Page:A Compendium of the Theological Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg.djvu/541

Rh become one, then taken together they are man (homo) in his fulness; but without this conjunction they are two, and each is as it were a divided or half-man. Since then this that is conjunctive lies inmostly concealed in the least things of the male, and in the least things of the female, and there is in their least things the faculty and desire after conjunction into one, it follows that the mutual and reciprocal love of the sex remains with men (homines) after death.

The love of the sex and conjugial love are mentioned [distinctively] because the love of the sex is different from conjugial love. The love of the sex pertains to the natural man, and conjugial love to the spiritual man. The natural man loves and desires only external conjunctions, and the pleasures of the body from them; but the spiritual man loves and desires internal conjunction, and the satisfactions of the spirit therefrom, and these he perceives are given with one wife, with whom he can be perpetually conjoined, more and more, into one; and by so much the more as he is thus conjoined does he perceive his satisfactions ascending in a like degree, and perceive them to be enduring to eternity; but the natural man has no thought of this. Hence it is said, that conjugial love remains after death, with those that come into heaven,—who are those that become spiritual on earth. (C. L. n. 37, 38.)

The love of the sex is love towards many and with many of the sex, but conjugial love is only toward one and with one of the sex, and love for many and with many is a natural love; for it is common with beasts and birds, and they are natural. But conjugial love is a spiritual love, and is proper and peculiar to men; because men were created and are therefore born to become spiritual. In so far then as a man becomes spiritual 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 then with those who are spiritual the love of the sex is put away, and conjugial love instilled; but with those who are natural it is otherwise. It is clear now from what has been said that the love of the sex, because it is with many, and in itself is natural, yea animal, is impure and unchaste; and because it is vague and unlimited it is incontinent. But conjugial love is entirely different. (ib. n. 48.)

As heaven is from the human race, and the angels there are consequently of both sexes; and as it is of creation that the