Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	forgive_v	lord_n	sin_n	11,546	5	5.1796	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42622	The genuine epistles of the apostolical fathers, S. Barnabas, S. Ignatius, S. Clement, S. Polycarp, the Shepherd of Hermas, and the matyrdoms of St. Ignatius and St. Polycarp, written by those who were present at their sufferings : being, together with the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament, a compleat collection of the most primitive antiquity for about CL years after Christ / translated and publish'd, with a large preliminary discourse relating to the several treaties here put together by W. Wake ...; Apostolic Fathers (Early Christian Collection) English.	Wake, William, 1657-1737.	1693 (1693)	Wing G523A; ESTC R10042	282,773	752

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

you I will make known my Speech unto you Because I called and ye would not hear I stretched out my words and ye regarded not But ye have set at nought all my Counsel and would none of my reproof I will also laugh at your Calamity and mock when your fear cometh When your Fear cometh as Desolation and your Destruction as a Whirlwind when Distress and Anguish cometh upon you Then shall ye call upon me but I will not hear you The Wicked shall seek me but they shall not find me For that they hated Knowledge and did not seek the Fear of the Lord. They would not hearken unto my Counsel They despised all my Reproof Therefore shall they eat of the Fruit of their own ways and be filled with their own Wickedness LVIII NOW God the Inspector of all things the Father of Spirits and the Lord of all Flesh who hath chosen our Lord Jesus Christ and Us by Him to be his Peculiar People grant to every Soul of Man that calleth upon his Glorious and Holy Name Faith Fear Peace Long-suffering Patience Temperance Holiness and Wisdom unto all well-pleasing in his sight through our High Priest and Protector Jesus Christ by whom be Glory and Majesty and Honour unto Him now and for Ever more Amen LIX THE Messengers whom we have sent unto you Claudius and Ephebus and Valerius and Bito with Fortunatus send back to us again with all speed in Peace and with Joy that they may the sooner acquaint us with your Peace and Concord so much pray'd for and desired by Us And that we may rejoyce in your good Order LX. THE Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you and with all others that are any where called by God and through Him To whom be Honour and Glory and Might and Majesty and Dominion by Christ Jesus from Everlasting to Everlasting Amen THE EPISTLE OF St. POLYCARP TO THE Philippians THE CONTENTS After the Salutation 1. HE Commends the Philippians for their Respect to Those who suffer'd for the Gospel and for their own Faith and Piety Numb I. 2. He exhorts Them to continue in Both And that particularly from the Consideration of the Resurrection and Judgment to come N. II. For their better accomplishing whereof He 3. Advises them to call to mind the Doctrine which St. Paul had taught them whilst He was in Person among them and after wrote to them in his Epistle N. III. The Summ of all which he now goes on particularly to set before Them I. As to Practical Duties 1. Faith Hope Charity N. III. 2. Against Covetousness N. IV. 3. The Duties of Husbands Wives Widows Ib. 4. Of Deacons Young Men Virgins N. V. 5. Of Presbyters N. VI. All which He again Inforces with the Consideration of that Account we must one day give to God of all our Actions II. As to Matters of Faith 1. What we are to Believe concerning our Saviour Christ His Nature and Sufferings N. VII 2. Of the Future Resurrection and Judgment Ib. Which being thus set forth He finally Exhorts them 1. To Prayer N. VII 2. To Stedfastness in their Faith N. VIII Inforced from the Examples of the Patience and Constancy Of Our Saviour Christ. Ib. Of his Apostles and Saints N. IX 3. To Carefulness in all Well-doing N. X. And more particularly yet from the Miscarriage of Valens who had been a Presbyter among Them He Exhorts them 4. To beware of Covetousness N. XI 5. Not to be too severe towards such Persons either in their Censures of them or Behaviour towards them N. XII He Prays for them and then Exhorts them 6. To Pray for All others Ib. And having thus done with what was Instructive of his Epistle He advises Them of his sending Ignatius's Epistles to them N. XIII And desires an Account of Him from Them N. XIV And lastly He recommends Crescens by whom he wrote this Epistle together with his Sister to their Favour and Assistance Ib. THE EPISTLE OF St. POLYCARP TO THE Philippians POLYCARP and the PRESBYTERS that are with Him to the Church of God which is at PHILIPPI Mercy unto you and Peace from God Almighty and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour be multiplied I. I REJOYCED greatly with you in our Lord Jesus Christ that ye received the Images of a true Love and accompanied as it behoved you those who were in Bonds becoming Saints which are the Crowns of such as are truly chosen by God and our Lord As also that the Root of the Faith which was preach'd from antient times remains firm in you to this day and brings forth Fruit to our Lord Jesus Christ who suffer'd himself to be brought even to the Death for our Sins Whom God hath raised up having loosed the Pains of Death Whom having not seen ye love in whom though now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of Glory Into which many desire to enter Knowing that by Grace ye are saved not by Works but by the Will of God through Jesus Christ. II. WHEREFORE girding up the Loyns of your Mind Serve the Lord with Fear and in Truth Laying aside all empty and vain Speech and the Error of many Believing in him that raised up our Lord Jesus Christ from the Dead and hath given him Glory and a Throne at his right Hand To whom all things are made Subject Both that are in Heaven and that are in Earth whom every Creature shall worship who shall come to be the Judge of the Quick and Dead Whose Bloud God shall require of them that believe not in him but are disobedient to him But he that raised up Christ from the Dead shall also raise up us in like manner if we do his Will and walk according to his Commandments and love that which he hath loved Abstaining from all Vnrighteousness inordinate Affection and love of Money from Evil-speaking False Witness not rendring Evil for Evil or Railing for Railing or Striking for Striking or Cursing for Cursing But remembring what the Lord has taught us saying Judge not and ye shall not be judged Forgive and ye shall be forgiven Be ye merciful and ye shall obtain Mercy For with the same measure that ye meet withall it shall be measured to you again And again that Blessed are the Poor and they that are persecuted for Righteousness sake for theirs is the Kingdom of God III. THESE things my Brethren I took not the Liberty of my self to write unto you concerning Righteousness but you your selves before encouraged me to it For neither can I nor any other such as I am come up to the Wisdom of the Blessed and Renowned Paul who being himself in Person with those who then lived did with all Exactness and Soundness teach the Word of Truth and being gone from you wrote an Epistle to you Into which if you look you

entreats them to follow that which is here given to them LVIII Recommends them to God LIX Desires speedily to hear that this Epistle had had a good Effect upon them LX. And so concludes THE EPISTLE OF St. CLEMENT TO THE Corinthians The Church of God which is at Rome to the Church of God which is at Corinth Elect Sanctified by the Will of God through Jesus Christ our Lord Grace be to you and Peace from the Almighty God by Jesus Christ be multiplied THE suddain and unexpected Dangers and Calamities that have fallen upon Us BELOVED BRETHREN have we fear made us the more slow in our Consideration of those things which you proposed to Us As also of that Wicked and Detestable Sedition so unbecoming the Elect of God which a few heady and self-will'd Men have fomented to such a Degree that your Venerable and Renowned Name so worthy of all Men to be beloved is greatly Blasphemed thereby For who that has ever been among you has not experimented the firmness of your Faith and its Fruitfulness in all Good Works And admired the Temper and Moderation of your Religion in Christ And publish'd abroad the Magnificence of your Hospitality And thought you Happy in your perfect and certain knowledge of the Gospel For ye did all things without respect of Persons and walked according to the Laws of God Being subject to those who had the Rule over you and giving the Honour that was fitting to such as were the Aged among you The young Men ye commanded to think those things that were Modest and Grave The Women ye exhorted to do all things with an unblameable and seemly and pure Conscience Loving their own Husbands as was fitting And that keeping themselves within the Limits of a due Obedience they should order their Houses gravely with all Discretion II. YE were All of you Humble minded not Boasting of any thing Desiring rather to be Subject than to Govern to Give than to Receive being content with the Portion God had dispensed to you And hearkning diligently to his Word ye received it into your Hearts having his Precepts always before your Eyes Thus a firm and blessed and profitable Peace was given unto you and an unsatiable desire of doing Good and a plentiful Effusion of the Holy Ghost was upon all of you And being full of Good Desires ye did with a great readiness and with a Religious Confidence stretch forth your hands to God Almighty beseeching him to be merciful unto you if in any thing ye had unwillingly sinn'd against Him Ye contended day and night for the whole Brotherhood that through the Mercy of God and a Good Conscience the number of his Elect might be saved Ye were sincere and without Offence towards each other not mindful of Injuries All Sedition and Schism was an Abomination unto you Ye bewailed every one his Neighbours Sins esteeming their Defects your Own Ye were kind one to another without grudging being ready to every Good Work And being thus adorn'd with a Conversation altogether Virtuous and Religious ye did All things in the fear of God whose Commandments were written upon the Tables of your Hearts III. ALL Honour and Enlargement was given unto you and so was fulfill'd that which is written My Beloved did Eat and Drink he was Enlarged and waxed Fat and he Kicked From hence came Envy and Strife and Sedition Persecution and Disorder War and Captivity So they who were of no Renown lifted up themselves against the Honourable Those of no Reputation against those that were in Respect The Foolish against the Wise The young Men against the Aged Therefore Righteousness and Peace are departed from you because Every one hath forsaken the Fear of the Lord and is grown blind in His Faith nor walketh by the Rule of Gods Commandments nor liveth as is fitting in Christ But every one follows his own wicked Lusts Having taken up an Ungodly and Unjust Envy by which Death first entred into the World IV. FOR so it is written And in process of time it came to pass that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an Offering unto the LORD And Abel He also brought of the Firstlings of his Flock and of the fat thereof And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his Offering But unto Cain and unto his Offering he had not respect And Cain was very Wroth and his Countenance fell And the LORD said unto Cain Why art thou Wroth And why is thy Countenance fallen If thou shalt offer aright but not divide aright hast thou not sinned Hold thy peace Vnto Thee shall be his desire and Thou shalt rule over Him And Cain said unto Abel his Brother let us go down into the Field And it came to pass as they were in the Field that Cain rose up against Abel his Brother and slew him Ye see Brethren how Envy and Emulation wrought the Death of a Brother For this our Father Jacob fled from the Face of his Brother Esau. It was this that caused Joseph to be persecuted even unto Death and Bondage It was this that forced Moses to flee from the Face of Pharaoh King of Egypt when he heard his own Country-man ask him Who made Thee a Prince and a Judge over us Wilt thou kill me as thou didst the Egyptian yesterday For this Aaron and Miriam were shut out of the Camp from the rest of the Congregation seven days Emulation sent Dathan and Abiram quick into the Grave because they raised up a Sedition against Moses the Servant of God For this David was not only hated of Strangers but was persecuted even by Saul the King of Israel V. BUT not to insist upon antient Examples let us come to those Worthies that have been nearest to us and take the brave Examples of our own Age. Through Zeal and Envy the most Faithful and Righteous Pillars of the Church have been persecuted even to the most bitter Deaths Let us set before our Eyes the Holy Apostles Peter by unjust Envy underwent not One or Two but many Sufferings till at last being Martyr'd he went to the place of Glory that was due unto Him For the same cause did Paul in like manner receive the Reward of his Patience Seven times he was in Bonds He was Whipp'd was Stoned He preach'd both in the East and in the West leaving behind Him the Glorious Report of his Faith And so having taught the whole World Righteousness and for that end travell'd even to the utmost Bounds of the West He at last suffer'd Martyrdom by the Command of the Governours and departed out of the World and went unto his Holy place being become a most eminent Pattern of Patience unto All Ages VI. TO

saying He trusted in the LORD that he would deliver Him let him deliver him seeing he delighted in Him Ye see Beloved what the Pattern is that has been given to Us. For if the Lord thus humbled himself what should we do who are come under the Yoak of his Grace XVII LET us be Followers of those who went about in Goat-skins and Sheep-skins preaching the Coming of Christ. Such were Elias and Elisaeus and Ezekiel the Prophets And let us add to these such others as have received the like Testimony Abraham has been greatly witnessed of having been called the Friend of God And yet He stedfastly beholding the Glory of God says with all Humility I am Dust and Ashes Again of Job it is thus written That he was Just and without Blame True One that served God and abstained from all Evil. Yet he despising himself says No man is free from Pollution no not tho' He should live but one day Moses was called Faithful in all Gods House and by his Conduct God determined to deliver the Israelites from their Stripes and Pains And yet even this Man tho' thus Greatly Honoured spake not greatly of Himself but when the Oracle of God was delivered to him out of the Bush he said Who am I that thou dost send me I am of a slender Voice and a slow Tongue And again He saith I am as the smoak of the Pot. XVIII AND what shall we say of David so highly testified of in the Holy Scriptures To whom God said I have found a Man after my own heart David the Son of Jesse with my Holy Oil have I anointed Him But yet he Himself saith unto God Have mercy upon me O God according to thy loving kindness According unto the multitude of thy tender Mercies blot out my Transgressions Wash me throughly from mine Iniquity and cleanse me from my Sin For I acknowledge my Transgressions and my Sin is ever before Me. Against Thee only have I sinned and done this Evil in thy sight that Thou mightest be justified when Thou speakest and be clear when Thou judgest Behold I was shapen in Iniquity and in Sin did my Mother Conceive me Behold Thou desirest Truth in the Inward parts and in the hidden part Thou shalt make me to know Wisdom Purge me with Hysop and I shall be Clean wash me and I shall be whiter than Snow Make me to hear Joy and Gladness that the Bones which Thou hast broken may rejoyce Hide thy face from my sins and blot out All mine Iniquities Create in me a clean Heart O God and renew a right Spirit within Me. Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy Holy Spirit from Me. Restore unto me the Joy of thy Salvation and uphold me with thy free Spirit Then will I teach Transgressors thy ways and Sinners shall be converted unto Thee Deliver me from Blood-guiltiness O God thou God of my Salvation and my Tongue shall sing aloud of thy Righteousness O LORD open thou my Lips and my Mouth shall shew forth thy Praise For thou desirest not Sacrifice else would I give it thou delightest not in Burnt-offerings The Sacrifices of God are a broken Spirit a broken and a Contrite Heart O God thou wilt not despise XIX THUS has the Humility and Godly Fear of these great and excellent Men recorded in the Scriptures through Obedience made not only Us but also the Generations before us Better even as many as have received his Holy Oracles with Fear and Truth Having therefore so many and such Great and Glorious Examples let us return to that Peace which was the Mark that from the Beginning was set before Us Let us look up to the Father and Creator of the whole World and let us hold fast to his Glorious and Exceeding Gifts and Benefits which are of Peace Let us consider and behold with the Eyes of our Understandings his Long-suffering Will and think how Gentle and Patient he is towards his whole Creation XX. THE Heavens holding fast to his Appointment are subject to Him in Peace Day and Night accomplish the Courses that he has allotted unto them not disturbing one another The Sun and Moon and all the several Companies and Constellations of the Stars run the Courses that he has appointed to them in Concord without departing in the least from them The Fruitful Earth yields its Food plentifully in due Season both to Man and Beast and to all that is upon it according to His Will not disputing nor altering any thing of what was order'd by Him So also the untrodden and unsearchable Floods of the Deep are kept in by his Command And the Conflux of the vast Sea being brought together at the Creation into its several Collections passes not the Bounds that He has set to it but as he then appointed it so it remains For he said Hitherto shalt thou come and thy Flouds shall be broken within Thee The Ocean unpassable to Mankind and the Worlds that are beyond it are govern'd by the same Commands of their great Master Spring and Summer Autumn and Winter give place peaceably to Each other The several Quarters of the Winds fulfil their work in their Seasons without offending one Another The Ever-flowing Fountains made both for Pleasure and Health never fail to reach out their Breasts to support the Life of Men. Even the smallest Creatures live together in Peace and Concord with Each other All these has the Great Creator and Lord of all commanded to observe Peace and Concord being Good to all But especially to Us who flee to his Mercy through our Lord Jesus Christ to whom be Glory and Majesty for Ever and Ever Amen XXI TAKE heed Beloved that his many Blessings be not to us to Condemnation except we shall walk worthy of Him doing with One Consent what is Good and Pleasing in his Sight The Spirit of the LORD is a Candle searching all the inward parts of the Belly Let us therefore consider how near he is to us and how that none of our Thoughts are hid from him nor any of our Conversation which we have with one Another It is therefore Just that we should not forsake our Rank by doing contrary to his Will Let us chuse to offend a few foolish and inconsiderate Men lifted up and Glorying in their own Pride rather than God Let us Reverence our Lord Jesus Christ whose Bloud was Given for us Let us Honour Those who are set over us let us respect the Aged that are amongst us and let us instruct the younger Men in the Discipline and Fear of the LORD Our Wives let us direct in Doing that which is Good Let them shew forth a lovely Habit of Purity in all their Conversation with a sincere Affection of Meekness Let the government of their

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