The Second Book Of Hermas, Called His Commands
1926 anthology with historical English translations and Crane introduction
William Wake and Frank Crane
5 There is therefore a twofold fear; if thou wilt not do evil, fear the Lord and thou shalt not do it. But if thou wilt do good,[1278] the fear of the Lord is strong, and great and glorious.
6 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.
COMMAND VIII.
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[1279] abstinence. From some things therefore thou must abstain, and from others not.
2 I answered, Declare to me, sir, from what I must abstain, and from what not. Hearken, said he. Keep thyself 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[1280] know all righteousness.
3 I said, What evil things are they from which I must abstain? Hearken, said he: from adultery, from drunkenness, from riots, from excess of eating, from daintiness and dishonesty, from pride, from fraud, from lying, from detraction, from hypocrisy, from remembrance of injuries, and from all evil speaking.
4 For these are 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.
5 But hear, said he, what follows of these kind of things: for 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.
6 Do these things seem to thee to be evil or not? Indeed they are very evil to the servants of God. Wherefore the servant of God must abstain from all these[1281] works.
7 Keep thyself therefore from them, that thou mayest live unto God, and be written among those that abstain from them. And thus have I shown thee what things thou must avoid: now learn from what thou must not abstain.
8 Abstain not from any good works, but do them. Hear, said he, what the virtue of those good works is which thou must do, that thou mayest be saved. The first of all is faith; the fear of the Lord; charity; concord; equity; truth; patience; chastity.
9 There is nothing better than these things in the life of man;[1282] who shall keep and do these things in their life. Hear next what follow these.
10 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[1283] great fruit) not to be contentious, but be quiet.
11 To be humble above all men; to reverence the aged; to labour to be righteous;[1284] to respect the brotherhood; to bear affronts; to be long-suffering;[1285] not to cast away those that have fallen from the faith, but to convert them, and make them be of[1286] good cheer; to admonish sinners; not to oppress those that are our debtors; and all other things of a like kind.
12 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.
COMMAND IX.
That we must ask of God daily; and without doubting.
AGAIN he said unto me;[1287] remove from thee all doubting; and question nothing at all, when thou askest anything of the Lord; saying within thyself: how shall I be able to ask anything of the Lord and receive it, seeing I have so greatly sinned against him?
2 Do not think thus, but turn unto the Lord with all thy heart, and ask of him 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.
3 For God is not as men, mindful of the injuries he has received; but he forgets injuries, and has compassion upon his creature.
4 Wherefore purify thy heart from all the vices of this present world; and observe the commands I have before delivered 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.
5[1288] But they that are not such, shall obtain none of those things which they ask. For they that are full of faith ask all things with confidence, and receive from the Lord, because they ask without doubting. But he that doubts, shall hardly live unto God, except he repent.
6 Wherefore purify 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 shouldest chance to ask somewhat and not ( [1289] immediately) receive it, yet do not therefore doubt, because thou hast not presently received the petition of thy soul.
7 For it may be thou shalt not presently receive it for thy trial, or else for some sin which thou knowest not. But do not thou leave off to ask,[1290] and then thou shalt receive. Else if thou shalt cease to ask, thou must complain of thyself, and not of God, that he has not given unto thee what thou didst desire.
8 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 the servants of God.
9 Despise it therefore, and thou shalt rule over it[1291] 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 anything, by all that it can do.
10 Thou seest therefore, says he, how faith cometh from above, from God; and hath great power. But doubting is an earthly spirit, and proceedeth from the devil, and has no strength.
11 Do thou therefore keep the virtue of faith, and depart from doubting, in which is no virtue, and thou shalt live unto God. And all shall live unto God, as many as do these things.
COMMAND X.
Of the sadness of the heart; and that we must take heed not to grieve the spirit of God that is in us.
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.
3 Sir, said I, I am very foolish, and understand not these[1294] things. I cannot apprehend how it can torment, and yet save. Hear, said he, and understand. They who never sought out the truth, nor inquired concerning the majesty of God, but only believed, are involved in the affairs of the heathen.
5 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.
6 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.
7 Whosoever therefore are strong in the faith of the Lord, and have put on the truth: they are not joined to such spirits, but depart from them. But they that are doubtful, and often repenting like the heathens, consult them, and heap up to themselves great sin, serving idols.
8 As many therefore as are such, inquire of them upon every occasion; worship idols; and are foolish, and void of the truth.
9 For every spirit that is given from God needs not to be asked; but having the power of divinity speaks all things of itself; because he comes from above, from the power of God.