3197. Next I saw also by a clear spiritual mental image how love not marital, or the persuasion that the marriage debt is of no account, even to the point that they place their highest enjoyment and freedom in things contrary to it, of whom there are very many in Christendom, not so many among the gentiles of the globe - by a spiritual mental image I saw how, by that enjoyment and persuasive freedom, they more and more remove themselves from heaven, or happiness. Indeed, as I saw clearly in the other life, they even attain finally to the most dreadful hellish qualities, so that nothing human remains, but everything deadly, which cannot at all be described on account of the horror.
One spirit, who was in the spiritual mental picture with me, was running forward at face level to a great distance, where those spirits were. He was shouting that he would show them what their love turns into, thus holding a mental image: it first struck them as most pleasant, but when he came little by little farther forwards, the image continued according to their progression toward hell, and finally ended in such a horror that they could [stand it] no longer, for they were seeing the most dreadful hell before their eyes. From this it can be seen what the marriage debt is. 1748, 19 Sept.
3197. Next I perceived also in spiritual idea how [it is] with love not conjugial, or the persuasion that the conjugial debt [duty] is of no moment: [to wit] that they still place their pleasant and free [principle] in contrary [things]: very many of such are in Christendom. It is not so amongst the gentiles of the world [universai orbis]. I perceived in spiritual idea how by that pleasantness and persuasive free [principle] they remove themselves more and more from heaven and felicity, yea, as I plainly saw in the other [life], till [they reach] at last the most dreadful infernal things, so that nothing of a human principle remains, but every deadly [principle], which can never be described on account of its horribleness [ob horrores]. A certain spirit, who was with me in spiritual idea, ran forward in front in the plane of the face, to a considerable distance, where were [spirits] of such a character. He cried out that he would show them of what character is their love, thus retaining [tenens] the idea. At first a most pleasant [principle] was experienced by them [iis obvenit]; but when by degrees he came more to the front the idea was continued, as if [it represented] their progress to hell, and at length ended in such horror that they could have [endured it] no longer. For they saw the most dreadful hell before [their] eyes. Hence may be apparent what [is the nature of] the conjugial debt. - 1748, September 19.
3197. Mox etiam idea spirituali manifesta percepi quomodo amor non conjugialis seu persuasio quod debitum conjugiale nullum, usque ut summum eorum jucundum et liberum ponant in contrariis, quorum perplures in Christianismo sunt, non ita apud gentes universi orbis--idea 1
spirituali percepi, quomodo a jucunditate ista, et libero persuasivo magis magisque se removeant a coelo seu felicitate, et quidem, ut vidi manifeste in altera [vita] 2
usque ad dirissima tandem infernalia, sic ut nihil humanum maneat, sed omne mortiferum, quod nusquam describi potest, ob horrorem: quidam spiritus, qui erat 3
in idea spirituali mecum procurrens [erat] antrorsum in plano faciei ad multam distantiam, ubi tales erant, clamans quod ostenderet iis, qualis eorum amor fit, sic tenens ideam: jucundissima iis primum obvenit, sed cum paullatim magis antrorsum venit, continuabatur idea, sicut eorum progressio ad infernum, et tandem desiit in talem horrorem, ut non amplius potuissent; nam videbant dirissimum infernum ante oculos; exinde quid debitum conjugiale, constare potest. 1748, 19 Sept.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has orbis; idea
2. sic in J.F.I. Tafel's edition
3. This is how it appears in J.F.I. Tafel's edition; the Manuscript has erant