understood in their literal sense, clearly favor the doctrine taught by Swedenborg. As that, "a man shall leave his father and mother and cleave unto his wife; and they twain shall be one flesh." (Gen. ii. 24.) And these words of the Lord in answer to the Pharisees: "Have ye not read that He who made them at the beginning, made them male and female? And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother and shall cleave to his wife; and they twain shall be one flesh. Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What, therefore, God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." (Matt. xix. 5-7.) |
We are here taught that man and woman were designed for each other from their very creation; that they are adapted, each to the other, and so joined together as parts of one and the same whole, by the Creator Himself. And it surely would not be said of beings created to live forever, that God had joined them together, if there were no joining of their immortal part—no mutual and organic adaptation of soul to soul. The beings that God joins together, must be organically fitted to each other as parts of one whole, and must therefore be joined for the full term of their existence. A man and a woman may be joined in an external union—a semblance of marriage—agreeable to human laws; and may separate in a few months for lack of mutual love, or of the proper organic adaptation of soul to soul. Can it be said of such that they were joined together by God? Every one can see that this would be charging the Creator with folly. Then extend the time, and suppose the parties joined in an external marriage for
