rom continual influx even from the soul with the
essential sense of conjugial love, as the delight of delights. These
nuptial sports of love and wisdom in use in the soul, in proceeding
towards the bosom, become permanent, and present themselves sensible
therein under an infinite variety of delights; and from the wonderful
communication of the bosom with the genital region, the delights therein
become the delights of conjugial love, which are superior to all other
delights in heaven and in the world; because the use of conjugial love
is the most excellent of all uses, the procreation of the human race
being thence derived, and from the human race the angelic heaven." To
this the angels added, that those who are not principled in the love of
wisdom for the sake of use from the Lord, do not know anything
concerning the variety of the innumerable delights of love truly
conjugial; for with those who do not love to grow wise from genuine
truths, but love to be insane from false principles, and by this
insanity perform evil uses from some particular love, the way to the
soul is closed: hence the heavenly nuptial sports of love and wisdom in
the soul, being more and more intercepted, cease, and together with them
conjugial love ceases with its vein, its potency, and its delights. On
hearing these statements the audience said, "We now perceive that
conjugial love is according to the love of growing wise for the sake of
uses from the Lord." The angels replied that it was so. And instantly
upon the heads of some of the audience there appeared wreaths of
flowers; and on their asking, "Why is this?" the angels said, "Because
they have understood more profoundly:" and immediately they departed
from the garden, and the latter in the midst of them.

* * * * *

ON THE CHANGE OF THE STATE OF LIFE WHICH TAKES PLACE WITH MEN AND WOMEN
BY MARRIAGE.

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
appertaini