The source of true marital love and the love of parents toward their children, and even greater love toward grandchildren, no one knows. Yet because something heavenly is [felt] in those loves, there must be something universal coming out of heaven and flowing into the minds of all people. Such a phenomenon cannot be without a cause in the innermost regions, and in the most high. Without a cause in the innermost regions, and in the most high, it would never exist; for what is there that is without a cause and origin of itself? Its origin is obvious, namely, that the Lord loves as a whole all angels, spirits and men as His own, and because of this that Love itself is compared to marriage love and is ascribed to the Lord as bridegroom and husband, and to the Church as bride and wife. Without the love of the Lord toward all and each and its obvious inflow into the innermost, and then the very inward human minds, no marriage love would ever exist, consequently no love of goodness, which branches out in various ways from the principle of marriage. Moreover, if the Lord did not love all and each as a Father loves his children, and the innermost heaven from the Lord as a mother loves her children, a love of children would never exist. It cannot produce itself. It is also because of this descent of love that parental love is even greater toward grandchildren. 1748, 25 March.