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intuitive thought is altogether withdrawn from them, or is absent; on
the other hand, our husbands think very little in the day respecting our
state; hence we know what wisdom of theirs it is that gives us delight.
Our husbands call that wisdom spiritual rational, and spiritual moral.
Spiritual rational wisdom, they say, is of the understanding and
knowledges, and spiritual moral wisdom of the will and life; but these
they join together and make a one, and insist that the satisfactions of
this wisdom are transferred from their minds into the delights in our
bosoms, and from our bosoms into theirs, and thus return to wisdom their
origin." I then asked, "Do you know anything more respecting the wisdom
of your husbands which gives you delight?" They said, "We do. There is
spiritual wisdom, and thence rational and moral wisdom. Spiritual wisdom
is to acknowledge the Lord the Saviour as the God of heaven and earth,
and from Him to procure the truths of the church, which is effected by
means of the Word and of preachings derived therefrom, whence comes
spiritual rationality; and from Him to live according to those truths,
whence comes spiritual morality. These two our husbands call the wisdom
which in general operates to produce love truly conjugial. We have heard
from them also that the reason of this is, because, by means of that
wisdom, the interiors of their minds and thence of their bodies are
opened, whence there exists a free passage from first principles even to
last for the stream of love; on the flow, sufficiency, and virtue of
which conjugial love depends and lives. The spiritual rational and moral
wisdom of our husbands, specifically in regard to marriage, has for its
end and object to love the wife alone, and to put away all concupiscence
for other women; and so far as this is effected, so far that love is
exalted as to degree, and perfected as to quality; and also so far we
feel more distinctly and exquisitely the delights in ourselves
corresponding to the delights of the affections and the satisfactions of
the thoughts of our husbands." I inquired afterwards, whether they knew
how communication is effected. They said, "In all conjunction by love
there must be action, reception, and reaction. The delicious state of
our love is acting or action, the state of the wisdom of our husbands is
recipient or reception, and also is reacting or reaction according to
perception; and this reaction we perceive with delights