184. What is meant by states of life, and their changes, is very well
known to the learned and the wise, but unknown to the unlearned and the
simple; wherefore it may be expedient to premise somewhat on the
subject. The state of a man's life is its quality; and as there are in
every man two faculties which constitute his life, and which are called
the understanding and the will, the state of a man's life is its quality
as to the understanding and the will. Hence it is evident, that changes
of the state of life mean changes of quality as to the things
appertaining to the understanding and the will. That every man is
continually changing as to those two principles, but with a distinction
of variations before marriage and after it, is the point proposed to be
proved in this section; which shall be done in the following
propositions:--I. _The state of a man's (homo) life from infancy even to
the end of his life, and afterwards to eternity, is continually
changing._ II. _In like manner a man's internal form which is that of
his spirit, is continually changing._ III. _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.
Pages:
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378