PRELIMINARY RELATIONS RESPECTING THE JOYS OF HEAVEN AND NUPTIALS THERE,
n. 1-26.
ON MARRIAGES IN HEAVEN, n. 27-41.
A man lives a man after death, n. 28-31. In this case a male is a male,
and a female a female, n. 32, 33. Every one's peculiar love remains with
him after death, n. 34-36. The love of the sex especially remains; and
with those who go to heaven, which is the case with all who become
spiritual here on earth, conjugial love remains, n. 37, 38. These things
fully confirmed by ocular demonstration, n. 39. Consequently there are
marriages in heaven, n. 40. Spiritual nuptials are to be understood by
the Lord's words, "After the resurrection they are not given in
marriage," n. 41.
ON THE STATE OF MARRIED PARTNERS AFTER DEATH, n. 45-54.
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
thought in the world, n. 46, 47. Conjugial love in like manner remains
such as it has been anteriorly; that is, such as it had been in the
man's interior will and thought in the world, n. 48. 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, n. 47*. 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, n.
48*. 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,
n. 49. In this case there is given to the man a suitable wife, and to
the woman a suitable husband, n. 50. 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, n.
51, 52. This is the case with those who go to heaven; but it is
otherwise with those who go to hell, n. 53, 54.
ON LOVE TRULY CONJUGIAL, n. 57-73.
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, n. 58,
59. This love originates in the marriage of good and truth, n. 60, 61.
There is a correspondence of this love with the marriage of the Lord and
the church, n. 62, 63. 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,
n. 64. It is also the foundation love of all celestial and spiritual
loves, and thence of all natural loves, n. 65-67. Into this love are
collected all joys and delights from first to last, n. 68, 69. 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, n. 70-72. This love was the love of loves with the ancients, who
lived in the golden, silver, and copper ages, n. 73.
ON THE ORIGIN OF CONJUGIAL LOVE AS GROUNDED IN THE MARRIAGE OF GOOD AND
TRUTH n. 83-102.
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, n. 84-86. There is neither solitary good nor solitary truth;
but in all cases they are conjoined, n. 87. 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, n. 88,
89. 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), n. 90, 91. From
the influx of the marriage of good and truth from the Lord, the love of
the sex and conjugial love are derived, n. 92, 93. The love of the sex
belongs to the external or natural man; and hence it is common to every
animal, n. 94. But conjugial love belongs to the internal or spiritual
man; and hence this love is peculiar to man, n. 95, 96. With man
conjugial love is in the love of the sex as a gem in its matrix, n. 97.
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, n. 98. During the
implantation of conjugial love, the love of the sex inverts itself, and
becomes the chaste love of the sex, n. 99. The male and the female were
created to be the essential form of the marriage of good and truth, n.
100. Married partners 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, n. 101, 102.
ON THE MARRIAGE OF THE LORD AND THE CHURCH, AND ITS CORRESPONDENCE, n.
116-131.
The Lord in the Word is called the Bridegroom and Husband, and the
church the bride and wife; and the conjunction of the Lord with the
church, and the reciprocal conjunction of the church with the Lord, is
called a marriage, n. 117. The Lord is also called a Father, and the
church, a mother, n. 118, 119. The offspring derived from the Lord as a
husband and father, and from the church as a wife and mother, are all
spiritual; and in the spiritual sense of the Word are understood by sons
and daughters, brothers and sisters, sons-in-law and daughters-in-law,
and by other names of relations, n. 120. The spiritual offspring which
are born from the Lord's marriage with the church, are truths and goods;
truths, from which are derived understanding, perception, and all
thought; and goods, from which are derived love, charity, and all
affection, n. 121. From the marriage of good and truth, which proceeds
from the Lord in the way of influx, man receives truth, and the Lord
conjoins good thereto; and thus the church is formed by the Lord with
man, n. 122-124. The husband does not represent the Lord, and the wife
the church; because both together, the husband and the wife, constitute
the church, n. 125. Therefore there is not a correspondence of the
husband with the Lord, and of the wife with the church, in the marriages
of the angels in the heavens, and of men on earth, n. 126. But there is
a correspondence with conjugial love, semination, prolification, the
love of infants, and similar things which exist in marriages and are
derived from them, n. 127. The Word is the medium of conjunction,
because it is from the Lord, and thereby is the Lord, n. 128. The church
is from the Lord, and exists with those who come to him and live
according to his precepts, n. 129. Conjugial love is according to the
state of the church, because it is according to the state of wisdom with
man, n. 130. And as the church is from the Lord, conjugial love is also
from him, n. 131.
ON THE CHASTE PRINCIPLE AND THE NON-CHASTE, n. 138-156.
The chaste principle and the non-chaste are predicated only of marriages
and of such things as relate to marriages, n. 139, 140. The chaste
principle is predicated only of monogamical marriages, or of the
marriage of one man with one wife, n. 141. The Christian conjugial
principle alone is chaste, n. 142. Love truly conjugial is essential
chastity, n. 143. All the delights of love truly conjugial, even the
ultimate, are chaste, n. 144. With those who are made spiritual by the
Lord, conjugial love is more and more purified and rendered chaste, n.
145, 146. The chastity of marriage exists by a total renunciation of
whoredoms from a principle of religion, n. 147-149. Chastity cannot be
predicated of infants, or of boys and girls, or of young men and maidens
before they feel in themselves a love of the sex, n. 150. Chastity
cannot be predicated of eunuchs so made, n. 151. Chastity cannot be
predicated of those who do not believe adulteries to be evils in regard
to religion; and still less of those who do not believe them to be
hurtful to society, n. 152. Chastity cannot be predicated of those who
abstain from adulteries only for various external reasons, n. 153.
Chastity cannot be predicated of those who believe marriages to be
unchaste, n. 154. Chastity cannot be predicated of those who have
renounced marriage by vows of perpetual celibacy, unless there be and
remain in them the love of a life truly conjugial, n. 155. A state of
marriage is to be preferred to a state of celibacy, n. 156.
ON THE CONJUNCTION OF SOULS AND MINDS BY MARRIAGE, WHICH IS MEANT BY THE
LORD'S WORDS,--THEY ARE NO LONGER TWO BUT ONE FLESH, n. 156*-181.
From creation there is implanted in each sex a faculty and inclination,
whereby they are able and willing to be joined together as it were into
a one, n. 157. Conjugial love conjoins two souls, and thence two minds,
into a one, n. 158. The will of the wife conjoins itself with the
understanding of the man, and thence the understanding of the man with
the will of the wife, n. 159. The inclination to unite the man to
herself is constant and perpetual with the wife, but inconstant and
alternate with the man, n. 160. Conjunction is inspired into the man
from the wife according to her love, and is received by the man
according to his wisdom, n. 161. This conjunction is effected
successively from the first days of marriage; and with those who are
principled in love truly conjugial, it is effected more and more
thoroughly to eternity, n. 162. The conjunction of the wife with the
rational wisdom of the husband is effected from within, but with his
moral wisdom from without, n. 163-165. For the sake of this conjunction
as an end, the wife has a perception of the affections of her husband,
and also the utmost prudence in moderating them, n. 166. Wives conceal
this perception with themselves, and hide it from their husbands for
reasons of necessity, in order that conjugial love, friendship, and
confidence, and thereby the blessedness of dwelling together, and the
happiness of life may be secured, n. 167. This perception is the wisdom
of the wife, and is not communicable to the man; neither is the rational
wisdom of the man communicable to the wife, n. 168. The wife from a
principle of love is continually thinking about the man's inclination to
her, with the purpose of joining him to herself; it is otherwise with
the man, n. 169. The wife conjoins herself to the man by applications to
the desires of his will, n. 170. The wife is conjoined to her husband by
the sphere of her life flowing from the love of him, n. 171. The wife is
conjoined to the husband by the appropriation of the powers of his
virtue; which however is effected according to their mutual spiritual
love, n. 172. Thus the wife receives in herself the image of her
husband, and thence perceives, sees, and is sensible of his affections,
n. 173. There are duties proper to the husband, and others proper to the
wife; and the wife cannot enter into the duties proper to the husband,
nor the husband into the duties proper to the wife, so as to perform
them aright, n. 174, 175. These duties also, according to mutual aid,
conjoin the two into a one, and at the same time constitute one house,
n. 176. Married partners, according to these conjunctions, become one
man more and more, n. 177. Those who are principled in love truly
conjugial, are sensible of their being a united man, as it were one
flesh, n. 178. Love truly conjugial, considered in itself, is a union of
souls, a conjunction of minds, and an endeavour towards conjunction in
the bosoms, and thence in the body, n. 179. The states of this love are
innocence, peace, tranquillity, inmost friendship, full confidence, and
a mutual desire of mind and heart to do every good to each other; and
the states derived from these are blessedness, satisfaction, delight,
and pleasure; and from the eternal enjoyment of these is derived
heavenly felicity, n. 180. These things can only exist in the marriage
of one man with one wife, n. 181.
ON THE CHANGE OF THE STATE OF LIFE WHICH TAKES PLACE WITH MEN AND WOMEN
BY MARRIAGE, n. 184-206
The state of a man's life, from infancy even to the end of his life, and
afterwards to eternity, is continually changing, n. 185. In like manner
a man's internal form, which is that of his spirit, is continually
changing n. 186. These changes differ in the case of men and of women;
since men from creation are forms of knowledge, intelligence, and
wisdom, and women are forms of the love of those principles as existing
with men, n. 187. With men there is an elevation of the mind into
superior light, and with women an elevation of the mind into superior
heat; and the woman is made sensible of the delights of her heat in the
man's light, n. 188, 189. With both men and women, the states of life
before marriage are different from what they are afterwards, n. 190.
With married partners the states of life after marriage are changed, and
succeed each other according to the conjunctions of their minds by
conjugial love, n. 191. Marriage also induces other forms in the souls
and minds of married partners, n. 192. The woman is actually formed into
a wife, according to the description in the book of creation, n. 193.
This formation is effected on the part of the wife by secret means: and
this is meant by the woman's being created while the man slept, n. 194.
This formation on the part of the wife, is effected by the conjunction
of her own will with the internal will of the man, n. 195. The end
herein is, that the will of both may become one, and that thus both may
become one man, n. 196. This formation (on the part of the wife) is
effected by an appropriation of the affections of the husband, n. 197.
This formation (on the part of the wife) is effected by a reception of
the propagations of the soul of the husband, with the delight arising
from her desire to be the love of her husband's wisdom, n. 198. Thus a
maiden is formed into a wife, and a youth into a husband, n. 199. In the
marriage of one man with one wife, between whom there exists love truly
conjugial, the wife becomes more and more a wife, and the husband more
and more a husband, n. 200. Thus also their forms are successively
perfected and ennobled from within, n. 201. Children born of parents who
are principled in love truly conjugial, derive from them the conjugial
principle of good and truth, whence they have an inclination and
faculty, if sons, to perceive the things relating to wisdom; and if
daughters, to love those things which wisdom teaches, n. 202-205. The
reason of this is, because the soul of the offspring is from the father,
and its clothing from the mother, n. 206.
UNIVERSALS RESPECTING MARRIAGES, n. 209-230.
The sense proper to conjugial love is the sense of touch, n. 210. With
those who are in love truly conjugial, the faculty of growing wise
increases; but with those who are not, it decreases, n. 211, 212. With
those who are in love truly conjugial, the happiness of dwelling
together increases; but with those who are not, it decreases, n. 213.
With those who are in love truly conjugial, conjunction of minds
increases, and therewith friendship; but with those who are not, they
both decrease, n. 214. Those who are in love truly conjugial,
continually desire to be one man; but those who are not in conjugial
love, desire to be two, n. 215. Those who are in love truly conjugial,
in marriage have respect to what is eternal; but with those who are not,
the case is reversed, n. 216. Conjugial love resides with chaste wives;
but still their love depends on the husbands, n. 216*. Wives love the
bonds of marriage, if the men do, n. 217. The intelligence of women is
in itself modest, elegant, pacific, yielding, soft, tender; but the
intelligence of men is in itself grave, harsh, hard, daring, fond of
licentiousness, n. 218. Wives are in no excitation as men are; but they
have a state of preparation for reception, n. 219. Men have abundant
store according to the love of propagating the truths of wisdom, and to
the love of doing uses, n. 220. Determination is in the good pleasure of
the husband, n. 221. The conjugial sphere flows from the Lord through
heaven into everything in the universe, even to its ultimates, n. 222.
This sphere is received by the female sex, and through that is
transferred to the male sex, n. 223. Where there is love truly
conjugial, this sphere is received by the wife, and only through her by
the husband, n. 224. Where there is love not conjugial, this sphere is
received indeed by the wife, but not by the husband through her, n. 225.
Love truly conjugial may exist with one of the married partners, and not
at the same time with the other, n. 226. There are various similitudes
and dissimilitudes, both internal and external, with married partners,
n. 227. Various similitudes can be conjoined, but not with
dissimilitudes, n. 228. The Lord provides similitudes for those who
desire love truly conjugial, and if not on earth he yet provides them in
heaven, n. 229. A man, according to the deficiency and loss of conjugial
love, approaches to the nature of a beast, n. 230.
ON THE CAUSES OF COLDNESS, SEPARATION, AND DIVORCE IN MARRIAGES, n.
234-260.
There are spiritual heat and spiritual cold; and spiritual heat is love,
and spiritual cold is the privation thereof, n. 235. Spiritual cold in
marriages is a disunion of souls and a disjunction of minds, whence come
indifference, discord, contempt, disdain, and aversion; from which, in
several cases, at length comes separation as to bed, chamber, and house,
n. 236. There are several successive causes of cold, some internal, some
external, and some accidental, n. 237. Internal causes of cold are from
religion, n. 238, 239. Of internal causes of cold the first is the
rejection of religion by each of the parties, n. 240. Of internal causes
of cold the second is that one of the parties has religion and not the
other, n. 241. Of internal causes of cold the third is, that one of the
parties is of one religion and the other of another, n. 242. Of internal
causes of cold the fourth is, the falsity of the religion, n. 243. With
many, the above-mentioned are causes of internal cold, but not at the
same time of external, n. 244, 245. There are also several external
causes of cold, the first of which is dissimilitude of minds and manner,
n. 246. Of external causes of cold the second is, that conjugial love is
believed to be the same as adulterous love, only that the latter is not
allowed by law, but the former is, n. 247. Of external causes of cold
the third is, a striving for preeminence between married partners, n.
248. Of external causes of cold the fourth is, a want of determination
to any employment or business, whence comes wandering passion, n. 249.
Of external causes of cold the fifth is, inequality of external rank and
condition, n. 250. There are also causes of separation, n. 251. The
first cause of legitimate separation is a vitiated state of mind, n.
252. The second cause of legitimate separation is a vitiated state of
body, n. 253. The third cause of legitimate separation is impotence
before marriage, n. 254. Adultery is the cause of divorce, n. 255. There
are also several accidental causes of cold; the first of which is, that
enjoyment is common (or cheap), because continually allowed, n. 256. Of
accidental causes of cold the second is, that living with a married
partner, from a covenant and contract, seems forced and not free, n.
257. Of accidental causes of cold the third is, affirmation on the part
of the wife, and her talking incessantly about love, n. 258. Of
accidental causes of cold the fourth is, the man's continually thinking
that his wife is willing, and on the other hand, the wife's thinking
that the man is not willing, n. 259. As cold is in the mind, it is also
in the body; and according to the increase of that cold, the externals
also of the body are closed, n. 260.
ON THE CAUSES OF APPARENT LOVE, FRIENDSHIP, AND FAVOR IN MARRIAGES, n.
271-292.
In the natural world almost all are capable of being joined together as
to external, but not as to internal affections, if these disagree and
are apparent, n. 272. In the spiritual world all are conjoined according
to internal, but not according to external affections, unless these act
in unity with the internal, n. 273. It is the external affections,
according to which matrimony is generally contracted in the world, n.
274. But in case they are not influenced by internal affections which
conjoin minds, the bonds of matrimony are loosed in the house, n. 275.
Nevertheless those bonds must continue in the world till the decease of
one of the parties, n. 276. In cases of matrimony, in which the internal
affections do not conjoin, there are external affections, which assume a
semblance of the internal, and tend to consociate, n. 277. Thence come
apparent love, friendship, and favor between married partners, n. 278.
These appearances are assumed conjugial semblances, and they are
commendable, because useful and necessary, n. 279. These assumed
conjugial semblances, in the case of a spiritual man conjoined to a
natural, are founded in justice and judgement, n. 280. For various
reasons, these assumed conjugial semblances with natural men are founded
in prudence, n. 281. They are for the sake of amendment and
accommodation, n. 282. They are for the sake of preserving order in
domestic affairs, and for the sake of mutual aid, n. 283. They are for
the sake of unanimity in the care of infants and the education of
children, n. 284. They are for the sake of peace in the house, n. 285.
They are for the sake of reputation out of the house, n. 286. They are
for the sake of various favors expected from the married partner, or
from his or her relations, and thus from the fear of losing such favors,
n. 287. They are for the sake of having blemishes excused, and thereby
of avoiding disgrace, n. 288. They are for the sake of reconciliations,
n. 289. In case favor does not cease with the wife, when faculty ceases
with the man, there may exist a friendship resembling conjugial
friendship when the parties grow old, n. 290. There are various species
of apparent love and friendship between married partners, one of whom is
brought under the yoke, and therefore is subject to the other, n. 291.
In the world there are infernal marriages between persons who interiorly
are the most inveterate enemies, and exteriorly are as the closest
friends, n. 292.
ON BETROTHINGS AND NUPTIALS, n. 295-314.
The right of choice belongs to the man, and not to the woman, n. 296.
The man ought to court and intreat the woman respecting marriage with
him, and not the woman the man, n. 297. The woman ought to consult her
parents, or those who are in the place of parents, and then deliberate
with herself before she consents, n. 298, 299. After a declaration of
consent, pledges are to be given, n. 300. Consent is to be secured and
established by solemn betrothing, n. 301. By betrothing, each party is
prepared for conjugial love, n. 302. By betrothing, the mind of the one
is united to the mind of the other, so as to effect a marriage of the
spirit previous to a marriage of the body, n. 303. This is the case with
those who think chastely of marriages; but it is otherwise with those
who think unchastely of them, n. 304. Within the time of betrothing it
is not allowable to be connected corporeally, n. 305. When the time of
betrothing is completed, the nuptials ought to take place, n. 306.
Previous to the celebration of the nuptials, the conjugial covenant is
to be ratified in the presence of witnesses, n. 307. Marriage is to be
consecrated by a priest, n. 308. The nuptials are to be celebrated with
festivity, n. 309. After the nuptials, the marriage of the spirit is
made also the marriage of the body, and thereby a full marriage, n. 310.
Such is the order of conjugial love with its modes, from its first heat
to its first torch, n. 311. Conjugial love precipitated without order
and the modes thereof, burns up the marrows, and is consumed, n. 312.
The states of the minds of each of the parties proceeding in successive
order, flow into the state of marriage; nevertheless in one manner with
the spiritual and in another with the natural, n. 313. There are
successive and simultaneous order, and the latter is from the former and
according to it, n. 314.
ON REPEATED MARRIAGES, n. 317-355.
After the death of a married partner, again to contract wedlock, depends
on the preceding conjugial love, n. 318. After the death of a married
partner, again to contract wedlock, depends also on the state of
marriage in which the parties had lived, n. 319. With those who have not
been in love truly conjugial, there is no obstacle or hindrance to their
again contracting wedlock, n. 320. Those who had lived together in love
truly conjugial, are unwilling to marry again, except for reasons
separate from conjugial love, n. 321. The state of a marriage of a youth
with a maiden differs from that of a youth with a widow, n. 322. Also
the state of marriage of a widower with a maiden differs from that of a
widower with a widow, n. 323. The varieties and diversities of these
marriages, as to love and its attributes, are innumerable, n. 324. The
state of a widow is more grievous that that of a widower n. 325.
ON POLYGAMY, n. 332-352.
Love truly conjugial can only exist with one wife, consequently neither
can friendship, confidence, ability truly conjugial, and such a
conjunction of minds that two may be one flesh, n. 333, 334. Thus
celestial blessedness, spiritual satisfactions, and natural delights,
which from the beginning were provided for those who are in love truly
conjugial, can only exist with one wife, n. 335. All those things can
only exist from the Lord alone; and they do not exist with any but those
who come to him alone, and live according to his commandments, n. 336.
Consequently love truly conjugial with its felicities can only exist
with those who are of the Christian church, n. 337. Therefore a
Christian is not allowed to marry more than one wife, n. 338. If a
Christian marries several wives, he commits not only natural but also
spiritual adultery, n. 339. The Israelitish nation was permitted to
marry several wives, because they had not the Christian church, and
consequently love truly conjugial could not exist with them, n. 340. At
this day the Mahometans are permitted to marry several wives, because
they do not acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ to be one with Jehovah the
Father, and thereby to be the God of heaven and earth, and hence cannot
receive love truly conjugial, n. 341. The Mahometan heaven is out of the
Christian heaven, and is divided into two heavens, the inferior and the
superior; and only those are elevated into their superior heaven, who
renounce concubines, and live with one wife, and acknowledge our Lord as
equal to God the Father, to whom is given dominion over heaven and
earth, n. 342-344. Polygamy is lasciviousness, n. 345. Conjugial
chastity, purity, and sanctity, cannot exist with polygamists, n. 346. A
polygamist, so long as he remains such, cannot become spiritual, n. 347.
Polygamy is not sin with those who live in it from a religious notion,
n. 348. Polygamy is not sin with those who are in ignorance respecting
the Lord, n. 349, 350. Of these, although polygamists, such are saved as
acknowledge a God, and from a religious notion live according to the
civil laws of justice, n. 351. But none either of the latter or of the
former can be associated with the angels in the Christian heavens, n.
352.
ON JEALOUSY, n. 357-379.
Zeal considered in itself is like the ardent fire of love, n. 358. The
burning or flame of that love, which is zeal, is a spiritual burning or
flame, arising from an infestation and assault of the love, n. 356-361.
The quality of a man's zeal is according to the quality of his love;
thus it differs according as the love is good or evil, n. 362. The zeal
of a good love and the zeal of an evil love, are alike in externals, but
altogether different in internals, n. 363, 364. The zeal of a good love
in its internals contains a hidden store of love and friendship: but the
zeal of an evil love in its internals contains a hidden store of hatred
and revenge, n. 365, 366. The zeal of conjugial love is called jealousy,
n. 367. Jealousy is like an ardent fire against those who infest love
exercised towards a married partner, and like a terrible fear for the
loss of that love, n. 368. There is spiritual jealousy with monogamists,
and natural with polygamists, n. 369, 370. Jealousy with those married
partners who tenderly love each other, is a just grief grounded in sound
reason, lest conjugial love should be divided, and should thereby
perish, n. 371, 372. Jealousy, with married partners who do not love
each other, is grounded in several causes; arising in some instances
from various mental weaknesses, n. 373-375. In some instances there is
not any jealousy; and this also from various causes, n. 376. There is a
jealousy also in regard to concubines, but not such as in regard to
wives, n. 377. Jealousy likewise exists among beasts and birds, n. 378.
The jealousy of men and husbands is different from that of women and
wives, n. 379.
ON THE CONJUNCTION OF CONJUGIAL LOVE WITH THE LOVE OF INFANTS, n.
385-414.
Two universal spheres proceed from the Lord to preserve the universe in
its created state; of which the one is the sphere of procreating, and
the other the sphere of protecting the things procreated, n. 386. These
two universal spheres make a one with the sphere of conjugial love and
the sphere of the love of infants, n. 387. These two spheres universally
and singularly flow into all things of heaven and all things of the
world, from first to last, n. 388-390. The sphere of the love of infants
is a sphere of protection and support of those who cannot protect and
support themselves, n. 391. This sphere affects both the evil and the
good, and disposes every one to love, protect, and support his offspring
from his own love, n. 392. This sphere principally affects the female
sex, thus mothers; and the male sex, or fathers, by derivation from
them, n. 393. This sphere is also a sphere of innocence and peace (from
the Lord,) n. 394. The sphere of innocence flows into infants, and
through them into the parents, and affects them, n. 395. It also flows
into the souls of the parents, and unites with the same sphere with the
infants; and it is principally insinuated by means of the touch, n. 396,
397. In the degree in which innocence retires from infants, affection
and conjunction also abate, and this successively, even to separation,
n. 398. A state of rational innocence and peace with parents towards
infants, is grounded in the circumstance, that they know nothing and can
do nothing from themselves, but from others, especially from the father
and mother; and this state successively retires, in proportion as they
know and have ability from themselves, and not from others, n. 399. The
sphere of the love of procreating advances in order from the end through
causes into effects, and makes periods; whereby creation is preserved in
the state foreseen and provided for, n. 400, 401. The love of infants
descends, and does not ascend, n. 402. Wives have one state of love
before conception, and another state after, even to the birth, n. 403.
With parents conjugial love is conjoined with the love of infants by
spiritual causes, and thence by natural, n. 404. The love of infants and
children is different with spiritual married partners from what it is
with natural, n. 405-407. With the spiritual, that love is from what is
interior or prior, but with the natural, from what is exterior or
posterior, n. 408. In consequence hereof that love prevails with married
partners who mutually love each other, and also with those who do not at
all love each other, n. 409. The love of infants remains after death,
especially with women, n. 410. Infants are educated under the Lord's
auspices by such women, and grow in stature and intelligence as in the
world, n. 411, 412. It is there provided by the Lord, that with those
infants the innocence of infancy becomes the innocence of wisdom, (and
thus they become angels) n. 413, 414.