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
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
it that they should be the first People and Heirs of the Covenant If therefore God shall have yet farther taken Notice of this by Abraham too Our Understanding of it will then be perfectly established What then saith the Scripture to Abraham when he believed and it was imputed unto him for Righteousness Behold I have made thee a Father of the Nations which without Circumcision believe in the LORD XIV LET us therefore now enquire whether God has fulfilled the Covenant which he sware to our Fathers that he would give this People Yes verily He gave it But they were not worthy to receive it by reason of their Sins For thus saith the Prophet And Moses continued fasting in Mount Sinai to receive the Covenant of the LORD with the People forty Days and forty Nights And he received of the LORD two Tables written with the Finger of the LORD'S Hand in the Spirit And Moses when he had received them brought them down that he might deliver them to the People And the LORD said unto Moses Moses Moses get thee down quickly for the People which thou broughtest out of the Land of Egypt have done Wickedly And Moses understeod that they had again set up a Molten Image and he cast the two Tables out of his Hands and the Tables of the Covenant of the LORD were broken Moses therefore received them but they were not worthy Now then learn how we have received them Moses being a Servant took them but the LORD himself has given them unto us that we might be the People of his Inheritance having suffered all things for us And it was therefore made manifest that they should fill up the Measure of their Sins and that we being made Heirs by him should receive the Covenant of the LORD Jesus And again the Prophet saith Behold I have set thee for a Light unto the Gentiles to be the Saviour of all the Ends of the Earth saith the LORD the God who hath redeemed thee Who for that very End was prepared that by his Own appearing he might redeem our Hearts already devoured by Death and delivered over to the Irregularity of Error from Darkness and establish a Covenant with us by his Word For so it is written that the Father commanded him by delivering of us from Darkness to prepare unto himself a Holy People Wherefore the Prophet saith I the LORD thy God have called thee in Righteousness and I will take thee by the Hand and will strenghthen thee And give thee for a Covenant of the People for a Light of the Gentiles To open the Eyes of the Blind to bring out the Prisoners from the Prison and them that sit in Darkness out of the Prison-House Consider therefore from whence we have been redeemed And again the Prophet saith The Spirit of the LORD is upon me because he hath anointed me he hath sent me to preach glad Tidings to the Lowly to heal the broken in Heart to preach Remission to the Captives and sight unto the Blind To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD and the Day of Restitution to comfort all that mourn XV. FURTHERMORE it is written concerning the Sabbath in the Ten Commandments which God spake in the Mount Sinai to Moses Face to Face Sanctifie the Sabbath of the LORD with pure Hands and with a clean Heart And elsewhere he saith If thy Children shall keep my Sabbaths then will I put my Mercy upon them And even in the beginning of the Creation he makes mention of the Sabbath And God made in six Days the Works of his Hands and he finished them on the seventh Day and he rested the seventh day and sanctified it Consider my Children what that signifies he finish'd them in six Days The meaning of it is this that in six thousand years the LORD God will bring all things to an End For with him One Day is a Thousand Years as himself testifieth saying Behold this day shall be as a thousand years Therefore Children in six Days that is in six thousand years shall All things be accomplished And rested the Seventh Day He meaneth this that when his Son shall come and abolish the Season of the Wicked One and jugde the Ungodly and shall change the Sun and the Moon and the Stars then he shall gloriously rest in that seventh Day He adds lastly Thou shalt sanctifie it with clean Hands and a pure Heart Wherefore we are greatly deceived if we imagin that any one can now sanctifie that Day which God has made Holy without having a Heart pure in all things He will therefore then truly sanctifie it with blessed Rest when we having received the righteous Promise when Iniquity shall be no more all things being renewed by the LORD shall be able to sanctifie it being our selves first made Holy Lastly he saith unto them Your New Moons and your Sabbaths I cannot bear them Consider what he means by it The Sabbaths says he which ye now keep are not acceptable unto me but those which I have made when resting from all things I shall begin the Eighth Day that is the Beginning of the other World For which cause we observe the Eighth Day with Gladness in which Jesus both rose from the dead and manifested himself to his Disciples and so ascended into Heaven XVI IT remains yet that we speak to you concerning the Temple How those miserable Men being deceived have put their trust in the House and not in God himself who made them as if it were the Habitation of God Much after the same manner as the Gentiles have consecrated him in their Temples But learn therefore how the LORD speaketh rendring the Temple vain Who has measured the Heaven with a Span and the Earth with his Hand Is it not I Thus saith the LORD Heaven is my Throne and the Earth is my Footstool What is the House that ye will build me Or what is the place of my Rest Know therefore that all their Hope is vain And again he speaketh after this manner Behold they that destroy this Temple even they shall build another And so it came to pass For through their Wars it is now destroy'd by their Enemies and the Servants of their Enemies build it up Farthermore it has been made manifest how both the City and the Temple and the People of Israel should be given up For the Scripture saith And it shall come to pass in the last days that the LORD will deliver up the Sheep of his Pasture and their Fold and their Tower unto Destruction And it has come to pass as the LORD hath spoken Let us enquire therefore whether there be any Temple of God Yes there is And that there where himself declares that he would both make and establish it For it is written And it shall be that as soon as the Week shall be compleated the
has multiplied them for his Holy Churches sake is angry with thee because thou hast sinned against me And I answering said unto her Lady If I have sinned against thee tell me where or in what Place or when did I ever speak an unseemly or dishonest Word unto thee Have I not always esteemed thee as a Lady Have I not always reverenced thee as a Sister Why then dost thou imagine these wicked things against me Then she smiling upon me said The desire of Naughtiness has risen up in thy heart Does it not seem to thee to be an ill thing for a Righteous Man to have an evil desire rise up in his heart It is indeed a Sin and that a very great one to such a Man for a righteous Man thinketh what is righteous And whilst he does so and walketh uprightly he shall have the LORD in Heaven favourable unto him in all his Works But as for those who think wickedly in their hearts they take to themselves Death and Captivity and especially those who love this present World and glory in their Riches and regard not the good things that are to come their Souls wander up and down and know not where to fix Now this is the Case of such as are Doubtful who trust not in the LORD and despise and neglect their own life But do thou pray unto the LORD and he will heal thy Sins and the Sins of thy whole House and of all his Saints II. AS soon as she had spoken these Words the Heavens were shut and I remained utterly swallowed up in Sadness and Fear and said within my self If this be laid against me for Sin how can I ever be saved or how shall I ever be able to intreat the LORD for my many and great Sins With what Words shall I beseech him to be merciful unto me As I was thinking over these things and meditating in my self upon them behold a Chair set over against me of the whitest Wool as bright as Snow And there came an old Woman in a bright Garment having a Book in her hand and sate alone and saluted me saying HERMAS hail And I being full of Sorrow and weeping answered Hail Lady and she said unto me Why art thou sad Hermas who wert wont to be patient and modest and always cheerful I answered and said to her Lady a Reproach has been objected to me by an excellent Woman who tells me that I have sinned against her She replied Far be any such thing from the Servant of God But it may be the desire of her has risen up in thy Heart For indeed there is such a Thought even in the Servants of God leading unto Sin Nor ought such a detestable Thought to be in the Servant of God nor should a Spirit that is approved desire that which is evil nor especially HERMAS who contains himself from all wicked Appetites and is full of all Simplicity and of great Innocence III. NEVERTHELESS the LORD is not angry with thee for thine own sake but upon the account of thy House which has committed Wickedness against the LORD and against their Parents And that Act of thy Fondness towards thy Sons in that thou hast not admonished them but hast permitted them to live wickedly and for this Cause the LORD is angry with thee But he will heal all the Evils that are done before thee in thy House For through their Sins and Iniquities thou art wholly consumed in secular Affairs But now the Mercy of God hath taken Compassion upon thee and upon thine House and hath greatly comforted thee only as for thee do not wander but be of an even Mind and comfort thy House As the Workman bringing forth his Work offers it to whomsoever he pleases so shalt thou by teaching every day what is just cut off a great sin Wherefore cease not to admonish thy Sons for the LORD knows that they will repent with all their heart and he will write thee in the Book of Life And when she had said this she added unto me Wilt thou hear me Read I answer'd her Lady I will Hear then said she And opening the Book she read gloriously greatly and wonderfully such things as I could not keep in my Memory For they were terrible Words such as no Man could bear Howbeit I committed her last Words to my Remembrance for they were but few and of great use Behold the mighty LORD who by his invincible Power and with his excellent Wisdom made the World and by his glorious Counsel encompassed the Beauty of his Creature and with the Word of his strength fix'd the Heaven and founded the Earth upon the Waters and by his powerful Vertue establish'd his Holy Church which he hath blessed Behold he will remove the Heavens and the Mountains the Hills and the Seas and all things shall be made Plain for his Elect that he may render unto them the Promise which he has promised with much Honor and Joy if so be that they shall keep the Commandments of God which they have received with great Faith IV. AND when she had made an end of Reading she rose out of the Chair and behold four Young-men came and carried the Chair to the East And she called me unto her and touch'd my Breast and said unto me Did my Reading please thee I answered Lady These last things please me but what went before was severe and hard She said unto me These last things are for the Righteous but the foregoing for the Revolters and Heathen And as she was talking with me Two more appeared and took her up on their shoulders and went to the East where the Chair was And she went chearfully away and as she was going said unto me HERMAS be of good chear VISION II. Again of his Neglect in Correcting his Talkative Wife and of his Lewd Sons and of his Own Manners I. AS I was on the Way to Cumae about the same time that I had been the last Year I began to call to mind the Vision I formerly had And again the Spirit carried me away and brought me into the same Place in which I had been the Year before And when I was come into the Place I fell down upon my Knees and began to Pray unto the LORD and to Honour his Name that he had esteemed me worthy and had manifested unto me my former Sins And when I arose from Prayer behold I saw over against me the Old Woman whom I had seen the last Year walking and reading in a certain Book And she said unto me Can'st thou tell these things to the Elect of God I answered and said unto her Lady I cannot retain such great things in my Memory but give me the Book and I will write them down Take it says she and see that thou restore it again to me As soon as I had receiv'd it I went aside into a certain Place of the Field and transcribed every Letter for I found no
God and has great Power But Doubting is an Earthly Spirit and proceedeth from the Devil and has no Strēgth Do thou therefore keep the Vertue of Faith and depart from Doubting in which is no Vertue and thou shalt live unto God And all shall live unto God as many as shall do these things The Tenth COMMAND Of the Sadness of the Heart and that we must take heed not to grieve the Spirit of God that is in us I. PUT all Sadness far from thee for it is the Sister of Doubting and of Anger How Sir said I Is it the Sister of these For Sadness and Anger and Doubting seem to me to be very different from one another And he answered Art thou without Sense that thou dost not understand it For Sadness is the most mischievous of all Spirits and the worst to the Servants of God It destroys the Spirits of all Men and torments the Holy Spirit and again it saves Sir said I I am very foolish and understand not these things I cannot apprehend how it can torment and yet save Hear said he and understand They who never sought out the Truth nor enquired concerning the Majesty of God but only believed are involved in the Affairs of the Heathen And there is another lying Prophet that destroys the Senses of the Servants of God that is of those that are doubtful not of those that fully trust in the LORD Now those doubtful Persons come to him as to a Divine Spirit and enquire of him what shall befal them And this lying Prophet having no Power in him of the Divine Spirit answers them according to their Demands and fills their Souls with Promises according as they desire Howbeit that Prophet is vain and answers vain things to those who are themselves vain And whatsoever is asked of him by vain Men he answers them vainly Nevertheless he speaketh some things truly For the Devil fills him with his Spirit that he may overthrow some of the Righteous II. WHOSOEVER therefore are strong in the Faith of the LORD and have put on the Truth they are not joyned to such Spirits but depart from them But those that are doubtful and often repenting like the Heathens consult them and heap up to themselves great Sin serving Idols As many therefore as are such enquire of them upon every Occasion worship Idols and are foolish and void of the Truth For every Spirit that is given from God is not asked but having the Power of the Divinity speaks all things of its self because it comes from above from the Power of the Holy Spirit But he that being ask'd speaks according to Mens desires and concerning many other Affairs of this present World understands not the things which relate unto God For these Spirits are darkned through such Affairs and corrupted and broken As good Vines if they are neglected are oppress'd with Weeds and Thorns and at last kill'd by them So are the Men who believe such Spirits They fall into many Actions and Businesses and are void of Sense and when they think of things pertaining unto God they understand nothing at all But if at any time they chance to hear any thing concerning the LORD their Thoughts are upon their Business But they that have the Fear of the LORD and search out the Truth concerning God have all their Thoughts with the LORD They apprehend whatsoever is said to them and forthwith they understand it because they have the Fear of the LORD in them For where the Spirit of the LORD dwells there is also a great Sense added Wherefore joyn thy self to the LORD and thou shalt understand and apprehend all things III. LEARN now O Unwise Man How Sadness grieves the Holy Spirit and how it saves When a Man that is doubtful is engaged in any Affair and do's not accomplish it by reason of his Doubting this Sadness enters into him and grieves the Holy Spirit and makes him sad Again Anger when it overtakes any Man for any Business he is greatly moved and Anger possesses his Heart and he is disturb'd in his Work which he is about and afterwards repents because he did amiss Thus both Doubting and Sadness hurt the Holy Spirit Doubting because his Work did not succeed and Sadness because he angr'd the Holy Spirit Remove therefore Sadness from thy self and offend not the Holy Spirit which dwelleth in thee least he ask the LORD and depart from thee For the Spirit of the LORD which is given to us in the Flesh endures not Sadness Wherefore cloath thy self with Chearfulness which has always Favour with the LORD and thou shalt rejoyce in it For every chearful Man do's well and relishes those things that are good and despises Unrighteousness But the sad Man do's wickedly because he grieves the Holy Spirit which is given to the chearful Man And again he do's ill because he prays with Sadness unto the LORD except he first makes a thankful acknowledgment unto him of former Mercies and obtains not of God what he asks For the Prayer of a sad Man has not always Efficacy to come up to the Altar of God And I said unto him Sir Why has not the Prayer of a sad Man Vertue to come up to the Altar of God Because said he that Sadness remaineth in his Heart When therefore a Man's Prayer shall be accompanied with Sadness it will not suffer his Requests to ascend pure to the Altar of God For as Wine when it is mingled with Vinegar has not the Sweetness it had before so Sadness being mix'd with the Holy Spirit suffers not a Man's Prayer to be Pure as it would be otherwise Wherefore purifie thy self from Sadness which is Evil and thou shalt live unto God And all others shall live unto God as many as shall lay aside Sadness and put on Chearfulness The Eleventh COMMAND That the Spirits and Prophets are to be tried by their Works and of a Two-fold Spirit HE shew'd me certain Men sitting upon Benches and one sitting in a Chair And he said unto me Seest thou those who sit upon the Benches Sir said I I see them He answer'd They are the Faithful and he who sits in the Chair is an Earthly Spirit For he cometh not into the Church with the Faithful but avoids it But he joyns himself to the Doubtful and Empty and prophecies to them in hidden Places and Corners and pleases them by speaking according to all the Desires of their Hearts For that which is fitted to empty Vessels is not broken but the one agrees to the other But when such a one comes into the Company of Just Men who have the Spirit of God and they pray unto the LORD that Man is emptied because that Earthly Spirit flies from him and he is dumb and cannot speak any thing As if in a Store-House you shall stop up Wine or Oyl and among those Vessels shall place an empty Jar and shall afterwards come to open it
find in your City and shall have Joy without Sadness or Fear Wherefore covet not the Riches of the Heathen for they are destructive to the Servants of God But of your own Abundance which you have do those things by which ye may attain unto Joy And do not commit Adultery nor touch any other Mans Wife nor desire her But covet that which is thy own Business and thou shalt be saved The Second SIMILITUDE As the Vine is supported by the Elm so is the Rich-Man help'd by the Prayers of the Poor AS I was walking into the Field and consider'd the Elm and the Vine and thought with my self of their Fruits an Angel appear'd unto me and said unto me What is it that thou thinkest upon thus long within thy self And I said unto him Sir I think of this Vine and this Elm because their Fruits are fair And he said unto me These two Trees are set for a Pattern to the Servants of God And I said unto him Sir I would know what the Pattern is for which these Trees are set Hearken saith he Seest thou this Vine and this Elm Sir said I I see them This Vine saith he is fruitful but the Elm is a Tree without Fruit. Nevertheless this Vine unless it were set by this Elm and supported by it would not bear much Fruit but lying along upon the Ground would bear ill Fruit because it did not hang upon the Elm Whereas now being supported upon the Elm it bears Fruit both for its self and for that See therefore how the Elm gives no less but rather more Fruit than the Vine How Sir said I do's it bear more Fruit than the Vine Because said he the Vine being supported upon the Elm gives both much and good Fruit Whereas if it lay along upon the Ground it would bear but little and that very ill too This Similitude therefore is set forth to the Servants of God and it represents the Rich and Poor Man I answer'd Sir make this manifest unto me Hear said he The Rich Man has Wealth howbeit towards the LORD he is Poor For he is taken up about his Riches and prays but little to the LORD and the Prayers which he makes are lazy and without force When therefore the Rich Man reaches out to the Poor those things which he wants the Poor Man prays unto the LORD for the Rich and God grants unto the Rich Man all good things because the Poor Man is Rich in Prayer and his Requests have great Power with the LORD Then the Rich Man ministers all things to the Poor because he perceives that he is heard by the LORD and he the more willingly and without doubting affords him what he wants and takes care that nothing be lacking to him And the Poor Man gives Thanks unto the LORD for the Rich because he do's this Work to him from the LORD With Men therefore the Elm is not thought to give any Fruit and they know not neither understand that its Company being added to the Vine the Vine bears a double Encrease both for its self and for the Elm. Even so the Poor praying unto the LORD for the Rich are heard by him and their Riches are encreased because they minister to the Poor of their Wealth They are therefore both made Partakers of each others Good Works Whosoever therefore shall do these things he shall not be forsaken by the LORD but shall be written in the Book of Life Happy are they who are Rich and perceive themselves to be encreased For he that is sensible of this will be able to minister somewhat to others The Third SIMILITUDE 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 AGAIN he shewed me many Trees whose Leaves were shed and which seemed to me to be wither'd for they were all alike And he said unto me Seest thou these Trees I said Sir I see that they look like dry Trees He answering said unto me These Trees are like unto the Men who live in this present World I reply'd Sir Why are they like unto dryed Trees Because said he neither the Righteous nor Unrighteous are known from one another but are all alike in this present World For this World is as the Winter to the Righteous Men because they are not known but dwell among Sinners As in the Winter all the Trees having lost their Leaves are like dry Trees nor can it be said which are Dry and which are Green So in this present World neither the Righteous nor Wicked are discern'd from each other but they are all alike The Fourth SIMILITUDE 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 AGAIN he shewed me many other Trees of which some had Leaves and others appear'd dry and wither'd And he said unto me Seest thou these Trees I answer'd Sir I see them and some are dry and others full of Leaves These Trees saith he which are green are the Righteous who shall possess the World to come For the World to come is the Summer to the Righteous but to Sinners it is the Winter When therefore the Mercy of the LORD shall shine forth then they who serve God shall be made manifest and plain unto all For as in the Summer the Fruit of every Tree is shewn and made manifest so also the Works of the Righteous shall be declared and made manifest and they shall all be restored in that World merry and joyful For the other kind of Men namely Wicked like the Trees which thou sawest dry shall as such be found dry and without Fruit in that other World and like dry Wood shall be burnt and it shall be made manifest that they have done Evil in the time of their Life and they shall be burnt because they have sinned and have not repented of their Sins And also all the other Nations shall be burnt because they have not acknowledged God their Creator Do thou therefore bring forth good Fruit that in the Summer thy Fruit may be known and keep thy self from much Business and thou shalt not offend For they that are involved in much Business sin much because they are taken up with their Affairs and neglect to serve God And how can a Man that do's not serve God ask any thing of God and receive it But they who serve him ask and receive what they desire But if a Man has only one thing to follow he may serve God because his Mind is not thereby taken off from God but he serves him with a pure Mind If therefore thou shalt do thus thou shalt have Fruit in the World to come and all as many as shall do in like manner shall bring forth Fruit. The Fifth SIMILITUDE Of a True Fast and the Rewards of it
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
Hammond on Matt. 20. c. * Called See Dr. Hammond on Matt. 20. c. †Gr. in * See Bishop Pearson's Note on this place Ed. Colomesâ—â— p. 2. * See Bishop Pearson 's Note on this place Ed. Colomesâ—â— p. 2. * Gr. sought of Vs. †and. 1 Gr. strange to 2 Gr. lodg'd as a Stranger †Your firm and fruitful Faith in all good Works c. †in 3 Presbyters 4 Canon Rule * Themselves do their own business Vid. Not. Junii in loc 5 Temperance Sobâ—iety 1 Pet. v. 5 * Proud Acts xx 35 1 Tim. vi 8 * Embraced it in your very Bowels ‖ See Junii Not. in loc 6 Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 6 Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Holy Counsel or Purpose or Will 7 Gr. Good 8 With Mercy and Conscience 9 Ye were without Repentance in all well-doing Titus iii. 1 Prov. vii 3 Deut. xxxii 15 10 Confusion Tumults c. 11 walketh after Gen. iv 3 c. * This is according to the Lxx. * fraâ—ricide 12 Envy Gen. 28. Gen. 37. 39. Exod. ii 15 12 Envy Gen. 28. Exod. ii 14 12 Envy Gen. 28. 13 made to lodge out Numb xii 14 15. 14 brought * â—ades 12 Envy Gen. 28. 15 had or underwent the Hatred not only c. 16 to cease from 17 Combatants Wrestlers 18 The Faithful and most Righteous 19 Good 20 Labours 21 and so 22 By Envy 23 Having born seven times bonds c. 24 He received the c. 25 Vid. Pearson de Success c. viii § 9. 26 Men who have lived Godly is gathered together 27 become an excellent Example among u. 28 Envy * The names of Danae and Dirce I omit See Junius Annot in loc 29 Cursed Afflictions or Torments * Envy or Emulation Gen. ii 23 Great 31 send * Instructing you but also remembring c. ‖ place of Encounter 32 Imposed upon us all 1 Tim. v. 4 * afforded or given to 33 Look diligently to 34 from Age to Age. * be turned 2 Peter ii 5 Gen. vii Jon. lii * received Salvation 35 spoken Ezek. xxxiii 11 36 so much as his Repentance 37 Good Sentence 38 Repent from Ezek. xviii 30 32. Jer. iii. 4.19 Isaiah 1.16 39 Becoming Suppliants of c. * turn our selves to his Mercy ‖ Vain Labour Gen. v. 24 40 found 41 being found Gen. vi vil.viii 42 in Vnity James ii 23 Isaiah xli 8 43 Words 44 This Man Gen. xii 1 Gen. xiii 14 * Towards the Sea Gen. xv 5 * A Son was given unto Him Gen. xix 2 Pet. ii 6 Jude 7. * See Not. Junii in loc 45 But those that turn another way he puts c. * Not in Concord 46 put for a sign 47 become Jos. ii 1 c. 48 He sent Men that should take them that being taken c. 49 Therefore Hospitable Rahab 50 Men being sent by the King and saying Ver. 3. Ver. 4 5. 51 Men. Ver. 9. 52 given you this City Ver. 13. Ver. 18 19. Ver. 18 Jer. ix 2â— * teaching us ‖ for thus he saith Luke vi 36 * Holy Word Isaiah lxvi 2 * Holy * in * prick on to See Junius Ann. Psal. xxxvii 9 Prov. ii 20 Psal. xxxvii 36 * with Religion or Godliness ‖ with Hypocrisie Will it Isaiah xxix 13 Psal. lxii 4 * Blessed †Cursed Psal. lxxvili â—7 Psal. xxix 19 Psal. xii 3 * Boasting Isaiah Liii Psal. xxii Ver. 6. * We say †To these those also that have been witnessed of Gen. xviii 27. Job i. 1 Job xiv 4 * Ministry Exod. iii. 11 iv 10 Psal. lxxxlx 20 Psal. Li. to Ver. 17. * Fearfulness ‖ So great and such kind of Men. †Witnessed of or Celebrated * in ‖ Let us return to the Mark of Peace given to us from the beginning †See him with our Vnderstanding ‖ Soul * Not starting from his Administration †Chorus's * Bounds * Doubting ‖ Vid. Edit Comes p. 53. * Hollow or Depth †Commanded so it does Job xxxviii * Stations ‖ Service * Mix together †All of Vs. ‖ With Concord Prov. xx 27 * That nothing is hid to him of our thoughts ‖ In the Pride of their own Speech or Reason * Correct or amend †Let them manifest ‖ Partake of †Saving ‖ The Faith confirms Psal. xxxiv 11 Psal. xxxii 10 ‖ Be double minded †Let the writing be far from us James i. 2 2 Pet. iii. 4 * Compare your selves into a Tree Malach. iii. 1 ‖ See * Went forth and so in the rest ‖ Sign * Animal †Stâ—ong ‖ Progenitor ‖ Do. Psal. iii. 5 Job xix 23 * Let our Minds be fastned ‖ Majesty * If the c. Psal. xix 1 ‖ Cover'd †Judgments Psal. cxxxâ—x 7 †Mind †A part Deut. xxxii 8 9. lxx Deut. iv 34 Num. xxvii Prov. iii. 34 ‖ The Grace of God has been given †Works * He that speaketh many things shall also hear c. Job xi 2 3. Lxx. ‖ Be not much in Words †Are praised of †See what are the ways of his Blessing ‖ Vnroll * With full perswasion foreknowing what was to be pleasingly became a Sacrifice ‖ The Gifts that were given by him were He shall know whosoever will one by one carefully and distinctly consider them †Scepters See Jun. Annot. Gen. xxvii 17 * Glorified and Magnified ‖ In Holiness of Heart ‖ All-greatest Gen. i. 26 27. Gen. i. 28 ‖ This. †Come to * Work Isaiah XL. 1â— Lxii. 11 †Every Good Work * Him * His Will Dan. vii 10 Isa. vi 3 †With Conscience Isa. Lxiv 4 1 Cor. ii 9 ‖ He. * Ages ‖ Quantity †Gifts †If we shall * Perform those things that are agreeable Rom. i. 32 Pal. L. 16. c. ‖ That which has the Power to save us †Heigths of Heaven Heb. i. 2 Heb. i. 3 Psal. Civ 4. Heb. 1.7 Heb. i. 5 Comp. Psal. ii 7 8. Heb. i. 13 Psal. cx 1 †War * Prefects ‖ Commanders of a Thousand †Centurions * Commanders of 50 and so on 1 Cor. xii 13 ‖ Vse one common Subjection †As also he has been placed * His Gift †Another that gave him †Of what Matter ‖ Prepared for us †And Imprudent and without Instruction †For. ‖ Air. Job iv 16 c. Job iv 1 c. †Were crushed upon ‖ Deliver * Eat †By chance †To his Will ‖ Being in a good Conscience †Are. * Do Is Are c. * Do Is Are c. * Do Is Are c. †Ye see 1 Thess. ◠◠‖ With the full Assurance * Bishops Deacons Isaiah lx 17 * Bishops Deacons ‖ Signified * An Emulation â—appening Numb xvii * Written ‖ And the Rods. * To exercise the Office of the Priesthood and to Minister c. ‖ That this should be