Conjugial Love (Acton) n. 185

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185. I. THAT THE STATE OF MAN'S LIFE FROM INFANCY TO THE END OF LIFE, AND AFTERWARDS TO ETERNITY, IS CONTINUALLY CHANGING. The general states of man's life are called infancy, childhood, youth, manhood, and old age. It is well known that every man whose life continues in the world passes successively from the one state to the other, thus from the first state to the last. The transitions into these ages are apparent only by intervals of time, but reason sees that they are progressive from moment to moment, thus continually. It is the same with man as with a tree; from the time the seed is cast into the earth, this grows and increases every moment, even the least. These momentary progressions are also changes of state; for the subsequent adds something to the antecedent, and this perfects the state. [2] The changes which take place in man's internals are more perfectly continuous than those which occur in his externals, and this because man's internals, by which are meant the things of his mind or spirit, are in a higher degree, being elevated above his externals; and in things which are in a higher degree, a thousand changes take place in the same moment that a single one occurs in things external. The changes which take place in man's internals are changes of state of the will as to affections, and changes of state of the understanding as to thoughts. It is the successive changes of state of the latter and the former that are especially meant in the proposition. [3] The reason why the changes of state of these two lives or faculties are perpetual with man from infancy to the end of his life and afterwards to eternity, is because there is no end to knowledge, still less to intelligence, and least of all to wisdom; for in their wide extent is infinity and eternity, and this from the Infinite and Eternal from whom they are. Hence the philosophical doctrine of the ancients, that everything is divisible to infinity; to which should be added, that it is likewise multiplicable. Angels assert that they are perfected in wisdom by the Lord to eternity, which means also to infinity, eternity being the infinity of time.


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