Change of the state of life with man and with woman, by marriage (1252-1285 CL 184-206]).

The states of the life of man are continually and successively changing, from infancy even to old age (1254-1256 [CL 185]).

The internal form of men is changed according to the states which the mind or spirit undergoes, and from this the external form, which is that of the face, body, and manners (1257, 1258 [CL 186]). The changes of the state of life are not alike with men and with women (1258-1260 [CL 187-189]).

Various things respecting the successive changes of state (1259 [CL 187]).

But the states of life with men and with women agree in this, - that, in the case of each, they regard a state of reciprocal unition, or one state together (1261-1264). The first state of the life of men is the state of the thought and understanding of truth (1265, 1266).

The second state of men is the state of the union of the understanding and will, or of the thought of truth and the affection for good (1267-1271).

The third state is the state of the will and the consequent state of the understanding, or the state of the affection for good and the thought of truth therefrom (1272-1274). This state is the very human state for which man was created; and provision has been made for this in the marriage of a man with one wife (1275-1277).

The male or the young man by marriage with one wife actually changes his state; and in like manner the female or the virgin: and through this change the male from being a young man becomes a husband, and the female from being a virgin becomes a wife (1278, 1279 [CL 193-199]).

By means of such marriage the husband becomes a form of wisdom, and the wife a form of the love of the wisdom of the man and hence of the husband, and the two forms are reciprocally united and become as one (1280).

Man, both male and female, changes states and is formed according to the quality of the marriage (1281 [CL 200, 201]).