3778. But I spoke with them concerning marriage - that marriages or conjugial love was the foundation of all loves, which is confirmed from the consideration, that thence is the propagation of human society and consequently of celestial societies, wherefore it has imparted to it a corporeal pleasure surpassing all others, for delights are adjoined according to the necessities of ends, and conjugial love is pleasanter and happier than any other love, so that a right conjugial union is heaven on earth, thus is celestial love, from which flow all other loves, being originally derived from the love or mercy of the Lord towards heaven, the church, and the universal human race, and descending from Him alone, (:these things now:) from which it appears how sacred marriages ought to be held. Upon hearing this they were unable to reply. Some of them who were of the lower order of spirits, came to me and said, that they had grievously sinned, and lamented that they had been such as they were. It was said that they had been among the better portion of them, and had perceived what the truth was, but from their associations were unable to say anything. - 1748, October 30.