love
is changed into cold; of which we shall speak in the following chapter.
Similitudes and dissimilitudes in general originate from connate
inclinations, varied by education, connections, and persuasions that
have been imbibed.

228. XIX. VARIOUS SIMILITUDES CAN BE CONJOINED, BUT NOT WITH
DISSIMILITUDES. The varieties of similitudes are very numerous, and
differ more or less from each other; but still those which differ may in
time be conjoined by various things, especially by accommodations to
desires, by mutual offices and civilities, by abstaining from what is
unchaste, by the common love of infants and the care of children, but
particularly by conformity in things relating to the church; for things
relating to the church effect a conjunction of similitudes differing
interiorly, other things only exteriorly. But with dissimilitudes no
conjunction can be effected, because they are antipathetical.

229. XX. THE LORD PROVIDES SIMILITUDES FOR THOSE WHO DESIRE LOVE TRULY
CONJUGIAL, AND IF NOT ON EARTH, HE YET PROVIDES THEM IN HEAVEN. The
reason of this is, because all marriages of love truly conjugial are
provided by the Lord. That they are from him, may be seen above, n. 130,
131; but in what manner they are provided in heaven, I have heard thus
described by the angels: The divine providence of the Lord extends to
everything, even to the minutest particulars, concerning marriages and
in marriages, because all the delights of heaven spring from the
delights of conjugial love, as sweet waters from the fountain-head; and
on this account it is provided that conjugial pairs be born; and that
they be continually educated to their several marriages under the Lord's
auspices, neither the boy nor the girl knowing anything of the matter;
and after a stated time, when they both become marriageable, they meet
in some place as by chance, and see each other, and in this case they
instantly know, as by a kind of instinct, that they are a pair, and by a
kind of inward dictate think within themselves, the youth, that she is
mine, and the maiden, that he is mine; and when this thought has existed
some time in the mind of each, they accost each other from a deliberate
purpose, and betroth themselves. It is said, as by chance, by instinct,
and by dictate; and the meaning is, by divine providence; since, while
the divine providence is unknown, it has such an appearance; for the
Lord opens internal similitudes, so that they may see themsel