Page:Swedenborg, Harbinger of the New Age of the Christian Church.djvu/210

 And does not the Father impute it to us, and justify us who have believed in it? Thus are we led by the spirit of grace; how then can sin have place in us, and what power has death over us? Do you comprehend this Gospel, thou preacher of sin and repentance?' At that instant a voice was heard from heaven, saying, 'What is the faith of an impenitent man but a dead faith? The end is come, the end is come upon you that are secure, blameless in your own eyes, justified in your own faith, ye devils.' And suddenly a deep gulf was opened in the midst of the city, which spread itself far and wide, and the houses fell one upon another and were swallowed up; and presently water began to bubble up from the wide whirlpool, and overflowed the waste.

"When they were thus overwhelmed and, to appearance, drowned, I was desirous to know their condition in the deep; and a voice from heaven said to me, 'Thou shalt see and hear.' And straightway the waters in which they seemed to be drowned, disappeared; for waters in the spiritual world are correspondences, and hence appear to surround those who are in falsities. Then they appeared to me in a sandy place, where there were