Page:The Swedenborg Library Vol 3.djvu/254
poreal and sensual pleasures, or those arising from the possession of lauds, money, honors and public appointments; those of conjugial love, and love toward infants and children, of friendship and social intercourse; the pleasure of listening to singing and music, or of regarding beauties of various kinds, as beautiful raiment, well-furnished houses, magnificent gardens, and the like, all of which are delightful from harmony; or the pleasure of smelling agreeable odors; that of tasting delicacies and useful meats and drinks; and the pleasure of touch ; for all these are, as was observed, the lowest or corporeal affections, which have their origin from those which are interior.
Interior affections which are living, all derive their delight from good and truth; and good and truth derive theirs from charity and faith; and these come from the Lord, consequently from the very essential Life. Therefore affections and pleasures which have this origin are alive, and if genuine, or from this source, are never denied to any one.
When pleasures are thus derived, their delight indefinitely exceeds that from every other origin, which is indeed comparatively defiled. Thus, for example, when conjugial pleasure originates in true conjugial love, it infinitely exceeds that derived from any other source, yea, to such an extent, that they who are in true conjugial love are in some degree in the enjoyment of heavenly delight and happiness, inasmuch as this delight descends from heaven. This truth was acknowl-