ves.

230. XXI. A MAN (_homo_) ACCORDING TO THE DEFICIENCY AND LOSS OF
CONJUGIAL LOVE, APPROACHES TO THE NATURE OF A BEAST. The reason of this
is, because so far as a man (_homo_) is in conjugial love, so far he is
spiritual, and so far as he is spiritual, so far he is a man (_homo_);
for a man is born to a life after death, and attains the possession
thereof in consequence of having in him a spiritual soul, and is capable
of being elevated thereto by the faculty of his understanding; if in
this case his will, from the faculty also granted to it, is elevated at
the same time, he lives after death the life of heaven. The contrary
comes to pass, if he is in a love opposite to conjugial love; for so far
as he is in this opposite love, so far he is natural; and a merely
natural man is like a beast as to lusts and appetites, and to their
delights; with this difference only, that he has the faculty of
elevating his understanding into the light of wisdom, and also of
elevating his will into the heat of celestial love. These faculties are
never taken away from airy man (_homo_); therefore the merely natural
man, although as to concupiscences and appetites and their delights, he
is like a beast, still lives after death, but in a state corresponding
to his past life. From these considerations it may appear that a man,
according to the deficiency of conjugial love, approaches to the nature
of a beast. This position may seem to be contradicted by the
consideration, that there are a deficiency and loss of conjugial love
with some who yet are men (_homines_); but the position is meant to be
confined to those who make light of conjugial love from a principle of
adulterous love, and who therefore are in such deficiency and loss.

* * * * *

231. To the above I shall add THREE MEMORABLE RELATIONS. FIRST. I once
heard loud exclamations, which issued from the hells, with a noise as if
they bubbled up through water: one to the left hand, in these words, "O
HOW JUST!" another to the right, "O HOW LEARNED!" and a third from
behind, "O HOW WISE!" and as I was in doubt whether there are also in
hell persons of justice, learning, and wisdom, I was impressed with a
strong desire of seeing what was the real case; and a voice from heaven
said to me, "You shall see and hear." I therefore in spirit went out of
the house, and saw before me an opening, which I approached; and looked
down; and lo! there was a ladder, by