145. VI. WITH THOSE WHO ARE MADE SPIRITUAL BY THE LORD, CONJUGIAL LOVE
IS MORE AND MORE PURIFIED AND RENDERED CHASTE. The reasons for this are,
1. Because the first love, by which is meant the love previous to the
nuptials and immediately after them, partakes somewhat of the love of
the sex, and thus of the ardor belonging to the body not as yet
moderated by the love of the spirit. 2. Because a man (_homo_) from
natural is successively made spiritual; for he becomes spiritual in
proportion as his rational principle, which is the medium between heaven
and the world, begins to drive a soul from influx out of heaven, which
is the case so far as it is affected and delighted with wisdom;
concerning which wisdom see above, n. 130; and in proportion as this is
effected, in the same proportion his mind is elevated into a superior
_aura_, which is the continent of celestial light and heat, or, what is
the same, of the wisdom and love in which the angels are principled; for
heavenly light acts in unity with wisdom, and heavenly heat with love;
and in proportion as wisdom and the love thereof increase, with married
pairs, in the same proportion conjugial love is purified with them; and
as this is effected successively, it follows that conjugial love is
rendered more and more chaste.
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