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
Men unto Thee to Spy out the Land bring them forth for so hath the King Commanded She answered The two Men whom ye seek came unto Me but presently they departed and are gone Shewing them withall a Contrary way Then she said to the Spies I know that the LORD your God has given this City into your hands for the fear of you is fallen upon All that dwell therein When therefore ye shall have taken it ye shall save Me and my Fathers House And they answered her saying It shall be as Thou hast spoken unto Vs. Therefore when Thou shalt know that we are near thou shalt Gather all thy Family together upon the House top and they shall be saved But all that shall be found without thy House shall be destroyed And they gave her moreover a Sign that she should Hang out of her House a Scarlet Rope Shewing thereby that by the Blood of our Lord there should be Redemption to all that Believe and Hope in God Ye see Beloved How there was not only Faith but Prophesie too in this Woman XIII LET us therefore Humble our selves Brethren laying aside all Pride and Boasting and Foolishness and Anger And let us do as it is written for thus saith the Holy Spirit Let not the Wise Man Glory in his Wisdom nor the Strong Man in his Strength nor the Rich Man in his Riches But let him that Glorieth Glory in the LORD to seek Him and to do Judgment and Justice Above All remembring the words of the Lord Jesus which he spake concerning Equity and Long-suffering saying Be ye Merciful and ye shall obtain Mercy Forgive and ye shall be Forgiven As ye do so shall it be done unto you As ye give so shall it be given unto you As ye judge so shall ye be judged As ye are kind to Others so shall God be kind to you With what Measure ye Meet with the same shall it be measured to you Again By this Command and by these Rules let us establish our selves that so we may always walk obediently to his Holy Words being humble minded For so says the Holy Scripture Vpon Whom shall I look even upon him that is poor and of a Contrite Spirit and that trembles at my Word XIV IT is therefore Just and Righteous Men and Brethren that we should become Obedient unto God rather than follow such as through Pride and Disorder have made themselves the Ring-leaders of a detestable Emulation For it is not an Ordinary Harm that we shall do our selves but rather a very great Danger that we shall run if we shall rashly give up our selves to the Wills of Men who promote Strife and Seditions to turn us aside from what is fitting But let us be kind to One Another according to the Compassion and Sweetness of him that made us For it is written The Merciful shall inherit the Earth and they that are without Evil shall be left upon it But the Transgressors shall perish from off the face of it And again He saith I have seen the Wicked in great Power and spreading himself like the Cedars of Libanus I passed by and Lo he was not I sought his place but it could not be found Keep Innocency and do the thing that is right for there shall be a Remnant to the Peaceable Man XV. LET us therefore hold fast to Those who religiously follow Peace and not to such as only pretend to desire it For He saith in a certain place This People honoureth me with their lips but their heart is far from me And again They Bless with their Mouth but Curse in their Heart And again He saith They loved him with their Mouth and with their Tongue they lied to Him For their heart was not right with Him neither were they faithful in his Covenant The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips And the tongue that speaketh proud things Who have said with our tongue will we prevail Our lips are our own who is LORD over us For the Oppression of the Poor for the Sighing of the Needy now will I arise saith the LORD I will set him in safety I will deal confidently with him XVI FOR Christ is theirs who are Humble and not who exalt themselves over his Flock The Scepter of the Majesty of God our Lord Jesus Christ came not in the shew of Pride and Arrogance tho' he could have done so But with Humility as the Holy Ghost had before spoken concerning him For thus he saith LORD who hath believed our Report and to whom is the Arm of the LORD revealed For He shall grow up before him as a tender Plant and as a root out of a dry Ground He hath no Form nor Comeliness and when we shall see Him there is no Beauty that we should desire Him He is despised and rejected of Men A man of Sorrows and acquainted with Grief And we hid as it were our faces from Him He was despised and we esteemed Him not Surely He hath borne our Griefs and carried our Sorrows yet we did Esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted But he was wounded for our Transgressions He was bruised for our Iniquities The Chastisement of our Peace was upon Him and with his Stripes we are healed All we like sheep have gone astray we have turned every One to his own way and the LORD hath laid on Him the Iniquity of Vs all He was Oppressed and he was Afflicted yet he Opened not his mouth He is brought as a Lamb to the Slaughter and as a Sheep before her Shearers is Dumb so He openeth not his Mouth He was taken from Prison and from Judgment And who shall declare his Generation For he was cut off out of the Land of the Living For the Transgression of my People was he stricken And he made his Grave with the Wicked and with the Rich in his Death because he had done no Violence neither was any deceit in his Mouth Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him he hath put him to grief When thou shalt make his Soul an Offering for sin He shall see his Seed he shall prolong his days And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand He shall see of the travail of his Soul and shall be satisfied by his Knowledge shall my righteous Servant justifie many For He shall bear their Iniquities Therefore will I divide him a portion with the Great and he shall divide the Spoil with the Strong because He hath poured out his Soul unto death And he was numbred with the Transgressors and he bare the sin of many and made Intercession for the Transgressors And again he Himself saith I am a Worm and no Man a reproach of men and despised of the People All they that see me laugh me to scorn they shout out their lips they shake their head
Temple of the LORD shall be gloriously built in the Name of the LORD I find therefore that there is a Temple But how shall it be built in the Name of the LORD I will shew you Before that we belived in God the Habitation of our Heart was corruptible and feeble as a Temple truly built with Hands For it was a House full of Idolatry a House of Devils inasmuch as there was done in it whatsoever was contrary unto God But it shall be built in the Name of the LORD Consider how that the Temple of the LORD shall be very gloriously built And by what means that shall be learn Having received Remission of our Sins and trusting in the Name of the LORD we are become Renew'd being again created from the Beginning Wherefore God truly dwells in our House that is in us But how do's he dwell in us The Word of his Faith the Calling of his Promise the Wisdom of his Righteous Judgments the Commands of his Doctrine He himself prophecies within us he himself dwelleth in us and openeth to us who were in Bondage the Gate of Our Temple that is the Mouth of Wisdom having given Repentance to us and by this means has brought us into his incorruptible Temple He therefore that desires to be saved looketh not unto the Man but unto him that dwelleth in him and speaketh by him being struck with Wonder forasmuch as he never either heard him speaking such Words out of his Mouth nor ever desired to hear them This is that Spiritual Temple that is built unto the LORD XVII AND thus I trust I have declared to you as much and with as great Simplicity as I could those things which make for your Salvation so as not to have omitted any thing that might be requisite thereunto For should I speak farther of the Things that now are and of those that are to come you would not yet understand them seeing they lie in Parables This therefore shall suffice as to these things XVIII LET us now go on to the other kind of Knowledge and Doctrine There are two ways of Doctrine and Power The one of Light the other of Darkness But there is a great deal of difference between these two ways For over one are appointed the Angels of God the Leaders of the way of Light Over the others the Angels of Satan And the one is the LORD from Everlasting to Everlasting the other is the Prince of the Time of Unrighteousness XIX NOW the way of Light is this if any one desires to attain to the Place that is appointed for him and will hasten thither by his Works And the Knowledge that has been given to us of walking in it to this Effect * Thou shalt love him that made thee * Thou shalt glorifie him that hath redeemed thee from Death * Thou shalt be simple in Heart and * Rich in the Spirit * Thou shalt not cleave to those that walk in the Way of Death * Thou shalt hate to do any thing that is not pleasing unto God * Thou shalt abhor all Dissimulation * Thou shalt not neglect any of the Commands of the LORD * Thou shalt not exalt thy self but shalt be humble * Thou shalt not take Honour to thy self * Thou shalt not enter into any Wicked Counsel against thy Neighbour * Thou shalt not be confident in thy Heart * Thou shalt not commit * Fornication nor * Adultery Neither shalt thou * corrupt thy self with Mankind * Thou shalt not make use of the Speech which God has given thee to any Impurity * Thou shalt not accept any Mans Person when thou reprovest any ones Faults * Thou shalt be Gentle * Thou shalt be Quiet * Thou shalt tremble at the Words which thou hast heard * Thou shalt not keep any Hatred in thy Heart against thy Brother * Thou shalt not entertain any doubt whether it shall be or not * Thou shalt not take the Name of the LORD in vain * Thou shalt love thy Neighbour above thy own Soul * Thou shalt not destroy thy Conceptions before they are brought forth nor kill them after they are born * Thou shalt not take off thy Hand from thy Son or from thy Daughter but shalt teach them from their youth the Fear of the LORD * Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours Goods neither shalt thou be an Extortioner * Neither shall thy Heart be joined to proud Men but thou shalt be numbred among the Righteous and the Lowly * Whatever Troubles shall happen unto thee thou shalt receive them as good * Thou shalt not be double-minded or double-tongu'd for a double Tongue is the Snare of Death * Thou shalt be subject unto the LORD and to inferior Masters as to the Images of God in Fear and Reverence * Thou shalt not be bitter in thy Commands towards any of thy Servants that trust in God least thou chance not to fear him who is over both because he came not to call any with respect of Persons but whomsoever his Spirit had prepared * Thou shalt communicate to thy Neighbour of all thou hast Thou shalt not call any thing thine own For if ye partake in such things as are incorruptible how much more should ye do it in those that are Corruptible * Thou shalt not be forward to speak for the Mouth is the Snare of Death * As far as thou art able keep thy self Pure * Reach not out thine Hand to receive and with-hold it not when thou shouldst give * Thou shalt love as the Apple of thine Eye every one that speaketh unto thee the Word of the LORD * Call to thy Remembrance Day and Night the future Judgment * Thou shalt seek out every Day the Persons of the Righteous * And both seek by thy Speech and go forth to exhort and meditate how thou maiest save thine own Soul * Thou shalt also labour with thy Hands that thy Sins may be forgiven thee * Thou shalt not deliberate whether thou shouldst give * Nor having given murmur at it * Give to every one that asks so shalt thou know who is the good Rewarder of thy Gifts * Keep what thou hast received thou shalt neither add to it or take from it * Let the Wicked be always thy Aversion * Thou shalt judge righteous Judgment * Thou shalt never cause Divisions but shalt make Peace between those that are at variance and bring them together * Thou shalt confess thy Sins * And not come to thy Prayer with an Evil-Conscience This is the Way of Light XX. BUT the Way of Darkness is crooked and full of Cursing For it is the Way of Eternal Death with Punishment in which they that walk meet those things that destroy their own Souls Such are Idolatry Confidence Pride of Power Hypocrisie Double-Mindedness Adultery Murder Rapine Pride Transgression Deceit Malice Arrogance Witchcraft Covetousness and the Want of the Fear of God In this walk those who
are the Persecutors of them that are good Haters of Truth Lovers of Lies who know not the Reward of Righteousness nor cleave to any thing that is good Who administer not righteous Judgment to the Widdow and Orphan who watch for Wickedness and not for the Fear of the LORD From whom Gentleness and Patience are far off Who love Vanity and follow after Rewards Having no Compassion upon the Poor nor take any pains for such as are heavy laden and Opressed Ready to evil speaking not knowing him that made them Murderers of Children Corrupters of the Creature of God That turn away from the Needy Oppress the Afflicted The Adorers of the Rich but unjust Judges of the Poor being Altogether Sinners XXI IT is therefore fitting that learning the just Commands of the LORD which we have before mentioned we should walk in them For he that do's such things shall be glorified in the Kingdom of God But he that chuses the other part shall be destroyed together with his Works For this cause there shall be both a Resurrection and a Retribution I beseech those that are Excellent among you if so be you will take the Counsel which with a good intention I offer to you You have those with you towards whom you may do good Do not forsake them For the Day is at hand in which All things shall be destroyed together with the Wicked One. The LORD is near and his Reward is with him I beseech you therefore again and again be as good Law-givers to one another continue faithful Counsellors to each other Remove from among you all Hypocrisie And may God the LORD of all the World give you Wisdom Knowledge Understanding and a true apprehension of his Judgments in Patience Be ye taught of God Seeking what it is the LORD requires of you and doing it that ye may be saved in the Day of Judgment And if there be among you any remembrance of what is good think of me meditating upon these things that both your Desire and your Watching may turn to some good account I beseech you I ask it as a Favour of you Whilst you are in this beautiful Tabernacle of the Body be wanting in none of these things but without ceasing seek them and fulfill every Command For these things are fitting and worthy to be done Wherefore I have given the more diligence to write unto you according to my Ability that you might rejoice Farewel Children of Love and Peace The LORD of Glory and of all Grace be with your Spirit Amen The End of the Epistle of BARNABAS the Apostle and Companion of St. PAUL the Apostle THE SHEPHERD OF St. HERMAS THE CONTENTS The First BOOK Vision I. AGAINST Filthy and Proud Thoughts Also the Correction of HERMAS for his Neglect of his Sons II. Again of his Neglect in correcting his Talkative Wife and of his Lewd Sons and of his own Manners III Of the Building of the Church-Triumphant And of the several Orders of Reprobates IV. Of the Tryal and Tribulation that is about to come upon Men. The Second BOOK An Introduction to the following COMMANDS Command I. OF Believing in One God II. That we must avoid Detraction and do our Alms-Deeds with Simplicity III. Of Avoiding Lying And the Repentance of HERMAS for his Dissimulation IV. Of putting away Ones Wife for ADULTERY V. Of the Sadness of the Heart and of Patience VI. That every Man has two Angels and of the Suggestions of both VII That we must fear God but not the Devil VIII That we must flee from Evil and do Good IX That we must ask of God daily and without doubting X. Of the Sadness of the Heart and that we must take heed not to grieve the Spirit of God that is in us XI That the Spirits and Prophets are to be tried by their Works and of a Two-fold Spirit XII Of a two-fold Desire That the Commands of God are not impossible And that the Devil is not to be feared by them that Believe The Third BOOK Similitude I. THAT seeing we have no abiding City in this World we ought to look after that which is to come II. As the Vine is supported by the Elm so is the Rich-Man help'd by the Prayers of the Poor III. As the Green Trees in the Winter cannot be distinguish'd from the Dry so neither can the Righteous from the Wicked in this present World IV. As in Summer the living Trees are distinguish'd from the Dry by their Fruit and Green Leaves so in the World to come the Righteous shall be distinguish'd from the Unrighteous by their Happiness V. Of a True Fast and the Reward of it Also of the Cleanness of the Body VI. Of two Sorts of Voluptuous Men and of their Death Defection and of the Continuance of their Pains VII That they who Repent must bring forth Fruits worthy of Repentance VIII That there are many kinds of Elect and of Repenting Sinners And how all of them shall receive a Reward proportionable to the Measure of their Repentance and Good Works IX The Greatest Mysteries of the Militant and Triumphant Church which is to be built X. Of Repentance and Alms-Deeds The First BOOK OF St. HERMAS Which is Called His VISIONS The First VISION Against filthy and proud Thoughts also the Correction of Hermas for his Neglect of his Sons I. HE who had bred me up Sold a certain young Maid at Rome whom when I saw many Years after I remembred her and began to love her as a Sister It happen'd some time afterwards that I saw her wash'd in the River Tyber and I reach'd out my hand unto her and help'd her out of the River And when I saw her I thought with my self saying That I should be happy had I fortun'd to have met with a Wife like unto her both for her Beauty and Manners This I thought with my self nor did I think any thing more But not long after as I was walking and musing on these Thoughts I began to honor the Creature of God thinking with my self how noble and beautiful it is And when I had walk'd a little I fell asleep And the Spirit caught me away and carried me through a certain Place towards the Right-hand through which no Man could pass It was a Place among Rocks very steep and unpassable for Water When I was past this Place I came into a Plain and there falling down upon my Knees I began to pray unto the LORD and to confess my Sins And as I was praying the Heaven was opened and I saw the Woman which I had coveted saluting me from Heaven and saying HERMAS hail And I looking upon her answered Lady What dost thou do here She answered me I am taken up hither to convince thee of Sin unto the LORD Lady said I Wilt thou convince me No said she but hear the Words which I am about to speak unto thee God who dwelleth in Heaven and hath made All things out of Nothing and
has multiplied them for his Holy Churches sake is angry with thee because thou hast sinned against me And I answering said unto her Lady If I have sinned against thee tell me where or in what Place or when did I ever speak an unseemly or dishonest Word unto thee Have I not always esteemed thee as a Lady Have I not always reverenced thee as a Sister Why then dost thou imagine these wicked things against me Then she smiling upon me said The desire of Naughtiness has risen up in thy heart Does it not seem to thee to be an ill thing for a Righteous Man to have an evil desire rise up in his heart It is indeed a Sin and that a very great one to such a Man for a righteous Man thinketh what is righteous And whilst he does so and walketh uprightly he shall have the LORD in Heaven favourable unto him in all his Works But as for those who think wickedly in their hearts they take to themselves Death and Captivity and especially those who love this present World and glory in their Riches and regard not the good things that are to come their Souls wander up and down and know not where to fix Now this is the Case of such as are Doubtful who trust not in the LORD and despise and neglect their own life But do thou pray unto the LORD and he will heal thy Sins and the Sins of thy whole House and of all his Saints II. AS soon as she had spoken these Words the Heavens were shut and I remained utterly swallowed up in Sadness and Fear and said within my self If this be laid against me for Sin how can I ever be saved or how shall I ever be able to intreat the LORD for my many and great Sins With what Words shall I beseech him to be merciful unto me As I was thinking over these things and meditating in my self upon them behold a Chair set over against me of the whitest Wool as bright as Snow And there came an old Woman in a bright Garment having a Book in her hand and sate alone and saluted me saying HERMAS hail And I being full of Sorrow and weeping answered Hail Lady and she said unto me Why art thou sad Hermas who wert wont to be patient and modest and always cheerful I answered and said to her Lady a Reproach has been objected to me by an excellent Woman who tells me that I have sinned against her She replied Far be any such thing from the Servant of God But it may be the desire of her has risen up in thy Heart For indeed there is such a Thought even in the Servants of God leading unto Sin Nor ought such a detestable Thought to be in the Servant of God nor should a Spirit that is approved desire that which is evil nor especially HERMAS who contains himself from all wicked Appetites and is full of all Simplicity and of great Innocence III. NEVERTHELESS the LORD is not angry with thee for thine own sake but upon the account of thy House which has committed Wickedness against the LORD and against their Parents And that Act of thy Fondness towards thy Sons in that thou hast not admonished them but hast permitted them to live wickedly and for this Cause the LORD is angry with thee But he will heal all the Evils that are done before thee in thy House For through their Sins and Iniquities thou art wholly consumed in secular Affairs But now the Mercy of God hath taken Compassion upon thee and upon thine House and hath greatly comforted thee only as for thee do not wander but be of an even Mind and comfort thy House As the Workman bringing forth his Work offers it to whomsoever he pleases so shalt thou by teaching every day what is just cut off a great sin Wherefore cease not to admonish thy Sons for the LORD knows that they will repent with all their heart and he will write thee in the Book of Life And when she had said this she added unto me Wilt thou hear me Read I answer'd her Lady I will Hear then said she And opening the Book she read gloriously greatly and wonderfully such things as I could not keep in my Memory For they were terrible Words such as no Man could bear Howbeit I committed her last Words to my Remembrance for they were but few and of great use Behold the mighty LORD who by his invincible Power and with his excellent Wisdom made the World and by his glorious Counsel encompassed the Beauty of his Creature and with the Word of his strength fix'd the Heaven and founded the Earth upon the Waters and by his powerful Vertue establish'd his Holy Church which he hath blessed Behold he will remove the Heavens and the Mountains the Hills and the Seas and all things shall be made Plain for his Elect that he may render unto them the Promise which he has promised with much Honor and Joy if so be that they shall keep the Commandments of God which they have received with great Faith IV. AND when she had made an end of Reading she rose out of the Chair and behold four Young-men came and carried the Chair to the East And she called me unto her and touch'd my Breast and said unto me Did my Reading please thee I answered Lady These last things please me but what went before was severe and hard She said unto me These last things are for the Righteous but the foregoing for the Revolters and Heathen And as she was talking with me Two more appeared and took her up on their shoulders and went to the East where the Chair was And she went chearfully away and as she was going said unto me HERMAS be of good chear VISION II. Again of his Neglect in Correcting his Talkative Wife and of his Lewd Sons and of his Own Manners I. AS I was on the Way to Cumae about the same time that I had been the last Year I began to call to mind the Vision I formerly had And again the Spirit carried me away and brought me into the same Place in which I had been the Year before And when I was come into the Place I fell down upon my Knees and began to Pray unto the LORD and to Honour his Name that he had esteemed me worthy and had manifested unto me my former Sins And when I arose from Prayer behold I saw over against me the Old Woman whom I had seen the last Year walking and reading in a certain Book And she said unto me Can'st thou tell these things to the Elect of God I answered and said unto her Lady I cannot retain such great things in my Memory but give me the Book and I will write them down Take it says she and see that thou restore it again to me As soon as I had receiv'd it I went aside into a certain Place of the Field and transcribed every Letter for I found no
thy Children and with all thy House thou shalt be happy And whosoever when they hear these things shall do them they also shall be happy and whatsoever they shall ask of the LORD they shall receive it IV. AND I pray'd him that he would expound unto me the Similitude of the Farm and the Lord and of the Vineyard and of the Servant that had staked the Vine-yard and of the Weeds that were pluck'd out of the Vineyard and of his Son and his Friends which he took into Counsel with him For I understood that that was the Similitude He said unto me Thou art very ready in asking Howbeit thou oughst not to ask any thing for if it be fitting to shew it unto thee it shall be shewed I answer'd him Sir Whatsoever thou shalt shew without explaining it unto me I shall in vain see it And what Similitudes thou shalt propose and not expound them I shall in vain hear them He answered me again saying Whosoever is the Servant of God and has the LORD in his Heart desires Understanding of him and receives it and he explains every Similitude and understands the Words of the LORD which need an Enquiry But they that are lazy and slow to pray doubt to seek from the LORD although the LORD be of such an extraordinary Goodness that without ceasing he giveth all things to them that ask of him Thou therefore who art strengthened by that Venerable Messenger and hast received such a powerful Gift of Prayer seeing thou art not sloathful why dost thou not now ask Understanding of the LORD and receive it I said unto him seeing I have thee present it is necessary that I should seek it of thee and ask thee for thou shewest all things unto me and speakest to me when thou art present But if I should see or hear these things when thou wert not present I would then ask the LORD that he would shew them unto me V. AND he reply'd I said a little before that thou wert subtle and bold and that thou askest the meaning of these Similitudes But because thou still persistest I will unfold to thee the Parable which thou desirest that thou mayst make it known unto all Men. Hear therefore said he and understand The Farm before mention'd denotes the whole Earth The Lord of the Farm is he who created and finished all things and gave Vertue unto them His Son is the Holy Spirit The Servant is the Son of God The Vineyard is the People whom he saves The Stakes are the Messengers which are set over them by the LORD to support his People The Weeds that are pluckt up out of the Vineyard are the Sins which the Servants of God had committed The Food which he sent him from his Supper are the Commands which he gave to his People by his Son The Friends whom he call'd to Counsel with him are the Holy Angels whom he first created The Absence of the Master of the Houshold is the Time that remains unto his Coming I said unto him Sir All these things are very excellent and wonderful and good But continued I could I or any other Man besides though never so wise have understood these things Wherefore now Sir tell me what I ask He replied ask me what thou wilt Why said I is the Son of God in this Parable put in the place of a Servant VI. Hearken said he The Son of God is not put in the condition of a Servant but in great Power and Authority And I answer'd How Sir I understood it not Because said he The Son set his Messengers over those whom the Father deliver'd unto him to keep every one of them but he himself labour'd very much and suffer'd much that he might blot out their Offences For no Vineyard can be digg'd without much Labour and Pains Wherefore having blotted out the Sins of his People he shew'd to them the Paths of Life giving them the Law which he had received of the Father You see said he that he is the LORD of his People having received all Power from his Father But why did the LORD take into Counsel his Son concerning dividing the Inheritance and the Good Angels Hear Because that Messenger hearkned to the Holy Ghost which was first of all infused into the Body in which God should dwell For his Understanding placed him in the Body as it seem'd Good to him This Body therefore into which the Holy Spirit was brought served that Spirit walking rightly and purely in Modesty nor ever defiled that Spirit Seeing therefore the Body at all times obeyed the Holy Spirit and labour'd rightly and chastly with him nor falter'd at any time that Body being wearied conversed indeed Servily but being stoutly approved with the Holy Spirit was accepted by God For such a powerful Course pleased God because he was not defiled in the Earth keeping the Holy Spirit in Council with him He called therefore his Son and the Good Angels that there might be some place of standing given to this Body which had served the Holy Spirit without Complaint least it should seem to have lost the reward of its Service For every pure Body shall receive its reward that is found without Spot in which the Holy Spirit has been appointed to dwell And thus you have now the Exposition of this Parable also VII SIR said I I now understand your Meaning since I have heard this Exposition Hearken farther said he Keep this thy Body Clean and Pure that the Spirit which shall dwell in it may bear Witness unto it and be judged to have been with thee Also take heed that it be not instill'd into thy Mind that this Body perishes and thou abuse it to any Lust. For if thou shalt defile thy Body thou shalt also at the same time defile the Holy Spirit and if thou shalt defile the Holy Spirit thou shalt not live And I said What if through Ignorance this should have been already committed before a Man heard these Words How can he attain unto Salvation who has thus defiled his Body He reply'd As for Mens former Actions which through Ignorance they have committed God only can afford a remedy unto them For all power belongeth unto him But now Guard thy self and seeing God is Almighty and Merciful he will grant a remedy to what thou hast formerly done amiss if for the time to come thou shalt not defile thy Body and Spirit For they are Companions together and the One cannot be defiled but the other will be so too Keep therefore both of them Pure and thou shalt live unto God The Sixth SIMILITUDE Of two sorts of Voluptuous Men and of their Death Defection and of the Continuance of their Pains I. AS I was sitting at home and praising God for all the things which I had seen and was thinking concerning the Commands that they were exceeding Good and Great and Honest and Pleasant and such as would certainly bring a Man to Salvation