to all who go to the first
place: as they approach, the fire of the torches becomes dimmer,
and is extinguished in that place by the light of heaven flowing in,
which is a sign that they are there: the reason is, that at first
heaven is closed to them, and is afterwards opened."

They then came to that place, and when the torches were extin-
guished of themselves, they saw a way tending obliquely upwards
into heaven: this way those entered who were enraged with anger
against the priests; among the first, those who were adulterers
from set purpose, after them those who were adulterers from con-
firmation; and as they ascended, the first cried out, "Follow;" and
those who followed cried out, "Make haste;" and they pressed
forward.

413

500] SCORTATORY LOVE

After the space of nearly an hour, when they were well within
in the heavenly society, there appeared a gulf between them and
the angels ; and the light of heaven above the gulf flowing in into
their eyes, opened the interiors of their minds, whereby they were
compelled to speak as they interiorly thought ; and then they were
asked by the angels, whether they acknowledged that there is a God.

The first, who were adulterers from set purpose of the will,
replied, "What is God?" And they looked at each other, and said,
"Which of you has seen Him?" The second, who were adulterers
from confirmation of the understanding, said, "Are not all things
of nature? What is there above nature but the sun?" And then
the angels said to them, "Depart from us; now you yourselves
perceive that you have no acknowledgment of God; when you
descend, the interiors of your mind will be closed, and its exteriors
opened, and then you can speak against the interiors, and say that
there is a God. Believe, that as soon as a man actually becomes
an adulterer, heaven is closed against him; and when heaven is
closed, God is not acknowledged. Hear the reason: all the un-
cleanness of hell is from adulterers, and this stinks in heaven like
the stinking mire of the streets."

On hearing these things they turned, and descended by three
ways: and when they were below, the first and second groups con-
versing together said, "The priests have conquered there ; but we
know that we can speak of God equally with them: and when we
say that He is, do not we acknowledge Him? The interiors and
exteriors of the mind, of which the angels told us, are inventions.
But let us go to the second place pointed out by the judges, where
a way is open into heaven to those who have heaven in themselves,
thus to those who are about to come into heaven."

When they were come thither, a voice proceeded from that
heaven, saying, "Close the gates; there are adulterers at hand."
Then suddenly the gates were closed, and guards with rods in their
hands drove them away, and delivered out of their custody the
three priests, against whom they had raised the tumult, and led
them into heaven: and instantly, when the gate had been opened
for the priests, there breathed forth from heaven upon the rebels
the delight of marriage, which, because it was chaste and pure,
almost deprived them of life ; wherefore, for fear of fainting from
suffocation, they hastened to the third place, concerning which the
judges said that thence there was a way to hell ; and instantly there
breathed forth from thence the delight of adultery, whereby those
who were adulterers from set purpose, and those who were adul-
terers from confirmation were so vivified, that they descended as
it were dancing, and there like hogs immersed themselves in
uncleannesses.

414

THE LUST OF DEFLORATION

501. The lusts concerning which it is treated of in the four
following chapters, are not only adulterous lusts, but they are
more grievous than these, since they are not given (or do not exist)
except from adulteries, for they are seized upon after adulteries
have excited (or caused) loathing; as the lust of defloration, which
is first treated of, and which cannot previously arise with anyone ;
likewise the lust of varieties, the lust of violation, and the lust of
seducing innocences, which are afterwards treated of. They are
called lusts, because according to the quantity and quality of the
lust for those things, such and so great is their appropriation. In
reference specifically to the lust of defloration, in order that the
conviction may be brought home that it is a villainy, it shall be
made manifest from the following propositions in order:

I. The state of a maiden or undeftowered woman before mar-
riage, and after marriage.

II. Virginity is the crown of chastity, and the pledge of con
jugial love.

III. Defloration, without a view to marriage as the end, is the
villainy of a robber.

IV. The lot of those who have confirmed themselves in the
persuasion that the lust of defloration is not an evil of sin, after
death is grievous.

The explanation of these articles follows.

502. I. THE STATE or A MAIDEN OR UNDEFLOWERED WOMAN
BEFORE MARRIAGE, AND AFTER MARRIAGE. What is the quality of the
state of a maiden, before she has been instructed concerning the
various particulars of the conjugial torch, has been made known
to me by those wives in the spiritual world, who had departed out
of the natural world in their infancy, and have been educated in
heaven. They said, that when they had come into the marriageable
state, from seeing married partners, they began to love the con-
jugial life, but only for the end that they might be called wives,
and might live in friendly and trustful consociation with one man ;
and also that, being removed from the house of obedience, they
might become independent. They also said, that they thought of
marriage only from the blessedness of mutual friendship and trust
with a consort, and not at all from the delight of any passion.
But that their maiden state was changed after the wedding into a
new one, of which they had previously known nothing at all ; and
they declared, that this state was a state of the expansion of all
things of the life of their body from first things to last, to receive

415

503, 504] SCORTATORY LOVE

the gifts of their husband, and to unite these gifts to her own life,
that thus she might become his love and his wife; and that this
state commenced from the moment of defloration ( or first union in
ultimates), and that after this the flame of love burned for the
husband alone, and that they felt the delights of that expansion
to be heavenly. And further, that as each wife was introduced into
this state by her own husband, and as it is from him, and thus his
in her, it is quite impossible for her to love any other man than
him alone. From this account it was made manifest what is the
quality of the state of maidens before marriage and after marriage
in heaven. That the state of those maidens and wives on earth,
who are mated in their first virginal state, is similar to that of the
maidens and wives in heaven, is no secret. What maiden can know
that new state before she is in it? Inquire, and you will learn.
The case is different with those who, before marriage, long for the
allurement in consequence of having been taught.

503. II. VIRGINITY is THE CROWN OF CHASTITY, AND THE PLEDGE
OF CONJUGIAL LOVE. Virginity is called the crown of chastity,
because it crowns the chastity of marriage : it is also the badge of
chastity, wherefore the bride wears a crown on her head at her
wedding; it is also a badge of the holiness of marriage; for the
bride, after the virgin flower, gives and devotes herself wholly to
the bridegroom, at -that time the husband, and the husband in
return gives and devotes himself wholly to the bride, at that time
the wife. Virginity is also called the pledge of conjugial love,
because it belongs to the covenant of marriage, and the covenant
is, that love may unite them into one human being, or into one
flesh. The men also regard the virginity of the bride before mar-
riage as the crown of her chastity, and as the pledge of conjugial
love, and as the very dainty from which the delights of that love
are about to commence and to last forever. From these and the
foregoing considerations, it is manifest, that after the girdle is
taken away, and the virginity is tasted, the maiden becomes a
wife, and if not a wife, she becomes a fornicator; for the new
state, into which she is then introduced, is a state of love for her
husband, and if it is not a state of love for her husband, it is a
state of lust.

504. III. DEFLORATION, WITHOUT A VIEW TO MARRIAGE AS THE
END, is THE VILLAINY OF A ROBBER. Some adulterers are possessed
by die desire of deflowering maidens, and thus also of deflowering
young girls in their age of innocence; they entice them to such
deeds either by the persuasions of procuresses, or by presents
made by themselves, or by promises of marriage; and those men
after defloration leave them, and continually seek for others and
yet others. Moreover, they are not delighted with the objects they
have left, but with a continual supply of new ones ; and this lust
grows till it becomes the chief of the delightsomen esses of their

416

THE LUST OF DEFLORATION [505

flesh. They add also to the above this crime, that by various cun-
ning artifices they entice maidens about to be married, or imme-
diately after marriage, to offer them the first fruits of marriage,
which also they thus filthily defile. I have heard also, that when
that rnad desire with its potency has failed, they boast of the
number of virginities, as of so many golden fleeces 'of Jason. This
villainy, which is an act of corruption, since it was begun in the
age of strength, and afterwards strengthened by boastings, remains
inrooted, and thus infixed, after death. What the quality of this
villainy is, appears from what was said above, that virginity is the
crown of chastity, the pledge of future conjugial love, and that a
maiden devotes her soul and life to him on whom she bestows it ;
conjugial friendship and the confidence thereof are also founded
upon it. Moreover, a woman deflowered by such adulterers, after
this door of conjugial love has been broken through, casts away
shame, and becomes a fornicator, and for this result also, that
robber is responsible. Such robbers, if, after having run through
a course of those venereal lusts and profanations of chastity, they
apply their mind to marriage, have no other object in their mind
than the virginity of their future married partner ; and when they
have sipped this, they loathe both bed and bed-chamber, yea, even
the whole female sex, except young girls: and as such men are
violators of marriage, and despisers of the female sex, and thus
spiritual robbers, it is evident that the Divine Nemesis pursues
them.

505. IV. THE LOT OF THOSE WHO HAVE CONFIRMED THEMSELVES

IN THE PERSUASION THAT THE LUST OF DEFLORATION IS AN EVIL OF
SIN, AFTER DEATH IS GRIEVOUS. Their lot is as follows: After they
have passed the first time of their stay in the state of spirits, which
is -a time of external modesty and morality on account of their
being in company with angelic spirits, they are let from their
externals into their internals, and then into the concupiscences
which they had been addicted to in the world; and they are let
into their concupiscences, to the end that it may appear in what
degree they had been addicted to them ; and if in a lesser degree,
that after they have been let into them, they may be let out again,
and may be covered with shame. But those who had been in this
malignant lust to such a degree that they felt its delight to be
eminent, and made a boast of those thefts as of the choicest spoils,
do not suffer themselves to be drawn away from it; wherefore they
are let into their freedom, and then they instantly wander about,
and inquire after brothels, and also enter them when they are
pointed out; these brothels are at the sides of hell. But when they
meet with none but prostitutes there, they go away, and inquire
where there are maidens; and then they are conducted to prosti-
tutes, who by phantasy can assume super-eminent beauty, and a
florid girlish complexion, and boast themselves of being virgins;
and on seeing these they burn with desire towards them as in the

417

505] SCORTATORY LOVE

world: wherefore they bargain with them, but when they are about
to realize the bargain, the phantasy that had been cast on them by
heaven is taken away, and then those maidens appear in their own
deformity, monstrous and dusky, to whom nevertheless they are
compelled to cleave for an hour. Those scortators are called sirens.
But if by such sorcerers' tricks they do not suffer themselves to
be drawn away from that insane lust, they are cast down into the
hell which is in the confines of the south and west, beneath the
hell of the most cunning courtesans, and there they are associated
with their companions. It has also been given me to see them in
that hell; and I have been told that many of noble descent, and
of the richer class, are therein ; but because they had been such in
the world, all remembrance of their descent and of the dignity
derived from their wealth is taken from them, and a persuasion is
induced on them that they have been vile slaves, and thus unworthy
of all honour. Among themselves indeed they appear as human
beings: but in the sight of others who are allowed to look in
thither, they appear like apes, with grim instead of pleasant faces,
and savage instead of pleasant countenances; they walk with the
loins contracted, and bowed in consequence, the upper part of the
body leaning forwards as if they were going to fall down, and
they emit a bad smell. They loathe the sex, and turn away from
those of the sex whom they see, for they have no desire towards
them. They appear such when seen near at hand; but when seen
from afar, they appear like dogs of indulgences or whelps of
delights; and there is also heard something like barking in the
tone of their speech.

418

THE LUST OF VARIETIES

506. By the lust of varieties, which is here treated of, is not
understood the lust of fornication, which was treated of in its own
chapter; this, although it is accustomed to be promiscuous and
wandering (or vagrant) yet does not bring forward (or produce)
the lust of varieties except when it exceeds moderation, and the
fornicator looks to the number, and boasts of that from strong
desire (or appetite). This idea initiates (or makes the beginning
of) this lust. But of what quality it is in its progression cannot be
distinctly perceived, except in some such series as the following:

I. That by the lust of varieties is understood the lust of scorta-
tion entirely unrestrained.

II. That lust is love and at the same time loathing for the sex.

III. That lust utterly annihilates conjugial love with itself.

IV. The lot after death of those (who have been addicted to
that lust) is miserable, since they have not the inmost of life.

The explanation of these articles now follows.

507, I. THAT BY THE LUST OF VARITIES is UNDERSTOOD THE

LUST OF SCORTATION ENTIRELY UNRESTRAINED. This love insinuates

itself with those who in adolescence have relaxed the bonds of
modesty, and have had opportunities of associating with many
feminine scortators, especially if they have not wanted for the
means of satisfying their pecuniary demands. They implant and
inroot this lust in themselves by inordinate and unlimited fornica-
tions, and by shameless thoughts concerning the love of the female
sex, and by confirmations that adulteries are not evils, and not at
all sins. This lust grows with them as it advances, to such an
extent that they desire all the women in the world, and wish for
whole troops, and a new one every day. Since this love casts itself
out of the general sexual love that is implanted in every human
being, and entirely .away from the love of one of the sex, which is
conjugial love, and intrudes itself into the exteriors of the heart as
a delight of love separate from those loves, and yet derived from
them; therefore it is so thoroughly inrooted in the cuticles that it
remains in the touch after the virile forces are decayed. Those
(who are addicted to this lust) make nothing of adulteries; where-
fore they think of the whole female sex as of a common prostitute,
and of marriage as of a common harlotry, and thus they mix
shamelessness with modesty, and from the mixture become insane.
From these considerations it is evident what is here meant by the
lust of varieties, namely, that it is the lust of scortation entirely
unrestrained.

419

508-510] SCORTATORY LOVE

508. II. THAT LUST is LOVE AND AT THE SAME TIME

FOR THE SEX. Those who are addicted to that lust have a love for
the sex, because they derive variety from the sex ; and they have a
loathing for the sex, because after engaging illegally with one of
the sex, they reject her and lust after others. This obscene lust
burns towards a new woman, and after burning, grows cold towards
her; and cold is loathing. That that lust is love and at the same
time loathing for the sex, may be illustrated as follows: set on the
left side a company of the women whom they have enjoyed, and
on the right side a company of those whom they have not enjoyed;
would they not look at the latter company from love, but at the
former from loathing? and yet each company is of the sex.

509. III. THAT LUST UTTERLY ANNIHILATES CONJUGIAL LOVE
WITH ITSELF. The reason is, that lust is utterly opposed to con-
jugial love, and so opposed, that it not only tears it asunder, but
as it were grinds it to powder, and thus annihilates it: for con-
jugial love is confined to one of the sex; whereas that lust does
not stop at one, but within an hour or a day is as intensely cold as
it was before hot towards her; and since cold is loathing, this, by
forced consociation and dwelling together, is so augmented* as to
inspire nausea, and thus conjugial love is consumed to such a
degree that nothing of it is left. From these considerations it may
be seen that this lust is fatal to conjugial love; and, as conjugial
love constitutes the inmost of life with man, that it is fatal to his
life; and that that lust, by successive interceptions and closings of
the interiors of the mind, at length becomes cuticular, and thus
merely alluring; the faculty of understanding, or rationality,
nevertheless remaining.

510. IV. THE LOT AFTER DEATH OF THOSE (WHO HAVE BEEN

ADDICTED TO THAT LUST) IS MISERABLE, SINCE THEY HAVE NOT THE

INMOST OF LIFE. Every one has excellence of life according to his
conjugial love; for that excellence conjoins itself with the life of
the wife, and by conjunction exalts itself: but as with these there
does not remain the least of conjugial love, and consequently not
anything of the inmost of life, therefore their lot after death is
miserable. After passing a certain period of time in their externals,
in which they speak rationally and -act civilly, they are let into
their internals, and in this case into a similar lust and its delights,
in the same degree in which they had been in it in the world: for
every one after death is intromitted into the same state of life
which he had appropriated to himself, to the intent that he may
be withdrawn from it. No one can be withdrawn from his evil
unless he has first been led into it: otherwise the evil would con-
ceal itself, and defile the interiors of the mind, and spread like a
pestilence, and would then burst the barriers and destroy the
externals which are of the body. For this end, there are opened
to them brothels, which are on the side of hell, where there are
420

THE LUST OF VARIETIES [510

harlots, with whom there is given opportunity of varying their
lusts : but this is granted with the restriction of one in a day, and
it is forbidden under a penalty to be conjoined with more than
one on the same day. Afterwards, when from examination it
appears that that lust is so inbred that they cannot be withdrawn
from it, they are conveyed to a certain place, which is just above
the hell assigned for them, and then they appear to themselves as
if they fall into a swoon, and to others as if they sink down with
the face turned upward ; and also the ground under their backs is
actually opened, and they are swallowed up, and sink down into
the hell where their like are ; thus they are gathered to their own.
It has been given me to see them there, and likewise to speak with
them. Among themselves they appear as human beings, which is
granted them lest they should be a terror to their companions; but
at a certain distance they seem to have white faces, consisting as it
were only of skin, and this because they have no spiritual life in
them, which every one has according to the conjugial principle
that is implanted in him. Their speech is dry, parched, and sor-
rowful ; when they are hungry, they lament, and their lamentations
are heard as a peculiar snarling sound. Their garments are tattered,
and their lower garments are drawn up over the belly round about
the breast, because they have no loins, but their ankles commence
from the region of the bottom of the belly : the reason is, that the
loins with human beings correspond to conjugial love, and this
love they do not possess. They said that, on account of their
having no potency, they loathe the sex, Nevertheless, among them-
selves they can reason as from rationality about various things,
but because they are cutaneous, they reason from the fallacies of
the senses. This hell is in the western quarter towards the north.
These same persons, when seen from afar, appear not as human
beings, nor as monsters, but as substances of ice. It must, however,
be known, that those become such who have imbued themselves
with the above lust to such a degree as to rend and annihilate in
themselves the human conjugial principle.

421

THE LUST OF VIOLATION

51L By the lust of violation is not meant the lust of deflora-
tion, which is the violation of virginities, but not of maidens when
it is effected from consent; whereas the lust of violation, which is
here treated of, retreats in consequence of consent, and is rendered
more violent by refusal; and it is the passion of violating all
women whatsoever, who altogether refuse, and violently resist,
whether they be maidens, or widows, or wives. Those (who are
addicted to this lust) are like robbers and pirates, who are
delighted with spoil and plunder, and not with what is given and
justly acquired ; and they are like malefactors, who covet what is
unlawful and forbidden, and despise what is allowed and granted.
These violators are altogether averse to consent, and are inflamed
by resistance, which if they observe to be not internal, the ardour
of their lust is instantly extinguished, as fire is by water thrown
upon it. It is known., that wives do not spontaneously submit
themselves to the disposal of their husbands as to the ultimate
effects of love, and that from prudence they resist as they would
resist violations, to the end that they may take away from their
husbands the cold arising from the commonness that results from
the enjoyment being continually allowed, and also from an idea
of lasciviousness on their part. These resistances, although they
enkindle, are nevertheless not the causes, but only the beginnings
of this lust. Its cause is, that after conjugial love and also scorta-
tory love have grown insipid by exercise, they require, in order
that they may be recuperated, to be set on fire by absolute resist-
ances. This lust, thus begun, afterwards grows, and as it grows
it despises and breaks through all bounds of sexual love, and
exterminates itself, and from a lascivious, corporeal and fleshly
love, becomes cartilaginous and bony ; and then, from the periostea,
which enjoy a keen sense, it becomes sharpened. Nevertheless this
lust is rare, because it exists only with those who had entered into
marriage, and then had practised scortations until they became
insipid. Besides this natural cause of this lust, there is also a
spiritual cause, of which something will be said in what follows.

512. The lot after death of those (who have been addicted to
this lust) is as follows: these violators then of their own accord
separate themselves from those who are in limited sexual love, and
entirely from those who are in conjugial love, thus from heaven:
afterwards they are sent away to the most cunning scortators, who
not only by persuasion, but also by a perfectly histrionic imita-
tion, can feign and represent as if they were essentially chastities.
422

THE LUST OF VIOLATION [512

These scortators clearly discern those who are In that lust: in their
presence they speak of chastity and its preciousness ; and when
the violator comes near and touches them, they are full of wrath,
and fly away as through terror into a room, where there is a couch
and a bed, and slightly close the door after them, and lie down;
and from thence by their art they inspire the violator with an
ungovernable desire of breaking down the door, of rushing in,
and assaulting them; and when this takes place, the scortator,
raising herself erect, begins to fight with the violator with her
hands and nails, tearing his face, rending his clothes, and with a
furious voice crying out to her fellow scortators, as to her maid-
servants, for assistance, and opening the window with a loud out-
cry of thief, robber, and murderer; and when the violator is in
her embrace, she wails and weeps: and after the violation she
prostrates herself, howls, and calls out that she is undone, and
then threatens in a serious tone, that unless he expiates the viola-
tion by paying a considerable sum, she will attempt his destruc-
tion. While they are engaged in this venereal scene, they appear
from afare like cats, which nearly in like manner before their
conjunctions fight together, rush against each other, and howl.
After some such brothel contests, they are taken away, and con-
veyed into a cavern, where they are forced to some work; but as
they smell offensively, in consequence of having destroyed the con-
jugial principle, which is the most precious treasure of human
life, they are sent to the borders of the western quarter, where at
a certain distance they appear lean, as if consisting of bones
covered over with skin only; and from afar they appear like
panthers. When it was given me to see them nearer, I was sur-
prised that some of them held books in their hands, and were read-
ing; and I was told that this is the case, because in the world they
had spoken various things about the spiritual things of the
church, and yet had defiled them by adulteries, even to these very
extremities of them, and that such was the correspondence of this
lust with the violation of the spiritual marriage. But let it be
known, that instances of those who are in his lust are rare. Certain
it is, that women, because it is unbecoming, for them to prostitute
love, repeatedly resist, and that resistance strengthens; neverthe-
less this is not from any lust of violation.

423

THE LUST OF SEDUCING INNOCENCES

513. The lust of seducing innocences is neither the lust of
defloration nor the lust of violation, but is peculiar to, and stands
alone by itself; it exists more especially among the deceitful. The
women who appear to them as innocences are such as regard the
evil of scortation as an enormous sin, and who therefore strive to
acquire a character for chastity, and at the same time for piety:
these women they burn after. In Roman Catholic countries they
are nuns ; and because they believe these maidens to be pious inno-
cences above all the rest of their sex, they view them as the dainties
and delicacies of their lust. In order that they may seduce either
the latter or the former, they first, because they are deceitful,
devise arts, and afterwards, when they have trained themselves well
therein, they practise them without shame or compunction, .as from
nature. These arts are chiefly simulations of innocence, love,
chastity, and piety; by these and other cunning arts they enter
into the interior friendship of such women, and thence into their
love, which they change from spiritual into natural love by various
persuasions, and at the same time by various blandishments, and
afterwards into corporeal -carnal love by irritations, and then they
take possession of them at their pleasure; and when they have
attained their end, they rejoice at heart, and laugh to scorn those
whom they have violated.

514. The lot of these seducers after death is sad, inasmuch as
that seduction is not only impiety, but also malignity. After they
have passed through their first period, which is in externals, where-
in they excel many others in the elegance of their manners and
the courteousness of their speech, they are reduced into the second
period of their life, which is in internals, in which internals their
lust is set free, and begins its sport; and then they are first con-
veyed to women who had made vows of chastity, and with these
they are examined as to the quality of their malignant concupis-
cence, to the intent that they may not be judged except on con-
viction: when they feel the chastity of those women, their deceit
begins to act, and to attempt its cunning arts ; but as this is in vain,
they depart from them. They are afterwards introduced to women
of genuine innocence; and when they attempt to deceive these in
like manner, they are grievously punished, by virtue of a power
given to those women; for they bring on their hands and feet an
oppressive numbness, and likewise on their necks, and at last
make them feel as it were in a swoon; after undergoing which they
hastily flee away from them, After this there is opened to them a

424

THE LUST OF SEDUCING INNOCENCES [514

way to a certain company of fornieators, who have acquired the
art of feigning innocence in a cunning manner; and these first
expose them to derision among themselves, and at length after
various promises suffer themselves to be violated. After some such
scenes, the third period takes place, which is that of judgment;
when, being convicted, they sink down, and are gathered to their
like in the hell which is in the northern quarter, and there they
appear from afar, like weasels. But if they had been addicted to
deceit, they are carried down from this hell to the hell of the
deceitful, which is in the western quarter deep down at the back.
In this hell they appear from afar as serpents of various kinds,
and the most deceitful as vipers; but in the hell itself into which
I was permitted to look, they appeared to me as if they were
ghastly pale, with faces of chalk ; and as they are mere concupis-
cences, they do not like to speak ; and if they do speak, they only
mumble and mutter various things which are understood by none
but their companions who are near them; but presently, as they
sit or stand, they make themselves invisible, and fly about in the
cavern like phantoms ; for then they are in phantasy, and phantasy
appears to fly : after flying they rest themselves ; and then, what is
wonderful, one does not know another: the reason of this is, that
they are in deceit, and deceit does not believe another, and there-
fore withdraws itself. When they feel anything proceeding from
conjugial love, they flee away into vaults and conceal themselves.
They are also void of sexual love, and are real impotences. They
are called infernal genii.

425

ON THE CORRESPONDENCE OF SCORTATIONS WITH
THE VIOLATION OF SPIRITUAL MARRIAGE

515. I should here preface something concerning what corre-
spondence is; but the subject does not properly belong to the
present Work. But what correspondence is, may be seen in a
brief summary above, no. 76, and no. 342; and it may be seen
fully in the Apocalypse Revealed, from beginning to end, that
there is a correspondence between the natural sense and the spir-
itual sense of the Word. That in the Word there is a natural sense
and a spiritual sense, and a correspondence between them, has
been demonstrated in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concern-
ing the Sacred Scripture, and especially in nos. 5-26 of that Work.

516. By the spiritual marriage is meant the marriage of the
Lord and the church, spoken of above, nos. 116-131; and hence
also the marriage of good and truth, likewise spoken of above,
nos. 834 02; and because this marriage of the Lord and the church,
and therefore the marriage of good and truth, is in each and all
things of the Word, it is the violation of the Word that is meant
here bv the violation of the spiritual marriage; for the church is
from the Word, and the Word is the Lord. The Lord is the Word,
because He is the Divine Good and Divine Truth there. That the
Word is that marriage, may be seen fully confirmed in the Doctrine
of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scripture, nos. 80-90.

517. Since therefore the violation of the spiritual marriage is
the violation of the Word, it is evident that this violation is the
adulteration of good and the falsification of truth; for the spir-
itual marriage, as was said, is the marriage of good and truth;
hence it follows, that when the good of the Word is adulterated,
and its truth falsified, that marriage is violated. How this violation
is effected, and by whom, is in some measure evident from what
now follows.

518. Above, in treating of the marriage of the Lord and the
church (no. 116, and following numbers) and in treating of the
marriage of good and truth (no. 83 and following numbers), it
was proved, that that marriage corresponds to marriages on earth :
hence it follows, that the violation of that marriage corresponds to
scortations and adulteries. That it is so is very plain from the
Word itself, in that by scortations and by adulteries there are
signified the falsifications of truth and the adulterations of good,
as may be plainly seen from numerous passages adduced from the
Word in the Apocalypse Revealed, no. 134.

426

THE CORRESPONDENCE OF SCORTATIONS [519-521

519. The violation of the Word is effected by those in the
Christian church who adulterate its goods and truths; and those
do this who separate truth from good, and good from truth ; also,
who assume and confirm appearances of truth and fallacies as
genuine truths; and likewise, who know truths of doctrine from
the Word, and live evilly; not to mention other like cases. These
violations of the Word and of the church correspond to the pro-
hibited degrees enumerated in Leviticus xviii.

520. Since the Natural and the Spiritual with every man cohere
as the soul and the body, for a man without the Spiritual which
flows in into and vivifies his Natural, is not a man, it hence
follows, that he who is in the spiritual marriage is also in happy
natural marriage; and on the other hand, that he who is in spir-
itual adultery is also in natural adultery, and contrariwise. Now,
since all who are in hell are in the connubial connection of evil
and falsity, and this is essentially spiritual adultery ; and all who
are in heaven are in the marriage of good and truth, and this is
essentially marriage ; therefore hell as -a whole is called adultery,
and heaven as a whole is called marriage.

521. To the above shall be added this Memorable Relation:
My eye was opened, and I saw a dark forest, and therein a

crowd of satyrs. The satyrs as to their breasts were hairy, and as
to their feet some were like calves, some like panthers, and some
like wolves, and they had wild beasts' claws instead of toes. They
were running to and fro like wild beasts, crying out, "Where are
the women?" and then there appeared fornicators who were wait-
ing for them; and they also were of divers monstrous conforma-
tions. The satyrs ran towards them, and laid hold of them, drag-
ging them into a cavern, which was in the midst of the forest deep
beneath the earth ; and upon the earth round about the cavern lay
a great serpent coiled up spirally, breathing poison into the
cavern; in the branches of the forest above the serpent dismal
birds of night were croaking and screeching. But the satyrs and
fornicators did not see these things, because they were the corre-
spondences of their lasciviousnesses, and therefore their usual
appearances from afar.

Afterwards they came out of the cavern, and entered a certain
cottage of lowly structure, which was a brothel; and then being
separated from the fornicators they spoke together, and I listened ;
for speech in the spiritual world may be heard by a distant person
as if he were present, since the extent of space in that world is
only an appearance. They were speaking about marriages, nature,
and religion.

Those who as to the feet appeared like calves, spoke about
MARRIAGES, and said, "What are marriages but lawful adulteries?
and what is sweeter than scortatory hypocrisies, and the making
fools of husbands?" At this the rest clapped their hands with
loud laughter.

427

521] SCORTATORY LOVE

The satyrs who as to the feet appeared as panthers, spoke
ahout NATURE, and said, "What is there hut nature? What dis-
tinction is there between a man and a heast, except that a man can
speak articulately and a beast sonorously? Does not each derive
life from heat, and understanding from light, by the operation of
nature?" Hereupon the rest exclaimed, "Admirable! you speak
from judgment."

Those who as to the feet appeared like wolves, spoke about
RELIGION, saying, "What is God or the Divine but the inmost of
nature in operation? What is religion but a device to ensnare and
bind the common people?" Hereupon the rest vociferated "Bravo !"

After a few minutes they rushed forth, and in so doing they
saw me at a distance looking attentively at them. Being provoked
at this, they ran out from the forest, and with a threatening
countenance directed their course swiftly towards me and said,
"Why are you standing here and listening to our whispers?"

I replied, "Why not? what is to hinder me? you were only
talking:" and I related what I had heard from them. Hereupon
their minds were quieted: this was through fear lest what they
had said should be divulged; and then they began to speak mod-
estly and to act becomingly; from which circumstance I knew that
they were not of mean descent but of honourable birth. And then
I told them, that I had seen them in the forest as satyrs, twenty as
calf-satyrs, six as panther-satyrs, and four as wolf-satyrs; they
were thirty in number.

They were surprised at this, because they saw themselves there
no otherwise than as men, in like manner as they saw themselves
here with me.

I then taught them that they appeared thus from afar by
reason of their scortatory lust, and that this satyr-like form was a
form of dissolute adultery, and not the form of a person. I said
that the reason was that every evil concupiscence exhibits a like-
ness of itself in a certain form, which is not perceived by those
who are in the concupiscence, but by those who are standing at a
distance: I also said, "In order that you may believe, send some
from among you into that forest, and do you remain here, and
look at them."

They did so, and sent away two ; and viewing them when near
the above brothel -cottage, they saw them altogether as satyrs; and
when they returned, they saluted them as satyrs and said, "0 what
ridiculous figures."

While they were laughing, I joked on various matters with
them, and told them that I had also seen adulterers as hogs; and
then I recollected the fable of Ulysses and Circe, how she sprinkled
the companions and servants of Ulysses with enchanter's herbs,
and touched them with a magic wand, and turned them into hogs,
perhaps into adulterers, because she could not by any art turn
anyone into a hog.

After they had indulged in loud laughter at this and other
428

THE CORRESPONDENCE OF SCORTATIONS [522

similar things, I asked them whether they knew from what king-
dom in the world they had come.

They said they had come from various kingdoms, and they
named Italy, Poland, Germany, England, Sweden.

I inquired, whether they had seen anyone from H'olland among
them.

And they said, "Not one."

After this I gave the conversation a serious turn, and asked,
and asked them whether they had ever thought that adultery is sin.

They replied, "What is sin? we do not know what it is."

I then asked whether they had ever remembered that adultery
was contrary to the sixth commandment of the Decalogue.

They replied, "What is the Decalogue? Is not it the cate-
chism? What have we men (viri) to do with that childish tract?"

I -asked them, whether they had ever thought at all about hell.

They replied, "Who ever came up thence to give information
about it?"

I asked, whether they had ever thought at all in the world
about the life after death.

They said, "Just as much as about the future life of beasts,
and at times as about phantoms, that, if they exhale from dead
bodies, they float about."

I further asked them, whether they had heard anything from
the priests on any of these subjects.

They replied, that they had attended only to the sound of their
voices and not to the matter; and what is this tatter?

Being astonished at these answers, I said to them, "Turn your
faces, and direct your glance to the midst of the forest, where the
cavern is in which you have been."

So they turned themselves, and saw that great serpent around
the cavern coiled up spirally, breathing poison, and also the dole-
ful birds In the branches over the serpent

I then asked them, "What do you see?"

But being terrified, they did not answer.

Then I said, "Do you see the dreadful sight? Know, that this
is a representative of adultery in the flagitiousness of its lust."

At that instant an angel suddenly stood present: he was a
priest, and opened the hell in the western quarter, into which such
spirits are at length collected; and he said, "Look thither;" and
they saw a pool as it were of fire, and they recognized there some
who had been their friends in the world who invited them to them-
selves.

Having seen and heard these things, they turned away, and
rushed out of my sight, and retired from the forest ; but I observed
their steps, that they pretended to retire, but that by winding ways
they returned into the forest.

522. After this I returned home, and the next day, from a
recollection of these sad scenes, I looked towards the same forest,

429

522] SCORTATORY LOVE

and saw that it Had disappeared, and in its place there was a
sandy plain, and in the midst thereof a pool, in which were some
red serpents.

But some weeks later, when I was looking thither again, I saw
on its right side some fallow land, and upon it some husbandmen.

And again, after some weeks I saw springing out of that fallow
land some tilled land surrounded with little trees.

And I then heard a voice from heaven, "Enter into your bed-
chamber, and shut the door, and apply to the work begun on the
Apocalypse, and finish it within two years."

430

ON THE IMPUTATION OF BOTH LOVES,
SCORTATORY AND CONJUGIAL

523. The Lord says, JUDGE NOT, THAT YE BE NOT CONDEMNED
(Matt. vii. 1) ; which cannot in any wise mean judgment respect-
ing anyone's moral , anjd, .civil Jif e icu.the world, but judgment re-
specting his spiritual and celestial- life. Who does not see, that if
it were not allowable to judge respecting the moral life of those
who live with him in the world, society would perish? What
would society be if there were no public judicature, and if every
one did not exercise his judgment respecting another? But to
judge what is the quality of the interior mind, or soul, thus what
is the quality of anyone's spiritual state, and thence what his lot
after death is, is not allowable; because that is known to the Lord
alone: neither does the Lord reveal this till after the person's
decease, to the intent that every one may do whatever he does
from freedom, and thereby that good or evil may be from him,
and thus in him, and that on this ground he may live to eternity
by and for himself, and as his own ego. The reason why the
interiors of the mind, which are kept hidden in the world, are
revealed after death, is, that this is of importance and advantage
to the societies into which the man then comes ; for all there are
spiritual. That those interiors are then revealed, is evident from
these words of the Lord: "There is nothing concealed, which shall
not be revealed, or hidden, which shall not be known: therefore
whatsoever things ye have said in the darkness, shall be heard in
the light; and that which ye have spoken into the ear in bed-
chambers, shall be preached on the housetops" (Luke xii. 2, 3).
A general judgment, such as this, "If you are such in internals
as you appear to be in externals, you will be saved or con-
demned," is allowed; but a particular judgment, as this, for in-
stance, "You are such in internals, therefore you will be saved
or condemned," is not allowed. Judgment concerning the spiritual
life of a human being, or the internal life of the soul, is meant by
the imputation which is here treated of. Can any human being
know, who in heart is a scortator, and who is a genuinely married
man? And yet the thoughts of the heart, which are the purposes
of the will, judge every one. But this subject shall be opened up
in the following order;

I. The evil in which anyone is, is imputed to him after death;
likewise the good.

II. The transcription of the good of one person into another
is impossible.

III. Imputation, if by it is meant such transcription, is a
frivolous term.

431

524] SCORTATORY LOVE

IV. Evil is imputed to every one according to the quality of
his will., and according to the quality of his understanding: like-
wise good.

V. Thus scortatory love is imputed to every one.

VI. Thus conjugial love likewise is imputed to every one.
Now follows the explanation of these articles.

524. L THE EVIL IN WHICH ANYONE is, is IMPUTED TO HIM
AFTER DEATH ; LIKEWISE THE GOOD. To make this proposition in
some degree evident, it shall be considered under the following
distinct heads: 1. Every one has a life peculiar to himself.
2. Every one's life remains with him after death. 3. To an evil
person is then imputed the evil of his life, and to a good person
the good of his life. As to the FIRST point, that every one has a
life peculiar to himself, thus distinct from that of another, it is
known; for there is a perpetual variety, and there is not any-
thing the same as another; consequently every one has his own
peculiarity. This is evidence from the faces of human beings, in
that the faces of no two persons are absolutely alike, nor can there
be two alike to eternity: the reason is, that there are no two dis-
positions alike, and the faces are from the dispositions; for the
face, as it is said, is a type of the disposition, and the disposition
derives its origin and form from the life. Unless a man had a life
peculiar to himself, as he has a disposition and a face peculiar to
himself, he would not have any life after death separate from that
of another; yea, neither would there be a heaven, for heaven con-
sists of perpetual others; its form is derived solely from the
varieties of souls and minds arranged into such an order as to
make a one; and they make a one from the One Whose life is in
each and all therein as the soul is in a man : unless this were the
case, heaven would be dispersed, because the form would be dis-
solved. The One from Whom all things have life, and from Whom
the form coheres, is the Lord. In general every form consists of
various things, and is such as is their harmonious coordination
and arrangement into a one : such is the human form ; hence it is
that a man, consisting of so many members, viscera, and organs,
does not feel anything in himself and from himself but as a one.
As to the SECOND point, that every one's life remains with him
after death, it is known in the church from these passages of the
Word: "The Son of Man will come, and will then render to every
one according to his deeds" (Matt. xvi. 27). "/ saw the books
opened; and all were judged according to their works" (Apoc. xx.
12, 13). "/ft the day of judgment God will render to every one
according to his works" (Rom. ii. 6; 2 Cor. v. 10). The words
according to which it will be rendered to every one, are the life,
because the life does the works, and they are according to the life.
As it has been given me for many years to be together with angels,
and to speak with those who have come from the world, I can
testify for certain that every one is then examined as to what the

432

IMPUTATION OF BOTH LOVES [525

quality of his life had been, and that the life which he has con-
tracted in the world remains with him to eternity. I have spoken
with those who lived ages ago, with whose life I have been
acquainted from history, and I have recognized it to be like the
description given of it: and I have learnt from the angels, that no
one's life can be changed after death, because it is organized
according to his love and consequent works; and that if it were
changed, the organization would be torn to pieces, which cannot
be done in any case; also that a change of organization is possible
only in the material body, and is utterly impossible in the spiritual
body, after the former has been cast away. In regard to the THIRD
point, that to an evil person is then imputed the evil of his life,
and to a good person the good of his life: the imputation of evil
is not accusation, arraignment, incrimination, and the giving of
judgment, as in the world, but evil itself produces this effect; for
the evil freely separate themselves from the good, since they can-
not be together. The delights of the love of evil hold in aversion
the delights of the love of good: and delights exhale from every
one, as odours do from every plant in the earth: for they are not
absorbed and hidden by the material body as before, but flow out
freely from their loves into the spiritual aura; and as evil is there
felt as in its odour, it is this which accuses, arraigns, incriminates,
and judges, not before any judge, but before every one who is in
good; and this is what is meant by imputation. Moreover, an evil
person chooses companions with whom he may live in his own
delight; and because he holds the delight of good in aversion, he
spontaneously betakes himself to his own in hell. The imputation
of good is effected in like manner. This takes place with' those who
in the world have acknowledged that all good in them is from the
Lord, and nothing from themselves. These, after they have been
prepared, are let into the interior delights of good, and then there
is opened to them a way into heaven, to the society where the
delights are homogeneous to their own. This is done by the Lord.

525. II. THE TRANSCRIPTION OF THE GOOD OF ONE PERSON INTO
ANOTHER is IMPOSSIBLE. The evidence of this proposition may also
be seen from the following points in order: 1. Every human being
is born in evil. 2. He is led into good by means of regeneration by
the Lord. 3. This is effected by means of & life according to His
precepts. 4. Wherefore good, when it is thus implanted, cannot be
transcribed. The FIRST point that every human being is born in
evil, is known in the church. It is said that this evil is derived
hereditarily from Adam ; but it is from the man's parents. Every
one derives from his parents his natural disposition, which is his
inclination. That this is the case, is evinced both by reason and
experience ; for the likenesses of parents as to their faces, geniuses
and manners, are exhibited in their immediate offspring and in
their posterity; hence families are known by many, and a judg-
mnt is also formed concerning their dispositions; wherefore the

433

526] SCORTATORY LOVE

evils which parents themselves have contracted, and which they
have transmitted to their offspring, are the evils in which human
beings are born. The reason why it is believed that the guilt of
Adam is inscribed on all the human race, is that few reflect upon
any evil with themselves, and thence know it; wherefore they sup-
pose that it is so deeply hidden away as to appear only before
God. In regard to the SECOND point that a man is led into good
by means of regeneration by the Lord: that there is such a thing
as regeneration, and that unless a person be regenerated he cannot
enter into heaven, appears clearly from the Lord's words in John
iii. 3, 5. That regeneration consists in purification from evils, and
thereby renovation of life, cannot be unknown in the Christian
world; for reason also sees this when it acknowledges that every
one is born, in evil, and that evil cannot be washed and purged
away like filth by soap and water, but by repentance. As to the
THIRD point that a man is led into good by the Lord, by means
of a life according to His precepts: there are five precepts of
regeneration (which may be seen above, no. 82) ; among which
are these, That evils must be shunned because they are of the
devil and from the devil; and that goods must be done, because
they are of God and from God; and that men ought to approach
the Lord in order that He may lead them to do those things. Let
anyone consult himself and consider whether a man derives good
from any other source ; and if he has not good, he has not salva-
tion. In regard to the FOURTH point that good, when it is thus
implanted, cannot be transcribed; (by transcription is meant the
transcription of the good of one person into another;) it follows
from what has been already said, that a man by regeneration is
made altogether new as to his spirit, and that this is effected by
means of a life according to the Lord's precepts. Who does not see
that this renewal can only be effected from time to time, in nearly
the same manner as a tree successively takes root and grows from
a seed, and is perfected? Those who have a different idea of
regeneration do not know anything about the state of man, or
about evil and good, that those two are altogether opposite, and
that good can only be implanted in proportion as evil is removed ;
nor do they know, that so long as anyone is in evil, he holds in
aversion the good which in itself is good: wherefore if the good
of one were to be transferred into anyone who is in evil, it would
be as if a lamb were cast before -a wolf, or as if a pearl were tied
to a swine's snout: from which considerations it is evident that
transcription is impossible.

526. III. IMPUTATION, IF BY IT is MEANT SUCH TRANSCRIPTION,
is A FRIVOLOUS TERM. That the evil in which every one is, is im-
puted to him after death, and likewise the good, was proved above,
no. 524; hence it is manifest what is meant by imputation: but if
by imputation is meant the transcription of good into anyone who
is in evil, it is an empty expression, because such transcription is

434

IMPUTATION OF BOTH LOVES [527

impossible, as was also proved above, no. 525. In the world, merits
may as it were be transcribed (or transferred) by men; that is,
good may be done to children for the sake of their parents, or to
the friends of any adherent out of favour; but the good of merit
cannot be inscribed on their souls, but only outwardly adjoined.
The like is not possible with men as to their spiritual life: this, as
was shown above, must be implanted; and if it is not implanted
by means of a life according to the Lord's precepts above men-
tioned, the man remains in the evil in which he was born. Before
this is done, it is impossible for any good to reach him, or if it
reaches him, it is instantly struck back and rebounds like an elastic
ball falling upon a rock, or it is absorbed like a diamond thrown
into a bog. A man who has not been reformed as to the spirit, is
like a panther, or a horned owl, and may be compared to a brier
and a nettle; but a man who has been regenerated is like a sheep
or a dove, and may be compared to an olive tree and a vine. Pray
consider, if you are so inclined, how can a panther-man be con-
verted into a sheep-man, or a horned owl into a dove, or a brier
into an olive tree, or a nettle into a vine, by any imputation, if by
it is meant transcription ? In order that such a conversion may be
effected, is it not necessary that the wild beast element of the
panther and the horned owl, or the noxious quality of the brier
and the nettle, be first taken away, and thereby what is truly human
and harmless be implanted? How this is effected, the Lord also
teaches in John xv. 1-7.

527. IV. EVIL is IMPUTED TO EVERY ONE ACCORDING TO THE

QUALITY OF HIS WILL, AND ACCORDING TO THE QUALITY OF HIS

UNDERSTANDING; LIKEWISE GOOD. It is known that there are two
faculties which constitute a man's life, the will and the under-
standing; and that all things which a man does are done by his
will and his understanding; and that without these acting powers
a man would have neither action nor speech other than as a
machine. Hence it is evident, that such as are a man's will and
understanding, such is the man ; and further, that a man's action
in itself is such as is the affection of his will which produces it,
and that a man's conversation in itself is such as is the thought of
his understanding which produces it: wherefore several men may
act and speak alike, and yet they act and speak differently; one
from a depraved will and thought, the other from an upright will
and thought. From these considerations it is manifest what is
meant by the deeds or works according to which every one will be
judged, namely, that there are meant the will and the understand-
ing; consequently that by evil works are meant the works of
an evil will, of whatsoever quality they may have appeared in
externals, and that by good works are meant the works of a good
will, although in externals they may have appeared like the works
done by an evil man. All things which are done by a man's in-
terior will are done from purpose, since that will proposes to itself

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528, 529] SCORTATORY LOVE

what it does by its intention ; and all things which are done by the
understanding are done from confirmation, since the understand-
ing confirms. From these considerations it may be manifest, that
evil, or good, is imputed to every one according to the quality of
his will in them, and according to the quality of his understand-
ing concerning them. These observations it is allowed to confirm
by the following relation : In the spiritual world I have met many
who in the natural world had lived like others, dressing splendidly,
feasting sumptuously, trading with their capital like others, fre-
quenting stage plays, jesting on love topics as it were from lust,
and doing other like things; and yet the angels charged those
things against some as evils of sin, and to others they did not
impute them as evils; the latter they declared guiltless, but the
former guilty. Being questioned why they did so, when neverthe-
less all had done alike, they replied that they regard all from their
purpose, intention, or end, and distinguish accordingly; and that
therefore they excuse or condemn those whom the end either
excuses or condemns, since all in heaven have an end of good, and
all in hell an end of evil.

528. To the above shall be added the following observation:
It is said in the church that no one can fulfill the law, and the less
so because he who transgresses against one precept of the deca-
logue, transgresses against all; but this form of speaking is not
such as it sounds; for it ought to be understood thus, that he who,
from purpose or confirmation, acts against one precept, acts
against the rest; since acting so from purpose or confirmation is
altogether denying that it is a sin; and he who denies that it is a
sin makes nothing of acting against the rest of the precepts. Who
does not know, that he who is an adulterer is not on that account
a murderer, a thief, and a false witness, nor wishes to be so ? But
he who is an adulterer from purpose and confirmation, makes no
account of anything which belongs to religion, thus neither does
he make any account of murders, thefts, and false witnesses ; and
he abstains from these evils, not because they are sins, but because
he is afraid of the law and of the loss of reputation. That adul-
terers from purpose and from confirmation make no account of
the holy things of the church and religion, see above, nos. 490-493,
and in the two Memorable Relations, no. 500, and nos. 521, 522.
It is similar if anyone, from purpose or confirmation, acts against
any other precept of the decalogue; he also acts against the rest,
because he does not regard anything as sin.

529. The case is similar with those who are in good from the
Lord: if these from will and understanding, or from purpose and
confirmation, abstain from one evil because it is a sin, they abstain
from all evils, and still more if they abstain from several ; for as
soon as anyone, from purpose or confirmation, abstains from any
evil because it is a sin, he is kept by the Lord in the purpose of
436

IMPUTATION OF BOTH LOVES [530

abstaining from the rest : wherefore if he does evil from ignorance,
or from some prevailing concupiscence of the body, this is, never-
theless, not imputed to him, because he did not purpose it to him-
self, nor does he confirm it with himself. A man comes into this
purpose, if once or twice in a year he examines himself, and
repents of the evil which he discovers in himself: it is otherwise
with him who never examines himself. From these considerations
it evidently appears who he is to whom sin is not imputed, and
who to whom it is imputed.

530. V. THUS SCORTATORY LOVE IS IMPUTED TO EVERY ONE;

namely, not according to his deeds such as they appear in externals
before men, nor either such as they appear before a judge, but
such as they appear in internals before the Lord, and from Him
before the angels, that is, according to the quality of the man's
will and the quality of his understanding in them. Various circum-
stances exist in the world which mitigate and excuse crimes, also
which aggravate them and fix the blame of them on the per-
petrator: nevertheless, imputations after death take place, not
according to the external circumstances of the deed, but according
to the internal circumstances of the mind; and these are viewed
according to the state of the church with every one ; as for example,
a man impious in will and understanding, that is, who has no fear
of God or love of the neighbor, and consequently no reverence for
any holiness of the church, he, after death, becomes guilty of all
the crimes which he had done in the body ; nor is there any remem-
brance of his good deeds, since his heart, from whence -as from a
fountain those things had flowed, had been turned away from
heaven and turned towards hell ; and acts flow from the place of
the habitation of every one's heart. In order that this may be
understood, I will relate an arcanum. Heaven is distinguished into
innumerable societies, and so is hell, on the principle of opposi-
tion; and the mind of every man, according to his will and con-
sequent understanding, actually dwells in some one society, and
intends and thinks like those who are in that society. If the mind
be in any society of heaven, it then intends and thinks like those
who are in that society; if it be in any society of hell, it intends
and thinks like those who are in that society. But so long as a
man lives in the world, so long he wanders from one society to
another, according to the changes of the affections of his will and
the consequent thoughts of his mind: after death, however, his
wanderings are collected into one, and a place is accordingly
allotted to him, in hell if he is evil, in heaven if he is good. Now,
since all in hell are influenced by a will of evil, all there are
viewed from that will; and since all in heaven are influenced by a
will of good, all there are viewed from that will; wherefore im-
putations after death take place according to the quality of every
one's will and understanding. The case is similar with scortations,
whether they be fornications, pellicacies, concubinages, or adul-

437

531, 532] SCORTATORY LOVE

teries ; for those things are imputed to every one, not according to
the deeds themselves, but according to the state of the mind in the
deeds, for the deeds follow the body into the tomb, whereas the
mind rises again.

531. VI. THIS CONJUGIAL LOVE IS IMPUTED TO EVERY ONE.

There are marriages in which conjugial love does not appear, and
yet is; and there are marriages in which conjugial love appears,
and yet is not. There are several causes in both cases, which can
he known in part from what has been stated concerning truly con-
jugial love, nos. 57-73; concerning the causes of colds and separa-
tions, nos. 234-260; and concerning the causes of apparent love
and friendship in marriages, nos. 271-292. But appearances in
externals decide nothing in relation to imputation: the only thing
which decides is the conjugial principle or state, which is seated
in every one's will, and is guarded, in whatsoever state of marriage
the man is. That conjugial principle or state is like a pair of
scales, in which that love is weighed; for the conjugial state of
one man with one wife is the jewel of human life, and the inner
homestead of the Christian religion, as was shown, nos. 457, 458 :
and because this is so, it is possible that that love may exist with
one married partner, and not at the same time with the other; it
is also possible that it may lie too deeply hidden for the man him-
self to notice anything in relation to it; and, again, it may be in-
scribed in the progress of the life. The reason is, that that love in
its progress accompanies religion, and religion, because it is the
marriage of the Lord and the church, is the beginning and inocula-
tion of that love; wherefore conjugial love is imputed to every one
after death according to his spiritual rational life; and for him to
whom that love is imputed, a marriage in heaven is provided after
his decease, whatever may have been his marriage in the world.
From these considerations then results this conclusion, that no in-
ference must be drawn concerning anyone, from the appearances
of marriages, nor from the appearances of scortations, as to
whether he has conjugial love, or not; wherefore judge not, lest
ye be condemned (Matt. vii. 1).

532. To the above I will add the following Memorable
Relation:

I was once raised, as to my spirit, into the angelic heaven, and
into a certain one of its societies ; and then some of the wise ones
there came to me, and said, "What of regeneration from the
natural state?"

I said to them, "This is new, that the Lord has revealed arcana
which in excellence surpass the arcana that have heretofore been
revealed since the beginning of the church."

They asked, "What are they?"

I said that they were the following:

L That in the Word, in each and all of its particulars, there

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IMPUTATION OF BOTH LOVES [532

is a spiritual sense corresponding to the natural sense; and that
by means of that sense there is a conjunction of the men of the
church with the Lord, and a consociation with the angels; and
that the holiness of the Word resides in that sense.

II. That the correspondences, of which the spiritual sense of
the Word consists, are unfolded.

The angels asked, "Did the inhabitants of the world not know
about correspondences before?"

I said, that they knew nothing at all, and that correspondences
had lain concealed now for some thousands of years, namely, ever
since the time of Job ; and that with those who lived at that time,
and before it, the science of correspondences was the science of
sciences, from which they had wisdom, because thence they had
knowledge concerning the spiritual things which are of heaven
and thence of the church ; but that this science, on account of its
being turned into an idolatrous science, was, of the Divine Provi-
dence of the Lord, so obliterated and destroyed, that no one saw
any sign of it: but that nevertheless it has now been revealed by
the Lord, in order that there may be effected a conjunction of the
men of the church with Him, and a consociation with the angels ;
and that this is effected by means of the Word, in which each and
all things are correspondences.

The angels rejoiced exceedingly that it had pleased the Lord
to reveal this great arcanum, which had lain so deeply concealed
for some thousands of years; and they said it was for the end that
the Christian church, which is founded on the Word, and is now
at its end, may again revive and draw breath through heaven from
the Lord. They asked whether, by means of that science it had at
this day been disclosed what is signified by Baptism and what
. by the Holy Supper, about which they had hitherto thought so
variously.

I replied, that it had been disclosed.

III. I said further, that a revelation has at this day been made
by the Lord concerning the life of men after death.

The angels said, "What concerning the life after death? Who
does not know that man lives after death?"

I replied, "They know, and they do not know. They say that
it is not the man that lives after death, but his soul, and that this
lives a spirit; and of a spirit they cherish an idea as of wind or
ether, and that it does not live a man till after the day of the last
judgment, and that then the corporeal parts, which they had left
in the world, although eaten up by worms, mice, and fish, will be
collected together and again fitted together into a body, and that
thus men are to rise again."

The angels said, "What is this? Who does not know that a
man lives a man after death, with the sole difference, that he then
lives a spiritual man ; and that a spiritual man sees a spiritual man
as a material man sees a material man ; and that they do not know
one distinction, except that they are in a more perfect state?"

439

533] SCORTATORY LOVE

IV. The angels asked, "What do they know about our world,
and about heaven and hell?"

I said, that they knew nothing at all ; but that at this day it has
been disclosed by the Lord, what is the quality of the world in
which angels and spirits live, thus what is the quality of heaven,
and what the quality of hell ; and also that angels and spirits are
in conjunction with men; besides many wonderful things about
them.

The angels were glad that it had pleased the Lord to disclose
such things, so that man from ignorance may no longer be in
uncertainty respecting his immortality.

V. I said further, that at this day it has been revealed by the
Lord, "that in your world there is a sun, different from ours, and
that the sun of your world is pure love, and the sun of our world
pure fire; and that therefore all that which proceeds from your
sun, because it is pure love, partakes of life, and all that which
proceeds from our sun, because it is pure fire, partakes nothing of
life ; and that hence is the difference between what is spiritual and
what is natural, which difference, heretofore unknown, has been
also disclosed. From this there has been made known the source
of the light which enlightens the human understanding with wis-
dom, and the source of the heat which kindles the human will with
love."

VI. Furthermore, that it has been disclosed, that there are three
degrees of life, and that hence there are three heavens, and that
the human mind is distinguished into those degrees, and that there-
fore man corresponds with the three heavens.

The angels said, "Did not they know this before?"

I answered that they knew of the degrees between what is more

and less, but nothing of the degrees between what is prior and

posterior.

VII. The angels inquired whether any other .things have been
revealed besides these?

I said that several more had been revealed ; which are concern-
ing the last judgment; concerning the Lord, that He is God of
heaven and earth; that God is one both in person and essence, in
Whom is the Divine Trinity; and that He is the Lord: also con-
cerning the New Church which is to be established by Him, and
concerning the doctrine of that church ; concerning the holiness of
the Sacred Scripture; that the Apocalypse also has been revealed,
which could not be revealed even as to a single little verse except
by the Lord; moreover concerning the inhabitants of the planets,
and concerning the Earths in the universe ; besides many memora-
ble and wonderful relations from the spiritual world, by means of
which many things which belong to wisdom have been disclosed
from heaven.

533. The angels rejoiced exceedingly at hearing this; but they
perceived sadness in me, and asked, "Whence is your sadness?'"
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IMPUTATION OF BOTH LOVES [534

I said that those arcana that have at this day been revealed
by the Lord, although in excellence and worth they exceed the
Knowledges hitherto made known, yet on earth are considered as
of no value.

The angels wondered at this, and besought the Lord that they
might be allowed to look down into the world: and they looked
down, and lo! mere darkness was therein. And it was told them,
that those arcana should be written on a paper, and the paper let
down to the earth, and they should see a marvelous thing. And it
was done so; and lo! the paper, on which those arcana were
written, was let down from heaven, and in its progress, while it
was yet in the spiritual world, it shone as a star; but when it
descended into the natural world, the light disappeared, and it was
darkened in the degree in which it fell. And when it was let down
by the angels into companies where there were learned and erudite
men from the clergy and laity, there was heard a murmur from
many, in which were these expressions, "What is this? Is it any-
thing? What matters it whether we know those things or do not
know them? Are they not the offspring of the brain?" And it
appeared as if some took the paper and folded it, rolling and un-
rolling it with their fingers, in order that they might obliterate the
writing; and it appeared as if some tore it in pieces, and some as
if they wanted to trample upon it with their feet: but they were
withheld by the Lord from that crime, and it was commanded the
angels to take it away and keep it safely: and as the angels became
sad, and thought how long this was to be, it Was said, Until a
time, and times, and half a time (Apoc. xii. 14).

534. After this I spoke with the angels, and said that some-
thing further is being revealed in the world by the Lord.

They asked, "What is it?"

I said, "Concerning truly conjugial love and its heavenly
delights."

The angels said, "Who does not know that the delights of con-
jugial love exceed the delights of all loves? and who cannot see,
that into some love are brought together all the blessednesses,
blissfulnesses, and delightfulnesses, which can ever be conferred
by the Lord, and that the receptacle of them is truly conjugial
love, which is capable of receiving and perceiving them to a full
sense?"

I replied, that they do not know this, because they have not
come to the Lord, and lived according to His precepts, by shun-
ning evils as sins and by doing goods; and truly conjugial love
with its delights is solely from the Lord, and is given to those who
live according to His precepts; thus that it is given to those who
are received into the Lord's New Church, which is meant in the
Apocalypse by the "New Jerusalem." To this I added, that I am
in doubt whether in the world at the present day they are willing
to believe that this love in itself is a spiritual love, and conse-

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535] SCORTATORY LOVE

quently from religion, because they entertain only a corporeal
idea respecting it.

They then said to me, "Write about it, and follow the revela-
tion; and afterwards the book written about it shall be sent down
by us from heaven, and we shall see whether the things contained
in it are received; and at the same time whether they are willing
to acknowledge that that love is according to religion with man,
spiritual with the spiritual, natural with the natural, and merely
carnal with adulterers."

535. After this I heard a hostile murmur from hell, and at the
same time these words, "Do miracles: and we will believe."

And I asked, "Are not those things miracles?"

Answer was made, "They are not."

I again asked, "What miracles then do you want?"

And it was said, "Disclose and reveal things to come ; and we
will have faith."

But I replied, "Such disclosure and revelation are not given
from heaven ; since in proportion as a man knows things to come,
in the same proportion his reason and understanding, together
with his prudence and wisdom, fall into inactivity, grow torpid,
and decay."

Again I asked, "What other miracles shall I do?"

And a cry was made, "Do such miracles as Moses did in
Egypt."

To this I arfswered, "Possibly you may harden your hearts
against them, as Pharaoh and the Egyptians did."

And the reply was made, "We will not."

But again I said, "Assure me of a certainty, that you will not
dance about a golden calf and adore it, as the posterity of Jacob
did within the space of a month after they had seen the whole
Mount Sinai on fire, and heard Jehovah Himself speaking out
of the fire, thus after the miracle which was the greatest of all
miracles." A golden calf in the spiritual sense denotes the pleasure
of the flesh.

And reply was made from hell, "We will not be like the
posterity of Jacob."

But at that instant I heard it said to them from heaven, "If ye
helieve not Moses and the prophets, that is, the Word of the
Lord, ye will not believe because of miracles, any more than the
sons of Jacob did in the wilderness, nor any more than they
believed when they saw with their own eyes the miracles done by
the Lord Himself, while He was in the world."

442