FORNICATION IS OF THE NATURAL MAN, in like manner as the love
of the sex, which, if it becomes active before marriage, is called
fornication. Every man (_homo_) is born corporeal, becomes sensual,
afterwards natural, and successively rational; and, if in this case he
does not stop in his progress, he becomes spiritual. The reason why he
thus advances step by step, is, in order that planes may be formed, on
which superior principles may rest and find support, as a palace on its
foundations: the ultimate plane, with those that are formed upon it, may
also be compared to ground, in which, when prepared, noble seeds are
sown. As to what specifically regards the love of the sex, it also is
first corporeal, for it commences from the flesh: next it becomes
sensual, for the five senses receive delight from its common principle;
afterwards it becomes natural like the same love with other animals,
because it is a vague love of the sex; but as a man was born to become
spiritual, it becomes afterwards natural-rational, and from
natural-rational spiritual, and lastly spiritual-natural; and in this
case, that love made spiritual flows into and acts upon rational love,
and through this flows into and acts upon sensual love, and lastly
through this flows into and acts upon that love in the body and the
flesh; and as this is its ultimate plane, it acts upon it spiritually,
and at the same time rationally and sensually; and it flows in and acts
thus successively while the man is meditating upon it, but
simultaneously while he is in its ultimate.
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