2334. 'And they said, No' means the doubting which is usually present during temptation. This becomes clear from their saying 'No' but nevertheless entering his house. All temptation entails feelings of doubt regarding the Lord's presence and mercy, regarding salvation, and other things such as these; for people who experience temptation suffer mental distress, even to the point of despair, in which state they are kept for the most part so that at length they may be confirmed in the conviction that all things are subject to the Lord's mercy, that they are saved through Him alone, and that with themselves there is nothing but evil - convictions in which they are strengthened through conflicts in which they are victorious. Remaining from temptation after this is over, there are further states of truth and good to which their thoughts - which would otherwise dart off into interests that are insane and draw the mind away into an aversion to what is true and good - can subsequently be turned to the Lord.
[2] Since 'Lot' here describes the first state of the Church in which the good of charity exists but whose worship is external, and since before he enters this state a person is to be reformed - such reformation being effected also by means of a certain kind of temptation (though those whose worship is external undergo only mild temptation) - things are therefore said here which imply something of temptation. Those things are that at first the angels declared that they would spend the night in the street but that Lot urged them and so they turned aside to him and entered his house.
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