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.
can be no good Argument that Barnabas was not the Author of this Epistle because it is not placed among the Sacred Writings of the New Testament 24. BUT there is yet one Objection more and that much insisted upon by those who are Enemies to this Epistle They tell us it is full of a strange sort of Allegorical Interpretations of Holy Scripture and therefore unworthy to be father'd upon so Evangelical an Author And yet notwithstanding this we find Clemens Alexandrinus and Origen Eusebius and St. Jerome some of the greatest and most learned Criticks of those Ages that were the nearest to the time in which it was written not doubting to ascribe it to St. Barnabas and to think it worthy too of such an Author 25. I NEED not say how general a way this was of interpreting Scripture in the time that St. Barnabas lived To omit Origen who has generally been noted as excessive in it and for whom yet a Learned Man has very lately made a reasonable Apology Who has ever shewn a more diffusive Knowledg than Clemens Alexandrinus has done in all his Composures And yet in his Works we find the very same Method taken of Interpreting the Holy Scriptures and that without any Reproach either to his Learning or to his Judgment What Author has there been more generally applauded for his admirable Piety than the other Clement whose Epistle to the Corinthians I have here inserted And yet even in that plain piece we meet with more than one Instance of the same kind of Interpretation which was never the less admired by the best and most Primitive Christians 26. EVEN St. Paul himself in his Epistles received by us as Canonical affords us not a few Instances of this which is so much found fault with in St. Barnabas As I might easily make appear from a multitude of Passages out of them were it needful for me to enlarge my self on a Point which every one who has read the Scriptures with any care cannot chuse but have observed 27. NOW that which makes it the less to be wonder'd at in St. Barnabas is that the Jews of which Number he was himself originally one and to whom he wrote had of a long time been wholly addicted to this way of Interpreting the Law and taught Men to search out a Spiritual Meaning for almost all the Ritual Commands and Ceremonies of it This is plain from the Account which Aristeas has left us of the Rules which Eleazar the High Priest to whom Ptolomy sent for a Copy of the Mosaical Law gave him for the understanding of it When it being objected to him That their Legislator seem'd to have been too curious in little Matters such as the Prohibitions of Meats and Drinks and the like for which there appeared no just reason He shew'd him at large that there was a farther hidden Design in it than what at first sight appear'd and that these Outward Ordinances were but as so many Cautions to them against such Vices as were principally meant to be forbidden by them And then goes on to explain this part of the Law after the same manner that Barnabas has done in the following Epistle 28. BUT this is not all Eusebius gives us yet another Instance to confirm this to us viz. of Aristobulus who lived at the same time and gave the same Account of the Spiritual Meaning of the Law that Eleazar had done before And that this was still continued among the Hellenistical Jews is evident from the Account that is left us by one of them who was con-temporary with St. Barnabas and than whom none has been more famous for this way of Writing I mean Philo in his Description of the Theraputae Whether the same whom in the beginning of his Book he calls by the Name of Essenes as Scaliger supposes Or a particular Sect of Jews as Valesius will have it Or lastly a kind of Monkish Converts from Judaism to Christianity as Eusebius heretofore described them and as some other Learned Men seem rather to conjecture But whatever becomes of this herein they all agree that they were originally Jews and therefore we may be sure they follow'd the same Method of Interpreting Scripture that the Alexandrian Jews were wont to do 29. NOW the Account which Eusebius from Philo gives us of them is this Their Leaders says he left them many ancient Writings of their Notions clothed in Allegories And again They interpret the Holy Scriptures viz. of the Old Testament Allegorically For you must know continues he that they liken the Law to an Animal the Words of which make up the Body but the hidden Sense which lies under them and is not seen that they think to be the Soul of it And this was that which a late Learned Author supposes render'd their Conversion to Christianity the more easie For being wont to seek out the Spiritual Meaning of the Law they more readily embraced the Gospel than those who looked no farther than the outward Letter and were therefore the harder to be persuaded to come over to so Spiritual an Institution 30. AND I suppose it was from hence that the most early Hereticks were so wedded to their Mystical Interpretations of Scripture and so much valued themselves upon the account of them And against whose false and impure Doctrines our late great Critick Dr. Hammond supposes St Barnabas to have principally design'd his Epistle And therefore that being to deal with Men who valu'd nothing but such kind of Expositions he was forced to confute them in their own way both as most suitable to their Manners and as most proper either to convince them of their Errors or at least to prevent others especially the Jewish Converts from falling into them 31. BUT whether this were so or no thus much is evident from what has been said that the Hellenistical Jews to whom it is most probable St. Barnabas address'd his Epistle were altogether used to this way of Interpreting the Holy Scriptures And therefore that howsoever it may appear to others who are so utterly unaccustomed to it yet we ought not to wonder that St. Barnabas who was himself a Jew should at such a Time and upon such an Occasion as this make use of it or suppose it at all unworthy of him so to do 32. NOR indeed were they the Jews only that led the Holy Men in those days into these Mystical Expositions of the Sacred Scriptures Even the Gentile Philosophers too conduced towards it Whilst the better to cover over the fabulous Stories of their Gods and which they saw were too ridiculous to be maintain'd they explain'd the whole System of their Idolatry by Allegorical Analogies and shew'd all the Poetical Accounts of them to be only the out-side Shadows of a sort of Natural Theology included under those Fictions Thus Heraclides of Pontus wrote a whole Book of the Allegories of Homer And Metrodorus of Lampsacus is fallen foul upon by Tatian in his Oration against
which is within and the Male with the Female neither Male nor Female Now Two are One when we speak the Truth to each other and there is without Hypocrisie one Soul in two Bodies And that which is without as that which is within He means this he calls the Soul that which is within and the Body that which is without As therefore thy Body appears so let thy Soul be seen by its good Works And the Male with the Female neither Male nor Female He means this He calls our Anger the Male our Concupiscence the Female When therefore a Man is come to such a pass that he is subject neither to the One or Other of these both of which through the prevalence of Custom and an evil Education cloud and darken the Reason but rather having dispell'd the Mist arising from them and being full of Shame shall by Repentance have united both his Soul and Spirit in the Obedience of Reason then as Paul says there is in us neither Male nor Female CHAP. IX That the Pieces here put together are All that remain of the most Primitive and Apostolical Antiquity That there are several Other Treatises pretended to have been written within the compass of this Period But none such as truly come up to it Of the Epistle of our Saviour Christ to Abgarus and the Occasion of it That it is not probable that any such Letter was written by him The Epistles ascribed to the Virgin Mary spurious So is the Epistle pretended to have been written by St. Paul to the Laodiceans Of the Acts the Gospel the Preaching and Revelations of St. Peter Of the Liturgy attributed to St. Matthew And the Discourse said to have been written by him concerning the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Of the Liturgies ascribed to St. Peter St. Mark and St. James Of the Gospels attributed to several of the Apostles Of the Apostles Creed and the Canons called Apostolical Of the other Pieces under the Names of St. Clement and St. Ignatius And particularly of the Recognitions and Epitome of Clement Of the History of the Life Miracles and Assumption of St. John pretended to have been written by Prochorus One of the Seven Deacons Of the Histories of St. Peter and St. Paul ascribed to Linus Bishop of Rome Of the Lives of the Apostles attributed to Abdias Bishop of Babylon Of the Epistles of St. Martial Of the Passion of St. Andrew written by the Presbyters of Achaja Of the Works ascribed to Dionysius the Areopagite That upon the whole the Pieces here put together are all that remain of the Apostolical Times after the Books of the Holy Scripture 1. AND now having said thus much concerning the several Pieces here put together and the Authors of them it is time to go on to the Other Part of this Discourse and consider what may be fit to be observed concerning them All together and as they are now first of all set forth in our own Language in the following Collection 2. NOW the first thing that may be fit to be here taken notice of is That the following Collection is truly what the Title pretends it to be A full and perfect Collection of all the Genuine Writings that remain to us of the Apostolical Fathers And carries on the Antiquity of the Church from the time of the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament to about an Hundred and Fifty Years after Christ. 3. TO make this the more evident it will be necessary for me to consider what those other Writings are which some have endeavoured to raise up into the Rank of Apostolical Antiquity and shew that they are indeed Writings either of no Credit nor Authority at all or at least not of such as they are falsly pretended to be And to the end I may proceed the more clearly in this Enquiry I will divide the several Pieces now to be examined into the Three following Ranks The First of Those which are Antecedent to any I have here collected as being pretended to have been written either by our Saviour Christ himself or by the Virgin Mary or by the Apostles The Second of such Other Tracts as are ascribed to some of those Fathers whose Genuine Remains I have here put together And the Third of such Pieces as are said to have been written by some Other Authors who lived in the Apostolical Times and wrote if we will believe some Men several Books much more considerable than any I have here collected 4. OF the first of these kinds is that pretended Letter of our Blessed Saviour to Abgarus King of Edessa a little City of Arabia a part of which Country was subject to him Now this may seem to be of so much the better Credit in that Eusebius tells us he had himself faithfully translated it out of the Syriac Language as he found it in the Archives of Edessa Nor was it very long after that Ephraem a Deacon of that Church made mention of this Communication between our Saviour and Abgarus as the Occasion of the first Conversion of that Place and exhorted his People upon that Account the rather to hold fast to their Holy Profession and to live worthy of it Evagrius who wrote about Two Hundred Years after this not only confirmed all that had been said by Both these but added from Procopius several other Circumstances unknown for ought appears to either of them And particularly that of the Impression which our Saviour had made of his Face upon a Napkin and sent to that Prince and which he tells us was of no small Advantage to them in the defence of their Town against Chosdroes King of Persia who by this means was hindred from taking of it 5. AND now since the Addition of this new Story to the old account of this Matter it is not to be wondred if the Patrons of Images among the Greeks from henceforth contended with all Earnestness for the Truth of both Insomuch that we find they instituted a particular Festival in Memory of it August the XVI th and transcribed at large the whole History of this Adventure into their Menaeon and recited it upon it 6. AND upon the same account I suppose it is that some of our late Authors tho' they do not care to assert the Truth of this Story are yet unwilling to deny all Credit to it Baronius reports both the Relation and the Epistle from Eusebius but will not answer for the Truth of either Spondanus delivers the same from the Cardinal that he had done from Eusebius and passes no Censure either One way or Other upon it Only in his Margent he observes that Gretser the Jesuit in his Discourse of Images c. had vindicated the Authority of our Saviour's Epistle to Abgarus from the Exceptions of Casaubon in his Exercitations upon Baronius against it Gerard Vossius in his Scholia upon the Testament of St. Ephraem contents himself to refer us to the Authority of the Ancients for the Truth of
at whose Feet may we be found in the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. AN ADVERTISEMENT Relating to the Foregoing EPISTLE THIS Epistle was transcribed by Caius out of the Copy of IRENAEUS the Disciple of POLYCARP who also lived and conversed with Ireneaeus And I Socrates transcrib'd it at Corinth out of the Copy of the said Caius Grace be with All. After which I Pionius again wrote it from the Copy before mentioned Having search'd it out by the Revelation of Polycarp who directed me to it As also I shall declare in what follows Having gather'd these Things together now almost corrupted through process of Time that Jesus Christ our LORD may also gather me togetheâ— with his Elect To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be Glory for Ever and Ever Amen THE Genuine Remains OF THE Apostolical Fathers PART II. In which are Comprised 1. The Epistle of St. BARNABAS 2. The Shepherd of HERMAS And 3. The Second Epistle of St. CLEMENT to the CORINTHIANS LONDON Printed for R. Sare at Grays-Inn Gate in Holborn 1693. THE Catholick Epistle OF St. BARNABAS THE CONTENTS Numb I. THE Salutation and Preface to the following Epistle II.III. That God has abolish'd the legal Sacrifices to introduce the Spiritual Righteousness of the Gospel IV. The Prophecies of Daniel concerning the Ten Kings and the Coming of Christ. V VI. That Christ was to suffer Proved from the Prophecies concerning him VII The Scape-Goat an Evident Type of This. VIII The Red-Heifer another Type of Christ. IX Of the Circumcision of the Ears And how in the first Institution of that Ceremony ABRAHAM Mystically foretold Christ by Name X. That the Commands of Moses concerning Clean and Unclean Beasts c. were all designed for a Spiritual Signification XI XII Baptism and the Cross of Christ foretold in Figures under the Law XIII The Promise of God not made to the Jews only but to the Gentiles also XIV And fulfilled to us by Jesus Christ. XV. That the Sabbath of the Jews was but a Figure of a more Glorious Sabbath to come XVI Their Temple of the Spiritual Temples of God XVII The Conclusion of the former Part of this Epistle XVIII He goes on to the other Part that which relates to Practice Which he divides into Two Considerations the former of the Way of Light the latter of the Way of Darkness XIX Of the Way of Light being a Summary of what a Christian is to do that he may be happy for ever XX. Of the Way of Darkness that is what kind of Persons shall be for ever cast out of the Kingdom of God XXI The Close of All Being an Earnest Exhortation to them to live so that they may be Blessed to all Eternity THE Catholick Epistle OF St. BARNABAS ALL Happiness to you my Sons and Daughters in the Name of our LORD Jesus Christ who loved us in Peace I. HAVING perceived a large abundance of the Great and Excellent Righteousness of God to be in you I exceedingly rejoyced in your Blessed and admirable Temper that ye had so worthily received the Grace that was given to you For which cause I am full of Joy hoping to be shortly set at Liberty in as much as I truly see a Spirit infused into you from the Blessed Fountain of God Wherefore having this Perswasion and being fully convinced that since I have begun to speak unto you I have had a more than ordinary Good Success in the way of Righteousness which is in Christ I also Brethren suppose my self to love you above my own Soul Because the Greatness of Faith and Charity dwelleth in him as also the Hope of that Life which is to come Wherefore considering this that if I shall take care to communicate to you a part of what I have received it shall turn to my Reward that I have served such as you are in Spiritual Things I gave diligence to write in a few Words unto you that together with your Faith your Knowledge also may be Perfect There are therefore Three Sorts of things to be considered in what relates to the LORD the Hope of Life the Beginning and the Completion of it For the Lord has both declared unto us by the Prophets those things that have been done and open'd to us the Beginnings of those that were to come Wherefore it will behove us as he has spoken to come with all readiness and as is fitting to his Altar I therefore not as a Teacher but as one of you will endeavour to lay a few things before you by which you may on many accounts become the more Joyful II. SEEING then the Days are exceeding Evil and the Adversary has got the Power of this Present World we ought to give the more diligence to enquire into the just ways of the LORD Now the Assistants of our Faith are Fear and Patience Our Fellow-Combatants Long-Suffering and Continence Whilst these remain Pure in what relates unto the LORD Wisdom and Knowledge and Prudence and Understanding rejoyce together with them For God has manifested to us by all the Prophets that he has no Occasion for our Sacrifices or Burnt-Offerings or Oblations saying To what purpose is the Multitude of your Sacrifices unto me saith the LORD I am full of the Burnt Offerings of Rams and the Fat of fed Beasts and I delight not in the Bloud of Bullocks or of Lambs or of He-Goats When ye come to appear before me Who hath required this at your hand to tread my Courts Bring no more vain Oblations Incense is an Abomination unto me your new Moons and Sabbaths the Calling of Assemblies I cannot away with it is iniquity even the Solemn Meeting Your new Moons and your appointed Feasts my Soul hateth These things therefore hath God abolished that the New Law of our LORD Jesus Christ which is without the yoak of any such Necessity might have an Offering becoming Men. For so the Lord saith again to those heretofore Did I at all command your Fathers when they came out of the Land of Egypt concerning Burnt Offerings or Sacrifices But this I commanded them saying Let none of you imagine Evil in your Hearts against his Neighbour and love no False-Oath Forasmuch then as we are not without Understanding we ought to apprehend the Design of our Merciful Father For he speaks to us being willing to seek out us who are in Error and shew us how we may come to him And therefore he thus bespeaks us The Sacrifice of God is a broken Spirit A broken and Contrite Heart God will not despise Wherefore Brethren we ought the more diligently to enquire after those things that belong to our Salvation that the Adversary may not have any Entrance into us and turn us aside from the Way of Life III. WHEREFORE he again speaketh to them concerning these things Ye shall not fast
believe in his Works thou shalt live unto God And as many as shall believe in his Works shall live also unto God The Seventh COMMAND That we must fear God but not the Devil FEAR God says he and keep his Commandments For if thou keepest his Commandments thou shalt be powerful in every Work and all thy Counsel shall be excellent For by fearing God thou shalt do every thing well This is that Fear with which thou must be affected that thou mayst be saved But fear not the Devil For if thou fearest the LORD thou shalt have Dominion over him because there is no Power in him Now if there be no Power in him then neither is he to be feared But he in whom Power is Excellent he is also to be feared For every one that has Power is to be feared But he that has no Power is despised by every one Fear the Works of the Devil because they are Evil. For by fearing the LORD thou wilt fear and not do the Works of the Devil but keep thy self from them For there is a twofold Fear For if whilst thou fearest the LORD thou wilt do that which is Evil thou shalt not do even that But if thou wilt do good the Fear of the LORD is Strong and Great and Glorious Wherefore Fear God and thou shalt live And whosoever shall fear him and keep his Commandments their Life is with the LORD But they who keep them not neither is Life in them The Eighth COMMAND That we must Flee from Evil and Do Good I HAVE told thee said he that there are two kinds of Creatures of the LORD and that there is a two-fold Abstinence From some therefore thou must abstain and from others not I answered Tell me Sir from what I must abstain and from what not Hearken said he Keep thy self from Evil and do it not But abstain not from Good but do it For if thou shalt abstain from what is Good and not do it thou shalt sin Abstain therefore from all Evil and thou shalt know all Righteousness I said What Evil things are they from which I must abstain Hearken said he from Adultery from Drunkenness from wicked Riots from Excess of Eating from Daintiness and Dishonesty from Pride from Denials from Lying from Detraction from feigned Wickedness from Remembrance of Injuries and from Evil Reports For these are all the Works of Iniquity from which the Servant of God must abstain For he that cannot keep himself from these things cannot live unto God But hear said he what follows of these kind of things And indeed many more there are from which the Servant of God must abstain From Theft and Cheating from False-Witness from Covetousness from Boasting and all other things of the like Nature Do these things seem to thee to be Evil or not Indeed they are very Evil to the Servants of God Wherefore every such Person must abstain from all these Works Keep thy self therefore from them that thou mayst live unto God and be written among those that abstain from them And thus have I shewn thee what things thou must avoid Now learn from what thou must not abstain Abstain not from any good Works but do them Hear said he what the Vertue of those good Works is which thou must do that thou mayst be saved The first of all is Faith the Fear of the LORD Charity Concord Piety Equity Truth Patience Chastity There is nothing better than these things in the Life of Man who shall keep and do these things in their Life Hear next what follow these To minister to the Widows not to despise the Fatherless and Poor to redeem the Servants of God from Necessity to be Hospitable for in Hospitality there is sometimes great Fruit. Not to be contentious but be quiet to be humble above all Men to reverence the Aged to labour to be Righteous to keep up Brotherhood to bear Affronts to be equal minded not to cast away those that have fallen from the Faith but to make them gentle to admonish Sinners not to oppress those that are our Debtors and all other things of alike kind Do these things seem to thee to be good or not And I said what can be better than these Words Live then said he in these Commandments and do not depart from them For if thou shalt keep all these Commandments thou shalt live unto God And all they that shall keep these Commandments shall live unto God The Ninth COMMAND That we must ask of God daily and without Doubting AGAIN he said unto me Remove from thee all Doubting and Question nothing at all When thou askest any thing of the LORD say not within thy self How shall I be able to ask any thing of the LORD and receive it seeing I am so great a Sinner against him Do not think thus but turn unto the LORD with all thy Heart Ask without Doubting and thou shalt know the Mercy of the LORD How that he will not forsake thee but will fulfil the Request of thy Soul For God is not as Men mindful of the Injuries he has received but he forgets Injuries and has Compassion upon his Creature Wherefore purifie thy Heart from all the Vices of this present World and observe the Commands I have before deliver'd unto thee from God and thou shalt receive whatsoever good things thou shalt ask and nothing shall be wanting unto thee of all thy Petitions if thou shalt ask of the LORD without doubting But they that are not such shall obtain none of those things which they ask For they that are full of Faith ask with Confidence and receive from the LORD because they ask without doubting But he that doubts shall hardly live unto God except he repent Wherefore purifie thy Heart from doubting and put on Faith and trust in God and thou shalt receive all that thou shalt ask But and if thou shouldst chance to ask somewhat and not receive it yet do not therefore doubt because thou hast not presently received the Petition of thy Soul For it may be thou shalt not yet receive it for thy Tryal or else for some Sin which thou knowest not But do not thou leave off to ask and then thou shalt receive Else if thou shalt cease to ask thou must complain of thy self and not of God that he has not given unto thee what thou didst desire Consider therefore this Doubting how cruel and pernicious it is and how it utterly roots out many from the Faith who were very faithful and firm For this Doubting is the Daughter of the Devil and deals very wickedly with its Servants Despise it therefore and thou shalt rule over it on every Occasion Put on a firm and powerful Faith For Faith promises all things and perfects all things But doubting will not believe that it shall obtain any thing by all that it can do Thou seest therefore says he how Faith cometh from above from
Also of the Cleanness of the Body I. AS I was fasting and sitting down in a certain Mountain and giving Thanks unto God for all the things that he had done unto me behold I saw the Shepherd who was wont to converse with me sitting by me and saying unto me What has brought thee hither thus early in the Morning I answer'd Sir To Day I keep a Station He answer'd What is a Station I reply'd It is a Fast. He said What is that Fast I answer'd I fast as I have been wont to do Ye know not said he what it is to fast unto God nor is this a Fast which ye fast profiting nothing with God Sir said I what makes you speak thus He reply'd I speak it because this is not the true Fast which you think that you fast but I will shew you what that is which is a compleat Fast and acceptable unto God Hearken said he The LORD do's not desire such a needless Fast For by Fasting in this manner thou advancest nothing in Righteousness But the true Fast is this Do nothing wickedly in thy Life but serve God with a pure Mind and keep his Commandments and walk according to his Precepts nor suffer any wicked Desire to dwell in thy Mind And trust in the LORD that if thou dost these things and fearest him and abstainest from every evil Work thou shalt live unto God If thou shalt do this thou shalt perfect a great Fast and an acceptable one unto the LORD II. HEARKEN unto the Similitude which I am about to propose unto thee as to this matter A certain Man having a Farm and many Servants planted a Vineyard in a certain part of his Estate for his Posterity And taking a Journey into a far Country chose one of his Servants which he thought the most faithful and approved and deliver'd the Vineyard into his care commanding him that he should stake up his Vines Which if he did and fulfilled his Command he promised to give him his Liberty Nor did he command him to do any thing more and so went into a far Country After then that that Servant had taken that Charge upon him he did whatsoever his LORD commanded him And when he had staked the Vineyard and found it to be full of Weeds he began to think with himself saying I have done what my Lord commanded me I will now dig this Vineyard and when it is digg'd it will be more beautiful and the Weeds being pull'd up it will bring forth more Fruit and not be choak'd by the Weeds So setting about his Work he digg'd it and pluck'd up all the Weeds that were in it And by that means the Vineyard became very beautiful and prosperous and not over-run and choak'd with Weeds After some time the LORD of the Vineyard comes and goes into the Vineyard and when he saw that it was handsomely stak'd and digg'd and the Weeds pluck'd up that were in it and the Vines flourishing he rejoyced greatly at the Care of his Servant And calling his Son whom he loved and who was to be his Heir and his Friends with whom he was wont to consult he tells them what he had commanded his Servant to do and what his Servant had done more And they immediately congratulated that Servant that he had received so full a Testimony from his Lord. Then he said unto them I indeed promised this Servant his Liberty if he observed the Command which I gave him and he observed it and besides has done a good Work to my Vineyard which has exceedingly pleased me Wherefore for this Work which he hath done I will make him my Heir together with my Son because that when he saw what was good he dissembled it not but did it This Design of the LORD both his Son and his Friends approved namely that this Servant should be Heir together with his Son Not long after this the Master of the Family calling together his Friends sent from his Supper several kinds of Food to that Servant Which when he had received he took so much of them as was sufficient for himself and divided the rest among his Fellow Servants Which when they had received they rejoyced and wish'd that he might find yet greater favour with his Lord for what he had done to them When his Lord heard all these things he was again fill'd with great Joy and calling again his Friends and his Son together he related to them what his Servant had done with the Meats which he had sent unto him They therefore so much the more assented to the Master of the Houshold that he ought to make that Servant his Heir together with his Son III. I SAID unto him Sir I know not these Similitudes neither can I understand them unless you expound them unto me I will says he expound all things unto thee whatsoever I have talk'd with thee or shewn unto thee Keep the Commandments of the LORD and thou shalt be approved and shalt be written in the Number of those that keep his Commandments But if besides those things which the LORD hath commanded thou shalt add some good thing thou shalt purchase to thy self a greater Dignity and be in more favour with the LORD than thou shouldst otherwise have been If therefore thou shalt keep the Commandments of the LORD and shalt add to them these Stations thou shalt rejoyce but especially if thou shalt keep them according to my Commands I said unto him Sir Whatsoever thou shalt command me I will observe for I know that thou wilt be with me I will said he be with thee who hast taken up such a Resolution and I will be with all those who purpose in like manner This Fast saith he whilst thou dost also observe the Commandments of the LORD is exceeding good Thus therefore shalt thou keep it First of all take heed to thy self and keep thy self from every wicked Act and from every filthy Word and from every hurtful Desire and purifie thy Sense from all the Vanity of this present World If thou shalt observe these things this Fast shall be such as it ought to be Thus therefore do Having perform'd what is before written that day on which thou fastest thou shalt taste nothing at all but Bread and Water and computing the Quantity of Food which thou art wont to eat upon other Days thou shalt lay aside the Expence which thou shouldst have made that Day and give it unto the Widow the Fatherless and the Poor And thus thou shalt perfect the Humility of thy Soul that he who receives of it may satisfie his Soul and his Prayer come up to the LORD God for thee If therefore thou shalt thus accomplish thy Fast as I command thee thy Sacrifice shall be acceptable uto the LORD and thy Fast shall be written in his Book This Station thus perform'd is good and pleasing and acceptable unto the LORD These things if thou shalt observe with