5365. In one particular house I also saw many sitting around a table. They all looked like wealthy merchants, and from time to time still more came in. Outwardly they appeared to be good, well-dressed too, but I saw that one after another they were all thrown down from there into desert places, thus outside the societies of the upright. It was said that the reason was that in the world they had lived to outer appearance like Christians, [and] had acted rightly. But [they] had done this solely for the sake of acquiring a reputation for honesty for the sake of making a profit and being believed by others and had not done the least thing for God's or the neighbor's sake, but for the sake of themselves, and that consequently they had no communication with heaven. Consequently spirits of this kind were hurled into deserted places where they wander among robbers and are robbed. For when material concerns are taken away from, these kinds of spirits, who do nothing from religion, become robbers. They would also have become like this in the world if material concerns had not restrained them.
5365. I also saw many persons sitting round a table in a certain house. They all looked like rich merchants; and still more of them in turn approached. In external form, they appeared as if good, and they were also well dressed. But I saw that they were all cast down, in succession, from there into the desert places; thus, outside the societies of the upright. The reason was stated to be, because, in the world, they lived just like Christians in external form, and did right, but merely for the sake of obtaining a reputation for honor, so that they might make gain out of and be trusted by, others; and they have done nothing at all for the sake of God or the neighbor, but for the sake of self; and that, thus, they had no communication with heaven. Hence it was, that such ones were cast into the desert places, where they roam amongst robbers, and commit robbery; for, with such as do nothing from religious principles, externals are taken away, and they become robbers. They would also become such in the world, did not externals hold them in bonds.
5365. Vidi etiam plures in quadam domo sedentes circum mensam, apparebant sicut mercatores divites omnes, et accedebant adhuc plures per vices, in externa forma apparebant sicut boni, etiam bene induti erant, sed vidi quod omnes illi successive inde dejecti sint in loca deserta, ita extra societates proborum, dicta est causa, quia in mundo in externa forma vixerint sicut Christiani, bene egerint, sed hoc solum propter captandam famam sinceri, ut lucrarentur et cuod ita nullam habuerint communicationem cum coelo, inde erat quod tales in deserta loca conjecti sint, ubi inter latrones vagantur, et latrocinantur, nam cum talibus, qui nihil ex religione faciunt, externa adimuntur, fiunt latrones, tales etiam fierent in mundo, si externa non tenerent illos in vinculis.