in particular. The church in particular is a man in whom the church
is. From this it is clear that the Lord's conjunction with a man of the
church is the very origin of true marriage love; and how that
conjunction can be the origin shall be told.

The Lord's conjunction with a man of the church is a conjunction of good
and truth; good is from the Lord, and truth is a man, and from this is
the conjunction that is called the heavenly marriage, and from that
marriage true marriage love exists between the married pair that are in
such conjunction with the Lord.

From this it is now evident that true marriage love is from the Lord
alone, and exists in those who are in the conjunction of good and truth
from the Lord. As this conjunction is reciprocal it is said by the Lord
that

They are in Him, and He in them (John xiv. 20).

This conjunction or this marriage was thus established from creation.
The man was created to be an understanding of truth, and the woman to be
an affection for good; and thus the man to be a truth, and the woman to
be a good. When understanding of truth which is in the man makes one
with the affection for good which is in the woman, there is a
conjunction of the two minds into one. This conjunction is the
spiritual marriage from which marriage love descends. For when two minds
are so conjoined as to be one mind there is love between them; and when
this love, which is the love of spiritual marriage, descends into the
body it becomes the love of natural marriage. That this is so anyone
can clearly perceive if he will. A married pair who interiorly or in
respect to their minds love each other mutually and reciprocally also
love each other mutually and reciprocally in respect to their bodies.
It is well known that all love descends into the body from an affection
of the mind, and that apart from such an origin no love exists.

Since then the origin of marriage love is the marriage of good and
truth, which marriage in its essence is heaven, it is clear that the
origin of the love of adultery is a marriage of evil and falsity, which
in its essence is hell. Heaven is a marriage because all who are in the
heavens are in a marriage of good and truth; and hell is adultery
because all who are in the hells are in a marriage of evil and falsity.
From this it follows that marriage and adultery are as opposite as
heaven and hell are. (A.E., n. 983.)

Man was so created as to be spiritual and celestial