stands and is deliver'd from his former Sorrow and sits not but acts manfully So you having heard the Revelation which God revealed unto you because God had Compassion upon you and renew'd your Spirit both laid aside your Infirmities and Strength came to you and you grew strong in the Faith and God seeing your Strength rejoyced For this cause he shewed you the Building of the Tower and will shew other things unto you if you shall have Peace with all your Heart among each other XIII BUT in the third Vision you saw her yet younger fair and chearful and of a serene Countenance For as if some good News comes to one that is sad he straightway forgets his Sadness and regards nothing else but the good News which he has heard and for the rest he is comforted and his Spirit is renew'd through the Joy which he has received Even so you have been renew'd in your Spirit by seeing these good things And for that you saw her sitting upon a Bench it denotes a strong Position because a Bench has four Feet and stands strongly And even the World its self is kept up by the four Elements They therefore that repent perfectly shall be young and they that turn from their Sins with their whole Heart shall be establish'd And now you have the Revelation fully ask no more to have any thing farther revealed unto you But if any thing be to be revealed it shall be made manifest unto you VISION IV. Of the Tryal and Tribulation that is about to come upon Men. I. I Saw a Vision Brethren twenty Days after the former Vision a Figure of the Tribulation that is at hand I was walking in the Field Way Now from the publick Way to the Mannour whither I went is about ten Furlongs It is a Way very little frequented And as I was walking alone I entreated the LORD that he would confirm the Revelations which he had shew'd unto me by his Holy Church and would grant Repentance to all his Servants who had been offended that his great and honourable Name might be glorified and because he thought me Worthy to whom he might shew his Wonders and that I might honour him and give thanks unto him And behold somewhat like a Voice answer'd me Doubt not HERMAS Wherefore I began to think and say within my self why should I doubt seeing I am thus setled by the LORD and have seen such glorious things I had gone but a little farther Brethren when behold I saw a Dust rise up to Heaven I began to say within my self Is there a Drove of Cattle coming that raises such a Dust It was about a Furlong off from me And behold I saw the Dust rise more and more insomuch that I began to suspect that there was somewhat extraordinary in it And the Sun shone a little and behold I saw a great Beast as it were a Whale and fiery Locusts came out of his Mouth The Heigth of the Beast was about a hundred Feet and he had a Head like a large Earthen Vessel I began to weep and to pray unto the LORD that he would deliver me from it Then I call'd to mind the Word which I had heard Doubt not HERMAS Wherefore Brethren putting on the Faith of God and remembring who it was that had taught me great things I deliver'd my self boldly unto the Beast Now the Beast came on in such a manner as if it could with one Blast have devour'd a City I came near unto it and the Beast extended its whole Bulk upon the Ground and put forth nothing but its Tongue nor once moved its self till I had quite pass'd by it Now the Beast had upon its Head four Colours first Black then a Red and Bloudy Colour then a Golden and then a White II. AFTER that I had pass'd by it and was gon forward about thirty Foot behold there met me a certain Virgin well-adorn'd as if she had been just come out of her Bride-Chamber all in white having on white Shoes and a Vail down her Face and cover'd with shining Hair Now I know by my former Visions that it was the Church and thereupon grew the more chearful And she saluted me saying Hail O Man I return'd the Salutation saying Lady Hail She answering said unto me Did nothing meet you O Man I replyed Lady There met me such a Beast as seem'd able to devour a whole People But by the Power of God and through his singular Mercy I escap'd it Thou didst escape it well said she because thou didst cast thy whole Care upon God and open'dst thy Heart unto him believing that thou couldst be safe by no other than by his Great and Honourable Name For this cause the LORD sent his Angel who is over the Beasts whose Name is HEGRIN and stopp'd his Mouth that he should not devour thee Thou hast escap'd a great Tryal by means of thy Faith and because thou didst not doubt for such a terrible Beast Go therefore and relate to the Elect of God the great things that he hath done for thee And thou shalt say unto them that this Beast is the Figure of the Tryal that is about to come If therefore ye shall have prepared your selves ye may escape it if your Heart be pure and without Spot and if ye shall serve God all the rest of your Days without complaint Cast all your Cares upon the LORD and he will direct them Believe in God ye doubtful because he can do all things He can both turn away his Wrath from you and send you Help and Security Wo to the double-minded to those who shall hear these Words and shall despise them It had been better for them that they had not been born III. THEN I ask'd her concerning the four Colours which the Beast had upon its Head But she answer'd me saying Again art thou curious in that thou askest concerning these things And I said unto her Lady Shew me what they are Hear said she The Black which thou sawest denotes the World in which you dwell The Fiery and Bloudy Colour signifies that this Age must be destroyed by Fire and Bloud The Golden Part are ye who have escaped out of it For as Gold is try'd by the Fire and is made Profitable so are ye also in like manner try'd who dwell among the Men of this World They therefore that shall endure to the end and be proved by them shall be purged And as Gold by this Tryal is cleansed and loses it Dross so shall ye also cast away all Sorrow and Trouble and be made pure for the Building of the Tower But the White Colour denotes the time of the World which is to come in which the Elect of God shall inhabit Because the Elect of God shall be pure and without Spot unto Life Eternal Wherefore do not thou cease to speake these things in the Ears of the Saints Here ye have the Figure of the great Tribulation that is
Thought should arise in thy Heart thou wouldst be guilty of a great Sin and they who do such things follow the way of Death Look therefore to thy self and keep thy self from such a Thought For where Chastity remains in the Heart of a Righteous Man there an Evil Thought ought never to arise And I said unto him Sir Suffer me to speak a little with you He bad me Say on And I answer'd Sir If a Man shall have a Wife that is faithful in the LORD and shall catch her in Adultery shall a Man sin that continues to live still with her And he said unto me As long as he is ignorant of her Sin he commits no fault in living with her But if a Man shall know his Wife to have offended and she shall not repent of her Sin but go on still in her Fornication and a Man shall continue nevertheless to live with her he shall become guilty of her Sin and partake with her in her Adultery And I said unto him what therefore is to be done if the Woman continues on in her Sin He answered Let her Husband put her away and let him continue by himself But if he shall put away his Wife and marry another he also shall commit Adultery And I said What if the Woman that is so put away shall repent and be willing to return to her Husband shall she not be received by him He said unto me Yes and if her Husband shall not receive her he will sin and commit a great Offence against himself But he ought to receive her though an Offender if she repents only not often For to the Servants of God there is but one Repentance And for this Cause a Man that putteth away his Wife ought not to take another because she may repent This Act is alike both in the Man and in the Woman Now they commit Adultery not only who pollute their Flesh but who also make an Image If therefore a Woman perseveres in any thing of this kind and repents not depart from her and live not with her Otherwise thou also shalt be Partaker of her Sin But it is therefore commanded that both the Man and Woman should remain unmarried because such Persons may repent Nor do I in this administer any Occasion for the doing of these things so but rather that whoso has offended should not offend any more But for their former Sins God who has the Power of Healing will give a Remedy For it is he who can do all things II. I ASKED him again and said Seeing my LORD has thought me worthy with whom to dwell continually speak a few Words unto me because I understand nothing and my Heart is hardned through my former Conversation and open my Understanding because I am very dull and apprehend nothing at all And he answering said unto me I am the Minister of Repentance and give Understanding to all that repent Do's it not seem to thee to be a very wise thing to repent Because he that do's so gets a great Feeling For he feels himself to have sinn'd and done wickedly in the sight of the LORD and he remembers within himself that he has offended and repents and do's no more wickedly but do's that which is good and humbles his Soul and afflicts it because he has offended You see therefore that Repentance is a deep Sense And I said unto him For this cause Sir I enquire diligently into all things because I am a Sinner that I may know what I must do that I may live and because my Sins are many And he said unto me Thou shalt live if thou shalt keep these my Commandments And whosoever shall hear and do these Commands shall live unto God III. AND I said unto him I have even now heard from certain Teachers that there is no other Repentance besides that of Baptism when we go down into the Water and receive the Forgiveness of our Sins and that after that we must sin no more but live in Purity And he said unto me thou hast been rightly inform'd Nevertheless seeing now thou enquirest diligently into all things I will manifest this also unto thee yet not so as to give any Occasion of sinning either to those who shall hereafter believe or who have already believ'd in the LORD For neither they who have already believed or who shall hereafter believe have any Repentance of Sins but Forgiveness of them But as to those who are already called the LORD before that time appointed Repentance Because God knoweth the Thoughts of all Mens Hearts and their Infirmities and the manifold Wickedness of the Devil who is always contriving something against the Servants of God and maliciously lays Snares for them Therefore our merciful LORD had Compassion towards his Creature and appointed that Repentance and gave unto me the Power of it And therefore I say unto thee If any one after that Great and Holy Calling shall be tempted by the Devil and Sin he has but one Repentance But if he shall often sin and repent it shall not profit such a one for he shall hardly live unto God And I said Sir I am restored again to Life since I have thus diligently hearken'd to these Commands For I perceive that if I shall not hereafter add any more to my Sins I shall be saved And he said Thou shalt be saved and so shall all others as many as shall observe these Commandments IV. AND again I said unto him Sir seeing thou hearest me patiently shew me yet one thing more Tell me saith he what it is And I said If a Husband or Wife die and the Party which survives marry again do's he sin in so doing He that marries says he sins not Howbeit if he shall remain single he shall thereby gain to himself great Honour with the LORD Keep therefore thy Chastity and Modesty and thou shalt live unto God Observe from henceforth those things which I speak with thee and command thee to observe from the time that I have been deliver'd unto thee and dwell in thy House So shall thy former Sins be forgiven if thou shalt keep these my Commandments And in like manner shall all others be forgiven who shall observe these my Commandments The Fifth COMMAND Of the Sadness of the Heart And of Patience I. BE Patient says he and of an Even-Mind so shalt thou have Dominion over all Wicked Works and shalt fulfil all Righteousness For if thou shalt be Patient the Holy Spirit which dwelleth in thee shall be pure and not be darkned by any other Evil Spirit But being full of Joy shall be enlarged and feast in the Body in which it dwells and shall appear before the LORD with Joy and in great Peace But if any Anger shall over-take thee presently the Holy Spirit which is in thee will be straightned and seek to depart from thee For he is
of his Spirit XXV AS concerning the eighth Mountain in which were a great many Springs by which every kind of all the Creatures of God was watered they are such as have believed the Apostles which the LORD sent into all the World to preach and some Teachers who have preached and taught purely and sincerely and have not in the least yielded to any Evil Desires but have constantly walked in Righteousness and Truth These therefore have their Conversation among the Angels XXVI AGAIN as for what concerns the ninth Mountain which was desert and full of Serpents they are such as have believed but had many Stains These are such Ministers as discharge their Ministry amiss ravishing away the Goods of the Widows and Fatherless and serve themselves not others out of those things which they have received These if they continue in this Covetousness shall deliver themselves unto Death nor shall there be any hope of Life for them But if they shall be converted and shall discharge their Ministry sincerely they may live As for those which were found rough they are such as have deny'd the Name of the LORD and not return'd again to the LORD but have become savage and wild not applying themselves to the Servants of God but being separated from them have for the sake of a little Anxiety lost their Lives For as a Vine that is forsaken in a Hedge and never dress'd perishes and is choaked by the Weeds and in time becomes wild and ceases to be useful to its LORD So this kind of Men despairing of themselves and being made sour have begun to be unprofitable to their LORD Howbeit to these there is at last Repentance allow'd if they shall not be found from their Hearts to have denied Christ But if any of these shall be found to have denied him from his Heart I cannot tell whether such a one can attain unto Life And I say therefore that if in these Days any one has denied he should return unto Repentance for it cannot be that any one who now denies the LORD can afterwards attain unto Salvation Nevertheless Repentance is proposed unto them who have formerly deny'd But he who will repent must hasten on his Repentance before the Building of this Tower is finished Or if not he shall be delivered by those Women unto Death But they that are maimed are the Deceitful and those who mix one with another These are the Serpents that you saw in that Mountain For as the Poyson of Serpents is deadly unto Men So the Words of such Persons infect and destroy Men. They are therefore maimed in their Faith by reason of that kind of Life in which they lead Howbeit some of them having repented have been saved and so shall others of the same kind be saved if they shall repent but if not they shall die by those Women whose Power and Force they enjoy XXVII FOR what concerns the tenth Mountain in which were the Trees covering the Cattle they are such as have believed and some of them been Bishops that is Governours of the Churches Others are such Stones as have not feignedly but with a chearful Mind entertain'd the Servants of God Then such as have been set over inferior Ministries and have protected the Poor and the Widows and have always kept a chast Conversation therefore they also are protected by the LORD Whosoever shall do on this wise are honour'd with the LORD and their Place is among the Angels if they shall continue to obey the LORD even unto the End XXVIII AS to the eleventh Mountain in which were Trees loaded with several sorts of Fruits they are such as have believed and suffered Death for the Name of the LORD and have endured with a ready Mind and have given up their Lives with all their Hearts And I said Why then Sir have all these Fruit but some fairer than others Hearken said he Whosoever have suffered for the Name of the LORD are esteemed honourable by the LORD and all their Offences are blotted out because they have suffered Death for the Name of the Son of God Hear now why their Fruits are different and some of them excel others They who being brought before Magistrates and being ask'd deny'd not the LORD but suffered with a ready Mind these are more honourable with the LORD The Fruits therefore that are the most fair are these But they who were fearful and doubtful and have deliberated with themselves whether they should confess or deny Christ and yet have suffered their Fruits are smaller because that this Thought came into their Hearts For it is a wicked and evil Thought for a Servant to deliberate whether he should deny his Master Take heed therefore ye who have such Thoughts that this Mind continue not in you and ye die unto God But ye who suffer Death for his Name sake ought to honour the LORD that he has esteem'd you worthy to bear his Name and that you should be delivered from all your Sins And why therefore do you not rather esteem your selves happy Why do you not think that if any one among you suffer he performs a great Work For the LORD giveth you Life and ye understand it not For your Offences did oppress you and had you not suffer'd for his Names sake ye had now been dead unto the LORD Wherefore I speak this unto you who deliberate whether ye should confess or deny him Confess that ye have the LORD for your God least at any time denying him ye be delivered over into Bonds For if all Nations punish their Servants which deny their Masters What think you that the LORD will do unto you who has the Power of all things Remove therefore out of your Hearts these Doubts that ye may live for ever unto God XXIX AS for the twelfth Mountain which was white they are such as have believed like sincere Children into whose Thoughts there never came any Malice nor have they ever known what Sin was but have always continued in their Integrity Wherefore this kind of Men shall without all doubt inherit the Kingdom of God because they have never in any thing defiled the Commandments of God but have continued with Sincerity in the same Condition all the days of their Life Whosoever therefore said he shall continue as Children without Malice shall be more honourable than all those of whom I have yet spoken For all such Children are honour'd by the LORD and esteemed the first of all Happy therefore are ye who have removed all Malice from you and put on Innocence because ye shall first see the LORD And after he had thus ended his Explication of all the Mountains I said unto him Sir Shew me now also what concerns the Stones that were brought out of the Plain and put into the Tower in the room of those that were rejected as also concerning those round Stones which were added into the Building of the Tower and also of those who still continued
it that they should be the first People and Heirs of the Covenant If therefore God shall have yet farther taken Notice of this by Abraham too Our Understanding of it will then be perfectly established What then saith the Scripture to Abraham when he believed and it was imputed unto him for Righteousness Behold I have made thee a Father of the Nations which without Circumcision believe in the LORD XIV LET us therefore now enquire whether God has fulfilled the Covenant which he sware to our Fathers that he would give this People Yes verily He gave it But they were not worthy to receive it by reason of their Sins For thus saith the Prophet And Moses continued fasting in Mount Sinai to receive the Covenant of the LORD with the People forty Days and forty Nights And he received of the LORD two Tables written with the Finger of the LORD'S Hand in the Spirit And Moses when he had received them brought them down that he might deliver them to the People And the LORD said unto Moses Moses Moses get thee down quickly for the People which thou broughtest out of the Land of Egypt have done Wickedly And Moses understeod that they had again set up a Molten Image and he cast the two Tables out of his Hands and the Tables of the Covenant of the LORD were broken Moses therefore received them but they were not worthy Now then learn how we have received them Moses being a Servant took them but the LORD himself has given them unto us that we might be the People of his Inheritance having suffered all things for us And it was therefore made manifest that they should fill up the Measure of their Sins and that we being made Heirs by him should receive the Covenant of the LORD Jesus And again the Prophet saith Behold I have set thee for a Light unto the Gentiles to be the Saviour of all the Ends of the Earth saith the LORD the God who hath redeemed thee Who for that very End was prepared that by his Own appearing he might redeem our Hearts already devoured by Death and delivered over to the Irregularity of Error from Darkness and establish a Covenant with us by his Word For so it is written that the Father commanded him by delivering of us from Darkness to prepare unto himself a Holy People Wherefore the Prophet saith I the LORD thy God have called thee in Righteousness and I will take thee by the Hand and will strenghthen thee And give thee for a Covenant of the People for a Light of the Gentiles To open the Eyes of the Blind to bring out the Prisoners from the Prison and them that sit in Darkness out of the Prison-House Consider therefore from whence we have been redeemed And again the Prophet saith The Spirit of the LORD is upon me because he hath anointed me he hath sent me to preach glad Tidings to the Lowly to heal the broken in Heart to preach Remission to the Captives and sight unto the Blind To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD and the Day of Restitution to comfort all that mourn XV. FURTHERMORE it is written concerning the Sabbath in the Ten Commandments which God spake in the Mount Sinai to Moses Face to Face Sanctifie the Sabbath of the LORD with pure Hands and with a clean Heart And elsewhere he saith If thy Children shall keep my Sabbaths then will I put my Mercy upon them And even in the beginning of the Creation he makes mention of the Sabbath And God made in six Days the Works of his Hands and he finished them on the seventh Day and he rested the seventh day and sanctified it Consider my Children what that signifies he finish'd them in six Days The meaning of it is this that in six thousand years the LORD God will bring all things to an End For with him One Day is a Thousand Years as himself testifieth saying Behold this day shall be as a thousand years Therefore Children in six Days that is in six thousand years shall All things be accomplished And rested the Seventh Day He meaneth this that when his Son shall come and abolish the Season of the Wicked One and jugde the Ungodly and shall change the Sun and the Moon and the Stars then he shall gloriously rest in that seventh Day He adds lastly Thou shalt sanctifie it with clean Hands and a pure Heart Wherefore we are greatly deceived if we imagin that any one can now sanctifie that Day which God has made Holy without having a Heart pure in all things He will therefore then truly sanctifie it with blessed Rest when we having received the righteous Promise when Iniquity shall be no more all things being renewed by the LORD shall be able to sanctifie it being our selves first made Holy Lastly he saith unto them Your New Moons and your Sabbaths I cannot bear them Consider what he means by it The Sabbaths says he which ye now keep are not acceptable unto me but those which I have made when resting from all things I shall begin the Eighth Day that is the Beginning of the other World For which cause we observe the Eighth Day with Gladness in which Jesus both rose from the dead and manifested himself to his Disciples and so ascended into Heaven XVI IT remains yet that we speak to you concerning the Temple How those miserable Men being deceived have put their trust in the House and not in God himself who made them as if it were the Habitation of God Much after the same manner as the Gentiles have consecrated him in their Temples But learn therefore how the LORD speaketh rendring the Temple vain Who has measured the Heaven with a Span and the Earth with his Hand Is it not I Thus saith the LORD Heaven is my Throne and the Earth is my Footstool What is the House that ye will build me Or what is the place of my Rest Know therefore that all their Hope is vain And again he speaketh after this manner Behold they that destroy this Temple even they shall build another And so it came to pass For through their Wars it is now destroy'd by their Enemies and the Servants of their Enemies build it up Farthermore it has been made manifest how both the City and the Temple and the People of Israel should be given up For the Scripture saith And it shall come to pass in the last days that the LORD will deliver up the Sheep of his Pasture and their Fold and their Tower unto Destruction And it has come to pass as the LORD hath spoken Let us enquire therefore whether there be any Temple of God Yes there is And that there where himself declares that he would both make and establish it For it is written And it shall be that as soon as the Week shall be compleated the
Syllables And as soon as I had finished what was written in the Book the Book was suddenly caught out of my hands but by whom I saw not II. AFTER fifteen days when I had fasted and intreated the LORD with all earnestness the Knowledge of the Writing was revealed unto me Now the Writing was this Thy Seed O HERMAS hath sinned against the LORD and have betrayed their Parents through their great Wickedness And they have been called the Betrayers of their Parents and have gone on in their Treachery And now have they added Lewdness to their other Sins and the Pollutions of Naughtiness Thus have they fill'd up the Measure of their Iniquities But do thou upbraid thy Sons with all these Words and thy Wife which shall be thy Sister And let her learn to refrain her Tongue with which she calumniates For when she shall hear these things she will refrain her self and shall obtain Mercy And they shall be instructed when thou shalt have reproach'd them with these Words which the LORD has commanded to be revealed unto thee Then shall their Sins be forgiven which they have heretofore committed and the Sins of all the Saints who have sinned even unto this day if they shall repent with all their Hearts and remove all Doubts out of their Hearts For the LORD hath sworn by his Glory concerning his Elect having determined the certain Day that if any one shall even now sin he shall not be saved For the Repentance of the Righteous has its End The Days of Repentance are fulfilled to all the Saints but to the Heathen there is Repentance even unto the Last Day Thou shalt therefore say to those who are over the Church that they order their Ways in Righteousness that they may fully receive the Promise with much Glory Stand fast therefore ye that work Righteousness and continue to do it that your Departure may be with the Holy Angels Happy are ye as many as shall endure the Great Tryal that is at hand and whosoever shall not deny his Life For the LORD hath sworn by his Son that who so denieth his Son and him being afraid of his Life he will also deny him in the World that is to come But those who shall never deny him he will of his exceeding great Mercy be favourable unto them III. BUT thou O Hermas remember not the Evils which thy Sons have done neither neglect thy Sister but take care that they amend of their former Sins For they will be instructed by this Doctrine if thou shalt not be mindful of what they have done wickedly For the Remembrance of Evils worketh Death but the Forgetting of them Life Eternal But thou O HERMAS hast undergone a great many Wordly Troubles for the Offences of thy House because thou hast neglected them as things that did not belong unto thee and thou art wholly taken up with thy great Business Nevertheless for this cause shalt thou be saved that thou hast not departed from the Living God And thy Simplicity and singular Continency shall preserve thee if thou shalt continue in them Yea they shall save All such as do such things and walk in Innocence and Simplicity They who are of this kind shall prevail against all Impiety and continue unto Life Eternal Happy are all they that do Righteousness they shall not be consumed for ever But thou wilt say Behold there is a great Tryal coming If it seems good to thee Deny him again The LORD is nigh to them that turn to him as it is written in the Books of Heldam and Modal who prophecy'd to the Israelites in the Wilderness IV. MOREOVER Brethren it was reavealed to me as I was sleeping by a very goodly young Man saying unto me What thinkest thou of that old Woman from whom thou receivedst the Book Who is she I answered a Sybil. Thou art mistaken said he she is not I reply'd who is she then Sir He answered me it is the Church of God And I said unto him Why then do's she appear Old She is therefore said he an Old Woman because she was the first of all the Creation and the World was made for her After this I saw a Vision at home in my own House and the Old Woman whom I had seen before came to me and ask'd me whether I had yet deliver'd the Book which she had given me to the Elders of the Church And I answered that I had not yet She reply'd Thou hast well done for I have certain Words more to tell thee But when I shall have finished all the Words they shall be clearly understood by the Elect. And thou shalt write two Books and send one to Clement and one to Grapté For Clement shall send it to the foreign Cities because it is permitted to him so to do But Grapté shall admonish the Widows and Orphans But thou shalt read it to the Elders that are over the Church VISION III. Of the Building of the Church-Triumphant and of the several Orders of Reprobates I. THE Vision which I saw Brethren was this When I had often fasted and pray'd unto the LORD that he would manifest unto me the Revelation which he had promised by the Old Woman to shew unto me The same Night she appear'd unto me and said unto me because thou dost thus afflict thy self and art so desirous to know All things come into the Field where thou wilt and about the sixth Hour I will appear unto thee and shew thee what thou must see I ask'd her saying Lady into what part of the Field She answered wherever thou wilt only chuse a good and a private place And before I could begin to speak and tell her the place she said unto me I will come where thou wilt I was therefore Brethren in the Field and I observed the Hours and came into the place where I had appointed to go And I beheld a Bench placed it was a linnen Pillow and over it spread a Covering of fine Linnen When I saw these things order'd in this Manner and that there was no Body in the place I began to be astonish'd and my Hair stood on end and a kind of Horror seiz'd me for I was alone But being come to my self and calling to mind the Glory of God and taking Courage I fell down upon my Knees and began again to confess my Sins as before And whilst I was doing this the Old Woman came thither with the six young Men whom I had seen before and stood behind me as I was praying and confessing my Sins unto the LORD And touching me she said leave off now to pray only for thy Sins pray also for Righteousness that thou maist receive a part from her in thy House And she lifted me up from the place and took me by the Hand and brought me to the Seat and said to the young Men Go and Build As soon as they were departed and we were alone she said unto me sit here
dissemble thou shalt not be saved nor thy Children nor thy House Because thou hast judged that these Commands cannot be kept by Man IV. THESE things he spake very angrily unto me insomuch that he greatly affrighted me For he changed his Countenance so that a Man could not bear his Anger And when he saw me altogether troubled and confounded he began to speak more moderately and chearfully saying O foolish and without Understanding Unconstant not knowing the Majesty of God how great but withal how merciful he is who created the World for Man and hath made every Creature subject unto him and given him all Power that he should be able to overcome all these Commands He is able said he to overcome all these Commands who has the LORD in his Heart But they who have the LORD only in their Mouths and their Heart is hardned are far from the LORD To such Persons these Commands are hard and difficult Put therefore ye that are empty and light in the Faith the LORD your God and keep him in your Hearts and ye shall understand how that nothing is more easie then these Commands nor more pleasant nor more gentle and holy And turn your selves to the LORD your God and forsake the Devil and his Pleasures because they are Evil and Bitter and Impure And fear not the Devil because he has no Power over you For I am with you the Messenger of Repentance who have the Dominion over him The Devil do's indeed affright Men but his Terror is vain Wherefore fear him not and he will flee from you V. AND I said unto him Sir Hear me speak a few Words unto you He answer'd Say on A Man indeed desires to keep the Commandments of God and there is no one but what prays unto God that he may be able to keep his Commandments But the Devil is hard and by his Power rules over the Servants of God And he said He cannot rule over the Servants of God who believe in him with all their Hearts The Devil may strive but he cannot overcome them For if ye resist him he will flee away with shame from you But they that are not full in the Faith fear the Devil as if he had some great Power For the Devil tries the Servants of God and if he finds them empty he destroys them For as a Man when he fills up Vessels with good Wine and among them puts a few Vessels half full and comes to try and tast of the Vessels do's not try those that are full because he knows that they are good but tasts those that are half full least they should grow sowre for Vessels half full soon grow sowre and lose the Tast of Wine So the Devil comes to the Servants of God to try them They that are full of Faith resist him stoutly and he departs from them because he finds no place where to enter into them then he go's to those that are not full of Faith and because he has place of entrance he goes into them and do's what he will with them and they become his Servants VI. BUT I the Messenger of Repentance say unto you Fear not the Devil For I am sent unto you that I may be with you as many as shall repent with your whole Heart and that I may confirm you in the Faith Believe therefore ye who by reason of your Transgressions have forgot God and who company your Salvation with your Sins lead your Lives in Trouble that if ye shall turn to the LORD with your whole Hearts and shall serve him according to his Will he will give a Remedy to your Souls notwithstanding your former Sins and ye shall have dominion over all the Works of the Devil Be not then afraid in the least of his Threatnings for they are without force as the Sinews of a dead Man But hearken unto me and fear the LORD Almighty who is able to save and to destroy you and keep his Commands that ye may live unto God And I said unto him Sir I am now confirm'd in all the Commands of the LORD whilst that you are with me and I know that you will break all the Power of the Devil And we also shall overcome him if we shall be able through the help of the LORD to keep these Commands which you have delivered Thou shalt keep them said he if thou shalt purifie thy Heart towards the LORD And all they also shall keep them who shall cleanse their Hearts from the vain desires of the present World and shall live unto God The Third BOOK OF St. HERMAS Which is Called His SIMILITUDES The First SIMILITUDE That seeing we have no abiding City in this World we ought to look after that which is to come AND he said unto me Ye know that ye who are the Servants of the LORD live here as in a Pilgrimage For your City is far off from this City If therefore ye know your City in which ye are to dwell why do ye here buy Estates and provide your selves with Delicacies and stately Buildings and superfluous Houses For he that provides himself these things in this City do's not think of returning into his own City O foolish and doubtful and wretched Man Who understandest not that all these things are other Mens and under the Power of another For the LORD of this City saith unto thee either obey my Laws or depart out of my City What therefore shalt thou do who art subject to a Law in thine own City Canst thou for thy Estate or for any of those things which thou hast provided deny thy Law But if thou shalt deny it and wilt afterwards return into thy own City thou shalt not be received but shalt be excluded thence See therefore that like a Man in another Country thou procure no more to thy self than what is necessary and sufficient for thee and be ready that when the God or LORD of this City shall drive thee out of it thou mayst oppose his Law and go into thine own City where thou mayst with all Chearfulness live according to thine own Law without Wrong Take heed then ye that serve God and have him in your Hearts work ye the Works of God being mindful both of his Commands and of his Promises which he has promised and be assured that he will make them good unto you if ye shall keep his Commandments Instead therefore of the Possessions that ye would otherwise purchase redeem those that are in want from their Necessities as every one is able Justifie the Widows Judge the Cause of the Fatherless and spend your Riches and your Wealth in such Works as these For for this end has God enriched you that ye might fulfil these kind of Services It is much better to do this than to buy Lands or Houses because all such things shall perish with this present Time But what ye shall do for the Name of the LORD ye shall
have been cut off from it But attend for now it shall be shewn thee what that Angel means who gave those Rods to the People So he again demanded the Rods of them and in the same Order that every one had received them was he call'd to him and restored his Rod Which when he had received he examin'd them From some he received them Dry and Rotten and as it were touch'd with the Moth those he commanded to be separated from the rest and placed by themselves Others gave him their Rods dry indeed but not touch'd with the Moth these also he order'd to be set by themselves Others gave in their Rods half dry these also were set apart Others gave in their Rods half dry and cleft these too were set by themselves Others brought in their Rods half dry and half green and were in like manner placed by themselves Others deliver'd up their Rods two parts green and the third dry and they too were set apart Others brought their Rods two parts dry and the third green and were also placed by themselves Others deliver'd up their Rods yet less dry for there was but a very little to wit their Tops dry but they had Clefts and these were set in like manner by themselves In the Rods of others there was but a little green and the rest dry and these were set aside by themselves Others came and brought their Rods green as they had received them and the greatest part brought their Rods thus and these also were put apart by themselves Others brought their Rods not only green but full of Branches and these were set aside being received by the Angel with great Joy Others brought their Rods green with Branches and those also full of Fruit. They who had such Rods were very chearful and the Angel himself took great Joy at them nor was the Shepherd that stood with me less pleased with them II. THEN the Angel of the LORD commanded Crowns to be brought And the Crowns were brought made of Palms and the Angel crown'd those Men in whose Rods he found the young Branches with Fruit and commanded them to go into the Tower He also sent those into the Tower in whose Rods he found Branches without Fruit giving his Seal unto them For they had the same Garment that is one white as Snow with which he had them go into the Tower And so he did to those who return'd their Rods green as they received them giving them a white Garment and so sent them away to go into the Tower Having done this he said to the Shepherd that was with me I go my way but do thou send these within the Walls every one into the place in which he has deserved to dwell examining first their Rods but examine them diligently that no one deceive thee But and if any one shall escape thee I will try them upon the Altar Having said this to the Shepherd he departed After he was gone the Shepherd said unto me Let us take the Rods from them all and plant them if perchance they may grow green again I said unto him Sir How can those dry Rods ever grow green again He answer'd me That Tree is a Willow and always loves to live If therefore these Rods shall be planted and receive a little Moisture many of them will recover themselves Wherefore I will try and will pour Water upon them and if any of them can live I will rejoyce with him But if not at least by this means I shall be found not to have neglected my part And they all came unto him every one in the Rank in which he stood and gave him their Rods which having received He planted every one of them in their several Orders And after he had planted them all he poured much Water upon them insomuch that they were covered with Water and did not appear above it And when he had water'd them he said unto me Let us depart and after a little time we will return and visit them For he who created this Tree would have all those live that received Rods from it And I hope now that these Rods are thus watered many of them receiving in the Moisture will recover III. I SAID unto him Sir Tell me what this Tree denotes For I am greatly moved that after so many Branches have been cut off it seems still to be whole nor do's there any thing the less of it appear to remain which greatly amazes me He answer'd Hearken This great Tree which covers the Plains and the Mountains and all the Earth is the Law of God publish'd throughout the whole World Now by this Law the Son of God is preach'd to all the Ends of the Earth The People that stand under its Shadow are those which have heard his Preaching and believed The great and good Angel which you saw was MICHAEL who has the Power over this People and Governs them For he has planted the Law in the Hearts of those who have believed And therefore he visits them to whom he has given the Law to see if they have kept it And he examines every ones Rod and of those many that are weakned For those Rods are the Law of the LORD Then he discerns all those who have not kept the Law knowing the place of every one of them I said unto him Sir why did he send away some to the Tower and left others here to you He reply'd those who have transgress'd the Law which they receiv'd from him are left in my Power that they may repent of their Sins But they who satisfied the Law and kept it are under his Power But who then said I are those who went into the Tower Crowned He reply'd All such as having striven with the Devil have overcome him are Crown'd And they are those who have suffer'd injuries that they might keep the Law But they who gave up their Rods Green and with young Branches but without Fruit have indeed endured Trouble for the same Law but have not suffer'd Death but neither have they deny'd their Holy Law They who deliver'd up their Rods Green as they received them are those who were Modest and Just and have lived with a very Pure Mind and kept the Commandments of God The rest thou shalt know when I shall have consider'd those Rods which I have planted and watered IV. AFTER a few days we return'd and in the same place stood that great Angel and I stood by him Then he said unto me Gird thy self with a Napkin and serve me And I girded my self with a clean Towel which was made of Coarse Cloath And when he saw me girded and ready to minister unto him he said Call those Men whose Rods have been planted every one in his Order as they gave them And he brought me into the Field and I called them all and they all stood ready in their several Ranks Then he said unto them let every one pluck up his Rod and bring it
strive gloriously Let us therefore so contend that we may all of us be crown'd Let us run in the straight Road the Race that is incorruptible And let us in great Numbers pass unto it and strive that we may receive the Crown But and if we cannot all be crown'd let us come as near to it as we are able Moreover we must consider that he who contends in a corruptible Combat if he be found doing any thing that is not fair is taken away and scourged and cast out of the Lists What think ye then that he shall suffer who do's any thing that is not fitting in the Combat of Immortality Thus speaks the Prophet concerning those who keep not their Seal Their Worm shall not die and their Fire shall not be quenched and they shall be for a Spectacle unto all Flesh. VIII LET us therefore repent whilst we are yet upon the Earth For we are as Clay in the Hand of the Artificer For as the Potter if he make a Vessel and it be distorted in his Hands or broken again forms it anew but if he have gone so far as to throw it into the Furnace of Fire he can no more bring any Remedy to it So we whilst we are in this World should repent with our whole Heart for whatsoever Evil we have done in the Flesh while we have yet the time of Repentance that we may be saved by the LORD For after we shall have departed out of this World we shall no longer be able either to confess our Sins or repent in the other Wherefore Brethren let us doing the Will of the Father and keeping our Flesh pure and observing the Commandments of the LORD secure to our selves Eternal Life For the LORD saith in the Gospel If ye have not kept that which was little who will give you that which is great For I say unto you he that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much This therefore is what he saith keep your Bodies pure and your Soul without Spot that ye may receive Eternal Life IX AND let not any one among you say that this very Flesh is not judged neither raised up Consider in what were ye saved in what did ye look up if not whilst ye were in this Flesh We must therefore keep our Flesh as the Temple of God For in like manner as ye were called in the Flesh ye shall also come in the Flesh. Even our LORD Jesus Christ who has saved us being first a Spirit was made Flesh and so called us Wherefore we also shall in this Flesh receive the Reward Let us therefore love one another that we may all attain unto the Kingdom of God Whilst we are in a Condition of being healed let us deliver up our selveâ— to God our Physician giving our Reward unto him And what Reward shall we give Repentance out of a pure Heart For he knows all things before-hand and searches out our very Hearts Let us therefore give Praise unto him and that not only with our Mouths but with all our Souls that he may receive us as the Children of God For so the LORD hath said They are my Brethren who do the Will of my Father X. Wherefore my Brethren let us do the Will of our Father who hath call'd us that we may live Let us pursue Vertue and forsake Wickedness as the Forerunner of our Punishment and let us â—lee all Ungodliness that Evils overtake us not For if we shall do our diligence to live well Peace shall follow us And yet how hard is it to find a Man that do's this For almost all are led by Human Fears chusing rather the present Enjoyments than the future Promise For they know not how great a Torment the present Enjoyments bring with them nor what Delights the Promise of what is to come And did they themselves only do this it might the more easily be endured but now they go on to infect innocent Souls with their Evil Doctrins not knowing that both themselves and those that hear them shall receive a double Condemnation XI LET us therefore serve God with a pure Heart and we shall be Righteous But if we shall not serve him nor believe in the Promise of God we shall be miserable For thus saith the Prophet Miserable are the double minded who doubt in their Heart and say These things have we heard and our Fathers have told them unto us but we have seen none of them though we have expected them from Day to Day O ye Fools Consider the Trees take the Vine for an Example First it sheds its Leaves then it Buds then come the Sour Grapes then the Ripe Fruit. Even so my People has born its Disorders and Afflictions but shall hereafter receive good things Wherefore my Brethren let us not doubt in our Minds but let us expect with Hope that we may receive our Reward For he is Faithful who has promised that he will render to every one a Reward according to his Works If therefore we shall do what is just in the Sight of God we shall enter into his Kingdom and shall receive the Promises Which neither Eye has seen nor Ear hard nor have entred into the Heart of Man XII WHEREFORE let us every Hour expect the Kingdom of God in Love and Righteousness because we know not the Day of God's Appearing FINIS An INDEX OF THE Principal Matters contain'd in the foregoing TREATISES A. Alms-giving HOW we ought to give Pag. 369 370. Angels Attend the Death of good Men. 332. Every Man has Two Angels 385. Apostates No Repentance allow'd to them 441 463. They cannot be saved 505 514. B. Baptism Forgives all Sins 290 293. It s Necessity 342. Bishops In the Primitive Church the same as now with us 128 131 136 147 150 178 180 182 185 199 202 214 224. The Reverence due to them 129. That we ought to adhere to the Bishops 199. The Holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper not to be given but by the Bishop or such as he appoints 199 201. Marriage not to be made without his Knowledg and Consent 213. A Bishop ought to instruct as well as govern his Church 220. Exhortations proper for a Bishop Vid. Unity 210 c. Business Much Business a hindrance to Religion 424 507. C. Calamities God sends them upon us to bring us to Repentance 443 444. Charity What true Charity is 67. The Praise of it 67 68. Exhortations to it 353 530. Christ. His Divinity shewn 26 51 106 119.160 162 165 216 271 272 535 His Pre-Existence 131 133 271 544. His Eternity 133 246 492. His two Natures 111 120 194 212. Of his Birth c. 119 135 222. He is our High-Priest and Protectour 77. No coming to God but by him 493 494 536. The Ancient Fathers saved by him 184 502. So are we 538. He suffer'd for our Salvation 195 270 271 c. 536. He truly suffer'd 151.
Men unto Thee to Spy out the Land bring them forth for so hath the King Commanded She answered The two Men whom ye seek came unto Me but presently they departed and are gone Shewing them withall a Contrary way Then she said to the Spies I know that the LORD your God has given this City into your hands for the fear of you is fallen upon All that dwell therein When therefore ye shall have taken it ye shall save Me and my Fathers House And they answered her saying It shall be as Thou hast spoken unto Vs. Therefore when Thou shalt know that we are near thou shalt Gather all thy Family together upon the House top and they shall be saved But all that shall be found without thy House shall be destroyed And they gave her moreover a Sign that she should Hang out of her House a Scarlet Rope Shewing thereby that by the Blood of our Lord there should be Redemption to all that Believe and Hope in God Ye see Beloved How there was not only Faith but Prophesie too in this Woman XIII LET us therefore Humble our selves Brethren laying aside all Pride and Boasting and Foolishness and Anger And let us do as it is written for thus saith the Holy Spirit Let not the Wise Man Glory in his Wisdom nor the Strong Man in his Strength nor the Rich Man in his Riches But let him that Glorieth Glory in the LORD to seek Him and to do Judgment and Justice Above All remembring the words of the Lord Jesus which he spake concerning Equity and Long-suffering saying Be ye Merciful and ye shall obtain Mercy Forgive and ye shall be Forgiven As ye do so shall it be done unto you As ye give so shall it be given unto you As ye judge so shall ye be judged As ye are kind to Others so shall God be kind to you With what Measure ye Meet with the same shall it be measured to you Again By this Command and by these Rules let us establish our selves that so we may always walk obediently to his Holy Words being humble minded For so says the Holy Scripture Vpon Whom shall I look even upon him that is poor and of a Contrite Spirit and that trembles at my Word XIV IT is therefore Just and Righteous Men and Brethren that we should become Obedient unto God rather than follow such as through Pride and Disorder have made themselves the Ring-leaders of a detestable Emulation For it is not an Ordinary Harm that we shall do our selves but rather a very great Danger that we shall run if we shall rashly give up our selves to the Wills of Men who promote Strife and Seditions to turn us aside from what is fitting But let us be kind to One Another according to the Compassion and Sweetness of him that made us For it is written The Merciful shall inherit the Earth and they that are without Evil shall be left upon it But the Transgressors shall perish from off the face of it And again He saith I have seen the Wicked in great Power and spreading himself like the Cedars of Libanus I passed by and Lo he was not I sought his place but it could not be found Keep Innocency and do the thing that is right for there shall be a Remnant to the Peaceable Man XV. LET us therefore hold fast to Those who religiously follow Peace and not to such as only pretend to desire it For He saith in a certain place This People honoureth me with their lips but their heart is far from me And again They Bless with their Mouth but Curse in their Heart And again He saith They loved him with their Mouth and with their Tongue they lied to Him For their heart was not right with Him neither were they faithful in his Covenant The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips And the tongue that speaketh proud things Who have said with our tongue will we prevail Our lips are our own who is LORD over us For the Oppression of the Poor for the Sighing of the Needy now will I arise saith the LORD I will set him in safety I will deal confidently with him XVI FOR Christ is theirs who are Humble and not who exalt themselves over his Flock The Scepter of the Majesty of God our Lord Jesus Christ came not in the shew of Pride and Arrogance tho' he could have done so But with Humility as the Holy Ghost had before spoken concerning him For thus he saith LORD who hath believed our Report and to whom is the Arm of the LORD revealed For He shall grow up before him as a tender Plant and as a root out of a dry Ground He hath no Form nor Comeliness and when we shall see Him there is no Beauty that we should desire Him He is despised and rejected of Men A man of Sorrows and acquainted with Grief And we hid as it were our faces from Him He was despised and we esteemed Him not Surely He hath borne our Griefs and carried our Sorrows yet we did Esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted But he was wounded for our Transgressions He was bruised for our Iniquities The Chastisement of our Peace was upon Him and with his Stripes we are healed All we like sheep have gone astray we have turned every One to his own way and the LORD hath laid on Him the Iniquity of Vs all He was Oppressed and he was Afflicted yet he Opened not his mouth He is brought as a Lamb to the Slaughter and as a Sheep before her Shearers is Dumb so He openeth not his Mouth He was taken from Prison and from Judgment And who shall declare his Generation For he was cut off out of the Land of the Living For the Transgression of my People was he stricken And he made his Grave with the Wicked and with the Rich in his Death because he had done no Violence neither was any deceit in his Mouth Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him he hath put him to grief When thou shalt make his Soul an Offering for sin He shall see his Seed he shall prolong his days And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand He shall see of the travail of his Soul and shall be satisfied by his Knowledge shall my righteous Servant justifie many For He shall bear their Iniquities Therefore will I divide him a portion with the Great and he shall divide the Spoil with the Strong because He hath poured out his Soul unto death And he was numbred with the Transgressors and he bare the sin of many and made Intercession for the Transgressors And again he Himself saith I am a Worm and no Man a reproach of men and despised of the People All they that see me laugh me to scorn they shout out their lips they shake their head
longer observing Sabbaths but living according to the Commands of the LORD in which also our Life is sprung up by Him and through his Death whom yet some deny By which Mystery we have been brought to Believe and therefore wait that we may be found the Disciples of Jesus Christ our only Master How shall we be able to live Different from Him whose Disciples the very Prophets themselves being did by the Spirit expect Him as their Master And therefore He whom they justly waited for being come raised them up from the Dead X. LET us not then be Insensible of his Goodness for should he have dealt with us according to our Works we had not now had a Being Wherefore being become his Disciples let us learn to live according to the Rules of Christianity For whosoever is called by any other name besides this He is not of God Lay aside therefore the Old and Sower and Evil Leaven and be ye changed into the New Leaven which is Jesus Christ. Be ye salted in Him lest any one among you should be Corrupted for by your smell ye shall be Judged It is Absurd to call your selves by the Name of Jesus Christ and to Judaize For the Christian Religion did not embrace the Jewish but the Jewish the Christian that so every Tongue that Believed might be gathered together unto God XI THESE things my Beloved I write unto you not that I know of any among you that lye under this Error But as one of the least among you I am desirous to forewarn you that ye fall not into the Snares of Vain Doctrine But that ye be fully instructed in the Birth and Suffering and Resurrection of Jesus Christ our Hope which was done in the Time of the Government of Pontius Pilate and that most truly and certainly and from which God forbid that any among you should be turn'd aside XII MAY I therefore have Joy of you in all things if I shall be worthy of it For though I am Bound yet am I not worthy to be compared to one of you that are at Liberty I know that ye are not puffed up for ye have Jesus Christ in your Hearts And especially when I commend you I know that ye are Ashamed as it is written The Just Man condemneth himself XIII STUDY therefore to be confirm'd in the Doctrine of our LORD and of his Apostles that so whatsoever ye do ye may prosper both in Body and Spirit in Faith and Charity in the Son and in the Father and in the Holy Spirit in the Beginning and in the End Together with your most worthy Bishop and the well-wrought Spiritual Crown of your Presbytery and your Deacons which are according to God Be subject to your Bishop and to one another as Jesus Christ to the Father according to the Flesh and the Apostles both to Christ and to the Father and to the Holy Ghost that so ye may be united both in Body and Spirit XIV KNOWING you to be full of God I have the more briefly exhorted you Be mindful of me in your Prayers that I may attain unto God And forget not the Church that is in Syria from which I am not worthy to be called For I stand in need of your Joynt-Prayers in God and of your Charity that the Church which is in Syria may be thought worthy to be nourish'd by your Church XV. THE Ephesians from Smyrna salute you from which place I write unto you Being present here to the Glory of God in like manner as you are who have in all things refresh'd me together with Polycarp the Bishop of the Smyrnaeans The rest of the Churches in the Honour of Jesus Christ salute you Farewel and be ye strengthned in the Concord of God enjoying his Inseparable Spirit which is Jesus Christ. To the MAGNESIANS THE EPISTLE OF St. IGNATIVS TO THE Trallians THE CONTENTS The Salutation Chap. I. HE acknowledges the Coming of their Bishop and his receit of their Charity by Him II. He commends them for their Orderly Subjection to their Bishop Priests and Deacons and exhorts them to continue in it III. He inforces the same Exhortation Commends their Bishop and excuses his not writing more fully to them of this Matter IV. Which he does not least he should seem to take too much upon Him And be too much exalted in his own Conceit which would be very Dangerous to Him Who is afraid even of his Over-great Desire to Suffer least it should be prejudicial to Him V. Another Reason why he did not write more largely to them is that at present they are not able to bear it VI. He warns them against Hereticks who poison the sound Word of Christ And VII Exhorts them by Humility of Mind and Unity with the Church to guard Themselves against Them VIII And this he does not that he knows of any present need they had of this Advice but to prevent any Mischief from falling upon them IX To which End he briefly sets before them the true Doctrine concerning Christ. X. And particularly exposes the Error of some who taught that he seemed only to Die but did not really Suffer XI From these he would have Them flee XII He returns again to his Exhortation of them to Unity And desires their Prayers of which he was much in need XIII Which also he begs for his Church at Antioch And having given them the Salutations of Those who were with Him and once more exhorted them to due Submission to their Bishop c. He Concludes THE EPISTLE OF St. IGNATIVS TO THE Trallians IGNATIUS who is also called THEOPHORUS to the Beloved of God the Father of JESUS CHRIST the Holy Church which is at TRALLES in Asia Elect and Worthy of God Having Peace through the Flesh and Bloud and Passion of Jesus Christ our Hope in the Resurrection which is by him Which also I salute in the Fullness of the Apostolical Character Wishing all Joy and Happiness unto it I. I HAVE heard of your Blameless and Constant Disposition through Patience which not only appears in your Outward Conversation but is habitually rooted and grounded in you In like manner as Polybius your Bishop has declared unto me Who came to me to Smyrna by the Will of God and Jesus Christ and so rejoyced together with me in my Bonds for Jesus Christ that in effect I saw your whole Church in Him Having therefore received the Testimony of your Good Will towards me for Gods sake by Him I rejoyced to find you as also I knew that ye were the Followers of God II. FOR whereas ye are subject to your Bishop as to Jesus Christ ye appear to me to live not after the manner of Men but according to Jesus Christ who died for us that so believing in his Death we might
and standing by the LORD with much Assurance and in unspeakable Glory XV. Which when we saw being filled with Joy and glorifying God the Giver of all good things and assured of the Blessedness of the Saint we thought fit to manifest unto you both the Day and the Time That being assembled together according to the time of his Martyrdom we may communicate with the Combatant and most valiant Martyr of Christ Who trod under foot the Devil and bare down his Snares even unto the end Glorifying our LORD Jesus Christ in his Venerable and Holy Memory To whom and with whom All Glory and Power be to the Father with the Blessed Spirit in the Holy Church for ever and ever Amen The Circular EPISTLE OF THE Church of SMYRNA Concerning the Martyrdom OF St. POLYCARP The Church of God which is at SMYRNA to the Church of God which is at PHILADELPHIA and to all the Other Assemblies of the Holy Catholick Church in every Place Peace and Love from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ be multiplied I. WE have written to you Brethren both of what concerns the other Martyrs but especially the Blessed Polycarp who by his Sufferings put an end to the Persecution setting as it were his Seal to it For almost all things that went before were done that the LORD might shew us from Above a Martyrdom truly such as became the Gospel For he expected to be deliver'd to the Persecution Even as the LORD also do's that we should become the Followers of his Example Considering not only what is profitable for our selves but also for our Neighbours Advantage For it is the part of a true and perfect Charity to desire not only that a Mans self should be saved but also all the Brethren together with him II. THE Sufferings then of all the other Martyrs were Blessed and Generous which they underwent according to the Will of God For so it becomes us who are more Religious than others to refer the Power and Ordering of all things unto Him And indeed who can chuse but admire the greatness of their Mind and that admirable Patience and Love of their Master which then appeared in them Who when they were so flea'd with Whipping that the frame and structure of their Bodies were laid open to their very inward Veins and Arteries nevertheless endured it And when all that beheld them pitied and lamented them yet shew'd so great a Generosity of Mind that not one of them let so much as a Sigh or a Groan escape them Plainly shewing that those Holy Martyrs of Christ at the very same time that they were thus tormented were absent from the Body Or rather that the LORD stood by them and conversed with them Wherefore being supported by the Grace of Christ they despised all the torments of the World By the Sufferings of an hour redeeming themselves from Everlasting Punishment For this cause even the Fire of their Cruel and Barbarous Executioners seemed Cold to them whilst they hoped hereby to escape that Fire which is Eternal and shall never be extinguish'd And beheld with the Eyes of Faith those good things which are reserved for them that endure to the End which neither Ear has heard nor Eye seen nor have they entred into the Heart of Man But to them they were now revealed by the LORD as who were no longer Men but already become Angels In like manner Those who were condemned to the Beasts being kept a long time in Prison underwent many cruel Torments Being forced to lie upon sharp Spikes laid under their Bodies and tormented with divers other sorts of punishments that so if it were possible the Tyrant by the length of their Sufferings might have brought them to Deny Christ. III. FOR indeed the Devil did invent many things against them But thanks be to God he was not able to prevail over All. For the Brave GERMANICUS strengthen'd those that fear'd by his Patience And fought Gloriously with the Beasts And when the Proconsul would have perswaded him telling him that he should consider his Age and spare himself He pull'd the Wild Beast to him and provoked him being desirous the more quickly to be deliver'd from a Wicked and Unjust World Upon this the whole multitude wondring at the Courage of the Holy and Pious Race of Christians cryed out Take away those wicked Wretches let POLYCARP be look'd out IV. THEN one named QUINTUS a Phrygian being newly come from thence seeing the Beasts was afraid This was he who forced himself and some others to present themselves of their own Accord to the Trial. Him therefore the Proconsul perswaded with many Promises to Swear and Sacrifice For which Cause Brethren we do not commend those who offer themselves to Persecution and especially seeing the Gospel teaches no such thing V. BUT the most Admirable POLYCARP when he first heard that he was called for was not at all concern'd at it but resolved to tarry in the City Nevertheless he was at the last perswaded at the desire of many to go out of it He departed therefore into a little Village not far distant from the City and there â—arried with a few about him doing nothing Night nor Day but praying for all Men and for the Churches which were in all the World according to his usual Custom And as he was praying he saw a Vision three days before he was taken and behold the Pillow under his Head seem'd to him on Fire Whereupon turning to those that were with him he said Prophetically That he should be Burnt alive VI. NOW when those who were to take him drew near he departed into another Village and immediately they who sought him came thither And when they found him not they seized upon two young Men that were there One of which being tormented confess'd For it was impossible the Holy Man should be concealed forasmuch as they who betray'd him were his own Domestic's So the Officer who is also called Cleronomus HEROD by name hastned to bring him into the Lists That so POLYCARP might receive his proper Portion being made partaker of Christ and they that betray'd him undergo the punishment of Judas VII THE Serjeants therefore and Horsemen taking the young Lad along with them departed about Supper-time being Friday with their Usual Arms as it were against a Thief or a Robber And being come to the place where he was about the Close of the Evening they found him lying down in a little upper Room from whence he could easily have escaped into another place but he would not saying The Will of the LORD be done Wherefore when he heard that they were come to the House he went down and deliver'd himself unto them And as they all wonder'd at his Age and Constancy some of them began to say Was there need of all this Care to take such an Old Man Then presently he
make good the Promise before given to our Fathers and preparing himself a New People might demonstrate to them whilst he was upon Earth that after the Resurrection he would judge the World And thus teaching the People of Israel and doing many Wonders and Signs among them he preached to them and shewed the exceeding great Love which he bare towards them And when he chose his Apostles which were afterwards to publish his Gospel he took Men who had been very great Sinners that thereby he might plainly shew That he came not to call the Righteous but Sinners to Repentance Then he clearly manifested himself to be the Son of God For had he not come in the Flesh how could Men have been able to look upon him that they might be saved Seeing if we behold only the Sun which was the Work of his Hands and shall hereafter cease to be we are not able to endure stedfastly to look against the Rays of it Wherefore the Son of God came in the Flesh for this Cause that he might fill up the measure of their Iniquity who have persecuted his Prophts unto Death And for the same reason also he suffered For saith God By the Stripes of his Flesh we are healed And again another Prophet When I shall smite the Shepherd the Sheep of the Flock shall be scatter'd Nevertheless he would suffer in this Manner Because it behoved him to suffer upon the Cross. For thus one saith prophecying concerning him Deliver my Soul from the Sword And again They pierced my Hands and my Feet And again The Congregation of wicked Doers rose up against me And again he saith I gave my Back to the Smiters and my Cheeks to be buffeted and my Face I set as an hard Rock VI. AND when he had fulfilled the Commandment of God What says he Who will contend with me Let him stand against me Or who is he that will implead me Let him draw near to the Servant of the LORD Wo be to you Because ye shall all wax old as a Garment the Moth shall eat you up And again the Prophet adds He is put for a Stone of stumbling Behold I lay in Zion for a Foundation a precious Stone a choice Corner-Stone an Honourable Stone And what follows And he that hopeth in him shall live for ever What then Is our Hope built upon a Stone God forbid But because the LORD hath put his Flesh in strength he saith this of it As it is written I have placed my self as a sure Rock And again the Prophet adds The Stone which the Builders refused is become the Head of the Corner And again he saith This is the Great and Wonderful Day which the LORD hath made I write these things the more plainly to you that ye may understand For indeed I could be content even to die for your sakes But what saith the Prophet The Counsel of the Wicked encompassed me about They came about me as Bees about the Hive And Vpon my Vesture they cast Lots Forasmuch then as our Saviour was to appear in the Flesh and suffer his Passion was hereby foretold For thus again saith the Prophet against Israel Wo be to their Soul because they have taken Wicked Counsel against themseves saying Let us lay Snares for the Righteous because he is unprofitable to us Moses also in like manner speaketh to them Behold thus saith the LORD God Enter ye into the Good Land of which the LORD hath sworn to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob that he would give it you and possess it a Land flowing with Milk and Hony Now what the Spiritual meaning of this is learn It is as if it had been said Put your Trust in Jesus who shall be manifested to you in the Flesh. For Man is the Earth which suffers Forasmuch as out of the Substance of the Earth Adam was formed What therefore do's he mean when he says Into a Good Land flowing with Milk and Honey Blessed be our LORD who has given us Wisdom and a Heart to understand his Secrets For so says the Prophet Who shall understand the hard Sayings of the LORD But he that is Wise and Intelligent and that loves his LORD Seeing therefore he has renewed us by the Remission of our Sins he has given us another form that we should have our Souls like the Soul of a Child Even as he himself has form'd us by the Spirit For thus the Scripture saith concerning us where it introduceth the Father speaking to the Son Let us make Man in our Image after our Likeness And let him have Dominion over the Beasts of the Earth and over the Fowls of the Air and over the Fish of the Sea And when the LORD saw the Man which he had form'd that behold he was very Good He said Encrease and multiply and replenish the Earth And this he spake to his Son I will now shew you how he made us into a second Form in the latter Days As also he saith Behold I will make the last as the first Wherefore the Prophet thus foretold it Enter into the Land flowing with Milk and Hony and rule in it Wherefore ye see how we are again formed anew as also he speaks by another Prophet Behold saith the LORD I will take from them that is from those whom the Spirit of the LORD foresaw their Hearts of Stone and I will put into them Hearts of Flesh. Because he was about to be made manifest in the Flesh and to dwell in us For my Brethren the Habitation of our Heart is a Holy Temple unto the LORD As he again saith Wherewithal shall I appear before the LORD my God and be Glorified He answers I will confess unto thee in the Congregation in the midst of my Brethren and will sing unto thee in the Church of the Saints Wherefore we are they whom he has brought into that good Land But what signifies the Milk and Hony Because as the Child is nourish'd first with Milk and then with Hony So we being kept alive with the Belief of his Promises and the Word of his Gospel shall live and have Dominion over the Land For so he foretold above saying Encrease and Multiply and have Dominion over the Fishes c. But who is there that is now able to have this Dominion over the Wild Beasts or Fishes or Fowls of the Air For you know that to Rule is to have Power that a Man should be Lord over what he rules But forasmuch as this we have not now he tells us when we shall have it Namely when he shall become perfect that so we may be made Inheritors of the Covenant of the LORD VII UNDERSTAND then my Beloved Children that the Good God hath before manifested all things unto us that we might know to whom we ought always to
give Thanks If therefore the Son of God who is the LORD of all and shall come to judge both the Quick and Dead hath suffer'd that by his Stripes we might live Let us believe that the Son of God could not have suffer'd but for us But being crucified they gave him Gall and Vinegar to drink Hear therefore how the Priests of the Temple did foreshew this also The LORD by his Command which was written declar'd that whosoever did not fast the Appointed Fast should die the Death Because he also was one day to offer his Body for our Sins and so the Type of what was done in Isaac be fulfill'd who was offer'd upon the Altar What therefore is it that he says by the Prophet And let them eat of the Goat which is offer'd in the day of the Fast for all their Sins Harken diligently my Brethren And all the Priests and they only shall eat the Inwards not washed with Vinegar And why so Because I know that when I shall hereafter offer my Flesh for the Sins of a New People ye will give me Vinegar to drink mixed with Gall therefore do ye only eat the People fasting the while and lamenting in Sackcloath and Ashes That by this he might fore-shew that he was to suffer by them But hear then how he appointed it Take says he two Goats fair and alike and offer them And let the High Priest take one of them for a Burnt Offering And what must be done with the other Let it be accursed Consider how exactly this appears to have been a Type of Jesus And let all the Congregation spit upon it and prick it and put the Scarlet Wool about its Head And thus let it be carried forth into the Wilderness And this being done he that was appointed to convey the Goat led it into the Wilderness and took away the Scarlet Wool and put it upon a Thorn-Bush whose young Sprouts when we find them in the Field we are wont to eat So the Fruit of that Thorn only is sweet And to what end was this Ceremony Consider One was offered upon the Altar the Other was accursed And why was that which was accursed crown'd Because they shall see Christ in that Day having a Scarlet Garment about his Body and shall say Is not this he whom heretofore we crucified having despised him pierced him mocked him Certainly this is he who then said that he was the Son of God As therefore he shall be then like to what he was on Earth so were the Jews heretotore commanded to take two Goats Fair and Equal That when they shall see our Saviour hereafter coming in the Clouds of Heaven they may be amazed at the Likeness of the Goats Wherefore ye here again see a Type of Jesus who was to suffer for us But what then signifies this That the Wool was to be put into the midst of the Thorns This also is a Figure of Jesus set out to the Church For as he who would take away the Scarlet Wool must undergo many difficulties because that Thorn was very sharp and with difficulty get it So they says Christ that will see me and come to my Kingdom must through many Afflictions and Troubles attain unto me VIII BUT what Type do ye suppose it to have been where it is commanded in the Law that certain Men who had been guilty of many Sins should offer a Heifer and kill it and burn it And the young Men should take up the Ashes and put them in Vessels and tie a piece of Scarlet Wool and Hyssop upon a Stick and so the young Men should sprinkle every one of the People and they should be clear from their Sins Consider how all these things are delivered in a Figure to us This Heifer is Jesus Christ the Wicked Men that were to offer it are those Sinners who brought him to Death Who now are no longer Men there is no more any Glory of those Sinners remaining The young Men that sprinkled them signifie to us those who preach the Forgiveness of Sins and the Purification of the Heart to whom our LORD gave Authority to Preach his Gospel Being at the Beginning Twelve for a witness of the Tribes because there were Twelve Tribes of Israel But why were there Three young Men that were appointed to sprinkle the Sinners In Testimony of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob that they were Great before God And why was the Wool put upon a Stick Because the Kingdom of Jesus was founded upon the Cross And therefore they that put their Trust in him shall live for ever But why was the Wool and Hyssop put together To signifie that in the Kingdom of Christ there shall be evil and base Days in which we shall be saved And because he that has any Disease in the Flesh is by Hyssop purged from the Pollution of it Wherefore these things being thus done to us indeed are evident but to the Jews they are obscure because they hearkned not unto the Voice of the LORD IX AND therefore the Scripture again speaks concerning our Ears that God has circumcised them together with our Hearts For thus saith the LORD in the Holy Prophet By the hearing of the Ear they obeyed me And again They who are afar off shall hear what things I have done and shall understand And again Circumcise your Hearts saith the LORD And again he saith Hear O Israel Thus saith the LORD thy God And again the Spirit of God prophesieth saying Who is there that would live for ever let him hear the Voice of my Son And again Hear O Heaven and give Ear O Earth Because the LORD has spoken these things for a Witness And again he saith Hear the word of the LORD ye Princes of the People And again Hear O Children The Voice of one crying in the Wilderness Wherefore he has circumcised our Ears that we should hear his Word and believe But as for that Circumcision in which the Jews trust it is abolished For the Circumcision of which God spake was not of the Flesh But they have transgressed his Commands because the Evil One hath deceived them For thus God bespeaks them Thus saith the LORD your God Here you may find the New Command Sow not upon Thorns Be circumcised to the LORD your God And what do's he mean by this Hearken unto your LORD and circumcise the Hardness of your Heart and harden not your Neck And again Behold saith the LORD all the Nations are uncircumcised they have not lost their Fore-Skin but this People is not circumcised in Heart But you will say the Jews were circumcised for a Sign And so are all the Syrians and Arabians and all the Priests of their Idols But are they therefore of the Covenant of Israel And even the Egyptians themselves are circumcised Understand therefore Children these
things more fully that Abraham who was the first that gave Circumcision in the Spirit looking forward to JESUS circumcised taking the Mystery of Three Letters For the Scripture says that Abraham circumcised three hundred and eighteen Men of his House But what therefore was the Mystery that was made known unto him I will tell you It consists first in the EIGHTEEN and next in the Three Hundred For the Numeral Letters of Ten and Eight are I H. And these denote JESUS And because the Cross was that by which we were to find Grace therefore he adds Three hundred the note of which is T the Figure of his Cross. Wherefore by two Letters he signified Jesus and by One his Cross. He who has put the Natural Gift of his Doctrin within in us knows that I never shew'd to any one a more Genuine Truth But I trust that ye are worthy of it X. BUT why did Moses say Ye shall not eat of the Swine neither the Eagle nor the Hawk nor the Crow nor any Fish that has not a Scale upon him I answer that under this outside Figure he comprehended three Spiritual Doctrins that were to be gathered from thence Besides which he says to them in the Book of Deutronomy and I will give my Statutes unto this People Wherefore it is not the Command of God that they should not eat but Moses in the Spirit spake unto them Now the Sow he forbad them to eat meaning thus much Thou shalt not join thy self to such Persons as are like unto Swine Who whilst they live in Pleasure forget their God but when any Want pinches them then they know the LORD As the Sow when she is full knows not her Master but when she is hungry she makes a Noise and being again fed is silent Neither says he shalt thou eat the Eagle nor the Hawk nor the Kite nor the Crow that is Thou shalt not keep Company with such kind of Men as know not how by their Labour and Sweat to get themselves Food But injuriosly ravish away the things of others and watch how to lay Snares for them when at the same time they appear to live in perfect Innocence So these Birds alone seek not Food for themselves but sitting idle seek how they may eat of the Flesh which Others have provided being destructive through their Wickedness Neither says he shalt thou eat the Lampry nor the Polypus nor the Cuttle-Fish that is thou shalt not be like such Men by using to converse with them Who are altogether wicked and adjudged to Death For so those Fishes are alone accursed and wallow in the Mire nor swim as other Fishes but tumble in the Dirt at the Bottom of the Deep But he adds Neither shalt thou eat of the Hare To what end To signifie this to us Thou shalt not be an Adulterer nor liken thy self to such Persons For the Hare every year multiplies the places of its Conception and as many years as it lives so many it has Neither shalt thou eat of the Hyena That is again Be not an Adulterer nor a Corrupter of others neither be like to such And wherefore so Because that Creature every year changes its kind and is sometimes Male and sometimes Female For which cause also he justly hated the Weesel to the end that they should not be like such persons who with their Mouths commit Wickedness by reason of their Uncleanness nor joyn themselves with those impure Women who with their Mouths commit Wickedness Because that Animal conceives with its Mouth Moses therefore speaking as concerning Meats deliver'd indeed three great Precepts to them in the Spiritual Signification of those Commands But they according to the desires of the Flesh understood him as if he had only meant it of Meats And therefore David took aright the Knowledge of his threefold Command saying in like manner Blessed is the Man that hath not walked in the Counsel of the Vngodly As the Fishes before mentioned in the Bottom of the Deep in Darkness Nor stood in the Way of Sinners As they who seem to fear the LORD but yet sin as the Sow And hath not sat in the Seat of the Scorners as those Birds who sit and watch that they may devour Here ye have this Matter perfectly set forth and according to the true knowledge of it But says Moses Ye shall eat all that divideth the Hoof and cheweth the Cud. Signifying thereby such an one as having taken his Food knows him that nourisheth him and resting upon him rejoyceth in him And in this he spake well having respect to the Commandment What therefore is it that he says That we should hold fast to them that fear the LORD with those who meditate on the Portion of the Word which they have received in their Heart with those that declare the Righteousness of the LORD and keep his Commandments In short with those who know that to Meditate is a Work of Pleasure and therefore exercise themselves in the Word of the LORD But why might they eat those that clave the Hoof Because the Righteous liveth in this present World but his Expectation is fixed upon the other See Brethren how admirably Moses commanded these things But how should we thus know all this and understand it We therefore understanding aright the Commandments speak as the Lord would have us Wherefore he has circumcised our Ears and our Hearts that we might know these things XI LET us now enquire whether the Lord took care to manifest any thing beforehand concerning WATER and the CROSS Now for the former of these it is written to the People of Israel how they shall not receive that BAPTISM which brings to Forgiveness of Sins but shall institute another to themselves that cannot For thus saith the Prophet Be astonish'd O Heaven and let the Earth tremble at it because this People have done two Great and Wicked things They have left me the Fountain of living Water and have digged for themselves broken Cisterns that can hold no Water Is my holy Mountain Zion a desolate Wilderness For ye shall be as a young Bird when its Nest is taken away And again the Prophet saith I will go before thee and will make plain the Mountains and will break the Gates of Brass and will snap in sundâ—r the Bars of Iron And will give thee dark and hidden and invisible Treasures that they may know I am the LORD God And again He shall dwell in the high Den of the strong Rock And then what follows concerning the Son His Water is faithful Ye shall see the King with Glory and your Soul shall learn the Fear of the LORD And again he saith in another Prophet He that do's these things shall be like a Tree planted by the Currents of Water which shall give its Fruit in its Season It s Leaf also shall not wither and whatsoever he
Temple of the LORD shall be gloriously built in the Name of the LORD I find therefore that there is a Temple But how shall it be built in the Name of the LORD I will shew you Before that we belived in God the Habitation of our Heart was corruptible and feeble as a Temple truly built with Hands For it was a House full of Idolatry a House of Devils inasmuch as there was done in it whatsoever was contrary unto God But it shall be built in the Name of the LORD Consider how that the Temple of the LORD shall be very gloriously built And by what means that shall be learn Having received Remission of our Sins and trusting in the Name of the LORD we are become Renew'd being again created from the Beginning Wherefore God truly dwells in our House that is in us But how do's he dwell in us The Word of his Faith the Calling of his Promise the Wisdom of his Righteous Judgments the Commands of his Doctrine He himself prophecies within us he himself dwelleth in us and openeth to us who were in Bondage the Gate of Our Temple that is the Mouth of Wisdom having given Repentance to us and by this means has brought us into his incorruptible Temple He therefore that desires to be saved looketh not unto the Man but unto him that dwelleth in him and speaketh by him being struck with Wonder forasmuch as he never either heard him speaking such Words out of his Mouth nor ever desired to hear them This is that Spiritual Temple that is built unto the LORD XVII AND thus I trust I have declared to you as much and with as great Simplicity as I could those things which make for your Salvation so as not to have omitted any thing that might be requisite thereunto For should I speak farther of the Things that now are and of those that are to come you would not yet understand them seeing they lie in Parables This therefore shall suffice as to these things XVIII LET us now go on to the other kind of Knowledge and Doctrine There are two ways of Doctrine and Power The one of Light the other of Darkness But there is a great deal of difference between these two ways For over one are appointed the Angels of God the Leaders of the way of Light Over the others the Angels of Satan And the one is the LORD from Everlasting to Everlasting the other is the Prince of the Time of Unrighteousness XIX NOW the way of Light is this if any one desires to attain to the Place that is appointed for him and will hasten thither by his Works And the Knowledge that has been given to us of walking in it to this Effect * Thou shalt love him that made thee * Thou shalt glorifie him that hath redeemed thee from Death * Thou shalt be simple in Heart and * Rich in the Spirit * Thou shalt not cleave to those that walk in the Way of Death * Thou shalt hate to do any thing that is not pleasing unto God * Thou shalt abhor all Dissimulation * Thou shalt not neglect any of the Commands of the LORD * Thou shalt not exalt thy self but shalt be humble * Thou shalt not take Honour to thy self * Thou shalt not enter into any Wicked Counsel against thy Neighbour * Thou shalt not be confident in thy Heart * Thou shalt not commit * Fornication nor * Adultery Neither shalt thou * corrupt thy self with Mankind * Thou shalt not make use of the Speech which God has given thee to any Impurity * Thou shalt not accept any Mans Person when thou reprovest any ones Faults * Thou shalt be Gentle * Thou shalt be Quiet * Thou shalt tremble at the Words which thou hast heard * Thou shalt not keep any Hatred in thy Heart against thy Brother * Thou shalt not entertain any doubt whether it shall be or not * Thou shalt not take the Name of the LORD in vain * Thou shalt love thy Neighbour above thy own Soul * Thou shalt not destroy thy Conceptions before they are brought forth nor kill them after they are born * Thou shalt not take off thy Hand from thy Son or from thy Daughter but shalt teach them from their youth the Fear of the LORD * Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours Goods neither shalt thou be an Extortioner * Neither shall thy Heart be joined to proud Men but thou shalt be numbred among the Righteous and the Lowly * Whatever Troubles shall happen unto thee thou shalt receive them as good * Thou shalt not be double-minded or double-tongu'd for a double Tongue is the Snare of Death * Thou shalt be subject unto the LORD and to inferior Masters as to the Images of God in Fear and Reverence * Thou shalt not be bitter in thy Commands towards any of thy Servants that trust in God least thou chance not to fear him who is over both because he came not to call any with respect of Persons but whomsoever his Spirit had prepared * Thou shalt communicate to thy Neighbour of all thou hast Thou shalt not call any thing thine own For if ye partake in such things as are incorruptible how much more should ye do it in those that are Corruptible * Thou shalt not be forward to speak for the Mouth is the Snare of Death * As far as thou art able keep thy self Pure * Reach not out thine Hand to receive and with-hold it not when thou shouldst give * Thou shalt love as the Apple of thine Eye every one that speaketh unto thee the Word of the LORD * Call to thy Remembrance Day and Night the future Judgment * Thou shalt seek out every Day the Persons of the Righteous * And both seek by thy Speech and go forth to exhort and meditate how thou maiest save thine own Soul * Thou shalt also labour with thy Hands that thy Sins may be forgiven thee * Thou shalt not deliberate whether thou shouldst give * Nor having given murmur at it * Give to every one that asks so shalt thou know who is the good Rewarder of thy Gifts * Keep what thou hast received thou shalt neither add to it or take from it * Let the Wicked be always thy Aversion * Thou shalt judge righteous Judgment * Thou shalt never cause Divisions but shalt make Peace between those that are at variance and bring them together * Thou shalt confess thy Sins * And not come to thy Prayer with an Evil-Conscience This is the Way of Light XX. BUT the Way of Darkness is crooked and full of Cursing For it is the Way of Eternal Death with Punishment in which they that walk meet those things that destroy their own Souls Such are Idolatry Confidence Pride of Power Hypocrisie Double-Mindedness Adultery Murder Rapine Pride Transgression Deceit Malice Arrogance Witchcraft Covetousness and the Want of the Fear of God In this walk those who
are the Persecutors of them that are good Haters of Truth Lovers of Lies who know not the Reward of Righteousness nor cleave to any thing that is good Who administer not righteous Judgment to the Widdow and Orphan who watch for Wickedness and not for the Fear of the LORD From whom Gentleness and Patience are far off Who love Vanity and follow after Rewards Having no Compassion upon the Poor nor take any pains for such as are heavy laden and Opressed Ready to evil speaking not knowing him that made them Murderers of Children Corrupters of the Creature of God That turn away from the Needy Oppress the Afflicted The Adorers of the Rich but unjust Judges of the Poor being Altogether Sinners XXI IT is therefore fitting that learning the just Commands of the LORD which we have before mentioned we should walk in them For he that do's such things shall be glorified in the Kingdom of God But he that chuses the other part shall be destroyed together with his Works For this cause there shall be both a Resurrection and a Retribution I beseech those that are Excellent among you if so be you will take the Counsel which with a good intention I offer to you You have those with you towards whom you may do good Do not forsake them For the Day is at hand in which All things shall be destroyed together with the Wicked One. The LORD is near and his Reward is with him I beseech you therefore again and again be as good Law-givers to one another continue faithful Counsellors to each other Remove from among you all Hypocrisie And may God the LORD of all the World give you Wisdom Knowledge Understanding and a true apprehension of his Judgments in Patience Be ye taught of God Seeking what it is the LORD requires of you and doing it that ye may be saved in the Day of Judgment And if there be among you any remembrance of what is good think of me meditating upon these things that both your Desire and your Watching may turn to some good account I beseech you I ask it as a Favour of you Whilst you are in this beautiful Tabernacle of the Body be wanting in none of these things but without ceasing seek them and fulfill every Command For these things are fitting and worthy to be done Wherefore I have given the more diligence to write unto you according to my Ability that you might rejoice Farewel Children of Love and Peace The LORD of Glory and of all Grace be with your Spirit Amen The End of the Epistle of BARNABAS the Apostle and Companion of St. PAUL the Apostle THE SHEPHERD OF St. HERMAS THE CONTENTS The First BOOK Vision I. AGAINST Filthy and Proud Thoughts Also the Correction of HERMAS for his Neglect of his Sons II. Again of his Neglect in correcting his Talkative Wife and of his Lewd Sons and of his own Manners III Of the Building of the Church-Triumphant And of the several Orders of Reprobates IV. Of the Tryal and Tribulation that is about to come upon Men. The Second BOOK An Introduction to the following COMMANDS Command I. OF Believing in One God II. That we must avoid Detraction and do our Alms-Deeds with Simplicity III. Of Avoiding Lying And the Repentance of HERMAS for his Dissimulation IV. Of putting away Ones Wife for ADULTERY V. Of the Sadness of the Heart and of Patience VI. That every Man has two Angels and of the Suggestions of both VII That we must fear God but not the Devil VIII That we must flee from Evil and do Good IX That we must ask of God daily and without doubting X. Of the Sadness of the Heart and that we must take heed not to grieve the Spirit of God that is in us XI That the Spirits and Prophets are to be tried by their Works and of a Two-fold Spirit XII Of a two-fold Desire That the Commands of God are not impossible And that the Devil is not to be feared by them that Believe The Third BOOK Similitude I. THAT seeing we have no abiding City in this World we ought to look after that which is to come II. As the Vine is supported by the Elm so is the Rich-Man help'd by the Prayers of the Poor III. As the Green Trees in the Winter cannot be distinguish'd from the Dry so neither can the Righteous from the Wicked in this present World IV. As in Summer the living Trees are distinguish'd from the Dry by their Fruit and Green Leaves so in the World to come the Righteous shall be distinguish'd from the Unrighteous by their Happiness V. Of a True Fast and the Reward of it Also of the Cleanness of the Body VI. Of two Sorts of Voluptuous Men and of their Death Defection and of the Continuance of their Pains VII That they who Repent must bring forth Fruits worthy of Repentance VIII That there are many kinds of Elect and of Repenting Sinners And how all of them shall receive a Reward proportionable to the Measure of their Repentance and Good Works IX The Greatest Mysteries of the Militant and Triumphant Church which is to be built X. Of Repentance and Alms-Deeds The First BOOK OF St. HERMAS Which is Called His VISIONS The First VISION Against filthy and proud Thoughts also the Correction of Hermas for his Neglect of his Sons I. HE who had bred me up Sold a certain young Maid at Rome whom when I saw many Years after I remembred her and began to love her as a Sister It happen'd some time afterwards that I saw her wash'd in the River Tyber and I reach'd out my hand unto her and help'd her out of the River And when I saw her I thought with my self saying That I should be happy had I fortun'd to have met with a Wife like unto her both for her Beauty and Manners This I thought with my self nor did I think any thing more But not long after as I was walking and musing on these Thoughts I began to honor the Creature of God thinking with my self how noble and beautiful it is And when I had walk'd a little I fell asleep And the Spirit caught me away and carried me through a certain Place towards the Right-hand through which no Man could pass It was a Place among Rocks very steep and unpassable for Water When I was past this Place I came into a Plain and there falling down upon my Knees I began to pray unto the LORD and to confess my Sins And as I was praying the Heaven was opened and I saw the Woman which I had coveted saluting me from Heaven and saying HERMAS hail And I looking upon her answered Lady What dost thou do here She answered me I am taken up hither to convince thee of Sin unto the LORD Lady said I Wilt thou convince me No said she but hear the Words which I am about to speak unto thee God who dwelleth in Heaven and hath made All things out of Nothing and
has multiplied them for his Holy Churches sake is angry with thee because thou hast sinned against me And I answering said unto her Lady If I have sinned against thee tell me where or in what Place or when did I ever speak an unseemly or dishonest Word unto thee Have I not always esteemed thee as a Lady Have I not always reverenced thee as a Sister Why then dost thou imagine these wicked things against me Then she smiling upon me said The desire of Naughtiness has risen up in thy heart Does it not seem to thee to be an ill thing for a Righteous Man to have an evil desire rise up in his heart It is indeed a Sin and that a very great one to such a Man for a righteous Man thinketh what is righteous And whilst he does so and walketh uprightly he shall have the LORD in Heaven favourable unto him in all his Works But as for those who think wickedly in their hearts they take to themselves Death and Captivity and especially those who love this present World and glory in their Riches and regard not the good things that are to come their Souls wander up and down and know not where to fix Now this is the Case of such as are Doubtful who trust not in the LORD and despise and neglect their own life But do thou pray unto the LORD and he will heal thy Sins and the Sins of thy whole House and of all his Saints II. AS soon as she had spoken these Words the Heavens were shut and I remained utterly swallowed up in Sadness and Fear and said within my self If this be laid against me for Sin how can I ever be saved or how shall I ever be able to intreat the LORD for my many and great Sins With what Words shall I beseech him to be merciful unto me As I was thinking over these things and meditating in my self upon them behold a Chair set over against me of the whitest Wool as bright as Snow And there came an old Woman in a bright Garment having a Book in her hand and sate alone and saluted me saying HERMAS hail And I being full of Sorrow and weeping answered Hail Lady and she said unto me Why art thou sad Hermas who wert wont to be patient and modest and always cheerful I answered and said to her Lady a Reproach has been objected to me by an excellent Woman who tells me that I have sinned against her She replied Far be any such thing from the Servant of God But it may be the desire of her has risen up in thy Heart For indeed there is such a Thought even in the Servants of God leading unto Sin Nor ought such a detestable Thought to be in the Servant of God nor should a Spirit that is approved desire that which is evil nor especially HERMAS who contains himself from all wicked Appetites and is full of all Simplicity and of great Innocence III. NEVERTHELESS the LORD is not angry with thee for thine own sake but upon the account of thy House which has committed Wickedness against the LORD and against their Parents And that Act of thy Fondness towards thy Sons in that thou hast not admonished them but hast permitted them to live wickedly and for this Cause the LORD is angry with thee But he will heal all the Evils that are done before thee in thy House For through their Sins and Iniquities thou art wholly consumed in secular Affairs But now the Mercy of God hath taken Compassion upon thee and upon thine House and hath greatly comforted thee only as for thee do not wander but be of an even Mind and comfort thy House As the Workman bringing forth his Work offers it to whomsoever he pleases so shalt thou by teaching every day what is just cut off a great sin Wherefore cease not to admonish thy Sons for the LORD knows that they will repent with all their heart and he will write thee in the Book of Life And when she had said this she added unto me Wilt thou hear me Read I answer'd her Lady I will Hear then said she And opening the Book she read gloriously greatly and wonderfully such things as I could not keep in my Memory For they were terrible Words such as no Man could bear Howbeit I committed her last Words to my Remembrance for they were but few and of great use Behold the mighty LORD who by his invincible Power and with his excellent Wisdom made the World and by his glorious Counsel encompassed the Beauty of his Creature and with the Word of his strength fix'd the Heaven and founded the Earth upon the Waters and by his powerful Vertue establish'd his Holy Church which he hath blessed Behold he will remove the Heavens and the Mountains the Hills and the Seas and all things shall be made Plain for his Elect that he may render unto them the Promise which he has promised with much Honor and Joy if so be that they shall keep the Commandments of God which they have received with great Faith IV. AND when she had made an end of Reading she rose out of the Chair and behold four Young-men came and carried the Chair to the East And she called me unto her and touch'd my Breast and said unto me Did my Reading please thee I answered Lady These last things please me but what went before was severe and hard She said unto me These last things are for the Righteous but the foregoing for the Revolters and Heathen And as she was talking with me Two more appeared and took her up on their shoulders and went to the East where the Chair was And she went chearfully away and as she was going said unto me HERMAS be of good chear VISION II. Again of his Neglect in Correcting his Talkative Wife and of his Lewd Sons and of his Own Manners I. AS I was on the Way to Cumae about the same time that I had been the last Year I began to call to mind the Vision I formerly had And again the Spirit carried me away and brought me into the same Place in which I had been the Year before And when I was come into the Place I fell down upon my Knees and began to Pray unto the LORD and to Honour his Name that he had esteemed me worthy and had manifested unto me my former Sins And when I arose from Prayer behold I saw over against me the Old Woman whom I had seen the last Year walking and reading in a certain Book And she said unto me Can'st thou tell these things to the Elect of God I answered and said unto her Lady I cannot retain such great things in my Memory but give me the Book and I will write them down Take it says she and see that thou restore it again to me As soon as I had receiv'd it I went aside into a certain Place of the Field and transcribed every Letter for I found no
I answered her Lady let those who are Elder sit first She reply'd sit down as I bid you And when I would have sate on the right side she suffered me not but made a sign to me with her Hand that I should sit on the left As I was therefore musing and full of Sorrow that she would not suffer me to sit on the right side she said unto me HERMAS why art thou sad The place which is on the right Hand is theirs who have already attain'd unto God and have suffered for his Name sake But there is yet a great deal remaining unto thee before thou canst sit with them But continue as thou dost in thy Sincerity and thou shalt sit with them as all others shall that do their Works and shall bear what they have born II. I said unto her Lady I would know what it is that they have suffered Hear then said she Wild Beasts Scourgings Imprisonments and Crosses for his Name sake For this cause the right Hand of Holiness belongs to them and to all others as many as shall suffer for the Name of God but the left belongs to the rest Howbeit the Gifts and the Promises belong to both to them and to those on the left Hand only that sitting on the right Hand they have some Glory above the others But thou art desirous to sit on the right Hand with them and thy Defects are many But thou shalt be purg'd from thy Defects As also all who doubt not shall be cleansed from all the Sins which they have committed unto this Day And when she had said this she would have departed Wherefore falling down before her Feet I began to intreat her for the LORD'S sake that she would shew me the Vision which she had promised Then she again took me by the Hand and lifted me up and made me sit upon the Seat on the left side and holding up a certain bright Wand said unto me seest thou that great thing I reply'd Lady I see nothing She answered Dost thou not see over against thee a great Tower which is built upon the Water with bright square Stones For the Tower was built upon a square by those six young Men that came with her And thousands of other Men brought Stones Some drew them out of the Deep Others carried them from the Ground and gave them to the six young Men. And they took them and built As for those Stones which were drawn out of the Deep they put them all into the Building for they were polish'd and their Squares exactly answered one another and so one was joyn'd in such wise to the other that there was no space to be seen where they joyn'd Insomuch that the whole Tower appear'd to be built as it were of one Stone But as for the other Stones that were taken off from the Ground some of them they rejected others they fitted into the Building Others they cut out and cast at a distance from the Tower Moreover there were many other Stones which lay round about the Tower which they made no use of in the Building Some of these were rough others had Clefts in them others were white and round not proper for the building of the Tower Besides these I saw other Stones cast afar off from the Tower and falling into the High-Way but not continuing in the Way but were rolled from the Way into a desert Place Others I saw falling into the Fire and burning Others were glowing hot just by the Water yet could not roll themselves into it though very desirous to fall into the Water III. AND when she had shew'd me these things she would have departed But I said unto her Lady What do's it profit me to see these things and not understand what they mean She answer'd and said unto me you are very cunning in that you are desirous to know those things which relate to the Tower Yea said I Lady that I may declare them unto the Brethren and they may rejoyce and hearing these things may glorifie God with great Honour Then she said Many indeed shall hear them and when they shall have heard them some shall rejoyce and others weep And yet even these if they shall repent shall rejoyce too Hear therefore what I shall say concerning the Parable of the Tower and after this be no longer importunate with me about the Revelation For these Revelations have an end seeing they are fulfilled But thou dost not leave off to desire Revelations for thou art very urgent As for the Tower which thou seest built it is I my self namely the Church which have appeared to thee both now and heretofore Wherefore ask what thou wilt concerning the Tower and I will reveal it unto thee that thou mayst rejoyce with the Saints I said unto her Lady Because thou hast thought me once worthy to receive from thee the Revelation of all these things declare them unto me She answer'd me whatsoever is fit to be revealed unto thee shall be revealed Only let thy Heart be with the LORD and doubt not whatsoever thou shalt see I ask'd her Lady why is the Tower built upon the Water She replied I said before to thee that thou wert very Wise to enquire diligently concerning the Building therefore thou shalt find the Truth Hear therefore why the Tower is built upon the Water Because your Life is and shall be saved by Water For it is founded by the Word of the Almighty and Honourable Name and is supported by the Invisible Power and Virtue of God IV. AND I answering said unto her These things are very admirable But Lady who are those six young Men that build They are said she the Angels of God which were first appointed and to whom the LORD has deliver'd all his Creatures to build them up and to rule over For by these the Building of the Tower shall be finish'd And who are the rest who bring them Stones They also are the Holy Angels of the LORD but the other are more excellent than these Wherefore when the whole Building of the Tower shall be finished they shall all feast together besides the Tower and shall glorifie God because the Structure of the Tower is finish'd I ask'd her saying I would know the Condition of the Stones and the meaning of them what it is She answering said unto me Art thou better than all others that this should be revealed unto thee For others are both before thee and better than thou art to whom these Visions should be made manifest Nevertheless that the Name of God may be honour'd it has been and shall be reveal'd unto thee for the sake of those who are doubtful and think in their Hearts whether these things are so or not Tell them that all these things are true and that there is nothing in them that is not true but all are firm and truly established V. HEAR now then concerning the Stones that are in the Building The
is called Simplicity the next Innocence the third Modesty then Discipline and the last of all is Charity When therefore thou shalt have observed the Works of their Mother thou shalt be able to observe all things Lady said I I would know what particular Virtue every one of these has Hear then replied she They have equal Vertues and their Vertues are knit together and follow one another as they were born From Faith proceeds Abstinence from Abstinence Simplicity from Simplicity Innocence from Innocence Modesty from Modesty Discipline and Charity Therefore the Works of these are Holy and Chast and Right Whosoever therefore shall serve these and hold fast to their Works he shall have his Dwelling in the Tower with the Saints of God Then I ask'd her concerning the Times whether the End were now at Hand But she cry'd out with a loud Voice saying O foolish Man Dost thou not see the Tower that it is always building When therefore the Tower shall be finish'd and built it shall have an End and indeed it shall soon be accomplished But do not ask me any more Questions What has been said may suffice for thee and for all the Saints with the renewal of your Spirits For these things have not been revealed to thee only but that thou mayst make them manifest unto all For therefore O HERMAS after three Days thou must understand these Words which I begin to speak unto thee that thou mayst speak them in the Ears of the Saints that when they shall have heard and done them they may be cleansed from their Iniquities and thou together with them IX HEAR me therefore O my Sons I have bred you up in much Simplicity and Modesty and Innocency for the Mercy of God which has dropp'd down upon you in Righteousness that you should be sanctified and justified from all Sin and Wickedness But ye will not cease from your evil Doings Now therefore hearken unto me and have Peace one with another and visit one another and receive one another and do not enjoy the Creatures of God alone Give freely to them that are in need For some by too free feeding contract an Infirmity in their Flesh and do Injury to their Bodies whilst the Flesh of others who have not Food withers away because they want sufficient Nourishment and their Bodies are consum'd Wherefore this Intemperance is hurtful to you who have and do not communicate to them that want Prepare for the Judgment that is about to come upon you Ye that are the more Eminent search out them that are Hungry whilst the Tower is yet unfinish'd For when the Tower shall be finish'd ye shall be willing to do good and shall not find any place for it See therefore ye that glory in your Riches least perhaps they groan who are in want and their Sighing come up unto God and ye be shut out with your Goods without the Gate of the Tower Behold I now warn you who are set over the Church and love the highest Seats be not ye like unto those that work Mischief And they indeed carry about their Poison in Boxes but ye contain your Poison and Medicines in your Hearts and will not purge them and mix your Sense with a Pure Heart that ye may find Mercy with the Great King Take heed my Children that your Dissentions deprive you not of your Lives How will ye instruct the Elect of God when ye your selves want Correction Wherefore admonish one another and be at Peace among your selves that I standing before your Father may give an Account for you unto the LORD X. AND when she had made an end of talking with me the six young Men that built came and carried her to the Tower and four others took up the Seat on which she sate and went away again they also to the Tower I saw not the Faces of these for their Backs were towards me As she was going along I asked her that she would reveal to me what concern'd the three Forms in which she had appear'd unto me But she answering said unto me concerning these things thou must ask some other that they may be revealed unto thee Now Brethren in the First Vision the last Year she appeared unto me exceeding old and sitting in a Chair In another Vision she had indeed a youthful Face but her Flesh and Hair were old and she talked with me standing and was more chearful than the first time In the third Vision she was in all respects much younger and comely to the Eye only she had the Hair of an Aged Person Yet she looked chearful and sate upon a Seat I was therefore very sad concerning these things until I might understand the Vision Wherefore I saw the same Old Woman in a Vision of the Night saying unto me All Prayer needeth Humility Fast therefore and thou shalt learn from the LORD that which thou dost ask I fasted therefore one Day The same Night a young Man appear'd to me and said Why dost thou thus often desire Revelations in thy Prayers Take heed that by asking many things thou hurt not thy Body Let these Revelations suffice thee Canst thou see more notable Revelations than those which thou hast already received I answered and said unto him Sir I only ask this one thing upon the account of the three Figures of the Old Woman that appeared to me that the Revelation may be compleat He answer'd me You are not without Understanding but your Doubts make you so forasmuch as you have not your Heart with the LORD I replyed and said But I shall learn these things more carefully from you XI HEAR then says he concerning the Figures about which you enquire And first in the first Vision she appear'd to thee in the Shape of an Old Woman because your ancient Spirit was decay'd and without Strength by reason of your Infirmities and the Doubtfulness of your Heart For as they who are Old have no hope of renewing themselves nor expect any thing but their Departure So you being weakned through your worldly Affairs gave your self up to Sloath and cast not away your Sollicitude from your self upon the LORD and your Sense was confused and you grew Old in your Sadness But Sir I would know why she sate upon a Chair He answered Because every one that is weak sitteth upon a Chair by reason of his Infirmity that his Weakness may be upheld See therefore the Figure of the first Vision XII IN the second Vision you saw her standing and having a youthful Face and more chearful than her former but her Flesh and her Hair were ancient Hear said he this Parable also When any one grows Old He despairs of himself by reason of his Infirmity and Poverty and expects nothing but the last Day of his Life But on the suddain an Inheritance is left to him and he hears of it and rises and being become chearful he puts on new Strength And now he no longer lies along but
about to come which if you please shall be nothing to you Keep therefore in mind the things which I have said unto you When she had spoken thus much she departed But I saw not whither she went But suddainly I heard a Noise and I turn'd back being afraid for I thought that the Beast was coming toward me The Second BOOK OF St. HERMAS Which is Called His COMMANDS The Introduction WHEN I had pray'd at home and was sate down upon the Bed a certain Man came in to me with a Reverend Look in the Habit of a SHEPHERD cloath'd with a white Cloak having his Bag upon his Back and his Staff in his Hand and saluted me I return'd his Salutation and immediately he sate down by me and said unto me I am sent by that Venerable Messenger that I should dwell with thee all the remaining Days of thy life But I thought that he was come to try me and said unto him Who are you For I know to whom I am delivered He said unto me Do you not know me I answer'd No. I am said he that SHEPHERD to whose Care you are delivered Whilst he was yet speaking his Shape was changed and when I knew that it was he to whom I was committed I was asham'd and a suddain Fear came upon me and I was utterly overcome with Sadness because I had spoken so foolishly unto him But he said unto me Be not asham'd but stir up Vertue in thy Mind through the Commands which I am about to deliver unto thee For said he I am sent to shew unto thee all those things again which thou hast seen before and especially such of them as may be of most use unto you And first of all write my COMMANDS and SIMILITUDES that by often reading of them you may the more easily keep them in Memory Whereupon I wrote his Commands and Similitudes as he bad me Which things if when you have heard ye shall observe to do them and shall exercise your selves in them and walk according to them with a pure Mind ye shall receive from the LORD those things which he has promised unto you But if having heard them ye shall not repent but shall still go on to add to your Sins ye shall be punish'd by him All these things that SHEPHERD the Angel of Repentance commanded me to write The First COMMAND Of Believing in ONE GOD. FIRST of all believe that there is One God who created and finished All things and made All things out of Nothing He comprehends all things and is only Immense not to be comprehended by Any Who can neither be defined by any Words nor conceived by the Mind Therefore believe in him and fear him and fearing him abstain from all Evil. Keep these things and cast all Iniquity far from thee and put on Righteousness and thou shalt live to God if thou shalt keep this Commandment The Second COMMAND That we must avoid Detraction and do our Alms-Deeds with Simplicity I. HE said unto me Be innocent and without disguise so shalt thou be like an Infant who knows no Malice which destroys the Life of Man And especially see that thou speak Evil of None nor willingly hear any one speak Evil of Any For if thou shalt hear them thou shalt be partaker of the Sin of him that speaketh Evil and by believing such a one thou also shalt have Sin because thou believedst him that spake Evil of thy Brother Detraction is a pernicious thing an inconstant Evil Spirit that never continues in Peace but is always in Discord Wherefore refrain thy self from it and keep Peace evermore with thy Brother Put on a Holy Constancy in which there are no Sins but all is full of Joy and do good of thy Labours Give without distinction to all that are in Want not doubting to whom thou givest But give to All for God will have us give to all of the Goods which he dispenses to us They therefore that receive shall give an Account to God both wherefore they received and for what End And they that receive without a real need shall give an account for it but he that gives shall be Innocent For he has fulfill'd his Duty as he received it from God not making any Choice to whom he should give and to whom not And this Service he did with Simplicity and to the Glory of God Keep therefore this Command according as I have deliver'd it unto thee that thy Repentance may be found to be sincere and that Good may come to thy House and have a pure Heart The Third COMMAND Of avoiding Lying and the Repentance of HERMAS for his Dissimulation MOREOVER he said unto me Love Truth and let all the Speech be true which proceeds out of thy Mouth that the Spirit which the LORD hath appointed in thy Flesh may be found true towards all Men and the LORD be magnified who hath given such a Spirit unto thee Because God is true in all his Words and there is no Lie found in him But they that lie deny the LORD not rendring to God what they received from him For they received the Spirit without a Lie if therefore they make that a Lyar they defile the Commandment of the LORD and become Deceivers And when I heard this I wept bitterly And when he saw me weeping he said unto me Why weepest thou And I said Because Sir I doubt whether I can be saved He ask'd me Wherefore I reply'd Because Sir I never spake a true Word in my Life but always lived in Dissimulation and affirm'd a Lie for Truth to all Men and no Man contradicted me but all gave Credit to my Words How then can I live seeing I have done in this manner And he said unto me Thou thinkest well and truly For thou oughtest as the Servant of God to have walked in the Truth and not have joyn'd an Evil Conscience with the Spirit of Truth nor have grieved the Holy and true Spirit of God And I reply'd unto him Sir I never before hearkned so diligently to these things He answer'd Now thou hearest them Take care from henceforth that even those things which thou hast formerly spoken falsly for the sake of thy Business may by thy present Truth receive Credit For even those things may be credited if for the time to come thou shalt speak the Truth and by so doing thou mayst attain unto Life And whosoever shall hearken unto this Command and do it and shall depart from all Lying he shall live unto God The Fourth COMMAND Of putting away ones Wife for Adultery I. FURTHERMORE said he I command thee that thou keep thy self Chast and that thou suffer not any thought of any other Marriage or of Fornification to enter into thy Heart For such a Thought produces a great Sin But be thou at all times mindful of the LORD and thou shalt never sin For if such an Evil
choaked by the Evil Spirit and has not the Liberty of appearing before the LORD as he would For he is grieved by Anger When therefore both these Spirits dwell together it is destructive to a Man As if one should take a little Wormwood and put it into a Vessel of Honey the whole Honey would be spoiled and a great Quantity of Honey is corrupted by a very little Wormwood and loses the Sweetness of Honey and has no longer any Favour with its Lord because the whole Honey is made bitter and loses its Use. But if no Wormwood be put into the Honey it is sweet and profitable to its Lord. Thus is an Equality of Mind sweeter than Honey and profitable to the LORD who dwelleth in it But Anger is unprofitable If therefore Anger shall be mixed with Equanimity the Soul is distress'd and its Prayer is not profitable with God And I said unto him Sir I would know the Sinfulness of Anger that I may keep my self from it And he said unto me Thou shalt know it and if thou shalt not keep thy self from it thou shalt lose thy Hope with all thy House Wherefore depart from it For I the Messenger of Righteousness am with thee and all that depart from it as many as shall repent with all their Hearts shall live unto God and I will be with them and will keep them all For all such as have repented have been justified by the Messenger which bringeth Salvation II. AND now says he hear the Wickedness of Anger How Evil and Hurtful it is and how it overthrows the Servants of God For nothing can hurt those that are full of Faith Because the Power of God is with them But he overthrows the doubtful and those that are destitute of Faith But as often as he sees the other sort he will cast himself into their Hearts Let not therefore any Man or Woman be in Bitterness for any thing whether for such things as they have occasion for here or for Sustenance or for any vain Word if any should chance to fall in or by reason of any Friend or for any Debt or for any superfluous things of the like Nature For these things are foolish and superfluous and vain to the Servants of God But Equanimity is strong and forcible and of great Power and sitteth in great Enlargement is chearful rejocing in Peace and glorifying God at all times with Meekness And this Equality of Mind dwells with those that are full of Faith But Anger is foolish and light and empty Now Bitterness is bred through Folly by Bitterness Anger by Anger Fury And this Fury arising from many evil Principles worketh a great and uncurable Sin For when all these things are in the same Man in which the Holy Spirit dwells the Vessel cannot contain them but runs over And because the tender Spirit cannot tarry with the Evil-One it departs and dwells with him that is mild When therefore it is departed from the Man in whom it dwelt that Man becomes destitute of the Holy Spirit and is afterwards filled with Wicked Spirits and is blinded with Evil Thoughts Thus do's it happen to all Angry Men. Wherefore depart thou from Anger and put on Equanimity and resist Wrath and thou shalt be found with Modesty and Chastity by God Take good heed therefore that thou neglect not this Commandment For if thou shalt obey this Command then shalt thou also be able to observe the other Commandments which I shall command thee Wherefore strengthen thy self now in these Commands that thou mayst live unto God And whosoever shall observe these Commandments shall live unto God The Sixth COMMAND That every Man has two Angels and of the Suggestions of both I COMMANDED thee said he in my first Commandment that thou shouldst keep Faith and Fear and Repentance Yes Sir said I. He continued But now I will shew thee the Vertues of these Commands that thou mayst know their Effects how they are prescribed alike to the Just and Unjust Do thou therefore believe the Righteous but give no Credit to the Unrighteous For Righteousness keepeth the right Way but Unrighteousness the wicked Way Do thou therefore keep the right Way and leave that which is Evil. For the Evil Way has not a Good End but hath many Stumbling-Blocks it is rugged and full of Thorns and leads to Destruction and is hurtful to all such as walk in it But they who go in the right Way walk with Evenness and without Offence because it is not Rough nor Thorny Thou seest therefore how it is best to walk in this Way Thou shalt therefore go says he and all others as many as believe in God with all their Heart shall go through it And now says he Understand first of all what belongs to Faith There are two Angels with Man One of Righteousness the Other of Iniquity And I said unto him Sir How shall I know that there are two such Angels with Man Hear says he and understand The Angel of Righteousness is Mild and Modest and Gentle and Quiet When therefore he gets into thy Heart immediately he talks with thee of Righteousness of Modesty of Chastity of Bountifulness of Forgiveness of Charity and Piety When all these things come into thy Heart know then that the Angel of Righteousness is with thee Wherefore hearken to this Angel and to his Works Learn also the Works of the Angel of Iniquity He is first of all Bitter and Angry and Foolish and his Works are pernicious and overthrow the Servants of God When therefore these things come into thy Heart thou shalt know him by his Works that it is the Angel of Iniquity And I said unto him Sir How shall I understand these things Hear says he and understand When Anger overtakes thee or Bitterness know that he is in thee As also when the desire of many things and of the best Meats and of Drunkenness when the Love of what belongs to others of Pride and of much Speech of Ambition and of the like things come upon thee When therefore these things arise in thy Heart know that the Angel of Iniquity is with thee Seeing therefore thou knowest his Works depart from them all and give no Credit to him Because his Works are Evil and agree not to the Servants of God Here therefore thou hast the Works of both these Angels Know now and believe the Angel of Righteousness because his Instruction is Good For let a Man be never so happy yet if the Thoughts of the other Angel arise in his Heart that Man or Woman must needs sin But let a Man or Woman be never so Wicked and the Works of the Angel of Righteousness come into his Heart that Man or Woman must needs do some Good Thou seest therefore how it is good to follow the Angel of Righteousness If therefore thou shalt follow him and
believe in his Works thou shalt live unto God And as many as shall believe in his Works shall live also unto God The Seventh COMMAND That we must fear God but not the Devil FEAR God says he and keep his Commandments For if thou keepest his Commandments thou shalt be powerful in every Work and all thy Counsel shall be excellent For by fearing God thou shalt do every thing well This is that Fear with which thou must be affected that thou mayst be saved But fear not the Devil For if thou fearest the LORD thou shalt have Dominion over him because there is no Power in him Now if there be no Power in him then neither is he to be feared But he in whom Power is Excellent he is also to be feared For every one that has Power is to be feared But he that has no Power is despised by every one Fear the Works of the Devil because they are Evil. For by fearing the LORD thou wilt fear and not do the Works of the Devil but keep thy self from them For there is a twofold Fear For if whilst thou fearest the LORD thou wilt do that which is Evil thou shalt not do even that But if thou wilt do good the Fear of the LORD is Strong and Great and Glorious Wherefore Fear God and thou shalt live And whosoever shall fear him and keep his Commandments their Life is with the LORD But they who keep them not neither is Life in them The Eighth COMMAND That we must Flee from Evil and Do Good I HAVE told thee said he that there are two kinds of Creatures of the LORD and that there is a two-fold Abstinence From some therefore thou must abstain and from others not I answered Tell me Sir from what I must abstain and from what not Hearken said he Keep thy self from Evil and do it not But abstain not from Good but do it For if thou shalt abstain from what is Good and not do it thou shalt sin Abstain therefore from all Evil and thou shalt know all Righteousness I said What Evil things are they from which I must abstain Hearken said he from Adultery from Drunkenness from wicked Riots from Excess of Eating from Daintiness and Dishonesty from Pride from Denials from Lying from Detraction from feigned Wickedness from Remembrance of Injuries and from Evil Reports For these are all the Works of Iniquity from which the Servant of God must abstain For he that cannot keep himself from these things cannot live unto God But hear said he what follows of these kind of things And indeed many more there are from which the Servant of God must abstain From Theft and Cheating from False-Witness from Covetousness from Boasting and all other things of the like Nature Do these things seem to thee to be Evil or not Indeed they are very Evil to the Servants of God Wherefore every such Person must abstain from all these Works Keep thy self therefore from them that thou mayst live unto God and be written among those that abstain from them And thus have I shewn thee what things thou must avoid Now learn from what thou must not abstain Abstain not from any good Works but do them Hear said he what the Vertue of those good Works is which thou must do that thou mayst be saved The first of all is Faith the Fear of the LORD Charity Concord Piety Equity Truth Patience Chastity There is nothing better than these things in the Life of Man who shall keep and do these things in their Life Hear next what follow these To minister to the Widows not to despise the Fatherless and Poor to redeem the Servants of God from Necessity to be Hospitable for in Hospitality there is sometimes great Fruit. Not to be contentious but be quiet to be humble above all Men to reverence the Aged to labour to be Righteous to keep up Brotherhood to bear Affronts to be equal minded not to cast away those that have fallen from the Faith but to make them gentle to admonish Sinners not to oppress those that are our Debtors and all other things of alike kind Do these things seem to thee to be good or not And I said what can be better than these Words Live then said he in these Commandments and do not depart from them For if thou shalt keep all these Commandments thou shalt live unto God And all they that shall keep these Commandments shall live unto God The Ninth COMMAND That we must ask of God daily and without Doubting AGAIN he said unto me Remove from thee all Doubting and Question nothing at all When thou askest any thing of the LORD say not within thy self How shall I be able to ask any thing of the LORD and receive it seeing I am so great a Sinner against him Do not think thus but turn unto the LORD with all thy Heart Ask without Doubting and thou shalt know the Mercy of the LORD How that he will not forsake thee but will fulfil the Request of thy Soul For God is not as Men mindful of the Injuries he has received but he forgets Injuries and has Compassion upon his Creature Wherefore purifie thy Heart from all the Vices of this present World and observe the Commands I have before deliver'd unto thee from God and thou shalt receive whatsoever good things thou shalt ask and nothing shall be wanting unto thee of all thy Petitions if thou shalt ask of the LORD without doubting But they that are not such shall obtain none of those things which they ask For they that are full of Faith ask with Confidence and receive from the LORD because they ask without doubting But he that doubts shall hardly live unto God except he repent Wherefore purifie thy Heart from doubting and put on Faith and trust in God and thou shalt receive all that thou shalt ask But and if thou shouldst chance to ask somewhat and not receive it yet do not therefore doubt because thou hast not presently received the Petition of thy Soul For it may be thou shalt not yet receive it for thy Tryal or else for some Sin which thou knowest not But do not thou leave off to ask and then thou shalt receive Else if thou shalt cease to ask thou must complain of thy self and not of God that he has not given unto thee what thou didst desire Consider therefore this Doubting how cruel and pernicious it is and how it utterly roots out many from the Faith who were very faithful and firm For this Doubting is the Daughter of the Devil and deals very wickedly with its Servants Despise it therefore and thou shalt rule over it on every Occasion Put on a firm and powerful Faith For Faith promises all things and perfects all things But doubting will not believe that it shall obtain any thing by all that it can do Thou seest therefore says he how Faith cometh from above from
God and has great Power But Doubting is an Earthly Spirit and proceedeth from the Devil and has no Strēgth Do thou therefore keep the Vertue of Faith and depart from Doubting in which is no Vertue and thou shalt live unto God And all shall live unto God as many as shall do these things The Tenth COMMAND Of the Sadness of the Heart and that we must take heed not to grieve the Spirit of God that is in us I. PUT all Sadness far from thee for it is the Sister of Doubting and of Anger How Sir said I Is it the Sister of these For Sadness and Anger and Doubting seem to me to be very different from one another And he answered Art thou without Sense that thou dost not understand it For Sadness is the most mischievous of all Spirits and the worst to the Servants of God It destroys the Spirits of all Men and torments the Holy Spirit and again it saves Sir said I I am very foolish and understand not these things I cannot apprehend how it can torment and yet save Hear said he and understand They who never sought out the Truth nor enquired concerning the Majesty of God but only believed are involved in the Affairs of the Heathen And there is another lying Prophet that destroys the Senses of the Servants of God that is of those that are doubtful not of those that fully trust in the LORD Now those doubtful Persons come to him as to a Divine Spirit and enquire of him what shall befal them And this lying Prophet having no Power in him of the Divine Spirit answers them according to their Demands and fills their Souls with Promises according as they desire Howbeit that Prophet is vain and answers vain things to those who are themselves vain And whatsoever is asked of him by vain Men he answers them vainly Nevertheless he speaketh some things truly For the Devil fills him with his Spirit that he may overthrow some of the Righteous II. WHOSOEVER therefore are strong in the Faith of the LORD and have put on the Truth they are not joyned to such Spirits but depart from them But those that are doubtful and often repenting like the Heathens consult them and heap up to themselves great Sin serving Idols As many therefore as are such enquire of them upon every Occasion worship Idols and are foolish and void of the Truth For every Spirit that is given from God is not asked but having the Power of the Divinity speaks all things of its self because it comes from above from the Power of the Holy Spirit But he that being ask'd speaks according to Mens desires and concerning many other Affairs of this present World understands not the things which relate unto God For these Spirits are darkned through such Affairs and corrupted and broken As good Vines if they are neglected are oppress'd with Weeds and Thorns and at last kill'd by them So are the Men who believe such Spirits They fall into many Actions and Businesses and are void of Sense and when they think of things pertaining unto God they understand nothing at all But if at any time they chance to hear any thing concerning the LORD their Thoughts are upon their Business But they that have the Fear of the LORD and search out the Truth concerning God have all their Thoughts with the LORD They apprehend whatsoever is said to them and forthwith they understand it because they have the Fear of the LORD in them For where the Spirit of the LORD dwells there is also a great Sense added Wherefore joyn thy self to the LORD and thou shalt understand and apprehend all things III. LEARN now O Unwise Man How Sadness grieves the Holy Spirit and how it saves When a Man that is doubtful is engaged in any Affair and do's not accomplish it by reason of his Doubting this Sadness enters into him and grieves the Holy Spirit and makes him sad Again Anger when it overtakes any Man for any Business he is greatly moved and Anger possesses his Heart and he is disturb'd in his Work which he is about and afterwards repents because he did amiss Thus both Doubting and Sadness hurt the Holy Spirit Doubting because his Work did not succeed and Sadness because he angr'd the Holy Spirit Remove therefore Sadness from thy self and offend not the Holy Spirit which dwelleth in thee least he ask the LORD and depart from thee For the Spirit of the LORD which is given to us in the Flesh endures not Sadness Wherefore cloath thy self with Chearfulness which has always Favour with the LORD and thou shalt rejoyce in it For every chearful Man do's well and relishes those things that are good and despises Unrighteousness But the sad Man do's wickedly because he grieves the Holy Spirit which is given to the chearful Man And again he do's ill because he prays with Sadness unto the LORD except he first makes a thankful acknowledgment unto him of former Mercies and obtains not of God what he asks For the Prayer of a sad Man has not always Efficacy to come up to the Altar of God And I said unto him Sir Why has not the Prayer of a sad Man Vertue to come up to the Altar of God Because said he that Sadness remaineth in his Heart When therefore a Man's Prayer shall be accompanied with Sadness it will not suffer his Requests to ascend pure to the Altar of God For as Wine when it is mingled with Vinegar has not the Sweetness it had before so Sadness being mix'd with the Holy Spirit suffers not a Man's Prayer to be Pure as it would be otherwise Wherefore purifie thy self from Sadness which is Evil and thou shalt live unto God And all others shall live unto God as many as shall lay aside Sadness and put on Chearfulness The Eleventh COMMAND That the Spirits and Prophets are to be tried by their Works and of a Two-fold Spirit HE shew'd me certain Men sitting upon Benches and one sitting in a Chair And he said unto me Seest thou those who sit upon the Benches Sir said I I see them He answer'd They are the Faithful and he who sits in the Chair is an Earthly Spirit For he cometh not into the Church with the Faithful but avoids it But he joyns himself to the Doubtful and Empty and prophecies to them in hidden Places and Corners and pleases them by speaking according to all the Desires of their Hearts For that which is fitted to empty Vessels is not broken but the one agrees to the other But when such a one comes into the Company of Just Men who have the Spirit of God and they pray unto the LORD that Man is emptied because that Earthly Spirit flies from him and he is dumb and cannot speak any thing As if in a Store-House you shall stop up Wine or Oyl and among those Vessels shall place an empty Jar and shall afterwards come to open it
you shall find it empty as you stopp'd it up So those empty Prophets when they come among the Spirits of the Just are found to be such as they came Thus you see the Life of each of these kind of Prophets Wherefore prove that Man by his Life and Works who says that he hath the Holy Spirit And believe the Spirit which comes from God and has Power as such But believe not the Earthly Spirit in whom there is no Trust nor Vertue but he is empty because he is from the Devil Hear now the Similitude which I am about to speak unto thee Take a Stone and throw it up towards Heaven or take a Spout of Water and mount it up thither-ward and see if thou canst reach unto Heaven Sir said I How can this be done For neither of those things which you have mentioned are possible to be done And he answer'd Therefore as these things cannot be done so is the Earthly Spirit without Vertue and without Effect Understand yet farther the Power of the other in this Similitude The Grains of Hail that drop down are exceeding small and yet when they fall upon the Head of a Man how do they cause Pain to it And again consider the Droppings of a House how the little Drops falling upon the Earth work a Hollow in the Stones So in like manner the least things which come from above and fall upon the Earth have great force Wherefore join thy self to this Spirit which has Power and depart from the other which is empty The Twelfth COMMAND Of a two-fold Desire That the Commands of God are not impossible And that the Devil is not to be feared by them that Believe I. AGAIN he said unto me Remove from thee all Evil Desires and put on all Good and Holy Desires For having put on a good Desire thou shalt hate that which is Evil and bridle it as thou wilt But an Evil Desire is dreadful and hard to be appeas'd It is very horrible and wild and by its Wildness consumes Men. And especially if the Servant of God shall chance to fall into it except he be very Wise he shall be ruined by it For it destroys those who have not the Garment of a good Desire and engages them in the Affairs of this present World and delivers them unto Death Sir said I What are the Works of an evil Desire which shall bring Men unto Death Shew them to me that I may depart from them Hear said he in what Works an evil Desire shall bring the Servants of God unto Death The Spirit of all Men is Earthly and light and has no Vertue and speaks much I said How then shall a Man be able to discern them Consider what I am going to say concerning both kinds of Men and as I speak unto thee so shalt thou prove the Prophet of God and the False Prophet And first try the Man who hath the Spirit of God because the Spirit which is from above is humble and quiet and departs from all Wickedness and from the vain Desires of the present World and makes himself more humble than all Men and answers to none when he is ask'd nor to every one singly neither do's the Spirit of God speak to a Man when he will but speaks when God pleases When therefore a Man who has the Spirit of God shall come into the Church of the Righteous who have the Faith of God and they pray unto the LORD then the Holy Angel of God fills that Man with the Blessed Spirit and he speaks in the Congregation as he is moved by God Thus therefore is the Spirit of God known because whosoever speaks by the Spirit of God speaketh as the LORD will II. HEAR now concerning the Earthly Spirit which is empty and foolish and without Vertue And first of all the Man who may be supposed to have this Spirit exalteth himself and desires to have the first Seat and is wicked and full of Words and spends his time in Pleasure and in all manner of Voluptuousness and receives the Reward of his Divination Which if he receives not he do's not divine Although the Spirit of God may receive Reward and Divine But it becomes not the Prophet of God so to do But it is an evil Desire to covet another Mans Wife or for a Woman to covet anothers Husband as also to desire the Dainties of Riches and Multitude of superfluous Meats and Drunkenness and many Delights For in much Delicacy there is Folly and many Pleasures are needless to the Servants of God Such Lusting therefore is evil and pernicious which brings to Death the Servants of God For all such Lusting is from the Devil Whosoever therefore shall depart from all evil Desires shall live unto God But they that are subject unto them shall die for ever For this evil Lusting is deadly Do thou therefore put on the Desire of Righteousness and being armed with the Fear of the LORD resist all wicked Lusting For Fear dwelleth in good Desires and when evil Coveting shall see thee arm'd with the Fear of the LORD and resisting it it will flie far from thee and not appear before thee but be afraid of thy Armour and thou shalt have the Victory and be crown'd for it and shalt attain unto that Desire which is good and shalt give the Victory which thou hast obtain'd unto God and shalt serve him in doing what thou thy self wouldst do For if thou shalt be subject to good Desires and follow them thou shalt be able to get the Dominion over thy wicked Lustings and they shall be subject to thee as thou wilt III. AND I said Sir I would know how I ought to serve that Desire which is good Hearken said he Fear God and put thy Trust in him and love Truth and Righteousness and do that which is good If thou shalt do these things thou shalt be an approved Servant of God and shalt serve him And when he had fulfilled these Twelve Commands he said unto me Thou hast now these Commands walk in them and exhort those that hear them that they repent and that they keep their Repentance pure all the remaining Days of their Life And fulfil diligently this Service which I commit to thee and thou shalt receive great Advantage by it and shalt find Favour with all such as shall repent and shall believe thy Words For I am with thee and will force them to believe And I said unto him Sir These Commands are Great and Excellent and able to chear the Heart of that Man that shall be able to keep them But Sir I cannot tell whether they can be observed by any Man He answer'd Thou shalt easily keep these Commands and they shall not be hard Howbeit if thou shalt suffer it once to enter into thy Heart that they cannot be kept by any one thou shalt not fulfil them But now I say unto thee If thou shalt not observe these Commands but shalt
thy Children and with all thy House thou shalt be happy And whosoever when they hear these things shall do them they also shall be happy and whatsoever they shall ask of the LORD they shall receive it IV. AND I pray'd him that he would expound unto me the Similitude of the Farm and the Lord and of the Vineyard and of the Servant that had staked the Vine-yard and of the Weeds that were pluck'd out of the Vineyard and of his Son and his Friends which he took into Counsel with him For I understood that that was the Similitude He said unto me Thou art very ready in asking Howbeit thou oughst not to ask any thing for if it be fitting to shew it unto thee it shall be shewed I answer'd him Sir Whatsoever thou shalt shew without explaining it unto me I shall in vain see it And what Similitudes thou shalt propose and not expound them I shall in vain hear them He answered me again saying Whosoever is the Servant of God and has the LORD in his Heart desires Understanding of him and receives it and he explains every Similitude and understands the Words of the LORD which need an Enquiry But they that are lazy and slow to pray doubt to seek from the LORD although the LORD be of such an extraordinary Goodness that without ceasing he giveth all things to them that ask of him Thou therefore who art strengthened by that Venerable Messenger and hast received such a powerful Gift of Prayer seeing thou art not sloathful why dost thou not now ask Understanding of the LORD and receive it I said unto him seeing I have thee present it is necessary that I should seek it of thee and ask thee for thou shewest all things unto me and speakest to me when thou art present But if I should see or hear these things when thou wert not present I would then ask the LORD that he would shew them unto me V. AND he reply'd I said a little before that thou wert subtle and bold and that thou askest the meaning of these Similitudes But because thou still persistest I will unfold to thee the Parable which thou desirest that thou mayst make it known unto all Men. Hear therefore said he and understand The Farm before mention'd denotes the whole Earth The Lord of the Farm is he who created and finished all things and gave Vertue unto them His Son is the Holy Spirit The Servant is the Son of God The Vineyard is the People whom he saves The Stakes are the Messengers which are set over them by the LORD to support his People The Weeds that are pluckt up out of the Vineyard are the Sins which the Servants of God had committed The Food which he sent him from his Supper are the Commands which he gave to his People by his Son The Friends whom he call'd to Counsel with him are the Holy Angels whom he first created The Absence of the Master of the Houshold is the Time that remains unto his Coming I said unto him Sir All these things are very excellent and wonderful and good But continued I could I or any other Man besides though never so wise have understood these things Wherefore now Sir tell me what I ask He replied ask me what thou wilt Why said I is the Son of God in this Parable put in the place of a Servant VI. Hearken said he The Son of God is not put in the condition of a Servant but in great Power and Authority And I answer'd How Sir I understood it not Because said he The Son set his Messengers over those whom the Father deliver'd unto him to keep every one of them but he himself labour'd very much and suffer'd much that he might blot out their Offences For no Vineyard can be digg'd without much Labour and Pains Wherefore having blotted out the Sins of his People he shew'd to them the Paths of Life giving them the Law which he had received of the Father You see said he that he is the LORD of his People having received all Power from his Father But why did the LORD take into Counsel his Son concerning dividing the Inheritance and the Good Angels Hear Because that Messenger hearkned to the Holy Ghost which was first of all infused into the Body in which God should dwell For his Understanding placed him in the Body as it seem'd Good to him This Body therefore into which the Holy Spirit was brought served that Spirit walking rightly and purely in Modesty nor ever defiled that Spirit Seeing therefore the Body at all times obeyed the Holy Spirit and labour'd rightly and chastly with him nor falter'd at any time that Body being wearied conversed indeed Servily but being stoutly approved with the Holy Spirit was accepted by God For such a powerful Course pleased God because he was not defiled in the Earth keeping the Holy Spirit in Council with him He called therefore his Son and the Good Angels that there might be some place of standing given to this Body which had served the Holy Spirit without Complaint least it should seem to have lost the reward of its Service For every pure Body shall receive its reward that is found without Spot in which the Holy Spirit has been appointed to dwell And thus you have now the Exposition of this Parable also VII SIR said I I now understand your Meaning since I have heard this Exposition Hearken farther said he Keep this thy Body Clean and Pure that the Spirit which shall dwell in it may bear Witness unto it and be judged to have been with thee Also take heed that it be not instill'd into thy Mind that this Body perishes and thou abuse it to any Lust. For if thou shalt defile thy Body thou shalt also at the same time defile the Holy Spirit and if thou shalt defile the Holy Spirit thou shalt not live And I said What if through Ignorance this should have been already committed before a Man heard these Words How can he attain unto Salvation who has thus defiled his Body He reply'd As for Mens former Actions which through Ignorance they have committed God only can afford a remedy unto them For all power belongeth unto him But now Guard thy self and seeing God is Almighty and Merciful he will grant a remedy to what thou hast formerly done amiss if for the time to come thou shalt not defile thy Body and Spirit For they are Companions together and the One cannot be defiled but the other will be so too Keep therefore both of them Pure and thou shalt live unto God The Sixth SIMILITUDE Of two sorts of Voluptuous Men and of their Death Defection and of the Continuance of their Pains I. AS I was sitting at home and praising God for all the things which I had seen and was thinking concerning the Commands that they were exceeding Good and Great and Honest and Pleasant and such as would certainly bring a Man to Salvation
false Pleasure for one Day and is one Day tormented that one Day of Punishment is equivalent to a whole years space Thus look how many Days any one pursues his Pleasures so many Years is he punish'd for it You see therefore how that the Time of Worldly Enjoyments is but short but that of Pain and Torments a great deal more V. I REPLY'D Sir forasmuch as I do not understand all these Times of Pleasure and Pain I intreat you that you would explain your self more clearly concerning them He answer'd me saying Thy Foolishness still sticks inseparably unto thee Shouldst thou not rather purifie thy Mind and serve God Take heed least when thy Time is fulfill'd thou shalt be found still unwise Hear then as thou desirest that thou mayst the more easily understand He that gives himself up one Day to his Pleasures and Delights and do's whatsoever his Soul desires is full of great Folly nor understands what he do's but the Day following forgets what he did the Day before For Sweetness and Worldly Pleasure have no Memory by reason of the Folly that is rooted in them But when Pain and Torment befal a Man a Day he is in Effect troubled the whole Year after because his Punishment continues firm in his Memory Wherefore he remembers it with Sorrow the whole Year and then calls to mind his vain Pleasure and Delight and perceives that for the sake of that he was punished Whosoever therefore have deliver'd themselves over to such Pleasures are thus punished because that when they had Life they rendred themselves liable to Death I said unto him Sir And what Pleasures are hurtful He answer'd That is Pleasure to every Man which he do's willingly For the Angry Man gratifying his Passion perceives Pleasure in it and so the Adulterer and Drunkard the Detractor and Lyar and Covetous Man and the Deceiver and whosoever commits any thing like unto these because he gratifies his Infirmities he receives a Satisfaction in the doing of it All these Pleasures and Delights are hurtful to the Servants of God For these therefore they are tormented and suffer Punishment There are also Pleasures that bring Salvation unto Men. For many when they do what is good find Pleasure in it and are attracted by the Delights of it Now this Pleasure is profitable to the Servants of God and brings Life to such Men But those hurtful Pleasures which were before mention'd bring Torments and Punishment And whosoever shall continue in them and shall not repent of what they have done shall gain Death unto themselves The Seventh SIMILITUDE That they who Repent must bring forth Fruits worthy of Repentance AFTER a few Days I saw the same Person that before talked with me in the same Field in which I had before seen the Shepherds And he said unto me What seekest thou Sir said I I came to intreat you that you would command the Shepherd who is the Minister of Punishment to depart out of my House because he greatly afflicts me And he answer'd It is necessary for thee to endure Inconveniencies and Vexations for so that good Angel hath commanded concerning thee because he would try thee Sir said I What so great Offence have I committed that I should be deliver'd to this Messenger Hearken said he Thou art indeed guilty of many Sins yet not so many that thou shouldst be delivered to this Messenger But thy House hath committed many Sins and Offences and therefore that good Messenger being grieved at their Doings commanded that for some time thou shouldst suffer Affliction that they may both repent of what they have done and may wash themselves from all desires of this present World When therefore they shall have repented and be purified then that Messenger which is appointed over thy Punishment shall depart from thee I said unto him Sir If they have behaved themselves so as to anger that good Angel yet what have I done He answer'd They cannot otherwise be afflicted unless thou who art the Head of the Family suffer For whatsoever thou shalt suffer they must needs feel it But as long as thou shalt stand well establish'd they cannot experience any Vexation I replyed But Sir behold they also now repent with all their Hearts I know says he that they repent with all their Hearts but dost thou therefore think that their Offences who repent are immediately blotted out No they are not presently But he that repents must afflict his Soul and shew himself humble in all his Affairs and undergo many and divers Vexations And when he shall have suffer'd all things that were appointed for him then perhaps he that made him and all things besides will be moved with Compassion towards him and afford him some Remedy and especially if he shall perceive his Heart who repents to be pure from every Evil Work But at present it is expedient for thee and for thy House to be grieved and it is needful that thou shouldst endure much Vexation as the Angel of the LORD who committed thee unto me has commanded Rather give Thanks unto the LORD that knowing what was to come he thought thee worthy to whom he should foretel that Trouble was coming upon those that were able to bear it I said unto him Sir Be but thou also with me and I shall easily undergo any Trouble I will said he be with thee and I will ask the Messenger who is set over thy Punishment that he would moderate his Afflictions towards thee And moreover thou shalt suffer Adversity but for a little time and then thou shalt again be restored to thy former Place only continue on in the Humility of thy Mind Obey the LORD with a pure Heart thou and thy House and thy Children and walk in the Commands which I have delivered unto thee And then thy Repentance may be firm and pure And if thou shalt keep these things with thy House all Inconveniencies shall depart from thee And all Vexation shall in like manner depart from all those whosoever shall walk according to these Commands The Eighth SIMILITUDE That there are many kinds of Elect and of Repenting Sinners And how all of them shall receive a Reward proportionable to the Measure of their Repentance and Good Works I. AGAIN he shew'd me a Willow which covered the Fields and the Mountains under whose Shadow came all such as were called by the Name of the LORD And by that Willow stood the Angel of the LORD very excellent and lofty and did cut down Boughs from that Willow with a great Hook and reach'd out to the People that were under the Shadow of that Willow little Rods as it were about a Foot long And when all of them had taken them he laid aside his Hook and the Tree continued intire as I had before seen it At which I wondred and mused within my self Then that Shepherd said unto me Forbear to wonder that that Tree continues whole notwithstanding so many Boughs
these there is no more place for Repentance For by reason of their present Interests they have blasphemed and denied God And for this Wickedness have lost Life And of these many are still in doubt these may yet return and if they shall quickly repent they shall have a place in the Tower but if they shall be more slow they shall dwell within the Walls but if they shall not repent they shall die As for those who had two parts of their Rods Green and the third Dry they have deny'd the LORD by their manifold sins Of these many have repented and found a place in the Tower and many have altogether departed from God These have utterly lost their Lives And some being in a doubtful state have raised up Dissentions These may yet return if they shall suddainly repent and not be with-held by their pleasures but if they shall continue in their Evil-doings they shall Die IX THEY who gave in their Rods two parts Dry and the other Green are those who have indeed been faithful but withall Rich and full of good things and thereupon have desired to be famous among those without and have thereby fallen into great Pride and began to aim at high matters and to forsake the Truth Nor did they hold fast to the Righteous but lived with Strangers and this Life seem'd the more Pleasant to them Howbeit they departed not from God but continued in the Faith only they did not exercise the Works of Faith Many therefore of these repented and began to dwell in the Tower Yet others still living among strange People and being lifted up with their Vanities have utterly fallen away from God and follow'd the Works and Wickednesses of the Heathen These kind of Men therefore are reckon'd among Strangers to the Gospel Others of these became Doubtful minded despairing by reason of their wicked doings ever to attain unto Salvation Others being Dubious stirr'd up Dissentions To these therefore and to those who by reason of their Doings are become doubtful there is still hopes of return but they must repent quickly that their Place may be in the Tower But they that repent not but continue still in their Pleasures are nigh unto Death X. As for those who gave in their Rods Green excepting their Tops which only were Dry and had Clefts These were always Good and Faithful and Approved towards â—od Nevertheless they sinn'd a little by reason of their empty Pleasures and little Disputes which they had among themselves Wherefore many of them when they heard my words repented forthwith and began to dwell in the Tower Nevertheless some grew doubtful and others to their doubtful Minds added Dissentions To these therefore there is still hope of return because they were always Good but they shall hardly be moved As for those lastly who gave in their Rods dry their Tops only excepted which alone were Green They are such as have believed indeed in God but have lived in Wickedness yet without departing from God Having always willingly Born the Name of the LORD and readily received into their Houses the Servants of God Wherefore hearing these things they return'd and without delay repented and lived in all Righteousness And some of them suffered Death others readily underwent many trials being mindful of their Evil-doings XI AND when he had ended his Explications of all the Rods he said unto me Go and say unto all Men that they Repent and they shall live unto God Because the LORD being moved with great Clemency hath sent me to preach Repentance unto all even to those who by reason of their Evil-doings deserve not to attain unto Salvation But the LORD will be Patient and keep the Invitation that was made by his Son I said unto him Sir I hope that All when they shall hear these things will repent For I trust that every one acknowledging his Crimes and taking up the fear of the LORD will return unto Repentance He said unto me Whosoever shall repent with all their Hearts and cleanse themselves from all the Evils that I have before mentioned and not add any thing more to their sins shall receive from the LORD the Cure of their former Iniquities if they shall not make any Doubt of my Commands and shall live unto God But they that shall continue to add to their Transgressions and shall still converse with the Lusts of this present World shall Condemn themselves unto Death But do thou walk in these Commands and thou shalt live unto God And whosoever shall walk in these and exercise them rightly shall live unto God And having shew'd me all these things he said I will shew thee the rest in a few days The Ninth SIMILITUDE The Greatest Mysteries of the Militant and Triumphant Church which is to be built I. AFTER I had written the Commands and Similitudes of the Shepherd the Angel of Repentance he came unto me and said to me I will shew thee all those things which the Spirit spake with thee under the Figure of the Church For that Spirit is the Son of God And because thou wert weak in Body it was not declared unto thee by the Angel until thou wert strengthened by the Spirit and encreased in force that thou mightest also see the Angel For then indeed the Building of the Tower was gloriously shewn unto thee by the Church nevertheless thou sawest all things shewn unto thee as it were by a Virgin But now thou art enlightned by the Angel but indeed by the same Spirit But thou must consider all things diligently for therefore am I sent into thine House by that Venerable Messenger that when thou shalt have seen all things powerfully thou mayst not be afraid as before And he led me to the Top of a Mountain of Arcadia and we sate upon its Top. And he shew'd me a great Plain and about it Twelve Mountains in different Figures The First was black as Soot The Second was smooth without Grass The Third was full of Thorns and Thistles The Fourth had Grass half dryed of which the upper part was green but that next the Root was dry and some of the Herbs when the Sun grew hot were dry The Fifth Mountain was very rugged but yet had green Grass The Sixth Mountain was full of Clefts some lesser and some greater and in those Clefts grew Grass not flourishing but which seem'd to be withering The Seventh Mountain had delightful Pasture and was wholly fruitful and all kinds of Cattle and of the Birds of Heaven fed upon it and the more they fed of it the more and better did the Grass grow The Eighth Mountain was full of Fountains and from those Fountains were water'd all kinds of the Creatures of God The Ninth Mountain had no Water at all but was wholly destitute of it and nourish'd deadly Serpents and destructive to Men. The Tenth Mountain was full of tall Trees and altogether shady and under the Shade of them lay Cattle
therefore they are Black because their kind is wicked Of the second Mountain which was Smooth are the Hypocrites who have believed and the Teachers of Naughtiness And these are next to the foregoing which have not in them the Fruit of Righteousness For as their Mountain is barren and without Fruit so also such kind of Men have indeed the Name of Christians but are empty of Faith nor is there any Fruit of the Truth in them Nevertheless there is room left to them for Repentance if they shall suddainly pursue it But if they shall delay they also shall be Partakers of Death with the foregoing kind I said Sir Why is there room left to those for Repentance and not to the foregoing kind seeing their Sins are well nigh the same There is therefore said he to these a return unto Life because they have not blasphemed their LORD nor betray'd the Servants of God But by their desire of Gain have deceived Men leading them according to the desires of Sinners wherefore they shall suffer for this thing Howbeit there is still left them room for Repentance because they have not spoken any thing wickedly against their LORD XX. THEY who are of the third Mountain which had Thorns and Brambles are those who believed but were some of them Rich others taken up with many Affairs The Brambles are their Riches the Thorns those Affairs in which they were engaged Now they who are entangled in much Business and in Diversity of Affairs joyn not themselves to the Servants of God but wander being called away by those Affairs with which they are choaked And so they which are rich with difficulty yield themselves to the Conversation of the Servants of God fearing least any thing should be ask'd of them These therefore shall hardly enter into the Kingdom of God For as Men walk with difficulty bare-foot over Thorns even so these kind of Men shall scarcely enter into the Kingdom of God Nevertheless there is afforded to all these a return unto Repentance if so be they shall quickly return to it that because in their former days they have neglected to work in the time that is to come they may do some Good If therefore having repented they shall do the Works of Righteousness they shall live But if they shall continue in their Evil Courses they shall be deliver'd to those Women that will take away their Life XXI AS for the fourth Mountain which had much Grass the upper part of which is green but the rest dry and some of which being touch'd with the Heat of the Sun is wither'd it denotes the doubtful who have believed and some others who carry the LORD in their Tongues but have him not in their Heart Therefore their Grass is dry and without Root because they live only in Words but their Works are dead These therefore are neither dead nor living and withal are doubtful For the Doubtful are neither Green nor Dry that is neither Dead nor Alive For as their Grass dries away at the Sight of the Sun so the Doubtful as soon as they hear of Persecution and fear Inconveniences return to their Idols and again serve them and are ashamed to bear the Name of their LORD This kind of Men then is neither Dead nor Alive nevertheless these also may live if they shall presently repent But if not they shall be delivered to those Women who shall take away their Life XXII AS concerning the fifth Mountain that is craggy and yet has green Grass They are of this kind who have believed and are Faithful indeed but believe with Difficulty and are bold and self-conceited that would be thought to know all things but really know nothing Wherefore by reason of this Confidence Knowledge is departed from them and a rash Presumption is entred into them But they carry themselves high and as prudent Men and though they are Fools yet would seem to be Teachers Now by reason of this Folly many of them whilst they magnifie themselves are become vain and empty For Boldness and vain Confidence is a great Seducer Wherefore many of these are cast away But others acknowledging their Error have repented and submitted themselves to those who are knowing And to all the rest of this kind there is Repentance allow'd forasmuch as they were not so much wicked as foolish and void of Understanding If these therefore shall repent they shall live unto God but if not they shall dwell with those Women who shall exercise their Wickedness upon them XXIII FOR what concerns the sixth Mountain having greater and lesser Clefts they are such as have believed but those in which were the lesser Clefts are they who have had Controversies among themselves and by reason of their Quarrels languish in the Faith Nevertheless many of these have repented and so will the rest when they shall hear my Commands for their Controversies are but small and they will easily return unto Repentance But those who have the greater Clefts will be as stiff Stones mindful of Grudges and Offences and practising Anger among themselves These therefore are cast from the Tower and rejected to be put into its Building therefore this kind of Men shall hardly live Our God and LORD who ruleth over all things and has Power over all his Creatures will not remember our Offences but is easily appeased by those who confess their Sins But Man being Languid Mortal Infirm and full of Sins perseveres in his Anger against Man as if it were in his Power to save or to destroy him But I as the Angel who am set over your Repentance admonish you that whosoever among you has any such purpose he would lay it aside and return unto Repentance and the LORD will provide Remedies for your former Sins if you shall purge your selves from this Evil Spirit but if you shall not do it ye shall be delivered to him unto Death XXIV AS for the seventh Mountain in which the Grass was green and flourishing and the whole Mountain fruitful and all kind of Cattel fed upon the Grass of it and the more the Grass was eaten so much the more it flourished they are such as believed and were always good and upright and without any Differences among themselves but still rejoyced in all the Servants of God having put on the Spirit of these Virgins and been always ready to shew Mercy to all Men and easily giving to all Men of their Labours without upbraiding and without Deliberation Wherefore the LORD seeing their Simplicity and Innocence has encreased them in the Works of their Hands and given them Grace in all their Works But I who am appointed over your Repentance exhort you that as many as are of this kind would continue in the same purpose that your Seed may not be rooted out for ever For the LORD hath try'd you and written you into our Number and all your Seed shall dwell with the Son of God for ye are all
round XXX HEAR now says he concerning those Stones which were brought out of the Plain into the Building of the Tower and placed in the room of those that were rejected They are the Roots of that white Mountain Wherefore because those who have believed of that Mountain were very Innocent the LORD of this Tower commanded that they which were of the Roots of this Mountain should be placed into the Building For he knew that if they were put into this Building they would continue bright nor would any of them any more be made black But if he had added on this manner from the rest of the Mountains he would have needed again to visit this Tower and to cleanse it Now all these white Stones are the young Men who have and shall believe for they are all of the same kind Happy is this kind because it is Innocent Hear now also concerning those round and bright Stones All these are of this white Mountain But they are therefore found round because their Riches have a little darkned them from the Truth and dazzled their Eyes Howbeit they have never departed from the LORD nor has any wicked Word proceeded out of their Mouths but all Righteousness and Vertue and Truth When therefore the LORD saw their Mind and that they might adorn the Truth he commanded that they should continue good and that their Riches should be pared away For he would not have them taken wholly away to the End they might do some good with that which was left and live unto God because they also are of a good kind Therefore they were a little cut away and so put into the Building of this Tower XXXI AS for the rest which continu'd still round and were not found fit for the Building because they have not yet received the Seal they were carried back to their place because they were found very round But this present World must be cut away from them and the Vanities of their Riches and then they will be fit for the Kingdom of God For they must enter into the Kingdom of God because God has blessed this innocent kind Of this kind therefore none shall fall away for though any of them being tempted by the Devil should offend he shall soon return to his LORD God I the Angel of Repentance esteem you happy whosoever are Innocent as little Children because your part is good and honourable with the LORD And I say unto all you who have received this Seal keep Simplicity and remember not Affronts nor continue in Malice neither suffer Bitterness to grow in your Spirits through the Memory of any Offences that you have received but provide Remedies for these evil Rents and remove them from you that the LORD of the Sheep may rejoyce in you for he will rejoyce if he shall find all whole But if any of these Sheep shall be found scatter'd away Wo shall be to the Shepherds And if the Shepherds themselves shall be scattered how will they answer to God for the Sheep Will they say that they were troubled by the Sheep But they shall not be believed For it is not to be believed that the Shepherd should suffer by his Flock and he shall be the more punished for his Lie Now I am the Shepherd and I especially must give an Account of you XXXII WHEREFORE provide for your selves whilst the Tower is yet building The LORD dwells in those that love Peace for true Peace is dear but he is far off from the Contentious and those who are overtaken with Malice Wherefore restore unto him the Spirit intire as ye received it For if thou shalt give unto a Fuller a new Garment whole thou wilt expect to receive it whole again If therefore the Fuller shall restore it unto thee torn wouldst thou receive it Wouldst thou not presently be angry and reproach him saying I gave my Garment to thee whole why hast thou rent it and made it useless to me Now it is of no use to me by reason of the Rent which thou hast made in it Wouldst thou not say all this to a Fuller for the Rent which he made in thy Garment If therefore thou wouldst be concern'd for thy Garment and complain that thou hadst not received it whole what thinkest thou that the LORD will do who gave his Spirit to thee intire and thou hast render'd him altogether unprofitable So that he can be of no use unto his LORD For being corrupted by thee he is no longer profitable to him Will not therefore the LORD do the same concerning his Spirit by reason of thy Sin Undoubtedly said I he will do the same to all those whom he shall find to continue in the Remembrance of Injuries Tread not then under foot said he his Mercy but rather honour him because he is so patient with respect to your Offences and not like one of you but repent for that will be profitable for you XXXIII ALL these things which are above written I the Angel of Repentance have shewn and spoken to the Servants of God If therefore ye shall believe and hearken to these Words and shall walk in them and shall correct your Ways ye shall live But if ye shall continue in your Wickedness and in the Remembrance of Injuries no such Sinners shall live unto God All these things which were to be deliver'd by me I have thus spoken unto thee Then the Shepherd said unto me Hast thou ask'd all things of me I answered Sir I have Why then said he Hast thou not ask'd concerning the Form of these Stones that were put in the Building that I may explain that also unto thee I answer'd Sir I forgot it Hear then said he concerning those also They are those who have heard these Commands and have repented with all their Hearts And when the LORD saw that their Repentance was good and pure and that they could continue in it he commanded their former Sins to be blotted out For these Forms were their Sins and they are therefore made even that their Sins might not appear The Tenth SIMILITUDE Of Repentance and Alms-Deeds I. AFTER that I had written this Book the Angel which had deliver'd me to that Shepherd came into the House where I was and sate upon the Bed and that Shepherd stood at his Right Hand Then he called me and said unto me I deliver'd thee and thy House to this Shepherd that thou mightest be protected by him I said Yes LORD If therefore said he thou wilt be protected from all Vexation and from all Cruelty and have Success in every good Word and Work and all Vertue and Righteousness walk in those Commands which he has given thee and thou shalt have Dominion over all Sin For if thou keepest those Commands all the Desire and Pleasure of this present World shall be subject to thee and Success shall follow thee in every good Undertaking Take therefore his Gravity and Modesty upon thee and say unto
much Jesus Christ vouchsafed to suffer for our sakes What Recompense then shall we render unto him Or what Fruit that may be worthy of what he has given to us For indeed how great are those Advantages which we owe to him in Relation to our Holiness He has illuminated us as a Father he has called us his Children he has saved us who were lost and undone What Praise shall we ascribe to him Or what Reward that may be answerable to those things which we have received We were defective in our Understandings worshiping Stones and Wood Gold and Silver and Brass the Works of Mens Hands and our whole Life was nothing else but Death Wherefore being encompassed with Darkness and having such a Mist before our Eyes we have look'd up and through his Will have laid aside the Cloud wherewith we were surrounded For he had Compassion upon us and being moved in his Bowels towards us he saved us having beheld in us much Deceit and Destruction and seen that we had no hope of Salvation but only by him Therefore he called us who were not and was pleased from nothing to give us a Being II. REJOICE thou Barren that barest not break forth and cry thou that travailest not for she that is desolate hath many more Children than she that hath an Husband In that he said Rejoice thou Barren that bearest not He spake of us For our Church was barren before that Children were given unto it And again when he said Cry thou that travailest not He implied thus much That after the manner of Women in Travail we should not cease to put up our Prayers unto God only And for what remains Because she that is desolate hath more Children than she that hath an Husband It was therefore added because our People which seem'd to have been forsaken by God now believing in him are become more than they who seem'd to have God And another Scripture saith I came not to call the Righteous but Sinners to Repentance The Meaning of which is this that those who were lost must be saved For that is indeed truly great and wonderful not to confirm those things that are yet standing but those which are falling Even so did it seem good to Christ to save what was lost and when he came into the World he saved many and called us who were already perishing III. SEEING then he has shew'd so great Mercy towards us and chiefly for that we who are alive do now no longer sacrifice to dead Gods nor pay any Worship to them but have by him been brought to the Knowledge of the Father of Truth Whereby shall we shew that we do indeed know him but by not denying him by whom we have come to the Knowledge of him For even he himself saith Whosoever shall confess me before Men him will I confess before my Father This therefore is our Reward that if we confess him we shall be saved by him But wherein must we confess him Namely in doing those things which he saith and not disobeying his Commandments By worshiping him not with our Lips only but with all our Heart and with all our Mind For he saith in Isaiah This People honoureth me with their Lips but their Heart is far from me IV. LET us not then only call him LORD for that will not save us For he saith Not every one that saith unto me LORD LORD shall be saved but he that doth Righteousness Wherefore Brethren let us confess him by our Works by loving one another in not committing Adultery not speaking Evil against each other not envying one another but by being Temperate Merciful and Good Let us also have a mutual Sense of one anothers Sufferings and not be covetous of Mony But let us by our Good Works confess God and not by those that are otherwise Also let us not fear Men but rather God For this cause and to the End that we should do thus hath the LORD said Though ye should be joyn'd unto me even in my very Bosom and not keep my Commandments I would cast you off and say unto you Depart from me I know not whence you are ye Workers of Iniquity V. WHEREFORE Brethren laying aside our sojourning in this present World let us do the Will of him who has called us and not fear to depart out of this World For the LORD saith Ye shall be as Sheep in the midst of Wolves Peter answered and said What if the Wolves shall tear in pieces the Sheep Jesus said unto Peter Let not the Sheep fear the Wolves after Death And ye also fear not those that kill you and after that have no more that they can do unto you but fear him who after you are dead has power to cast both Soul and Body into Hell Fire For consider Brethren that the sojourning of this Flesh in the present World is but little and of a short Continuance but the Promise of Christ is Great and Wonderful even the rest of the Kingdom that is to come and of Eternal Life But what then must we do that we attain unto it We must be converted to a divine and just Course of Life and look upon all the things of this World as none of ours and not desire them For if we shall desire to possess them we are fallen from the Way of Righteousness VI. FOR thus saith the LORD No Servant can serve two Masters If therefore we shall desire to serve God and Mammon it will be without Profit to us For what will it profit us if we shall gain the whole World and lose our own Souls Now this World and that to come are two Enemies This calls us to Adultery and Corruption to Covetousness and to Deceit but that commands us to renounce these things We cannot therefore be the Friends of both but we must resolve by forsaking one to enjoy the other And we think that it is better to hate the present things as little short-lived and corruptible and to love those which are to come which are truly good and incorruptible For if we do the Will of Christ we shall find Rest But if not nothing shall deliver us from Eternal Punishment if we shall disobey his Commands For even thus saith the Scripture in the Prophet Ezekiel If Noah Job and Daniel should rise up they shall not deliver their Children in Captivity Wherefore if such Righteous Men are not able by their Righteousness to deliver their Children how can we hope to enter into the Kingdom of God except we keep our Baptism Holy and Undefiled Or who shall be our Advocate unless we shall be found to have done what is Holy and Just VII LET us therefore my Brethren contend with all Earnestness knowing that we are now called to the Combat and that many go long Voyages to corruptible Encounters in which all are not concern'd but they only that labour much and