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Of LOVE in general.

54. THE very life of man is his love, and such as

the love is, such is the life, yea, such is the whole man: this is to be understood of the ruling or reigning love, which is what makes the man. That love has many other loves subordinate to it, which are derivations [from it;] these appear under another form, but still they are all contained in the ruling love, and constitute, with it, one kingdom: the ruling love is as their king and head; it directs them, and by them, as mediate ends, it regards and intends its own end, which is the primary and ultimate end of them all; and this it does both directly and indirectly. The object of the ruling love is what is loved above all things.

55. That which man loves above all things, is continually present in his thought, and also in his will, and constitutes his most essential life: as for example; he who loves riches above all things, whether in money or possessions, is continually turning in his mind how he may obtain them, he rejoices exceedingly when he acquires them, he grieves deeply when he loses them, his heart is in them. He who loves himself above all things is mindful of himself in every thing, he thinks of himself, he speaks of himself, he acts for the sake of himself; for his life is the life of self.

56. That which man loves above all things is the end which he always intends, he regards it in all and every particular [of his conduct]; it lurks in his will like the latent current of a river, which draws

draws and bears him away, even when he is doing something else; for it is this which animates him. It is of such a quality, that one man explores it, and also discerns it, in another, and either leads him, or regulates his dealings with him, according to it.

57. Man is altogether of such a quality as the ruling [principle] of his life is: by this he is distinguished from others; his heaven, if he is good, and his hell, if he is evil, is adapted thereto; it is his will itself, his proprium, and his nature, for it is the very esse of his life: this cannot be changed after death, because it is the man himself.

58. All the delight, pleasure, and happiness which every one enjoys, is from his ruling love, and according to it; for man calls that delightful which he loves, because he feels it; but that which he thinks and does not love, he may also call delightful, but it is not the delight of his life. That which is delightful to his love, is what man esteems good, and that which is undelightful, is what he esteems evil.

59. There are two loves, from which, as from their fountains, all goods and truths exist; and there are two loves, from which all evils and falses exist. The two loves, from which all goods and truths exist, are love to the Lord, and love towards the neighbour; and the two loves, from which all evils and falses exist, are the love of self and the love of the world. These two loves are in direct opposition to the former.

60. The two loves from which all goods and was said, love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour, consti

truths are derived, which are, a

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tute heaven with man, wherefore also they reign in heaven; and forasmuch as they constitute heaven with man, they also constitute the church with him. The two loves from which all evils and falsés are derived, which are, as was said, the love of self and the love of the world, constitute hell with man, wherefore also they reign in hell.

61. The two loves from which all goods and truths are derived, which, as was said, are the loves of heaven, open and form the internal spiritual man, because they reside therein: but the two loves from which all evils and falses are derived, when they have the dominion, shut and destroy the internal spiritual man, and render man natural and sensual, according to the extent and quality of their dominion.

EXTRACTS from the ARCANA CŒLESTIA,

62. THAT love is the esse of man's life, n. 5002. That man, spirit, and angel, are altogether as their love is, n. 6872, 10177, 10284. That man has what he loves for the end [of his actions] n. 3796. That what man loves and has for the end [of his actions] reigns universally with him, that is, in all things and singulars, n. 3796, 5130, 5949. That love is spiritual heat, and the very vital principle of man, n. 1589, 2146, 3338, 4906, 7081 to 7086, 9954, 10740. That all the interiors with man, which are of his will and understanding, are disposed in a form according to his ruling love, n. 2024, 3189, 6690. That love is spiritual conjunction, n. 1594, 2057, 3939, 4018, 5807, 6195, 6196, 7081 to 7086, 7501, 10130. Hence that all in the spiritual world are consociated accord

ing to their loves, ibid. That affection is love in continuity, n. 3938. That all delight, pleasure, happiness, and joy of heart, are of love; and their quality according to the quality of the fove, n. 994, 995, 2204. That there are as many genera and species of delights and pleasures, as there are of the affections which are of the love, n. 994, 995, 2204. That the delight of the love is more vile in proportion as it is more external, n. 996. That man enters into a state of life hereafter agreeing with the quality of his love, n. 2364.

63. Further particulars respecting love and its essence and quality, may be known from what has been said and shewn above, concerning good and truth ; also from what has been said and shewn concerning the will and understanding; and also from what has been said and shewn concerning the internal and external man; because all things which are of the love are referable either to goods or evils; and so also all things which are of the will: and forasmuch as the two loves of heaven open and form the internal spiritual man, and the two loves of hell close and destroy it, hence applications may be made and conclusions drawn respecting the quality of love in general and particular.

64. Love is also treated of in the work on Heaven and Hell; in which it is shewn, that the Divine [principle] of the Lord in the heavens is love to him, and love towards the neighbour, n. 13 to 19. That all who are in the hells are in evils, and thence in falses, originating in the loves of self and of the world, n. 551 to 565. That the delights of every love are changed in the other life into their correspondences, n. 485 to 490. That spiritual heat in its essence is love, n. 133 to 140.

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Of the LOVES of SELF and of the WORLD.

65.SELF-LOVE consists in willing well to self alone, and not to others except for the sake of self, not even to the church, to one's country, to any human society, or to a fellow-citizen; and also in doing good to them only for the sake of its own fame, honour and glory; for unless it sees that these will be promoted by the good which it does them, it says in its heart, what matters it? Why should I do this? And what advantage will it be to me? and so omits it: whence it is plain that he who is in the love of self does not love the church nor his country, nor society, nor his fellowcitizen, nor any thing good, but himself alone.

66. Man is in the love of self, when in what he thinks and does he has no respect to his neighbour, consequently not to the public, much less to the Lord, but only to himself and his own [connexions]; consequently when every thing which he does is for the sake of himself and his own [connexions], and when, if he does any thing for the public and his neighbour, it is only for the sake of appearance.

67. It is said for the sake of himself and his own [connexions], because he who loves himself also loves his own [connexions], who are, in particular, his children and descendants, and in general, all who act in unity with him, whom he calls his own; loving these is still loving himself, for he regards them as it were in himself, and himself in them: amongst those whom he calls his own, are also all they who praise, honour, and pay their court to him,

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