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
lifting up Chast and Undefiled Hands unto him Loving our gracious and merciful Father who has made us to partake of his Election For so it is written When the most High divided the Nations when he separated the Sons of Adam he set the Bounds of the Nations according to the number of his Angels His People Jacob became the Portion of the LORD and Israel the Lot of his Inheritance And in another Place he saith Behold the LORD taketh unto himself a Nation out of the midst of the Nations as a Man taketh the First-fruits of his Flour and the Most Holy shall come out of that Nation XXX WHEREFORE we being a part of the Holy One Let us do all those things that pertain unto Holyness Fleeing all Evil-speaking against one another all filthy and impure Embraces together with all Drunkenness Love of Innovation abominable Concupiscences detestable Adultery and execrable Pride For God resisteth the Proud but giveth Grace to the Humble Let us therefore hold fast to those to whom God has given his Grace And let us put on Concord being Humble Temperate free from all Whispering and Detraction and justified by our Actions not our Words For he saith Doth he that speaketh and heareth many things and that is of a ready Tongue suppose that he is Righteous Blessed is he that is born of a Woman that liveth but a few days Vse not therefore much Speech Let our Praise be of God not of our selves For God hateth those that commend themselves Let the Witness of our good Actions be given to us of others as it was given to the Holy Men that went before us Rashness and Arrogance and Confidence be to them who are Accursed of God But Equity and Humility and Mildness to such as are Blessed by him XXXI LET us then hold fast to his Blessing and let us consider what are the ways by which we may attain unto it Let us look back upon those things that have happened from the beginning For what was our Father Abraham Blessed Was it not because that through Faith he wrought Righteousness and Truth Isaac being fully perswaded of what he knew was to come chearfully yielded himself up for a Sacrifice Jacob with Humility departed out of his own Country fleeing from his Brother and went unto Laban and served him And so the Scepter of the Twelve Tribes of Israel was given unto him XXXII NOW what the Greatness of this Gift was will plainly appear if we shall take the pains distinctly to consider all the parts of it For from him came the Priests and Levites who all Ministred at the Altar of God From him came our Lord Jesus Christ according to the Flesh. From him came the Kings and Princes and Rulers in Judah Nor were the rest of his Tribes in any small Glory God having promis'd that Thy Seed says he shall be as the Stars of Heaven They were all therefore greatly glorified not for their own Sake or for their own Works or for the Righteousness that they themselves wrought but through his Will And we also being called by the same Will in Christ Jesus are not justified by our selves neither by our own Wisdom or Knowledge or Piety or the Works which we have done in the Holiness of our Hearts But by that Faith by which God Almighty has justified those also who were from the Beginning to whom be Glory for ever and ever Amen XXXIII WHAT shall we do therefore Brethren Shall we be Sloathful in Well-doing and lay aside our Charity God forbid that any such thing should be done by us But rather let us hasten with all Earnestness and Readiness of Mind to perfect every Good Work For even the Creator and Lord of all things rejoyces in his own Works By his Almighty Power he fixed the Heavens and by his Incomprehensible Wisdom he adorned them He also divided the Earth from the Water with which it is encompassed and fixed it as a secure Tower upon the Foundation of his own Will He also by his Appointment commanded all the Beasts that are upon it to exist So likewise the Sea and all the Creatures that are in it having first created them He enclosed them therein by his Power And above all he with his Holy and Pure Hands formed Man the most Excellent and as to his Understanding truly the greatest of all other Creatures the Character of his own Image For so God says Let us make Man in our Image after our owon Likeness So God created Man Male and Female created he them And having thus finished all these things he commended all that he had made and Blessed them and said Encrease and Multiply We see therefore how all Righteous Men have been adorn'd with Good Works And not only so but even the Lord himself having adorn'd himself with his Works rejoyced Having therefore such an Example let us without Delay fulfill his Will and with all our Strength work the Work of Righteousness XXXIV THE Good Workman with Confidence receives the Bread of his Labour But the Sluggish and Lazy cannot endure to behold him that set him on work We must therefore be ready and forward in Well-doing For from him are all things And thus he foretells us Behold the LORD cometh and his Reward is with him even before his Face to render to every one according to his Works He warns us therefore beforehand with all his Heart to this end that we should not be Sloathful and Negligent in Well-doing Let our Boasting therefore and our Confidence be in God Let us submit our selves to his Will Let us consider the vast Multitude of his Angels how ready they stand to minister unto it As saith the Scripture Thousands of Thousands stood before him and Ten Thousand times Ten Thousand Ministred unto him And they cry'd saying Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of Hosts The whole Earth is full of his Glory Wherefore let us also being gathered together in Love and Concord with one another with one Mind as well as one Mouth cry earnestly unto Him that he would make us Partakers of his Great and Glorious Promises For he saith Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard neither have entred into the Heart of Man the things which God has prepared for them that wait for him XXXV How Blessed and Wonderful Beloved are the Gifts of God Life in Immortality Brightness in Righteousness Truth in full Assurance Faith in Conviction Temperance in Holiness And all this has God subjected to our Understandings What therefore shall those things be which he has prepared for them that wait for him The Creator and Father of all things the most Holy He only knows both the Greatness and Beauty of them Let us therefore strive with all Earnestness that we may be found in the number of those
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
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
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.
will be able to Edifie your selves in the Faith that has been delivered unto you which is the Mother of us All being followed with Hope and led on by a general Love both towards God and towards Christ and towards our Neighbour For if any Man has these things he has fulfilled the Law of Righteousness For he that has Charity is faâ— from all Sin IV. BUT the Love of Money is the Root of all Evil. Knowing therefore that as we brought nothing into this World so neither may we carry any thing out Let us arm our selves with the Armour of Righteousness And teach our selves first to walk according to the Commandments of the Lord and then your Wives to walk likewise according to the Faith that is given to them in Charity and in Purity loving their own Husbands with all Sincerity and all others alike with all Temperance and to bring up their Children in the Instruction and Fear of the Lord. The Widows likewise teach that they be Sober and Discreet as to what concerns the Faith of the Lord Praying always for All Men being far from all Detraction Evil speaking false Witness from Covetousness and from all Evil Knowing that they are the Altars of God who sees all things and from whom nothing is hid Who searches out the very Reasonings and Thoughts and Secrets of our Hearts V. KNOWING therefore that God is not mocked we ought to walk worthy both of his Command and of his Glory Also the Deacons must be Blameless before Him as the Ministers of God in Christ and not of Men. Not false Accusers not Double-tongued not Lovers of Money but Moderate in all things Compassionate Careful walking according to the Truth of the Lord who was the Servant of all Whom if we please in this present World we shall also be made Partakers of that which is to come according as he has promised to us that he will raise us from the Dead And that if we shall walk worthy of him we shall also reign together with him if we believe In like manner the younger Men must be unblamable in all things Above all taking care of their Purity and to restrain themselves from all Evil. For it is good to be cut off from the Lusts that are in the World because every such Lust warreth against the Spirit And neither Fornicators nor Effeminate nor Abusers of themselves with Mankind shall inherit the Kingdom of God nor they who do such things as are Foolish and Unreasonable Wherefore ye must abstain from all these things being subject to the Priests and Deacons as unto God and Christ. The Virgins admonish to walk in a spotless and pure Conscience VI. AND let the Elders be Compassionate and Merciful towards all turning them from their Errors seeking out those that are Weak not forgetting the Widows the Fatherless and the Poor but always providing what is Good both in the sight of God and Man Abstaining from all Wrath respect of Persons and unrighteous Judgment And especially being free from all Covetousness Not easie to believe any thing against any not severe in Judgment Knowing that we are all Debtors in point of Sin If therefore we pray to the Lord that he would forgive us we ought also to forgive others For we are all in the sight of our Lord and God and must all stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ and every one give an account of Himself Let us therefore serve him in fear and with all Reverence as both Himself commanded and as the Apostles and Prophets have preach'd to us who have foretold the Coming of our Lord Being Zealous of what is Good abstaining from all Offence and from all false Brethren and from all that bear the Name of Christ in Hypocrisie who deceive vain Men. VII FOR whosoever does not confess that Jesus Christ is come in the Flesh he is Antichrist And whoever does not confess his Suffering upon the Cross is from the Devil And whosoever perverts the Oracles of the Lord to his own Lusts and says that there shall neither be any Resurrection nor Judgment he is the first Born of Satan Wherefore leaving the Vanity of many and their false Doctrines let us hold fast to the Word that was delivered to us from the Beginning Watching unto Prayer and persevering in Fasting Beseeching with all Supplication the All-seeing God not to lead us into Temptation as the Lord hath said The Spirit truly is willing but the Flesh is weak VIII LET us therefore without ceasing keep stedfastly to Him who is our Hope and the Earnest of our Righteousness even Jesus Christ Who his own self bare our Sins in his own Body on the Tree Who did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth But suffered all for us that we might live through Him Let us therefore imitate his Patience And if we suffer for his Name let us Glorifie him for this Example he has given us by Himself and so have we believed IX WHEREFORE I exhort all of you that ye obey the Word of Righteousness and exercise all Patience which ye have seen set forth before your Eyes not only in the Blessed Ignatius and Zozimus and Rufus but in others that have been among you and in Paul himself and the rest of the Apostles Being confident of this that all these have not run in vain but in Faith and Righteousness and are gone to the place that was due to them from the Lord with whom also they suffered For they loved not this present World but Him who died and was raised again by God for us X. STAND therefore in these things and follow the Example of the LORD being firm and immutable in the Faith Lovers of the Brotherhood Lovers of one another Companions together in the Truth being kind and gentle towards each other despising none When it is in your power to do good defer it not for Charity delivereth from death Be all of you subject one to another having your Conversation Honest among the Gentiles That by your good Works both ye your selves may receive Praise and the LORD may not be Blasphemed through you But Woe be to him by whom the Name of the LORD is Blasphemed Therefore teach all Men Sobriety in which do ye also exercise your selves XI I AM greatly afflicted for Valens who was once a Presbyter among you that he should so little understand the place that was given to Him in the Church Wherefore I admonish you that ye abstain from Covetousness and that ye be Chast and true of Speech Keep your selves from All Evil. For He that in these things cannot govern Himself How shall he be able to prescribe them to another If a Man does not keep himself from Covetousness He shall be polluted with Idolatry and be judged as if he were a
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
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
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
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
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
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
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