Page:Heaven Revealed.djvu/303

 lows, which continually cleanses and purifies it. . . . Considered in its essence and from its derivation, it is holy and pure before every love with angels and men. . . It is the fundamental love of all the loves of heaven and the church, because its origin is from the marriage of good and truth; and from this marriage proceed all the loves which make heaven and the church with man. Two consorts between whom or in whom this love exists, are an image and form of it; and all in heaven, where the faces are genuine types of the affections, are likenesses thereof. . . . Therefore if conjugial love be heavenly and spiritual, the loves proceeding from it are also heavenly and spiritual. This love, therefore, is as a parent, and all other loves are as the offspring. Hence from the marriages of the angels in heaven, are produced spiritual offspring which are of love and wisdom, or of good and truth.'"—C. L. n. 64, '5.

From this it may be seen that conjugial love is something quite different from the mere love of the sex. It is pure and heavenly in its nature, and can exist only with rational, regenerate, heavenly-minded persons. The love of the sex has supreme regard to self and self-gratification; but conjugial love has supreme regard to the Lord and the things that are well-pleasing to Him. The love of the sex belongs to our carnal or animal nature; conjugial love belongs to our spiritual and immortal part. The love of the sex is low—"of the earth, earthy"; conjugial love is from the Lord out of heaven, and is supreme above all other loves. The love of the sex exists with natural and even sensual men; conjugial love, only with those who are, in some degree at least, spiritual and regenerate. Swedenborg says:

"The love of the sex is of the external or natural man,