The Delights of Wisdom Pertaining to Conjugial Love
by
Emanuel Swedenborg
Part 2 out of 12
husbands. Many married pairs also wish to know beforehand whether they
are to be separated after death, or to live together: those who have
disagreed in their tempers, wish to know whether they are to be
separated; and those who have agreed, whether they are to live together.
Information on this subject then being much wished for, we will now
proceed to give it in the following order: I. _The love of the sex
remains with every man (homo) after death, according to its interior
quality; that is, such as it had been in his interior will and thought
in the world._ II. _The same is true of conjugial love._ III. _Married
partners most commonly meet after death, know each other, again
associate and for a time live together: this is the case in the first
state, thus while they are in externals as in the 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, and consequently whether they can live
together or not._ V. _If they can live together, they remain married
partners; but if they cannot they separate; sometimes the husband from
the wife, sometimes the wife from the husband, and sometimes each from
the other._ VI. _In this case there is given to the man a suitable wife,
and to the woman a suitable husband._ VII. _Married partners enjoy
similar communications with each other as in the world, but more
delightful and blessed, yet without prolification; in the place of which
they experience spiritual prolification, which is that of love and
wisdom._ VIII. _This is the case with those who go to heaven; but it is
otherwise with those who go to hell._ We now proceed to an explanation
of these propositions, by which they may be illustrated and confirmed.
46. I. THE LOVE OF THE SEX REMAINS WITH EVERY MAN AFTER DEATH, ACCORDING
TO ITS INTERIOR QUALITY; THAT IS, SUCH AS IT HAD BEEN IN HIS INTERIOR
WILL AND THEREBY IN THE WOMAN. Every love follows a man after death,
because it is the _esse_ of his life; and the ruling love, which is the
head of the rest, remains with him to eternity, and together with it the
subordinate loves. The reason why they remain, is, because love properly
appertains to the spirit of man, and to the body by derivation from the
spirit; and a man after death becomes a spirit and thereby carries his
love along with him; as love is the _esse_ of a man's life, it is
evident, that such as a man's life has been in the world, such is his
lot after death. The love of the sex is the most universal of all loves,
being implanted from creation in the very soul of man, from which the
essence of the whole man is derived, and this for the sake of the
propagation of the human race. The reason why this love chiefly remains
is, because after death a male is a male, and a female a female, and
because there is nothing in the soul, the mind, and the body, which is
not male (or masculine) in the male, and female (or feminine) in the
female; and these two (the male and female) are so created, that they
have a continual tendency to conjunction, yea, to such a conjunction as
to become a one. This tendency is the love of the sex, which precedes
conjugial love. Now, since a conjunctive inclination is inscribed on
every part and principle of the male and of the female, it follows, that
this inclination cannot be destroyed and die with the body.
47. The reason why the love of the sex remains such as it was interiorly
in the world, is, because every man has an internal and an 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 dies, quits
his external, and retains his internal; for externals properly belong to
his body, and internals to his spirit. Now since every man is his own
love, and love resides in the spirit, it follows, that the love of the
sex remains with him after death, such as it was interiorly with him; as
for example, if the love interiorly had been conjugial and chaste, it
remains such after death; but if it had been interiorly adulterous
(anti-conjugial), it remains such also after death. It is however to be
observed that the love of the sex is not the same with one person as
with another; its differences are infinite: nevertheless, such as it is
in any one's spirit, such it remains.
48. II. CONJUGIAL LOVE IN LIKE MANNER REMAINS SUCH AS IT HAD BEEN
INTERIORLY; THAT IS, SUCH AS IT HAD BEEN IN THE MAN'S INTERIOR WILL AND
THOUGHT IN THE WORLD. As the love of the sex is one thing, and conjugial
love another, therefore mention is made of each; and it is said, that
the latter also remains after death such as it has been internally with
a man, during his abode in the world: but as few know the distinction
between the love of the sex and conjugial love, therefore, before we
proceed further in the subject of this treatise, it may be expedient
briefly to point it out. The love of the sex is directed to several, and
contracted with several of the sex; but conjugial love is directed to
only one, and contracted with one of the sex; moreover, love directed to
and contracted 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 peculiar and proper to men; because men were
created, and are therefore born to become spiritual; therefore, so far
as a man becomes spiritual, so far he puts off the love of the sex, and
puts on conjugial love. In the beginning of marriage the love of the sex
appears as if conjoined with conjugial love; but in the progress of
marriage they are separated; and in this case, with such as are
spiritual, the love of the sex is removed, and conjugial love is
imparted; but with such as are natural, the contrary happens. From these
observations it is evident, that the love of the sex, being directed to
and contracted with several and being in itself natural, yea, animal, is
impure and unchaste, and being vague and indeterminate in its object, is
adulterous; but the case is altogether different with conjugial love.
That conjugial love is spiritual, and truly human, will manifestly
appear from what follows.
[Transcriber's Note: The out-of-order section numbers which follow are
in the original text, as are the asterisks which do not seem to indicate
footnotes. There are several cases of this in the text, apparently
indicating insertions by the author.]
47.* III. MARRIED PARTNERS MOST COMMONLY MEET AFTER DEATH, KNOW EACH
OTHER, AGAIN ASSOCIATE, AND FOR A TIME LIVE TOGETHER: THIS IS THE CASE
IN THE FIRST STATE, THUS WHILE THEY ARE IN EXTERNALS AS IN THE WORLD.
There are two states in which a man (_homo_) enters after death, an
external and an internal state. He comes first into his external state,
and afterwards into his internal; and during the external state, married
partners meet each other, (supposing they are both deceased,) know each
other, and if they have lived together in the world, associate again,
and for some time live together; and while they are in this state they
do not know the inclination of each to the other, this being concealed
in the internals of each; but afterwards, when they come into their
internal state, the inclination manifests itself; and if it be in mutual
agreement and sympathy, they continue to live together a conjugial life;
but if it be in disagreement and antipathy, their marriage is dissolved.
In case a man had had several wives, he successively joins himself with
them, while he is in his external state; but when he enters into his
internal state, in which lie perceives the inclinations of his love, and
of what quality they are, 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 have more than one wife, as it infests
and profanes religion. The case is the same with a woman that had had
several husbands: nevertheless the women in this case do not join
themselves to their husbands; they only present themselves, and the
husbands join them to themselves. It is to be observed that husbands
rarely know their wives, but that wives well know their husbands, women
having an interior perception of love, and men only an exterior.
48.* 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, AND CONSEQUENTLY WHETHER THEY CAN
LIVE TOGETHER OR NOT. There is no occasion to explain this further, as
it follows from what is shewn in the previous section; suffice it here
to shew how a man (_homo_) 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 world of spirits, and which is intermediate
between heaven and hell; and in that world he is prepared, for heaven if
he is good, and for hell if he is evil. The end or design of this
preparation is, that the internal and external may agree together and
make a one, and not disagree and make two: in the natural world they
frequently make two, and only make a one with those who are sincere in
heart. That they make two is evident 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; for
whoever has been internally wicked must also be externally wicked; in
like manner, whoever has been good, must be good in each principle: for
every man after death becomes of such a quality as he had been
interiorly, and not such as he had been exteriorly. For this end, after
his decease, he is let alternately into his external and his internal;
and every one, while he is in his external, is wise, that is, he wishes
to appear wise, even though he be wicked; but a wicked person internally
is insane. By those changes he is enabled to see his follies, and to
repent of them: but if he had not repented in the world, he cannot
afterwards; for he loves his follies, and wishes to remain in them:
therefore he forces his external also to be equally insane: 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 spirit: such a one,
as in the 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 world, he was sometimes led astray;
therefore his external is likewise reduced to agreement with his
internal, which, as was said, is wise; and when this is effected he is
prepared for heaven. From these considerations it may plainly appear,
how the case is in regard to putting off the external and putting on the
internal after death.
49. V. IF THEY CAN LIVE TOGETHER, THEY REMAIN MARRIED PARTNERS; BUT IF
THEY CANNOT, THEY SEPARATE; SOMETIMES THE HUSBAND FROM THE WIFE,
SOMETIMES THE WIFE FROM THE HUSBAND, AND SOMETIMES EACH FROM THE OTHER.
The reason why separations take place after death is, because the
conjunctions which are made on earth are seldom made from any internal
perception of love, but from an external perception, which hides the
internal. The external perception of love originates in such things as
regard the love of the world and of the body. Wealth and large
possessions are peculiarly the objects of worldly love, while dignities
and honors are those of the love of the body: besides these objects,
there are also various enticing allurements, such as beauty and an
external polish of manners, and sometimes even an unchasteness of
character. Moreover, matrimonial engagements are frequently contracted
within the particular district, city, or village, in which the parties
were born, and where they live; in which case the choice is confined and
limited to families that are known, and to such as are in similar
circumstances in life: hence matrimonial connections made in the world
are for the most part external, and not at the same time internal; when
yet it is the internal conjunction, or the conjunction of souls, which
constitutes a real marriage; and this conjunction is not perceivable
until the man puts off the external and puts on the internal; as is the
case after death. This then is the reason why separations take place,
and afterwards new conjunctions are formed with such as are of a similar
nature and disposition; unless these conjunctions have been provided on
earth, as happens with those who from an early age have loved, have
desired, and have asked of the Lord an honorable and lovely connection
with one of the sex, shunning and abominating the impulses of a loose
and wandering lust.
50. VI. IN THIS CASE THERE IS GIVEN TO THE MAN A SUITABLE WIFE, AND TO
THE WOMAN A SUITABLE HUSBAND. The reason of this is, because no married
partners can be received into heaven, so as to remain there, but such as
have been interiorly united, or as are capable of being so united; for
in heaven two married partners are not called two, but one angel; this
is understood by the Lord's words "_They are no longer two, but one
flesh_." The reason why no other married partners are there received is,
because in heaven no others can live together in one house, and in one
chamber and bed; for all in the heavens are associated according to the
affinities and relationships of love, and have their habitations
accordingly. In the spiritual world there are not spaces, but the
appearance of spaces; and these appearances are according to the states
of life of the inhabitants, which are according to their states of love;
therefore in that world no one can dwell but in his own house, which is
provided for him and assigned to him according to the quality of his
love: if he dwells in any other, he is straitened and pained in his
breast and breathing; and it is impossible for two to dwell together in
the same house unless they are likenesses; neither can married partners
so dwell together, unless they are mutual inclinations; if they are
external inclinations, and not at the same time internal, the very house
or place itself separates, and rejects and expels them. This is the
reason why for those who after preparation are introduced into heaven,
there is provided a marriage with a consort whose soul inclines to
mutual union with the soul of another, so that they no longer wish to be
two lives, but one. This is the reason why after separation there is
given to the man a suitable wife and to the woman in like manner a
suitable husband.
51. VII. MARRIED PAIRS ENJOY SIMILAR COMMUNICATIONS WITH EACH OTHER AS
IN THE WORLD, BUT MORE DELIGHTFUL AND BLESSED, YET WITHOUT
PROLIFICATION; IN THE PLACE OF WHICH THEY EXPERIENCE SPIRITUAL
PROLIFICATION, WHICH IS THAT OF LOVE AND WISDOM. The reason why married
pairs enjoy similar communications as in the world, is, because after
death a male is a male, and a female a female, and there is implanted in
each at creation an inclination to conjunction; and this inclination
with man is the inclination of his spirit and thence of his body;
therefore after death, when a man becomes a spirit, the same mutual
inclination remains, and this cannot exist without similar
communications; for after death a man is a man as before; neither is
there any thing wanting either in the male or in the female: as to form
they are like themselves, and also as to affections and thoughts; and
what must be the necessary consequence, but that they must enjoy like
communications? And as conjugial love is chaste, pure, and holy,
therefore their communications are ample and complete; but on this
subject see what was said in the MEMORABLE RELATION, n. 44. The reason
why such communications are more delightful and blessed than in the
world, is, because conjugial love, as it is the love of the spirit,
becomes interior and purer, and thereby more perceivable; and every
delight increases according to perception, and to such a degree that its
blessedness is discernible in its delight.
52. The reason why marriages in the heavens are without prolification,
and that in place thereof there is experienced spiritual prolification,
which is that of love and wisdom, is, because with the inhabitants of
the spiritual world, the third principle--the natural, is wanting; and
it is this which contains the spiritual principles; and these without
that which contains them have no consistence, like the productions of
the natural world: moreover spiritual principles, considered in
themselves, have relation to love and wisdom; therefore love and wisdom
are the births produced from marriages in the heavens. These are called
births, because conjugial love perfects an angel, uniting him with his
consort, in consequence whereof he becomes more and more a man (_homo_)
for, as was said above, two married partners in heaven are not two but
one angel; wherefore by conjugial unition they fill themselves with the
human principle, which consists in desiring to grow wise, and in loving
whatever relates to wisdom.
53. VIII. THIS IS THE CASE WITH THOSE WHO GO TO HEAVEN; BUT IT IS
OTHERWISE WITH THOSE WHO GO TO HELL. That after death a suitable wife is
given to a husband, and a suitable husband to a wife, and that they
enjoy delightful and blessed communications, but without prolification,
except of a spiritual kind, is to be understood of those who are
received into heaven and become angels; because such are spiritual, and
marriages in themselves are spiritual and thence holy: but with respect
to those who go to hell, they are all natural; and marriages merely
natural are not marriages, but conjunctions which originate in unchaste
lust. The nature and quality of such conjunctions will be shewn in the
following pages, when we come to treat of the chaste and the unchaste
principles, and further when we come to treat of adulterous love.
54. To what has been above related concerning the state of married
partners after death, it may be expedient to add the following
circumstances. I. That all those married partners who are merely
natural, are separated after death; because with them the love of
marriage grows cold, and the love of adultery grows warm: nevertheless
after separation, they sometimes associate as married partners with
others; but after a short time they withdraw from each other: and this
in many cases is done repeatedly; till at length the man is made over to
some harlot, and the woman to some adulterer; which is effected in an
infernal prison: concerning which prison, see the APOCALYPSE REVEALED,
n. 153, Sec. x., where promiscuous whoredom is forbidden each party under
certain pains and penalties. II. Married partners, of whom one is
spiritual and the other natural, are also separated after death; and to
the spiritual is given a suitable married partner: whereas the natural
one is sent to the resorts of the lascivious among his like. III. But
those, who in the world have lived a single life, and have altogether
alienated their minds from marriage, in case they be spiritual, remain
single; but if natural, they become whoremongers. It is otherwise with
those, who in their single state have desired marriage, and especially
if they have solicited it without success; for such, if they are
spiritual, blessed marriages are provided, but not until they come into
heaven. IV. Those who in the world have been shut up in monasteries,
both men and women, at the conclusion of the monastic life, which
continues some time after death, are let loose and discharged, and enjoy
the free indulgence of their desires, whether they are disposed to live
in a married state or not: if they are disposed to live in a married
state, this is granted them; but if otherwise, they are conveyed to
those who live in celibacy on the side of heaven; such, however, as have
indulged the fires of prohibited lust, are cast down. V. The reason why
those who live in celibacy are on the side of heaven, is, because the
sphere of perpetual celibacy infests the sphere of conjugial love, which
is the very essential sphere of heaven; and the reason why the sphere of
conjugial love is the very essential sphere of heaven, is, because 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 I heard from heaven the sweetest melody, arising
from a song that was sung by wives and virgins in heaven. The sweetness
of their singing was like the affection of some kind of love flowing
forth harmoniously. Heavenly songs are in reality sonorous affections,
or affections expressed and modified by sounds; for as the thoughts are
expressed by speech, so the affections are expressed by songs; and from
the measure and flow of the modulation, the angels perceive the object
of the affection. On this occasion there were many spirits about me; and
some of them informed me that they heard this delightful melody, and
that it was the melody of some lovely affection, the object 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 sign the marriage-articles; some that it
expressed the affection of a bridegroom and a bride at the solemnizing
of the nuptials; and some that it expressed the primitive love of a
husband and a wife. But at that instant there appeared in the midst of
them an angel from heaven, who said, that they were singing the chaste
love of the sex. Hereupon some of the bystanders asked, "What is the
chaste love of the sex?" And the angel answered, "It is the love which a
man bears towards a beautiful and elegant virgin or wife, free from
every lascivious idea, and the same love experienced by a virgin or a
wife towards a man." As he said this, he disappeared. The singing
continued; and as the bystanders then knew the subject of the affection
which it expressed, they heard it very variously, every one according to
the state of his love. Those who looked upon women chastely, heard it as
a song of symphony and sweetness; those who looked upon them unchastely,
heard it as a discordant and mournful song; and those who looked upon
them disdainfully, heard it as a song that was harsh and grating. At
that instant the place on which they stood was suddenly changed into a
theatre, and a voice was heard, saying, "INVESTIGATE THIS LOVE:" and
immediately spirits from various societies presented themselves, and in
the midst of them some angels in white. The latter then said, "We in
this spiritual world have inquired into every species of love, not only
into the love which a man has for a man, and a woman for a woman; and
into the reciprocal love of a husband and a wife; but also into the love
which a man has for woman, and which a woman has for men; and we have
been permitted to pass through societies and examine them, and we have
never yet found the common love of the sex chaste, except with those who
from true conjugial love are in continual potency, and these are in the
highest heavens. We have also been permitted to perceive the influx of
this love into the affections of our hearts, and have been made sensible
that it surpasses in sweetness every other love, except the love of two
conjugial partners whose hearts are as one: but we have besought you to
investigate this love, because it is new and unknown to you; and since
it is essential pleasantness, we in heaven call it heavenly sweetness."
They then began the investigation; and those spoke first who were unable
to think chastely of marriages. They said, "What man when he beholds a
beautiful and lovely virgin or wife, can so correct or purify the ideas
of his thought from concupiscence, as to love the beauty and yet have no
inclination to taste it, if it be allowable? Who can convert
concupiscence, which is innate in every man, into such chastity, thus
into somewhat not itself, and yet love? Can the love of the sex, when it
enters by the eyes into the thoughts, stop at the face of a woman? Does
it not descend instantly into the breast, and beyond it? The angels talk
idly in saying that this love is chaste, and yet is the sweetest of all
loves, and that it can only exist with husbands who are in true
conjugial love, and thence in an extreme degree of potency with their
wives. Do such husbands possess any peculiar power more than other men,
when they see a beautiful woman, of keeping the ideas of their thought
in a state of elevation, and as it were of suspending them, so that they
cannot descend and proceed to what constitutes that love?" The argument
was next taken up by those who were in cold and in heat; in cold towards
their wives, and in heat towards the sex; and they said, "What is the
chaste love of the sex? Is it not a contradiction in terms to talk of
such a love? If chastity be predicated of the love of the sex, is not
this destroying the very thing of which it is predicated? How can the
chaste love of the sex 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 connected therewith is banished
from the mind, where and whence is the sweetness?" At that instant
certain spirits interrupted them, and said, "We have been in company
with the most beautiful females and have had no lust; therefore we know
what the chaste love of the sex is." But their companions, who were
acquainted with their lasciviousness, replied, "You were at those times
in a state of loathing towards the sex, arising from impotence; and this
is not the chaste love of the sex, 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 deliver their
sentiments. They said, "There is a love of one man to another, and also
of one woman to another; and there is a love of a man to a woman, and of
a woman to a man; and these three pairs of loves totally differ from
each other. The love of one man to another is as the love of
understanding and understanding; for the man was created and
consequently born to become understanding; the love of one woman to
another is as the love of affection and affection of the understanding
of men; for the woman was created and born to become a love of the
understanding of a man. These loves, viz., of one man to another, and of
one woman to another, do not enter deeply into the bosom, but remain
without, and only touch each other; thus they do not interiorly conjoin
the two parties: wherefore also two men, by their mutual reasonings,
sometimes engage in combat together like two wrestlers; and two women,
by their mutual concupiscences, are at war with each other like two
prize-fighters. But the love of a man and a woman is the love of the
understanding and of its affection; and this love enters deeply and
effects conjunction, which is that love; but the conjunction of minds,
and not at the same time of bodies, or the endeavour towards that
conjunction alone, is spiritual love, and consequently chaste love; and
this love exists only with those who are in true conjugial love, and
thence in an eminent degree of potency; because such, from their
chastity, do not admit an influx of love from the body of any other
woman than of their own wives; and as they are in an extreme degree of
potency, they cannot do otherwise than love the sex, and at the same
time hold in aversion whatever is unchaste. Hence they are principled in
a chaste love of the sex, which, considered in itself, is interior
spiritual friendship, deriving its sweetness from an eminent degree of
potency, but still being chaste. This eminent degree of potency they
possess in consequence of a total renunciation of whoredom; and as each
loves his own wife alone, the potency is chaste. Now, since this love
with such partakes not of the flesh, but only of the spirit, therefore
it is chaste; and as the beauty of the woman, from innate inclination,
enters at the same time into the mind, therefore the love is sweet." On
hearing this, many of the bystanders put their hands to their ears,
saying, "What has been said offends our ears; and what you have spoken
is of no account with us." These spirits were unchaste. Then again was
heard the singing from heaven, and sweeter now than before; but to the
unchaste it was so grating and discordant that they hurried out of the
theatre and fled, leaving behind them only the few who from wisdom loved
conjugial chastity.
56. THE SECOND MEMORABLE RELATION. As I was conversing with angels some
time ago in the spiritual world, I was inspired with a desire, attended
with a pleasing satisfaction, to see the TEMPLE OF WISDOM, which I had
seen once before; and accordingly 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 replied, "Our light grows brighter and
brighter as we approach that temple; wherefore, follow the light
according to the increase of its brightness; for our light proceeds from
the Lord as a sun, and thence considered in itself is wisdom." I
immediately directed my course, in company with two angels, according to
the increase of the brightness of the light, and ascending by a steep
path to the summit of a hill in the southern quarter. There we found a
magnificent gate, which the keeper, on seeing the angels with me,
opened; and lo! we saw 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 middle of which was the TEMPLE OF WISDOM. On arriving
there, and looking about me, I saw several small sacred buildings,
resembling the temple, inhabited by the WISE. We went towards one of
them, and coming to the door accosted the person who dwelt there, and
told him the occasion and manner of our coming. He said, "You are
welcome; enter and be seated, and we will improve our acquaintance by
discourses respecting wisdom." I viewed the building within, and
observed that it was divided into two, and still was but one; it was
divided into two by a transparent wall; but it appeared as one from its
translucence, which was like that of the purest crystal. I inquired the
reason of this? He said, "I am not alone; my wife is with me, and we are
two; yet still we are not two, but one flesh." But I replied, "I know
that you are a wise one; and what has a wise one or a wisdom to do with
a woman?" Hereupon our host, becoming somewhat indignant, changed
countenance, and beckoned his hand, and lo! instantly other wise ones
presented themselves from the neighboring buildings, to whom he said
humorously, "Our stranger here asks, 'What has a wise one or a wisdom to
do with a woman?'" At this they smiled and said, "What is a wise one or
a wisdom without a woman, or without love, a wife being the love of a
wise man's wisdom?" Our host then said, "Let us now endeavor to improve
our acquaintance by some discourse respecting wisdom; and let it be
concerning causes, and at present concerning the cause of beauty in the
female sex." Then they spoke in order; and the first assigned as a
cause, that women were created by the Lord's affections of the wisdom of
men, and the affection of wisdom is essential beauty. A second said,
that the 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 love-affection; and since love-affection is essential life, a
female is the life of wisdom, whereas a male is wisdom; and the life of
wisdom is essential beauty. A third said, that women have a perception
of the delights of conjugial love; and as their whole body is an organ
of that perception, it must needs be that the habitation of the delights
of conjugial love, with its perception, be beauty. A fourth assigned
this cause; that the Lord took away from the man beauty and elegance of
life, and transferred it to the woman; and that hence the man, unless he
be re-united with his beauty and elegance in the woman, is stern,
austere, joyless, and unlovely; so one man is wise only for himself, and
another is foolish; whereas, when a man is united with his beauty and
elegance of life in a wife, he becomes engaging, pleasant, active, and
lovely, and thereby wise. A fifth said, that women were created
beauties, not for the sake of themselves, but for the sake of the men;
that men, who of themselves are hard, might be made soft; that their
minds, of themselves grave and severe, might become gentle and cheerful;
and that their hearts, of themselves cold, might be made warm; which
effects take place when they become one flesh with their wives. A sixth
assigned as a cause, that the universe was created by the Lord a most
perfect work; but that nothing was created in it more perfect than a
beautiful and elegant woman, in order that man may give thanks to the
Lord for his bounty herein, and may repay it by the reception of wisdom
from him. These and many other similar observations having been made,
the wife of our host appeared beyond the crystal wall, and said to her
husband, "Speak if you please;" and then when he spoke, the life of
wisdom from the wife was perceived in his discourse; for in the tone of
his speech was her love: thus experience testified to the truth. After
this we took a view of the temple of wisdom, and also of the
paradisiacal scenes which encompassed 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.
* * * * *
ON LOVE TRULY CONJUGIAL.
57. There are infinite varieties of conjugial love, it being in no two
persons exactly similar. It appears indeed as if it were similar with
many; but this appearance arises from corporeal judgement, which, being
gross and dull, is little qualified to discern aright respecting it. By
corporeal judgement we mean the judgement of the mind from the evidence
of the external senses; but to those whose eyes are opened to see from
the judgment of the spirit, the differences are manifest; and more
distinctly to those who are enabled to elevate the sight arising from
such judgement to a higher degree, which is effected by withdrawing it
from the senses, and exalting it into a superior light; these can at
length confirm themselves in their understanding, and thereby see that
conjugial love is never exactly similar in any two persons. Nevertheless
no one can see the infinite varieties of this love in any light of the
understanding however elevated, unless he first know what is the nature
and quality of that love in its very essence and integrity, thus what
was its nature and quality when, together with life, it was implanted in
man from God. Unless this its state, which was most perfect, be known,
it is in vain to attempt the discovery of its differences by any
investigation; for there is no other fixed point, from which as a first
principle those differences may be deduced, and to which as the focus of
their direction they may be referred, and thus may appear truly and
without fallacy. This is the reason why we here undertake to describe
that love in its essence; and as it was in this essence when, together
with life from God, it was infused into man, we undertake to describe it
such as it was in its primeval state; and as in this state it was truly
conjugial, therefore we have entitled this section, ON LOVE TRULY
CONJUGIAL. The description of it shall be given in the following order:
I. _There exists a love truly conjugial, which at this day is so rare
that it is not known what is its quality, and scarcely that it exists._
II. _This love originates in the marriage of good and truth._ III.
_There is a correspondence of this love with the marriage of the Lord
and the church._ IV. _This love from its origin and correspondence, is
celestial, spiritual, holy, pure, and clean, above every other love
imparted by the Lord to the angels of heaven and the men of the church._
V. _It is also the foundation love of all celestial and spiritual loves,
and thence of all natural loves._ VI. _Into this love are collected all
joys and delights from first to last._ VII. _None however come into this
love, and can be in it, but those who approach the Lord, and love the
truths of the church and practise 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._ We now proceed to
the explanation of each article.
58. I. THERE EXISTS A LOVE TRULY CONJUGIAL, WHICH AT THIS DAY IS SO RARE
THAT IS NOT KNOWN WHAT IS ITS QUALITY, AND SCARCELY THAT IT EXISTS. That
there exists such conjugial 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 youth and a virgin;
thus from its influence on those who begin to love one alone of the sex,
and to desire to be joined therewith in marriage; and still more at the
time of courtship and the interval which precedes the marriage-ceremony;
and lastly during the marriage-ceremony and some days after it. At such
times who does not acknowledge and consent to the following positions;
that this love is the foundation 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 season of pleasure, the satisfactions thereof
successively pass away and depart, till at length they are scarcely
sensible? In the latter case, if it be said as before, that this love is
the foundation of all loves, and that into it are collected all joys and
delights, the positions are neither agreed to nor acknowledged, and
possibly it is asserted that they are nonsense or incomprehensible
mysteries. From these considerations it is evident, that primitive
marriage love bears a resemblance to love truly conjugial, and presents
it to view in a certain image. The reason of which is, because then the
love of the sex, which is unchaste, is put away, and in its place the
love of one of the sex, which is truly conjugial and chaste, remains
implanted: in this case, who does not regard other women with
indifference, and the one to whom he is united with love and affection?
59. The reason why love truly conjugial is notwithstanding so rare, that
its quality is not known, and scarcely its existence, is, because the
state of pleasurable gratifications before and at the time of marriage,
is afterwards changed into a state of indifference arising from an
insensibility to such gratifications. 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, when we come to explain in their order the
causes of coldnesses, separations, and divorces; from which it will be
seen, that with the generality at this day this image of conjugial love
is so far abolished, and with the image the knowledge thereof, that its
quality and even its existence are scarcely known. It is well known,
that every man by birth is merely corporeal, and that from corporeal he
becomes natural more and more interiorly, and thus rational, and at
length spiritual. The reason why this is effected progressively is,
because the corporeal principle is like ground, wherein things natural,
rational, and spiritual are implanted in their order; thus a man becomes
more and more a man. The case is nearly similar when he enters into
marriage; on this occasion a man becomes a more complete man, because he
is joined with a consort, with whom he acts as one man: but this, in the
first state spoken of above, is effected only in a sort of image: in
like manner he then commences from what is corporeal, and proceeds to
what is natural as to conjugial life, and thereby to a conjunction into
a one. Those who, in this case, love corporeal natural things, and
rational things only as grounded therein, cannot be conjoined to a
consort as into a one, except as to those externals: and when those
externals fail, cold takes possession of the internals; in consequence
whereof the delights of that love are dispersed and driven away, as from
the mind so from the body, and afterwards as from the body so from the
mind; and this until there is nothing left of the remembrance of the
primeval state of their marriage, consequently no knowledge respecting
it. Now since this is the case with the generality of persons at this
day, it is evident that love truly conjugial is not known as to its
quality, and scarcely as to its existence. It is otherwise with those
who are spiritual. With them the first state is an initiation into
lasting satisfactions, which advance in degree, in proportion as the
spiritual rational principle of the mind, and thence the natural sensual
principle of the body, in each party, conjoin and unite themselves with
the same principles in the other party; but such instances are rare.
60. II. THIS LOVE ORIGINATES IN 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 every thing in the universe good is conjoined with truth, and truth
with good, cannot but be acknowledged, because this also is a universal
truth, which agrees with the former. The reason why all things in the
universe have relation to good and truth, and why good is conjoined with
truth, and truth with good, is, because each proceeds 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 relating to love are called good, or goods, and all
things relating to wisdom are called true, or truths; and as these two
proceed from him as the creator, it follows that they are in the things
created. This may be illustrated by heat and light which proceed from
the sun: from them all things appertaining to the earth are derived,
which germinate according to their presence and conjunction; and natural
heat corresponds to spiritual heat, which is love, as natural light
corresponds to spiritual light, which is wisdom.
61. That conjugial love proceeds from the marriage of good and truth,
will be shewn in the following section or paragraph: It is mentioned
here only with a view of shewing that this love is celestial, spiritual,
and holy, because it is from a celestial, spiritual, and holy origin. In
order to see that the origin of conjugial love is from the marriage of
good and truth, it may be expedient in this place briefly to premise
somewhat on the subject. It was said just above, that in every created
thing there exists a conjunction of good and truth; and there is no
conjunction unless it be reciprocal; for conjunction on one part, and
not on the other in its turn, is dissolved of itself. Now as there is a
conjunction of good and truth, and this is reciprocal, it follows that
there is a truth of good, or truth grounded in good, and that there is a
good of truth, or good grounded in truth; that the truth of good, or
truth grounded in good, is in the male, and that it is the very
essential male (or masculine) principle, and that the good of truth, or
good grounded in truth, is in the female, and that it is the very
essential female (or feminine) principle; also that there is a conjugial
union between those two, will be seen in the following section: it is
here only mentioned in order to give some preliminary idea on the
subject.
62. III. THERE IS A CORRESPONDENCE OF THIS LOVE WITH THE MARRIAGE OF THE
LORD AND THE CHURCH; that is, that as the Lord loves the church, and is
desirous that the church should love him, so a husband and a wife
mutually love each other. That there is a correspondence herein, is well
known in the Christian world: but the nature of that correspondence as
yet is not known; therefore we will explain it presently in a particular
paragraph. It is here mentioned in order to shew that conjugial love is
celestial, spiritual, and holy, because it corresponds to the celestial,
spiritual, and holy marriage of the Lord and the church. This
correspondence also follows as a consequence of conjugial love's
originating in the marriage of good and truth, spoken of in the
preceding article; because the marriage of good and truth constitutes
the church with man: for the marriage of good and truth is the same as
the marriage of charity and faith; since good relates to charity, and
truth to faith. That this marriage constitutes the church must at once
be acknowledged, because it is a universal truth; and every universal
truth is acknowledged as soon as it is heard, in consequence of the
Lord's influx and at the same time of the confirmation of heaven. Now
since the church is the Lord's, because it is from him, and since
conjugial love corresponds to the marriage of the Lord and the church,
it follows that this love is from the Lord.
63. But in what manner the church from the Lord is formed with two
married partners, and how conjugial love is formed thereby, shall be
illustrated in the paragraph spoken of above: we will at present only
observe, that the church from the Lord is formed in the husband, and
through the husband in the wife; and that when it is formed in each, it
is a full church; for in this case is effected a full conjunction of
good and truth; and the conjunction of good and truth constitutes the
church. That the uniting inclination, which is conjugial love, is in a
similar degree with the conjunction of good and truth, which is the
church, will be proved by convincing arguments in what follows in the
series.
64. IV. THIS LOVE, FROM ITS ORIGIN AND CORRESPONDENCE, IS CELESTIAL,
SPIRITUAL, HOLY, PURE, AND CLEAN, ABOVE EVERY OTHER LOVE IMPARTED BY THE
LORD TO THE ANGELS OF HEAVEN AND THE MEN OF THE CHURCH. That such is the
nature and quality of conjugial love from its origin, which is the
marriage of good and truth, was briefly shewn above; but the subject was
then barely touched upon: in like manner that such is the nature and
quality of that love, from its correspondence with the marriage of the
Lord and the church. These two marriages, from which conjugial love, as
a slip or shoot, descends, are essentially holy, therefore if it be
received from its author, the Lord, holiness from him follows of
consequence, which continually cleanses and purifies it: in this case,
if there be in the man's will a desire and tendency to it, this love
becomes daily and continually cleaner and purer. Conjugial love is
called celestial and spiritual because it is with the angels of heaven;
celestial, as with the angels of the highest heaven, these being called
celestial angels; and spiritual, as with the angels beneath that heaven,
these being called spiritual angels. Those angels are so called, because
the celestial are loves, and thence wisdoms, and the spiritual are
wisdoms and thence loves; similar thereto is their conjugial principle.
Now as conjugial love is with the angels of both the superior and the
inferior heavens, as was also shewn in the first paragraph concerning
marriages in heaven, it is manifest that it is holy and pure. The reason
why this love in its essence, considered in regard to its origin, is
holy and pure above every other love with angels and men, is, because it
is as it were the head of the other loves: concerning its excellence
something shall be said in the following article.
65. V. IT IS ALSO THE FOUNDATION LOVE OF ALL CELESTIAL AND SPIRITUAL
LOVES, AND THENCE OF ALL NATURAL LOVES. The reason why conjugial love
considered in its essence is the foundation love of all the loves of
heaven and the church, is, because it originates in the marriage of good
and truth, and from this marriage proceed all the loves which constitute
heaven and the church with man: the good of this marriage constitutes
love, and its truth constitutes wisdom; and when love draws near to
wisdom, or joins itself therewith, then love becomes love; and when
wisdom in its turn draws near to love, and joins itself therewith, then
wisdom becomes wisdom. Love truly conjugial is the conjunction of love
and wisdom. Two married partners, between or in whom this love subsists,
are an image and form of it: all likewise in the heavens, where faces
are the genuine types of the affections of every one's love, are
likenesses of it; for, as was shewn above, it pervades them in the whole
and in every part. Now as two married partners are an image and form of
this love, it follows that every love which proceeds from the form of
essential love itself, is a resemblance thereof; therefore if conjugial
love be celestial and spiritual, the loves proceeding from it are also
celestial and spiritual. Conjugial love therefore is as a parent, and
all other loves are as the offspring. Hence it is, that from the
marriages of the angels in the heavens are produced spiritual offspring,
which are those of love and wisdom, or of good and truth; concerning
which production, see above, n. 51, 52.
66. The same is evident from man's having been created for this love,
and from his formation afterwards by means of it. The male was created
to become wisdom grounded in the love of growing wise, and the female
was created to become the love of the male grounded in his wisdom, and
consequently was formed according thereto; from which consideration it
is manifest, that two married partners are the very forms and images of
the marriage of love and wisdom, or of good and truth. It is well to be
observed, that there is not any good or truth which is not in a
substance as in its subject: there are no abstract goods and truths;
for, having no abode or habitation, they no where exist, neither can
they appear as airy unfixed principles; therefore in such case they are
mere entities, concerning which reason seems to itself to think
abstractedly; but still it cannot conceive of them except as annexed to
subjects: for every human idea, however elevated, is substantial, that
is, affixed to substances. It is moreover to be observed, that there is
no substance without a form; an unformed substance not being any thing,
because nothing can be predicated of it; and a subject without
predicates is also an entity which has no existence in reason. These
philosophical considerations are adduced in order to shew still more
clearly, that two married partners who are principled in love truly
conjugial, are actually forms of the marriage of good and truth, or of
love and wisdom.
67. Since natural loves flow from spiritual, and spiritual from
celestial, therefore it is said that conjugial love is the foundation
love of all celestial and spiritual loves, and thence of all natural
loves. Natural loves relate to the loves of self and of the world;
spiritual loves to love towards the neighbour; and celestial loves to
love to the Lord; and such as are the relations of the loves, it is
evident in what order they follow and are present with man. When they
are in this order, then the natural loves live from the spiritual, and
the spiritual from the celestial, and all in this order from the Lord,
in whom they originate.
68. VI. INTO THIS LOVE ARE COLLECTED ALL JOYS AND DELIGHTS FROM FIRST TO
LAST. All delights whatever, of which a man (_homo_) has any perception,
are delights of his love; the love manifesting itself, yea, existing and
living thereby. It is well known that the delights are exalted in
proportion as the love is exalted, and also in proportion as the
incident affections touch the ruling love more nearly. Now as conjugial
love is the foundation love of all good loves, and as it is inscribed on
all the parts and principles of man, even the most particular, as was
shewn above, it follows that its delights exceed the delights of all
other loves, and also that it gives delight to the other loves,
according to its presence and conjunction with them; for it expands the
inmost principles of the mind, and at the same time the inmost
principles of the body, as the delicious current of its fountain flows
through and opens them. The reason why all delights from first to last
are collected into this love, is on account of the superior excellence
of its use, which is the propagation of the human race, and thence of
the angelic heaven; and as this use was the chief end of creation, it
follows that all the beatitudes, satisfactions, delights,
pleasantnesses, and pleasures, which the Lord the Creator could possibly
confer upon man, are collected into this his love. That delights follow
use, and are also communicated to man according to the love thereof, is
manifest from the delights of the five senses, seeing, hearing,
smelling, taste, and touch: each of these has its delights with
variations according to the specific uses of each; what then must be the
delight annexed to the sense of conjugial love, the use of which
comprehends all other uses?
69. I am aware that few will acknowledge that all joys and delights from
first to last are collected into conjugial love; because love truly
conjugial, into which they are collected, is at this day so rare that
its quality is not known, and scarcely its existence, agreeably to what
was explained and confirmed above, n. 58, 59; for such joys and delights
exist only in genuine conjugial love; and as this is so rare on earth,
it is impossible to describe its super-eminent felicities any otherwise
than from the mouth of angels, because they are principled in it. They
have declared, that the inmost delights of this love, which are delights
of the soul, into which the conjugial principle of love and wisdom, or
of good and truth from the Lord, first flows, are imperceptible and
thence ineffable, because they are the delights of peace and innocence
conjointly; but that in their descent they become more and more
perceptible; in the superior principles of the mind as beatitudes, in
the inferior as satisfactions, in the breast as delights thence derived;
and that from the breast they diffuse themselves into every part of the
body, and at length unite themselves in ultimates and become the delight
of delights. Moreover the angels have related wonderful things
respecting these delights; adding further, that their varieties in the
souls of conjugial pairs, and from their souls in their minds, and from
their minds in their breasts, are infinite and also eternal; that they
are exalted according to the prevalence of wisdom with the husband; and
this, because they live to eternity in the bloom of their age, and
because they know no greater blessedness than to grow wiser and wiser.
But a fuller account of these delights, as given by the angels, may be
seen in the MEMORABLE RELATIONS, especially in those added to some of
the following chapters.
70. VII. NONE HOWEVER COME INTO THIS LOVE, AND CAN REMAIN IN IT, BUT
THOSE WHO APPROACH THE LORD, AND LOVE THE TRUTHS OF THE CHURCH AND
PRACTISE ITS GOODS. The reason why none come into that love but those
who approach the Lord, is, because monogamical marriages, which are of
one husband with one wife, correspond to the marriage of the Lord and
the church, and because such marriages originate in the marriage of good
and truth; on which subject, see above, n. 60 and 62. That from this
origin and correspondence it follows, that love truly conjugial is from
the Lord, and exists only with those who come directly to him, cannot be
fully confirmed unless these two arcana be specifically treated of, as
shall be done in the chapters which immediately follow; one of which
will treat on the origin of conjugial love as derived from the marriage
of good and truth, and the other on the marriage of the Lord and the
church, and on its correspondence. That it hence follows, that,
conjugial love with man (_homo_) is according to the state of the church
with him, will also be seen in those chapters.
71. The reason why none can be principled in love truly conjugial but
those who receive it from the Lord, that is, who come directly to him,
and by derivation from him live the life of the church, is, because this
love, considered in its origin and correspondence, is celestial,
spiritual, holy, pure, and clean, above every love implanted in the
angels of heaven and the men of the church; as was shewn above, n. 64;
and these its distinguishing characters and qualities cannot possibly
exist, except with those who are conjoined to the Lord, and by him are
consociated with the angels of heaven; for these shun extra-conjugial
loves, which are conjunctions with others than their own conjugial
partner, as they would shun the loss of the soul and the lakes of hell;
and in proportion as married partners shun such conjunctions, even as to
the libidinous desires of the will and the intentions thence derived, so
far love truly conjugial is purified with them, and becomes successively
spiritual, first during their abode on earth, and afterwards in heaven.
It is not however possible that any love should become perfectly pure
either with men or with angels; consequently neither can this love:
nevertheless, since the intention of the will is what the Lord
principally regards, therefore so far as any one is in this intention,
and perseveres in it, so far he is initiated into its purity and
sanctity, and successively advances therein. The reason why none can be
principled in spiritual conjugial love, but those who are of the above
description by virtue of conjunction with the Lord, is, because heaven
is in this love; and the natural man, whose conjugial love derives its
pleasure only from the flesh, cannot approach to heaven nor to any
angel, no, nor to any man principled in this love, it being the
foundation of all celestial and spiritual loves; which may be seen
above, n. 65-67. That this is the case, has been confirmed to me by
experience. I have seen genii in the spiritual world, who were in a
state of preparation for hell, approaching to an angel while he was
being entertained by 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. That wicked spirits love what is
similar to their affection, however unclean it is, and hold in aversion
the spirits of heaven, as what is dissimilar, because it is pure, may be
concluded from what was said in the PRELIMINARY MEMORABLE RELATION, n.
10.
72. The reason why those who love the truths of the church and practise
its goods, come into this love and are capable of remaining in it, is,
because no others are received by the Lord; for these are in conjunction
with him, and thereby are capable of being kept in that love by
influence from him. The two constituents of the church and heaven in man
(_homo_) are the truth of faith and the good of life; the truth of faith
constitutes the Lord's presence, and the good of life according to the
truths of faith constitutes conjunction with him, and thereby the church
and heaven. The reason why the truth of faith constitutes the Lord's
presence, is, because it relates to light, spiritual light being nothing
else; and the reason why the good of life constitutes conjunction, is,
because it relates to heat; and spiritual heat is nothing but the good
of life, for it is love; and the good of life originates in love; and it
is well known, that all light, even that of winter, causes presence, and
that heat united to light causes conjunction; for gardens and
shrubberies appear in all degrees of light, but they do not bear flowers
and fruits unless when heat joins itself to light. From these
considerations the conclusion is obvious, that those are not gifted by
the Lord with love truly conjugial, who merely know the truths of the
church, but those who know them and practise their good.
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 the ancient people, who lived in the
ages thus named, cannot be known from historical records, because their
writings are not extant; and there is no account given of them except by
writers in succeeding ages, who mention them, and describe the purity
and integrity of their lives, and also the successive decrease of such
purity and integrity, resembling the debasement of gold to iron: but an
account of the last or iron age, which commenced from the time of those
writers, may in some measure be gathered from the historical records of
the lives of some of their kings, judges, and wise men, who were called
_sophi_ in Greece and other countries. That this age however should not
endure, as iron endures in itself, but that it should be like iron mixed
with clay, which do not cohere, is foretold by Daniel, chap. ii. 43. Now
as the golden, silver, and copper ages passed away before the time when
writing came into use, and thus it is impossible on earth to acquire any
knowledge concerning their marriages, it has pleased the Lord to unfold
to me such knowledge by a spiritual way, by conducting me to the heavens
inhabited by those most ancient people, that I might learn from their
own mouths the nature and quality of their marriages during their abode
here on earth in their several ages: for all, who from the beginning of
creation have departed by death out of the natural world, are in the
spiritual world, and as to their loves resemble what they were when
alive in the natural world, and continue such to eternity. As the
particulars of this knowledge are worthy to be known and related, and
tend to confirm the sanctity of marriages, I am desirous to make them
public as they were shown me in the spirit when awake, and were
afterwards recalled to my remembrance by an angel, and thus described.
And as they are from the spiritual world, like the other accounts
annexed to each chapter, I am desirous to arrange them so as to form six
MEMORABLE RELATIONS according to the progressions of the several periods
of time.
* * * * *
74. THESE SIX MEMORABLE RELATIONS from the spiritual world, concerning
conjugial love, discover the nature and quality of that love in the
earliest times and afterwards, and also at the present day; whence it
appears that that love has successively fallen away from its sanctity
and purity, until it became adulterous; but that nevertheless there is a
hope of its being brought back again to its primeval or ancient
sanctity.
75. THE FIRST MEMORABLE RELATION. On a time, while I was meditating on
conjugial love, my mind was seized with a desire of knowing what had
been the nature and quality of that love among those who lived in the
GOLDEN AGE, and afterwards among those who lived in the following ages,
which have their names from silver, copper, and iron: and as I knew that
all who lived well in those ages are in the heavens, I prayed to the
Lord that I might be allowed to converse with them and be informed: and
lo! an angel presented himself and said, "I am sent by the Lord to be
your guide and companion: I will first lead and attend you to those who
lived in the first age or period of time, which is called golden:" and
he said, "The way to them is difficult; it lies through a shady forest,
which none can pass unless he receive a guide from the Lord." I was in
the spirit, and prepared 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 the clouds. We passed a great wilderness,
and came to the forest planted with various kinds of trees and rendered
shady by their thickness, of which the angel had advertised me. The
forest was divided by several narrow paths; and the angel said, that
according to the number of those paths are the windings and intricacies
of error: and that unless his eyes were opened by the Lord, so as to see
olives entwined with vine tendrils, and his steps were directed from
olive to olive, the traveller would miss his way, and fall into the
abodes of Tartarus, which are round about at the sides. This forest is
of such a nature, to the end that the passage may be guarded; for none
but a primeval nation dwells upon that mountain. After we had entered
the forest, our eyes were opened, and we saw here and there olives
entwined with vines, from which hung bunches of grapes of a blue or
azure color, and the olives were ranged in continual wreaths; we
therefore made various circuits as they presented themselves to our
view; and at length we saw a grove of tall cedars and some eagles
perched on their branches; on seeing which the angel said, "We are now
on the mountain not far from its summit:" so we went forward, and lo!
behind the grove was a circular plain, where there were feeding he and
she-lambs, which were representative forms of the state of innocence and
peace of the inhabitants of the mountain. We passed over this plain, and
lo! we saw tabernacles, to the number of several thousands in front on
each side in every direction as far as the eye could reach. And the
angel said, "We are now in the camp, where are the armies of the Lord
Jehovah; for so they call themselves and their habitations. These most
ancient people, while they were in the world, dwelt in tabernacles;
therefore now also they dwell in the same. But let us bend our way to
the south, where the wiser of them live, that we may meet some one to
converse with." In going along I saw at a distance three boys and three
girls sitting at a door of a certain tent; but as we approached, the
boys and girls appeared like men and women of a middle stature. The
angel then said, "All the inhabitants of this mountain appear at a
distance like infants, because they are in a state of innocence; and
infancy is the appearance of innocence." The men on seeing us hastened
towards us and said, "Whence are you; and how came you here? Your faces
are not like those of our mountain." But the angel in reply told them
how, by permission, we had had access through the forest, and what was
the cause of our coming. On hearing this, one of the three men invited
and introduced us into his tabernacle. The man was dressed in a blue
robe and a tunic of white wool: and his wife had on a purple gown, with
a stomacher under it of fine linen wrought in needle-work. And as my
thought was influenced by a desire of knowing the state of marriages
among the most ancient people, I looked by turns on the husband and the
wife, and observed as it were a unity of their souls in their faces; and
I said, "You 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 between
us is like that of the two viscera 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; therefore her love from without
veils my wisdom, and my wisdom from within enters into her love: hence,
as you said, there is an appearance of the unity of our souls in our
faces." I then asked, "If such a union exists, is it possible for you to
look at any other woman than your own?" He replied, "It is possible but
as my wife is united to my soul, we both look together, and in this case
nothing of lust can enter; for while I behold the wives of others, I
behold them by my own wife, whom alone I love: and as my own wife has a
perception of all my inclinations, she, as an intermediate, directs my
thoughts and removes every thing discordant, and therewith impresses
cold and horror at every thing unchaste; therefore it is as impossible
for us to look unchastely at the wife of any other of our society, as it
is to look from the shades of Tartarus to the light of our heaven
therefore neither have we any idea of thought, and still less any
expression of speech, to denote the allurements of libidinous love." He
could not pronounce the word whoredom, because the chastity of their
heaven forbade it. Hereupon my conducting angel said to me, "You hear
now that the speech of the angels of this heaven is the speech of
wisdom, because they speak from causes." After this, as I looked around,
I 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, irradiates, and glances on the curtains of
our tabernacle while we are conversing about conjugial love; for the
heat from our sun, which in its essence is love, on such occasions bares
itself, and tinges the light, which in its essence is wisdom, with its
golden color; and this happens because conjugial love in its origin is
the sport of wisdom and love; for the man was born to be wisdom, and the
woman to be the love of the man's wisdom: hence spring the delights of
that sport, in and derived from conjugial love between us and our wives.
We have seen clearly for thousands of years in our heaven, that those
delights, as to quantity, degree, and intensity, are excellent and
eminent according to our worship of the Lord Jehovah, from whom flows
that heavenly union or marriage, which is the union and marriage of love
and wisdom." As he said this, I saw a great light upon the hill in the
middle of the tabernacles; and I inquired, "Whence is that light?" And
he said, "It is from the sanctuary of the tabernacle of our worship." I
asked whether I might approach it; to which he assented. I approached
therefore, and saw the tabernacle without and within, answering exactly
to the description of the tabernacle which was built for the sons of
Israel in the wilderness; the form of which was shewed to Moses on Mount
Sinai, Exod. xxv. 40; chap. xxvi. 30. I then asked, "What is within in
that sanctuary, from which so great a light proceeds?" He replied, "It
is a tablet with 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, during your abode 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
instantly the heavenly blessedness of their souls withdrew from their
inmost principles to the extreme parts of their bodies, even to the
nails, and together therewith the honorable badges of manhood; when this
was perceived they were banished the land." On saying this, the man ran
to his tabernacle, and returned with a pomegranate, in which there was
abundance of seeds of gold: and he gave it me, and I brought it away
with me, as a sign that we had been with those who had lived in the
golden age. And then, after a salutation of peace, we took our leave,
and returned home.
76. THE SECOND MEMORABLE RELATION. The next day the same angel came to
me, and said, "Do you wish me to lead and attend you to the people who
lived in the SILVER AGE OR PERIOD, that we may hear from them concerning
the marriages of their time?" And he added, "Access to these also can
only be obtained by the Lord's favor and protection." I was in the
spirit as before, and accompanied my conductor. We first came to a hill
on the confines between the east and the south; and while we were
ascending it, he shewed me a great extent of country: we saw at a
distance an eminence like a mountain, between which and the hill on
which we stood was a valley, and behind the valley a plain, and from the
plain a rising ground of easy ascent. We descended the hill intending to
pass through the valley, and we saw here and there on each side pieces
of wood and stone, carved into the figures of men, and of various
beasts, birds, and fishes; and I asked the angel what they meant, and
whether they were idols? He replied, "By no means: they are
representative forms of various moral virtues and spiritual truths. The
people of that age were acquainted with the science of correspondences;
and as every man, beast, bird, and fish, corresponds to some quality,
therefore each particular carved figure represents partially some virtue
or truth, and several together represent virtue itself, or truth, in a
common extended form. These are what in Egypt were called
hieroglyphics." We proceeded through the valley, and as we entered the
plain, lo! we saw horses and chariots; horses variously harnessed and
caparisoned, and chariots of different forms; some carved in the shape
of eagles, some like whales, and some like stags with horns, and like
unicorns; and likewise beyond them some carts, and stables round about
at the sides; and as we approached, both horses and chariots
disappeared, and instead thereof we saw men (_homines_), 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 period;
for a horse, by correspondence, signifies the understanding of truth, a
chariot, its doctrine, and stables, instructions: you know that in this
world all things appear according to correspondences." But we passed by
these things, and ascended by a long acclivity, and at length saw a
city, which we entered; and in walking through the streets and places of
public resort, 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 saw also temples of precious stone of a
sapphire and lazure color. And the angel said to me, "Their houses are
of stone, because stones signify natural truths, and precious stones
spiritual truths; and all those who lived in the silver age had
intelligence grounded in spiritual truths, and thence in natural truths:
silver also has a similar signification." In taking a view of the city,
we saw here and there consorts in pairs: and as they were husbands and
wives, we expected that some of them would invite us to their houses;
and while we were in this expectation, as we were passing by, we were
invited by two into their house, and we ascended the steps and entered;
and the angel, taking upon him the part of speaker, explained to them
the occasion of our coming to this heaven; informing them that it was
for the sake of instruction concerning marriages among the ancients, "of
whom," says he, "you in this heaven are a part." They said, "We were
from a people in Asia; and the chief pursuit of our age was the truths
whereby we had intelligence. This was the occupation of our souls and
minds; but our bodily senses were engaged in representations of truths
in form; and the science of correspondences conjoined the sensual things
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 their marriages: and 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 with one wife; and as
we have studied correspondences, we have seen that the church, with its
truths and goods, cannot at all exist but with those who live in love
truly conjugial with one wife: for the marriage of good and truth
constitutes the church with man: therefore all we in this heaven say,
that the husband is truth, and the wife the good thereof; and that good
cannot love any truth but its own, neither can truth in return love any
good but its own: if any other were loved, internal marriage, which
constitutes the church, would perish, and there would remain only
external marriage, to which idolatry, and not the church, corresponds;
therefore marriage with one wife we call sacrimony; but if it should
have place with more than one among us, we should call it sacrilege." As
he said this, we were introduced into an ante-chamber, where there were
several devices on the walls, and little images as it were of molten
silver; and I inquired, "What are these?" They said, "They are pictures
and forms representative of several qualities, characters, and delights,
relating to conjugial love. These represent unity of souls, these
conjunction of minds, these harmony of bosoms, these the delights thence
arising." While we were viewing these things, we saw as it were a
rainbow on the wall, consisting of three colors, purple (or red), blue
and white; and we observed how the purple passed the blue, and tinged
the white with an azure color, and that the latter color flowed back
through the blue into the purple, and elevated the purple into a kind of
flaming lustre: and the husband said to me, "Do you understand all
this?" I replied, "Instruct me:" and he said, "The purple color, from
its correspondence, signifies the conjugial love of the wife, the white
the intelligence of the husband, the blue the beginning of conjugial
love in the husband's perception from the wife, and the azure, with
which the white was tinged, signifies conjugial love in this case in the
husband; and this latter color flowing back through the blue into the
purple, and elevating the purple into a kind of flaming lustre,
signifies the conjugial love of the husband flowing back to the wife.
Such things are represented on these walls, while from meditating on
conjugial love, its mutual, successive, and simultaneous union, we view
with eager attention the rainbows which are there painted." Hereupon I
observed, "These things are more than mystical at this day; for they are
appearances representative of the arcana of the conjugial love of one
man with one wife." He replied, "They are so; yet to us in our 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
horses; on seeing which the angel said, "That chariot is a sign for us
to take our leave;" and then, as we were descending the steps, our host
gave us a bunch of white grapes hanging to the vine leaves: and lo! the
leaves became silver; and we brought them down with us for a sign that
we had conversed with the people of the silver age.
77. THE THIRD MEMORABLE RELATION. The next day, my conducting and
attendant angel came to me and said, "Make ready, and let us go to the
heavenly inhabitants in the west, who are from the men that lived in the
third period, or in the copper age. Their dwellings are from the south
by the west towards the north; but they do not reach into the north."
Having made myself ready, I attended him, and we entered their heaven on
the southern quarter. There was a magnificent grove of palm trees and
laurels. We passed through this, and immediately on the confines of the
west we saw giants, double the size of ordinary men. They asked us, "Who
let you in through the grove?" The angel said, "The God of heaven." They
replied, "We are guards to the ancient western heaven; but pass on." We
passed on, and from a rising ground we saw a mountain rising to the
clouds, and between us and the mountain a number of villages, with
gardens, groves, and plains intermixed. We passed through the villages
and came to the mountain, which we ascended; and lo! its summit was not
a point but a plain, on which was a spacious and extensive city. All the
houses of the city were built of the wood of the pine-tree, and their
roofs consisted of joists or rafters; and I asked, "Why are the houses
here built of wood?" The angel replied, "Because wood signifies natural
good; and the men of the third age of the earth were principled in this
good; and as copper also signifies natural good, therefore the age in
which they lived the ancients named from copper. Here are also sacred
buildings constructed of the wood of the olive, and in the middle of
them is the sanctuary, where is deposited 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, ENUNCIATIONS; both mentioned by Moses, Numb. xxi.
verses 14, 15, and 27-30. This Word at this day is lost in the kingdoms
of Asia, and is only preserved in Great Tartary." Then the angel led me
to one of the sacred buildings, which we looked into, and saw in the
middle of it the sanctuary, the whole in the brightest light; and the
angel said, "This light is from that ancient Asiatic Word: for all
divine truth in the heavens gives forth light." As we were leaving the
sacred building, we were informed 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 was their business; and immediately one
of the public officers came running towards us, and took us for
examination before the judges: and on being asked whence we came, and
what was our business, we replied, "We have passed the grove of
palm-trees, and also the abodes of the giants, the guards of your
heaven, and afterwards the region of villages; from which circumstances
you may conclude, that we have not come here of ourselves, but by
direction of the God of heaven. The business on which we are come is, to
be instructed concerning your marriages, whether they are monogamical or
polygamical." and they said, "What are polygamical marriages? Are not
they adulterous?" And immediately the bench of judges deputed an
intelligent person to instruct us in his own house on this point: and
when we were come to his house, he set his wife by his side, and spoke
as follows: "We are in possession of precepts concerning marriages,
which have been handed down to us from the primeval or most ancient
people, who were principled in love truly conjugial, and thereby
excelled all others in the virtue and potency of that love while they
were in the world, and who are now in a most blessed state in their
heaven, which is in the east. We are their posterity, and they, as
fathers, have given us, their sons, rules of life, among which is the
following concerning marriages: 'Sons, if you are desirous to love God
and your neighbour, and to become wise and happy to eternity, we counsel
you to live married to one wife; if you depart from this precept, all
heavenly love will depart from you, and therewith internal wisdom; and
you will be banished.' This precept of our Fathers we have obeyed as
sons, and have perceived its truth, which is, that so far as any one
loves his conjugial partner alone, so far he becomes celestial and
internal, and that so far as any one does not love his married partner
alone, so far he becomes natural and external; and in this case he loves
only himself and the images of his own mind, and is doating and foolish.
From these considerations, all of us in this heaven live married to one
wife; and this being the case, all the borders of our heaven are guarded
against polygamists, adulterers, and whoremongers; if polygamists invade
us, they are cast out into the darkness of the north; if adulterers,
they are cast out into fires of the west; and if whoremongers, they are
cast out into the delusive lights of the south." On hearing this, I
asked, "What he meant by the darkness of the north, the fires of the
west, and the delusive lights of the south?" He answered, "The darkness
of the north is dulness of mind and ignorance of truths; the fires of
the west are the loves of evil; and the delusive lights of the south are
the falsifications of truth, which are spiritual whoredoms." After this,
he said, "Follow me to our repository of curiosities:" so we followed
him, and he shewed us the writings of the most ancient people, which
were on the tables of wood and stone, and afterwards on smooth blocks of
wood; the writings of the second age were on sheets of parchment; of
these he brought me a sheet, on which were copied the rules of the
people of the first age from their tables of stone, among which also was
the precept concerning marriages. Having seen these and other ancient
curiosities, the angel said, "It is now time for us to take our leave;"
and immediately our host went into the garden, and plucked some twigs
off a tree, and bound them into a little 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 the
bunch down with us, and descended by the eastern way, which was not
guarded; and lo! the twigs were changed into shining brass, and the
upper ends of them 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 RELATIONS. After two days the angel again
addressed me, saying, "Let us complete the period of the ages; the last
still remains, which is named from IRON. The people of this age dwell in
the north on the side of the west, in the inner parts or breadth-ways:
they are all from the old inhabitants of Asia, who were in possession of
the ancient Word, and thence derived their worship; consequently they
were 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 periods are meant by the statue seen by
Nebuchadnezzar, whose 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 of clay, Dan. ii. 32, 33." These particulars the angel related to me
in the way, which was contracted and anticipated by changes of state
induced in our minds according to the genius or disposition of the
inhabitants whom we passed; for spaces and consequent distances in the
spiritual world are appearances according to the state of their minds.
When we raised our eyes, lo! we were in a forest consisting of beeches,
chestnut-trees 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; by their nostrils they have a scent of
the sphere 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 imbibe thence nothing of doctrine, appear at a
distance like bears; and those who confirm false principles thence
derived, appear like leopards." On seeing us, they turned away, and we
proceeded. Beyond the forest there appeared thickets, and afterwards
fields of grass divided into areas, bordered with box: this was
succeeded by a declivity which led to a valley, wherein were several
cities. We passed some of them, and entered into one of a considerable
size: its streets were irregular, and so were the houses, which were
built of brick, with beams between, and plastered. In the places of
public resort were consecrated buildings of hewn lime-stone; the
under-structure of which was below the ground, and the super-structure
above. We went down into one of them by three steps, and saw on the
walls idols of various forms, and a crowd on their knees paying
adoration to them: in the middle of the building was a company, above
whom might be seen the head of the tutelary god of that city. As we went
out, the angel said to me, "Those idols, with the ancients who lived in
the silver age, as above described, were images representative of
spiritual truths and moral virtues; and when the science of
correspondence was forgotten and extinct, they first became objects of
worship, and afterwards were adored as deities: hence came idolatry."
When we were come out of the consecrated building, we made our
observations on the men and their dress. Their faces were like steel, of
a grayish color, and they were dressed like comedians, with napkins
about their loins hanging from a tunic buttoned close at the breast; and
on their heads they wore curled caps like sailors. But the angel said,
"Enough of this; let us seek some instruction concerning the marriages
of the people of this age." We then entered into the house of one of the
grandees, who wore on his head a high cap. He received us kindly, and
said, "Come in and let us converse together." We entered into the
vestibule, and there seated ourselves; and I asked him about the
marriages of his city and country. He said, "We do not here live with
one wife, but some with two or three, and some with more, because we are
delighted with variety, obedience, and honor, as marks of dignity; and
these we receive from our wives according to their number. With one wife
there would be no delight arising from variety; but disgust from
sameness: neither would there be any flattering courteousness arising
from obedience, but a troublesome disquietude from equality; neither
would there be any satisfaction arising from dominion and the honor
thence derived, but vexation from wrangling about superiority. And what
is a woman? Is she not born subject to man's will; to serve, and not to
domineer? Wherefore in this place every husband in his own house enjoys
as it were royal dignity; and as this is suited to our love, it
constitutes also the blessedness of our life." But I asked, "In such
case, what becomes of conjugial love, which from two souls makes one,
and joins minds together, and renders a man (_homo_) blessed? This love
cannot be divided; for if it be 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
contending for the honor of the first place in the husband's favor?" As
he said this, a man entered into the women's apartment and opened the
two doors; whence there issued a libidinous effluvium, which had a
stench like mire; this arose from polygamical love, which is connubial,
and at the same time adulterous; so I rose and shut the doors.
Afterwards I said, "How can you subsist upon this earth, when you are
void of any love truly conjugial, and also when you worship idols?" He
replied, "As to connubial love, we are so jealous of our wives, that we
do not suffer any one to enter further within our houses than the
vestibule; and where there is jealousy, there must also be love. In
respect to idols, we do not worship them; but we are not able to think
of the God of the universe, except by means of such forms presented to
our eyes; for we cannot elevate our thoughts above the sensual things of
the body, nor think of God above the objects of bodily vision." I then
asked him again, "Are not your idols of different forms? How then can
they excite the idea of one God?" He replied, "This is a mystery to us;
somewhat of the worship of God lies concealed in each form." I then
said, "You are merely sensual corporeal spirits; you have neither the
love of God nor the love of a married partner grounded in any spiritual
principle; and these loves together form a man (_homo_) and from sensual
make him celestial." As I said this, there appeared through the gate as
it were lightning: and on my asking 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 concerning God, that He is one, the alone
omnipotent, who is the first and the last; he also admonishes us not to
worship idols, but only to look at them as images representative of the
virtues proceeding from the one God, which also together form his
worship. This ancient one is our angel, whom we revere and obey. He
comes to us, and raises us, when we are falling into obscure worship of
God from mere fancies respecting images." On hearing this, we left the
house and went out of the city; and in the way, from what we had seen in
the heavens, we drew some conclusions respecting the circuit and the
progression of conjugial love; of the circuit that it had passed from
the east to the south, from the south to the west, and from the west to
the north; and of the 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 similar degree with the love and the worship of
God: from which considerations we further concluded, that this love in
the first age 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.
On this occasion the angel, my guide and companion, said, "Nevertheless
I entertain a hope that this love will be revived by the God of heaven,
who is the Lord, because it is capable of being so revived."
79. THE FIFTH MEMORABLE RELATION, The angel that 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 presented himself to me, and
said, "Are you desirous of seeing the age which succeeded those ancient
ones, and to know what its quality formerly was, and still is? Follow
me, and you shall see. They are those concerning whom Daniel thus
prophesied: '_A kingdom shall arise after those four in which iron shall
be mixed with miry clay: they shall mingle themselves together by the
seed of man: but they shall not cohere one with the other, as iron is
not mixed with clay_, Dan. ii. 41-43:'" and he said, "By the seed of
man, whereby iron shall be mixed with clay, and still they shall not
cohere, is meant the truth of the Word falsified." After 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 on the west, and passed though a formidable forest; for
in it there were lakes, out of which crocodiles raised their heads, and
opened at us their wide jaws beset with teeth; and between the lakes
were terrible dogs, some of which were three-headed like Cerberus, some
two-headed, all looking at us as we passed with a horrible hungry snarl
and fierce eyes. We entered the western tract of this region, and saw
dragons and leopards, such as are described in the Revelation, chap.
xii. 3; chap. xiii. 2. Then the angel said to me, "All these wild beasts
which you have seen, are not wild beasts but correspondences, and
thereby representative forms of the lusts of the inhabitants whom we
shall visit. The lusts themselves are represented by those horrible
dogs; their deceit and cunning by crocodiles; their falsities and
depraved inclinations to the things which relate to worship, by dragons
and leopards: nevertheless the inhabitants represented do not live close
behind the forest, but behind a great wilderness which lies
intermediate, that they may be fully withheld and separated from the
inhabitants of the foregoing ages, being of an entirely different genius
and quality 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 any thing of gold, nor in their
breasts any thing of silver, nor in their loins any thing of brass, no,
nor in their feet any thing of pure iron; but in their heads is iron
mixed with clay, in their breasts is each mixed with brass, in their
loins is also each mixed with silver, and in their feet is each mixed
with gold: by this inversion they are changed from men (_homines_) into
graven images of men, in which inwardly nothing coheres; for what was
highest, is made lowest, thus what was the head is become the heel, and
_vice versa_. They appear to us from heaven like stage-players, who lie
upon their elbows with the body inverted, and put themselves in a
walking motion; or like beasts, which lie on their backs, and lift the
feet upwards, and from the head, which they plunge 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 crept hydras and vipers,
and there flew forth venomous flying serpents. This whole wilderness was
on a continual declivity: we descended by a long steep descent, and at
length came into the valley inhabited by the people of that region and
age. There were here and there cottages, which appeared at length to
meet, and to be joined together in the form of a city: this we entered,
and lo! the houses were built of the scorched branches of trees,
cemented together with mud and covered with black slates. The streets
were irregular; all of them at the entrance narrow, but wider as they
extended, and at the end spacious, where there were places of public
resort: here there were as many places of public resort as there were
streets. 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 does not
appear above you?" 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; as 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 live here in their respective houses with one wife only?"
And they replied with a hissing, "What do you mean by one wife only? Why
do not you 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 dishonorable or unbecoming
to do so with more; yet out of our own houses we glory in the one among
another: thus we rejoice in the license we take, and the pleasure
attending it, more than polygamists. Why is a plurality of wives denied
us, when yet it has been granted, and at this day is granted in the
whole world about us? What is life with one woman only, but captivity
and imprisonment? We however in this place have broken the bolt of this
prison, and have rescued ourselves from slavery, and made ourselves
free, and who is angry with a prisoner for asserting his freedom when it
is in his power?" to this we replied, "You speak, friend, as if without
any sense of religion. What rational person does not know that
adulteries are profane and infernal, and that marriages are holy and
heavenly. Do not adulteries take place with devils in hell, and
marriages with angels in heaven? Did you never read the sixth
commandment [Footnote: According to the division of the commandments
adopted by the Church of England, it is the _seventh_ that is here
referred to.] of the decalogue? and in Paul, that adulterers can by no
means enter heaven?" Hereupon our host laughed heartily, and regarded me
as a simpleton, and almost as out of my senses. But just then there came
running a messenger from the chief of the city, and said, "Bring the two
strangers into the town-hall; and if they refuse to come, drag them
there: we have seen them in a shade of light; they have entered
privately; they are spies." Hereupon the angel said to me, "The reason
why we were seen in a shade, is, because the light of heaven in which we
have been, is to them a shade, and the shade of hell is to them light;
and this is because they regard nothing as sin, not even adultery: hence
they see what is false altogether as what is true; and what is false is
lucid in hell before satans, and what is true darkens their eyes like
the shade of night." We said to the messenger, "We will not be pressed,
still less will we be dragged into the town-hall; but we will go with
you of our own accord." So we went: and lo! there was a great crowd
assembled, out of which came some lawyers, and whispered to us, saying,
"Take heed to yourselves how you speak any thing against religion, the
form of our government, and good manners:" and we replied, "We will not
speak against them, but for them and from them." Then we asked, "What
are your religious notions respecting marriages?" At this the crowd
murmured, and said, "What have you to do here with marriages? Marriages
are marriages." Again we asked, "What are your religious notions
respecting whoredoms?" At this also they murmured, saying, "What have
you to do here with whoredoms? Whoredoms are whoredoms: let him that is
guiltless cast the first stone." And we asked thirdly, "Does your
religion teach that marriages are holy and heavenly, and that adulteries
are profane and infernal?" Hereupon several in the crowd laughed aloud,
jested, and bantered, saying, "Inquire of our priests, and not of us, as
to what concerns religion. We acquiesce entirely in what they declare;
because no point of religion is an object of decision in the
understanding. Have you never heard that the understanding is without
any sense or discernment in mysteries, which constitute the whole of
religion? And what have actions to do with religion? Is not the soul
made blessed by the muttering of words from a devout heart concerning
expiation, satisfaction, and imputation, and not by works?" But at this
instant there came some of the wise ones of the city, so called, and
said, "Retire hence; the crowd grows angry; a storm is gathering: let us
talk in private on this subject; there is a retired walk behind the
town-hall; come with us there." We followed them; and they asked us
whence we came, and what was our business there? And we said, "to be
instructed concerning 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
holiness? 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 of husband and wife?" To
this the wise ones, so called, made answer, "There is too much subtlety
and sublimity in what you say on this subject; you ascend far above
rational principles to spiritual: and who, beginning at such an
elevation, can descend thence, and thus form any decision?" 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 make these discoveries:
this we cannot do." We then asked them to tell us, from the altitude or
region in which the winged ideas of their minds fly, whether they knew,
or were able to know, that the love of one man with one wife is
conjugial love, into which are collected all the beatitudes,
satisfactions, delights, pleasantnesses, and pleasures of heaven; and
that this love is from the Lord according to the reception of good and
truth from him; 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 judgement, and scatter about vain
conjectures like nuts and almonds." After this they turned to us,
saying, "We will give a direct answer to your windy conjectures 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 out of
the church as with those who are in it, with Gentiles as with
Christians, yea, with the impious as with the pious? Has not every one
the strength of this love either hereditarily, or from bodily health, or
from temperance of life, or from warmth of climate? By medicines also it
may be strengthened and stimulated. Is not the case similar with the
brute creation, especially with birds which unite in pairs? Moreover, is
not this love carnal? and what has a carnal principle 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 its effect with a harlot? Is
not the lust similar, and the delight similar? Wherefore it is injurious
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 stimulus
of lasciviousness, and not from conjugial love; you are altogether
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, chap. ii. 43; for you make conjugial love and
adulterous love the same thing; and do these two cohere any more than
iron and clay? You are believed and called wise, and yet you have not
the smallest pretensions to that character." On hearing this, they were
inflamed with rage and made a loud cry, 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 flying serpents, vipers,
and hydras, and also the dragons from the wilderness, presented
themselves, and entered and filled the city; at which the inhabitants
being terrified fled away. The angel then said to me, "Into this region
new comers from the earth daily enter, and the former inhabitants are by
turns separated and cast down into the gulphs of the west, which appear
at a distance like lakes of fire and brimstone. All in those gulphs are
spiritual and natural adulterers."
80. THE SIXTH MEMORABLE RELATION. As the angel said this, I looked to
the western boundary, and lo! there appeared as it were lakes of fire
and brimstone; and I asked him, why the hells in that quarter had such
an appearance? He replied, "They appear as lakes in consequence of the
falsifications of truth; because water in the spiritual sense signifies
truth; and there is an appearance as it were of fire round about them,
and in them, in consequence of the love of evil, and as it were of
brimstone in consequence of the love of what is false. Those three
things, the lake, the fire, and the brimstone, are appearances, because
they are correspondences of the evil loves of the inhabitants. All in
that quarter are shut up in eternal work-houses, where they labor for
food, for clothing, and for a bed to lie on; and when they do evil, they
are grievously and miserably punished." I further asked the angel, why
he said that in that quarter are spiritual and natural adulterers, and
why he had not rather said, that they were evil doers and impious? He
replied, "Because all those who make light of adulteries, that is, who
commit them from a confirmed persuasion that they are not sins, and thus
are in the purpose of committing them from a belief of their being
harmless, are in their hearts evil doers and impious; for the conjugial
human principle ever goes hand in hand with religion; and every step and
movement made under the influence of religion, and leading to it, is
also a step and movement made under the influence of the conjugial
principle, and leading to it, which is peculiar and proper to the
Christian." On asking what that conjugial principle was, he said, "It is
the desire of living with one wife; and every Christian has this desire
according to his religion." I was afterwards grieved in spirit to think
that marriages, which in the most ancient times had been most holy, were
so wretchedly changed into adulteries. The angel said, "The case is the
same at this 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_,' 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
falses; and the consummation of the age, concerning which those things
are spoken, signifies the last time or end of the church. The end is
now, because there does not remain a truth which is not falsified; and
the falsification of truth is spiritual whoredom, which acts in unity
with natural whoredom, because they cohere."
81. As we were conversing and lamenting together on this occasion, there
suddenly appeared a beam of light, which, darting powerfully upon my
eyes, caused me to look up: and lo! the whole heaven above us appeared
luminous; and from the east to the west in an extended series we heard a
GLORIFICATION: and the angel said to me, "That is a glorification of the
Lord on account of his coming, and is made by the angels of the eastern
and western heavens." From the northern and southern heavens nothing was
heard but a soft and pleasing 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 essential divine truth
therein; and he said, "Now in particular they glorify and celebrate the
Lord by these words, which were spoken by Daniel the prophet, '_Thou
sawest iron mixed with miry clay; they shall mingle themselves together
by the seed of man; but they shall not cohere. Nevertheless in those
days the God of the heavens shall cause a kingdom to arise, which shall
not perish for ages. It shall bruise and consume those kingdoms; but
itself shall stand for ages_.' Dan. ii. 43, 44." After this, I heard as
it were the voice of singing, and further in the east I saw a glittering
of light more resplendent than the former; and I asked the angel what
was the subject of their glorification? He said, "These words in Daniel;
'_I saw in the visions of the night, and lo! with the clouds of heaven
there came as it were the SON OF MAN: and to him was given dominion and
a kingdom; and all people 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_,' Dan. vii. 13, 14. They are further celebrating
the Lord from these words in the Revelation: '_To JESUS CHRIST be glory
and strength: behold he cometh with clouds. He is alpha and omega, the
beginning and the end, the first and the last; who is, who was, and who
is to come, the almighty. I, John, heard this from the SON OF MAN, out
of the midst of the seven candlesticks_,' Rev. i. 5-7, 10-13; chap.
xxii. 13; Matt. xxiv. 30, 31." I looked again into the eastern heaven:
it was enlightened on the right side, and the light entered the southern
expanse. I heard a sweet sound; and I asked the angel, what was the
subject of their glorification in that quarter respecting the Lord? He
said, "These words in the Revelation: '_I 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 spake with
me, and said, Come, I will shew thee the BRIDE, THE LAMB'S WIFE: and he
carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed
me the holy city, Jerusalem_,' Rev. xxi. 1, 2, 9, 10: also these words,
'I JESUS _am the bright and morning star; and the spirit and the bride
say, COME; AND HE SAID, EVEN I COME QUICKLY; Amen: even COME, LORD
JESUS_,' Rev. xxii. 16, 17, 20." After these and several other subjects
of glorification, there was heard a common 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 I, JEHOVAH, AM THY SAVIOUR AND THY
REDEEMER_,' Isaiah xlix. 26. '_Thus saith JEHOVAH, the King of Israel,
and HIS REDEEMER, JEHOVAH ZEBAOTH, I am the first and the last, and
BESIDE 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, 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. 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_,' Jeremiah xxiii. 5, 6; chap,
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 THERE SHALL BE ONE JEHOVAH, AND HIS 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 a state
of the spirit into a state of the body; in which latter state I
committed to writing what I had seen and heard: to which I now add the
following particular. That conjugial love, such as it was with the
ancients, will be revived again by the Lord after his coming; because
this love is from the Lord alone, and is the portion of those who from
him, by means of the Word, are made spiritual.
82. After this, a man from the northern quarter came running in great
haste, and looked at me with a threatening countenance, and addressing
me in a passionate tone of voice, said, "Are you the man that wishes to
seduce the world, under the notion of re-establishing a new church,
which you understand by the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from
God; and teaching, that the Lord will endow with love truly conjugial
those who embrace the doctrines of that church; the delights and
felicity of which love you exalt to the very heaven? Is not this a mere
fiction? and do you not hold it forth as a bait and enticement to accede
to your new opinions? But tell me briefly, what are the doctrinals of
the New Church, and I will see whether they agree or disagree." I
replied, "The doctrines of the church, which is meant by the New
Jerusalem, are as follow: I. That there is one God, in whom there is a
divine trinity; and that he is the LORD JESUS CHRIST. II. That a saving
faith is to believe on him. III. That evils are to be shunned, because
they are of the devil and from the devil. IV. That goods are to be done,
because they are of God and from God. V. That these are to be done by a
man as from himself; but that it ought to be believed, that they are
done from the Lord with him and by him." On hearing these doctrines, his
fury for some moments abated; but after some deliberation he again
looked at me sternly, and said, "Are these five precepts the doctrines
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 individual?
Is not there a trinity? If God be one and individual, is not he one
person? If he be one person, is not the trinity in that person? That
this God is the LORD JESUS CHRIST, is evident from these considerations,
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 saith, that the
Father and himself are one, John x. 30; that he is in the Father, and
the Father in him, John xix. 10, 11; that he that seeth him and knoweth
him, seeth and knoweth the Father, John xiv. 7, 9; that no one seeth and
knoweth the Father, except he that is in the bosom of the Father, John
i. 18; that all things of the Father are his, John iii. 35; chap. xvi.
15; that he is the Way, the Truth, and the Life; and that no one cometh
to the Father but by him, John xiv. 6; thus of or from him, because the
Father is in him; and, according to Paul, that all the fulness 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 God of heaven and earth." He afterwards asked how I
proved the SECOND, "that a saving faith is to believe on him?" I said,
"By these words of the Lord, 'This is the will of the Father, that every
one that BELIEVETH ON THE SON should have eternal life, John vi. 40.'
'God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that every
one that BELIEVETH ON HIM should not perish, but should have eternal
life,' John iii. 15, 16. 'HE THAT BELIEVETH ON THE SON, hath eternal
life; but he that believeth not the Son will not see life; but the wrath
of God abideth on him,' John iii. 36." He afterwards said, "Demonstrate
also the THIRD, and the next two doctrines:" 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 from God;' also 'that the latter are to be
done by a man as from himself; but that he ought to believe that they
are from the Lord with him and by him?' That these three doctrines are
true, is confirmed by the whole Sacred Scripture from beginning to end;
for what else is therein principally insisted on, but to shun evils and
do goods, and believe on the Lord God? Moreover, without these three
doctrines there can be no religion: for does not religion relate to
life? and what is life but to shun evils and do goods? and how can a man
do the latter and shun the former but as from himself? Therefore if you
remove these doctrines from the church, you remove from it the Sacred
Scripture, and also religion; and these being removed, the church is no
longer a church." The man on hearing this retired, and mused on what he
had heard; but still he departed in indignation.
* * * * *
ON THE ORIGIN OF CONJUGIAL LOVE AS GROUNDED IN THE MARRIAGE OF GOOD AND
TRUTH.
83. There are both internal and external origins of conjugial love, and
several of each; 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 heretofore
has deduced the origin of that love from this ground, is, because it has
never yet been discovered that there is any union between good and
truth; and the reason why this discovery has not been made, is, because
good does not appear in the light of the understanding, as truth does,
and hence the knowledge of it conceals itself and evades every inquiry:
and as from this circumstance good is as it were unknown, it was
impossible for any one to conjecture that any marriage subsisted between
it and truth: yea, before the rational natural sight, good appears so
different from truth, that no conjunction between them can be supposed.
That this is the case, may be seen from common discourse 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; therefore at this day it is believed by many, that truth is
one thing and good another; and by many also, that a man is intelligent
and wise, and thereby a man (_homo_), according to the truths which he
thinks, speaks, writes, and believes, and not at the same time according
to goods. That nevertheless there is no good without truth, nor any
truth without good, consequently that there is an eternal marriage
between them; also that this marriage is the origin of conjugial love,
shall now be shewn and explained in the following order: I. _Good and
truth are the universals of creation, and thence are in all created
things; but they are in created subjects according to the form of each._
II. _There is neither solitary good nor solitary truth, but in all cases
they are conjoined._ III. _There is the truth of good, and from this the
good of truth; or truth grounded in good, and good grounded in that
truth: and in those two principles is implanted from creation an
inclination to join themselves together into a one._ IV. _In the
subjects of the animal kingdom, the truth of good, or truth grounded in
good, is male (or masculine); and the good of that truth, or good
grounded in that truth, is female (or feminine)._ V. _From the influx of
the marriage of good and truth from the Lord, the love of the sex and
conjugial love are derived._ VI. _The love of the sex 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 the
love of the sex as a gem in its matrix._ IX. _The love of the sex with
man is not the origin of conjugial love, but its first rudiment; thus it
is like an external natural principle, in which an internal spiritual
principle is implanted._ X. _During the implantation of conjugial love,
the love of the sex inverts itself and becomes the chaste love of the
sex._ XI. _The male and the female were created to be the essential form
of the marriage of good and truth._ XII. _They are that form in their
inmost principles, and thence in what is derived from those principles,
in proportion as the interiors of their minds are opened._ We will now
proceed to the explanation.
84. I. GOOD AND TRUTH ARE THE UNIVERSALS OF CREATION, AND THENCE ARE IN
ALL CREATED THINGS; BUT THEY ARE IN CREATED SUBJECTS ACCORDING TO THE
FORM OF EACH. The reason why good and truth are the universals of
creation, is, because these two are in the Lord God the Creator; yea,
they are himself; for he is essential divine good and essential divine
truth. But this enters more clearly into the perception of the
understanding, and thereby into the ideas of thought, if instead of good
we say love, and instead of truth we say 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 essential love and essential
wisdom; for those two are the same as good and truth. The reason of this
is, because good has relation to love, and truth to wisdom; for love
consists of goods, and wisdom truths. As the two latter and the two
former are one and the same, in the following pages we shall sometimes
speak of the latter and sometimes of the former, while by both the same
is understood. This preliminary 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 essential love and
essential wisdom, and from him was created the universe, which thence is
as a work proceeding from him, it must needs be, that in all created
things there is somewhat of good and of truth from him; for whatever is
done and proceeds from any one, derives from him a certain similarity to
him. That this is the case, reason also may see from the order in which
all things in the universe were created; which order is, that one exists
for the sake of another, and that thence one depends upon another, like
the links of a chain: for all things are for the sake of the human race,
that from it the angelic heaven may exist, through which creation
returns to the Creator himself, in whom it originated: hence there is a
conjunction of the created universe with its Creator, and by conjunction
everlasting conservation. Hence it is that good and truth are called the
universals of creation. That this is the case, is manifested to every
one who takes a rational view of the subject: 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 created subjects are according to
the form of each, is, because every subject receives influx according to
its form. The conservation of the whole consists in the perpetual influx
of divine good and divine truth into forms created from those
principles; for thereby subsistence or conservation is perpetual
existence or creation. That every subject receives influx according to
its form, may be illustrated variously; as by the influx of heat and
light from the sun into vegetables of every kind; each of which receives
influx according to its form; thus every tree and shrub according to its
form, every herb and every blade of grass according to its form: the
influx is alike into all; but the reception, which is according to the
form, causes every species to continue a peculiar 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 every particular 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 a sound from being
blown alike, or from a like influx of air, according to their respective
forms.
87. II. THERE IS NEITHER SOLITARY GOOD NOR SOLITARY TRUTH. BUT IN ALL
CASES THEY ARE CONJOINED. Whoever is desirous from any of the senses to
acquire an idea respecting good, cannot possibly find it without the
addition of something which exhibits and manifests it: good without this
is a nameless entity; and this something, by which it is exhibited and
manifested, has relation to truth. Pronounce the term _good_ only, and
say nothing at the same time of this or that thing with which it is
conjoined; or define it abstractedly, or without the addition of
anything connected with it; and you will see that it is a mere nothing,
and that it becomes something with its addition; and if you examine the
subject with discernment, you will perceive that good, without some
addition, is a term of no predication, and thence of no relation, of no
affection, and of no state; in a word, of no quality. The case is
similar in regard to truth, if it be pronounced and heard without what
it is joined with: that what it is joined with relates to good, may be
seen by refined 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, according to its progression and quality, varies its
name, it is difficult for any but the wise to see the relation of good
and truth to their objects, and their conjunction in them. That
nevertheless there is not any good without truth, nor any truth without
good, is manifest from common perception, provided it be first
acknowledged that every thing in the universe has relation to good and
truth; as was shewn in the foregoing article, n. 84, 85. That there is
neither solitary good nor solitary truth, may be illustrated and at the
same time confirmed by various considerations; as by the following: that
there is no essence without a form, nor any form without an essence; for
good is an essence or _esse_; and truth is that by which the essence is
formed and the _esse_ exists. Again in a man (_homo_) there are the will
and the understanding. Good is of the will, and truth is of the
understanding; and the will alone does nothing but by the understanding;
nor does the understanding alone do anything but from the will. Again,
in a man there are two fountains of bodily life, the heart and the
lungs. The heart cannot produce any sensitive and moving life without
the respiring 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 between them. The case is similar in all the
things of the mind and of the body belonging to him; but we have not
leisure to produce further confirmations in this place; therefore the
reader is referred to the ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING THE DIVINE
PROVIDENCE, n. 3-16, where this subject is more fully confirmed and
explained in the following order: I. That the universe with all its
created subjects, is from the divine love by the divine wisdom; or, what
is the same thing, from the divine good by the divine truth. II. That
the divine good and the divine truth proceed as a one from the Lord.
III. That this one, in a certain image, is in every created thing. V.
That good is not good, only so far as it is united with truth; and that
truth is not truth, only so far as it is united with good. VII. That the
Lord doesn't suffer that any thing 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 falsehood: not to mention several other considerations.
88. III. THERE IS THE TRUTH OF GOOD, AND FROM THIS THE GOOD OF TRUTH; OR
TRUTH GROUNDED IN GOOD, AND GOOD GROUNDED IN THAT TRUTH; AND IN THOSE
TWO PRINCIPLES IS IMPLANTED FROM CREATION AN INCLINATION TO JOIN
THEMSELVES TOGETHER INTO A ONE. It is necessary that some distinct idea
be acquired concerning these principles; because on such idea depends
all knowledge respecting the essential origin of conjugial love: for, as
will be seen presently, the truth of good, or truth grounded on good, is
male (or masculine), and the good of truth, or good grounded in that
truth, is female (or feminine): but this may be comprehended more
distinctly, if instead of good we speak of love, and instead of truth we
speak of wisdom; which are one and the same, as may be seen above, n.
84. Wisdom cannot exist with a man but by means of the love of growing
wise; if this love be taken away, it is altogether impossible for him to
become wise. Wisdom derived from this love is meant by the truth of
good, or by truth grounded in good: but when a man has procured to
himself wisdom from that love, and loves it in himself, or himself for
its sake, he then forms a love which is the love of wisdom, and is meant
by the good of truth, or by good grounded in that truth. There are
therefore two loves belonging to a man, whereof one, which is prior, is
the love of growing wise; and the other, which is posterior, is the love
of wisdom: but this latter love if it remains with man, is an evil love,
and is called self-conceit, or the love of his own intelligence. That it
was provided from creation, that this love should be taken out of the
man, lest it should destroy him, and should be transferred to the woman,
for the effecting of conjugial love, which restores man to integrity,
will be confirmed in the following pages. Something respecting those two
loves, and the transfer of the latter to the woman, may be seen above,
n. 32, 33, and in the preliminary MEMORABLE RELATION, n. 20. If
therefore instead of love is understood good, and instead of wisdom
truth, it is evident, from what has been already said, that there exists
the truth of good, or truth grounded in good, and from this the good of
truth, or good grounded in that truth.
89. The reason why in these two principles there is implanted from
creation an inclination to join themselves together into a one, is
because the one was formed from the other; wisdom being formed from the
love of growing wise, or truth being formed 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 re-unite themselves, and to join themselves together into
a one. This effect takes place with men 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 love truly conjugial. 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 SUBJECT OF THE ANIMAL KINGDOM THE TRUTH OF GOOD, OR TRUTH
GROUNDED IN GOOD, IS MALE (OR MASCULINE); AND THE GOOD OF THAT TRUTH, OR
GOOD GROUNDED IN THAT TRUTH, IS FEMALE (OR FEMININE). That from the
Lord, the Creator and Supporter of the universe, there flows a perpetual
union of love and wisdom, or a marriage of good and truth, and that
created subjects receive the influx, each according to its form, was
shewn above, n. 84-86: but that the male from this marriage, or from
that union, receives the truth of wisdom, and that the good of love from
the Lord is conjoined thereto according to reception, and that this
reception takes place in the intellect, and that hence the male is born
to become intellectual, reason, by its own light, may discover from
various particulars respecting him, especially from his affection,
application, manners, and form. It is discoverable from his AFFECTION,
which is the affection of knowing, of understanding, and of growing
wise; the affection of knowing takes place in childhood, the affection
of understanding in youth and in the entrance upon manhood, and the
affection of growing wise takes place from the entrance upon manhood
even to old age; from which it is evident, that his nature or peculiar
temper is inclinable to form the intellect; consequently that he is born
to become intellectual: but as this cannot be effected except by means
of love, therefore the Lord adjoins love to him according to his
reception; that is, according to his intention in desiring to grow wise.
The same is discoverable from his APPLICATION, which is to such things
as respect the intellect, or in which the intellect is predominant;
several of which relate to public offices and regard the public good.
The same is discoverable too from his MANNERS, which are all grounded in
the intellect as a ruling principle; in consequence whereof the actions
of his life, which are meant by manners, are rational; and if not, still
he is desirous they should appear so; masculine rationality is also
discernible in every one of his virtues. Lastly, the same is
discoverable from his FORM, which is different and totally distinct from
the female form; on which subject see also what was said above, n. 33.
Add to this, that the principle of prolification is in him, which is
derived from the intellect alone; for it is from truth grounded in good
in the intellect: that the principle of prolification is from this
source may be seen in the following pages.
91. But that the female is born to be a subject of the will (_ut sit
voluntaria_), yet a subject of the will as grounded in the intellectual
principle of the man, or what is the same, to be the love of the man's
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