AC 2354 - The Men of Sodom

AC 2354 [2]

Described here is the first state of a vastated church;

that is, the state when there begins to be no faith

because there is no charity;

which state . . . is

that because they are against the good of charity

they are also in no faith,

and especially in no acknowledgment

of the Lord's Divine Human and Holy proceeding.

These are at heart denied by all

who are in a life of evil, that is,

by all who despise others

in comparison with themselves,

who hate those who do not pay them respect,

who feel a delight in being revenged on them,

who even feel delight in cruelty,

and who regard adulteries as matters of no moment.

The Pharisees of old,

who openly denied the Lord's Divinity,

did better than is the case

with such men at the present day,

who for the sake of their own exaltation

and sordid enrichment

outwardly worship Him in a holy manner,

but inwardly cherish that profane state.

The successive development and doom of such as these

is described in what follows by the men of Sodom,

and finally by the overthrow of that city.